Rise of the OtherGod Apostle: Not a Cult Leader, but a Serf?!

#068Reader Mode

T/N: Sorry it’s late. Got sick, but I’m feeling better now. Update to Valentin —-> Valentine.

#068

A blinding halo, so radiant it sent shivers down the spine, illuminated the blond young man from behind. Though appearances often deceive, this halo remained unchangeable, a beacon of truth that could not be denied.

In an instant, Athanas recognized the figure before him.

Sextus, the Discerner of Emotions…

The sixth Apostle, blessed with the power to see through any deception.

Sextus’s sword gleamed with menace as he aimed it at Athanas. “Those who dare to fabricate the revelation of God shall have their necks severed and heads mounted upon my pole as a warning to all… A truth that any holy knight should know well.”

A murderous intent, sharper than any blade, descended upon Athanas. “Speak. Why did you approach ‘Fabio,’ even going so far as to forge Valentine’s revelation?”

Athanas’s gaze shifted to Fabio, who flinched as their eyes met, hanging his head low like a frightened shrew. Even with the threat of death looming over him, Athanas’s thoughts were consumed with what Fabio must be thinking, realizing that his lies had been exposed from their very first encounter.

And worse still, Fabio now knew that Athanas had been calling him as his ‘fated partner’…

“Answer me,” Sextus demanded.

Athanas contemplated his response.

How should he answer?

If I say it was love at first sight… I’ll be condemned on the spot.

Valentine, known for his mercy towards those who forged his revelations, always responded with, ’If love is present, my will is there’, when asked to confirm their legitimacy. Yet, he never neglected to add: ’But if love is absent, those who forge my will deserve to perish.’

“I…” Athanas began, knowing that no one could deceive their heart in the presence of the Apostle of Emotions.

He had no doubt that the moment he uttered the word ‘love’, his head would fall. “…felt a certain destiny the moment I saw him. It’s true that I did not receive Valentine’s revelation, but this overwhelming desire to be near him is not a lie.”

“So, you claim to love ‘Fabio’?” Sextus questioned.

Athanas glanced at Fabio, whose expression revealed a lack of understanding of the unfolding situation.

…Of course. He probably doesn’t know that people of the same gender can be together.

Even if Athanas confessed his love, it would take time for Fabio to comprehend that it held the same meaning as love between opposite genders.

I doubt he even knows who Valentine is, to begin with.

A deep conversation with Fabio would have been ideal, but with an Apostle’s sword hanging over him, even a brief greeting was impossible.

Turning back time…

…to prevent this situation from ever happening would have been the wisest path.

The root of the incident lay in his colleagues’ investigation of ‘Fabio’ and their subsequent capture by the Apostle. Preventing this was a simple matter.

I just need to create a reason for Fabio to not go straight to the cafeteria, and in the meantime, tell my colleagues to stop.

But if he was going to turn back time anyway…

“Yes. I am in love.”

Sextus scowled, his words slicing through the air. “What you just uttered is a lie.”

“…Is that so?”

“With this, you have committed two grave sins. One is perjury before an Apostle, and the other is forging God’s revelation. Just one is enough to forfeit your head, but you committed two…”

Sextus slowly raised his sword, its brilliance a testament to his duty as an Apostle, an agent of God, to condemn sinners.

Now I really must turn back time.

In mere moments, that sword would descend like lightning, severing his neck. Athanas had heard that one remains alive for a few fleeting seconds even after decapitation, but he didn’t want to gamble on whether [Retrograde] would still work then.

Just before the sword was swung, Athanas’s final sight was Fabio throwing himself to stand before him.

…Why?

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Athanas blinked, his eyes slowly focusing on Fabio’s face as he gazed down at him.

“Ah, you’re awake?”

The branch library… I see.

Retrograde had worked, turning back the hands of time.

Fabio had tried to wake him up as promised. “What a relief. I was worried about what to do if you couldn’t wake up.”

Confusion swirled through Athanas’s mind.

Why…

Did you stand before me?

To interfere with condemnation was an act of blasphemy.

Did he not realize that it’s a grave sin?

But even if he didn’t know…

“Today I have an important appointment, so I need to leave quickly…”

“Fabio.”

“Yes?”

Athanas grabbed Fabio’s arm, causing his eyes to widen in surprise.

“Why…”

Why did you stand before me then?

Athanas still couldn’t understand it.

Fabio had heard everything—that Athanas had deceived him from the very beginning, monitored him, never once spoke the truth, and that the love he professed was a lie.

Was it simply because he couldn’t bear to witness someone die before his eyes? Or was there a deeper reason he felt compelled to save ‘Athanas’?

If not that, then…

“Um… do you have something to say?” Fabio asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Athanas silently gazed at him, feeling the pulse on the arm he held gradually quickening.

…Despite being this afraid of me.

Why did he try to save me?

“…It’s nothing.” Even if he asked, he likely wouldn’t receive an answer. This ‘Fabio’ had never done such a thing before. The rewound time existed only in Athanas’ memory.

…I can’t even tell him that such an event happened before I turned back time.

Because Fabio feared [Retrograde].

Athanas released his grip on Fabio’s arm. “It seems I wasn’t fully awake yet. I’m sorry.”

“Well, that can happen. Anyway, I have an important appointment. Um, enjoy your lunch.” Fabio’s words tumbled out in a rush as he prepared to leave.

Athanas silently watched him go, knowing that the earlier incident would repeat itself if he didn’t stop him now. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to hold him back.

If the same thing happens again…

Could he ask him then?

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

“I sense a gaze on us,” the Apostle of Emotions remarked, setting down his spoon.

At his words, the cafeteria fell into an eerie silence, conversations halting abruptly.

“What are you…” with confusion clear on his face, Fabio took a look around.

The Apostle waved his hand, and people silently rose from their seats, filing out of the cafeteria.

Fabio stopped eating, his eyes darting around in bewilderment. “…What did you just do?”

“I temporarily made the irrelevant people forget the concept of ‘lunch’ and this ‘cafeteria’ with ‘Oblivion’.”

“What? What does that…”

“As a result, it’s similar to them thinking they finished lunch and getting up, so you don’t need to be that scared. They won’t even feel discomfort other than thinking they’re unusually hungry today.”

“That’s even more…”

“Hm?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

The Apostle rose from his seat. “Now, shall the remaining people come over here?”

Only three terrified colleagues and Athanas remained in the cafeteria. Fabio, just then noticing Athanas’s presence, made a surprised expression. “…Athanas?”

“You know someone here?”

“I don’t know if I should say I know him…”

Athanas felt the urge to act differently from before but quickly suppressed it.

He’ll interrogate my colleagues first.

It couldn’t even be called an interrogation. The moment the Apostle revealed his halo, Athanas’s colleagues knelt down and confessed everything.

His colleagues couldn’t really be blamed for that. It was unimaginable for believers of Order, especially holy knights who would become the Swords of Order, to perjure themselves before an Apostle.

…They must have also judged that speaking honestly would help them.

What better answer could there be to the question of why they followed someone around other than being curious about a ‘fated partner’? If there was any fault, it would lie with Athanas, who had lied to his colleagues.

“About Valentine’s revelation,” Sextus began, then told his colleagues they could leave.

His colleagues scurried away, giving Athanas a look that said, ‘What is all this about?’

It’s the same up to this point.

Athanas watched as Sextus conjured his sword of condemnation from the very air itself, its blade gleaming with a cold, unwavering light.

Next…

“…Are you bored?” Sextus asked, his head tilted quizzically as he regarded Athanas. “In a situation like this, how could boredom even cross your mind?”

Oh no.

“How strange. Boredom of all things…? Why?” Sextus pressed, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Athanas felt his heart sink. Before the Apostle of Emotions, not only actions but even the most fleeting of thoughts should have been kept the same as last time.

“Now you’re surprised again? Truly… suspicious. Did you really receive Valentine’s revelation? Honestly?”

“…That’s right.”

“That is a lie,” Sextus stated coldly, the tip of his sword coming to rest against Athanas’s neck.

“He who dares to fabricate the revelation of God shall have his neck severed and his head mounted upon my pole as a warning to all… A truth that any holy knight should know well.”

A murderous intent, sharper than any blade, crashed down upon Athanas like a tidal wave.

“Speak. What is your reason for approaching ‘Fabio’ even going so far as to forge Valentine’s revelation?”

Athanas glanced towards Fabio, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. Fabio flinched, startled and quickly lowered his gaze.

“…I felt a certain destiny the moment I saw him.”

The Apostle of Emotions can only discern what the other person truly believes.

“It’s true that I didn’t receive Valentine’s revelation, but this intense desire to be near him, to know him… it’s no lie.”

So if I can deceive my own emotions…

“Are you saying that you love Fabio?”

Athanas looked at Fabio once more.

…In a way, couldn’t these feelings be called love?

Never before had Athanas spent so much of his life consumed by thoughts of a single person. Pondering all day about what to say, waiting for the moment they would meet again.

If this wasn’t love, then what was it?

“…Yes. I am in love.”

Sextus frowned, his eyes darkening.

“What you just said is a lie.”

It doesn’t work after all.

Athanas gave up cleanly.

“With this, you have committed two grave sins. Perjury before an Apostle and forging God’s revelation. Either one alone is enough to warrant the loss of your head, yet you have committed both…”

Sextus slowly raised his sword, the blade glinting menacingly in the light.

Athanas waited.

Not much has deviated, so about now…

“Stop it!!” Fabio cried out, throwing himself between Athanas and the sword of condemnation, his arms outstretched.

“Mr. Ter! You can’t! Absolutely not! I don’t know if you’re serious or joking right now, but either way, you can’t do this.”

“…Fabio. Obstructing an Apostle’s execution is a grave sin,” Sextus warned, his voice low and dangerous.

“This execution should not be happening in the first place!”

“If you continue to stand there after being warned, you will also face condemnation.”

Fabio flinched at the Apostle’s words, but he held his ground.

“Regardless, you can’t do this! You really can’t!”

“If you persist in blocking me, your arm will be severed.”

“What?”

“Those who defend a sinner must receive the same punishment as the sinner. That man’s head must be severed, so your arm will be cut off.”

At the Apostle’s chilling declaration, Fabio turned pitifully pale.

Athanas believed that this would be enough to make Fabio lower his arms and step aside.

“S-Still, you can’t!” Fabio stammered, his resolve unwavering.

…Why?