The alleyway where the man and Arsene stood was dark and gloomy.
It was hard to believe that such a dismal place existed in a bright and sunny city like this. It wasn’t even far from where people passed by.
Just a few steps away, one could encounter cheerful people. However, strangely enough, this alley seemed to mark some kind of boundary and felt desolate.
“It’s amazing how you managed to find a place like this.”
The man in front of Arsene was always present in such alleyways.
He fed on the fear of those on the brink of death in places like this, thereby growing stronger. That’s how he got the title of God.
To enhance his own power, he threatened and preyed on the deaths of others. He mocked and trampled upon the prayers begging for mercy before him.
He even defied war for amusement. His power had become grotesquely immense, but perhaps no one could have guessed that it would eventually turn against him.
No, everyone knows except him.
“A god who thrives on fear won’t last long.”
After striking deathly fear into the hearts of many for a time, he gradually fell. Because no one worshipped him anymore.
A god who is not sought after is useless. All the other gods and their worshippers looked at him and said it was inevitable.
Arsene also thought the same way. It was because he happened to witness it. A girl, no more than ten years old, was suffering from a severe fever.
No physician could diagnose her illness, and the villagers saw her as ominous and chased the parents and child away.
With desperation, the parents sought out the god of death as the straw. The god of death smiled compassionately and said that in order to save the girl, she must consume a certain herb.
Arsene wondered what the god’s intention was for providing help. A small mercy, perhaps.
He might have been sympathetic to the little girl, gasping for air and barely holding on to life with her tiny, slender body.
The couple, who looked too young to be the child’s parents, had searched the mountains for two days to find some herbs, but the child had already died.
‘Ah, I forgot to mention it. The child only has one day left.’
The god of death disgustingly said to the despairing couple.
If only they had come a little earlier.
Watching that scene, Arsene understood why his once compassionate and affectionate god became cold and indifferent when it came to that story.
Thinking back now, it was even more apparent. The child was ten years old. Mary Conler must have been around that age when he first met her.
Recalling how small Mary was, he pondered how cruel and despicable the man was at that time.
He became a god based on the fears of humans.
By seizing control over their life and death, trampling upon their desperation, he had already lost the right to be called a god.
What human being would seek out a god of death when they were tired and weary, when they were happy and joyful?
Oh, there was one person.
“Are you crazy?”
Arsene roughly grabbed the arm of the girl who was praying in front of the god of death’s statue. Her black eyes were filled with confusion.
Arsene had to suppress the urge to kick the stone she was praying to, while looking at her innocent and harmless eyes.
“I told you never to come here!”
“But…….”
“But what?”
With a strong grip, he pulled her arm forcefully, causing her to let out a gasp.
She flailed as if she were going to fall, but it didn’t matter to Arsene, who was already furious.
“Arsene, are you angry?”
“Wouldn’t you be if you were me?”
“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be here, but I feel sorry for him.”
“Sorry?”
Arsene stood still, his expression frozen.
“How many times do I have to tell you how nasty and dreary that god is?”
“Oh, that’s really……. I’m going to get a scab in my ear.”
Her black pupils shimmered as they caught the sunlight, like a polished stone. Her gentle smile disarmed her opponent.
“You’re going to keep praying even when I’m not here, right?”
Arsene, who had a slightly loosened face again, persistently asked. She averted her gaze from his question..
Although she didn’t answer, her face betrayed all her emotions, allowing Arsene to hear the answer loud and clear.
“I mean, I can’t come and watch you all the time…”
“If I don’t listen, will you come often?”
When Arsene spoke with a hint of coercion, her eyes lit up. Arsene bit his tongue, watching her reflection.
She lived in a temple far from the village. Sometimes, when Arsene came to visit, she would be so happy to see him that tears would well up in her eyes.
The gods watched over her from afar, answering her prayers, but that was all. She had no parents, no siblings.
Every once in a while, she would entertain a worshiper, but since the temple was in the middle of nowhere, they were few and far between.
“I’m sorry. Did I trouble you again?”
Seeing Arsene silently looking at her, she quickly apologized. Arsene gently stroked her head.
Arsene has been watching over her since she was very young.
He wanted to be there for her, to make sure she wasn’t lonely, but he couldn’t leave now that he had so much to learn from the gods.
“I’m even more sorry.”
“I’ll listen to you, Arsene. In fact, I like it better when you come to visit sometimes. Being close to you makes me appreciate your presence even more.”
“I’ll come more often.”
She regained her smile at Arsene’s promise to come more often, calming him down.
Arsene didn’t forget to remind her again.
“Never, never, never pray. No, don’t even look at it.”
“Yes, yes, but…….”
“What’s the matter again?”
As she nodded her head assertively, Arsene’s expression hardened, anticipating another argument.
She narrowed her shoulders when she saw Arsene’s cold expression. Then she said, wriggling her fingers.
“It’s just so sad that no one prays for him…”
“No one is praying for him, so I’m telling you not to either.”
“Shouldn’t I pray for him?”
Arsene was speechless.
“I can’t even enter the temple… I feel like I can’t enter the village for some reason. I look like a loner. Without a family.”
“Why are you a loner?”
At her lamenting words about her situation, Arsene grabbed her shoulders.
Her eyes widened at the grip, but then she laughed again and stroked his hair.
“That’s right, I have Arsene.”
Why did she say she liked it when he occasionally came to visit?
Why did she come running towards him every time like an eager puppy, even though he didn’t speak kindly and told her not to do things?
Arsene felt so sorry for her, who is so much smaller than him and so much younger than him.
“…Let’s limit it to once a week.”
“What?”
“Praying to that thing.”
Arsene grumbled, and she hugged him as if finding his grumpiness adorable. Being embraced by her in her arms felt precious to him.
There are many types of love and affection in the world. Arsene felt one of them for her.
Because of that, he wanted to give her everything she wanted.
But he couldn’t.
“So where did you hide Mary?”
The man’s voice was desperate. It was a voice that was almost heartbreaking to hear. Arsene scratched his head with an irritated touch.
Part of him wanted to kill the man in front of him right now, but he clenched his fists and persevered.
“Why did you call Tia Bluea here?”
“Tia Bluea?”
“I mean, Jung Seulbi.”
“And you hid Mary knowing that?”
The man laughed as he walked back to Arsene. Arsene leaned against the wall and looked up at the man.
If he ever saw her again, he would protect her from this man, no matter what. He had almost lost her to this man more than once.
“Where is Sofia?”
“I don’t know. She’s probably asleep somewhere.”
“Mary is looking for her.”
“I really don’t understand her selflessness.”
The man said so, but he seemed pleased that Mary had asked about it.
Discovering traces of kindness and tenderness in Mary was a truly pleasing sight to him.
“Arsene, I’m not in a hurry at all.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want Mary Conler back.. This is just… an act of rebellion. You know that, right? Summoning Tia Bluea to this dimension.”
“Through Sofia Bruno……….”
“It’s only a matter of time before we flip the time dimension.”
“That’s interesting.”
Arsene tried to be as relaxed as possible.
“We’re almost there, but there are still a lot of variables.”
“…….”
“Well, there must be many.”
“Speak your mind freely. Bring Mary Conler back as soon as possible.”
The man turned away from Arsene. He looked like he wanted to get out of Arsene’s presence quickly.
“I have some business to attend to before finding Mary. Was it Demimore Arstans?”
The man’s violet eyes lit up at the unpleasant sound of the name.
