Volume 5 Chapter 16 Goddess Holy Church Seven Heaven Apostles 'ugly' Balthazar ⑦ - Empathy
The boy had a skill called 'Insect Creation.'
It was a skill that allowed him to create small insects.
However, the fact that he had to spit them out made his appearance even more 'ugly.'
The boy spat out a caterpillar from his mouth.
In the barn, there were many insects that the boy had created.
He hated humans, but the insects did not reject him.
But that day came suddenly.
Fire was set to the barn where the boy lived.
Moreover, the boy's body did not move at all.
His food had been laced with poison.
The boy did not know.
His existence, his 'ugliness,' was too much for the villagers to bear.
So, the boy's parents made a decision.
They would kill him.
From the very beginning, they would pretend he never existed.
No one opposed it.
The boy was burned alive with the insects he had created.
As the barn burned down, the boy, now just a blackened lump, was faintly alive.
".........ah."
He couldn't make a sound.
But he felt it.
The caterpillars he had created were also moving just a little.
Why did it come to this?
What did he do?
He wants to live. He doesn't want to die. He wished for that.
And then───....
...
...
...
"Oh my? Well, well, it's been a while since we had a visitor!"
...
...
...
The boy met her.
The goddess Pipina.
Goddess Pipina said,
"You like bugs, huh~?"
Pipina was smiling.
But that smile... was not one of mockery.
She looked at the boy's appearance without showing any disgust, just smiling.
The boy couldn't help but ask.
"Are, are you feeling weird?"
"Why?"
"Well, because... I look like this."
"Ahaha! There's no way you're weird. Looks don't matter. You're you, right? Balthazar!"
"Ah..."
He heards his name.
Pipina quietly spread her arms.
"I'm giving cheat skills to the kids who come here to bring them back to life. So, what kind of skill do you want? Something like bugs?"
"...Bugs."
He wanted to be a bug.
Not a human. He wanted to be reborn as a bug.
"Well, rebirth is impossible, okay? But, I have a skill that lets you become a bug!"
And so, Balthazar got a cheat skill.
The level of the 'Insect Refinement' he originally had also rose to its limit.
The revived Balthazar easily destroyed his hometown village.
And then, he was invited.
"Don't you want to meet Goddess Pipina?"
Invited by Piasola, Balthazar entered the 'Goddess Holy Church.'
He wanted to see Goddess Pipina again.
To say thank you. That was all.
* * *
"There's nothing weird about it."
"Huh?"
"...Eh?"
Elk said to Soara.
Balthazar was listening too.
"I ate a monster, you know? Isn't that weird, Elk...?"
"There are plenty of monsters you can eat. Orcs are super tasty."
"I bit into it with these fangs."
"Meat is meant to be bitten into."
"I have this tattoo on my tongue. It shows up when I use my skill."
"But if it's normal when you don't use the skill, then it's fine, right?"
"...Elk."
"I'm not saying you're creepy. And... you."
"...Huh?"
Elk used telekinesis to move the chandelier away from Balthazar.
Balthazar noticed. He wasn't as badly hurt as he looked. Elk had held back.
"I'll say what I said earlier. I don't think your face is creepy."
"...What?"
"I'm not the kind of guy who laughs at people's faces or calls them 'creepy,' even if they're my enemy."
"..."
"What's important isn't the face, right?"
"..."
Elk smiled.
Balthazar realized that Elk's smile wasn't mocking or belittling. This smile was──just like Pipina's──a gentle smile.
"You don't have any bad intentions. You targeted me because the Goddess Holy Church told you to, right? I have a feeling you just like bugs."
"...Yeah. But, but, I... killed a human. I killed my family."
"If you feel guilty, go to the kingdom and turn yourself in. Tell them everything you know about the Goddess Holy Church."
"..."
"And after you tell everything... come to school. My dorm has a lot of empty rooms, and everyone is nice, so it'll be fun, okay?"
"...Huh?"
"I'll tell you what I know about Pipina. I've been with her for 2,000 years. I can't introduce you, but I can share stories."
"..."
The goal of the Goddess Holy Church is to summon the goddess Pipina to this world.
That can't happen. But Elk can at least share what he knows.
Balthazar was shaken.
He was different from the humans he had known before.
The same priest from the Goddess Holy Church did not accept Balthazar like Elk did.
"...Is, is it okay?"
"Yeah."
"U, uuh... u, uuuuhhh."
Balthazar couldn't stop the tears from flowing.
For the first time since Pipina, there was someone who accepted him.
And he was sure.
Elk was the true apostle recognized by Goddess Pipina.
"I, I..."
"Hey, we can talk later. First, let's get out of here, Balthazar."
"───..."
He called his name.
Balthazar turned his tear-streaked face toward Elk.
"Uh, Elk. I, I... are we, friends?"
"Yeah, friends───..."
───...Boom!!
Something flew in from behind Elk.
"───...Huh, a."
It was a sword.
A pitch-black blade.
The hilt, guard, and blade were all black.
It pierced through Balthazar's body.
"...Ah."
"B-Balthazar...?"
"U, ah... ah."
Elk turned around.
There were 5 men and women there.
One of them looked familiar.
"...Rosho."
"Hey, big bro."
They were wearing robes with the seal of the Goddess Holy Church.
Then, a black-haired man stepped forward, and the sword that was stuck in Balthazar was pulled out.
"You traitor. Well... someone as 'Ugly' as you was never a comrade to begin with."
"T-Take...ru, wha!?"
Balthazar coughed up a lot of blood.
Soara rushed over and took a blanket from her things to press against the wound.
"Hang in there!!"
"U, ah..."
"Elk, what do we───...!?"
Soara held her breath.
Elk's unusual killing intent.
The man readied his sword and quietly introduced himself.
"Goddess Holy Church, Seven Heaven Apostles... I am Takeru Kusanagi, the priest who governs the 'Aerial Emperor Warrior.' The 8th apostle and traitor, 'Scarecrow' Elk... I will judge you."
"......"
Elk, wearing an eye patch and a hood, quietly spread his arms wide.
* * *
In his fading consciousness, Balthazar saw.
Soara, pressing a blanket against his wound.
Such a cute girl was desperately trying to save him.
Just that made Balthazar happy.
"Stay strong!!"
It was a desperate voice.
A voice that held not a trace of disgust, trying to save Balthazar.
And then, it spread out before him.
Was it a pitch-black crow spreading its wings, or a black scarecrow standing there?
No, it wasn't.
Filled with anger, Elk was spreading his arms wide.
"............Ah."
Balthazar finally realized.
Elk's outstretched arms looked just like the goddess Pipina.
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