Surviving as a Barbarian in a Fantasy World

Chapter 148: Kalosia (2)

“Have you calmed down?”

“Yes….”

After a long while, Shadrenes finally calmed down and nodded.

At first, Shadrenes was so flustered she couldn’t speak properly.

It took her about an hour just to calm down.

“So, Kalosia wants to see me in person?”

“Yes.”

Shadrenes swallowed and nodded.

“He wants to have a direct conversation with you.”

“Does that happen often?”

“No.”

Shadrenes immediately denied it.

Gods were lofty celestial beings.

Since the war with the demons a long time ago, they rarely intervened directly on the earth.

All believers wished for a one-on-one meeting with their god at least once, but the vast majority never achieved that dream before they died.

“I’ve only met him once myself.”

That was when she was chosen as the saintess.

Other than that, all her conversations had been through voice alone.

Even for a saintess, meeting the god only once was a rare and special event.

The fact that such an opportunity was given to an outsider was unheard of.

Shadrenes cautiously said,

“You, you don’t have to accept if you don’t want to. Kalosia also said you could answer freely.”

An encounter with a god was a great honor for a believer, but not so much for an outsider.

In fact, it was a very dangerous thing.

There were countless stories of people who were punished for showing disrespect to the gods.

The risk was so great that it wouldn’t be strange if Ketal refused.

Shadrenes inwardly thought that Ketal would hesitantly decline.

“Refuse? No way!”

But Ketal shouted joyfully.

There was no trace of fear on his face.

Instead, he was full of excitement.

He was visibly elated.

‘A meeting with a god!’

There was no reason to refuse such an opportunity.

Shadrenes was actually taken aback by his unexpected attitude.

“A-are you sure about this?”

“Of course! There’s no reason to miss such a good opportunity!”

“R-really?”

“So, what should I do? Should I start praying?”

“P-please calm down!”

Shadrenes had to calm Ketal down.

After a moment, Ketal laughed heartily, looking more composed.

“Ah, sorry about that. I got a bit carried away.”

“N-no….”

‘…Why is he so happy?’

Shadrenes couldn’t understand at all.

Ketal asked with a smile,

“So, do I need to prepare for this? How long do I have to wait?”

“No, you can meet him right now. Please follow me.”

“Ooh.”

Ketal’s eyes sparkled.

They left the lodging.

Shadrenes led the way to a small church deep within the holy grounds.

“This is the church where we bid farewell to Kalosia when he left this world. It’s also where I communicate with him. And it’s the place where I was chosen as the saintess.”

“Hoho.”

Ketal looked around the inside of the church.

Despite the long history evident in the walls, floorboards, and decorations, everything was very well maintained.

It was clear that this place was very precious to the believers.

“So, we’re meeting here. How does it work? Do I move to meet him directly?”

“N-no. You won’t see his true form.”

Shadrenes, flustered, explained.

A celestial being was an entity of immense stature.

Facing the true form of a god would overwhelm a human mind, driving it to madness. Shadrenes herself had never seen the true form of a god.

She spoke again,

“Kalosia will descend by borrowing my body.”

“Possession?”

“Yes. So please, please, please be respectful….”

“Don’t worry. I’m not a barbarian.”

Ketal laughed heartily.

Shadrenes looked at Ketal with uneasy eyes.

‘…Is this really going to be okay?’

But there was nothing she could do about her anxiety.

Kalosia wanted to speak with Ketal, and Ketal had accepted.

She could only pray to Kalosia that no problems would arise.

She prayed to Kalosia that the meeting with Ketal would go smoothly.

The strange contradiction made her inadvertently chuckle.

“What’s funny?”

“N-nothing.”

Shadrenes shook her head hastily.

“Then let’s begin. Please stay still for a moment.”

Shadrenes closed her eyes.

Sitting in the center of the church, she spread her arms wide.

“Ah, radiant light. Deception hidden in shadows. The false disguise among us.”

It was a hymn to the god.

Words worshiping his essence and concept.

“Great one who embodies deceit and deception. The one who watches over this world from above.”

Wooong.

The empty space began to fill.

Though unseen, a clear presence was felt there.

“His name is Kalosia.”

Light gathered at the top of the church.

Believers outside, who were in the midst of restoration, unknowingly turned their heads to look at the church.

“Huh…?”

“What?”

Their eyes widened.

Naplas, diligently restoring the holy site, was astonished.

“Kalosia… lord?”

Kugugugung!

“Ohho.”

Ketal let out an exclamation.

It felt like an enormous presence was unfolding before him.

The presence filled the inside of the church and spread outside as well.

For the weak-hearted, the presence would make it difficult to breathe.

A celestial being was beginning to descend upon the earth.

Shadrenes uttered her final hymn.

“Please, descend upon this place by borrowing my body.”

Kuuuuung!

A shockwave spread, unseen, unfelt, and unheard.

At the same time, Shadrenes’ arms lost their strength and fell.

She dropped her head as if she had fainted.

And then, Shadrenes’ body twitched.

Slowly, her head lifted, and her eyes opened.

Those eyes were like stars.

[It is you.]

It was Shadrenes’ body, but it was no longer Shadrenes.

[I am Kalosia, the god of Lies and Deception.]

The voice echoed.

The voice sounded like that of an old man, a woman, and a man.

It also sounded like a child, a sick person, and a warrior.

It was a voice layered with dozens of personalities, impossible to identify.

The star-like eyes turned to Ketal.

[Pleased to meet you. You who come from ‘inside.’]

* * *

‘Oh.’

Ketal was genuinely moved.

A real god of a fantasy world.

That being had possessed Shadrenes’ body to have a private meeting with him.

It was literally a fantastical situation.

His body trembled with emotion.

Barely calming his excitement, Ketal thought quietly.

‘…Should I use formal speech?’

As long as he bore the name Ketal, no one on earth could be above him.

No one could be over his head.

That was a vow and a promise.

But the one before him was not an earthly being but a celestial one.

Even if he showed respect to a god, it wouldn’t violate his vow.

Ketal pondered.

And as if sensing his dilemma, Kalosia spoke indifferently.

[Do as you please. I never expected you to use formal speech.]

“Ah, thank you for that.”

Ketal smiled.

He greeted politely.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Ketal, the barbarian.”

Ketal greeted Kalosia in casual speech.

If believers saw this, they would be horrified.

They would brand it blasphemy and try to kill him with their swords.

But Kalosia showed no particular reaction.

Rather, he looked at Ketal with eyes that seemed surprised by his formal greeting.

[First, let me express my thanks.]

After a moment, Kalosia spoke.

[Thank you for protecting my children. If they had fallen into the hands of evil, it would have saddened me greatly. Thanks to you, my believers can remain on earth.]

The god expressed his gratitude for protecting his believers.

The holy site was safeguarded thanks to Ketal.

It was a reasonable and perhaps obvious statement for a god to thank someone for protecting his believers.

But Ketal wore a vague expression.

“Is that so?”

[You seem to have some questions.]

“I do, but I’m not sure if I should ask.”

[Feel free.]

“Hmm. In that case.”

Having received permission, Ketal asked.

“Do you truly care about Kalosia’s believers?”

It was a blasphemous question, but Kalosia quietly laughed.

[Why do you think that?]

“There are some puzzling aspects that make me think so.”

[Can you explain?]

“I heard that Kalosia’s order was once very powerful.”

They exerted influence over the entire continent, spreading the values of deceit and deception, committing atrocities across the land.

“But as a result, they became the enemies of the entire continent.”

Kalosia’s name was tarnished by their atrocities.

Although the believers eventually repented and stopped their misdeeds, they felt that the god had abandoned them because of their sins.

To seek forgiveness from Kalosia, they decided to become the most virtuous order.

That was the belief of Kalosia’s followers.

But Ketal thought differently.

“Didn’t you abandon them because they gave up lies and deception?”

Kalosia’s eyes sparkled at Ketal’s words.

[…Why do you think that?]

With a question that seemed almost like a test, Ketal shrugged.

“It’s simple. You never cared about their atrocities in the first place.”

Good and evil are human concepts, not the standards of a god.

“If you had wanted to stop their atrocities, you would have done so long ago.”

But Kalosia did nothing even as his name was tarnished.

He abandoned his followers after they gave up lies and deception.

The believers simply misunderstood the situation.

“The fact that only the saintess can handle the sacred text is likely because she wears a mask.”

When Ketal asked the saintess about the mask, there was a very subtle reaction.

The saintess wore a mask.

Ketal didn’t know how she maintained a disguise subtle enough to escape his notice, but it was a form of deceit and deception.

Thus, the saintess was permitted to handle the sacred text.

[…You are smarter than I thought.]

Kalosia muttered with a tone of interest.

[It makes me curious about what’s inside you. Your words are correct.]

“As I suspected.”

The god didn’t abandon them because of their atrocities.

Ketal smiled pleasantly, satisfied that his prediction was accurate.

[To clear up a misunderstanding, I do cherish them. They worship me and hold me dearer than their own lives. They are adorable children.]

The voice carried the tone of an owner cherishing their pets.

[But I am the god of Lies and Deception.]

That was Kalosia’s essence.

[Whether my name is tarnished on earth or my followers commit atrocities means nothing to me. The only thing that matters is my essence. My followers have denied and rejected my essence. That is an affront to me.]

There was a hint of regret in Kalosia’s voice.

[There is no reason for me to bestow my power on children who deny my essence.]

“What if that leads to their destruction?”

[That would be a very sad thing.]

Kalosia spoke with a tone of regret but indifference.

[But it cannot be helped.]