The God of Samsara!

"Stand up. I don't like people kneeling before me." Ukonga seemed not to have heard at all, remaining on his knees, his lips pale and cold sweat beading on his skin. For a temple elder to display such an all-too-human expression was enough to show the sheer shock and terror gripping his soul. In truth, Ukonga was different from the likes of Dicarost and Budalas. Dicarost had endured countless hardships, finally beholding Heaven before his death. Could he truly not have known that the path to Heaven had been severed by his own master god? Even if he hadn't known at first, he must have realized it as his investigation deepened. Yet as an explorer, he remained obsessed with his own adventure. Budalas had once led the Church of Order to victory in their confrontation against the Light, definitively defining this era as the Era of Order; even upon awakening, he had struck at Karen without hesitation in an attempt to send a god back to heaven. At their core, both possessed unwavering faith and unyielding personal conviction. Ukonga, by contrast, seemed to have spent his whole life being "rebellious," yet he was more like a schoolyard thug or slacker who fancied himself stylish, exuding a certain childishness. He had never truly walked out of that alley his entire life, endlessly pacing in circles within it. Thus, his feelings toward a god were remarkably rustic and pure—nothing but shock upon shock. Having no other choice, Karen sat down on the grass. At this sight, Ukonga trembled even more violently, like a terrified kitten. Karen said exasperatedly, "Hey, can't you show a bit of spine?" Ukonga shook his head. "My Lord, that is too difficult." He suddenly understood Neo's repeated hints, especially that meaningful smile Neo always wore whenever Ukonga unscrupulously used familial terms of endearment on Karen. So that bastard had known the secret all along, just watching him make a fool of himself. Karen reached out, patted Ukonga on the shoulder, and consoled, "All right, all right. We're classmates, roommates, and friends. Sit down." Ukonga carefully shifted his posture, switching from kneeling to sitting. "I'm heading to Samsara Valley next. I can requisition a temple elder to accompany me for protection. Come with me." "Very well, my Lord..." "Just call me Karen, like before. Let's try to act as natural as possible." Ukonga immediately squeezed out an extraordinarily "natural" smile. "All right, Kar... Karen." Karen leaned back and lay down on the grass, folding his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. Ukonga remained sitting bolt upright, his inner thoughts undoubtedly a tangled mess. After dozing for about an hour, a well-rested Karen opened his eyes and stood up. Ukonga jumped up at once, looking thoroughly at a loss. "My Lord... Karen, I have a lot of questions." "Don't ask now. Someone will answer them for you in due time." "Yes, Karen." Ukonga nodded immediately. "You only need to keep one thing in mind for now: my identity must be kept strictly confidential." "Yes, I understand. I will protect my Lord's secret with my life." "No sarcasm intended, but honestly speaking, I still prefer how casual you used to be." "Ah, oh, well, this..." Karen patted Ukonga on the shoulder and sighed. "Adapt quickly. Even if you can't accept it on the inside, at least put on a good act." Karen turned toward the foot of the hill, and Muri immediately drove the carriage over. "Minister, you've told him?" "Mm. Regardless, there are no issues with his faith, and it would be impossible to keep the matter of Dicarost and Budalas from him anyway. Oh, by the way, Muri, did you notify Madame Molly?" "Minister, as instructed, I had Madame Molly inform Rasma that he could leave Mink Street. But Madame Molly reported back that Rasma has no desire to leave." "Hmm?" "Your subordinate believes that once the High Priest's identity as Tyrannus was confirmed, and the three Knights bestowed their blessings upon you, Minister, all of Rasma's misunderstandings regarding you should have been resolved." If even Tyrannus and the three Knights had failed to detect Karen's special identity, then only one explanation remained: Rasma must think he was just blind. "Then what is Rasma doing on Mink Street?" "Word is, every afternoon he punctually joins Master Diss and Mr. Hoffen for tea." Karen nodded. "Let him be for now. I imagine that's the kind of life he enjoys." In the past, Rasma could not let go of his responsibilities; now, he had none. Moreover, looking at it from another angle, Rasma was actually quite similar to Mr. Hoffen—an admirer of his grandfather. Just then, Ukonga climbed into the carriage. He had spent a short while standing blankly on the hillside to sort through his emotions before walking down here. He hadn't forgotten that he could fly or teleport, but he intentionally wanted to dawdle a bit to quiet his mind. Muri glanced at Ukonga and asked, "Minister, straight to Samsara Valley?" "Yes." Little Kanna took an apple from her satchel and offered it to Ukonga. Ukonga took it, and Little Kanna gently patted the back of his hand. "Good boy, it's fine. You'll get used to it after a while. They're all like this, I've seen it plenty of times." "Thank you." Just as Ukonga was about to take a bite of the apple to ease his awkwardness and anxiety, he saw Little Kanna hand over a small fruit knife. "Mm, peel it for me." ... Compared to the transfers and hassle of his first trip to Samsara Valley, this journey was significantly more convenient. The Church of Samsara had set up a temporary teleportation array on an outer island solely for Karen's party. When the carriage rolled out of the glowing teleportation circle, it emerged directly inside Samsara's Holy See. At the top of the steps stood Gatekeeper Romir, waiting to receive them in person. Karen stepped down from the carriage and exchanged polite greetings with the Gatekeeper. "It must have been a tiring journey, Secretary-General Karen. Welcome back to Samsara Valley as our guest; my invitation from back then has finally been fulfilled." Of course, when she made that invitation back then, she certainly never anticipated she would be waiting outside the door to welcome him personally. "Thank you for receiving me." "Secretary-General Karen, this way, please." "Very well." Karen's diplomatic mission was confidential, so he brought no honor guard, nor did he even notify the Order diplomatic mission stationed at the Church of Samsara. Romir led Karen into a conference hall. Little Kanna, Ukonga, Muri, and the rest remained outside, leaving Karen seated alone inside. Across from him sat Romir and three temple elders. Other churches were unlike the Church of Order; their temple elders held higher status and wielded far more practical authority, so Ukonga stayed outside, unable to enter. "Secretary-General Karen, I heard that a rebellion broke out in your honorable church's Temple not long ago. I am quite curious—were your Temple's losses significant?" The speaker was a middle-aged woman with silver hair. Hearing this, Romir immediately frowned. She truly could not fathom what benefit there was in provoking the other party with such a matter at this crucial juncture. The Church of Order's recent string of maneuvers was directly correlated with the return of the gods, yet this elder on her side still had her eyes fixed solely on petty Temple squabbles. Karen took no offense. After all, what temple didn't have a few Sittis? "Elder Ukonga, who accompanied me this time, was a victim of that incident. He was severely injured, but has now made a full recovery. During that event, not a single elder of our church fell; in fact, not a single elder suffered a drop in realm. I only wonder whether your honorable church's Temple has regained its vitality from the Rielsa incident?" The silver-haired Samsara elder was choked by this retort. Taking advantage of the moment, Romir seized back the initiative for her side and asked, "We eagerly anticipate the covenant personally brought by Secretary-General Karen." "To form an alliance with Samsara has always been something our Church of Order yearns for as well." Karen produced a scroll and lifted his hand slightly, sending it floating over. After reading through it, Romir passed the scroll to the three elders behind her. The terms of the covenant were simple and clear—extraordinarily normal, one might say. Yet the Church of Samsara had, after all, been taught a harsh lesson by Order before. Even holding such an ordinary covenant in their hands, they still felt deeply uneasy. What followed was routine protocol. Both sides exchanged meaningless pleasantries over the covenant's minor details, and the meeting concluded for the time being. The three Samsara elders departed the hall, while Romir accompanied Karen to dinner. The dining setting was comparatively private, allowing them to speak of things that had been inconvenient earlier. Romir asked, "Secretary-General Karen, is it possible that the Gate of Samsara will encounter an issue in the near future?" Karen took a sip of iced water, dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin, and smiled. "As to whether problems will arise, I believe you, Gatekeeper, know far better than I." There were two breach locations—one at the Gate of Samsara, and the other at the Moon Disc. Neither location fell within Order's traditional sphere of influence. Moreover, ever since the signs appeared, the Church of Samsara had been dedicated to accelerating the wear of the membrane, hoping their master god would return more swiftly. "Secretary-General Karen, we have merely done what we believe ought to be done. I trust that the Moon Disc is inevitably doing the exact same thing." Karen shrugged and dropped two ice cubes into his glass. Romir continued, "I want to know Order's stance. I assume that in making this confidential visit, beyond the covenant, you must have also brought the will of your Lord Tyrannus." Karen answered, "Gatekeeper, you should be able to see that our Church of Order's attitude is amicable. Otherwise, it would not be me coming here, but the Order Knights." "Heh, of course." Sitting across from each other, both chuckled. Yet Karen knew that recently, the Church of Samsara had broadly shrunk its sphere of influence, transferring the clergy forces from its peripheral holy grounds en masse back to its core territories. One had to remember that back then, Samsara had fought a massive war against the Moon God Church over those peripheral holy grounds. However, this contraction had caused little substantive loss so far, because their neighbor with adjacent missionary territories, the Moon God Church, had recently been doing the exact same thing. Everyone was pulling back their strength and fortifying their defenses, having decisively learned from the Church of Life's downfall, terrified that the Order Knights might drop by to say hello. Everyone was waiting, gambling, and doing everything possible to raise their odds, ensuring that their master god could descend successfully. A god was not merely the faith of believers; it was their hope for the next era. Romir gently swirled the wine glass in her hand, sighed, and said, "Secretary-General Karen, you might not believe me, but from my personal perspective, I don't actually hold much longing for my Lord's return." "Oh?" "Because I fused with my sister, I am inevitably influenced by her. She was the Gatekeeper within the gate. And once my Lord descends, all the souls that have been stored and propagated within the Gate of Samsara across this era will become my Lord's dinner to recover from a state of starvation." Karen smiled. Romir said, "You don't believe me?" "I believe you. In fact, I can tell you something: when the core of the Church of Life was besieged, why did their peripheral holy grounds choose not to move? Because quite a few people within Life were actually unwilling to see their Master God of Life return. Thus, many holy grounds made contact before the war and defected during it." "Secretary-General Karen, are you warning me? I suppose quite a few within our Church of Samsara have also made contact with Order, haven't they?" "What do you think?" "During the hardest days of the war with the Moon God Church, I opened the Gate of Samsara, allowing numerous soul-creature believers from within to descend and fuse with clergy in reality. Since even I harbor such treasonous thoughts, among the mid-to-lower ranks, those with similar ideas are certainly not few in number. However, I am not Norton, and a Gatekeeper is not a High Priest. My authority cannot play a decisive role in such matters. Besides, I do not intend to do anything at this moment. So, if you have some special mission on this trip, Secretary Karen, I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you—at least as far as I am concerned." "There really is no special mission." The power center of the Church of Order currently operated in a bizarre manner: Kred in the open and Budalas in the shadows oversaw internal and external operations of the Holy See; Ever since the High Priest had frozen himself, he hadn't moved at all, only occasionally letting a few sparse words slip through, relayed to Karen via Alfred, who attended at his side; And Karen had to rely on these few words—no, practically just a handful of keywords—to carry out missions, constantly pondering what on earth he was doing even as he did it. Romir raised her glass. "Perhaps neither of us can see through it. Only when events unfold right before our eyes will everything click." Karen raised his glass of water, gesturing a toast toward Romir. "I feel the same way." ... After the banquet, Karen was accommodated in the guesthouse within the Holy See. It was a tall building; standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, one could clearly see the immense silhouette of the Gate of Samsara. Muri opened the door. "Minister, someone is asking to see you. It's Lango." "Let him in." A moment later, Lango stepped inside. "Heh heh, well, long time no see, Lord Karen." "Take a seat. Is something the matter?" "The temple elders know I have some history with you, so they wanted me to come and fish for information." Karen shook his head. "You'll be disappointed." "Doesn't matter. I never planned to complete the assignment anyway." "Mm." Both fell silent; neither spoke. After a short while, Lango stood up, walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, and gazed out at the silhouette of the Gate of Samsara. "Actually, outside the gate, there's a very thick concealing grand array." "I guessed as much. I take it Samsara's legions have been bombarding and grinding down the membrane outside the Gate of Samsara for a long time, regardless of the war resources consumed?" "Many undead creatures in the valley's caverns were forcibly mobilized, compelled to gnaw away at that membrane with their very lives. The god I believe in hasn't returned yet, but the sacrificial ceremony dedicated to her has already begun." "Isn't that good?" "Have you forgotten, Lord Karen? I came out of that gate. Can you imagine the feeling? The day my Lord returns will be the moment my past is thoroughly erased. The homeland where I was born, existed, and grew up is merely a cooking pot, a bowl, a cut of meat... cured long ago." Right at that moment, an intense beam of light suddenly shone over. It was not an attack or assassination, but a violent commotion erupting at the Gate of Samsara. The entirety of Samsara Valley began to shake violently. Karen: "It seems they've succeeded." Lango: "Because of your arrival, they grew afraid and forcibly sped up the process. But where are your Order Knights?" "What about them?" "Does your Church of Order truly intend to sit by and watch my Lord return from within the Gate of Samsara?" "Why do I get the impression you're almost hoping Order declares war on Samsara right now?" "If war is declared, this time I won't choose to resist." Karen sighed and said, "Thank you." ... Administrative Temple of the Church of Order, tea area. Alfred was reading a book aloud to the High Priest when the High Priest spoke: "Has Karen gone to Samsara?" Alfred immediately rose and reported respectfully, "The Young Master is in Samsara Valley now." "Mm." After a brief silence, the frost on the High Priest's face began to melt—though only enough melted for him to truly speak: "God of Samsara, Goddess of the Moon, Tyrannus welcomes your return." ... Samsara Valley. The Gate of Samsara had already opened by a third. The membrane upon it had been worn down until it was virtually imperceptible. Following the violent tremor that had just occurred, a formidable divine majesty instantly emanated from within the gate. "Praise be to my Lord, praise be to the great Samsara!" "Praise be to my Lord, praise be to the great Samsara!" Below, the legionnaires fell into worshipful prayer. Romir saw that in the area where the temple elders stood, everyone was even more agitated with excitement. In their eyes, perhaps, as long as their Lord returned, the possibility of attaining godhood would open to them as well. Yet why on earth did the Church of Order seem to have completely forgotten about this place? Likewise, Order had not initiated any action against the Moon God Church either. Had the Church of Order suffered crippling losses, it would have been easy to understand. But the trouble was that Order's twelve knight corps remained completely intact; in the recent incidents, not only had they suffered virtually no casualties, they hadn't even been deployed. When a tiger turns vegetarian, you do not find it cute—you feel only profound dread. Finally, A majestic divine figure as tall as the Gate of Samsara appeared within the gate, about to step out. Outside the gate, the fervent chants of worship abruptly cut off. Everyone widened their eyes in stunned bewilderment. For the deity emerging from the gate was not the God of Samsara, but a goddess. Romir gasped in utter disbelief: "The Goddess of the Moon!"