Chapter 16. Facing the Goddess (3)
Hypresia’s answer to Ludwig’s question was a little vague, unlike her.
“It could be seen as similar.”
“then… In an essential sense, it means that they are different.”
“yes. Is it because of the descendants of the Wistenbach family?”
Is a goddess really a goddess?
I don’t know if I looked into his heart, or if it was an inference drawn from the circumstances, but I saw through his intentions with great precision.
When Ludwig faintly nodded, Hypresia shrugged and raised the lamp in her hand to her chest.
Then,
“I’ll give you an example, so don’t make a fuss.”
Right. She snapped her fingers and at the same time all the lamps inside went out.
Following that, the single lamp in Hypresia’s hand turned on with a click.
When I told them not to make a fuss, I didn’t mean to make a big deal out of it, but did I say it in case the lights went out?
Ludwig thought that she was a very caring goddess.
“Let’s treat the space we are currently in as a world. And this light is the ‘axis of the world’ I mentioned. Yes, by your standards, the expression “main character” is also roughly correct.”
The lamp left Hypresia’s hand and floated up, moving slowly from left to right.
One step, two steps.
The light of the lamp, which was walking at such a slow pace, suddenly went out, followed by Hypresia’s words.
“Now, if we assume that the existence of the ‘axis of the world’ has disappeared, what will happen to this world?”
“Aren’t you surrounded by darkness?”
Even now, it was so dark that I couldn’t even properly distinguish objects around me.
Perhaps if Ludwig hadn’t trained, he wouldn’t have even been able to see this outline.
“In conclusion, yes. However, what will happen after a long time like this? Do you think you’re going to live without seeing anything forever?”
“Yeah… ah.”
Ludwig, who tried to reply by saying that it was natural since the light was gone, belatedly realized one thing.
The human eye gets used to the dark.
It is commonly referred to as dark adaptation, and when a person in a bright place enters a dark place, he cannot see anything at first, but gradually gets used to it and the surrounding objects become familiar to his eyes.
The current situation was similar.
As time passed little by little while Hypresia remained silent, Ludwig’s eyes gradually got used to the dark interior of the temple.
“You seem to understand. In other words, the ‘axis of the world’ plays a similar role to this lamp. It’s a very important role in making the world run. However, just because there is none doesn’t mean the story can’t reach the end.”
“It just takes a long time for a world accustomed to darkness to walk to the end. However, the main character is similar to him, but the role is slightly different.”
Click. There was a sound and the lamp came on again.
Hypresia moved the lamp slowly, this time from right to left, as just shown.
Then, once again, the lamp went out, as before.
“The main character you refer to is an indispensable being. It means that the moment the light of the lamp goes out like this, the entire temple will collapse.”
“You mean the world itself will cease to exist?”
“Yes, to put it in an analogy.”
By analogy?
Why do I have to make an analogy? Ludwig was troubled by that.
If a moment ago, you were talking based on things that actually happened, mentioning the main character sounded like even she was spouting out hypotheses.
‘It’s a hypothesis.’
Ludwig brooded over the word and fell into contemplation.
Why did she have to come up with a hypothesis after explaining based on what had happened so far?
When is a hypothesis used?
‘ah.’
As he continued to make inferences based on the circumstances before and after, something intensely passed through his mind.
It was a story full of possibilities. If the existence of the ‘axis of the world’ she mentioned is such a meaning.
“Perhaps… Is the protagonist of the story I mentioned something that does not exist in the first place?”
“You are quick-witted. Yes, it is.”
Yes. In any fictional story, there is a ‘protagonist’ who leads the world.
Ludwig believed that since he had entered such a world, the main character would naturally exist in this world. Of course, that was Christian, the main character of the original story.
But it wasn’t.
A protagonist is just a character who exists only in a fictional story.
It must mean that there are no main characters in the actual real world, and that everyone has value as a unique being.
“The story of the novel you read is just a fictional story very similar to this world. Did you think that Wistenbach’s heir died because of you? You really overestimate your own existence.”
“It’s not overrated. I’m just assuming that, based on what you said, there’s a possibility.”
There was nothing wrong with what he said, so Hypresia lowered her scolding voice and nodded her head while salivating.
Observing this, Ludwig made another assumption.
Then, judging from Emilia’s diary and what she had said, it seemed that there was something unusually aura gathering around him.
If so, is that also a kind of symbol as the ‘axis of the world’?
If that thought was indeed correct, why was such an ability endowed in her eyes?
“It seems that most of the questions have now been answered. What remains is the story of the successor of Bayemurn?”
“There is one more thing to be exact. But for now, I want to finish talking about my fiancé and ask about it.”
“Huh, that’s it. After all, there is a lot of time on the day of the old moon.”
While snoring as if it were annoying, Hypresia seemed to enjoy the fact that they could talk more.
Maybe there are no idle writers in the divine realm to chat with her.
If so, I thought it would be a fairly boring routine.
“I heard that you can see people’s emotions in her eyes. But if I am the ‘axis of the world’ you speak of, there is one more point to point out.”
“It must be why only you are seen as a being different from others.”
“… Yes.”
If that eye had nothing to do with him, and was merely an ability given to Emilia, then the situation strangely did not mesh.
At least, the contents of the ‘Axis of the World’ are not something that the inhabitants of this world can easily find clues to.
If so, how could her eyes only hint at him?
In other words, it was as if it was an ability that exists to see what is called the ‘axis of the world’.
To Ludwig’s question, Hypresia concisely expressed her affirmation.
It seems like there’s nothing to hide.
“It’s your assumption. What is reflected in that child’s eyes is the essence of all things. Right now, that ability is weak, but it will grow more and more.”
“More than now… Are you saying it gets worse?”
“Hmph, just hearing your words makes me feel like a curse. Are you saying this knowing what a blessing it is? Tsk.”
Hypresia lightly clicked her tongue and denied it at once, but Ludwig felt anger welling up on the contrary.
It shouldn’t be a problem for a god who doesn’t need to judge other people’s feelings.
But she was just an ordinary human being.
Is it really right to define human beings according to God’s standards and arbitrarily interfere with her life as if it were a blessing?
“My lover called it a curse. So am I. No, no one in this world can say that it is a blessing.”
“So what do you want to say? Do you want to ask me to remove the curse you are talking about?”
“If possible, I would like to. It is what she wants most.”
Despite Ludwig’s earnest request, Hypresia turned around as if it was not worth listening to, and walked around the inside of the temple lightly as if taking a walk.
“The eye only exists for the ‘axis of the world’. Even the rookie Nara does not have authority over him.”
“The solution… Are you saying no?”
When he heard that his most desperate wish was impossible, Ludwig’s face contorted in an instant.
“yes. The inherent authority of the ‘Axis of the World’ is the privilege of that person. An ability received from a Creator who is above me. And the abilities that this kid has are rooted in the ‘Axis of the World’. I hope you know what I mean.”
Ludwig clenched his fists.
I promised to solve it somehow.
No matter what you offer, you will make the wishes of the one you love come true.
He promised that when her body returned to normal, she would no longer see despair before her eyes.
Is there really no solution?
Even in this hopeless reality, Ludwig did not stop thinking.
While repeating what Hypresia had said, I tried to find a way out somehow.
‘The axis of the world, the end of the story, and the eye that has its source.’
I pick up the scattered puzzles again in my head and reconstruct them.
What exists at the end of the story in the first place? Why did Hypresia appear in front of him?
Even when I reconnected the situation before and after, the timing was so exquisite.
Rewind the story from the beginning, before she met him, after they met, and until now.
His eyes, looking back at everything like that, suddenly opened to the size of a lantern.
It was. There was only one way.
If this is feasible, I don’t know what penalty I would face, but it was worth the challenge.
A power that even God cannot interfere with. But that probably doesn’t apply to the owner.
“Goddess.”
“Why is that?”
Hypresia responds calmly to his call with only her head lightly turned.
But at his words that followed, her eyes opened very wide for the first time since meeting Ludwig.
As if he would pour out his eyes at any moment.
“Then is it possible for me to give up the authority of being the ‘Axis of the World’?”
It was because the answer that came out of his mouth was one that even a god could not dare to expect.