DBCR 06

Chapter 06

But that was something for later.

Right now, the thing the Order is most focused on is the purge of heretics.
Because, well—they’re business competitors.

In a world with countless gods, competition between religious orders is extremely fierce.

Irix said,
“The heretics who get arrested will be dragged off to reeducation camps, where they’ll either pay offerings or be put to labor for indoctrination. Depending on the severity, some get executed on the spot.”

By “executed on the spot,” he meant being killed anywhere, for any reason.

Is that really allowed?
Is their sense of human rights just that backward, or is there simply no law? Or is that the law? Maybe the world’s already so close to destruction that it’s this messed up.

“Some of the Order’s higher-ups know that I’m on this train. Of course, they think they’re the only ones who know. What they’ll want to do now that they know—that, I’m sure you understand too, senior.”

I understand it very well.

Because Irix is a “vessel.”

In this world of innumerable gods, the concept of a vessel is one of the most important ones.

Its official name is:
“A precious vessel in which a great and exalted god, arranged by sacred destiny, may descend and dwell.”

You don’t just become one by chance—you need the right constitution.

Specifically, you need to be born with a power called Aether.

Only those with Aether have a body suitable for a god’s descent.

Alright, underline this.
Vessel—one line. Aether—two lines.
Put them together: Those born with Aether can become vessels capable of containing gods. Star that.

Some vessels are no bigger than a soy sauce dish, only enough for minor gods to pass through briefly. Others are massive enough to host high-ranking gods all at once.

Irix was an enormous tank, capable of containing multiple supreme gods.

When the Order discovered his existence, they practically started hyperventilating.

A being capable of manifesting every god they worship had appeared in their era—how could they not be ecstatic?

They wanted to take Irix immediately, but at least they followed procedure and first approached his guardian, the Duke. However, the Duke—an atheist—treated them like annoying door-to-door salesmen and chased them off.

After that came persuasion that would’ve worked on any normal parent long ago, but their opponent was the Imperial Chancellor, so it was useless.

“We’ll give you money.”
I have plenty already.

“We’ll grant you high status.”
There’s only the Emperor above me, and I’m satisfied with where I am.

…There was no way that would make progress.

After failing to sway the Duke, the Order approached Irix directly.

Their methods were worldly, but since they were still, at heart, a religious organization, they started with religion.

“You have such a pleasant impression. Would you like to hear some uplifting words?”

…Naturally, that failed too.

In the end, the Order resorted to their last option.

Kidnapping and unlawful detention.

From then on, direct and indirect attempts to abduct Irix continued without end.

The Order had many internal factions, and given the nature of religious groups, some extremely radical and violent fundamentalists inevitably emerged among them.

They tried to seize Irix very aggressively, and every time, something went wrong.

Irix came to hate the Order even more, while the Duke used the situation as an opportunity. Radicals always rush things—and make mistakes.

Thanks to that, the Order lost several major business sites to the Duke, and many of its key figures were driven out of their positions.

And in a situation like that, they send Irix onto a train that’s scheduled to arrest heretics?

Obviously, this is a trap laid by the Duke.

Whatever his goal is, his son’s safety doesn’t seem to rank very high. He’s tossing him out as bait without hesitation.

Raise a kid like that, and of course he grows up to become the dark mastermind who smashes the world to pieces.

Still, I can’t condemn the Duke as purely evil—because he did try to stop Irix. The Legion supported him in that.

There’s a story told from the Duke’s perspective, so I know this.

A significant portion of what I know about Irix comes from that story.

Of course, since every story ends with its protagonist being defeated or killed by Irix, the Duke’s story also ends with the Duke’s death. The Legion that fought alongside him was almost entirely wiped out as well.

As a father, he wasn’t great. As a human being, not much better. But he did try to protect the world. That’s something that deserves to be placed on the good side of the karmic scales.

But this, too, is a matter of the future.

Just as no evil has yet been committed, no good has yet been done.

Let’s整理 the situation.

First, I became someone else and boarded this train. When I opened my eyes, that’s how it was.

Second, on this train, the Order’s executives and their subordinates will gather and arrest followers of gods who are on bad terms with the god they worship.

Third, the Duke knew this and still sent his son. He has a separate objective.

There must be a story connected to this incident—so I need to find out what it is. The answer is there.

Fourth, despite knowing all this, I myself don’t know why I’m in this world.

I simply fell into this world, and some unidentified, bizarre individual keeps sending me DMs.

I don’t know who’s sending them, or why. All I know is that he knows Irix and this world’s future, and that he’s trying to stop that future. And for that purpose, he brought me into this world and is asking for my cooperation. Since I’m here, I probably have to cooperate. If this world is destroyed, I’ll be destroyed along with it.

Passengers began entering the dining car that had previously been empty except for the two of us. It was dinner time.

Everyone was dressed brightly and glittered as they moved. As I was thinking about the wealth gap in this world, Irix asked,

“What’s your name?”

“Elphiny.”

“Feels like there’s more you could tell me. A surname, maybe. Your origins.”

“That’s all for now.”

Because that’s all I know.

“Alright. I’ll remember that for now. There was something I’d been curious about since you came here, senior.”

“You waited a long time. Don’t hold back—ask already.”

“That thing—what is it, exactly?”

Irix pointed at the snake coiled around my neck.

“Why?”

“I was wondering why you’re wearing such a flashy necklace.”

“It’s not a necklace.”

“Then, a talisman?”

“Nope.”

“A magic tool?”

“Not that either.”

“Then what is it?”

I flicked the snake lightly. Woken from its nap, it lifted its head and flicked its tongue. Irix’s eyes went wide.

“It’s just a snake.”

The snake shook its head back and forth. Apparently, it was saying nice to meet you.

That sentiment didn’t seem to get across.

Irix jumped up with a pale face. His chair toppled backward.

Bang—

“Are you insane?! R-right now—”

“Don’t scream.”

I placed my fingers on either side of the snake’s head. The snake tilted its head back and rubbed against my fingers.

“You’ll scare the kid.”

“I’m the one who got scared!”

“….”

The future villain is asking me to show him the same consideration I’d show a worm-sized snake.

“Our kid doesn’t bite.”

“They always say that—and then it bites.”

“It really doesn’t. Sit down and stop making a fuss. Got bad memories with snakes?”

Irix sat back down and pushed his chair away from me.

Scrape—

The distance between us widened.

“Who has good memories with snakes?”

Fair point.

Since the dawn of human history, snakes and humans have never gotten along.

Because they keep biting.

“It really doesn’t bite. It hasn’t bitten anyone yet.”

“That just means it hasn’t bitten someone yet.”

“….”

Did I come to the wrong place?

How does a guy like this end the world?

If this really is that Irix, I want to tell the people who tried so hard to stop him: Don’t bother. Just throw one snake at him. Problem solved instantly.

“Get rid of it. Tell it to go away.”

“It doesn’t listen to me.”

“Why are you raising something that doesn’t even listen?”

“Do you ask the person raising you the same thing?”

You never listened to anyone who raised you either. And you did the one thing you were absolutely not supposed to do.

What was that?

Destroy the world.

“And I’m not raising it—I picked it up.”

“Why would you just pick something like that up?”

“It followed me.”

“It followed you, so you picked up a venomous snake?”

I scowled.