Wait a minute. Thirty years ago?　You said thirty years ago?

　Aldis floats back on his haunches when he hears the unexpected length of thirty years.

'Yes, sir. 'I did indeed say that,'

You mean that Mitsunori, the one you met 30 years ago, had a predecessor or something like that?

'No, sir. I'm talking about the angel himself, whom you also met.

What?

　Aldis had no idea what Elmer meant, and a dumb voice escaped his mouth.

It's no wonder you're surprised. I'm sure you'll be surprised at the fact that your appearance hasn't changed in any way in the last thirty years.

...... is different, no?

'Yes. Yes, it has been thirty years since the angel saved me and brought me to this land. But her beauty has not been diminished in the least bit, as if the passage of time never existed.

　Unexpectedly, Aldis locked eyes with Rona.
　There was a hint of emotion in her eyes that was equally difficult to understand.

　Next, Ardis turns around to see a self-styled squire who looks exactly the same as when she first met him.
　A self-styled squire, who looks exactly the same as when she first met him, is sitting there with her eyes closed.

　He knew it was faintly strange.
　Seven years have already passed if you count from the time they were active in Tria.
　But Nere still looks like a girl of seventeen or eighteen.
　It's also hard to tell how old Ardis is due to some reason, but she's still growing steadily.
　It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.

　Your eyes turned to the twins sitting on either side of you.

''What's wrong?''

　Liana asks me with a coterie of tilted heads.

　Filia and Liana's age was fourteen.
　When they met, they were only as tall as Aldis' waist, but now they had reached the same height as her shoulders.
　This is normal growth.

　Aside from Aldis herself, who had special circumstances, it was good to say that it was abnormal that there was no change in Nere's appearance.
　But here, an even more unusual presence appeared.
　The existence of Sailor, who is a perfect match to Nere, but whose appearance has not changed for thirty years.
　Normally it would be hard to believe, but on the other hand, Nere, who is right beside Ardis, confronts Sailor's differentness with reality.

'Oh no, that's not possible: ......'

It would be impossible for a normal person to do that.

　Elmer said quite naturally to a bewildered Ardis.
　The color of his voice doesn't reveal Aldis's concern.

You're not afraid, are you?

'No way,' I dare say. He is a great favor to me personally and to this village. His existence is a miracle for us and his hand is always surrounding us with deep compassion. Do you understand how this village has been able to survive in a land full of demons?　This village is surrounded by an angel's warding. Dangerous demons and beasts will not come close to us due to the boundary, while the herbivorous beasts that are our sustenance will not be hindered by it. It would be impossible for humans to do such a thing. Then who can do it, God or the devil?

　When confronted with an unfathomable entity, a man cannot think normally.
　Some will stop thinking and fully accept it, while others will deny the incomprehensible and attack it.
　That will create gods and demons in the minds of people.

But at least there isn't a single person in this village who thinks that he is the devil.

Warding?

　Hearing a word in Elmer's spoken words that bothered him more than the words God and Devil, Aldis asked.

'Yes. I don't know what kind of thing it is, as I don't have access to magic, but as long as it's about an hour's walk from this village, dangerous creatures won't be able to enter at first. It is only because of the protection of the messenger that we are able to live peacefully in a land full of demons like this. However, as the distance opens up, its effect seems to weaken gradually, and after two hours of walking, you'll be out of your ward.

　A huge ward that rejects those with bad intentions.
　That in itself is something that Aldis can construct.
　But even if it is only temporary, it is hard work for Ardis to keep the village permanently wrapped up in one village.
　I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get away with it.

　I'm not sure I've ever seen such a thing before.
　I'm not sure I'm going to be the only one who can do that.
　If that is the case, who is the existence that can do such a thing?

　Ardis uttered her reasoning with disgust.

'Do you think she's a ...... goddess?'

　Elmer chuckled at that.

''I wouldn't be surprised if it is, but since he denies it, I can't say anything about it ....... It's just that the person the goddess has used - and I'm calling her 'Messenger-sama' out of respect for her.

　Aldis is a little relieved to hear Elmer's answer.
　He seems to be quite enthralled with Sailor, but at least he doesn't seem to worship her as fanatically as he does.

　It doesn't matter to Ardis whether Sailor is a real goddess or not, or any other god.
　But even if she was separate from the avenging female general's army, the experience of the last seven years had been reason enough to instill in Aldis's consciousness a dislike of blind faithful humans.

'So the statue there is the very image of her?

I borrowed the image of the Goddess because the angel told me that I could do whatever I wanted. So we borrowed her image. For me and the people of the village, we could not imagine anything else but the image of the angel. In that sense, I guess you could say that our desire to have the image of the angel take shape.

　The conversation then turns to the origins of the village.

　According to Elmer's story, this is a village founded by people who were led here by Sela.

　People like Elmer who were hunted as heretics.
　A family with twins and no place to go.
　An ex-person who has lived only in despair.
　A family forced to abandon their home due to unwarranted persecution.

　It is said that Sailer has helped those people directly and sometimes through others.
　That is why the people of this village regard Sailor as a goddess, and they cannot help but respect her, even if she has been a different person for decades.

I don't know how long this village has existed, and neither does the village chief. More than half of the people in the village were born here. The only people who know about the outside world are people like me, who were led here by an angel, or those who have left the village to peddle their wares.

　Apparently, they aren't completely cut off from the outside world, and periodically people from the village come in to buy things they need as peddlers.
　Although they are rarely present, mercenaries like Aldis and the others who set foot in the Canobis Mountains sometimes come by chance, and as long as they are not people with extremely paranoid values, they are accepted.

''Even if this village's presence is brought to light in the church, it doesn't mean they'll be able to come here anyway, so...''

　That was Elmer's answer to the fear that the existence of this village would be known by the mercenaries who happened to stop by.





　After listening to Elmer's story, when Aldis and the others returned to the building that was being offered as a substitute for lodging, Sailor was standing at the entrance of the building, as if she was waiting for them.
　As soon as she saw Aldis, she said, "Well, let's continue with yesterday's story, shall we? He utters in a light tone.

...... can we talk in private?

I don't mind.

　Aldis leaves Rona in charge of protecting the twins and walks with Sailor to the outskirts of the village.
　When they are completely clear of the surroundings, Ardis stops Sailor, who was walking in front of them.

I'm sure it's fine around here. I'll know as soon as someone comes near me anyway.

Yeah.

　Sailor turned around.
　Unlike Aldis, who was still clad in caution, her expression seemed to be malleable to all intents and purposes.

　She looked at Ardis as if she were a mother caring for her child.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. "I know why you are called 'the messenger' and I know what your position is in this village.

'Oh, thank goodness. I'm indeed embarrassed to explain that to you, and I'm glad Elmer told me.

　Sailor chuckles as she puts one hand on her cheek.

'How does it feel to be treated like a god in your own image?'

Oh, you're a lot meaner than I thought.

　With only a light smile on her face at the somewhat malicious questioning, Sailor just mouthed her answer without seeming to care.

''Of course you're embarrassed, right?　But Elmer and the people in the village say why, and it's not that bad: ......

What's your name?

'No, not really: ....... It doesn't bother anyone, and I'm sure I wouldn't mind it.

　Aldis pursues further to Sailor, who replies in a casual manner.

'What's the real story?'

As a matter of fact?

You're ...... not really a goddess, are you?

Uh, .......

　Sela gives you a look that says she's got it all figured out, and the next thing you know, you start giggling discreetly with a chuckle.

''Of course not. Did you think I was some kind of itty-bitty goddess pretender?

　The reaction made Aldis feel rather uncomfortable.

'There's no such thing as a God. If there was such a thing, and if there was a God to save us, we wouldn't be having such a hard time, either.'

　The simple assertion of Sailor, Aldis recalls the words of Nayle, who once had a similar reaction.

This is not limited to goddesses. It's not limited to goddesses. There is no such thing as a god, at least not on this planet.

"Want?　What's that?

"Earth, sea, sky. The earth, the sea, and the sky, all of them combined. There is no God in any of them. Maybe there is one in a faraway place. But at least there is no such thing as a human being can reach.

　Aldis questioned Sailor, just as he had questioned Nere seven years ago.

'Then what is that goddess the church believes in?

You should just ask him.

That sounds like you're not interested.

Because I'm not interested.

　He shrugged his shoulders with a look of heartfelt disinterest, and his long reddish-brown hair slid across the surface of his black coat in time with it.

'It's always been the case that people with power call themselves gods and make everyone around them worship them. The list goes on and on.

　With a disgusted look on her face, Sailor states that she has a theory.

Of course, I don't think it's wrong to have God in your heart as a spiritual guide. Of course there is nothing wrong with having God in one's heart as a source of strength, not only in God but also in something else. But it shouldn't be something that is imposed on you by someone else, or forced on you by someone else. And it shouldn't be used as a tool to make someone else unhappy. So we don't care what Elmer or the people in the village believe, as long as they don't force it on anyone else or misuse it as a tool.

By that logic, it seems to me that the church today is just waving around unhappiness by waving around the goddess doctrine?

Yeah, I'm in a bind.

　With a short sigh, Sailor gives a motherly expression of concern for her poorly made child.

　She doesn't seem to have any hostility towards a goddess like Aldis, but at least she doesn't seem to have any interest in the church.
　Although it would be dangerous to trust her outright, Aldis, who has concluded that she is unlikely to become an enemy, stops short of putting a nail in the coffin just in case.

'I don't care if there's a god or not. "I don't care if there is a god or not, I don't care if he calls himself one or not, I'm not going to back down to accomplish my goal. If you're an obstacle to my cause, you can go to ......

　He muddles the last word and turns a sharp gaze to Sailor.

'By purpose, you mean protecting the twins?'

...... that's part of it.

　He was silent for a moment at Sela's question, but quickly reconsidered and answered back.

'Don't worry, my role is to 'watch over' you. I probably won't be a hindrance to you.

I wish.

　Satisfied for the moment with Sailor's answer that came back, Aldis let his guard down on her.