Eirene exclaimed, “Is that… Lord Igogodon?!”
Even though he had taken on the form of a young boy, Eirene recognized him immediately.
No one else could recognize him, but she could not fail to.
After all, she was the one who had once stood before Lord Igogodon’s portrait.
She was the only person who had gazed upon the face of God—a visage even the divine saint Erin could not behold.
What stood out more than anything else was the peculiar attire the boys wore.
Including Lord Igogodon, they were all dressed in garments Eirene had never seen before in her entire life.
‘Where is this place? Could this be… the dwelling of God? It must be, if Lord Igogodon in his childlike form is here…’
But this place didn’t resemble what she imagined to be the dwelling of God.
The furnishings seemed unfamiliar, more like the interior of an ordinary building.
Moreover, the boys surrounding Lord Igogodon didn’t emanate a divine aura; they seemed entirely normal.
Though many questions arose, Eirene knew she needed to focus on the scene unfolding before her.
She cautiously approached the group of boys.
Her footsteps made no sound, while the voices of the boys rang clearly in her ears.
It appeared that they were unaware of her presence.
***
“Who do you think you are, acting all righteous? Are you his family or something, you idiot?”
“Hey, didn’t you know? That guy always pretends to be good in front of the teachers. Remember that nonsense he spouted last time?”
“Hero complex, much? Must be because he spends all his time gaming and can’t tell reality from fiction.”
Though she couldn’t grasp the full context, one thing was clear to Eirene:
‘Lord Igogodon was being attacked by these boys.’
‘This can’t be…! Lord Igogodon!’
She tried to shout, to call out, but her voice wouldn’t come.
Instinctively, she realized that all she could do was watch.
At that moment, the young Lord Igogodon lashed out at the boys surrounding him.
“What? Pretending to be good? Hero complex? What nonsense!”
Thwack!
One of the boys was sent flying by Igogodon’s punch.
“Ugh, damn it!”
“I just can’t stand your nonsense! If you want to act out, do it where no one can see! Why do it here, in front of everyone in class?”
“You little…”
Another boy threw a punch, but Igogodon quickly dodged and grabbed his fist.
Thwack!
“Ah, my stomach…! Who punches someone in the gut, damn it!”
“Shut up! Apologize to him, you jerk! Say you’re sorry!”
Thwack! Thwack!
“Okay, okay! I’m sorry! Just stop, damn it!”
The fight ended with the leader of the boys surrendering, and Igogodon ceased his punches.
***
Suddenly, light flooded the scene, and like an opera, the narrative transitioned rapidly.
Despite the abrupt changes, Eirene somehow understood what transpired.
Though he had used his strength to protect the weak, those around Lord Igogodon began avoiding him, finding him unsettling.
They labeled him violent and refused to engage with him.
Young Lord Igogodon, still just a boy, spent his days in solitude.
No one listened to his words, leaving him to endure his loneliness in silence.
Eirene felt his divine solitude resonate deeply within her heart.
And yet, she remained powerless to intervene.
***
The scene shifted again.
‘That boy…’
A small boy sat nearby, tears streaming down his face as he crouched before Lord Igogodon, who was resting.
“I-I’m so, so sorry… because of me…”
“What are you sorry for? Those jerks were the problem, not you. I heard they got reported to the school board and were forced to transfer. Serves them right.”
“But I’m fine now… it’s just that because you stood up for me, you lost your friends…”
“Friends? Ha! I’d rather bite my tongue than be friends with those jerks. Besides, I’m transferring schools next week. I move around a lot anyway; I don’t need friends.”
“R-really?”
“Yeah. And like I said before, I didn’t do it for you. I just…”
Looking a bit embarrassed, Igogodon scratched his head and sighed.
“…I just can’t stand seeing stuff like that. Picking on the weak… I hate it.”
“Ugh… wahhh!”
“Hey, don’t cry… Oh, never mind. Just cry it out. Ugh, how am I supposed to explain this to everyone tomorrow?”
Igogodon tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling as he muttered, “What’s God doing? Why doesn’t He just take scum like them away?”
***
Eirene’s eyes widened in shock at his words, and in an instant—
She jolted awake.
Eirene found herself sitting up in her bed.
She glanced around.
It was the Emperor’s chambers, prepared specifically for her.
The sun was beginning to rise outside.
‘A dream?’
She realized it had been a dream.
Even within the dream, she had known she was dreaming, something unusual in itself.
Normally, people don’t recognize they’re dreaming, but this had been different.
Eirene opened her hands.
They were completely solid.
She had returned to reality.
This realization was crucial.
It didn’t feel like she had simply woken up from a dream.
Instead, it felt as though she had been transported somewhere and then brought back to reality—a sensation that sent shivers up her spine.
After spending a moment in a daze, she got up, still dressed in her negligee, and sat at the table.
She dipped her quill in ink.
She immediately began writing, hoping to document everything from the dream while it was still fresh in her mind.
The sound of the quill scratching against paper filled the room as the thoughts in her mind began to take form on the page.
[When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a place unlike anything in this world. Could it be the realm of the gods above the heavens?]
[It is not mentioned in the scriptures. (The scriptures document the moment Lord Igogodon ascended as God. Could this be his form before his divinity?)]
[I met Lord Igogodon as a boy (I could recognize him immediately! He was so adorable.)]
[Lord Igogodon was arguing with other boys. (Could the other boys be other gods?)]
‘No.’
Eirene crossed out the phrase “other gods” and replaced it with a new sentence: “Lord Igogodon is the one and only God; no other gods can exist.”
[I suspect he saved someone. The dignity of Lord Igogodon, who once saved me at the monastery, was present even in his childhood. (I adore Lord Igogodon so much.)]
[He spoke unfamiliar words that were not in the scriptures. (Could they be related to the unfamiliar attire he wore?)]
[At the end, Lord Igogodon said something along the lines of, ‘What is God doing?’]
Yes, this final point was the most important part.
Lord Igogodon was the one and only God, a “truth” so absolute that even the scriptures affirmed it without doubt.
However, his words seemed to suggest the existence of another being above him, which momentarily complicated her thoughts.
‘That’s nonsense.’
‘If Lord Igogodon were not God, then how could she explain the divine love she felt even now?’
How could she explain the pure and simple truth of God’s existence?
Instead of doubting Him, Eirene decided it was more productive to ponder why she had such a dream in the first place.
***
‘What could this dream mean…?’
‘Since it was a dream, there was a high likelihood it was just a meaningless fantasy.’
‘But the image of young Lord Igogodon.’
‘The loneliness he bore even as a child.’
‘The resolute gaze of someone who saved others without expecting anything in return.’
‘It all felt too vivid to be mere delusion.’
‘Could the dream have been a revelation from God?’
After organizing her thoughts, Eirene sighed softly, her pink lips trembling slightly.
Even if no one else acknowledged him, the sight of Lord Igogodon steadfastly walking the path he believed to be right—
His pure and straightforward manner of embodying the truth—
Made her heart race once again.
Although she wanted to spend more time calmly analyzing the dream, unfortunately, she was an emperor.
Like yesterday, today, and tomorrow, her responsibilities—tasks only she could handle—piled up endlessly.
Eirene folded the paper neatly and placed it in a drawer.
She closed her eyes, recalling the unforgettable words of Lord Igogodon.
“When the moment comes for God to descend upon this world… let’s meet again.”
‘Lord Igogodon…!’
‘Yes. What need was there for exact understanding?’
Everything could be resolved when she met Him and asked Him directly.
At least for Eirene, there was never a moment’s doubt that God would one day reveal Himself to her.
She clasped her hands and closed her eyes.
And then… she conveyed the feelings that swelled in her heart, feelings so overwhelming they felt like they might spill over.
‘If what you wanted to show me was your loneliness… then I will embrace it all.’
‘So please… you must come. I, your Eirene, will wait for you always.’
Eirene’s only wish—to be deeply connected with Lord Igogodon.
Her yearning was so intense and pure that it seemed to reach places even a mere creation like her could never glimpse.
***
The Observer stared at the world with a serious expression.
Suddenly, the world’s gaze turned toward the Observer.
[What is it?]
“…I have sent Eirene the divine power of God.”
[Divine power grants the recipient the ability to achieve their desires. I merely acted according to God’s will. What’s the issue?]
“See for yourself.”
Instead of answering, the Observer examined the world.
And… after some time had passed.
[I cannot observe it.]
Indeed.
What Eirene had experienced—
It was veiled as though hidden behind a dense fog.
Even the Observers could not see it clearly.
The only known facts were these: Eirene fell asleep, had a dream, and offered a prayer upon waking.
“Right. If even we Observers cannot perceive what Eirene saw, then… is that why you’re unsettled?”
[Yes.]
Since the beginning of their observations, such an event had never occurred.
Although the divine power did not grant life itself, even this unprecedented situation caused a moment of silence.
Eventually, as though coming to terms with something, the Observer muttered, [Eirene’s yearning to connect with Lord Igogodon runs deeper than anything else.]
Hearing this, the other Observer slowly stood up.
They gazed down at the world and, with disbelief, spoke.
“Eirene’s longing to be with Lord Igogodon… has reached the divine realm—an area even we cannot dare to tread.”
The divine power of God, priced at 7,000 coins, held immense capabilities.
But to peer into the divine realm was an impossible feat.
The fact that Eirene had achieved it proved how deep her devotion to God was.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
Although unsettling, the Observer’s thoughts eventually settled.
[God’s words themselves hold life. You haven’t forgotten, have you?]
“Of course not.”
[The fragments of God are part of God as well. This is simply a step toward the inevitable moment of God’s descent.]
Once spoken by God, His descent into this world was an inevitability.
When that moment arrived, Eirene’s longing would become a crucial trigger for summoning Him.
The Observer contemplated slowly.
Since Eirene had received divine power, it was imperative to show Lord Igogodon the transformation that power had brought to her.
To expose the unsettling result of “gazing into the divine realm” as it was, however, might lead to God withdrawing His support.
[What will you do?]
The Observer deliberated briefly before glancing to the side.
There lay a fragment of divine power, left over for the Observer’s use.
They stared at it for a long time before carefully moving their lips, formed lovingly by God.
“…I will do what I can.”