The space was filled with nothing but darkness, when, in an instant, a blinding light consumed it.
Without even realizing what was happening, time flowed uncontrollably.
And then, when the light faded away and the seemingly infinite darkness filled the space once again the sensation of falling from a high place.
That was the first feeling to register.
—Crash!
“Where is this place…………? The floor?”
“No, this is. The place where we were.”
“In the place where we were, there was nothing, yet somehow, something was beneath me, allowing me to stand.”
“What on earth is going on?”
***
Just a moment ago, it was certainly the one and only god, Igogodon, who had—
Crunch!
—”Have you come to your senses?”
Startled, it turned to look beside it.
There was nothing there.
However, the mere fact that it could hear the voice made it clear.
That voice belonged to……… the entity that had been conversing with it.
The one it had shared the grace of the god Igogodon with.
‘What happened?’
—The divine power of Igogodon had entered.
500,000!
“That’s right!”
An insane figure.
The divine power had been shoved in far too much!
It was overwhelming, so much so that it couldn’t even feel the chills from it.
—Perhaps the reason you gained form is because of the divine power.
EH……?
It was only then that it noticed the change within itself.
A hand.
This is………… a hand. One that looks similar to the one Igogodon possesses!
It clenched the hand and repeated the motion of opening and closing it.
‘This is divine power……………!’
—It is also a plain fact that you, not I, have been chosen by Igogodon.
A plain fact!
“Plain, fact!”
The fact that it could speak.
The fact that it could make a sound!
Igogodon!
The very name made its throat tighten once more.
It was definitely different.
The feeling of its throat tightening, and the reality of its throat being tight, were two separate things!
—Now is the time to understand the ‘will of the gods.’
“Will of the gods!”
With the power of the divine, having at least assumed a minimal form, it began to communicate with the god again.
After donating 500,000 won.
When there was no reply from the author, I started to think about how to guide Ophel forward.
Out of all the options, the simplest path—
‘I want to avoid using a miracle to raise Ophel’s intelligence to the point where she can understand the will of the gods.’
Ophel, though aware that she couldn’t comprehend it, was still striving to move forward.
For her, if I forcefully made her understand through a miracle, it might solve the problem now, but……… in the end, all her efforts until now would be in vain.
So, I wanted to help her indirectly.
Rather than forcing her to understand, I wanted to tell her that it’s okay to move forward without realizing it.
‘What does it matter if there’s a deficiency? Aren’t humans meant to live with shortcomings?’
Even I was like that.
I had no friends as a child and fell for a stupid TV program that made me pay an absurd phone bill.
Just like that, everyone has their foolish moments when they’re young.
Ophel’s was just a little longer than most.
To let her know that it’s fine not to realize things and that simply taking action is enough—maybe this is somewhat of an escapism in the real world, but……………
At least.
As long as I am a ‘god,’ I want to create a world where that becomes the correct answer.
It’s okay to be naive.
Even if you don’t understand, just acting is good enough.
‘That’s the power of fiction, isn’t it?’
To project things that cannot be achieved in the real world and gain dreams from it.
As I thought deeply alone, I realized I had become overly immersed in my own thoughts, which made me feel awkward, so I quickly shifted the topic of my thinking.
Anyway, in order to become a paladin who follows the will of the gods without enlightenment, I needed to help her in some way.
‘Wouldn’t it be good if there was an artifact she could use when lacking something…!’
Artifacts. Somehow, the idea didn’t hit me right away.
Besides, since it was her possession, and Ophel was clumsy enough to forget things, there was a good chance she might lose it.
‘In games, if your stats are lacking, you buy buffs with money, get items, and even buy pets to help with hunting…’
As I absentmindedly thought of the ‘indirect ways to help,’ I had an idea—
“Huh?”
“Wait a minute.”
“A pet?”
This might be a pretty good idea, actually.
In the game I played, there were pets that helped by picking up items, teaching you when to use skills, and giving small bits of assistance.
The maintenance costs were high because they were time-limited, but they were almost essential due to their convenience, so everyone, including me, employed them.
‘If it took the form of a ‘pet,’ wouldn’t I be able to take care of Ophel without needing to stick by her side all the time?’
At that moment.
***
[MoneyPlease: Sorry for being late, Igogodon]
[MoneyPlease: The divine power that poured down so suddenly required me to take a moment to sort things out.]
[Igogodon: Heh, you’ve arrived, writer.]
[MoneyPlease: First of all… thank you so much.]
[MoneyPlease: I never expected that you would grant me such a vast amount of divine power.]
[MoneyPlease: What can I possibly do to repay the heavenly grace of Igogodon?]
[Igogodon: Hahaha, honestly, I think I’ve already paid you back for the countless drawings you’ve done.]
This wasn’t just a comment meant to flatter the writer.
Surprisingly, the writer had been drawing dozens of comic panels every day.
Moreover, because the writer seemed to know what I liked, they kept adding in unrelated scenes of hot springs.
Recently, the paladin part of the story was progressing, so thanks to that, I got to enjoy a variety of breast sizes in great detail.
There was Ophel, with her robust, classic knightly physique, her thick thighs, and the biggest paladin pocket among the three.
Though her chest wasn’t as large as her mother’s, Ophel boasted a youthful and vibrant body her mother didn’t have.
Then there was Linnea, who, despite having a smaller chest than her mother, flaunted a youthful and lively figure.
And Luca, with the most balanced, slender build, though objectively, even Luca had a chest large enough to be considered “big.”
Not to mention, she had bigger breasts than Princess Yuria, who had just appeared in the latest volume.
The rest of the companions, with their unusual physical traits, were also part of the mix.
As for me, I preferred bigger breasts, leaning toward Erin and Eirene in terms of preference, but…
The more breasts, the better.
Seeing a variety of breasts must surely be good for my health.
Anyway, after sorting out my items and earning some money, I reflected on my donation of 500,000 won.
It wasn’t an impulsive decision; it was a gesture of gratitude to the writer, who had uncomplainingly drawn the comic according to my whims.
***
[Igogodon: Anyway,]
[Igogodon: With this amount of money, I should be able to help Ophel, right?]
[MoneyPlease: Of course, it’s possible.]
[MoneyPlease: With this much divine power, what could possibly be impossible?]
[Igogodon: Heh.]
[MoneyPlease: However, this much divine power is unprecedented, and the method of indirect help is uncharted territory.]
[MoneyPlease: The ‘response of the world’ has never been guided down this path, so I’m unsure how to proceed…]
I knew the skill would come soon.
All I had to do was accept it!
[Igogodon: Hey,]
[Igogodon: I’ve been thinking a bit,]
[Igogodon: Is something like this possible?]
Let me know if you need further formatting changes!
A while had passed since Ophel entered the cathedral as a paladin.
After finishing her daily duties, Ophel returned to her room and let out a quiet sigh.
That day, she had received a conversation from the Saintess.
She was told that she would never understand the will of the gods—such a cold reality.
When she first heard it, she thought she could overcome it, but… with each passing day, her shoulders felt heavier.
She couldn’t help but notice the odd looks the priests in the cathedral gave her.
If all of this was a trial, she knew she had to bear it, but for some reason, today it felt particularly difficult.
Originally, it was time for physical training, but oddly enough, she couldn’t get into it.
She vaguely realized it.
She had always thought her mindset was a little different from others.
The reason Ophel had been able to maintain the “proper knightly image” was because the maids, who corrected her slightly off-beat words and actions, were practically available around the clock.
Thanks to that, she had managed to fit into society.
If she couldn’t remember something, she would just keep studying until she finally learned it.
But even she, despite her efforts, couldn’t seem to memorize one specific word—the “plain fact” of the gods.
For some reason, that word never stuck, no matter how many times she studied it.
She had been able to grasp Igogodon’s truth quickly, thanks to her parents, devout followers of the Guodun Church, yet…
It wasn’t that she couldn’t imagine it being a “problem of intelligence.”
She simply hadn’t realized it yet.
‘…Am I unworthy of being a paladin?’
She had been chosen by the gods, but perhaps because of her own shortcomings, she had failed to meet their expectations.
‘…No.’
When Ophel thought this, she quickly shook her head and immediately changed out of her paladin attire into more active training clothes.
She lightly began her warm-up and refocused her mind.
‘If I get lost in these thoughts, I won’t be able to move forward. This too must be a trial from the gods.’
Ophel then thought of Luca, another paladin she had become close to.
Through their conversations, she had learned much from her.
Despite facing much harsher circumstances, Luca, too, must have had moments where she wanted to give up, but she kept pushing forward.
Linnea, too, came to mind.
Coming from the royal family, abandoning her name to join as a paladin must have taken incredible resolve.
Everyone had their burdens.
Despite carrying them, they all moved forward without stopping.
‘Even if I never understand it in my lifetime… I will still do what I can.’
Rather than expecting something from the gods, Ophel focused on what she could do for them.
This was the path Ophel had chosen.
And, with such a determined heart, Ophel —
—Huh?
***
At the sound of a knock on the door, she quickly opened it, thinking the Saintess had come to visit.
But instead of the Saintess, there was nothing.
For a moment, she wondered if she had heard wrong, but then, looking down, she noticed something at her feet—
It was a rabbit.
A small, cute rabbit with eyes as black and round as sunflower seeds, and soft, fluffy white fur.
“Igogodon.”
The rabbit looked up at Ophel with a strange little sound.