An overwhelming amount of chicken!
Not just that—it was raw chicken, perfectly cleaned of feathers and innards, ready to cook.
To some, it might have been a grotesque sight.
But Erin, a woman connected to the divine, instinctively felt the truth.
What lay before her was divine, unadulterated meat—no, a pure and undeniable fact of the gods themselves!
“Aah, O Igogodon …!”
The construction of the temple and the offering of prayers were simply her duties as a saintess.
She had never dared to ask the gods for a gift of pure sustenance.
Yet here it was, once again—a miraculous bounty bestowed upon them, sufficient to meet their needs.
This was love.
There was no other explanation for this limitless and magnanimous act of love from the gods towards their creations.
Erin knelt before the mountain of chicken.
The priests who had followed her naturally knelt as well, seeing their saintess do so.
In their sacred robes, kneeling before a pile of raw chicken, the scene was… avant-garde, to say the least.
***
After offering a long prayer of gratitude, Erin slowly stood and addressed the kneeling priests.
“Everyone, this is sustenance bestowed upon us by Igogodon.”
“By the gods themselves?”
“Indeed. There is no reason to feel unsettled.”
Encouraged by Erin’s words, the priests began offering prayers of their own.
“Food appearing out of nowhere—this is truly a miracle of Igogodon!”
“[Gwoh-men…]”
As prayers filled the temple, Cecilia cautiously approached Erin and asked, “What should we do, my lady? This amount could easily feed everyone in the cathedral and still have plenty left. Shall we distribute it?”
“That’s not a bad idea. But since this is a miracle, shouldn’t we share it with everyone?”
Erin’s thoughts drifted to her past, a time before she had known Igogodon.
Back then, hunger had been a constant companion.
She remembered vividly the humiliation, the countless hardships she endured for a single slice of bread.
The absence of food meant the absence of life.
Humans at the brink of starvation were not the same as those who lived without fear of death.
Their actions, their thoughts—they were fundamentally different.
She understood this all too well from experience.
Even if this was a fleeting miracle, lasting but a single moment—
“Since we just finished building the temple, wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone we meet today could enjoy a plate of chicken, worry-free?”
Even for just one day, if all who came could leave with full stomachs.
“That would, in itself, embody the pure and simple truth of Igogodon.”
“Understood.”
Cecilia bowed deeply in respect.
“As expected of you, Saintess. To make such a selfless decision without hesitation—I am inspired to follow your example.”
“Don’t forget, this is the pure and simple truth of Igogodon, not my own doing.”
“Of course, my lady. I will report this to His Holiness immediately.”
***
After clearing the mountain of raw chicken, it became clear that the quantity was immense—far more than expected.
The sheer volume was enough to feed an astonishing number of people.
And, well, having more wasn’t a bad thing. It only meant they could help even more people.
“Who among you would like to lend your skills to share the truth of Igogodon with others?”
“I’d like to help.”
“I assisted my parents in their restaurant before devoting myself to the faith, so I have experience in the kitchen!”
The priests who had cooking knowledge or experience were assigned as chefs.
“Brother, what is this long, flat stone in the corner?”
“It is the ‘Revelation of Lisa,’ an old relic inscribed with the Apostle Lisa’s religious experiences. Honestly, it’s an outdated artifact we’ve been meaning to dispose of. If you’d like, I can fetch a hammer and—”
“No, wait. If it’s unnecessary, could we use it as an outdoor table instead?”
“Oh! That’s a brilliant idea. Repurposing it to share the truth of Igogodon is far better than letting it go to waste!”
With makeshift tables and spaces set up outside the temple, a suitable area to distribute chicken dishes was soon ready.
Everyone moved with purpose, and by midday, they had finished preparing to distribute the food.
***
“What about the wagons for outreach missions?”
“Three are ready to go.”
“Good. Then…”
Erin raised her voice.
“Let’s begin distributing the food! There’s a lot of chicken, so it will take time, but let’s give it our all!”
Thus began the great distribution of ‘a simple plate of chicken.’
“Take one plate per person, please.”
“There’s plenty! Feel free to bring your whole family!”
Free food—especially free chicken dishes—was not something to scoff at.
Even though chicken was more common than beef or pork, who would complain about free food?
It didn’t take long for people to flock to the temple, drawn by the aroma and the generosity.
“Thank you so much, Sister.”
“Is it really okay for me to take this?”
“Of course! Enjoy it.”
[May the simple truth of Igogodon be with you…]
Though they had prepared a great deal of food, the dishes were disappearing quickly, and a line began to form.
“Is the food ready yet?”
“Please wait just a moment! We’ll have more soon.”
Despite the simplicity of roasting or grilling the chicken, the sheer volume of ingredients and the number of hungry people far exceeded the available cooks.
“Mom, I’m hungry. Is it almost our turn?”
“Just a bit longer. And don’t complain; they’re doing their best.”
“Hmph.”
The innocent voice of a child reached Erin’s ears.
‘It’s free food, so they should be willing to wait… but that boy’s hunger tugs at my heart.’
Perhaps it would have been better to prepare more food ahead of time instead of rushing to meet the lunch hour.
As Erin considered lending a hand herself, a man in armor approached her.
“Are you Saintess Erin?”
“Yes, that’s me. But if you’ve come for chicken, please join the line over there—”
“No, I’m not here for the food.”
The man bowed deeply.
“By the order of Her Majesty, I’ve brought the royal chefs to assist.”
“Her Majesty… Queen Eirene?”
“Yes. After hearing about the cathedral’s plans, Her Majesty mentioned that you might need more people skilled in cooking.”
Looking behind the man, Erin saw robust individuals clad in chef uniforms—sixty of them standing in formation.
Considering that only about twelve priests were currently cooking, this was five times as many reinforcements!
“Her Majesty also asked me to convey her wish that the simple truth of Igogodon blesses you and all those doing this good work.”
“Thank you…! I’ll make sure to visit and personally express my gratitude to Her Majesty!”
“I’ll pass the message along. Then, with your permission, we will join you.”
After the man left, the sixty royal chefs immediately integrated into the group.
Their professionalism quickly became evident.
While the priests had been preparing a simple menu of roasted chicken seasoned with salt, the royal chefs transformed the offerings into a variety of dishes in no time.
There were chicken dishes with special sauces, others enhanced with rare spices, and even a tomato stew with chicken simmering in a pot on the side.
The response from the people was explosive, as expected.
It was already remarkable to receive free meat, but to eat dishes prepared by royal chefs?
“Thank you so much…! This is the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted!”
“Long live Igogodon !”
“If I believe in the faith, can I eat chicken like this every day?”
“The Igogodon faith has been doing a lot of good deeds lately, hasn’t it?”
Meanwhile, the relief teams dispatched on the three wagons loaded with meals were also fulfilling their duties.
***
“Luca! You’re back! Did you come to visit?”
“Sis, what’s that cart behind you?”
“Today, your sister has something delicious to share. Could you gather everyone in the village?”
Luca visited her hometown, distributing chicken to the villagers, including an orphanage that had suffered from a bandit attack.
“There’s plenty left, so feel free to take another plate.”
“Thank you so much!”
[Hop! Hop!]
“Is that… asking for a whole chicken? Here you go.”
[Gulp!]
The creature above them took an entire chicken into its mouth, chewed noisily, then spat out clean bones with a clink.
“Igogodon! Igogodon!”
Ophel, meanwhile, volunteered to deliver relief and aid, including food, to areas still recovering from the lingering effects of the plague.
The bandit raids had been caused by the plague, after all, and she felt compelled to assist those in need.
***
“Thank you, Holy Knight…
“I’ll never forget the grace of the gods. May the simple truth be with you…”
“Take care as you go.”
Linnea also volunteered in the impoverished lands of a former feudal lord who had overtaxed his people into ruin.
She couldn’t even remember the lord’s name—it was four syllables, maybe—but since he was no longer in power, there was no point dwelling on it.
Although Linnea didn’t believe in the gods, seeing smiles bloom on the faces of those receiving the food was enough to make her feel that the effort was worthwhile.
***
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, every last piece of chicken that had been prepared for distribution was gone.
“You all worked so hard today…! Now, shall we have our own meal?”
“”Hurray!””
When the relief work ended and everyone returned to the cathedral, they were greeted with a feast of chicken dishes prepared by the royal chefs.
After spending the entire day watching others eat, the priests and volunteers were finally able to enjoy over a full chicken each.
Literally—through prayer alone—everyone within Erin’s reach had been able to eat a plate of chicken that day.
***
That night, after bathing and changing into a simple negligee, Erin knelt in prayer in her chamber.
“Igogodon, thank you for providing food not just for me, but for so many others today.”
She closed her eyes, recalling a distant memory.
‘I remember, Igogodon. The cup of water you gave me. The single piece of bread that saved my life. That water and bread kept me alive back then. So, if the chicken we shared today saved someone like me who was struggling… It’s all thanks to your love, not my own doing. I’ll never forget that.’
Erin prayed late into the night, feeling the warmth of the gods’ love deep in her heart.
She clasped her hands tightly and whispered her gratitude to the one she served.
***
The next morning, Erin arrived at the temple to find, once again, a mountain of raw chicken stacked high as if nothing had been touched the day before.
It was identical to yesterday, even though they had given away every last piece.
“Um… Saintess? This is…?”
Erin paused for a moment before closing her eyes and offering a silent prayer.
‘The love of Igogodon hasn’t ended yet!’
“It’s the same as before. This is Igogodon’s love, a pure and simple truth bestowed upon us!”
“Should we begin another day of relief efforts, then…?”
Erin considered it but ultimately shook her head.
While relief efforts were noble, they required immense labor.
Moreover, as this was a temporary miracle, continuously relying on it might not be the wisest course.
“Today, let’s prepare preserved food to distribute to other temples so that those studying the divine truths can benefit as well.”
“Understood!”
Erin’s decision reflected her heartfelt desire to share Igogodon’s love with others, including those at temples across the continent.
The day was spent making preserved food from the chicken.
***
The next morning…
“Um… Saintess. It’s here again…”
Despite using every last piece to make preserved food, another mountain of chicken awaited them.
Erin forced herself to remain composed and said, “D-Don’t worry. This too is a fragment of Igogodon’s endless love. This time, let’s send it to the royal family as thanks for their assistance.”
“Yes, Saintess!”
The chicken was sent to the royal palace, where the imperial knights held a grand feast.
Day after day, they used, shared, and distributed the chicken.
And yet—every morning without fail—the altar was filled with fresh chicken.
After several days of this miraculous abundance, Erin finally broke into a cold sweat.
She raised her trembling gaze toward the open sky visible between the temple columns.
Clasping her hands, she whispered cautiously to the one she worshiped.
“Igogodon, please don’t be angry when you hear this. It’s just that, well… There’s… too much chicken.”
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