“A-A saint?!”

In this world, even children understand the concept of saints. These were individuals born with divine powers, chosen champions of God. Such figures were typically featured in various folktales and textbooks.

“What’s that again?”

Though, Shibo had never so much as glanced at a textbook in his life.

“Gah-!”

The girl, who had introduced herself with unwavering confidence, suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her as she realized how foolish she appeared. To think there was someone in this world who didn’t know what a saint was.

Clearing her throat, she launched into a brief explanation.

“Alright, listen closely, dude. When God created the world, bits of his power seeped into it, which we call Constellations. It’s quite rare, but some people are born with a connection to these constellations, identifiable by a unique birthmark. We refer to these people as Saints -humans chosen by God. From what I gather, this power can manifest in two forms: an active ability, where the user must draw their birthmark into the world, or a passive ability, which is always in effect. The village chief has the latter. Her Constellation Art: True Display is a power that functions continuously. I have a similar ability. My Constellation Art: Sylph’s Voice is always active, allowing me to hear and communicate with animals.”

“I see. So, you were born with this really cool birthmark that gives you really cool powers…?”

Thinking he was doubting her, as if she were a con artist, she eagerly revealed the birthmark on her upper thigh, lifting her animal bones to show him. It resembled a sketch of a female wind fairy.

“Look! I’m not making this up!” she insisted, inadvertently revealing more than she intended. Being the gentleman he was, Shibo averted his gaze, reassuring her that he believed her. “…Good.”

“B-But if you have these cool powers, then why steal food from your own village. Surely you can use those powers of yours to earn a living. Just pretend you’re a regular person and blend back in.”

“No can do.” She instantly retorted, her voice taking on a grave tone.

"W-Why not?"

"The chief's power forces everyone to reveal their true emotions, no matter what. The closer you are to her, the more honest you become. And it runs constantly… Because of this, any criminal -be it a thief or a murderer- ends up exposing themselves. If I return now, all that awaits me is death."

“T-That’s intense… Then why did you choose this life in the first place?”

“Well… I wouldn’t say I chose this life per say, more like it was the only choice, ya know? My power is a threat to the chief.”

“A threat? That can’t be right...”

Shibo began to count on his fingers.

“…I can think of a bunch of reasons your power would be useful.”

Palola’s smile brightened at his words.

“Thanks, Shibo... Anyway, I guess you want to catch up with your friends, huh? I could take you to them if you'd like."

For a moment, Shibo hesitated.

(Friends? Is she talking about Tenshi and that guy who always calls himself God? …I mean, I’d love to have friends for the first time, but those two seem a bit scary… Are we really friends…?)

His expression lit up at the idea of having someone to call a friend. But then, the memory of being called “jellybean” crashed down on his hopes.

(…They probably just see me as some overweight joke, don’t they…)

His fist tightened around a clump of grass as he muttered, "Of course they would. What else do I have to offer?"

“That simply isn't true, Shibo." Palola replied, her tone brimming with empathy.

She leaned in closer, cradling Shibo's plump cheeks as she did. The touch of her skin felt gently and yet a bit firm, as if she were trying to anchor him to their current moment.

Feeling her radiant warmth, Shibo turned his gaze upwards, meeting hers, and for the first time in his life, he felt seen -not just as a npc in the background who happened to have cool cloths, or a tree off to the side with slightly off colored leaves, but as someone genuinely worthy of attention.

“I can’t read minds or anything like that, since my power doesn’t work on people. But I can sense what you’re feeling.”

Her voice was soft, yet it carried a weight that made him feel vulnerable, yet safe. She gently adjusted his face to ensure he was looking directly at her, her eyes searching his for understanding.

“Since the moment we met, you’ve had such a sad look on your face. I feel like you haven't really looked me in the eyes either… Look, I don’t know your story, and I won’t pretend I understand the depth of your pain… But in my eyes... a friend of mine should smile more.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Her words struck a chord in Shibo, resonating deep within him, bringing forth a tear he hadn’t even realized was forming. It rolled silently down his cheek, landing on the short grass.

“Y-You really think so?” Shibo muttered, his voice barely above a breath. The vulnerability in his tone surprised him, but he couldn’t help it. There was something about her that made him feel safe. It was a similar feeling to when he met Nana.

“I know so. There’s no one in this world that doesn’t deserve to be loved… Now. Let’s go find your friends, Shibo.”

***

“Why are we sneaking around? Don’t tell me you’re a wanted criminal?” Whispered Shibo, closely following Palola as they cut through building to building.

“No, you idiot, if they ask me about you, I’ll be forced to answer truthfully. Besides…” She went, her eyes flickering with sorrow. “…I’m supposed to be dead.”

(The hell does that mean.)

There were guards patrolling the village looking out for the thief that had stolen the wagon’s goods. It might be important to note, that thieves weren’t that uncommon, as there were many children who were abandoned for being seen as “too weak” for combat. But stealing an entire carriage of goods was unheard of. Also, this isn’t Palola’s first time stealing food from people.

“I’ve been thinking about something you said to me…” Came Shibo surprisingly keeping up with the ninja of a girl in front of him. Though he was sweating quite rapidly. “…You said children are born from the love of a woman and the stars. The thing is, where I’m from a woman can give birth to both male and female babies. So, is it different here?”

“As far as I know, there are no documents of male children. I’m curious though. Do the woman from your land share our love for the stars?”

“Um… well, not exactly. They uh…” He hesitated to say it, still unsure of Palola’s true age and innocence. “…If I had to use your words, a baby comes from men and women doing ‘sexy stuff’. It has nothing to do with stars... I guess the woman of this land must be different from the women I’m used to.”

Palolo suddenly had an air of seriousness to her, muttering “I wonder about that…” as she pondered. Then she suddenly stopped Shibo with her hand. “Stop for a moment.” She said, spotting two guards in the distance.

They’d reached it, the large door that led to the underground dungeon. As people weren’t allowed inside without permission or a valid reason, two guards stayed watch, guarding its entrance.

“W-What do we do now?” Shibo asked Palola, hesitant to continue as he thought about his rotten luck.

“Wait right here. I’ll go see what I can do.”

“A-Alright.”

“Good afternoon, gentlemen.”

“!”

The one who said that wasn’t Palola, nor was it Shibo, and with the surprised expressions etched on the guards’ faces I suppose they weren’t villagers either -though I could’ve guessed that with how they were dressed.

They donned a long dark cloak unlike anything this village had to offer, one that hid his face and dipped down to their knees, which would be about an average person’s toes as they were quite tall and lanky. Oddly, the image of a glaring eye could be seen on the back of the cloak.

“Who are you?!” One of the guards questioned as they both readied their spears.

“Relax, gentlemen...”

The strange man in black spread out his arms, as if a spotlight came upon him.

“…I represent the Cult of Salomon! I’ve come to save this world from the child of prophecy, the AntiGod, for he is to one day destroy this world!”

“Cult of Salomon...? Never heard of it. Wait are you a man?!”

The man cloaked in black pulled his arms down and had a certain air about him, not quite angry but not quite disappointment -a lovechild of both in a way.

“I see…” He said, his volume far lower than it was before. “…You two don’t know of our god’s radiance… Well, can I go inside?”

“What business do you have here? And how did you get inside this village?!”

“Such irrelevant questions… Oh dear, oh dear. What should I do? I should do something, but what? …What can I do? Forcing myself in would be trespassing, walking away would go against our lord’s wishes… And of course, I have to kill the AntiGod… What to do, what to do?”

The mysterious man began to chip away at his left thumb’s cuticle in deep thought.

“Dammit, dammit, dammit… I want to get in, I need to get in, I desire to get in, I lust to get in, so just let me in dammit! What should I doooooooooo?!”

By now he’d chip away at his thumb’s cuticle to the point that blood came from the base of his fingernail.

The two guards exchanged puzzled looks, an awkward sweat trailing down their foreheads. Of course, Shibo and Palola shared their confusion.

“I’m assuming he’s not with you?” Palola asked Shibo.

“No. He isn’t. And I’ve never seen that emblem before in my life. I’m more curious about who this ‘AntiGod’ is. He said he’d destroy this world.”

With his finger bleeding, the mysterious man finally calmed down. Regaining his calm and clear audio, he asked the guards, “Hey, could one of you attack me?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“I need you to attack me! You see, I’m not allowed to attack anyone in this timeline unless it’s self-defense. And so, if I want to kill you two, I’ll need you to strike me.”

“Y-You plan on killing us…?”

“Something like that.”

The two guards readied their spears once again, this time charging the man. But in the face of such danger, a smile played on his lips. He took two steps forward, and in an instant the two guards exploded. Well, I suppose that isn’t quite accurate. It isn’t as if they blew up like bombs, rather, a piece of their body had burst out of their skins. For one guard it was her brain, for the other, her left lung.

The cloaked man walked past the two as they collapsed in front of him, the blood from his chipped fingernail collecting in theirs. Somehow not a single drop of blood managed to find itself on his cloak.

The two, Shibo and Palola, trembled as they watched him open the large door, the eye on his back glaring at them as he did.

“W-What the hell…” Came Shibo, his eyes utterly lifeless. He had no idea who this person was and the emblem he wore remained a mystery, and yet, he was convinced it was happening again. In every one of his lives, his misfortune would hit hardest once he found a friend.

“Shibo… I need you to get Aamil while I go investigate that man. I have a strange feeling this ‘AntiGod’ is one of your friends.”

“N-No! You can’t!” Shibo pleaded, hoping to prevent his past mistake. Unfortunately, Palola had made up her mind long before she said those words.

She looked at him with the same caring eyes she had before.

“Look, I need you to find Aamil before you come follow me. Just make sure she doesn’t bring Pegasus… And also… Try not to worry so much. I promise, I won’t die.”

And with that she was off, rushing through the large dungeon door before it fully closed.

Watching that, Shibo grabbed a handful of dirt, trembling as tears began to swell up. When suddenly…

“Whatcha doing, man?”

…A voice came from right behind him. It was Aamil, who had been looking everywhere for Shibo ever since he ran off.