NOVEL WEB Chapter 28
I stretched out my hand and opened the Pocket Dimension.
It was to find the gift His senior had given me before.
‘I’m sure I saw it while cleaning.’
His senior was one of my close seniors, whose true form was Hypnos, the God of Sleep.
Because of that, the senior often gave gifts related to sleep.
From small items like sleep masks and pajamas,
to the special item filled with ‘the Power of Sleep’ that I’m looking for now.
Every time the senior gave a gift, he would jokingly add a comment.
“You hardly sleep, so when you do, make sure you sleep well.”
Though it was said in jest, it contained deep consideration.
I could faintly feel it even during my desensitized state.
‘…If he found out I take naps on top of sleeping every night, I wonder what he’d say.’
The item I’m looking for now was given to me before my demotion,
when he hoped it would assist me in dealing with transgressors.
It was indeed quite helpful.
‘…Well, his department is also combat-oriented. Ah, there it is.’
Maybe because I used it often,
I could find it by sensation alone, without even looking.
It was a familiar glass bottle I hadn’t taken out for a long time.
Silver capsules inside the glass bottle sparkled like stars.
As I inspected the bottle from all sides, the Saint approached with curiosity.
“What is this?”
“It’s a capsule containing the Power of Hypnos, the God of Sleep.”
“God of Sleep?”
“Yes, with this, we can put the people in the Detention Center to sleep. Since it’s a godly power, it’s much more stable than the Saint’s Magic.”
These capsules contain concentrated power of Hypnos.
Using it allows the gifting of deep sleep to those within a certain radius—it was, literally, the crystallized essence of sleep.
Both the senior’s Division of Suppression and I used it to incapacitate opponents or cause disruption.
Who would have thought it would only be used purely to put someone to sleep.
“…How do you use this?”
“Just open the bottle and throw one capsule out.”
“Can one capsule, this small, be enough?”
“Hmm, it should be. Hypnos’ power is quite potent.”
I carefully shook the bottle.
The capsules chimed musically as they collided with one another inside the glass.
“Well, if one capsule doesn’t work, we can use more. There are plenty here.”
“…Um, is it okay to use this so freely? It’s a god’s power, after all.”
“…I’m a god, too.”
The Saint tilted her head, listening to my words, then covered her mouth with her hand.
“Ah, that’s right. Mr. Death is also a god.”
“…It would be problematic if you forgot such basic facts.”
Exactly, how does the Saint view me?
Do I really appear to be just someone called Mr. Death, some lodger living in her house?
For a moment, I felt complicated but continued speaking with a sigh.
“Originally, a god’s power is absolute and cannot be interfered with by other gods. But it changes if there’s permission.”
“…Permission?”
“Yes. With permission, you can borrow the power of another god. These capsules were a gift solely for me from His senior, a Divine Avatar of Hypnos.”
I added while gently shaking the capsule-filled glass bottle.
“In other words, at least regarding these capsules, they’ve become part of me.”
“…Ah, now that’s a very god-like statement.”
“Well, I’ve been a god from the start, haven’t I?”
Should I be grateful that something like this makes me feel godly?
Should I be melancholic because I don’t get treated as a god unless it’s at times like these?
I was momentarily lost in thought but maintained a calm expression outwardly.
“So, is the issue resolved now?”
“…No.”
Is there something else?
I looked at the Saint’s face and cautiously asked.
“Is there another reason why we can’t leave?”
“…Yes.”
The Saint, with a bowed head, gripped my sleeve tightly.
Another reason…
Upon reflection, the Saint had mentioned earlier that if she left,
not only the people inside the Detention Center but also those outside would suffer.
‘Could it be that the Saint’s power affects the world in ways I don’t understand? Or perhaps…’
As I habitually speculated,
I realized the Saint herself is right beside me.
‘I need to break the habit of pondering things alone.’
I scratched the back of my neck and carefully asked the Saint.
“Saint, was it because you mentioned how people outside suffer?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The Saint hesitated for a moment but then nodded.
“Could you kindly explain in detail? Why would people outside suffer if you leave this place?”
“…That’s…”
The Saint gripped my sleeve even tighter.
It seemed incredibly difficult for her to speak, her eyes were cast downwards.
“…Not everyone thinks that way.”
“You mean, there are people who think that, right?”
“…It’s okay. I understand, but that’s not the reason why.”
“Then, why is it like this?”
The Saint closed her eyes.
She sighed deeply and then spoke in a calm tone.
“It’s because I might spread disease when I move around.”
“…Disease?”
Her words were unexpected.
I looked at the Saint with a puzzled expression.
“What do you mean? Are you implying that, as the Saint, you’re responsible for this phenomenon and cause harm?”
The Saint wore a complex expression I had never seen.
Neither affirmation nor denial,
it was a vague emotion that was hard to categorize.
The Saint, who several times opened and closed her mouth, finally managed to say something painfully.
“…Not everyone thinks that way.”
“Then there are people who do.”
“…It’s alright. I understand. But that’s not the reason.”
“So, why is it like this then?”
The Saint closed her eyes.
Then she sighed deeply and continued in a calm tone.
“Because I might spread diseases if I move around.”
“…What exactly do you mean?”
She went on slowly, her head bowed.
“Many of the people here are not just injured but also suffer from diseases.”
The Saint went on painfully, her head still bowed.
“Perhaps because of the accumulation over a long period, with so many people with various diseases gathered here, this building won’t get completely purified no matter how many purification spells are used. Also, the methods from other worlds stopped being effective after some time.”
According to the Saint,
this facility was initially created to help those in pain.
Not only those who were injured,
but also those suffering from various diseases were welcomed and cared for.
At the beginning, they succeeded in alleviating their suffering using numerous methods,
but over time, the situation deteriorated.
Neither recovery magic nor medical science worked.
Not even the combined knowledge and technology from other worlds could help.
The Saint, speaking in a shaky voice with her head bowed, continued.
“Every method was tried, but the diseases kept accumulating. It felt like the harder I tried to purify, the deeper the root of the issue grew.”
I could see deep despair in her eyes.
How many attempts, how many setbacks, and how much pain must she have endured?
I watched her silently and let out a sigh.
“Because of that, I’m the only one here. Others are reluctant to come here, fearing the diseases might spread. But since I don’t get sick, it doesn’t bother me…”
“…In short, it’s because people fear that the Saint could spread diseases that you can’t go outside?”
“Yes, that’s right. A very strong purification spell can eliminate the pathogens around me. But…”
According to the Saint,
such spells require an enormous amount of divine power and cannot be used easily.
“With every purification spell I use, my divine power almost depletes, and it takes time to recover. If something happens here while I’m not fully recovered, it would be a big issue…”
The Saint continued gravely, lowering her head.
“So, I can only use it in a real emergency. Since the people here could face problems at any time…”
I mulled over the Saint’s words and fell silent for a moment.
She wasn’t simply there to care for people.
In the midst of pressure to use her powers as efficiently as possible,
she managed herself and her circumstances while continuously caring for everyone.
‘And all this while also casting sleep magic every morning and evening for so many.’
Through her story,
I dimly understood the weight of the pain the Saint endured here.
And many of my misunderstandings and questions were resolved.
Why was the Saint taking care of so many people all by herself?
Why had no one come here during my stay?
I thought it was because the Saint was the sole cause of all this, and therefore bore it all by herself.
But it wasn’t the case.
This world left her with no choice.
No one could help, and no one could take her place.
‘Now I understand why things were such a mess here.’
The kitchen piled high with dust, unused and neglected.
The fields completely covered with wild weeds, abandoned and lost their function.
And though the situation has improved now,
when I first saw the Saint, her appearance was far from being in good shape.
Her weary eyes, her parched lips.
Her ragged clothes, her gaunt body.
The cracked fingertips and the disheveled hair…
It wasn’t just about clumsiness in self-care.
She sacrificed her own life, health, and even the semblance of a human life,
to protect people and maintain this place.
It wasn’t that she didn’t care for herself.
She simply had no time to take care of herself.
All for the sake of upholding this world alone.