The Gloomy Saintess Obsessively Clings to Death

I struggled to hold onto my sanity.

Let’s go over this one by one.

You were alone all this time, right?

But out of nowhere, you prayed not to God, but to a Dragon, and a rift between dimensions opened up?

What does that even mean?

Did I drift off and hear some part of the explanation?

Or is this some kind of metaphorical language used when humans wrote the scriptures long ago?

Still, even so, a Dragon and not God?

These Dragons, who care for nothing but themselves,

are you saying they listen to prayers, grant wishes, and open dimensional rifts?

I’m surprised by all this because I’ve had no dealings with Dragons.

If the seniors who collaborate with Dragons heard this, they’d probably immediately scoff, grabbing their collars and asking what nonsense this was.

“That’s it! I’m the team leader! They don’t even listen to me, and yet these insolent reptiles insist on acting entirely on their own whims!”

Even last week, Senior His, who was always so gentle, vented his frustration while downing a canned beer.

I had been on the phone listening to Senior’s lament.

He was fine until he mentioned going out for chicken and beer, then, how did we get here?

I sighed as I stared at my smartphone that wouldn’t turn on.

“Uh… Are you alright?”

“Ah….”

The Saint clutched the edge of my garment gently,

eyeing me with concern.

I forced a smile and nodded.

“Sorry. I was just deep in thought. Um, was the mention of the Dragon merely metaphorical?”

“No, it was a real Dragon.”

“…I see?”

What on earth is this?

Is this some kind of Dragon impersonator?

—No, wait. It would take a real Dragon’s power to open a rift between dimensions, so this isn’t an impersonator…

“Um, how did that Dragon…”

I stopped myself from asking how it appeared.

After all, suddenly showing up in this world isn’t something unique to me.

If a Dragon opened the dimensional rift, it means this Dragon was already here in this world before the rift appeared.

‘This Dragon didn’t travel through the rift like I did.’

Perhaps the best way to confirm this would be to ask the Dragon directly, one who’s had a similar experience.

“Then, where can I see this Dragon?”

“…Ah.”

Sadness flickered in the Saint’s eyes.

After hesitating for a moment, she lowered her head.

“…You can’t see it.”

“Huh?”

“…I wish I could see it too, but I can’t anymore.”

The Saint’s voice trembled.

Her voice, growing fainter, carried a longing that defied description.

‘…Did it dissolve?’

A dimensional rift happens when dimensions twist and distort.

Incredibly unimaginable power is required to force one open.

Likely, the Dragon who fulfilled the Saint’s request

succeeded in creating the rift but burned itself out completely in the process.

‘I messed up.’

I covered my mouth with my hand.

I felt like my accidental question had stirred up a painful memory for the Saint.

“…Sorry. It was thoughtless of me to ask.”

“No, it’s okay… That Dragon was really beautiful. Her scales… they truly shone.”

The Saint stared at her own palm, muttering softly.

“They were sky-blue but shimmered with gold. A warm color, yet cool.”

The Saint’s gaze drifted off into the distance, as if the remnants of the Dragon still lingered there.

I nodded quietly.

“I see.”

“Yes. Next time, the scale… the one the Dragon gave me…”

Suddenly, tears cascaded down the Saint’s face like a waterfall.

Her frail shoulders shook each time a tear fell.

Seeing the Saint, who resembled a crying child, I felt at a loss for what to do.

I reached out my hand but stopped,

then, gathering some courage, gently wiped her tears away.

“…You’ve been through a lot, huh.”

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!”

The one carefully considered phrase I spoke had the opposite effect.

The Saint’s crying became even more intense.

Her sobs, which had previously been quiet but gut-wrenching, turned into loud wails that seemed to reach the heavens.

I stared at the Saint, unsure how to proceed.

I had to somehow console the Saint, but I had no idea what to do.

I merely waved my hands as if I were some broken machine.

‘What do I do?’

At that moment, my hand, reaching out unconsciously, touched the Saint’s shoulder.

“Ah!”

Surprised, I tried to pull my hand back, but instead, I somehow ended up pulling her toward me.

She looked up at me with her tear-soaked eyes.

There was something about her gaze that made my mind feel even more jumbled.

I hurriedly tried to step back.

“Uh, sorry…”

“No, it’s okay. Please…”

Rather than letting go, the Saint leaned closer to me.

Her cries became softer, slowly subsiding.

In a muffled voice, she murmured to herself.

“…It’s warm.”

That tiny whisper, which tickled my ear, made my breath catch.

For some reason, that one word resonated with me deeply, tingling through me.

‘Well, at least I managed to console her, so it’s alright probably.’

Standing there like a big doll for a while, I cautiously began to softly pat the Saint’s back.

“…Do you feel better?”

As I hesitated to speak, the Saint looked up.

Even through her tear-streaked face, it shone bright in the darkness.

“Yes. I’m better now.”

Her small voice carried a calmness that wasn’t present before.

At that, I finally let out a sigh of relief.

‘But… probably, I shouldn’t ask any more questions. What should I do now?’

Should I wander around this world looking for clues?

Or should I try to find a way to leave for another world?

“It’s fine. If you’re okay now, feel free to ask anything you want.”

“…Huh?”

Surprised by the Saint’s sudden words, I took a step back.

I hadn’t said anything out loud, so how did she know what I was thinking?

Now that I think about it, she immediately figured out that I was the Grim Reaper.

‘Could it be…’

I cautiously asked with a trembling voice.

“…Saint, do you by any chance… read minds or something?”

“Huh? …No. It’s just that you kept fidgeting while looking at me.”

…Ah, so it was because of me.

I covered my face with a hand.

What an inconvenience.

“Did I behave like that?”

“Yes. You were making it obvious, and it bothered me.”

Her firm tone left me momentarily speechless.

I wanted to make some excuse, but there was no room for counterarguments.

‘…Just accept it calmly and seize the opportunity.’

I looked at the Saint and spoke.

“…Then, may I ask you some more questions, Saint?”

“Yes. Ask away.”

The Saint smiled softly.

Her peaceful expression strangely helped to calm me down.

What should I ask first?

I began to sort out my jumbled thoughts.

‘…Let’s carefully go over this.’

According to the Saint,

she’s been here alone all this time.

This world is entirely cut off from all other worlds.

Even the connection to the afterlife is severed.

However, any world with living creatures must be connected to the afterlife.

That’s a universal rule.

Anything that violates the rules of the universe is swallowed by chaos and disappears without a trace.

…Not even the gods who manage this world are exceptions.

‘So, why does this world, which violates the rules, still exist?’

While looking at the Saint, I cautiously spoke.

“Um, Saint, how long have you been here?”

“…How long?…”

She had mentioned living for over 500 years,

but that might mean spending that time in another world before coming here.

What I was interested in was exactly that point.

‘Could it be that she lived somewhere else before coming here? And that her time here hasn’t been very long?’

I looked at the Saint, waiting for an answer.

She began to fidget with her fingers while tilting her head down slightly.

“Um, it’s been about 500 years since I last counted my age… so, 500, 600, no, maybe 700?”

“…Huh?”

Why are the numbers getting higher?

Watching her seriously calculate made my head spin.

So, she wasn’t lying.

700 years? Really?

‘…Is this incredible world really older than 700 years?’

All the knowledge I had as a god is being completely overthrown.

And why doesn’t she even know how many years have passed?

I grabbed my aching head and tried to remain calm as I asked.

“Why don’t you even know exactly how many years have passed?”

“Well…”

The Saint bashfully twisted her hair with her fingers.

“There was no one like humans who cared about time before me. Elves, machines, demons… None of us kept track of time.”

“Pretty diverse, huh. Are those beings still around in this world?”

“Yes… They’re all still here.”

‘That means they all likely came through the dimensional rift as well,’

whether by mistake or by choice.

If they found a normal world, they wouldn’t go back to the dangerous dimensional rift.

That was only natural.

‘…And that’s been going on for more than 700 years.’

Is this ridiculous world really functioning properly?

The more questions arose, the more skeptical I became.

I hurriedly looked around.

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