Artificial Fantasy

Chapter 102: Plea to the Gods

Before I know it, I turn around and see the messengers arrive with them staring at Origia and her father. From the looks on their faces, some of them are angry, some are frowning at what she was about to do, and some including her friends were worried about her.

[I should get started, father.] Origia slowly backs away from him. [It is time.]

Her father nods and silently walks away from his daughter to join the crowd. I gulp, knowing this is the scene I've been waiting for.

[Origia! What is the meaning of this?! Calling us into the grand church just to see your attempts to pray for the gods despite our warnings! Don't you know the grave situation we're in right now?!]

Yikes. I haven't seen Protegio mad ever since this flashback started. Though it makes sense since I see the monsters about to climb the border wall. Yet, I notice her take a deep breath as Origia turns to her audience.

[I'm aware, Master. But before you can call my actions heresy, I need you to watch. No, I need you all to watch my prayer! 90 years have passed since the gods abandoned us for the punishment of the inhabitants' sins of creating the great war that ravaged these lands! And now, it's time we end this era of suffering and despair!] Origia declares.

[Don't be foolish, child!] One of the elder messengers interrupts. [We have spent almost a millennia trying to call out the gods. At this point, they have already abandoned this world and we've already accepted the facts. All you are doing is humiliating yourself in this farce. Why don't you stop it before you do something that would ruin the image of the messengers?]

Yikes. It seems that not all of the messengers were happy and carefree. That has to be the most painful callout I ever heard before. And I don't think Origia is happy about it, too.

[Image?! Do you think the image we want to be is to give up our original mission and let ourselves participate in this senseless violence we tried to avoid after the gods gave the punishment to the inhabitants?!] She screams. [If I know any better, all of you gave yourselves despair by giving up the only thing we have to communicate with the gods! My mother died from [Mana Exhaustion] and yet, she never gave up praying! She knew it would kill her in the end, but she did so not only for me but also for the sake of this world we cherished! You may everything we do to bring the gods back was hopeless in the end, but I believe otherwise. The gods will listen to us! I believe prayers aren't enough. I believe that we missed something. Something that shows that the world of our blessed creator needs to heal!]

[And how do you suppose to do so, child?! A mere letter containing little Mana won't gain the gods' attention back to us!]

Origia takes a deep breath and says, [I know. But a single rune will.]

I was expecting her to explain more about it. But it seems like she's going to show instead of telling them. She looks like she was riding on her theory to make it work. I think I know how history would happen, but seeing it through this flashback would be more nerve-wracking to see than reading it.

She raises her staff in the air as I watch Mana gather around the white gemstone on its tip. Looking closely, it resembles a fountain pen with its tip being the gem. And it seemed like she was trying to write in the air rather than waving her staff around. I can feel butterflies in my stomach as I watch this event unfold. A rune-like character is written in the sky. Then it starts to expand. Strokes, lines, and shapes are drawn into it, resembling a Japanese Kanji or a Chinese character. My jaw drops as I watch this and it looks like everyone else is also stunned at this performance. I'm worried that the elders might interrupt it following their complaints. Yet, they slowly become shocked at what they saw just like me and the messengers.