Chapter 7: Days Before The Catastrophe⑦
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“Lady Omi!”
Before I knew it, she had come to be called that with respect by the townsfolk. Until now, she had hardly stood out among the people, but perhaps she had her own reasons, as this time she decided to take action energetically in the town.
Omi was bustling about, and when she found a moment of free time, she wandered over to the church. She was volunteering her healing services there without charge. Although opportunities were not frequent, she managed to heal many, from simple injuries to those on the brink of death. Despite accomplishing feats that rivaled the works of God, she continued her healing without boasting or acting superior, insisting that she was merely doing what anyone could do. When people expressed their gratitude with, “Thank you! Lady Omi!” she would respond lightly with, “It’s nothing,” “Take care,” or “Stay healthy,” never asking for anything in return.
On another day, she went to assist with the Soup Kitchen organized by the church, where she served a large quantity of meals alongside the local Sisters. Although the Soup Kitchen was supposed to be grueling work, she showed no signs of fatigue and continued her tasks with a bright smile.
As these events unfolded repeatedly, it wasn’t long before she was referred to in whispers as the “Goddess.”
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“Lady Omi, I’ve been looking for you.”
“Anon, is it?”
Omi had just finished preparing for the next day’s Soup Kitchen and was behind the church, handling some waste disposal.
“It feels strange to be called ‘Lady’ by the Master…”
“When I called you ‘Ms. Omi’ in front of him, he got angry and said, ‘If you call her that again, I’ll kill you.’ I don’t think he could actually kill me, but his faith is certainly worthy of respect.”
“Well, he probably has a good idea of who I am, so I can’t blame him for that. Besides, Anon, things were much more intense in the past.”
Anon smiled wryly beneath their hood.
“I can’t stray too far from Bordaf either, so it’s a relief to have someone competent who isn’t muddled like him… So, a list of those in the church hierarchy who possess the strength befitting their status has been made, right?”
“After all, it’s him… He possesses both power and wisdom… More than anything, he’s the type of person who constantly thinks about such matters. If you ask him, he could easily rattle off names of both capable and incapable individuals.”
“Hmm,” Omi mused, gazing into the air.
“However, it seems he has many enemies. Even if he were to rely on the church, it wouldn’t end well. And even if you, Anon—the Master—were to go, the outcome wouldn’t change…”
“The Master seems to have many enemies as well,” Omi murmured.
“Perhaps it would be best if you took matters into your own hands?”
As someone who dealt with information, Anon recognized this as their Achilles’ heel. Information often meant knowing others’ weaknesses. In essence, they were someone who sought out the vulnerabilities of others… It was only natural that they would have more enemies than allies. Acknowledging this, Anon thought to themselves, I really can’t become like Ichiro, and hung their head in despair. That feeling would never surface outwardly, though.
“I could manage it with a bit of effort, but… even so, I have things I must do…”
Yet, the issue lay in what those “things” were. Would it be possible? This was uncertain… Omi let out a troubled sigh. After closing her eyes for a moment, she declared,
“Alright, I understand. We’ll manage somehow. If it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out; we’ll deal with it when the time comes. I’ll handle the messy details, so you can continue to focus on the fine-tuning and coordination with Madison and the others as before.”
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As usual, Omi was elusive, busying herself with various tasks… and then she would show up at the church, engaging in volunteer work alongside the Sisters, living her days like that.
One day, while visiting the Soup Kitchen, Omi found herself next to—
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And with that, we will transition to Ryuguin’s story at the same time.