CH 240

Chapter 240 – Choice

“…But as a matter of fact, I’m not opposed to Kagaya-san’s actions.”

Come to think of it, Sayuri did say that. She also didn’t deny that I could become the top of the religious order.

So this was what she meant by that.

Sayuri didn’t think that she was suited for the role of founder. She could have been prepared to vacate the position whenever a suitable person emerged.

And the so-called chosen one was me, huh?

Sayuri might have been working to bring about this situation ever since we met.

It made sense, since she had declared me to be God’s Messenger, and she occasionally showed indecisiveness in her judgments.

I understood that it was difficult to carry the burden of so many peoples’ lives and I didn’t care if she just stopped doing this of her own accord, but it really was a nuisance that I would have to get involved in this.

Sayuri was a timid person. That was why she couldn’t hold true to her own and was reaching her limits of acting as the founder of the religious order.

Despite all that, the reason why she didn’t run away by herself was because there were still people who would follow her even if she was like this. That was why she was so afraid to abandon them and couldn’t run away.

How could she have continued to act as the founder when she was originally so timid? There must have been times where her act had fallen apart and it showed. Each time, Aoyama had probably been there to skillfully follow up for her because she admired Sayuri and felt that she was fit for the role of founder.

Sigh… It’s seriously a bother. Why is it that when humans gather in one place all kinds of troublesome problems appear…?

The ones by my side were pretty much all monsters, so all I had to worry about was their appetites. I knew that it was wrong to compare them with humans.

I felt sorry for Kagaya and the others, but I had to make things clear.

“Sorry, but I have no intention of becoming the founder.” (Torimoto)

“….?! Why not?!” (Kagaya)

“In the first place, what do you want out of making me the founder of the order?” (Torimoto)

“Of course, this is only to stick to our ideology!” (Kagaya)

“And what is your ideology?” (Torimoto)

“To eliminate men!” (Kagaya)

“Don’t you realize by this point that you’ve already failed to stick by that?” (Torimoto)

“…? What do you mean?” (Kagaya)

“I am also a man.” (Torimoto)

“N-No, you’re not! You are the God’s Messeng—” (Kagaya)

“I am glad that you idolize me so, but unfortunately I don’t intend to reward those feelings. So… if that’s all you had to say, can I leave now?” (Torimoto)

The followers became disheartened after hearing my cold words.

This was what happened when you expected things from other people. If you relied on someone else, your life wouldn’t last long. It would only eventually lead to ruin.

It was important to find a way to survive on your own. It might be good to rely on others one time, but continuing to rely on others meant becoming dependent. But if that existence that you now relied on were to disappear, it would be difficult to stand on your own two feet—especially when the world was like this.

Well, I didn’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have the <Shop> skill, so I couldn’t speak so arrogantly either.

Even if I didn’t have the <Shop> skill, I wouldn’t have spared any effort in trying to survive on my own. After all, I couldn’t trust another human being.

Just as I was about to turn on my heel and leave the room, I heard a sound.

—Click.

Picking up on that sound behind me, I then heard Kagaya telling me to wait a moment. I stopped in my tracks, and, after a while, I slowly began to turn around. There, I saw Kagaya, holding a gun in her hand.

“…What is the meaning of this?” (Torimoto)

“Please. We would like you to become the founder.” (Kagaya)

“No matter how many times you beg me, my answer will be the same. I have no intention of becoming your founder.” (Torimoto)

—BANG!

To my surprise, Kagaya pulled the trigger.

But the bullet didn’t hit me. It whizzed right by me and hit the door behind me.

“I’m serious.” (Kagaya)

…Sigh. Complete and utterly ridiculous.

“Are you insane? Do you seriously think the religious order would run properly if you threaten me into becoming the founder?” (Torimoto)

“All you have to do is be a figurehead. The power of restoration… if you demonstrate it, people will come.” (Kagaya)

…Now, she wasn’t even using honorifics anymore.

“I see. So these are your true intentions, huh? Originally, you didn’t admire me from the bottom of your heart. You just wanted a way to attract people.” (Torimoto)

“No. It is true that I admire and respect you. I also truly consider you to be God’s Messenger.” (Kagaya)

Ew, what a blatant lie…

“But if you don’t become mine, your power will become a hindrance, to put things bluntly.” (Kagaya)

From the beginning, this person didn’t see me for who I was. She only wanted my ability.

“What do you intend to do by gathering so many people?” (Torimoto)

“I should have said this many times. I wish to eliminate men. I want to eliminate all men from this world. To do that, I need a large number of people… Enough to create an entire country.” (Kagaya)

It seemed that her desire was real. How could she even think of putting me at the top of the religious order when she hated men this much?

Ah, I see. I guess she was planning to gather people and kill me after I sufficiently fulfilled my role, huh? Until then, she was probably planning to use both carrot and stick so she could control me like a puppet. That was likely what she meant.

“Milord, this person is dangerous. If you continue to refuse her, she may really try to kill you.” (Shiki)

Shiki was right. Kagaya was different from the other followers. Her eyes were resolved and unwavering. It was a sign that she wouldn’t show any mercy to those who defied her.

If I refused at this point, she would pull the trigger without hesitation.

Well, no matter what I said at this point, it seemed pointless. It was different in Sayuri’s case. Because she was indebted to me, she had no intention of eliminating me in the first place. But in Kagaya’s case, if she really felt that I was in her way, she wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate me immediately.

“What will your answer be? Will you follow me?” (Kagaya)