<Episode 3>
[Really, really, you won't torment me?]
[Of course not! Everyone's been dying to meet you, Dorothy!]
[Everyone...? There isn't just one god?]
[Yes. We're the eight Guardian Gods of the Empire.]
Information from the novel that I'd forgotten in my daze came back to me.
Agatha was the only god whose name was prominently mentioned, but there were others too.
Which meant that besides Agatha, the other gods could be total jerks personality-wise.
No matter how kind this sister seemed, I couldn't let my guard down around gods. She might just be the special one. My distrust, forged from past experiences, ran deep.
What if I did something to annoy them and they cursed me?
Terrified, I unleashed a barrage of questions.
[God. How much influence do you have over me? Like, possessing my body or something.]
[It's not impossible, but why bother? It'd be hard on us and on you too, right?]
[Then, could you make me trip? Hurt me? Block my path completely...? Is that possible?]
[Not for others, but for you, Dorothy...? You're asking weird things. Do you like pain or something?]
Damn it.
Listening to Agatha made me increasingly anxious. I regretted talking to her just minutes ago. I should've pretended not to hear.
The gods were being unusually nice, and I'd gotten carried away.
'I've already talked to them, so no backing out now. Might as well think positively—this is eight cheat keys I can rely on in this unfamiliar world.'
[God. What do you want?]
Of course, the aversion was still there, and I hated it. Gods scared me too.
But wasn't it better to use them for gain than live in fear of divine punishment for ignoring them, or starve as a vagabond?
I'd even vowed before dying to accept the divine calling if reborn, so it wasn't like I couldn't.
[Dorothy, you're finally willing to talk properly with us...! Sniff. Thank goodness. For someone like you to appear!]
Agatha's voice trembled with emotion.
I finally made it back to my room and set the tray on the desk.
[Um, God. Let's eat first and sort things out.]
Even Mount Geumgang is beautiful after a meal.
As I did, I glanced over the tray.
Something worthy to offer... there was an apple.
Setting up an offering for the gods.
I hated it, but I'd been forced to learn.
With no money for extravagance, Mom said matching the gods' tastes was good, and sincerity moved them more.
The original novel had multiple scenes of offerings too.
Of course, they weren't just apples—human sacrifices, slaughtering cattle, offering lives in general.
But that was impossible for me, so hoping they'd accept this, I wiped the apple on my sleeve.
I placed the apple on one side of the desk, stood a candle in front, and lit it. I didn't even know why candles were lit for gods, but I did it for appearances.
[Um, God. I'm poor right now, so I can't offer much.]
[...Pardon?]
[Have this apple at least. It looks decent quality.]
Agatha fell silent.
Starving, I scooped some soup first and took a sip. Hot and tasty.
[Tha...nk you.]
Her reply came after a long pause.
* * *
Talking with Agatha took a long time.
She explained this world and her circumstances in her own way, and I had to grill her on 'why I ended up here.'
[Well, all I know is you appeared suddenly, Dorothy. Your soul has a color different from this world.]
[So you're certain I'm not from here?]
[Yes. I don't know where or why you came. But to us, you're like a gift.]
[Why am I a... gift?]
It was a somewhat embarrassing title.
[Until now, humans who communicated with us only received one-way oracles. But you can talk with us! Our wavelengths match. It's not divine power... fascinating!]
I had a hunch.
A concept that doesn't exist here... like a vessel, I suppose?
My body was a good vessel for spirits. The door to my soul was wide open, or so they said.
Especially in my weak childhood, I got possessed by ghosts constantly, making Mom's life hell daily.
Ghosts and gods were just different levels—both spirits, so easy for them to enter me.
This cursed constitution. Really...
Yeah. It's fine. I haven't seen ghosts in this world yet. At least that's different—
"Wait... "
I rubbed my eyes.
Outside the window, a woman walked leisurely by.
The problem? My room was on the second floor.
My mind blanked, goosebumps rising.
[Tha...t. Is it a ghost?]
[Pardon? Ghost?]
What did they call ghosts in the West?
[Ghost. I mean, uh. A. Ghost. Is that woman a ghost?]
Using honorifics for a ghost—my situation was so absurd I let out a hollow laugh.
[Oh. You can see it too, Dorothy? I thought you couldn't since no reaction earlier. Even oracle-hearers rarely see ghosts—amazing! You're truly special—]
Agatha's excited voice faded.
I pitied myself from moments ago, relieved there were no ghosts here.
Dorothy. You're a perfect shaman constitution in this world too.
[Sigh... Anyway, Lady Agatha, you don't know why I suddenly came here?]
Quickly burying the brief despair, I returned to the original topic.
[Yes.]
Even a god who read people's hearts didn't know. Her 'I don't know' meant no answers or solutions to my possession in this world.
'Then, give up quick for now.'
I stopped probing the possession and listened to the rest of Agatha's story.
Her explanation matched the original novel, just with added details on the gods' side.
'The Temples are rotten to the core, same as always.'
Taking bribes to fake oracles, connections needed even for the Capital City's Temple—corruption was longstanding.
This blocked people's faith and sincerity from reaching the heavens.
Thus, the gods' power to fill the world with abundance and peace weakened.
And on top, the Emperor hated the gods.
'There was that scene of him smashing all the Temples.'
Honestly, the Emperor had reason.
He'd had a beloved younger brother as a child, but one day the boy caught a plague.
While top doctors and pharmacists from across the Empire came and went, the previous Emperor and Empress only prayed madly at the Temple.
They weren't even by his side as he died.
'All because of the oracle.'
『Divine punishment shall fall upon lands defying God's will.』
Most believed the plague right before it hit was God's punishment, per the oracle.
Imperial citizens prayed desperately.
But it spread, and the silent Grand Temple finally offered a solution.
'God wishes to see the sincerity of the repentant. Offer tributes.'
Fathers offered their lives to save daughters, young sons for mothers.
And mountains of gold and jewels poured into Temples.
The previous Emperor and Empress did the same for the Empire and their son, emaciated from begging forgiveness.
How ridiculous.
Soon after, the mysterious plague vanished as inexplicably as it came.
But the Emperor's brother died anyway.
Thus, he distrusted Temples and despised gods. Hard to say where God's oracles ended and Temple fabrications began.
But even Temples couldn't fake non-existent oracles.
When one came, candles atop altars in Temples Empire-wide turned blue.
So the oracle was real.
'Of all times.'
Had God not issued it then, the previous Emperor would've investigated the plague, made countermeasures, held his dying son's hand more.
[Um, Lady Agatha. About the oracle. The Temples faked it, right?]
I carefully interjected as her explanation continued.
The novel never clarified. Just left it implied.
Agatha could answer.
[How did you know?]
She asked back in surprise.
