Episode 186
Grumble, grumble.
“…I’m hungry.”
Dolores, back in her room, clutched her stomach, her hunger pangs so intense they made her stomach ache.
But she couldn’t just leave her room.
The royal palace had over a hundred royals, so the kitchen was always busy, especially now, during mealtime for the queen and the concubines. She couldn’t ask for a special meal just for herself.
She might be a princess, even if born to a lowly slave, but there were too many royals in Heilan. Dolores didn’t even have a maid, let alone a servant. And her mother had died long ago, so there was no one to care for her.
‘I should do my laundry.’
She had run out of clean clothes. And the dress she was wearing smelled slightly.
The Heilan royals gathered for prayer every morning. She would be scorned if she wore this.
Dolores washed her clothes, ate a meager meal, then crawled into her cold bed and closed her eyes.
The next morning, she woke up and sniffed the hastily made dress.
“Ugh.”
It hadn’t dried properly because of the cloudy weather yesterday. It smelled musty, despite her efforts to wash it thoroughly, her hands numb with cold.
She couldn’t wear this.
‘Should I ask another princess to lend me a dress…?’
It was a ridiculous idea. Who would lend her a dress? Dolores chuckled dryly and put on the musty dress. The damp fabric felt cold and unpleasant against her skin.
She left her room, the ill-fitting dress, its sleeves too short, irritating her skin, and headed towards the temple.
“Yawn.”
“Your Highness, please refrain from yawning.”
“I’m going to take a nap after the prayer meeting. Have them prepare my bed.”
“Shall we have a sparring match after the prayer meeting?”
“Sounds good, Brother.”
“Sister, let’s have cake after the prayer meeting.”
“No, it’s fattening.”
Unlike the other royals, who were chattering energetically despite the early hour, Dolores sat alone, far away from the others, trying to make herself invisible.
She was self-conscious about her clothes, her unkempt appearance. And she didn’t want to be mocked for her lack of refinement. So she had no choice but to blend into the background.
“His Majesty!”
The other royals had arrived, and the prayer meeting began with the King’s entrance.
Dolores, looking up at the King, standing on the highest platform, reciting the prayer, felt a strange sense of detachment. They were family, and yet, she felt so distant.
“Oh, Calamity God, our protector, please spare us from further calamities and—”
The same boring prayer, the same monotonous chant, every single day.
Dolores looked up at the marble angel statues adorning the temple walls, then at the towering statue of Sirius, the Calamity God, its presence dominating the space.
She had never prayed before.
But today, the beautiful light streaming through the stained-glass windows, the majestic and holy statue, made her feel strangely small and insignificant. She felt a sudden urge to pray.
She had one simple wish.
‘I want to be treated with respect, even just once.’
She wanted to be admired, cherished, loved.
‘I want to be worshipped like you, Sirius.’
Just as she clasped her hands together, a faint light emanated from the small angel statues, then from the statue of Sirius.
“Gasp!”
Gasps of surprise echoed through the temple. But the miracle didn’t end there.
Their bodies began to move against their will, a strange pressure, a sense of awe and fear, washing over them.
And then a voice, emanating from the statue of Sirius, boomed through the temple,
“[Your daily prayers are commendable.]”
“…Gasp!”
The voice, echoing directly in their minds, made them wonder if they were dreaming. And then the King’s exclamation confirmed it.
“C-Calamity God!”
Even the King couldn’t believe it. Heilan had chosen the Calamity God as its patron god, but the god had never spoken to them before. And now, he was speaking to them directly!
The Calamity God, pleased by the King’s devout display, praised their faith.
“[Faith should be ingrained in your lives, emanating from your hearts. And the Heilan royal family sets a fine example. I’m pleased by your devotion, so I’ve descended personally. Rejoice! I, Sirius, the Calamity God, will watch over Heilan—]”
“Calamity God! With your blessing, Heilan will become a great nation!”
The King, interrupting the god before he could finish, bowed deeply. The other royals also hastily scrambled down from their seats and prostrated themselves on the floor.
But it was a mistake. The Calamity God’s voice, which had been so jovial just moments ago, turned cold and sharp.
“[I wasn’t finished.]”
“Gasp!”
An overwhelming pressure, far greater than before, filled the temple. Even Dolores struggled to breathe, clutching her chest.
After what felt like an eternity, the pressure subsided, and the Calamity God spoke again.
“[I’m pleased with Heilan. And I will watch over you. But I’m very busy. So I’ll choose an apostle here, someone to carry out my will.]”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty! Whoever you choose, we will serve you faithfully!”
The King, this time, listened patiently and bowed his head.
They were all anxious, having experienced a sliver of the god’s power.
Becoming an apostle meant gaining power and influence, a chance to become king.
Who would be chosen? Who would be granted the god’s favor?
As the tension in the temple thickened, the Calamity God finally spoke.
“[You. Dolores Heilan.]”
“…!”
The most insignificant among them, the one whose presence was barely noticeable, had been chosen.
Hundreds of eyes turned towards Dolores, who was startled, not because she had been chosen, but because of the sudden attention.
“[You didn’t kneel.]”
Unlike the other royals, she hadn’t prostrated herself on the floor. She hadn’t even left her seat.
She had simply been too slow to react, too confused to follow the others.
She had been afraid of being reprimanded, but ironically, her inaction had pleased the Calamity God.
“[You will be my apostle. An apostle is one who is granted a portion of my power, one who carries out my will, my special slave.]”
A beam of light shot out from the statue and enveloped Dolores.
The god vanished as suddenly as he had appeared. But the power he left behind was real.
‘…Is this the Calamity God’s power?’
It was strange. Her day had started terribly.
Her clothes, the constant noise, everything had been irritating. But the moment she felt the Calamity God’s power, all her worries vanished, replaced by a thrill she had never experienced before.
Dolores, as if in a trance, slowly stood up and raised her hands. The same bright light filled the temple.
She reveled in the power flowing through her, then looked down at the stunned faces of her half-siblings, the queen, the concubines, and the mistresses.
Even the King, who had seemed so powerful just moments ago, now looked insignificant.
‘My wish has come true!’
She had been chosen by a god! She should have prayed sooner!
Her time had finally come.
She would finally be treated with the respect she deserved, worshipped and adored.
Because she was the chosen one!
Ten years later,
“Dolores, those savage Delans are encroaching on our borders. Go and deal with them.”
“Dolores, do you think I can usurp my brother’s throne? Tell me the Calamity God’s will.”
“Dolores, I’m feeling weak lately. Can you grant me eternal life with your power?”
Dolores’s situation hadn’t changed.
Her ability to wield the power of calamity was a valuable asset to Heilan. She could eliminate troublesome nations, and her exceptional Holy Power made her impervious to illness.
She no longer had to worry about musty clothes or meager meals.
But she was constantly being exploited. She hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep in ten years.
‘I was better off before.’
Back then, no one had paid attention to her as long as she stayed out of sight. But now, she was constantly being summoned, used as a pawn in political power struggles, forced to kill, forced to bless those she loathed.
She had become everyone’s slave, not just the god’s.
A sudden thought crossed her mind.
‘Is this worth it?’
Just then, a white bird flew past her, as if tempting her. Dolores was captivated by its flight.
Its distant gaze, its outstretched wings, stirred something within her.
Her feet moved on their own, carrying her to the top of the spire. She stood at the edge, the wind whipping through her hair, but she wasn’t afraid.
A familiar whistling sound filled the air as the white bird reappeared, its wings flapping gracefully as it soared past her. Dolores stared at it, mesmerized.
‘It looks so free.’
Freedom. A word that could never be associated with slavery.
Dolores realized there was a simple solution to her misery.
She stepped off the edge. Unlike the bird, she didn’t fly.
The world turned upside down.
But she felt like she was flying.
‘I should have done this sooner.’
Splash.
“Kyaaah!”
“The apostle…!”
She felt her bones break, a searing pain engulfing her as her head hit the ground.
But even in her dying moments, Dolores felt a sense of euphoria.
‘I’m finally free.’
Her eyes closed.
It was over. She was finally free.
[I didn’t expect you to die so quickly.]
“…Huh?”
Dolores, startled by the chilling voice, sat up abruptly.
She looked around, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“W-where am I?”
It was an ethereal space, as if she was floating among the clouds. And despite her confusion, she knew one thing for certain.
‘I died. So why am I still alive…?!’
She was terrified.
Wasn’t death supposed to be the end? Just as her legs gave way, and she slumped to the ground,
[What happened to your earlier bravado? The defiance you showed when I chose you?]
The chilling voice returned. She didn’t need confirmation. It was the Calamity God.
Dolores, her body trembling, looked up. And her breath caught in her throat.
‘His eye…!’
A giant eye was looking down at her from the sky. The Calamity God, ignoring her terror, sighed and muttered to himself,
[Well, it can’t be helped. I needed more workers here anyway.]
“W-wait a minute, Sirius, what is this…?”
Dolores tried to demand an explanation, but Sirius, being a god, wasn’t obligated to answer.
He simply gave his suicidal slave a new task.
[Since you’re already dead, you can work here instead of Heilan.]
“W-work? For how long…?”
Ten years? Or longer?
Sirius, as if she had asked the most obvious question, replied,
[Forever. You’ll work here forever. Without dying.]
“…!”
Suicide was the most unforgivable sin, they said.
Sirius, the Calamity God, had bestowed upon Dolores the most terrifying punishment imaginable.