[Quest]
Apostle, the one who delivers the Voice of God.
- Have the Apostle bring 20 Believers to the faith. …… ・[Completed(√)]
[System]
- Quest complete!
Experience +20, Divine Power +2P
I alternated my gaze between the bustling Believers and the Quest window as I thought.
‘To think she could gather this many people alone, and in just a single day…’
When I asked how she managed to bring in so many Believers, Dark offered a gentle smile.
「It was all possible thanks to the Blessing of the Creator. I merely made use of a few fragments of the miracles God has performed.」
With those words, Jeanne explained what had happened.
That a variety of life had blossomed in the spot where the leftover Medicasol remained.
And that she had cured a Young Lady suffering from Leprosy with the Medicasol she’d brought along.
And that she’d used the leftover Pain Relief Patch to let a limping man walk straight again.
The more I listened, the more I was amazed by her bold decisiveness.
「…And so, the people from the Slums followed me here.」
Honestly, I was surprised.
To so skillfully use the items I’d handed over to persuade people—it was only possible with quick wit and the courage to back it up.
“If so, are these all the people who live in the Slums?”
Jeanne quietly shook her head.
「I tried, but not everyone followed. I managed to bring about half.」
But even so, persuading and bringing nearly a hundred people single-handedly was an impressive feat.
If a Room-bound Creator like me were in her place, I’d have trouble even holding a normal conversation, let alone persuading anyone.
‘…I don’t even want to imagine it.’
At that moment, I noticed Jeanne d’Arc kneeling reverently.
「God, many who followed me are trembling from hunger. But with what I have now, there is nowhere near enough to fill the stomachs of everyone gathered here.」
All she had for food were five hard loaves of Bread and two Dried Sardines.
Other than that, only miscellaneous things like wild fruits or roots.
r .And there are a few ingredients left from the Potato Soup God bestowed yesterday.」
Whatever the case, one thing was certain.
‘It’d be difficult to even feed ten people, let alone a hundred.’
Yet, a gentle smile lingered on Jeanne d’Arc’s lips.
「O God, though they have little, these people gave what they had without hesitation to help those in need.」
Jeanne d’Arc softly closed her eyes and murmured.
「My late Grandfather used to say this all the time. We all…」
‘We all have the desire to help others. That is our nature, and such a good nature is a gift God has bestowed upon us.’
Jeanne’s voice was as clear and bright as a nightingale, and it reached everyone present.
Her expression at the end was that of someone filled with conviction.
As if she wished to have her Grandfather’s words personally acknowledged by me, the Creator.
‘Everyone has a kind heart that reaches out to those in trouble…’
Suddenly, memories of what happened when I first met Jeanne d’Arc yesterday rose up vividly.
It was my own hand, reaching out almost unconsciously, that saved Jeanne d’Arc from the wolves.
Five years spent holed up in my Humble Cabin.
‘Even I, who feared relationships with others, had such a heart, so maybe she’s not wrong.’
But that’s exactly why I was worried.
‘If you believe that everyone in the world is good and caring like me!’
I knew better than anyone how deeply it hurts when such an idealistic belief is betrayed.
I didn’t want the girl before my eyes to suffer the same wounds as I had.
「God. Was my Grandfather’s saying… wrong?」
Receiving no reply to her words, Jeanne d’Arc looked rather disappointed.
She must have really trusted and admired her Grandfather.
‘…She’s surprisingly childlike sometimes.’
But the world is strictly Give and Take (Give&Take).
If you only give, you’re treated like a fool; if you only receive, the other side will cut you off.
But I had no desire to lecture about that now.
Watching Jeanne d’Arc look so dejected wasn’t pleasant.
I took a deep breath, then slowly opened my mouth to speak.
“That’s right. Helping those who are struggling is exactly what I wish from all of you.”
As I affirmed her, Jeanne d’Arc broke into a radiant smile I’d never seen before.
That smile was as bright as a Sunflower basking in warm sunlight.
‘If I’d hesitated to help the girl chased by wolves, I’d never have seen that smile.’
For now, that alone was enough.
Ding!
[System]
・A new Doctrine has been proclaimed!
- Believers are influenced by the Doctrine.
[Doctrine: Help Those in Need]
The good nature to help others.
From now on, Believers will follow your teachings and aid those in trouble.
※People sometimes call those who help others without reward ‘fools’. But if the world were full of such ‘fools’, they would finally be recognized as ‘good people’.
At last, Jeanne d’Arc spoke with a determined expression.
「I know it’s shameless, but I have a request to make. O kindhearted God, is there no way to fill the stomachs of these people?」
Ding!
[Quest]
Five Loaves of Bread and Two Fish
- Feed the Believers gathered in front of the Outskirts Cabin until they are full.
[Experience +300, Divine Power +10P]
A wish not for her own benefit, but a sincere plea solely to help others.
It was Jeanne d’Arc’s earnest request for the hungry and weary residents of the Slums.
‘As expected, the reward for a Believer’s pure-hearted Quest is far greater than an ordinary one.’
Looking into Jeanne d’Arc’s steadfast eyes, I finally made up my mind.
Caring for my Believers was also a role given to the Creator.
“First, share all the food we have with everyone.”
「You mean, with all the hundred Believers outside?」
“Yes. Today, everyone gathered here will be able to fill their stomachs with Bread and fish.”
Surprised by my unexpected answer, Jeanne d’Arc was briefly flustered but soon regained her composure.
「If God says so, there must be a deeper meaning. I’ll go and distribute the food to them at once.」
Soon after, Jeanne d’Arc stood before the Believers holding a cauldron filled with Potato Soup, and a basket with Bread and dried fish.
「There’s not much food to go around. I’ll give it first to the Strong Persons, children, and those who haven’t eaten in a long time, then share the rest with everyone else.」
But everyone there already knew.
That there was nowhere near enough food for such a large crowd.
At that moment, a few young people raised their hands and spoke.
「I’m fine, please give a bit more to someone else.」
「I had a hearty breakfast this morning, so I’m not hungry at all.」
「Me too, I just don’t have much appetite today…」
But even so, their stomachs rumbled just like everyone else’s.
Seeing this, Jeanne’s eyes welled up again.
「Everyone…」
As the relatively healthy residents stepped aside, Jeanne d’Arc began distributing food to the remaining people.
Though the soup was thinned to stretch it further, for the people of the Slums it was a feast.
Those who had starved for so long accepted the bowls with trembling hands.
「Th-thank you. Thank you!」
「If my mother had gone another day without eating, it would have been dangerous.」
「After months of living on just boiled roots, it’s been ages since I’ve had real food…」
Warm smiles bloomed on the faces of the Slums residents who received food.
Among them was an Old Man who’d come with his young Grandchild.
「Grandpa, it’s really tasty, right?」
Watching his Grandchild eat soup greedily, the Old Man slowly put down his spoon.
「I’m full now. You eat this too. My little Doggie, if you want to grow taller than Grandpa, you need to eat lots.」
「B-but Grandpa, you barely ate anything…」
「When you get old, just a little fills you right up, it’s fine.」
But the Old Man’s face was pale from prolonged hunger.
Just then—
「Maybe it’s breathing in the fresh forest air, but my stomach feels full today. Please, have some of mine.」
「The child’s important, but you should eat too, Elder. You need to live long.」
「Here, I’ll give you some of mine too.」
People around began ladling a bit of their soup into the Old Man’s bowl.
One spoon, then two.
As people added soup little by little, soon the Old Man’s bowl was brimming.
「Oh dear, you must all be starving. If you give me so much…」
「Heh, eat up with your Grandchild. The kid’s at a growing age, needs to eat plenty.」
The Old Man, receiving the bowl, kept saying thank you and only then began to eat the soup slowly.
Meanwhile, a Young Lady holding an Infant sat down under a nearby tree.
「Baby, you must be so hungry, right? If I eat this, my milk will come soon. Just wait a little…」
Gently laying the child in the shade, the Young Lady grasped the bowl of soup with her thin hands.
「…! Cough, cough! Kgh!」
But perhaps because it had been so long since she’d eaten, the Bread and Potato Soup chunks got stuck in her throat.
Coughing and pounding her chest in pain, the Young Lady struggled.
「Oh dear! What a clumsy young lass!」
The Old Man who’d handed the black Bread to Jeanne d’Arc earlier clicked his tongue and came over.
「Tsk tsk, what are you doing eating so fast? Drink some water! Dip the Bread in the soup, it’ll go down easier.」
Handing her some water, the Old Man continued to grumble.
「Back in my day, if you didn’t chew thoroughly you’d get scolded! See, now you’re coughing and spilling it everywhere! Young people these days! Eat this slowly, and don’t spill it!」
Really!」
Despite his sharp words, the cranky Old Man slowly held out his own bowl of soup.
「Th-thank you, Elder. You’re so kind…」
「Who’s kind? I just… I have a Soup Allergy, that’s all! Geez—」
Watching all this, Jeanne d’Arc wiped her tears with her sleeve.
「Ah, I see now. God, I finally understand your words.」
Even though I hadn’t answered, Jeanne continued to speak.
「So this is what you meant when you said that five loaves of Bread and two fish would be enough for everyone!」
At first glance, these people seemed to have nothing, yet they were willing to share even the smallest thing.
Though food was scarce, those gathered here were already smiling as if they were full.
I looked over the Believers once, then spoke to Jeanne d’Arc.
“…No, that’s not it.”
Jeanne d’Arc’s eyes grew wide at my sudden contradiction.
[Yes, God? What do you mean, no…?]
“They will truly be full.”
And then—
Thud! Thud! Thudududud!
Suddenly, a downpour began to fall on the Outskirts Cabin in the forest.
Why is there a sudden shower?」
「…Wait, no? That’s not rain!」
「Bread…! Bread is falling from the sky…!」
[Isn’t that fish? My goodness!]
On the very day that a hundred residents of the Slums became followers of the Creator,
it is said that in the eastern forest of the Citadel City, there rained Bread and fish.