God's Prophecy - Chapter 2 - The Day I Met God

Stepping through the door, I found myself in a room filled with light. The light was so intense that I thought I had died and gone to heaven; it was overly bright, almost blinding. It was as if someone plucked the sun and placed it as a lamp here.

I looked ahead and found a low table on the ground, the type one has to sit on the floor to be able to use. There was a variety of luxurious food sitting on the table, the kind of food I never had the chance to experience. They were casually placed without much care, or so it seemed.

On the table was what appeared to be a loaf of bread. However, this type of bread was foreign to me. It was topped with some things and looked moist and succulent; a contrast to the hard and dry bread I grew up eating.

The feast was incredibly extravagant; It was filled with cheese and bacon and a variety of colorful vegetables that were cooked to perfection. It was a sight I have never had the chance to see even at the village festival. Such a luxurious feast was undoubtedly reserved for a noble family or a group of wealthy merchants.

Looking at this display, my stomach growled the loudest it has in a while. If a street urchin like myself were to lay a hand on this feast, I would, without a shred of doubt, be beaten black and blue; or worse, be buried alive.

However, at that moment, I thought, ‘Even if I die, it’s okay.’ If I could have a taste of such a feast before I died, then it would be worth it.

I threw my concerns away and dove into the feast. After weeks of not having a decent meal, tears began streaming down my face. It wasn’t only because the food was delicious, but also because eating gave me hope of living a little longer.

However, it was impossible for such a table filled with warm food to be left unattended for a long time. As I ate, I didn’t notice the well-built man wearing expensive clothes who had entered the room until I heard him shout. “What the hell is this dirty brat doing here?!”

As it turned out, hunger really does dull one’s judgment. A few moments ago, I had been considering killing others for the sake of survival. But now that my stomach was full, those thoughts vanished without a trace. And in their place appeared intense fear, as a man larger and stronger shouted at me.

I frantically tried to brandish the rusted knife I had been holding, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.

I am going to be killed! I fell to my knees and apologized, “I am sorry! I ate without permission… I haven’t eaten anything for so long, and I couldn’t resist….”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll do anything to make it up to you! I-I’ll work for you….”

“…..”

I trembled as I uttered those words. Even I didn’t believe I would be forgiven.

In winter, food was precious. No one would show mercy to a street kid who encroached on their home and ate their food.

Moreover, even if I had the intention to repay him, a young kid who hasn’t even reached adulthood wouldn’t be given any decent work.

Being a valuable slave was one thing, but being a survivor of a destroyed village… I wasn’t worth much.

Just when I thought I had managed to save my life….

However, his next words threw me off.

“Hmph! You can eat as much of those leftovers as you want.”

“… Huh?”

The man snappily said those words, it all seemed trivial to him.

But I ate all that food…. Is it really fine?

It was normal to lose one’s life over a piece of bread…. There shouldn’t be anyone in this world who could say such a thing. Even so, his next words shocked me even more.

“Well, if you want, you could clean up the room or something. I’ll give you a meal as well.”

“…Huh? You’ll give me work… and food too?”

And just like that, for the next few days, I carried out the work he assigned to me. It was not that difficult. I only cleaned the room. It was a simple task even a child could handle with ease.

As for my meal, he would magically create one every day and feed me.

Cleaning the room wasn’t anywhere near exhausting as working on the village farm, and I felt that his “payment” was him showing me kindness more than anything. I almost cried… No, actually, I did cry, a few times as well. Which ended up causing him some trouble.

I felt that cleaning the room wasn’t enough to repay his kindness, so I asked if there was any other work I could do. He said I could wash clothes as well.

But to be honest, cleaning the room involved only sweeping the floor with a magical broom that sucked up the dirt, and washing clothes was me putting them in a magical box that washed them automatically. I was glad I didn’t have to freeze near the riverside.

I wasn’t perfect, and I made a few mistakes like wrinkling some of his high-quality clothing, to which he easily forgave me, saying, “As long I can wear them, it’s fine.”

Furthermore, when he found out that I had no education, he taught me advanced calculations that only a merchant would know…. Listening to him, my eyes couldn’t help but glitter with respect.

“Are you… a god or something?”

“A god, you say? I haven’t done anything worthy of that yet~”

To me, who had been saved and taken care of, he was nothing short of a god. I genuinely believed him to be one. However, he wouldn’t allow me to call him as such.

“I am not that capable, so don’t call me a god,” he said, even though I didn’t think that was true.

A while later, the godly figure projected a shining painting onto a black, flat, and frame-like board.

The painting wasn’t a normal one; it was not still. The images on it moved, weaving a story as if it were a play.

I was struck with surprise and stood in place, dumbfounded. The god-like figure said, “If you are interested, sit down. Let’s watch together.”

And so, I sat with him and watched the moving painting. What I saw was a prophecy of the future of the world, spanning 24 sections. The painting fit the description for the Book of Prophecies which I had once heard of.

It told a heroic story, like the legend of the church, which has been passed down since ancient times. It said that when a catastrophe befalls the world, a hero from another world will appear, bringing salvation.

As a prophecy that showed the future of the word, it included me, which I found very disturbing. However, it was embarrassing more than anything.

The godly figure gazed at what appeared to be the Book of Prophecies without saying a word.

He didn’t even say anything when it showed my humiliating demise.

However, there was one thing that the god-like figure muttered in a lonely voice that I remember clearly. It was….

⁂

When I came to my senses, I found myself standing in the familiar dimly lit forest.

Looking ahead, I saw the carriage with the father and son chatting happily as they headed toward the town.

No time had… passed!

Everything was the same. Time seemed to have come to a halt the moment I entered “The Land of God”

Even though I was crawling through the forest, hungry and on the verge of dying, the family in front of me was laughing happily. I remember feeling envious and hateful at such a sight, but now….

It was all a dream, wasn’t it? This thought crossed my mind briefly, but then I realized that something was different between my current and previous selves. It can’t have been a dream….

It was the same place; the same time; the same scenery. And yet, I felt uncomfortable imagining myself bringing unhappiness to other people.

“How can one fully relish a good meal when guilt gnaws; knowing he has wronged an innocent man.” That’s what the hero in the prophecy said.

If I were to take everything from this family, take their money; take their happiness; take their lives… just because of my hatred, what will become of me? Will I still be able to enjoy the food that I love?

That day, I simply watched the merchant family on the mountain road as they went on their way. I then buried the rusty knife in the ground.

Although It was the only weapon and lifeline I had, I felt that I had to leave it behind.

Unlike the priests who demanded that the villagers paid money to the church, saying that it was “God’s will”, the real god didn’t force anyone. I recalled what that godly person had muttered.

He said that if people don’t come to find the correct path, they will forever stay suffering….

In this heroic tale, Gilaru, a third-rate villain, was supposed to be killed in a spectacular and gory manner in order to show the strength and bravery of the hero. A man who held no position, no talent, no nothing. On one fateful evening, he experienced a turn of events that reshaped his destiny. No one could have imagined what this brief interaction held for the future.

“I also believe the legend of the desecrated hero should fall into nothingness…God!”