Chapter Twenty Four: Rosa Seeks to Encourage Paganism (II)

Rosa hastily nodded as she moved closer to the young man.

{I, like, Apt. I want, learn, Apt. I, study, Apt.} Self-expression was the basis of communication. As well as being respectful to the listener.

Ladu gasped, presumably overwhelmed, when Rosa approached him with a gleam in her eye and said, {Is that so. So you want to study medicine as well?}

{Yes!} Rosa lied. She wasn’t interested in medicine at all. She was more interested in the concept of the aphrodisiac than in medicine, which would come in handy for the Ultimate Bottom Bernando plan if the necessity came.

　

Rosa hadn’t technically lied in the end. Rosa gave a gentle nod after reassuring herself; Ladu, on the other hand, raised one eyebrow and muttered, {Interesting.}

This time, though, he sounded amused.

{In that case, start with the books here. Come to the infirmary after you’ve figured them out.} Ladu then returned to the small room, took a few books off the shelves, and forced them on Rosa. One of the books was a dictionary in which the Apt language had been substituted with the Kushmal language.

　

The others included a novel with a lovely cover and a collection of holy paintings. Rosa was disappointed on the inside because the small room contained mainly heretical literature, just as she had feared.

{But be fast. Don’t waste too much time because the books may get incinerated soon.}

{Incinerated?}

“Oh… I guess you probably don’t know that word. It means burning books. Those in positions of power enjoy burning books that they don’t like or find inconvenient. Does it make sense now?” Ladu was fluent in both languages, as evident by his ability to quickly switch to Berg and explain a term to Rosa.

Incinerated huh…

　

After finally comprehending what it meant, Rosa was taken aback by the word’s unpleasant meaning. On the other hand, Ladu swiftly left the scene as she was lost in thought. Rosa was enraptured by his aloof posture as well as sadistic and top tendencies, but she promptly snapped out of it.

Rosa had intended to immerse herself in books on adolescent love today, but her focus had shifted to the task Ladu had assigned her. She needed to establish a solid relationship with him first in order to incorporate Bernando later.

　

They’d all study medicine together, but Rosa would fade away, leaving the teacher Ladu and the student Bernando to have an exciting school romance on their own. Or that was how Rosa wanted it to unfold. Rather, that was how it had to unfold.

Just wait, Moe Bern! I will read through the books in three days, no matter how difficult they are to grasp or how boring they are!

Rosa dashed inside the small room, crouched between the towering shelves, and spread the books out. She didn’t even have time to look for a suitable reading spot right now. Rosa opened her eyes wide and proceeded to read while taking deep breaths.

*****

“…ahhhh!”

A few hours had passed. Rosa was now dropped to the floor, holding her eyes, after letting out what must have been the hundredth shout of appreciation. She had reached the conclusion that the Apt culture was… the best.

J-Just, what in the world is this!

Rosa cried and pinched the bridge of her nose as she gazed down at the books. She was looking at the three books that Ladu had given her.

　

One was a dictionary, and another was a holy book. The holy book told the story of the Aptus, a family of gods, and their lore and accomplishments. The final was an iconography book that depicted the holy book’s acts through illustrations.

　

The latter two books were nothing short of spectacular.

The Aptus clan is the best! Rosa’s eyes lit up as she complimented the Aptus clan, her newfound love. With the help of a dictionary, Rosa had utilized her extraordinary perseverance and learning capacity to read the contents of the books.

The people of Apt venerated a clan of deities known as the Aptus (the Guardians), in contrast to the goddess religion embraced in Berg and other nations. The Aptus clan’s gods were not creators but rather protectors of the world. They were both protectors as well as hunters.

The Aptus clan, whose purpose was to preserve the world, was continuously tormented by numerous tragedies, but they were able to withstand them thanks to their ingenuity, boldness, and unity. Rosa thought the way their narrative was told was extremely fantastic.

T-This is just! First and foremost, this book expresses religious viewpoints in an innovative manner comparable to an ensemble drama but without defining a primary deity. I can’t stop my heart from racing with joy at the prospect of heroes with unique talents coming together to fight evil rather than a single cornerstone with overpowering abilities!

Rosa had grown up knowing myths and scriptural stories about a perfect being that eliminated or admonished evil, but the Aptus clan was different. Their gods resemble humans, each with unique talents and weaknesses, who constantly clashed while also making mistakes.

Some Aptus had even mistaken their allies for adversaries and killed them. Rosa’s heart, however, had been greatly shaken by the event in which the memory of that blunder had been handed down to the next generation, who subsequently exacted vengeance.

In the final episode, a young god named Gal Aptus, who had always been in the spotlight, had sacrificed his own body while taking down his enemy with him. A cluster of yellow flowers had then bloomed amid the bodies that gradually faded away, making Rosa cry.

Because nearly all Aptus deities were male, portrayals of them often involved extreme violence, depictions of killing one’s own kind, and even tales of devouring one’s enemies, which is likely why this religion was considered heretical.

However, Rosa had, since the beginning, admired the premise of the stunning male deity Raje Aptus, who had been born to slay his fellow brethren who had gone insane. So she had no choice but to support him.

　

Rosa had replayed the scene of Raje Aptus embracing the corpse of his former best friend by the hand while seeing the blood streaming from the corpse over 300 times from all angles.

While these gods had occasionally murdered each other and bore the consequences of their actions, they had a profound trust for one another and worked together to protect the world.

This scripture has all the triggers to make my heart flutter… Just what should I call this intense, overwhelming sensation that comes not just from the characters but also from the world-building?!

Rosa now understood what it meant to support paganism. It was inexcusable that such a magnificent world and culture could be burned. Rosa considered it a timeless masterpiece that should be passed down from generation to generation till the end of time.

　

It was truly a holy book, containing all of the possible emotions that may develop between men in this world. Rosa thought it would be fantastic if the world’s rulers could read it and imprint it on their souls.

Then there’s this one act in which the handsome young god Faz Aptus, after losing his best friend, the god Minial Aptus, slips into darkness and turns the world into a burnt-out wasteland. This scene by itself is something that would make the noses of all of humanity bleed! The icon portraying this event should be declared a national treasure, and it should be replicated in all genres of poetry, fiction, and theater across the continent!

Rosa, who had always preferred frail characters, adored Faz Aptus. She would love to see Ladu, who exuded a cat-like grandeur and sadism, play his part if it were to be adapted for the stage. She would, of course, have Bernardo play his best friend, the god Minial.

Faz Aptus maintains his righteousness in the presence of the pure deity, despite his aloofness and cynicism (Rosa’s additions). But the death of his best friend destroys his heart. As he clutches the body of his best friend, Faz descends into loneliness and sorrow. His righteous face gradually transforms into a menacing glare. And a new obsession overtakes him. At the same moment, hell’s fires erupt, with him at their center.

“KYAAAAA!”

Rosa covered her face with her hands, shouted, and bent back vigorously, taken aback by the absurdity of the scene.

*bang*

“Auch!”

She severely hit the back of her head. Rosa had entirely forgotten that she was sitting in the narrow space between two bookshelves. She was reminded that a BL fan needed enough room to bend back when seeing superb moments.

Rosa’s head was still ringing because of the intensity of the collision. She even felt a trickle of blood flowing down her temple as she knelt in anguish from the pain.

“I did it this time…”

Rosa felt the dizziness and nausea, which she had been forcefully suppressing with everything she had, come on all at once with the bleeding. Her heart was at its limit after many hours of uninterrupted excitement up to this point.

　

Her ears rang, and her vision narrowed.

　

Am I really going to pass out from this?

“You’ve got to be kidding me… Wait… Please…” Rosa couldn’t allow herself to pass out now.

　

How much will Bernardo loathe me if he finds out that I wounded myself in my excitement just as I had resolved to restrain myself?

Rosa could already see his lovely eyes glowering at her as if she were a piece of trash with a rotten personality. Bernando was the cutest when he was angry, but if he truly grew to despise her, Rosa would have no reason to keep on living.

I really did it this time… Please, please let me wake up before Bernando finds me…

Rosa slumped to the ground, tears in her eyes, praying.

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