Only God
Chapter 152 - 131 God’s Arrangement

Chapter 152: Chapter 131 God’s Arrangement

"Because the person I loved has left this world."

All those present, whether it was Noen or the slaves, were stunned.

"I’m sorry, old Priest."

After a long while, Noen apologized softly.

"It’s nothing, Noen, nothing at all."

The old Priest lifted his face, looked around at everyone present, and forced a smile as he said:

"Since we’ve come this far, let me continue telling you.

I apply herbs on your wounds and soothe your injuries, you all appear to me like a group of children."

The slaves all widened their eyes, their eyes unconsciously becoming a bit moist.

The old Priest coughed twice, cleared his throat, and started speaking:

"My brother left me because of an accident, an accident that originated from one of my mistakes."

"At that time, I was consumed by guilt, with confusion crowding my mind, so much so that even the regular rituals to Kagawus frequently went awry.

You know, Kagawus has never revealed to us the whereabouts after death. I was restless and often wet my face with tears."

"Until one day, while I was pacing in the Great Temple, I stepped into the hall without a Divine Statue."

Noen was so captivated by the story that he couldn’t help asking:

"What happened next?"

The old Priest turned his head, his gaze seeming to penetrate the walls, towards that hall.

"I saw that mural, and I remembered a story from three thousand years ago."

"More than three thousand years ago, there was an Angel among the Three-eyed Ape People who came down to Earth. He told the Elder Salas and other Three-eyed Ape People that upon death, one would go to God’s side."

"It seemed like Divine arrangement; that day, I just happened to be pacing in the Great Temple, and just so happened to walk into that hall, and just so happened to recall that legend.

At that moment, I felt an undeniable force drawing me into that holy faith."

The old Priest shared his experience, and others present listened as if spellbound.

Afterward, he turned his head, smiled at the audience, and said in a relaxed tone:

"Sometimes I think, perhaps it was just an accident, and God had no particular plan.

But to me, it was not merely an accident.

The Divine Angel came to Earth, and this three-thousand-year-old story bridged the vast expanse of time and rescued me from my disorientation."

Noen watched the old Priest somewhat blankly, his thoughts completely captivated by him.

The old Priest lowered his head and looked at the Sheepskin Scroll in his hands, his eyes also moistening.

"My brother has died and gone to where God is.

In that world,

I hope someone will love him.

And,

that love will surely have a guarantee, an absolute being willing to love a kind person unconditionally."

The old Priest spoke with passion, his focus on the sentences in the "Book of Kings and Prophets," staring at the accounts of Prophet Al who repeatedly climbed the high mountains and sought the affairs of God.

Those words on the page spoke to the old Priest of God’s pleasure with humanity.

.........

On the return to the master’s residence, Noen was somewhat dazed, walking unsteadily.

The young Stone Slave’s heart pounded upon hearing the old Priest’s story.

"Could this be a Divine arrangement?"

Noen whispered to himself,

"At that time, I just happened to walk in there, then just happened to ask the old Priest a question, and finally just happened to hear his story. Could this be a Divine arrangement?"

As he talked to himself, Noen was somewhat ambivalent; he could not be sure whether this was a series of coincidences or a Divine arrangement.

Therefore, he also did not know whether he should have faith in the God that the old Priest spoke of.

When he reached the mansion, Noen took a deep breath.

At that moment, he suddenly thought that his biggest obstacle to faith was not someone else but his own father.

His father would never allow him to believe in any Divine being other than Kagawus.

Thinking of this, Noen hung his head.

He did not like his own father; Noen had never seen fatherly love from him since he was a child.

The old servant, ever loyal to Ibia father and son, had always only valued his masters; as for his own son, he was prone to beat and scold.

Especially when Noen caused any harm to Ibia father and son, whether that harm was intentional or accidental, regardless of whether the harm was big or small.

Noen would never forget how he was beaten half to death by his father for having extinguished the charcoal fire in Casas’s bedroom.

Pushing the door open, Noen slowly walked into the mansion.

Just as he was about to return to his room, the old servant, like a ghost, suddenly emerged from his own room.

Noen looked fearfully at the old servant; his father looked very weak.

The old servant glanced at Noen, asked nothing, and went straight to add firewood to the bedrooms of Ibia father and son.

He did not care about his own child.

Noen finally breathed a sigh of relief, and even when he lay down in his room, he was still deeply shaken.

................

A few days later, perhaps because of the exposure to the pouring rain while driving slaves to build the Temple, the old servant fell ill, catching a chill.

Noen faced this sudden turn of events in astonishment.

Even Ibia father and son were flustered; the old servant had served them diligently. Prime Minister Ibia immediately summoned the most skilled Priest and, with a large amount of gold and jewels, requested the Priest to treat an insignificant Stone Slave.

The Priest racked his brains for the aging Stone Slave, issuing several prescriptions one after another, but these were to no avail. The old servant’s condition showed no signs of improvement and, on the contrary, grew worse with time.

In that era, even strong and healthy young people might not be able to withstand the blade of the chill, let alone a very old slave.

The old servant was finally dying, and despite his distaste for his father, Noen was deeply saddened; he did not know how to face all of this.

The aged slave, on the night he drew his last breath, had Prime Minister Ibia and Casas standing by his sickbed, with Casas stroking Noen’s head, trying his best to comfort the fourteen-year-old boy.

The old servant looked at Prime Minister Ibia and Casas, mustering all his strength, entrusted his masters with the affairs of the mansion, meticulously indicating which matters required careful handling and which matters could be disregarded, one by one.

Prime Minister Ibia marveled at the old servant’s loyalty before death, involuntarily shedding tears for this servant, and upon seeing this, the old servant’s aging chest became a flurry of turmoil.

After entrusting the mansion’s affairs, the old servant began to sob, earnestly apologizing to his masters; he should not have died before his masters. Noen, looking at his father, saw that wrinkled face appearing deeply sorrowful.

After the apology, the old servant was finally losing all his strength; at that moment, as if remembering something, he turned his head and looked towards Noen.

The boy’s eyes were filled with tears as he watched his father, hoping for him to say something before dying.

At the very least... to leave behind a word of concern for himself.

The old servant lifted his trembling hand and pointed in a certain direction of the mansion.

"Noen, remember... keep the firewood well-stocked every night... for Master Ibia... and Master Casas..."

Upon hearing this, Noen completely froze in place.

Then, the old servant took his last breath, his face wearing a look of satisfaction in stark contrast to the expression on his son’s face.