The Devil Who Grants Wishes

245 – The Story of a Bug (3)

[Ah, you don’t know my identity. I apologize, but I skipped the explanation because I thought it would be noticeable since I had met him once before, but now that I think about it, a lot has changed since then. Can we call it a system?]

“…System.”

And until the white caterpillar revealed its identity, Lucia couldn’t even guess what that caterpillar was, where it came from, and why on earth she was close to her father.

That is natural.

If Lucia was close to her father, she would have already noticed this a long time ago. She immediately recognized Iris’s scent on Faust’s body, and as she was a friend of hers, Lucia would have smelled her scent at least once as they were together a lot.

However, if that friend is the system, the story is very different. No, why on earth is the system your friend? Lucia clearly remembers that her father and the System tried to kill each other, and because of that, she becomes very wary as soon as the System reveals itself as the System.

[It looks like you didn’t say anything. Hmm, that could be possible.]

However, the system just carelessly ignores Lucia’s boundaries. The system’s ego has not been perfectly refined to the point where it is necessary to feel offended by such boundaries, and the system is not weak enough to feel threatened by such boundaries.

Even if a praying mantis threatens to kill you if you step on it, there are not many adults who are truly scared by it.

[I found a new life simply because of Faust’s recommendation. Rather than boringly reigning over everyone’s heads, he said, try to find new fun by going through countless reincarnations through various races.]

“…New fun, is this the new fun?”

Lucia, clearly feeling the difference in her capabilities, answers her system with respect, but she is nonetheless unable to hide the hostility in her words.

That is inevitable, because if this was done for fun, anyone would be as shocked as Lucia.

Currently, the creation of bugs has stopped because I am talking to Lucia, but it is clear that if Lucia leaves, bugs will come out again and completely wipe out the ground.

[Hmm… But, I’m not sure yet.]

“Yes?”

However, Lucia receives an unexpected answer from the system. She thought the system would answer that it does this because it’s fun, but the answer she got back was just a question.

She has the attitude of someone who isn’t sure if she’s having fun with this.

[When I was in charge of the world, I had countless knowledge there. And that knowledge still exists in my head even though I have given up my authority as director.]

“…Then you know the answers to everything that exists in reality. The cave that cleverly penetrated the laws of physics and magic was also possible thanks to that knowledge…”

[Yes, it wasn’t fun trying to follow things I already knew. To make it easier for you to understand… Yes, I feel like I proved that three plus four equals seven by preparing seven sticks in reality.”

However, Lucia finds a clue to solve this terrible situation in the system’s words.

The system just really has no malicious intent. This means that they are doing this to find out what is fun for them.

However, the system did not find any fun in this action.

“How about erasing that knowledge?”

[Knowledge?]

“Yes, doesn’t it mean it’s not fun because you know everything? Then the only answer is to erase the knowledge. Rather than creating something, it would be more fun to level up and improve your own strength. And… Anyway, I guess so.”

After hearing Lucia’s words, the system falls into trouble.

It is not wrong. If there were a right answer to every problem, all the joy that comes from exploring that answer would disappear.

However, the system did not go that way. No matter how boring it may be, giving up one’s knowledge for the sake of fun is an extremely dangerous act.

“And wouldn’t it be even more thrilling since it becomes dangerous if you don’t know?”

[…Danger?]

However, the system glimpses another possibility in Lucia’s words.

Not knowing causes risk, and that risk eventually leads to thrill.

And the thrill, in other words, is the pleasure that begins with her life being threatened. Because it knew everything, because it knew all the strategies, the system was not having any fun in the life of the little things.

Of course, erasing knowledge is a very dangerous act. In particular, isn’t the system a collection of countless pieces of knowledge that have formed their own identity? The ego has already been formed for a long time, so if knowledge disappears now, it will not affect the ego, but I can’t help but feel a little uncomfortable.

“Except for the knowledge of reincarnation and the memories of important people, everything turns to nothing.”

[…Okay, I guess you’re right.]

However, the system soon accepts Lucia’s proposal.

We have come too far now to feel the fear of losing knowledge. Since the life of a small creature was decided solely for fun, shouldn’t there be a taste of struggling and growing stronger like a small animal?

[Thank you for helping me realize this. I am getting help from your father and daughter again.]

“hehehe, you’re saying all kinds of things.”

Lucia’s guard quickly crumbles as she sees a system that sincerely praises her and her Faust at the same time.

For Lucia, praising her dad was a sure-fire way to let her guard down, she says. The absolute proposition that someone who praises her father is not a bad person dominates Lucia’s brain.

[First of all, I need to get rid of these things and erase all knowledge. For now, let’s try to grow this caterpillar while keeping its body intact.]

When the system moves once, the insect corpses and the strange sphere that created them disappear in the blink of an eye. It’s not just that.

Even the cave that was formed using absurd physical and magical laws, literally everything that the system had created or manipulated with its power returned to its original state as if nothing had happened from the beginning.

There is only a small cave.

“Just in case, I’m asking… What are you going to do when you’re done growing up?”

[Well… First of all, killing people randomly without meaning isn’t that fun. It’s no different from the feeling of stepping on and crushing fallen leaves, so I don’t feel any reward.]

“Ah, ahahahaha… Then, how about regaining the forgotten knowledge of the world? It will satisfy your desire for exploration.”

[Hmm… Let’s go that way for now. It would be even more fun if you could supply the power and materials needed to satisfy your desire for exploration on your own. Thank you for the sincere advice.]

With those words, the system in the form of a caterpillar digs into the ground, and the unknown that filled the surroundings disappears in an instant. Only natural objects that can be clearly understood, such as the sound of the wind, air, and smells, stimulate Lucia’s senses.

“Huh, huh…”

“Ugh…”

And as soon as the system disappeared, Lucia, who became relaxed, sat down on the ground, held Lucille in her arms and took a deep breath to calm her mind.

Lucille was taken aback when she suddenly popped out of the subspace she had prepared for Lucia, but her embarrassment quickly disappeared after she felt her mother’s touch again.

…………

“The bugs were taken care of and they won’t cause any more problems. I came quickly and the timing was right, so I brought back all the dead people as well. That’s enough.”

“Now, wait a minute!!”

And after all this is over, the people who summoned her Lucia are shocked and capture her.

To be honest, there is no reason to hold on to her. They say they are going back, but how can such weak people hold on to that?

However, as they were mentally preparing to offer up her price, they unconsciously captured Lucia with their words.

“Why again?”

“No, the price is…”

“In return? What are you giving me?”

“Yes? No, the price of that wish…”

Of course, the devil who leaves without receiving payment may end up paying more in return, so the judgment of the knights and adventurers is extremely correct. The problem, however, was that Lucia had never even thought about such a thing.

“It’s a price… If you want to pay that much, it doesn’t matter… Uhm, okay. How about trusting your father, or rather, the Faustian religion?”

“Faust… Gyoyo…?”

“Yes, this area is too far away to be influenced by the Church. I will send some priests here later, so if you want to pay that much, tell the monarchs living here to believe in the Church of Faust.”

With those words, Lucia opens the portal and hurries back. Those who were suddenly left behind after preparing to sacrifice their lives just blinked their eyes and looked at them in bewilderment, not knowing what was going on.

But I realize one thing for sure.

That they were saved without any cost.

“Faust…”

“I’ve heard of it. It’s said to be a new religion that completely replaced the Seraphia Church. Their god, Faust, is directly involved in reality, unlike other gods.”

Believing in Faust? It’s not a price.

Since he performed such a miracle and saved everyone’s lives, he would believe it on his own even if I didn’t order him to believe it.

Sharply~

“Thank you, thank you…”

“Thank you to Faust for sending Lucia.”

Everyone who was saved by Lucia sits down and begins to express gratitude to Lucia and to Faust for sending her.

Actually, it wasn’t Faust who sent it, but Lucia just wanted to grant him a wish, but that’s not important at all right now.

I am just grateful.