The problem began immediately.
The young man finished the bowl of soup.
And nothing changed.
He had expected—well, he wasn't sure what he expected. Maybe everyone would slowly realize there had been a mistake.
Maybe someone would ask questions.
Maybe someone would laugh.
None of that happened.
Instead, everyone was watching him.
Still kneeling.
Still silent.
The silver-haired girl stood beside the table, holding her small notebook like it was the most important object in the world.
"…You can stand up now," the young man said.
Nobody moved.
The girl bowed her head slightly.
"The Divine One reminds us that we should rise on our own strength."
Several people gasped softly.
The young man blinked.
"…No. I mean literally stand up."
People immediately began standing.
Slowly.
Very respectfully.
Like they were afraid that moving too fast might offend him.
He rubbed his face again.
Inside his head, one clear thought appeared.
This is getting worse.
The girl stepped closer.
"My name is Elara," she said.
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were shining with excitement.
"I was raised in the Order that has waited for this day."
She gestured to the clearing around them.
"For generations, we have guarded this place. The prophecy said the Divine One would descend in the Northern Forest."
She looked at him with pure devotion.
"And today… it happened."
The young man looked at the smoking tree behind him.
"…Right."
Elara followed his gaze.
"The lightning was the sign."
He stared at the broken tree again.
"…Sure."
Elara immediately wrote something in her notebook.
He noticed.
"…Please don't write that down."
She paused.
Then wrote even faster.
He sighed.
"Look," he said slowly. "I think there's been a misunderstanding."
Elara lifted her head.
"A divine test."
"No, that's not—"
"The Divine One wishes to test our faith."
The people around them nodded seriously.
The young man stopped talking.
Inside his mind, his thoughts began moving very fast.
Okay.
New strategy.
He looked around the clearing.
"Where am I?"
Elara answered immediately.
"The Kingdom of Valdren."
He frowned slightly.
"…Never heard of it."
She wrote that down too.
He noticed.
"Please stop writing."
She nodded respectfully.
And continued writing.
He looked around again.
The clearing had become much more crowded.
Some people were building tents.
Others were carrying wooden tables.
Someone was even setting up a large banner with the strange symbol he had seen earlier.
"…Why are there so many people?"
Elara answered carefully.
"We were waiting."
"For what?"
"For you."
"…Of course you were."
A man with a long white beard suddenly stepped forward.
His robe was slightly different from the others.
More decorated.
He bowed deeply.
"My name is Elder Voss."
His voice sounded excited.
Extremely excited.
"I have spent forty years studying the prophecy of the Descending God."
The young man blinked slowly.
"…Forty."
"Yes."
Voss lifted his head.
"And now I have the honor of witnessing its fulfillment."
The young man looked at Elara.
Then at Voss.
Then back at the clearing.
"…Okay."
Voss's eyes widened.
"Elara."
"Yes, Elder?"
"Did you hear that?"
Elara nodded quickly.
"The Divine One confirms the prophecy."
The young man looked at the sky again.
He was starting to feel tired.
Voss stepped closer.
"If it pleases you," the old scholar said carefully, "may I ask a question?"
The young man shrugged.
"…Go ahead."
Voss took a deep breath.
"What is the first teaching you wish to share with us?"
The clearing became completely silent.
Everyone was staring.
Waiting.
The young man felt something strange at that moment.
Pressure.
A lot of pressure.
Dozens of people.
Watching him.
Expecting something.
He thought about what had happened earlier.
The soup.
"…Eat while it's hot," he said.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Voss slowly turned to Elara.
"Elara."
"Yes."
"Did you write that down?"
She nodded.
"Of course."
The young man looked between them.
"…I was talking about soup."
Voss closed his eyes.
"Incredible."
The young man stared.
Voss lifted one finger, like a teacher explaining something very important.
"The Divine One reminds us of the importance of the present moment."
Elara nodded.
"If we delay, even simple things lose their value."
Voss smiled.
"Exactly."
The young man sat there.
Listening to them.
Then he looked down at the empty bowl.
Then back at them.
"…It was literally about soup."
Elara wrote faster.
"The Divine One teaches through simplicity."
The young man leaned back in his chair.
Inside his head, his thoughts returned again.
This is a disaster.
A very calm disaster.
At that moment, a young boy suddenly ran into the clearing.
He was breathing hard.
"Elder Voss!"
Voss turned.
"What is it?"
"The messenger from the capital has arrived!"
Everyone in the clearing gasped.
Voss frowned.
"So soon?"
The boy nodded.
"They heard about the lightning."
The young man blinked.
"…That fast?"
Elara answered softly.
"A divine sign cannot remain hidden."
The young man leaned back in the chair.
He looked at the sky again.
He was starting to understand something very important.
This misunderstanding was not going away.
In fact—
It was getting bigger.
A lot bigger.
And now the capital knew about it.
He sighed quietly.
Inside his head, only one thought remained.
This is how cults start.
At the edge of the clearing, a group of armored soldiers appeared between the trees.
They had arrived much sooner than anyone expected.