According to the Bible, the souls of beasts don’t stick around but scatter with death.

Knowing this made Grey never pray for heaven. He figured a half-beast’s soul wasn’t any different from an animal’s.

“Lord of love, grant us the serenity to accept what we cannot change, the courage to change what we can, and the wisdom to know the difference—.”

He simply prayed for goodness. He asked for the grace to forgive his unforgivable anger and for the wisdom to tell right from wrong so he wouldn’t accidentally harm the innocent with his judgments.

Love your neighbor, love your enemy, love yourself.

He wanted to follow the Savior’s teachings. It wasn’t just because of the noble soul granted by the Lord; he couldn’t help but honor Him because those teachings felt so right.

If someone tells you to love your neighbor, wouldn’t you lend an ear, even if that person was a beggar at a gambling den instead of a divine being?

His newfound wisdom led him to study the Gospel. As he absorbed the material, his heart was moved, transitioning him into faith. Through faith, he cultivated unforgettable memories.

A beastman always longed for a master to hold its leash.

The Gospel became his leash, and the law became his muzzle.

Thus, Grey lived his life devoted to the Lord. The fact that he didn’t think he was worthy of embracing the Lord wasn’t even that big of a deal.

“But if I’m not worthy of borrowing Your wisdom—just let me listen. Then I’ll know You are within me.”

That day was no different.

Grey prayed to the Savior, fervently hoping the hated ‘impulses’ of the beastman wouldn’t consume his soul.

In his pious arms was a fairy tale book called “The Little Prince,” cradled just like the Bible.

Whenever he read this tale, he could easily forget about his beastman impulses. For Grey, that story felt like the Savior’s grace.

So he was praying in gratitude to the Lord, the Savior, and Homer.

Then, his long-time friend and agent, taking care of the things Grey couldn’t handle in his beastman form, popped by.

“Ah, Mr. Grey. Were you praying? I can come back later.”

“No, it’s all good. Prayer can happen anytime. I can’t use prayer as an excuse to waste your time. What’s the occasion?”

“Author Homer is looking for you. He says there’s something important to discuss.”

“Author Homer? I didn’t expect him to be the one looking for me first.”

“He said you’d definitely hear some good news if you showed up.”

“If that’s the case, even if there’s no news, it’ll be a joyous occasion. Let’s get ready to roll!”

“Yes. The carriage is all set.”

“Thanks, as always.”

“My pleasure.”

* * *

When Grey, summoned by Homer, arrived, he found himself facing the priests of the church.

Beneficiaries blessed by the Lord…

These arrogant folks, considering the noble mission handed down by the Lord as their personal privilege, despised the half-beasts as ‘demons.’ And they were waiting for Grey.

At that moment, Grey couldn’t help but suspect something was off. It was too familiar a situation to miss.

It wasn’t that rare for those who sought help from beastmen to be scorned as ‘recipients of the devil’s gold’ and judged accordingly. Grey, who had read “The Little Prince” and supported children with his agent and Homer’s wisdom, obviously had drawn the ire of those church priests looking for punishment.

Such experiences were a common occurrence for a beastman.

The only unusual thing was that the priests were quiet while staring at him. Some frowned like they were displeased, but when other priests shot them a look, they lowered their heads like they’d been caught misbehaving.

“Ah, you’ve made it. Thanks for coming so quickly despite the sudden call, Mr. Grey.”

“How could I not hurry when Author Homer summoned me? He’s a benefactor to us beastmen!”

“I haven’t done much. More importantly, I called you here today to introduce you to some folks.”

“Are those ‘folks you want to introduce’ those priests glaring at me from behind?”

“Haha… yes, that sounds about right. Priest Ignatius?”

“Yes, Venerable Homer. The other priests still seem a bit confused, so I’ll take the lead.”

The priest named Ignatius, unusually polite for a priest, stood facing Grey.

He glanced at the rosary around Grey’s neck like a collar and slowly opened his mouth to ask a question.

“Do you revere the Savior?”

“How could I not revere Him? I pray every day, every hour, every moment.”

“Are you married?”

“Beastmen can’t receive the sacrament of marriage, so I haven’t married. Since I’m not married, I’ve never been with a woman either.”

“We are in a season of mourning. Are you also mourning, brother?”

“Brother…?”

Grey stared at the priest for a moment, taken aback by the unusual title.

Then, he smirked and replied.

“Wasn’t it you who locked us beastmen away so we couldn’t mourn the Savior’s death? But yes, I am mourning.”

“…Have you carried the cross?”

“He bore it. We just carry it with Him to the best of our ability.”

“That’s all my questions.”

The priest named Ignatius nodded and turned to the other priests.

Then, with cold, piercing eyes, he scrutinized them.

“I’ve concluded that there’s nothing wrong with the wisdom of Venerable Homer. What does the rest of the group think?”

“…Thank you, Lord.”

“With no objections, I’ll spread the gospel. Brother Grey.”

“Speak. I’m listening.”

“Do you prefer immersion or pouring?”

“…What?”

“I’ve heard beastmen usually dislike water. If you’re reluctant about immersion, we can accommodate pouring instead.”

“Wait a minute, what are you talking about—?”

“You will be baptized.”

The priest named Ignatius declared in a firm voice, tossing aside all hesitation.

Then he added, his tone laced with a smile.

“If there are more beastmen who believe in the Lord and revere the Savior, bring them too. We’ll help them get baptized as well.”

Only then did Grey figure out what was happening. He blinked rapidly, completely dumbfounded.

He wondered if this was reality, if the priests were pulling some prank, or if he had lost his marbles. But what he was hearing was beyond anything he understood.

So what the priests were saying was…

“You mean you’re going to baptize us beastmen…?”

Baptize, really?

“If there are people seeking the Lord’s blessed voice and true will, wouldn’t the merciful Lord cleanse their sins?”

“Ha…”

“We’ve been overthinking things for so long…. The truth is so clear and simple…”

“Ha, haha! Ha! Hahaha─!”

In that moment, Grey realized this unbelievable reality, and he laughed.

He laughed joyfully, having received the grace he had so longed for.

“Haha… Gah, ahaa…”

And then he cried.

He cried with joy, overwhelmed by a grace he never dared hope for.

“Thank you…. Truly… thank you….”

“Thank the Lord and Venerable Homer, not us.”

So, the miracle of the Savior was truly a matter of moving people’s hearts.

In Grey’s tear-filled eyes, sunlight sparkled like dazzling jewels.

In the background of the priests, the gentle smile of the ‘Savior’ looking at him gleamed.

That savior’s name?

Homer.

[“But honestly, what ridiculous reason would make him pull such a stunt?”]

[“Because you’ve never really tried to see him.”]

* * *

After a short but somewhat fruitful meeting with the ‘New Religion,’

the announcement day for the results of [The Sherlock Holmes X Arsène Lupin Fanfiction Contest] was coming up. Personally, this ‘contest’ felt more significant than the meeting with the New Religion.

There were a ton of fascinating and fresh stories.

Most of them were mystery novels, but there were also a few love stories focusing on relationships between the characters. (The novel about the forbidden romance between Sherlock Holmes and Arsène Lupin didn’t win any awards because it completely disregarded the original characters.)

Anyway, that was why I found myself at the small theater where the awards ceremony was taking place.

President Kindersley, who had arrived early for the opening remarks, was surprised to see me. It seemed she hadn’t heard anything from President Ryan.

“Oh, author! Are you really planning to attend the ceremony in person?!”

“Pardon? Yes. Wasn’t that the intention?”

“Well, yes, but I thought you would use some magic to disguise yourself or hire a proxy again…”

“Since President Ryan from ‘Half and Half’ already knows this appearance, I figured it wouldn’t matter much.”

Back when I was publishing ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,’ I looked undeniably like a teenage kid…

But now, I was barely passing as a ‘young man.’ Of course, if you counted my age from the time I started serializing the ‘Conan Saga,’ the only conclusion would be that I’m an outrageous genius─.

I was prepared for that level of fame anyway.

In fact, this ‘young genius’ look was also a cover to safeguard against rumors that I was ‘Homer.’

“It just feels like I’ve totally lost…”

“Pardon?”

“It’s just that you started your first serialization with our publishing company, and now you’re showing your ‘true self’ at the ‘Half and Half’ contest… it doesn’t seem fair! I just want to ruin the whole opening speech!”

“Please don’t do that…”

“I’m not actually going to! I’m just expressing how unfair it feels!”

“Alright…”

President Dorling let out a groan and pulled her hair out of frustration.

Then, after a sigh, she gave a wry smile, as if it couldn’t be helped, and expressed her concern for me.

“If something happens to you, it will really be a big issue…”

“When that time comes, I’ll ask my attendant to send all my secret manuscripts to President Kindersley, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Just saying that makes me want to attack you personally…”

“Haha…”