The Second-Ranked Lord's Silent Fury

The Divine Realm ruled by Feminist, the second-ranked Lord God, was engulfed in a quiet fury. A wave of divine power so vast it seemed capable of overwhelming every Creator Candidate gathered in the Main God Temple throbbed with restrained rage.

Feminist had sat through the management god’s long-winded briefing on the surrounding situation, the immediate problems, and the projected future developments. Yet everything could be distilled into a single point.

The management god kept his head bowed, unable to meet the eyes of the Lord God who had just summarized the cause of the incident, the current state of affairs, and the necessary measures with brutal efficiency.

I only provoked them lightly on Feminist’s orders. I never dreamed they would respond with something so close to a declaration of war.

No matter that he had acted under orders from a superior, the situation had spiraled far beyond anything normal. Even the management god of the opposing side—the one who should have been most opposed to war—was now engaging in what amounted to a full-scale invasion of the Divine Realm and outright distortion of its laws. War was now unavoidable, yet the management god’s greatest fear was the fate of his own neck.

Feminist’s authority and disposition as the eternal ally and protector of weak women is built entirely on the sacrifice of men. Looking at how things have gone so far, I’m the only one who’s been thrown under the carriage. Surely it won’t happen again this time… right?

As a male god, every past crisis he had endured flashed through his mind like scenes from a nightmare. The position of management god in this particular Main God Realm was so demanding and specialized that no goddess could handle it. According to the Main God of the Divine Realm’s authority, if I were a goddess there would be no problem, but if war breaks out in the Main God Realm the goddesses might suffer, so he might simply order me to die.

The fact that a disposable male god had been placed in charge only heightened his anxiety. It has always been like this.

Of course, when a superior offered a subordinate nothing but responsibility, sacrifice, and forced concessions, the relationship had long since crossed into enmity. It had been ages since the management god stopped using any honorifics for Feminist in the privacy of his own mind.

The unconditional protection of goddesses is premised on the total sacrifice of male gods. What kind of unfair nonsense is this? This is exactly why I tried to avoid this post, but to aim for the number one management god position, there was no other choice but to take the number two seat. Since I’m a male god, my chances of surviving this situation are less than half. Truly…

Had it not been his own life on the line, he would never have recommended the insane idea of all-out war against the number one ranked Main God Realm. Even with cooperation from the other realms, the distance was simply too great. Moreover, considering the mobility granted by the Dimensional Mage God’s Dimensional Authority, gathering forces piecemeal would only lead to them being crushed individually.

From the battle records and analysis of his fight with Almighty Hwi, the Dimensional Mage God must be pinned down by the Lord God personally occupying the core of the Main God Realm if we are to stop him.

If the Lord God left his seat, he knew his own realm would be destroyed. It would be difficult to come to anyone’s aid under those conditions.

He is weaker than Almighty Hwi, yet the Dimensional Mage God’s personality and authorities make him an extremely troublesome opponent in war. That’s why I advised against provoking him, but they pushed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ahead because he seemed easier to handle than Almighty Hwi, and now we’re in this mess. Those Creator Candidates pretended not to know anything after they incited the already furious Feminist by saying we should fight so he could seize the number one seat. Once again, must this male god sacrifice himself for weak goddesses? How can those Creator Candidates possibly be weaker than me?

Because Feminist’s realm focused its authorities on protecting and strengthening weak women, all the Creator Candidates here were goddesses. In fact, the system had been blatantly codified so that strong male gods would yield high positions to weaker goddesses. The opportunity to even challenge for those seats was almost nonexistent. While male gods of the divine race generally possessed superior combat ability, they were relatively weak compared to Creator Candidates from other realms. Even when strengthened by the Main God of the Divine Realm’s authority they reached the highest tier, their fundamental weakness remained. In direct combat they were at a disadvantage.

That was the core dilemma.

If the Dimensional Authority and Feminist’s authority collide directly, all divine power enhancement and physical reinforcement will be nullified. After that, it becomes a pure contest of forces, and there is no way these weak goddesses can defeat the elite Creator Candidates gathered in the number one ranked Main God Realm. Feminist cannot possibly overlook this fact, which means he may very well demand my head.

Feminist was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no fool. On the contrary, as a Creator Candidate he was exceptionally talented. He could even activate a wide-area authority that worked unconditionally on any female. A superior with such a sharp mind would never risk an all-out war when sacrificing a single subordinate could resolve the issue. The management god had already secured preliminary alliances with other Main God Realms before making his report, yet because he was a male god, the fear of being asked to make yet another concession or sacrifice for the sake of the goddesses gripped him.

The anticipated outcome—that his head might literally fly—had him so tense that cold sweat was beginning to form. Then an unexpected question reached his ears.

At those words the management god immediately lifted his gaze toward his Lord God. The moment he did, an involuntary exclamation escaped him.

Whoa…! That appearance really takes some getting used to. Does he pour all his divine power into his looks?

There stood a male god so beautiful that even the management god—who possessed perfectly ordinary sexual preferences—found himself momentarily entranced. Long hair that seemed woven from pure light shimmered and rippled with divine power, cascading over the Throne of Glory like waves of splendor. His face was perfection itself; merely looking at it could shake the management god’s reason. Even his seated posture seemed to declare that this was what heavenly beauty truly meant.

The Creator Candidates surrounding him—every one a goddess—were already staring with rapturous expressions. Since they were also his concubines, no further explanation was necessary.

I had doubted the rumor that he had charmed even the Demon King candidate during the qualification trial and made him drop out. But seeing him now, I understand completely.

When the management god simply continued to stare, speechless at the overwhelming beauty, irritation flashed across Feminist’s face. Most gods, male or female, fell into that dazed state upon seeing him.

It’s not just for a day or two. Even the management god who has served me for hundreds of millions of years still makes that face every time he looks at me? If everyone just stares at me in a stupor, how can we possibly hold a proper meeting or receive reports? Yet if I cover my face the goddesses throw tantrums, so I can’t do that either.

In the beginning he had been grateful for the appearance that maximized his authority, but now that he was a Lord God it had become a genuine burden. The goddesses who followed him vehemently opposed him taking the field personally and handled everything in his stead. Thanks to that, he had almost never stained his hands with blood in direct combat except during the qualification trials against the Demon Gods when he was still a Lord God.

That was why Almighty Hwi openly mocked him as a kept man, and the lower-ranked realms avoided any contact regarding military matters. Or, to be precise, they had thoroughly blocked him out of fear that their own goddesses would be stolen away.

This appearance and authority that unconditionally wins over and commands any female has earned the resentment of every other male god.

In truth, most of the goddess Creator Candidates here had once been consorts, concubines, or direct descendants of other Lord Gods before falling for him and defecting. There was no room for excuses. Many had tried to sever all ties with their previous partners, nearly sparking wars. Only the intervention of his father, a Highest Creator God, had smoothed things over.

Thanks to that, my father—who once considered me his perfect successor—has begun to reconsider. This cannot continue.

Feminist did not deny that his appearance and authority granted him absolute influence over women. Yet he clearly understood that if he wished to be fully recognized as a Creator God, things could not remain as they were. Being the eternal ally of women meant being the absolute enemy of men.

I am also a male god, and most Creator Gods are male. The problem is serious. Still, I cannot tolerate male gods looking at me with that expression.

Swish—! Ugh—! Danger—!

The management god, sensing the shift in his Lord God’s expression and the unfavorable emotion directed at him, hurriedly scattered his gaze on purpose so as not to look directly. Even this makeshift method was necessary; otherwise the authority and beauty were so potent they could make one question their own sexual identity.

Having quickly regained his composure, the management god began crafting a report out of light in the air.

A three-dimensional image of the Dimensional Mage God wearing a black robe materialized in the air. Even with his face and form obscured by the robe, the overwhelming pressure it radiated caused both Feminist and the Creator Candidates’ expressions to harden instantly.

The Creation Realm’s data was created through the authority of reality manifestation and was therefore extremely accurate. It allowed one to infer roughly how much power the subject possessed. The problem was that before the order to provoke him with near-insubordinate interference, the assessment had only suggested the Dimensional Mage God was slightly stronger than Feminist. Now the aura he gave off was comparable to Feminist’s own father, a Highest Creator God.

As if to prove this was no illusion, the expressions of the surrounding Creator Candidates grew increasingly rigid. The fact that they were tensing up for battle from a mere projection was proof enough.

He has grown unbelievably strong. It hasn’t even been that long since he became a Lord God. How is this possible?

Watching Feminist and the Creator Candidates grow tense from the three-dimensional image alone, the management god clenched his teeth.

Hmm…! To think the Lord God and Creator Candidates would react with such shock. It seems my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠judgment was correct after all. However, if they decide to offer my head as an apology instead of going to war with the allied realms, I will truly have to die. My divine rank would fall all the way to Highest God and I would still have to surrender the position of management god. I worked so hard to rise to this seat. That is the one thing I cannot allow.

If he himself faltered before the Dimensional Mage God’s overwhelming presence and could not speak, public opinion would naturally flow toward apology. Therefore he deliberately maintained a calm expression and indicated the additional detailed information beside the image.

Thud—!

Feminist’s hand slammed down on the armrest of the Throne of Glory as he finished reading the report. The evaluation had clearly stated “below mid-level Creator God” only a short while ago. The incomprehensible and explosive growth to “below high-ranking Creator God” was impossible to accept.

Crash—!Rumble—!

Yet even though the act had been born of nothing more than frustration, the entire Main God Temple—and the entire Main God Realm—shook. The explosive surge of divine power completely overwhelmed the surrounding Creator Candidates. It proved that his second-place ranking had not been achieved merely through an authority that turned women into allies. Had he been weak, the enraged Lord Gods whose consorts and concubines he had stolen would have killed him long ago. In reality, he was a proven powerhouse who had survived multiple assassination attempts and duels.

A high-ranking Creator God? And the Origin of the Dimensional Tribe? This is absurd.

The power displayed by the Dimensional Mage God in the report was enough to crush any talk of insubordination through sheer force alone. Even thinking about it, a Lord God committing insubordination against a high-ranking Creator God was laughable. Yet now that he himself was the target of that laughter, maintaining reason became difficult.

Nevertheless, he quickly regained his composure and questioned the management god. He had realized that being accused of insubordination by a being recognized as a high-ranking Creator God placed both himself and the Main God Realm he ruled in genuine peril.

“Please remain calm. I will provide a detailed report immediately.”

Though the management god maintained an indifferent expression, his mind was spinning at full speed. The sudden changes regarding the Dimensional Mage God had already sent shockwaves through every management god. Even without this, the Dimensional Mage God was considered to possess the power of a Highest Creator God in large-scale wars thanks to his wide-area authority, Troop of Creation God. Back then he had been evaluated as a mid-level Creator God. Now he had even obtained the qualification of Origin of the Dimensional Tribe.

If the Dimensional Mage God, now recognized as a high-ranking Creator God, truly launched a subjugation campaign, the Main God Realm would face a severe crisis. However, since the other Main God Realms faced the same threat, forming an alliance for a joint response would allow them to win—albeit with great difficulty. Of course, while one management god’s life and divine rank could not be weighed against the safety of the entire realm, actually being the one chosen for sacrifice left him with no other choice.

To be killed, fall to the rank of Highest God, and then have to recreate a Lord God’s body would mean an unknown length of time before he could regain his current strength. He could not accept such a sacrifice.

Seeing Feminist’s tense expression ease somewhat at those words, the management god let out a silent sigh of relief.

Good. It’s working.

This was because the jealousy toward the Dimensional Mage God—who had defeated Almighty Hwi and taken the number one seat—was strong enough to make them want to believe he was weak.

Whew—! Even though it’s only a qualification, the known strength of the Dimensional Tribe is enough to completely reorder the hierarchy of all existing tribes. Their existing wide-area authority is already terrifying, yet they also possess personal abilities that include a two-circle promotion, perfect accuracy, and evasion authority? Add in the highest-level barrier and creation abilities that come with world creation, and you have a tribe with absurd power. If the Dimensional Mage God becomes a proper Origin, imagining how much power he could display ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is nearly impossible. The evaluation of “below high-ranking Creator God” is most likely the minimum estimate based on the premise that he cannot use most of his authorities.

Yet if he reported the maximum possible strength he anticipated, they might abandon the allied battle that would cause massive damage and simply cut off his head as an apology.

I did exactly as ordered, yet I would be the only one sacrificed again. That alone I cannot accept.

Therefore he had no choice but to report in this minimized fashion. Even though he knew this was exactly what the Dimensional Mage God wanted, he began the report in a way that made the threat appear as weak as possible.