Chapter 424: Interception(2)
Chapter 424: Interception(2)
The claim that Hirt, or perhaps Luminous and Mora, were so grieved by Jin's death that they caused a famine sounded like a classic case of "forced angst."
The problem, however, was that people were actually starting to believe it. In a world where the existence of gods was a proven fact, an oracle would likely descend before long, but the current uncertainty was unsettling.
If the gods were to affirm that claim even slightly, I would be in a real fix. Above all, even I was starting to wonder, Could it be?
For these reasons, heading to the temple was the natural next step. However, it wasn't an absolute emergency, so I didn't rush there the moment I heard the news.
It was a rare occasion for the whole family to be gathered in such a warm, harmonious atmosphere; there was no need to spoil the mood. Besides, waiting a single day wouldn't cause a catastrophe.
So, just as I was about to set off for the temple the following morning...
"Isaac~!"
Princess Cecile of Helium, who had sent word that she was coming, arrived at our mansion.
I had been waiting in my bedroom to head out when she swung the door open and appeared. My eyes widened as I looked at her.
As always, she was dressed in a red string dress that boldly accentuated her voluptuous chest. The deep cleavage practically forced one's gaze toward it.
With her arms spread wide, she came running toward me. The sight of her two ample peaks swaying up and down was truly a spectacle.
Wham!
I was momentarily dazed by the heavy presence pressing against me as she pulled me into a tight embrace.
Only then did I snap out of it and look down. I saw the top of her head as she rubbed her face against my chest.
Her hair was a color that could only be described by the paradox "darkly shimmering." And there were her horns, the proof of her demonic heritage.
Finally, the scent of peaches—her signature fragrance—wafted into my nose. Her mere presence stimulated all five of my senses.
"This scent, this firm chest... it's definitely Isaac. I missed you so much."
"...Have you been doing well?"
"I've been great. Mmm."
I let out a small chuckle and stroked Cecile's hair as she continued to nuzzle against me. I didn't stop there; I gently caressed her horns as well.
Perhaps her demonic cycle was approaching, as they were red all over except for the very tips. It looked like her cycle would hit right in the middle of the break.
...She's not actually going to team up with Leona and pounce on me, is she?
The sudden anxiety flickered in my mind, but I quickly pushed it aside. For now, the priority was reconnecting with Cecile after our time apart.
She swayed her body slightly while holding me, and I matched her movements, continuing to pet her hair and horns.
Doing just this would likely satisfy a significant portion of her desires.
"Phew... I feel like all the pent-up stress is just melting away... As expected of Isaac."
"It hasn't been too hard on you, has it?"
"Aside from not being able to see you?"
Cecile replied and then turned her head. Standing where she looked was Adelia, dressed in her outdoor clothes.
She had been standing by quietly, watching us embrace. However, the awkward smile on her face suggested she felt a bit like a third wheel.
"Have you been well too, Ms. Adel?"
"Yes, Princess."
"That's good to hear. Anyway, seeing as you're dressed for the outdoors, are you heading somewhere?"
Cecile asked the question while still clinging tightly to me. I answered in Adelia's stead.
"Yeah. I was planning to head to the temple. I haven't visited in a while, and I have some things to ask."
"I see. Then I'll wait for you at the mansion. I heard Lina is staying here. Where is she?"
"Lina is..."
After telling her which room Lina was staying in, our brief but deep reunion came to an end.
"Well, since it's been a while..."
Mwah.
Right before I left, Cecile kissed me. It wasn't deep, but it wasn't a light peck either.
Satisfied with even that, she pulled her lips away and gave them a seductive lick, gazing at me intensely.
Her red eyes were brimming with love, alongside her desire for me.
I was momentarily stunned by the soft, moist sensation lingering on my lips, but I soon broke into a grin.
The Demon Princess was always consistent, yet utterly unpredictable. I reached out, touched her horn, and spoke tenderly.
"It sounds like you have a lot to talk about. I'm not sure if I'll be back soon, but please wait for me."
"Of course. Oh, speaking of the temple, where did Cardinal Kate go?"
Cecile asked about Kate's whereabouts, having likely scanned the mansion with magic.
As the natural enemy of demon worshippers, Kate was supposed to stay by my side, so her absence was bound to be curious.
"Ms. Kate returned to her home country for a bit, saying she had some business to attend to. Since it's winter break, I sent her back to rest. She said she'd be back soon, so she'll probably return before the break is over."
"Is that so? What about the others? I heard Queen Arwen might be able to come if things go well."
"Mari and Leona should arrive within three days at the latest. There's no festival, and I've finished the series, so there's plenty of free time."
"No festival, huh..."
Cecile muttered softly at my mention of there being no festival. She looked deep in thought.
Then, she glanced at me and flashed a mysterious smile. That was definitely the look she got when she was feeling mischievous.
"Alright. I'll be going now."
"I'll be back soon."
"No need to rush. Luminous might be fine, but Mora will probably take a long time complaining and whining. You can take your time talking to them."
Unlike Luminous, Mora was quite talkative. The funny thing was, I couldn't deny it.
In fact, it had been a long time since I visited the temple, and both of them doted on me.
Moreover, Mora was even more mischievous than Cecile, making it impossible to predict what she might do.
If the topic of gender-swapping comes up, I'm immediately going to portray her as an Evil God.
If she could read my mind, she wouldn't even bring up the subject. Once Cecile left, I finished my preparations and set out with Adelia.
I might need protection elsewhere, but at the very least, I didn't need Kate's escort within our territory.
The temples of Luminous and Mora stood proudly here, and unlike other places, the concentration of divine power was immense.
Of course, I planned to wear a hood to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
My red hair was quite eye-catching, after all. Adelia planned to wear a hood as well.
"Hm? Mother?"
"Oh, Isaac."
As we walked down the hallway, we happened to run into my mother. However, her attire was quite strange.
Rather than strange, she was dressed in a black dress as if she were heading to a funeral.
Even her hat was adorned with a black rose; anyone could see she was dressed for mourning.
She really pulls it off, though.
Her hair was a deep navy, so the overall black-toned outfit suited her perfectly. Her appearance made her look like she was in her mid-to-late twenties at most.
"Where are you going? Did one of our relatives pass away...?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing like that. Someone I knew well has returned to Mora's embrace. That's why I was getting ready."
"I see."
I felt genuine sympathy. Whoever it was, given their connection to my mother, they were likely a noble.
Meanwhile, my mother looked at Adelia's and my outfits and spoke in her characteristically gentle tone.
"Are you heading to the temple?"
"Yes."
"I see. Ah, by the way, Princess Cecile has arrived. Did you see her?"
"I just met her on my way out."
After a brief conversation with my mother, I immediately resumed my pace. The temple was in the estate's plaza, so it wouldn't take long.
Soon, we left the mansion and headed down toward the town. Actually, it could now be called a proper cultural city rather than just a town.
Works left behind by artists after the festival were displayed on the streets, and buildings had been erected for the tourists who came to see them.
Only a year ago, it had been a simple farming village, but now it had been transformed into a city. Even the farming itself had expanded in scale due to a massive increase in manpower.
A lot of priests are coming too, so it's becoming a pilgrimage route.
I was referring to the Mora Sect, not the Church of Light. Temples of Mora were only built in a few regions outside of Helium.
Because of this, pilgrims had been struggling, but with one built in our territory—and near the capital of the Minerva Empire, no less—pilgrimage had become much easier.
There was no need to worry about conflict with the Church of Light either; despite their opposite natures, they were twins by birth and avoided conflict altogether.
With a satisfied smile, I headed toward the Temple of Luminous. I planned to speak with Luminous first before going to Mora.
[It has been a while, child.]
The moment I entered the private chapel and began to pray, Luminous's voice echoed in my head.
It was a voice that was always warm and melodious. It naturally brought peace to my heart.
This was the first time I had heard his voice since Albenheim. It was only natural, as I had hardly been able to step outside.
I closed my eyes, clasped my hands, and brought up the things I hadn't been able to say.
Have you been doing well?
[We are always doing well. The energy of evil is slowly fading, and the world is being filled with laughter.]
There won't be any problems for a while, right?
[As I said before, there won't be any in the near future. However, it would be wise to be prepared.]
I took Luminous's advice to heart. As he said, the likelihood of demon worshippers launching desperate attacks would increase over time.
They might decide to drop a Meteor from the sky, or if not that, they might try to interfere with my soul through sorcery again, like last time.
Of course, I had experts who could intercept a Meteor and Ariel, who was a natural counter, by my side, but I couldn't let my guard down.
I understand. I'm glad there's no immediate threat, though. By the way, may I ask a few things?
[Of course.]
First... this is a bit embarrassing to say myself...
[Are you asking if our Mother is truly angry because of your book?]
As I hesitated, Luminous read my thoughts and spoke for me. It might be different for an ordinary person, but saying this before a god made me feel dying of embarrassment.
To this, I quietly replied, Yes... Luminous, having read my emotions, let out a good-natured chuckle before speaking gently.
[Do not worry, child. The drought in the Empire has nothing to do with your book. Nature is literally just nature; it is not something that can be interfered with lightly.]
It's really not?
[Of course. You know we cannot speak falsehoods to you.]
Then I could believe it. I let out a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.
I had been subjected to so much "forced angst" and "Why is this real?" moments that I felt the need to verify even things like this.
Of course, more than half the responsibility for that lay with me, but I still felt quite wronged. The most unfair of all was definitely Cecile's demonization.
That's a relief. Then, may I move on to the next question?
[Please do.]
Is Ariel a growing child? I mean, physically.
About four months had passed since Ariel hatched from the egg. Perhaps because she was still a child, or perhaps because she was an angel, there were no signs of growth.
She was exactly the same. The sprout on her head was still there, and while the wings on her back had grown brighter, they hadn't gotten any larger.
I wondered if she would stay the same even after several years, but Luminous kindly explained.
[You need not worry about that. For an angel, the mind does not follow the body; rather, the body follows the mind.]
The body follows the mind?
[Yes. As her mind matures, her body will grow. In particular, the moment she gains enlightenment, her body will emit a bright light and increase in size.]
Was she a Pokémon? Listening to that explanation, I thought, An angel is truly an angel. A being that could never be understood through mortal common sense.
However, I couldn't be entirely at ease. There were plenty of instances where even full-grown adults lacked mental maturity. The difficulty of raising her might be extreme.
It seemed I would need to pay even more attention to Ariel. It would be a disaster if she suddenly went astray.
...Do angels have puberty too?
[As long as a 'personality' exists, every being experiences puberty. Transcendent beings are no different.]
Oh boy.
I was already feeling dizzy imagining how severe an angel's puberty might be. Since she possessed such immense power, things could go very wrong if she hit a rebellious phase.
Of course, opposing her with force to stop her puberty would be the wrong move. If she were to run away from home... I didn't even want to imagine it.
...I understand. I'll have to do my best.
[You need not worry too much. Her nature is essentially good.]
Thank you.
That was a relief. Certainly, there were times when she caused trouble because she couldn't control her power, but she never did so maliciously.
Everyone else, including myself, knew this, which was why we showered her with infinite love.
In particular, when Ariel smiled brightly after receiving love, all the worries in the world seemed to melt away. It was truly a magical phenomenon.
And the next question. As you know, Luminous, the Xenon Biography has concluded, and I intend to write the story I mentioned before.
[You mean that worst of wars.]
Yes. Are there any side effects that might occur from writing this story?
Luminous had mentioned it before. The moment I wrote about World War II, three dwarves would bring a tank.
That tank would overturn the paradigm of war and deliver a massive shock to countless people.
Luminous had told me this a year ago, and I wondered if anything had changed since then. Many events, both large and small, had occurred in the past year.
Notably, the three dwarves had visited the territory in an automobile. I still vividly remembered how shocked I was then.
And they had even managed to cause the first-ever case of drunk driving and a traffic accident while they were at it.
[Side effects... I am not sure if I should call it a side effect. Since it can simply be purified using magic...]
Magic is such a cheat.
[I can hear you.]
Ah.
I hadn't even said it out loud. I had just thought it.
Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, I remained silent until Luminous spoke about what he was concerned about.
[As you know, while other places may be different, the nation of dwarves, Machina, is starting to show signs of an Industrial Revolution. The invention of a mana engine using a water pump is one such example. They simply lacked 'inspiration,' and the moment you release that novel, they will accelerate their technological development.]
[...]
[However, they will be ignorant of environmental pollution. They will only be enthralled by the sight of extremely developed technology. This is exactly what we are concerned about. Making them clearly aware of environmental pollution.]
Environmental pollution, huh...
It was an easy explanation to understand. In reality, for nearly 200 years after the Industrial Revolution began, no one cared about the environment.
They didn't have the luxury to care, as all their energy was poured into development. Furthermore, because the worst wars broke out in succession, the environment was pushed to the back burner.
It was only after reaching a peaceful era that people became alarmed by environmental pollution, but by then, it was far too late.
This was because all of civilization relied on coal and oil. Some even said that to stop environmental pollution, carbon emissions shouldn't be gradually reduced but stopped immediately.
[The advancement of civilization is good. As gods, the growth of mortals is our joy. However, we are also children, and it would be difficult to watch our Mother fall ill.]
I think I understand what you mean. I'll make sure to write about environmental pollution as well.
[Thank you truly. Oh, and Mora will be of great help when you write. Go visit her now.]
Mora?
What kind of help could she provide? Though I was briefly puzzled, I followed his words and immediately headed to the Temple of Mora.
[I'm not going to help you.]
...Mora.
[This is your punishment for visiting big brother Luminous first. I'm absolutely not helping. Hmph. Hmph.]
And the moment I connected with Mora, I experienced her tiresome personality firsthand.
[Ow! Why did you hit me? It was just a joke!]
[...]
[Fine, fine! Can't I even play a joke... You just wait.]
Pfft...
She made a cute sound as if she had been flicked on the forehead by Luminous. I tried my best to hold back my laughter, but I eventually failed.
In the meantime, she grumbled as if venting to me. Truly, both she and Luminous were beings who exuded a very human scent.
[Sigh. I wish I were the God of Light. Then you would have come to see me before big brother.]
Can the positions of gods be decided at will?
[No. It's decided from birth.]
Was it the same for Hirt?
[In Mother's case, it's slightly different. While we were assigned our roles after being born, Mother was born after nature and life already existed.]
It was a birth myth worthy of being called a myth. Generally, gods related to nature tended to be born in that manner.
As I listened to the myth, something suddenly occurred to me, and I asked quietly.
Then the sea...
[...]
Uh... what was I going to say?
[W-well? I wouldn't know.]
What was I really going to ask? I frowned, but when I couldn't remember for the life of me, I let it go.
If I forgot it that quickly, it probably wasn't that important. First, I needed to know how she was going to help me.
Luminous said you would be of great help to me. In terms of writing.
[I heard. Do you remember everything about the war you're trying to write?]
Well... I remember the gist of it.
I wasn't some superhuman who could remember everything; it was impossible to recall every detail. Instead, I remembered all the cause-and-effect relationships.
Why World War II broke out and why those reasons existed. When Hitler founded the Nazi Party, and so on.
Also, I generally remembered famous battles like Stalingrad, the Pacific War, and the Normandy Landing Operation.
It was just the other details I didn't know. I had originally liked history and read everything in detail, but most of it had faded by now.
[I can revive those memories for you. I am the Goddess of Darkness and Rest. Have you heard of 'Life Flashing Before Eyes'? The phenomenon where all the experiences and memories you've had until now pass by in an instant right before you enter eternal rest.]
Of course I know it.
[You can use that. If I tweak it slightly with divine power, I can make you recall the memories you want.]
Really?
I was so shocked that I almost opened my closed eyes. It was that surprising and unbelievable.
To use the "Life Flashing Before Eyes" phenomenon artificially. I wondered if such a thing was even possible, even in a fantasy world.
In response to my doubt, Mora spoke confidently, her voice full of more pride than before.
[Of course. Memories don't disappear; they're just forgotten. The way I punish the souls of criminals is by infinitely replaying those memories. So they can clearly recognize what they've done. Or I overlay the victim's memories so they can experience the situation from the other side.]
I think I understand what you mean.
I nodded. Unlike Luminous, Mora was connected to the mental realm.
She could completely heal people suffering from PTSD or those who had become shells of themselves, and even cure dementia, which was called the devil's disease.
However, the mind was a domain that couldn't be tampered with lightly, so it required a massive amount of divine power. Still, with the number of Mora's followers currently on the rise, things were improving.
[So I can give you the information you want. But! If it's a memory that was never in your head to begin with, I can't even try. Keep that in mind. Got it?]
Thank you. Once the memories are revived, how long is the expiration date?
[There is no expiration date. Once they're revived, you can check that information whenever you want. You can just think of it as your memory getting better.]
That was fantastic. If nothing else, this was truly wonderful help for me.
[If it was helpful, can you do something I want?]
Not the gender-swapping. If you do... you know, right?
[Tch. Then come visit often. Got it?]
I was planning to visit often anyway.
Mora’s help was no longer just an option; it was a necessity for my writing to proceed smoothly. To think I could even revive memories I had completely forgotten.
My memory had already been getting hazy, and I’d been racking my brain every night trying to squeeze out details, but now there was no need for that.
[Um… by the way. Can I ask you one thing?]
'What is it?'
[That war in your head. The Pacific War? That took place in the middle of the ocean, right?]
'Yes.'
As everyone knows, the Pacific War was essentially a showdown between Japan and the United States.
It was also a crucial turning point where the tide of victory shifted decisively toward the Allied Powers.
A war where countless battleships, led by aircraft carriers, surged back and forth, and the skies were filled with fighter planes and bombers. It was an event that simply couldn't be left out.
[That… no, never mind. I’m sure it’ll work itself out eventually.]
'Is there a problem?'
[No, none. It’s just that in our world, it’s a bit difficult to wage war on the sea because of sea monsters.]
'Ah.'
So that was it. I nodded, finding her explanation reasonable.
Indeed, in this world, even simple navigation is difficult, let alone naval warfare, due to the presence of sea monsters.
Even the legendary Kraken was known to exist for a fact, and there were even rumors of monsters far worse than that.
'It’s a story about another world, so won’t people just accept it for what it is?'
[I suppose… so. Anyway, let me know if you need my help. I’ll be here for you anytime.]
'I’m always grateful.'
After finishing our small talk, I stepped out of the temple. As soon as I exited, I ran straight into Adelia, who had been waiting for me.
"Did you wait long?"
"No. More importantly… could you take a look at that?"
As soon as Adelia saw me, she pointed in a certain direction. I shifted my gaze to where she was pointing.
My eyes widened in surprise. A massive crowd had gathered in the village square as if a festival were being held.
It was strange that their clothing was entirely black, but the sight of them laughing, chatting, and playing with the villagers was striking.
The locals were also boisterously welcoming these untimely tourists, hawking their wares and busily selling goods.
"What’s going on? Is there a festival today?"
"I wonder."
Just then, a person happened to be walking up toward the Temple of Mora. I stopped them for a moment.
"Excuse me. May I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Is there some kind of festival happening today?"
"No."
Then what was this? While I stood there puzzled, the person spoke up, their face still bright with excitement.
"It’s not a festival; it’s a funeral."
"……Pardon?"
"It’s not a festival, it’s a funeral."
……What on earth did that mean?