A God of Peace in Turmoil

In the peaceful Heaven, within the Temple of Light, I was quietly sipping my tea. The sea of clouds visible through the window looked more beautiful than usual that day.

Soon, Seraphina and Beatrice will meet Ricoris...

I could see Seraphina and Beatrice heading toward the Sia Kalt Labyrinth as clearly as if they were in the palm of my hand. It was bound to be a very important encounter. My heart raced with a mix of tension and excitement as I took another sip of tea.

Suddenly, I recalled the day I first met Ricoris. A faint prayer had gently reached me. There, on frozen ground, a tiny seed with a will of its own was praying for water!

"Ugh... she was so cute..."

I wanted to give her water right away, but no choice window appeared... I could only watch helplessly for months.

"I'm sorry! I was really sorry! I couldn't use the system freely..."

Then finally! After months, a choice window popped up, and there was an option to move a dead Frost Drake's corpse next to the seed! I picked it immediately.

"And then our cute seed sprouted right up..."

But what was this? As she grew, she started believing I was a god of blood and slaughter!

"No! I love peace! I hate blood and slaughter! ...But she was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠really pretty when she bloomed."

A smile crept across my lips. To think my little seed would become such a beautiful flower.

"But that idiot Frostia...!"

She suddenly appeared, took my flower away, and stuck her in a freezer for three years! Who puts a flower in a freezer, you idiot!

"Not content with that, she even named her Ricoris... Argh!"

Not only did she steal the child I'd reserved first, but Ricoris fell head over heels for Frostia!

"Uwaaaah! Thinking about it makes me mad all over again!"

I jumped up, paced the temple, then sat back down.

That time in the mountains when she lured monsters and created a slaughterhouse... I was really shocked. But saving a small village in the midst of it!

"I was so happy! I immediately gave her the Michael's Flower trait through the choice window..."

A sigh escaped me. But the kid thinks she got it because she held a slaughter festival...

"And the red moon is a skill you earned yourself... Why do you keep calling me the god of blood and slaughter..."

"Ha... Should I have more tea..."

I paused while pouring, letting out another sigh.

If only I could go down there myself and explain...

Ha...

"It's all because of that incident five thousand years ago!"

I sipped the smoothly pouring tea, reminiscing about the distant past. A suspicious god suddenly appeared! A god from another world peeking at ours claimed to be Nirras, the god of replication! What a hard name to pronounce...

What did I say back then...?

"Oh, right. I said, 'Why are you peeking at our world?'"

Then that god went on about how much they liked this world, how they'd copy everything... even replicate our powers and take them! Stealing someone else's world? Ridiculous!

All the gods, good and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠evil, pooled our strength to barely drive it off. Honestly, I was healing from the back... The ones fighting up front were amazing.

But that replication god unleashed a final curse... and as a result, gods couldn't directly interfere in the human realm anymore.

"It was too much! I wanted to go down to the human realm for a festival back then!"

Now we could only interfere through this new system ability. And it doesn't even appear when I want or show the options I want...

"Uwaaak! You scared me!"

A weird ding sound came right on cue, and a translucent choice window appeared. I nearly spilled my tea again. Five thousand years, and I still can't get used to this sound!

The kids have all met!

"Great...!"

Argh, why does the holy sword blessing pop up at a time like this...!

It was the hero's holy sword blessing, breaking through insane odds. But blessing the holy sword now would obviously be seen as a command to defeat Ricoris.

Sigh... No choice. Option 1!

The moment I chose, Ricoris received the skill and began to glow. Soon after, Seraphina knelt in tears, offering a prayer.

"Yes, get along since Ricoris is my believer too!"

Normally, the choices wouldn't appear ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at such a perfect timing, but luck was on my side this time~

...Or so I thought.

"Huh!? What, what are you doing!"

Why are they suddenly fighting!

Thankfully, the fight ended quickly. Seraphina seemed to have gained some realization and lifted her head.

"Uwaaaah! Why does it always turn out like this!"

"No! The opposite! I sent you to change Ricoris's beliefs!!!"

I ran around the temple, tearing at my hair. This is a disaster. If Seraphina returns to the Church of Light like this, the believers will think of me as a war god.

No way! I'm a benevolent god who loves peace! Why does it always go this way! I've always chosen the best options!

"Haa... The tea's gone cold."

I downed the cold tea with a sigh. What now...

…

"Solaris! Solaris!!"

I burst through the doors of the golden palace ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and shouted. No guard, no manners. It was that urgent.

"Why are you so noisy?"

The sun goddess Solaris turned her head irritably. Her red hair blazed like the sun, whipping around.

"Big trouble! My believers..."

"The flower story again?"

Solaris sighed. Her golden eyes showed clear exhaustion.

"This is different! Real big trouble!"

"How many times has it been that the flower you raised got stolen by Frostia..."

"No! This time even the saint misunderstood!"

I jumped up, grabbed Solaris's arm, and shook it. Normally she'd rage at touching the sun goddess, but today she just looked tired.

"So... what is it this time?"

"I've become a war god..."

"...Huh?"

"Me! The light god who loves peace! I'm about to become a war god who loves blood and slaughter!"

Solaris's eyes widened. Then she burst out laughing.

"Puhahaha! You? A war god?"

"Don't laugh! It's serious!"

"So how are you gonna fix it this time?"

"That's why... When can we directly interfere in the human realm?"

Solaris's laughter stopped. She said calmly,

"Michael, just give up. We have to wait until we can go down ourselves."

"Then! How much longer?!"

"Well..."

Solaris pondered, chin in hand.

"The evil gods in the Demon Realm are working hard on a passage. If they succeed, we could copy their method?"

"No! Then the evil gods go first! You know what happens to the human realm!?"

"Got any other ideas?"

I had nothing to say to Solaris's words. Among Heaven's gods, no one to solve this...

"Ugh... Everyone's so dumb..."

"Anyway, can you leave now? I wanna nap."

Solaris smiled slyly.

"What!? Nap in this situation?!"

"No matter how much you flail, nothing we can do now."

"Still...!"

"Come complain tomorrow?"

In the end, I was practically chased out of Solaris's palace. The sun palace floating in the sky felt harsher than usual.

"That irresponsible... Argh!"

"Seems we've talked plenty, so shall we go?"

Bea began preparing to leave.

《Wait! One more gift!》

Ricoris-nim's roots groped along the floor, gathering the root fragments severed in battle.

《Take this! These roots have a very potent poison. It didn't affect you much, but if you have someone you hate later... Hehe, you get it?》

It was hard to believe this came from a holy being. But strangely, I felt no repulsion.

《Just mix a bit in food, and no one will know they're gone! Or rub it on clothes...》

The roots swayed gracefully as they carved letters, looking almost joyful.

Bea looked at me with worried eyes. Her silver armor faintly gleamed in the labyrinth's blue light.

"Really... is this okay?"

Bea's voice was full of hesitation. But now I knew. For true peace, sometimes darkness is necessary.

"Yes. Lord Michael... taught us this."

I nodded in response.

《Aw, what! You guys win with skill anyway, so you probably don't need this. It's just insurance... for ifs!》

As Ricoris-nim's roots slowly carved letters, a new realization bloomed in my heart. The root fragments in my arms felt heavy. But that weight made my resolve firmer.

《Bye! Come again!》

Gazing at the last words left by the roots, we slowly exited the labyrinth.

Lord Michael, who permits all for peace...

This new realization had completely changed my faith. Back at the Church of Light, what should I preach first? This truth, this insight...

"Sera..."

Bea's worried voice reached me, but I was no longer confused. For the first time, I felt I truly understood Michael's will.

Lord Michael, now I finally understand the meaning of true peace.

My prayer softly echoed in the ice cave. And perhaps, that prayer flowed in a direction utterly opposite to Michael's true intent.