73. Pure Love [Anni Agape]
73. Pure Love [Anni Agape]
He took a deep breath.
His stride was neither wide, nor too narrow.
His two hands, clasped behind his back, were relaxed. His gaze, looking downward, was arrogant.
Trampling all the earth beneath his feet,
He elevated himself above the heavens—
"Heavenly Demon's Dominating Step."
Ttuk.
The dainty sound of footsteps echoed on the floor.
'....Hmm.'
Well.
It wasn't exactly a strange thing.
Little kids loving sentai shows like Power Rangers was a common, common thing.
"But do you really have to do it right next to me?"
"Double checking. Mai, did I do well?"
"Yeah. You were amazing. You overflowed with dignity."
"Mm....! That's only natural for the Heavenly Demon!"
At first, when I told her to stop spouting nonsense, she got all pouty and kept tapping the floor with her foot, saying she'd practice until her dignity came back to life.
Since I realized that just playing along once was better in the long run,
I roughly indulged Mai's childishness and waited for her to get tired.
"Heavenly Demon's Dominating Step! Heavenly Demon Punch! Heavenly Demon Death Beam!"
"Wow. So, so scary."
"....Trait, Wise Mother and Good Wife. Detected Big Brother's enjoyment. Sure enough, the Heavenly Demon is great."
".........."
What was it, not exactly an excuse but,
For one, seeing a fairly cute kid on the outside going thump-thump on the floor with her feet and shouting Heavenly Demon Punch! Heavenly Demon Punch! was a sight worth seeing.
Should I say she was fluttering about? It was charmingly cute.
"Phew, too absorbed in training. I need rest."
She wiped a single bead of sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, then she sat down on the guest chair and sucked on the 1.25L carrot juice I gave her.
"...There's a limit with a straw."
As if drinking was a bit frustrating, she opened the bottle cap and tilted it to drink— ehei, hey, hey!
Cheolsseok.
"—Pffbfft?!!"
Since the container was so big, when she tilted it all at once, the contents surged like a wave and soaked Mai's face.
Thanks to that, not only her mouth but also her nose was doused in juice.
"I just had a feeling you'd do that."
"...A mistake unbecoming of Heavenly Demon. I feel the need for further discipline."
She was speaking as casually as possible, but she couldn't hide her flushed cheeks and earlobes.
"There's a cup right there, so pour it into the cup and drink."
"Eub, ueub.... euung....."
I pulled out a few tissues and wiped Mai's face.
To think of orange juice trickling down under her nose.
As I even wiped the juice dripping under her chin, Mai closed her eyes languidly and spoke.
"....Wanna do it?"
"No."
"Trait, Wise Mother and Good Wife. Internal adjustments possible. If I push a little, I can satisfy Big Brother right away."
"Is that so."
Then just sit here and suck on your juice.
I took out a paper cup, poured the juice, and handed it to Mai.
"...Does Big Brother hate me?"
"If I hated you, I would've sent you back long ago."
"Then, why?"
"Why, you ask...."
Was she seriously asking that?
When I stared at Mai, she nodded her head as if she truly didn't understand.
"Will not get pregnant. Will not refuse. Can avoid legal danger. I am the 'White Horse' gifted by the God."
....But why won't you 'use' me?
"......Oof."
Cronus, good lord.
I pressed down on Mai's head and answered.
"My type, you saw it before, right? Mars."
"Affirmative. I was able to pinpoint Big Brother's tastes. Big Brother likes them thick and juicy."
"....It suddenly became that..."
It was a bit, bewildering.
Mai soon turned her head toward me and said.
"I need a little time. If Mai becomes thick and juicy, will you hold me?"
".....I wonder?"
"............."
"No, I really don't know either."
First of all, I already slammed the no-brake excel pedal and proposed marriage to Mars.
Should I say my conscience is a bit pricked at the idea of cheating on Mars, or what...
I didn't want to imagine what kind of face she would make if I showed up later and suddenly said I wanted to add more women.
"Eung, it's not that."
"What?"
A voice broke in as I was agonizing.
Mai said to me.
"A 'wife' and a 'White Horse' are different."
".......Aha."
So, since she is in the position of a 'White Horse' and not a 'lover', there would be nothing to fight over?
'I doubt she would understand at all.'
Even I couldn't understand it right now.
"Trait, Wise Mother and Good Wife. Denied Big Brother's speculation. Should I explain again?"
".....Forget it."
Now that I thought about it, your life was quite pitiful too.
If I were to differentiate, both you and I were in positions somewhat like Cronus's toys.
The only difference was that I was unwittingly willing, and you were willingly unwitting.
Ultimately, I affirmed Mai.
She said she was born for that 'purpose' the moment she came into the world, and if I suddenly denied that purpose, how was that any different from denying her life goal?
So, I would acknowledge that she was born for 'that purpose,' but,
"Still, if you ever want to do something else, tell me anytime. I'll accommodate you as best I can."
"....That gives Mai hope. Mai has a request for Big Brother."
"A request?"
What more could she possibly want?
Mai opened the magazine in her hand and showed something, fidgeting.
"Please buy me, this...."
"..........Eom."
Heavenly Demon Goods.
They were selling the clothes the Heavenly Demon wears in the novel.
'Now she's even planning to cosplay?'
Buying it was fine, but I didn't know where to put it.
Could I just keep it in the dorm room? She hardly had any clothes to begin with except her uniform anyway.
"....Ah, now that I think of it,"
Could she live with me in the dorm?
As I looked at Mai and worried for a moment, Mai answered me first.
"Trait, Wise Mother and Good Wife. Trust Mai."
"....Alright."
Since she was telling me to trust her, I had to trust her.
Come to think of it, she hid herself so well when the others came before, as if she was there but not there.
Should I say she erased her presence? Her skill at slipping out of sight at any moment was an art.
...She wasn't planning on being by my side even when making a baby, was she?
"Hm? A wise mother and good wife must always stay by Big Brother's side. Isn't that common sense?"
"If that's common sense, the world's common sense has gone and died."
"Can join if desired. So, wanna do it?"
"Go grow taller first."
I told you, stop trying to turn me into a pedophile.
At my stubborn refusal, Mai pouted her lips again and chewed on the straw stuck in her carrot juice.
"...I will definitely, build a body befitting Heavenly Demon."
"What do you mean by a body befitting Heavenly Demon...."
Was it that?
That thing where the martial arts are top-class but something else is third-rate?
I roughly cheered on Mai's intentions and lay back down on the bed.
"Hah....."
I had nothing to do.
"Trait, Wise Mother and Good Wife—"
"—Don't."
"....Dejected."
"Can't you just say it with words?"
No matter what, something wrong is just wrong.
I roughly turned over and tried to find something to kill time.
'....Now that I think of it.'
The harp, the harp Ur gave me.
Did that still remain intact?
I remembered it transformed into a dagger and was completely shattered...
[Ur's Harp]
-A harp that can transform into any instrument.
-Tuning is always in optimal condition.
-Currently in [Damaged] state.
"....I see."
It was shattered to pieces and finished, after all.
Anyway, did this mean I could no longer grant buffs?
It was a reliable fellow in many ways, so it felt a bit bitter that it went out like this.
'Well, I could survive thanks to it.'
Mars's talisman helped too, but the harp Ur gave me was a big help as well.
Come to think of it, I had to thank Ur too.
"Wanna go to a karaoke together after I'm discharged?"
"Karaoke? Can I sing [Heavenly Demon☆Punch] if we go to karaoke?"
"Probably? But was there even a song like that?"
"Not a 'song like that.'"
".....Alright."
You Heavenly Demon-crazed little thing.
I removed Garu and the worn harp and lay down on the blanket.
"Hah......."
What was Ur doing around this time?
Just as I was quietly thinking about Ur...
...
..
.
"I've come to make a contract, Hephaestus!"
"..........?"
Ur was spending a rather busy time.
***************
The harp she had given him—
She had thought it could be used as a self-defense weapon in a pinch, but she never imagined it would break.
"Add the indestructibility attribute, please! I beg of you!"
"It's not exactly a difficult task, but...."
Hephaestus stared at Ur and asked.
"Why should I?"
"..........."
Sure enough, so that was how he was going to play it.
However, this much was something she had anticipated when coming here.
Ur slowly spoke toward Hephaestus.
"It is a gift for the Hera-class."
"!,...You've already appointed a 'Hero'?"
"To be precise, we are calling him 'Hero of Will.' Hera is extremely fond of him, calling him a child that makes even a god look forward to his future."
"That means.... Heuuum......"
Well.
Whether he liked it or not, he would have to bestow a gift someday.
When the time came, Hera would surely come and pester him.
Since it was something he had to do sooner or later, Ur added one more word to it.
"The 'weapon' that the 'Hero of Will' currently holds is not a weapon granted by the current Olympian gods."
"...Zeus, that fellow, is being petty even to his own apostle, huh?"
"To be precise, it is because the Hero of Will chosen by Hera is not the 'Apostle of Zeus' but the 'Apostle of Cronus.'"
".......What...?"
That was,
what,
...What did you say?
"The Apostle of Zeus cannot receive the name of 'Heracles.'"
".....Oh."
Ohh.
Ohhhhhhh!!!
"They really picked out behavior exactly like themselves and then fell flat on their faces!"
Keolkeolkeolkeol.
Hephaestus clapped his hands, letting out a hearty laugh that was rarely seen.
"A weapon with indestructibility? No, it was an instrument? Anyway, fine. I'll make it for you. In exchange, you'll have to tell me everything that's happened so far."
"I have written a poem. Would you like to hear it?"
"A poem sung by a corner of the Muse. I'm already looking forward to it."
Soon, Ur's poem began to echo throughout the temple of Hephaestus.
"Kyaha... That bastard is the spitting image of that dickhead, isn't he?"
First, about the Apostle of Zeus—
She condemned him for flirting with multiple women and acting like they were his women.
"....Pure love...!"
She told the journey that the Apostle of Ares and the Apostle of Cronus had shown.
"Keuhahaha! The look of those bastards is the same, top or bottom!"
She contrasted the story of the Apostle of Zeus and the Apostle of Hera.
"Heuh... If you have no power, you should just go and die. Why does he strut about as if he were Zeus himself?"
Soon, it built to the climactic moment.
The Abyssal Monsters that the Apostle of Zeus and the apostles of other gods challenged.
The story of the monster kings, and the apostles who fell before them one by one.
And then,
"Oh...."
The Apostle of Cronus.
He made everyone flee and remained alone to struggle.
"Ooh.....!"
He collapsed and crumbled,
His whole body was crushed in agony.
The reason he shed tears and ran away, yet eventually pulled himself together again, was—
"Oooooh───!!!"
Solely, to protect one woman.
For the lover he loved.
The 'Hero of Will' who finally took up the sword his lover had embraced and handed him, and struck down the Abyssal Monster.
"This, is the 'Poem' of the Apostle of Cronus, Chrono."
"........It's pure love."
It was truly pure love.
An undeniable pure love.
And if it was a weapon for such a 'Pure Love Alert,' he could make anything.
Hephaestus could no longer contain himself.
"You wanted a weapon, was it?"
"To be precise, I want to make it so that he relies on the Olympian gods, not leaning on Cronus's armament."
"Of course it must be so. He is the Hero of Will chosen by Hera, and a Hero of Will I have acknowledged!"
As if I would let him rely on a mere staff wielded by an old-timer who should be recorded in the past!
Hephaestus began hammering with true sincerity, his pure love refilled for the first time in a while.
Kkaang, kkaang.
The sound of the hammer echoed across all of Olympus.
At the tip of a hammer brimming with pure love, a 'divine artifact' was born.
Hephaestus named it—
"──Pure Love [Anni Agape]."
"............."
Yes.
Hephaestus was Hera's child.
He, too, was a pure-love-crazed pure lover.