The Path to Becoming a God
Meeting Nandihara had opened the Sage's eyes to a wider world.
The deity was talkative by nature, and so the Sage learned a great many things about the realm of the gods.
Nandihara, it seemed, had long made a habit of slipping down to the mortal world in secret for a look around. One day he had spotted a demigod named Virudhaka, taken an interest, and followed him — only to cross paths with the Sage himself.
As an aside, Virudhaka was not a demigod in the conventional sense — not the offspring of a god and a human. Rather, a fragment of power once held by a distant ancestor had, by chance, reawakened in the present generation.
And it was common knowledge that the founding ancestor of the Kosala Kingdom had been none other than Rama, the famed avatar of Vishnu.
"I knew humans had started mimicking our power through something called Four-Image Martial Arts," Nandihara said, circling the Sage and giving him light, probing taps — as if testing just how solid his body had become. "But I never imagined training it could make someone this strong."
"At this level, you're well beyond most demigods, aren't you?"
"I'm honored by the praise."
"Hmm. Even against the likes of Arjuna or Karna, I wouldn't bet on the outcome."
"…I didn't realize those figures had actually existed."
The Sage knew the epic that chronicled the war of the Bharata clan — the Mahabharata. Arjuna and Karna were the great heroes of that tale.
"To be compared to such superhuman warriors leaves me at a loss for words."
"Well, since things have come this far, I'll give you a word of warning in advance."
Nandihara leaned in close to the Sage's ear and whispered.
"Leave it here. Go any further, and Mara Papiyas will come looking for you."
"Mara?"
"He exists. Think of him as a twisted bastard who shows up in front of people like you — the ones trying to cast off the shackles of humanity."
"…And why would he come looking for me?"
"Because those who try to break free of their innate limits tend to cause enormous chaos. That's why the ones called Rishis in the past — who claimed they could become gods through ascetic practice — never came to a good end, not a single one of them."
Rishis.
The Sage knew of them as well. In the present age they were dismissed as mere legend, but they had been sages of old who sought, through rigorous cultivation, to be reborn as higher-dimensional beings. They were said to have attained lifespans far beyond those of ordinary humans — and yet, for reasons unknown, not a trace of them remained in the world today.
"…Did they all die?"
"They ended up worse than dead."
Nandihara's tone carried the weight of a threat. But the Sage had to fight back the urge to burst out laughing.
There's a level even higher than this!
He could grow stronger still. And this time, he might even clash with warriors who had transcended humanity itself.
The Sage was overjoyed.
He had been on the verge of accepting a wretched fate — becoming king, crushed beneath duty and responsibility, quietly waiting for death. To discover that an entirely different path existed filled him with a wild, almost giddy delight.
In that moment, he even felt as though destiny itself had reached out to him.
"Anyway, I hope you live a good long while. From now on, human heroes like you are going to become rarer and rarer."
"…What do you mean by that?"
"It's what the Primordial Gods want. They are deeply wary of powerful individuals capable of rewriting fate on their own."
After that, the Sage and Nandihara traded idle talk of every kind — which of the human nations was currently the strongest, how the gods differed from mortals, who among the deities ranked highest in power. The conversation had no through-line whatsoever; it wandered wherever it pleased.
"It's been a long time since I talked with a human. I enjoyed it."
"As did I. It was an honor beyond my station to receive a great god such as yourself."
"Come on, I already told you — I'm at the very bottom of the divine hierarchy. That's exactly why I can sneak down to the human world without the other gods noticing."
Nandihara drifted upward, rising into the sky.
"Well then. I hope our paths cross again."
"Farewell."
With that parting exchange, Nandihara vanished into the far distance. The Sage watched him go for a long moment, then turned and passed through the northern gate of the city.
His footsteps felt remarkably light.
Crack!
The Crown Princess slapped the Sage across the face.
"You left your devoted wife behind and went gallivanting around outside. I think this much is fair, don't you?"
"I'm sorry."
"Do you have any idea how worried I've been? How could you be so irresponsible?"
"I'm truly sorry."
"No — you're not sorry. If you'd thought of me even a little, you never would have acted this way!"
"You're right about that."
The Sage nodded.
"I have never once thought of you, Crown Princess."
"How dare you say—"
"It must be because I don't love you. And that remains true even now."
"…What?"
The Sage knew full well that he was a thoroughly terrible man. Calling him a villain who deserved to be struck down on the spot would not have been an exaggeration. But he had decided these were words that needed to be said.
"Let us divorce."
"…What did you just say? I must have misheard you."
"I've found something I want to do. I don't want to be responsible for anything. I don't want to be bound by anything, either."
"…"
"I'll compensate you however I can, within my power. Anything short of sharing a bed or producing a child — I'll grant it. Even if what you ask for is my life."
"…"
"If you wish, we need not announce the divorce publicly. You can continue living here with the same authority you hold now — or greater. Love someone else if you like; I won't mind in the slightest. I have no right to hold on to you."
The Crown Princess was so stunned she could not speak. She simply stood there, vacant, as though her soul had left her body. She could neither understand nor fully grasp what was happening.
The Sage kept talking after that, but none of it reached her ears.
"…Tell me once you've sorted out your thoughts. I plan to leave this place within a week."
Coldly, he left the dazed Crown Princess standing there and walked away. He went straight to find his cousin, who had been serving as the king's proxy.
"You've returned, elder brother."
"How is it that you're acting as the king's proxy? And what is this about Kosala dragging soldiers in to invade Kapila Fortress?"
"For that, you have my gratitude. Thank you for protecting the Shakya Kingdom, elder brother."
"I may lack shame, but I am still a man of the royal house — of course I would. More importantly, what happened?"
His cousin let out a sigh and recounted the events of the intervening time. After the Sage had left the palace, the king had wasted away in illness and died not long ago. In his place, the cousin had been managing the affairs of state.
"Did Father leave any final words?"
"'I never should have believed that damned fraud of a swindler.'"
The Sage did not need to ask who the swindler was.
"Fortunately, the experience of assisting you in the past proved a great help. I don't know how you feel about someone as insignificant as myself standing in for the king, but the situation was urgent, so I hope you'll understand."
"No. You did well. How could I fault you for it? From now on, take the throne yourself and lead this nation."
"…Excuse me?"
"I will transfer the royal authority to you. The formal procedures will have to wait a little, but I am not joking."
"…Are you saying you're abandoning this country?"
"No. I will still do everything I can to protect our family and our people."
"Elder brother!"
"I'm sorry, but my mind will not change."
"…So from the very beginning, you had me help with your royal duties for this purpose."
His cousin pressed a hand to his forehead.
"More importantly, tell me what happened with the Kosala Kingdom."
"…I don't know for certain. Perhaps some careless remark I made years ago reached King Virudhaka's ears."
"If I recall correctly, that was years ago. He marched an army over some gossip from years past?"
"In truth, the pretext hardly matters. That man forcibly deposed his own father, Pasenadi, and seized the throne for himself. All he has is raw power, so he's launching wars of conquest to cement his position — trying to bury his own filial betrayal beneath a pile of achievements. We are simply the sacrificial offering."
"So you already saw this coming."
The Sage pondered for a moment, then said something entirely unexpected.
"Come to think of it, there's no real need to worry."
"Pardon?"
"I can defeat them all on my own, after all."
"…What are you talking about? Did you hit your head?"
Faced with the Sage's deranged claim, his cousin's words came out harsher than he intended. The man had been spouting nonsense he could not comprehend for some time now, and at last his patience had run out.