The Deal
Enki laid out, point by point, exactly why Sunya was dangerous.
"He's of human origin, yet he knows how to become a god through his own power. He possesses overwhelming martial strength, and though imperfect, he can even reverse time. On top of that, the knowledge he carries is considerably threatening. If he ever set his mind to it — no, if his true identity simply became known to the world — it would unleash tremendous chaos."
"…So? At least that 'knowledge' of his is something both I and Grandpa Enki already know, so I don't see it being much of a problem."
The expression vanished from Inanna's face.
It was the look she wore when she was truly furious.
"Even so, you're not about to start defining Sunya as an 'enemy' or a 'target for elimination,' are you?"
"You've gone too far, kid. Calm down and listen first."
Enki turned his gaze to Sunya.
"I don't think you failed to anticipate something like this. If anything, you showed me your past knowing full well I'd react this way."
"That's right."
"…I figure there's a reason for it, so let's not beat around the bush. Tell me what you want."
Still holding Inanna in his arms, Sunya spoke.
"I agreed to show you my past, Lord Enki, in order to earn your trust."
"Trust, is it… Then what exactly are you proposing, going so far as to demonstrate that trust?"
"Well, for starters — could you grant me roughly a day's reprieve? I have a few things I need to sort out."
As he said this, Sunya looked down at Inanna nestled against his chest. The expression on his face as he gazed at her was complicated in more ways than one.
Inanna tilted her head at her husband's look. Yet a strange unease made her grip tighten on the hand she held in his, almost without her realizing it.
"The truth is… I think I may need to leave this place."
Once he and his wife were finally alone, Sunya carefully broached the subject. They were in Inanna's bedchamber, so there was no chance of anyone eavesdropping nearby.
"Leave? To where?"
"Beyond Kienkingir. Just so there's no misunderstanding — I'm not talking about attempting time travel again. I simply mean crossing the barrier that walls off this world."
"Is that even possible… No. If it's you, Sunya, it would be."
"Yes. Using my eyes, it shouldn't be all that difficult."
With Sunya's eyes — his Myeong-an — it might well be possible to cross even the barrier that divided the worlds. After all, those eyes could reverse time itself. Crossing a mere wall should be nothing by comparison.
And yet…
"…Do you really need to leave? Honestly, I feel like you could win even if you fought Grandpa An."
"Winning itself might be possible, yes. But there are a few problems."
Sunya continued his explanation.
"Actually, when I visited Lord An's court during that festival, I used my Myeong-an to examine the nature of his authority."
"You did?"
"Yes. Ordinarily I refrain from scrutinizing others with the Myeong-an — it isn't polite — but something about that moment felt off."
"And?"
"Lord An's authority is absolute command over the gods of Kienkingir. It's similar to Lord Enlil's Word of Command, yet different. Explaining at length would be tedious, so let's call it Divine Kingship."
"…What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. He can issue absolute orders that no god of Kienkingir origin can refuse."
"Which means?"
"If any conflict escalates into war, a great many people will die. People's lives will grow even more desolate. As you know by now, I may enjoy a fight, but I have no love for war or slaughter. It may sound contradictory to you."
"But Grandpa An might not just sit back and watch you leave, you know?"
"I'll need to look into that further, but my instinct says he'll simply let it be. The elderly tend to be indifferent to matters outside their own domain, don't they? Haha…"
"…Is that so?"
"Even if it isn't, I'll find a way to handle anything related to that."
"All right."
Inanna accepted it readily enough. What truly troubled her was something else entirely.
"Please don't worry too much. Even if I leave, it doesn't mean I'll never return. The intervals may be irregular, but I intend to visit as often as I can."
"Mm…"
Inanna's voice grew small. Rationally, she tried to accept it somehow — but her heart would not cooperate.
Why leave all of a sudden?
This is our home.
Did this place mean nothing to you? Just one more world you were passing through?
Then what about our children…?
She knew Sunya was not the kind of man who would do that. He had said he would keep coming back, after all. He was not someone who would ever abandon his family.
Even so, once the thought took root, darker ones began to follow in a chain.
Maybe even I, to Sunya, am…
"Which brings me to this."
Sunya's words cut through Inanna's spiral of thought.
"Would you leave with me?"
With that unexpected proposal, Sunya opened his eyes and looked at her. She could tell that he, too, was uncharacteristically tense. And as she met those distinctive eyes — blue as gemstones — every anxiety that had been tormenting her vanished in an instant.
"Yes. Let's do that."
There was not a shred of hesitation in Inanna. One could say the answer had come out reflexively.
"Er — aren't you deciding a little too quickly? Leaving your homeland is no small thing, after all."
"I don't care. It'll be a little sad, but I'd rather travel with you. Still…"
Inanna took hold of Sunya's cheeks and pulled them in opposite directions.
"You did that on purpose just now, didn't you?"
"Whad do you meah?"
"You made it sound like you were going to leave me behind. You steered my thoughts in that direction on purpose."
"Id's a misundersdanding."
For a moment the couple squabbled in an almost embarrassingly sweet fashion.
"So what are you going to do about it?"
"About what?"
"Major gods like me are responsible for domains of the world. I oversee the fertility and vitality of living things — without me, life here will struggle to flourish. At least for now."
"I have a plan for that. You don't think I'd have brought this up without considering it, do you?"
"?"
Sunya sought out Enki and laid out his proposal. His resolve was so firm that even Enki was taken aback.
"So it's just the two of you leaving — you and Inanna?"
"That's right."
"There's one major problem, though…"
"The domain Lady Inanna oversees will be passed to my daughter, Lady Nanaya."
"Excuse me? Domains aren't something you can just casually hand off to whoever you please."
When a god transferred the domain they governed to another, that domain did not simply vanish even if the original god perished. But that did not mean just anyone could inherit a domain. Lineage, temperament, disposition, divine nature — all of it had to be suitably aligned for succession to be possible. There was a reason the gods, once a certain order had settled over the world, no longer waged wars of mutual annihilation.
"It simply needs to be passed to my daughter, Lady Nanaya."
But Sunya spoke without the slightest hesitation.
"That's…"
Sunya's suggestion was not entirely baseless. Nanaya looked so much like Inanna that the two could have been twins, and her personality was a carbon copy of her mother's as well. Of course, differences in hair length and the absence of a beauty mark meant no one would actually confuse the two — but still.
"But just because she resembles her in looks and temperament doesn't guarantee—"
"I confirmed it with my eyes, so there is no doubt. You know what that means."
"…"
Put that way, there was little left to say. Enki had seen Sunya's past firsthand and understood the power those eyes held.
"And you asked why I showed you my past so readily, didn't you?"
"I did."
"I'm not asking for anything difficult. Simply look after the children of mine who will remain in Kienkingir. Or at the very least, do your utmost to that end."
"Hmm."
Enki hesitated — or rather, put on a show of hesitating. Sunya saw straight through his intentions.
"Please don't pretend to play hard to get. Having seen my past, you must have realized — this universe does not consist of Kienkingir alone. It may never come to it, but should war ever break out, the presence of powerful gods will be desperately needed."
"You're right about that. With Inanna leaving as well, there'd be a hole in our strength — and that could put us at a disadvantage competing against the gods of other worlds."
Moreover, every child born to Sunya and Inanna was a powerful god in their own right. It would have been stranger if any offspring of those two had turned out weak.