Chapter 319
Chapter 319
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 319
Chapter Title: God of What #6
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“Water.”
My short, single word.
But those who know will understand just how much thought and calculation, how much power struggle and scheming, submission and humiliation, are packed into that one syllable.
A little sister and her big brother. It’s an extension of the power game that’s existed since the dawn of time when those two roles were born.
Gloria seemed to know it too.
She looked at me as if asking whether I really meant it.
But without repeating myself, I stood there confidently.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if it were every little sister’s rightful duty to pour water into her brother’s cup.
Perhaps because she saw my stern expression, Gloria—who had been acting like she owned the place and ruining the banquet hall’s atmosphere just moments ago—slowly rose to her feet.
Then she slowly approached the chair where I was sitting and carefully poured water from the pitcher into my cup.
*Pour.*
Oh, look at that.
In the world, that ferocious Juno Templar couldn’t even twitch...
The woman who spat in Prince Friedrich’s face...
They say she’s Pluto’s heir, and indeed, she’s impressive.
That must be the Archduke of Hell. To make that wild brat Gloria pour water like a maid! I can’t believe what I’m seeing!
Just the simple act of pouring water into a cup had people clicking their tongues in awe and holding nothing back in their admiration. I could vividly feel my evaluation and score rising along with it.
I found the whole situation rather bewildering.
Not only had I encountered the kingdom’s most infamous Samaritan, Gloria, but I was using her like a maid to pour my water.
Of course, it was because this Samaritan woman mistook me for her brother or whatever. In that case, wasn’t it better to make use of it right now?
And it was working perfectly.
The fight between Hippolyte and Gloria, who had been growling like they were about to throw down any second, had stopped. And it was thanks to my quick thinking that the banquet could proceed in a somewhat normal fashion.
“Then behave yourself now.”
“...”
Handling a little sister who calls you big brother is easy.
I’d been tempered as an older brother ever since she was born, so I could be called a natural little-sister tamer.
My own sister never listened to a damn thing I said, but this Gloria, for all her ferocity, was perfect as a little sister.
Of course, it was a peace hanging by a single sheet of paper.
If she realized I wasn’t her real brother, who knew what would happen. What the hell is this guy?
As I glanced at Gloria with slightly uneasy eyes, someone burst into hearty laughter. It was the middle-aged man with a large X-shaped scar on his forehead—the owner of this mansion, Marquis Carvigas.
“Indeed, impressive. Everyone here knows the fearsome reputation of Juno’s Templar, who follows no one. To tame her like this... everyone’s too shocked to even speak.”
“It’s nothing.”
I said it as if it really were nothing. Marquis Carvigas continued.
“I heard you, Hassan, originally made your name as a Samaritan while adventuring. And Gloria is the most famous Samaritan on the continent. I thought it’d be interesting to have you two in the same place, so I arranged this, but it’s quite unexpected.”
Only then did I get a sense of why this rampaging Samaritan, Gloria, had come at me in the banquet hall. He’d set up an event match on purpose.
Was it to test me?
Thank goodness Gloria had that weird facial recognition disorder. Otherwise, I might’ve gotten tangled with this bizarre Samaritan and ended up in a bad spot. Just thinking about it made my chest feel cold.
Naturally, it led me to consider something.
The nobles of this world were like political warriors raised from birth to lord over others.
To them, a soft newbie god like me might be perfect prey to test and judge.
I was play-acting as Gloria’s brother right now, but in truth, didn’t I need to properly act the part of the capable religious leader, Pluto’s heir, the Archduke of Hell?
Archduke of Hell.
The thought of having to play that role made my vision blur a bit.
I’d never been to hell, didn’t even know what went on there, and suddenly I was cast as some action leader descending from there to the surface.
But thinking about it, this wasn’t my first time. Hadn’t I lied to Paranoy and Antiope before, claiming I was the Archduke of Hell, Hassan?
It wasn’t intentional, but if I treated that as a rehearsal, I could picture some image in my head and get a feel for the performance.
Like becoming the leader of Team Rocket. Instead of stroking a Persian cat, petting Paranoy’s head while swirling a wine glass this way and that—
Indeed, a damn powerful crown prince of evil.
As I was lost in those thoughts, the meal came to an end, and maids swarmed in to clear the scattered plates before us.
Watching them skillfully clean up the messy table made me quietly admire their professional skills.
With both elbows on the table, fingers interlaced and casting shadows on his face, Marquis Carvigas spoke first.
“So, what god are you going to become, Hassan?”
All eyes turned to me.
Their gazes, watching intently with interest to see what I’d say, held deep curiosity, accompanied by shallow, held breaths.
Before I could speak, Carvigas added another word.
“What can you give to the believers who follow you?”
I could feel Hippolyte glancing at my profile. In that gaze, I sensed a kind of encouragement.
Before coming to the mansion, I’d prepared anticipated answers for questions Carvigas might ask, just as Hippolyte advised.
Sure enough, he was asking what I could do for those who believed in me.
If I offer faith, what will you give me in return?
In truth, it was a basic question.
Shallow as my thoughts were, religion naturally came with people’s purposes.
It could be salvation framed as heaven or enlightenment, or a materialistic view emphasizing worldly blessings.
What could I do for those who believed in me?
It pierced to the core of who I was—what god I would become, what powers I’d gain upon newly awakening my divinity.
Honestly, I had no idea.
But I knew what I’d done. I just had to show them what grace I could bestow.
“What I can do for you. I’ll show you right now. Paranoy. Come here.”
“Y-Yes, s-sir...!”
I placed Paranoy in front of the people watching me. Then I opened her mouth to show everyone.
“Ahh.”
“G-Good lord, look at that nymph!”
“Her teeth are perfectly aligned!”
“What incredible power! It’s mind-blowing!”
Wasn’t it too early to be shocked? And Paranoy’s even teeth weren’t really my power anyway.
The people seemed to have misunderstood something, but with the atmosphere heating up, it wasn’t bad, so I proceeded.
“You can see her mouth is empty. Now, does anyone have a coin?”
Like a seasoned magician, I asked the crowd. They looked at each other’s faces, puzzled by the sudden request for a coin.
Soon, someone held out a copper coin toward me. One copper. Cheap, common, everywhere.
“Here you go.”
“Then watch closely from now on.”
I placed the coin in Paranoy’s mouth. And when I took it out again moments later, the dull copper had transformed into a gleaming silver coin.
“Behold. This is the power I can give you.”
I handed the silver coin back to the man. His face looked utterly bewildered. Curious about the surrounding reactions, I slowly turned my head and attention—
“Good lord, the copper turned to silver!”
“Such a power exists? The kingdom’s economy might collapse!”
“It’s insane! This is insane! I-I’m not ready to accept this!”
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock. They busily whispered to each other, glancing at faces around them.
The reaction was good, as I’d hoped. Turning copper to silver right before their eyes was bound to shock anyone. Luna and I had been amazed by it too, back in the day.
But it was actually a pretty simple trick. Paranoy’s grace, 《Squirrel Storage》, was exactly what it sounded like.
Like a squirrel stuffing things into its cheeks. Paranoy could store and hide things in her mouth. Like a four-dimensional pocket.
I’d put the one-copper coin into Paranoy’s storage and taken out the pre-placed silver coin. In other words, I’d returned the one copper as one silver that I had on hand.
A huge loss for me—
“Good lord, what power! To multiply money at will!”
But with reactions like that, it didn’t feel like such a big loss. Of course, I couldn’t be responsible for how they interpreted it.
It felt like lying, but according to Hippolyte, in places like this, even exaggerated tales were good if they carried dreams, so I had no choice.
Once I had a flock of believers and my cult grew in power, who knew? I might become the God of Gold, Hassan, printing gold at will.
“Interesting.”
Amid everyone muttering in stunned faces, the only one smiling leisurely was Marquis Carvigas.
“Turning copper to silver, straight out of mythology. As the son of a god should.”
Carvigas clapped in admiration. Applause and nods of agreement and support echoed here and there.
Finally, Carvigas held out a strange note-like document toward me.
“What’s this?”
“By kingdom law, building a new temple requires approval from at least four noble houses. This is my consent and recommendation. I’d appreciate it if you’d accept.”
Sighs erupted here and there.
“Marquis Carvigas, haven’t you heard much yet? Isn’t that too hasty a decision? Turning copper to silver is impressive grace, but...”
They probably thought his action too rushed. Even I thought so. I still had more to show.
Hippolyte seemed to find the judgment odd too.
“Carvigas, I don’t know what you saw to decide to support him so readily.”
“No particular reason. Getting my consent is, after all, just a small matter compared to the many questions and issues Hassan will face ahead. I simply didn’t want to waste effort or frown over it.”
His scarred eyes gleamed fiercely. Hippolyte asked casually.
“You said you gave your eyes to Pythia and gained the sight of distant futures. Did you see something in Hassan’s future?”
“Who knows. Something like fighting a giant monster. A very, very large one. Bigger than the Kraken or Hydra you all defeated. Hassan, you will fight it.”
“A monster?”
“No, just a slip of the tongue. I merely wished to bow, however slightly, to Hassan, son of the great three underworld gods.”
Laughter burst out here and there.
But I couldn’t laugh.
For some reason, the blind man’s hazy gaze felt like it pierced my body intensely.
*
*
*
『Items Possessed by Hassan
Number of Believers: 3
Number of Foundations: 0
Number of Temples: 0
Number of Priests: 0
Number of Graces: 0
Overall: A young and fragile boy god - The believers are like blind sheep. Each acts according to their own whims.
Advice: Build a temple and appoint priests.』
The number of believers hadn’t increased.
Was the performance just now ineffective? How do I gain more believers?
“Everyone’s looking for you, Hassan. The banquet’s star can’t be absent too long.”
Hippolyte approached me as I stood on the balcony, getting some air.
I listened to the noisy applause and songs coming from the banquet hall behind me.
The refined laughter and pretentiousness from earlier were gone; now it was all crashing and breaking sounds.
Drink up, drink!
Whoa, look at that pink-haired girl. She just beat the boozehound Administrative Vice Minister!
Administrative Vice Minister, collapsing again?
That’s why I’d stepped out. They kept pushing drinks on me so relentlessly that my stomach felt like it’d burst before I even got drunk.
My gut churned.
I couldn’t help grimacing, but Hippolyte mistook it for worry.
“No need to fret that much. Marquis Carvigas is famous for being unreadable.”
I was just suffering from nausea, but since a worried man seemed cooler, I decided not to explain.
“And I didn’t expect Gloria to be here. We got caught off guard. That damn wild brat.”
“Hmm.”
Instead of answering, I looked at the small document in my hand. It bore the wolf emblem of the marquis’s house, stamped with his seal.
“But we got one consent this way. Doesn’t that achieve today’s goal?”
“Yeah. With Pluto’s prestige fallen so low, willing supporters like that weirdo Carvigas are rare.”
Noble consents, huh.
Who nobles do I even know?
“But Carvigas is highly renowned as a tactician too, thanks to his future-sight. You can purely rejoice in his support. It was a patronage party for you from the start.”
“Is that so?”
“Probably saw potential in you. And the guests seem to be only his handpicked acquaintances. They all appeared favorable toward you.”
Was that the case?
I hadn’t felt particularly welcomed. I’d even wondered if their constant drink-pushing was a ploy to knock me out with alcohol poisoning.
“In fact, most of today’s guests were former Pluto believers. Carvigas himself was a fervent follower back when his eyes were fine.”
“I didn’t notice at all.”
“Nobles are skilled at acting, after all. Hiding their identities, their true feelings, themselves—it’s like breathing to them.”
Hippolyte’s eyes sparkled toward the distant night sea. She opened and closed her mouth as if she had something to say, then spoke like a small sigh.
“Anyway, let’s head back in. With you gone, that wild brat Gloria’s starting to cause chaos again.”
Hippolyte patted my back and guided me into the banquet hall.
No solemn airs, just a rowdy mess of drunken wildlings bursting into laughter in the hall.
“Cheers to the great ruler of the underworld and the world, Hassan...!”
“Hurrah!”
“And cheers to the top believer of Hassan, the great future Hell Frontier Countess Paranoy...!”
“...”
“Please have a drink with me! And if I die someday and go to the afterlife, please send me to paradise instead of Tartarus...”
“Hey, me first. I pretended to convert to Vesta worship but secretly prayed to Pluto’s statue!”
“Was that ‘Pluto forever’ graffiti behind city hall you, Sverre?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn it, do you know how much trouble that caused the Administrative Vice Minister hunting heretics?”
“Not my problem. Anyway, the prophecy has come! We Pluto believers are rising again! The heretic misunderstandings will clear! In that spirit, Hassan. A drink with me—”
Pouring and drinking from all sides got me thoroughly drunk. Things started doubling in my vision.
“I, uh, I already beat the, whaddya call it, the god of light or whatever! All done!”
“Ooh, impressive—”
As the mood heated up, someone said.
“Truly lovely ladies. Their radiant beauty like goddesses keeps drawing the eye.”
“Indeed. Delphi’s famed for beauties, but these are unique stunners you won’t see around here.”
They praised Luna and Hippolyte’s looks. The problem was what came next.
“So, between the Amazon girl and the pink-haired miss, which is Hassan’s wife? If neither, I have an unmarried daughter...”
At that, Hippolyte and Luna, laughing in their drunkenness, froze with cold expressions.
“Why leave out Paranoy? And why no cheers for me? Penalty for all...!”
Paranoy’s drunk too. I forgot to tell them not to give her any. As I tried to stand before drunk Paranoy caused trouble—
The white-skinned barbarian who’d been sitting quietly, Gloria, bared her fangs and growled.
“My brother has to live with me forever. Not giving him to anyone.”
“Does that mean you, Lady Gloria, intend to marry Hassan?”
“Are all continentals idiots? Marry your own brother? Think we steppe folk are like you barbaric continentals marrying cousins?”
“The girl’s drunk. She really thinks Hassan’s her brother.”
“Real siblings? They look alike, from outfits to faces. But barbaric continentals? Who’s she calling—”
The murmurs grew louder.
It was right then.
“Ahh, this won’t do. I tried to behave as a good little sister, but I can’t hold back seeing my strong, majestic brother.”
Someone hoisted me up and slung me over their shoulder, snapping me sober from the alcohol.
“Let’s do that thing we used to—! Hngh!”
“What the— Sverre, what’s that mean?”
In my eyes, I saw Hippolyte’s face, showing pure bewilderment as she looked at me.
“Grab Gloria! This is gonna end badly!”