Duamutef (3): The Academy Lounge
“Hah. Unbelievable.”
A blond man sprawled across an entire sofa, legs spread wide. He was the Empire's Second Prince, neck-and-neck with the First Princess in the cutthroat race for the throne.
“I figured those rumors about him being the Saintess's lover were just some desperate bid for attention, spread by attention-seekers.”
The moment those rumors started circulating, he'd ordered his subordinates to dig up every scrap of dirt on the guy. The guy seemed to prefer a quiet life, so he'd assumed it was all a misunderstanding.
Crack.
“She has a child?”
The armrest crumpled under his grip.
“The Saintess is pure and innocent. There's no way she'd fall for a playboy like that.”
Albus hadn't done anything blatantly wrong, but in the prince's eyes, he was already a sleazy womanizer. The prince was usually rational and composed, but when it came to the woman he adored, keeping a cool head was impossible.
Years ago, at the Empire's capital Harvest Festival, he'd met her for the first time. Devoted to the gods, she exuded a holy, mystical aura. He'd always seen women as shallow, half-baked creatures—devils of gossip and loose lips—and avoided them like the plague. But the moment he laid eyes on that extraordinary woman, he was utterly captivated by the Saintess.
Ever since, he'd poured his soul into winning even a sliver of her attention. Why else would he dive into the imperial succession he'd previously ignored? When he heard she'd be coming to the academy, he'd been over the moon.
Someday, when he triumphed in the race for the throne.
Someday, when he ascended as Emperor.
At his coronation, he'd have her place the crown on his head—and confess his love. He'd take her hand and whisper sweet words of devotion.
The union of the Empire's pinnacle and God's daughter. It would echo beautifully across the millennium of prosperity, under Deus's blessings.
But a child with another man? How dare some filthy playboy impregnate that sacred Saintess!
Normally, he'd first consider the rumors might be twisted and investigate thoroughly. But his reason was already clouded.
“He must've pulled some vile trick.”
Maybe hypnosis or some dirty curse. Or perhaps he exploited her kind heart.
Grind.
The prince gnashed his teeth.
“Lugal.”
“You called, Your Highness?”
A male student in academy uniform, waiting at the prince's side, responded promptly.
“Albus Bernier, right? We need to grab him and interrogate him. Personally.”
To confirm if he was really that close to the Saintess.
If that little kid who caused a scene in the academy was truly their child.
I'll verify it myself.
“If I may, Your Highness. Albus Bernier is the son of Duke Bernier, a full-fledged noble of the Empire. Interrogating him without cause could be dangerous.”
It was just a rumor floating around. Malicious gossip about celebrities was commonplace—surely his lord wouldn't fall for it. Lugal eyed his uncharacteristically agitated master with concern.
“If we seize and question Albus Bernier recklessly, the neutral Bernier Ducal House might take offense and side with the First Princess's faction, turning against us.”
How many princes and princesses had desperately vied to win that monstrous duke to their side? Alienating him over his son would be suicidal.
He was used to his master's obsession with the Saintess—it was what had finally spurred the once-lazy contender into the succession race. But charging in over this absurd rumor that the duke's good-for-nothing son knocked her up? Unthinkable.
“Above all, it's just students gossiping for kicks. No need for Your Highness to step in personally. Let me investigate discreetly and report back.”
As his retainer, he had to prevent his master's rash actions.
“No.”
The prince rose slowly.
“I'll handle it myself.”
Madness gleamed in the prince's eyes.
“We just need to interrogate him without revealing my identity.”
“Your Highness...!”
“Enough. Don't make me repeat myself.”
Bloodshot eyes stared him down. Lugal realized he couldn't dissuade him anymore.
“If you're worried about exposure, don't be. There's a perfect world for that, isn't there?”
The prince nodded toward the login device on the table.
“......The login device? Your Highness, you don't mean......”
“Luddera has an item called [Polymorph Scroll].”
Extremely rare item, but grants temporary full polymorph magic to completely alter the user's appearance.
“We can interrogate him without blowing my cover. Put surveillance on him.”
Once they knew when he logged into Luddera and where he was, they could grab him incognito.
After the interrogation confirmed the truth.
If it was all real......
The prince's eyes burned with sinister light.
The woman he'd chased his whole life.
He'd show no mercy to the man who dared claim her first.
* * *
“Eek! Not like that!”
Maybe because she'd just confirmed her father's love, the girl with perky animal ears sprouting from her head wanted to look cute for him. Her tongue had already started slipping into baby talk.
“Eek!”
“Not this?”
Fizzle.
The light that had been glowing brightly from Albus's palm faded away.
“Like this!”
“Like this?”
“Like this!”
As Duamutef wiggled her tiny hands in the air, a tree mimicking Albus's form sprouted from the ground.
“I mean like this!”
Duamutef planted her hands on her hips, scolding him like a little teacher.
“......Even if you say that.”
Albus felt a sudden wave of futility watching her nail effortlessly what he couldn't manage.
Lessons from his daughter on wielding divinity.
Once he grasped the method, he could use it right away. He'd wielded godlike power freely in Luddera—surely reality would be easier.
Or so Albus thought.
“Like this!”
“Like this?”
“Eek! No, like this!”
Reality wasn't so simple.
'What the hell does 'like this' even mean......'
No matter how precisely he mimicked her gestures, his divinity just shimmered harmlessly.
'Is it her vague explanations I can't get, or do I just lack talent?'
Albus slumped to the ground.
'The Saintess said my future self used divinity. So I will master it eventually. Just need more time?'
“......”
Duamutef glanced nervously at her seated father.
“Daddy......mad?”
“Huh?”
“Dua taught bad......”
The girl's energy deflated. Her ears drooped too.
“No, no! Daddy's not mad! Why would I be mad at our Dua? You were trying so hard to teach me!”
“Really?”
“Really really.”
“Hehe.”
Albus nodded vigorously, and her beaming smile returned.
“Then hug!”
Squish.
Dua burrowed into his arms.
'Gotta be careful. Even my little reactions could hurt her.'
Adopting a love-starved goddess as his daughter. How did things end up like this?
Gurgle.
His stomach rumbled.
'Come to think of it, I haven't eaten.'
Classes had ended, and he'd been heading to eat with Valtburg when Dua kidnapped him. The shock of events had distracted him, but now stability brought hunger.
“Dua.”
“Yeah?”
“Wanna eat with Daddy?”
“Yeah yeah!”
Too bad he couldn't wield divinity yet, but time was on his side. Since his future self did it, watching her should let him pick it up soon. And now that he knew her loneliness, he couldn't leave her in this barren desert.
He'd take her to the academy.
“She couldn't get back alone anyway.”
Albus chuckled.
He'd planned to learn divinity to return, but he'd need Dua's help.
“Huh? Whatcha mean?”
Dua looked up with big, innocent eyes.
“Nothing. Let's eat quick. Can you send Daddy back where you brought him?”
“Okay!”
Dua hugged his waist.
Whoosh.
Instantly, Albus stood with her in the academy's research lecture hall.
'Back.'
The building was quiet, sun long set.
'Even a grand mage—no, Kartesia—shows precursors for long-range teleports.'
Mages chanted or gathered mana; Kartesia used dragon tongue or mana flux. But Dua's spatial jump had zero warning—just seamless shift from desert to academy.
'This is divinity.'
The symbol of gods, wielded only by them. Awe shivered through Albus at its overwhelming power.
'Someday, I'll wield this too......'
“Albus?”
A voice called from behind as he pondered.
“Yeah?”
Turning, he saw Perigit holding a loaf of bread.
“What're you doing here......huh?”
Her gaze shifted to Dua beside him.
“That kid......”
Come to think of it, faith-follower Perigit had met GM and Dua.
What a coincidence.
But no way she'd recognize her. Who'd believe her god appeared as a little girl? Those animal ears probably just screamed beastkin kid.
“A human kid?”
Perigit tilted her head.
'Human, not beastkin?'
Intrigued by her reaction, Albus looked down at Dua hugging his leg. The animal ears had vanished, leaving a normal human girl.