The Trials of the Gods (6)
With that, Baal passed Shamash's trial. Shamash had set Erebos as the trial, but since the question was ambiguous, there were multiple possible answers. When there's an error in the problem, joint correct answers are usually accepted. So Shamash herself had no choice but to acknowledge it as a pass.
Let's see. Now that Shamash's trial was done... the ones left were Thetis and Sagarmatha. I wondered what their trials would be like. A bit of anxiety bubbled up.
I suppressed the rising unease and stroked the head of Nyx, who was sitting on my lap. The timid little goddess. Nyx still found the other gods intimidating, so she clung to me, just peeking around nervously.
"Um, excuse me..."
"What's up?"
"N-no, it's nothing..."
Nyx's voice shrank to a squeak, like it was crawling into a mouse hole. I just silently stroked her head without a word. Timid little cutie. Mm. Nice.
"Well then, I guess it's my turn next?"
Thetis stood up as she spoke, and I grumbled softly while looking at her.
"It's the fifth one already, so it's starting to feel a bit tedious."
The other kids nodded in agreement at my complaint. Maybe I should've made them hurry it up. Plus, even though they kept saying no harming lives or whatever, there hadn't been any real crises like that anyway. I didn't know what the remaining trials were, but judging from the ones so far, it didn't seem like they'd involve any risk to other lives. No way they'd make them raid a dwarf underground village for some treasure or something... Right?
Sagarmatha did have a subtle tendency to look down on dwarves, but surely he wouldn't give a trial like that to the guys who worshipped him as a god.
"My trial will be over quickly, so don't worry. It's just going down to the deep ocean with me, that's all."
"The deep ocean?"
"Yes. The deepest part of the sea. Of course, since you'll be with me, it won't be too dangerous."
Hmm... really? The deep ocean depths would have insane pressure. Would he be okay?
"It might be a little tough. But someone aiming to be king of the gods shouldn't have any place in this world they can't reach."
I glanced at Baal nearby, and he wore a confident expression.
"You sure you'll be fine?"
"Yeah! Of course!"
Would he really be okay, though...? The deep ocean where not even a speck of light penetrates.
"Don't worry too much. I'm going with him to make sure he comes back safe and sound."
Hmm... If Thetis said it that firmly, it should be fine...? Still, a sliver of anxiety lingered. Maybe I should go too—
But that thought was cut short by Thetis's words.
"Mom can't come along. You know that, right? I'll have the other kids keep an eye on you."
"Ugh... Fine. But you have to come back in one piece. Got it?"
"Of course."
Would he really be okay? Ugh... My worries were piling up like a mountain.
So I just watched Baal and Thetis descend into the sea, stroking Nyx's head on my lap.
Thetis descended into the deep sea with Baal. The faint light visible above gradually faded, leaving only darkness seeping in. In the ocean depths so profound the sky was invisible, bizarre fish that had evolved into strange forms—unlike the ordinary ones seen higher up—flitted past the abyss. Thetis looked up at Baal above her and spoke.
"King of the gods... Honestly, the one most suited for that position is Mom... Mother. But we can't burden her with even more when she's already so busy. I don't like the idea of another god taking that seat."
Thetis's expression was different from before—no warmth at all, just cold detachment.
"So, I'll allow you to become king of the gods. For Mother's sake."
"Mother...?"
"Mm. Surprised because I'm totally different from how I am in front of Mother?"
Baal nodded laboriously in the darkness. The weight of the water pressing down made even movement difficult.
"Well, can't be helped. I always want to act like a kid in front of Mother. You change your attitude depending on who you're dealing with, right?"
"You're a completely different person..."
Thetis just gave a small laugh at Baal's words.
"And... I brought you this far because I wanted to talk where Mother can't hear."
"What about...?"
"Gaia."
The single small word from Thetis.
"That name you mentioned... it refers to Mother, doesn't it?"
"......"
"No need to freeze up. I'm just confirming. Not planning to get mad or anything."
Only then did Baal slowly nod.
"Yeah, I figured as much. Honestly, why are there so many guys defying Mother? It's such a hassle."
"Defying...?"
Thetis let out a small sigh, and a faint current leaked from her mouth, drifting away somewhere.
"Well, we're in no position to talk."
"We are too...? What do you mean?"
"Well, we're stuck with it because of our past mistakes. Anyway. It's one thing to have feelings for Mother, but you should drop any ideas about monopolizing her."
"Why? Don't speak in riddles—explain it so I can understand."
Thetis gave Baal a small smile.
"Because Mother is far too vast for any one person to claim. No being can monopolize her."
"What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like."
Thetis quietly waved her hand, and a current began to surge along her fingertips. It formed a small sphere, rotating continuously above her palm, gradually drawing in the surrounding mana.
"You know what mana is, right?"
"The power dwelling in everything in this world, isn't it?"
"Yes. The power permeating all things in this world."
The sphere rotating above Thetis's hand absorbed mana without releasing any—like a prison gathering only mana.
"Where does that mana come from, and where does it go...? I once questioned the nature of mana."
The sphere endlessly absorbed mana, and the densely gathered power inside began to emit light on its own.
"As a being born from the flow itself, I could trace the flow. Of course, it took countless trials, errors, and failures before I finally succeeded."
The sphere on Thetis's hand emitted a silver light, then scattered with a small popping sound, dissolving into silver stardust and vanishing.
"The blood that sustains this world—mana—where does it originate? Its source."
Sinking further, Thetis reached the very bottom of the ocean. An abyss filled only with darkness. A void where nothing existed but crushing pressure. And yet, inexplicably, even a hot heat could be felt from the incomprehensible depths beneath the sea.
Thetis silently touched the ground under her feet.
"The source of mana begins in the deepest place in this world, closest to the heart of the world."
"The... heart of the world?"
"Yes. The heart of the world, nestled deep underground. A massive heart hidden beneath a thick shell. That enormous, scorching heart pulsed ceaselessly, sustaining the world."
As Thetis gently swept her hand over the soil, a bit of sand shifted and floated up. With it, silver particles embedded in the sand rose, briefly illuminating the surroundings before fading away.
"That just now... mana...?"
"Yes. Mana."
The sand settled again, and the light that had briefly lit the abyss vanished completely.
"A place so dense with mana that the light of compressed mana becomes visible only when sweeping the bottom. This is one of the sources of mana."
"Here...? Wait, one of...?"
"Yes. Places like this, oozing high concentrations of mana... I've found about eight just in the ocean, all close to the world's heart and thick with mana."
Baal slowly placed his hand on the bottom. Beyond the fine sand, something began to transmit through his palm. A massive, pulsating power creating a flow of energy. He could feel the star's heart at work.
"So, why are you telling me this?"
"Hm. I thought you'd figure it out from this much."
Thetis clicked her tongue softly and gathered mana from the ground.
"This highly compressed silver mana... is almost identical to Mother's mana."
"Gaia's mana...?"
"More precisely, the mana rising from the world's heart circulates through the world and ultimately flows to Mother."
Thetis smiled faintly as she spoke.
"Mother is the endpoint of all mana. Though she herself seems unaware. Probably because she holds so much mana, she doesn't notice the inflow."
"......"
"Mother... is far too immense for any single individual to possess. So abandon any thoughts of claiming her, and just focus on doing your job as king of the gods, as she wishes."
Thetis spoke in a cold voice.
"Mother won't belong to anyone unless she herself desires it."