Ch.228Volume 17 (3)

The Goddess of Darkness and Rest, Mora, unlike her twin brother Luminus, has a strong childish and mischievous side.

She throws tantrums at her followers, occasionally plays pranks through her oracles, and sometimes even sulks when a follower scolds her harshly.

Because of this, one might question whether she’s truly a goddess or a transcendent being who has lived through ages unimaginable to mortals. Especially since Luminus displays behavior much closer to what one would expect from a true deity.

But this is merely doubt, not disrespect toward Mora. One simply wishes she would maintain a more divine dignity.

Besides, while Mora may act childish, she is a benevolent deity who shows her followers kindness and compassion in a way different from Luminus.

[You’re late! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?]

‘I apologize.’

[If you were going to be late anyway, you should have been an hour later! Then I could have turned you into a woman completely!]

The problem is that her mischievousness can be a bit excessive. I sighed with relief internally as I listened to Mora’s complaints.

I could somehow tolerate my hair remaining long. Though inconvenient, it didn’t really interfere with daily life.

But a gender change was something I had to prevent at all costs. The thought of losing what’s below and gaining something above was mortifying even to imagine.

‘I’d prefer if you didn’t say such horrible things.’

[Oh my! Horrible? Sure, your shoulders might feel stiff and you’d feel empty below, but it wouldn’t be that bad.]

‘If you’re going to joke around, I’m leaving.’

[Sorry.]

When I firmly refused, Mora seemed embarrassed and apologized immediately. I could almost picture her sticking out her tongue with an awkward smile.

Dealing with her is exhausting in many ways, but it also makes her feel more human, which is comforting in its own way.

Though she acts childlike, it makes her endearing. It almost feels like interacting with an ordinary person rather than a deity.

‘Did you have something to tell me?’

[No, not really. I just wanted someone to talk to.]

‘…You have other followers.’

[They are them, and you are you. You’re special because your soul comes from another dimension.]

At first, I wanted to ask what she meant, but Luminus had shown similar behavior. He even patted my head last time.

As Mora said, being a soul from another dimension naturally draws their interest. It made me feel strange.

‘Cecilly would be upset if she heard that.’

[That child isn’t a soul from another dimension like you, is she? Besides, all children are special to me. You’re just extraordinary.]

‘Um… I understand.’

Though playful, she is still a deity. Despite her frivolous tone, every word carried sincerity.

I wondered what to say that would please Mora, then decided to just speak freely. Since she said she was bored, following the flow of consciousness seemed appropriate.

‘You said you bestow blessings upon demons and dark elves, right? Are there no other races?’

[Not particularly. Humans and elves mostly believe in Luminus, while dwarves and beastkin believe in our mother.]

‘By mother, you mean Goddess Hirt?’

[Yes.]

Hirt is the Goddess of Life and Nature, and the mother of the divine twins. I’ve heard many stories about her, but unlike the twin deities, I’ve never spoken with her directly.

According to Leona, rather than establishing “temples” like Luminus or Mora, one communicates with her through a kind of “ritual.” I was told that without needing to build a temple, one could converse with her by offering appropriate tributes and performing the ritual.

For this reason, races that worship Hirt possess a unique power called “sorcery” rather than “magic.”

Sorcery is a power that differs fundamentally from magic, and was used by humans as well as beastkin in the distant past. Even now, barbarians in undeveloped outlying regions still use sorcery.

If magic is like programming, coding to produce results, sorcery is a mysterious ability that defies explanation. The most notable example is the “rain ritual,” and occasionally sorcerers are invited to places suffering from drought.

‘I’ve never met Goddess Hirt. You said there’s a temple for Hirt in the Kingdom of Makina, right?’

[Yes. Would you like to meet her sometime?]

‘I should pay my respects, shouldn’t I? So far I’ve only met Luminus and Mora.’

[Alright. Wait a moment. Mom! Could you just…]

Mora’s voice gradually fades away. Listening to this, I was reminded of something familiar from my past life—when someone asks to put another person on the phone during a call.

Like with Luminus before, I suddenly became curious about how the gods live. Are there “angels,” the ancestors of elves, there too?

According to mythology, they lost their wings and fell to earth after wronging the gods, but it’s not clearly specified whether this was one individual or many.

Moreover, there are documents stating that it was an angel who delivered the seed of the World Tree during the Demon War. This suggests that there were multiple angels, not just one.

While I was lost in these idle thoughts, my “call” with Mora, which had been interrupted, reconnected.

[Mom says do as you please. But since you seem busy these days, she says you don’t necessarily have to come. Or you could ask that child Leona.]

‘Ask Leona?’

[Yes. She can possess that child and convey what she wants to say. Of course, only when you want it. Mom emphasized there’s no rush since there’s plenty of time.]

‘I understand.’

I wonder if Leona can use sorcery too. I had no idea about that.

Well, even as the third wife’s daughter, she’s still a lion beastkin, so she must have learned something.

‘Do you have any requests for me, Mora?’

[If I had to say, turning you into a woman…]

‘Anything but that.’

[Aww, why not? Just once. Just close your eyes once, can’t you? You’d be so pretty.]

That “you’d be so pretty” somehow bothers me. I opened my eyes in shock upon hearing those words.

But there was no change to my body. My lower half was still robust, and my chest remained unchanged.

So what did she mean? With lingering doubt, I closed my eyes again and asked Mora.

‘What do you mean pretty? Nothing has changed.’

[Open your eyes again and look in the mirror.]

Mirror? Come to think of it, each private prayer room in the Helium temple has a full-length mirror.

They’re placed there so worshippers can make themselves presentable before praying to Mora. This is true for Luminus’s temples as well.

I opened my eyes and turned my gaze to the full-length mirror beside me. After blinking for a while, I slowly got up to check my reflection.

‘…Oh, please no.’

The reflection in the mirror was absolutely feminine. My hair, which I had tied back, was somehow loose and flowing like a waterfall down to my waist.

My face, which had always been fair like my mother’s, now had even more delicate features, and my physique had completely changed.

My shoulders and waist had narrowed, while my hips had widened into elegant curves. This alone was shocking, but the most noticeable change was undoubtedly my chest.

They were huge. Impossibly large masses protruded from my chest, defying description.

I was wearing my school uniform, and the buttons were about to pop off. And this was a male uniform!

What an unfair figure. Neither Nicole, nor Cecilly, nor even Cherry would have such proportions. To be blunt, I looked like walking pornography.

Damn it. I couldn’t help but curse. The beauty in the mirror mimicked my actions as I covered my face with my hands.

No, absolutely not. I’d rather bite my tongue and die than live like this.

With such a figure, everyday life would be unbearable. Grinding my teeth, I knelt down again.

[What do you think? Pretty, right? Living like this once in a while…]

‘Mora.’

[It’s not bad… Huh?]

‘If you continue, I’ll describe you as an evil god in my book.’

[Hiiing…]

Realizing the sincerity in my words, Mora showed a dejected response. I imagined a puppy drenched in rain, but wrong is wrong.

However, seeing a deity so depressed made me feel a bit sorry. I sighed and spoke quietly with a hint of apology.

‘…Don’t you think you’ve imposed your personal preferences too much?’

[Huh? What do you mean? If you became a woman, this is exactly how you’d look.]

‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’

I couldn’t help but curse again. Nicole has a good figure because she exercises, but why would I look like that? Even my mother doesn’t have such proportions.

As if overhearing my doubts, Mora kindly explained.

[That’s because the potential lies with your father, not your mother. Lilly, was it? When she grows up, she’ll probably look exactly like that. The facial features might be a bit different, though.]

‘…My sister will grow up to look like that?’

[Yes.]

Upon hearing that confirmation, one thought immediately came to mind.

She’s going to attract a lot of pests. I’ll definitely need to protect my little sister.

By the way, father really does have exceptional physical talents. Thanks to this, I learned something about our family traits.

‘Haah… Mora.’

[What is it?]

‘First, I’m sorry for cursing. It was just too shocking…’

[No, it’s okay. My pranks can be excessive too. In return, I’ll infuse you with plenty of divine power today. Do you have any other questions?]

The situation could have become awkward, but fortunately it was smoothed over. I thought about Mora’s question for a moment before speaking.

‘Please just tell me what I should be careful about in the future. I meant to ask Luminus but forgot.’

[Things to be careful about… As my brother already said, no dark clouds loom in your near future. Though some annoying matters will arise.]

‘Annoying matters?’

[Yes.]

To my puzzled question, Mora gave a cryptic answer.

[The content of the 18th volume you’ll write in the future. The world will reveal that content to you. And soon.]

‘…?’

At that time, I couldn’t understand what she meant.

*****

Around the same time, in the Papal Kingdom of Sabre.

“Oh! You’ve returned, Cardinal Kate!”

“Have you been well, Lord Deimos?”

Kate, with pure madness in her heart, had returned to the Papal Kingdom.