Ch.276The Death Choice (1)

Life in Helium was flowing smoothly, and the three days I had promised to Mora passed quickly.

Today was the day when the crisis Mora had warned me about would arrive. I have no idea what kind of crisis she was referring to when she mentioned it, but since I don’t know, I plan to visit the temple.

I’ll also receive some divine power while I’m there. I’ve been spending passionate nights with Adelia lately that rival those of newlyweds, so divine power is essential.

Marie and Cecilly seem to have decided to step back during this vacation, as they haven’t interfered at all.

Instead—or perhaps I should say consequently—I’ve frequently caught both of them staring at me with heated gazes. It seems they’re approaching their limits and will need some attention soon.

Since I might end up dealing with all three of them simultaneously, I plan to stock up on plenty of divine power this time. There’s always the possibility that Marie and Cecilly might try to persuade Adelia to join them.

But the main purpose of visiting Mora’s temple is, of course, conversation.

Similar to Luminus, but perhaps more so, Mora seems to have a particular fondness for me, likely because I helped save her favored race, the demons.

She says she wishes I would visit every day, and that she’s happy her temple was built in Mayshall territory so we can meet frequently.

Since I mentioned that demons received salvation through the Biography of Xenon while simultaneously increasing the concentration of divine power several times over, that’s probably the reason.

‘So, what kind of crisis is coming that made you ask me to visit?’

[It wouldn’t be fun if I told you in advance~]

As soon as I asked the question, I received a typically Mora-like answer. She reminds me of Loki, the Norse god of mischief.

Actually, I had anticipated this situation. She must have had some scheme in mind when she specifically asked me to visit after three days.

However, what gives me pause is that gods don’t lie to their favored followers. This prophecy (?) about an approaching crisis was limited to me alone.

Therefore, it might not be anything serious. With this in mind, I grumbled to myself and opened my mouth.

‘I understand. Then I’ll be going now.’

[Ah! Sorry! I won’t joke anymore!]

When I genuinely tried to leave, Mora hurriedly stopped me with an urgent voice. She should have done that from the start.

As soon as I heard her plea, I closed my eyes again. When I concentrated, Mora’s voice echoed in my head.

[I just wanted to talk with you… *sniff*…]

‘Acting pitiful won’t work on me.’

[Tch. This kid is getting craftier by the day.]

‘Thanks to whom?’

[Is this how you should treat someone who’s the Goddess of Darkness and Repose?]

‘If you harm me, as I mentioned before, I’ll describe you as a hidden evil god.’

[I’m sorry.]

Just listening to our conversation, I might seem like an insolent person daring to talk back to a god. But all of this can be seen as Mora’s affection or playfulness.

To be honest, no matter what I do, a single finger-point from Mora would end my life.

Even my threat to portray her as an evil god would be seen through as a lie by those who can glimpse the future.

To the gods, including Mora, I’m probably just an adorable pet.

A normal owner would shower their beloved pet with unlimited love and affection, not trample or torment it.

In that sense, Luminus, Mora, and Hirt are by no means evil gods.

They are, at least from my perspective, extremely benevolent gods who generously indulge their pet when it throws tantrums or makes demands.

But one shouldn’t cross the line. Just as owners might discipline or punish their pets if they bite them, the same applies to gods.

‘You’re all good people, but I just wish Hirt wasn’t in pain.’

[Our mother has been complaining about back pain lately too. There might be an earthquake soon. So be careful.]

As I’ve mentioned numerous times, Hirt is the Goddess of Life and Nature. As the goddess of nature, she’s also in charge of natural disasters.

If she gets angry, volcanoes erupt, and if she accidentally falls and hurts herself somewhere, earthquakes occur—she’s truly one with nature.

There haven’t been any recent natural disasters severe enough to destroy a nation, but if you search through history, there are records of terrible calamities that led to the fall of countries.

[As population grows and science advances, the frequency of natural disasters will likely increase too. Just like on your Earth.]

‘Are there nature gods like Hirt on Earth too?’

[Of course. There’s never a place where humans live without a nature god. More precisely, it’s a planet where humans naturally evolve.]

‘But isn’t Earth struggling with global warming right now?’

[Of course it’s struggling. It’s like a human whose fever keeps rising without going down. The increased frequency of natural disasters is also because the heat keeps rising instead of falling.]

Conversations with gods often yield fascinating insights. As someone who was an atheist in my previous life, their stories are like another fantasy.

Also, as a former atheist, there are parts I don’t understand. Specifically, the Earth gods these gods mention.

This implies that Earth also has transcendent beings like them. However, apart from books like myths, gods have never directly spoken to humanity.

There were “saints” like Jesus or Buddha who actually existed, but whether they became gods is unknown.

‘I’m curious. Why don’t Earth’s gods give direct oracles to humanity?’

[There are many complex reasons. First, there are so many gods, numbering in the hundreds, and if one starts, all would follow. Unless a significant chaos occurs, it’s very rare for Earth’s gods to give direct oracles.]

‘What would qualify as significant chaos?’

[Like a demon invasion where all sorts of monsters pour in because a hole opened from another dimension? But Earth’s dimension is so robust due to the many gods that such incidents are almost non-existent.]

It sounds like a hunter story. But did I reincarnate here by breaking through that robust defense?

I suddenly wonder what kind of demon those demon worshippers were trying to summon that they managed to pierce through Earth’s dimension.

If it had been executed normally, it might have caused an incident no less significant than the one in the Biography of Xenon.

Whether it’s a blessing in disguise or karma, the demon worshippers’ heads are being crushed because I crossed over.

‘But is it okay to tell me all this?’

[We don’t mind if you use this as material. It would actually be great for developing this world’s culture.]

‘Hmm…’

Indeed, as Mora said, I plan to address a similar story in the sequel to the Biography of Xenon, not World War II.

But that’s for the distant future, so let’s get back to the main topic.

‘I understand. By the way, the conversation got sidetracked, but when will the crisis you mentioned arrive?’

[In about 3…]

’30 minutes?’

Thirty minutes seems both insufficient and ample time to prepare. Moreover, since Mora will respond immediately, there shouldn’t be a problem…

[…minutes?]

‘What?’

[3 minutes left.]

What an evil god. I felt more bewilderment than panic when told that the impending crisis was only three minutes away.

I even had the rational suspicion that all her chattering was just to stall for time.

[Heh.]

I was right. Seeing her laugh after reading my mind confirms it.

After gaping in disbelief for a moment, I immediately started looking for ways to deal with the crisis.

But I need to know what the crisis is before I can address it. So I hurriedly asked Mora.

‘Can you tell me what the crisis is? Given that only 3 minutes remain, you can tell me now, right?’

[Actually, it’s not that big of a crisis. Just that your mother has come to the temple?]

‘What?’

No way. How did she find her way here? Did she search my room and find Gartz’s summoning paper?

That’s entirely possible. But I had locked the drawer containing the summoning paper.

And I kept the key to that lock in a safe, making it very difficult for my mother to break through.

[Oh, that? She just ripped the lock off with brute force.]

‘Is my mother secretly a descendant of a hero or something?’

[Not at all. It’s a combination of innate talent and strength gained from living with your father. Even you are belatedly blossoming with talent, aren’t you?]

As Mora said, even with divine power and an excellent teacher (Adelia), my growth is at an unreasonable level.

From the beginning, even when I only received basic knight training, I was evaluated as having excellent potential, though the baseline was too high.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to spend the entire dawn in passionate embrace with Marie on our first night.

Anyway, let’s move past our family’s talents and focus on escaping the crisis.

If she really reached Helium through Gartz, she’ll soon discover I’m here. I came to visit the temple with Cecilly.

[I have a re~ally good solution if you want to hear it?]

‘What is it?’

While I was pondering how to resolve the current situation, Mora asked me in a subtle voice.

She giggled mischievously and then answered with a tone full of anticipation.

[Would you like to open your eyes and look in the mirror?]

‘…Don’t tell me.’

This situation feels familiar. Déjà vu?

Following her suggestion, I opened my eyes and shifted my gaze towards the mirror. Each private prayer room has a full-length mirror, allowing me to see myself.

And sure enough, I could only lament at my reflection in the mirror.

‘Ah. Please…’

Without exaggeration, a red-haired, golden-eyed beauty with watermelon-sized breasts stood proudly in the mirror. If I just let my hair down, I’d be a heavenly woman with beautiful looks.

It’s the grown-up appearance of my lovely and cute little sister, Lilly, and what I would look like if I turned into a woman.

If nothing else, those enormous breasts seem excessive. It’s a size that makes me seriously question if anyone larger than Cecilly and Cherry exists.

I’d rather die than accept this. I’d choose death instead.

After staring at the unnecessarily beautiful woman reflected in the mirror, I gently closed my eyes.

[If you go out like this, even your mother won’t recognize… Ouch!]

‘Huh?’

As I was about to confront Mora with a sigh, her sudden scream echoed in my mind.

It sounded like she had been hit by something, and sure enough, Mora’s complaints soon resonated in my head.

[Ugh… Why did you hit me! That hurt! Can’t I even play a joke?]

‘…’

[Okay! Okay! I won’t do it if you don’t want me to! So petty, really…]

It seems she was properly scolded by either Luminus or Hirt. Well, she did cross the line.

She continued to grumble for a while, then spoke to me quietly with a voice full of disappointment.

[…Mom says not to do it. She says it’s like neutering a pet in Earth terms, but I don’t really understand.]

‘Pfft!’

That’s quite an apt comparison, Hirt.

As I always feel, these gods have remarkably human aspects.

Usually, gods are portrayed as having no human traits, pursuing only their interests like sociopaths, but these gods are incredibly benevolent.

That doesn’t mean they’re pushovers. As Hirt’s comparison suggests, to gods, humans are just small and cute pets.

‘So what will you do now? If it’s too troublesome, you don’t have to do anything. It’s just a so-called crisis; I’ll just get scolded and that’s it.’

[No. I said I’d help, so I’ll help till the end. Let’s see… Yes. This would be good. Would you look in the mirror again?]

Following Mora’s instruction to look in the mirror, I carefully opened my eyes and shifted my gaze towards it.

And…

‘Oh?’

I couldn’t help but be surprised by my appearance, which was both similar and completely different.

With this, my mother might truly not recognize me.

*****

“Hello, Princess. You’re as beautiful as ever.”

“Hello, Mother. You’re beautiful too.”

Meanwhile, outside the temple, Cecilly was exchanging greetings with Issac’s mother, Annah.

Though she was smiling and greeting her outwardly, she was inwardly quite flustered. That’s because she never dreamed Annah would come here.

When she heard the situation from Gartz, she had planned to gently persuade Annah to return. The reason being that despite the shock of Vin’s death, she couldn’t interfere with Issac.

“This is my first visit to Helium, and it’s so beautiful. That’s why I was late visiting the temple. I’m sorry.”

“Not at all. I’m the one who doesn’t know where to put myself when you praise our country.”

But the situation reversed after Annah arrived in Helium. She fell head over heels for Helium’s beautiful scenery.

While she was still looking for Issac, a new goal of touring Helium emerged, making it awkward to simply send her back.

For Cecilly, while Issac was the most important person, Annah was also important as Issac’s mother, making it difficult to be firm with her.

Moreover, Cecilly’s defenses had long crumbled as Annah praised her beloved homeland, Helium.

“Lord Cross is here too, but where is Marie?”

“Marie is currently staying at the palace. If you wish, I can grant you permission to enter the palace.”

“No, thank you. I have my pride. I just came to check if Issac is doing well, and I’ll return shortly.”

While the atmosphere was outwardly cordial, Gartz, who had brought Annah here, was in agony.

He couldn’t refuse the request of his benefactor’s mother, but if he complied, he didn’t know what Issac would say.

From Gartz’s perspective, it was like being caught between a rock and a hard place. He could only hope that Issac would be merciful.

“But please don’t scold Issac when you meet him. Understood?”

“Don’t worry, Princess. I didn’t think Vin would die either. I’m just upset that Issac visited Helium as if he was running away. If he had come with me, I wouldn’t mind, but going only with his daughters-in-law made me feel neglected as a mother.”

“I understand that feeling.”

Thud- Thud- Thud-

At that moment, they heard someone walking from inside the temple. Everyone waiting outside turned their gaze towards the entrance.

Issac had entered the temple for worship, and many people had come and gone, but now only Issac remained.

This was information they knew from careful counting, and Cecilly had just informed Annah of this.

Therefore, the approaching person must be Issac…

“Huh?”

“Hmm?”

“Oh?”

Everyone couldn’t help but wear puzzled expressions. The person walking out of the temple was someone they didn’t recognize at all.

With long hair tied up like a woman’s and a delicate appearance, one might mistake him for a female at first glance.

However, his sturdy shoulders and lean but solid physique clearly indicated he was male. Up to this point, these were Issac’s characteristics.

But when looking at his face, the story changed. He looked like Issac, but the colors were completely different.

Jet-black hair that only grows on demons, blood-red eyes, and finally, black horns on his head.

Unlike Gartz’s ram-like horns or Cecilly’s straight upward ones, his horns were small protrusions.

An appearance and aura that could captivate countless women’s hearts. Along with this, he wore black ceremonial clothes that matched his outfit.

Faced with the appearance of this flawless demon, Issac’s acquaintances were dumbfounded for various reasons.

Cecilly questioned the existence of a horned demon without dark mana, Adelia wondered where Issac had gone rather than focusing on the handsome man, and Annah showed interest in the demon with charm rivaling Hawk’s(?).

Lastly, Gartz… had no particular thoughts. Instead, like Adelia, he wondered where Issac had gone.

Just as the demon emerging from the temple was about to pass by them, Cecilly spoke up as the “peach” scent emanating from him hit her nose.

“Excuse me. You there.”

“Yes?”

The demon male looked at her with an expression asking what the matter was. Cecilly met his deep red eyes and politely asked:

“Have you seen a red-haired man inside? He has golden eyes.”

“Hmm… I’m sorry, but I don’t think I have.”

The man said this and immediately walked past. As he passed, a strong peach scent seemed to fill the air.

So, is Issac still inside? But that demon is too suspicious.

Moreover, he didn’t emit any dark mana, which is characteristic of demons. This means…

‘…Mora must be playing tricks again.’

That demon is definitely Issac. Having been a victim of Mora’s pranks before, Cecilly was certain.

He seems to be in disguise to avoid Annah, but the disguise suits him too well. She watched the retreating figure of the demon, Issac.

Originally, Issac had a warm aura, but just changing his colors made him ooze sensuality. It’s a bit odd to describe a man as sensual, but let’s move on.

The important question now is whether to play along with his act. Unusually, he was acting well, unlike his usual self, but Cecilly had already figured out the situation.

She could barely hide the laughter welling up inside her. It was hard to even prevent her lips from quivering.

Looking at the others, they didn’t seem to realize he was Issac…

“Hmm… This is strange. Wait, Issac?”

At Annah’s natural call to her child.

“Yes?”

The demon, or rather Issac, who had slightly lowered his guard, turned around with a clumsy expression.

“…”

“…”

“…Pfft!”

Hahahahaha!

In the end, Cecilly couldn’t hold back her laughter.

No matter how much he changes his appearance or aura, Issac is still Issac.

Full of gaps, overflowing with clumsiness, truly someone who can’t lower his guard even a bit.

‘Ah, really…’

He’s so lovable it’s maddening.