Ch.375Side Story. Hierarchy

“Ah, really. How many blind dates do I have lined up?”

Deia grumbles while looking at her notebook with her schedule. She chews on toasted bread with irritation and lets out an annoyed sigh.

“Darius, that bastard, should focus on doing his job properly instead of being so dedicated to marrying off his little sister.”

I suppose he just wants his little sister to meet a good man and build a happy family.

These words lingered on my lips, but I didn’t say them. I already knew what answer I’d get, and after being caught in the act with Stella this morning, I had no right to speak.

[If you hate it so much, you could just stop going on blind dates and go back.]

When Stella, sitting across from me, asked what the problem was, Deia made a subtle expression.

“No, it’s just…”

Seeing her hesitate like that, it seemed Deia knew she could stop going on blind dates, but there was a reason she deliberately wasn’t doing so.

I guess Darius keeps finding potential matches because Deia keeps trying without giving up.

The reason why Deia, who acted like she wanted to leave immediately, was reluctantly going on blind dates.

As Stella and I stared at her, Deia scratched her cheek and glanced at me cautiously.

“I-I can stay in Robern that way.”

“…That’s why?”

When I asked in disbelief, Deia glared at me and snorted.

“That’s why? When the blind dates end, I’ll have no reason to stay in Robern, so I’ll go back to Norsweden. You want me to go back? You don’t want to see me?”

I knew from experience that I needed to choose my words carefully here.

“Even though it’s unfortunate, Darius is working hard. Finding a match for you can’t be easy.”

As I subtly changed the subject, Deia seemed to have nothing to say and just let out a small groan.

“Shouldn’t you go back to Norsweden anyway? Darius is already weak when it comes to diplomacy and administrative work.”

I could clearly imagine the giant of the north, who usually swings his sword to protect the northern lands, sitting alone with a pen, struggling and making an effort.

“I’ll contact him first.”

Deia seemed to recognize she was doing something unfair to Darius and nodded with a sigh.

Her face looked slightly shadowed with guilt, so I added:

“Just to be clear, I’m not saying this because I dislike you. I like having you around.”

Deia lifted her head slightly at my words, trying to gauge my expression. She seemed to want to know if I was sincere.

“I don’t lie to you.”

Quoting what I’d said before, Deia finally smiled broadly, satisfied.

“Right, you don’t lie.”

She seemed to reminisce about the time when I openly revealed that I wasn’t Deus Verdi but Shinwoo Kim.

Back then, I couldn’t have imagined this outcome.

Despite all the twists and turns, I feel like we’ve come down the right path.

After finishing our meal, Deia returned to Robern. Whatever the case, she needed to contact Darius first.

If Norsweden had fallen into chaos due to his incompetence, that would be another problem.

‘I should also visit Illuania and Sevia.’

I’d only heard that they were doing well, but it had been quite some time since I’d met them in person.

Of course, now that I was no longer Deus Verdi, they could be considered strangers, but for me, those two were still symbolic.

Those who had given themselves to me.

A repayment for the favor of Deus Verdi.

Gratitude toward the first people who accepted me in this land.

Although they initially urged me to make somewhat extreme choices, they eventually accepted me, didn’t they?

Anyway.

After Deia left, Stella and I were sitting on the sofa in the living room.

[Hmm.]

I was reading a book about vegetable gardens while basking in the sun after a long time, when Stella snuggled into my arms and sat on my lap.

It wasn’t bad.

Was it because she was once called the Saintess of the Sun?

Or was it because of the warm midday sunlight?

She emitted a pleasant, warm energy and scent. If sunlight had a scent, it would surely feel like this.

“Stella, I’m reading.”

Despite saying that, I didn’t move my hands away, so Stella coquettishly rubbed her cheek against mine.

[When I was a Saintess, I always prayed to the goddess Hestia when something good happened. To express gratitude.]

My eyes followed the text, but my ears listened to her words. I flipped a page of the book, but Stella knew I was listening and continued.

[I wanted to offer a prayer of thanks today too, but then I realized I am the deity.]

For a moment, I wondered if she was joking, but that wasn’t it.

[I always thought good things came from the gods, so I gave thanks… but actually, it’s not that different now. I’m still grateful to the divine.]

“I don’t deny faith. But I don’t simply entrust all fate to it either.”

That’s probably why I was able to twist fate and survive like this.

“Stella, everything you’ve achieved is your own accomplishment. The reason I love you isn’t because you were a noble Saintess serving the gods. It’s because the conviction held by the woman named Stella was beautiful.”

Pleased by my words, Stella lightly kissed my cheek.

[Still, prayer to the gods is a habit, you know?]

“In that case.”

Flip.

As I turned another page, I answered nonchalantly.

“Offer prayers of gratitude not to other gods, but to yourself.”

[…]

“You’re certainly worthy of it.”

My eyes were still following the text, but I noticed Stella’s gaze fixed on me.

When I briefly met her eyes as if asking if there was a problem, Stella smiled brightly and replied.

[Was that a joke just now? About gods and self?]

“Wasn’t it a decent play on words?”

As I shrugged indifferently, Stella suddenly kissed me.

Smooch.

Slurp.

After a very elaborate kiss with our tongues intertwining, she exhaled hotly and asked me.

[Why are you seducing me?]

“…I wasn’t.”

I really hadn’t intended to, but Stella, who had been subtly grinding her bottom against my lower body while kissing, checked below and smiled slightly.

[It’s hard.]

As if that was a signal, Stella was about to pounce on me, but.

[Stop! Stop! The child is watching!]

The Dark Spiritmaster, who had been in the living room, shouted while holding Ppopsil.

[You’re in heat! Stella, come here! Staying close like that isn’t good for Ppopsil’s education!]

It wasn’t that Stella was following the Dark Spiritmaster’s words, but since she was watching, Stella slid off me and sat beside me.

Then, with a subtle expression, she asked the Dark Spiritmaster.

[Senior, you’re not still doing what you said you’d do last time, are you?]

What she said she’d do last time?

It seemed like a conversation between just the two of them that I didn’t know about, but the Dark Spiritmaster answered confidently with a smile.

[Of course I am!]

“What is it?”

Ignoring the boasting Dark Spiritmaster, I quietly asked Stella, who whispered in my ear to briefly explain what was going on.

[She said she was teaching Black Magic to Ppopsil.]

I couldn’t help but sigh when I heard that. Seeing the child use Black Magic, it was clear she wasn’t lacking in intelligence.

“Can’t you treat mental disorders or something? Not with holy power, but through counseling or something.”

[If that were possible, I would have done it long ago. Senior has a strong ego, so she doesn’t even admit she’s sick.]

“Sigh, she wasn’t like this before.”

[Just as I changed from a Saintess to Stella, I guess Senior is changing too. Like infantile regression.]

[Hey, you two! I can hear everything!]

The mental disorder comment was just a joke, but anyway. I was about to say that teaching Black Magic to Ppopsil was truly absurd when.

Whoosh.

Blue flames shot out of Ppopsil’s mouth.

The blue flames that burn souls, which necromancers often use and which I frequently used as my main skill.

“Huh?”

[Eh?]

As Stella and I both widened our eyes, the Dark Spiritmaster grinned and held Ppopsil forward.

[See! See! It worked! This is the kind of person I am! You can’t ignore me anymore!]

Teaching magic to an animal.

Naturally, such a thing didn’t exist in the past or present. It probably wouldn’t appear until quite some time in the future.

Honestly.

I couldn’t do it right now.

I don’t particularly like animals, and I wouldn’t think of teaching them magic.

How could I communicate with animals when I already struggle to connect with humans?

If this were shown to any academic society, they would all scramble to recruit the woman known as the Dark Spiritmaster, and she would pose a threat to Erika as a powerful candidate for the next great mage.

Simply making an animal use magic.

That’s not what’s important.

What’s important is that she created a system where even animals can use magic.

In other words, anyone with the intelligence of a wolf pup could use magic.

This meant she had developed technology that could enable all of humanity to use magic.

Did she know?

Did she realize what she had created?

Not like those gods who merely watched from afar.

Had the Dark Spiritmaster realized that she had truly reached the divine realm in terms of magic?

Probably…

[Isn’t it amazing? Isn’t it awesome? Don’t you want to praise me now?!]

It seemed she didn’t know.

‘This technology is still…’

Since it seemed difficult for humanity to accept yet.

And since we, who had already withdrawn from the continent’s power dynamics, shouldn’t interfere.

The ripple effect of Ppopsil being able to use magic was…

“Ppopsil’s rank has gone up.”

Simply raising Ppopsil’s status within our household.

[No, why?!]

Of course, the Dark Spiritmaster jumped up and down, complaining it was unfair, then beat her chest before wincing in pain and making a tearful face again.

[Ppopsil betrayed me!]