Day of Divine Manifestation(2)

Waterfalls of chocolate and cheese fall viscously yet softly on either side of the statue, and various food ingredients float above them, sculpted into shapes.

People enjoying the party marveled at the sight, which was like looking at a river, and each scooped up the floating dishes with forks and spoons.

“Oh, this is truly…!”

“What an exquisite taste!”

“This is simply marvelous…!”

Naturally, everyone who tasted the food exclaimed in admiration and awe.

It would have been troublesome if they didn’t react this way, considering I had worked so hard alone for 4 hours from 6 AM to make this.

The result of my all-out efforts for 4 hours using the highest quality ingredients.

This was the chocolate and cheese waterfalls and the dishes filling their surroundings and tops.

This was truly the best cooking that the current Yeonhwa could show in 4 hours, and fortunately, this result was enough to make the mouths of the palace party people drop open as I had expected.

When I casually asked earlier on my way back from placing additional food, even the king seemed satisfied with these table-breaking waterfalls newly erected on top of the huge table.

Well, it’s natural since they probably only imagined a large table with delicious-looking food on it at best, no matter how much they expected.

Additionally, Arin and Shati whom I glimpsed, and Kana, Riana, and the busy Pina I saw in the back all showed satisfied reactions, so my mood was quite upbeat.

Perhaps with a party of this level, we could create the most splendid Day of Divine Manifestation ever held.

I smiled while lightly muttering such words to myself on the way back to the temple kitchen.

At the same time.

“…Then, it’s about time.”

I quietly looked around and then quickly started moving, changing my course from heading to the kitchen.

I put the kitchen knife I had been holding constantly into my waist and loosened a few buttons of the tightly fastened cooking scarf and uniform.

“There won’t be a need for more cooking for a while.”

I deliberately put a cook’s buff on the dishes so they would maintain their freshly cooked temperature for at least 3 hours, and even if all the people in the temple street rushed to my cooking right now, it would last for a good hour.

So during that time, I had to do what was necessary in advance.

Unlike usual when only priests and shrine maidens were there, the temple was full of ordinary citizens because it was the Day of Divine Manifestation.

Therefore, while being mindful of those ordinary citizens, I quickly walked towards my private room where everyone would be gathered.

With each step, the surrounding scenery changed, and with each step, the people filling my vision changed.

Every time I quickly passed by, people felt something strange and turned around, but I was long gone.

Cutting through such crowds of people, I instantly arrived at my room located in the middle of the corridor and immediately opened the door and entered with a small sigh.

Bang──!

“I’m here. Everyone get up.”

“Ah, Mother. You’ve finally arrived.”

“Welcome, Mother.”

“You’re here…?”

“You came quite quickly.”

“I had to come quickly. I need to send you all out.”

As I entered the room and greeted, four answers came back.

In order, they were the responses of Myu, Libby, Isolde, and Morgan.

Of course, Isolde, who had been used as labor to make the chocolate and cheese waterfalls earlier, was half-dead, but seeing her somehow getting up and recovering, it seemed there was no need for great concern.

So I shrugged my shoulders while answering Morgan’s words that I heard last.

The reason why I temporarily stopped cooking and came here, gathering everyone in the private room. It was, as I just said, to send all four of them out of the Phara Kingdom.

To explain more precisely, Myu was accompanying them in the role of sending out these three – Isolde, Morgan, and Libby.

And the reason why Isolde, Morgan, and Libby had to leave the Phara Kingdom was simple.

“Since we’re demons, it’ll be lucky if we don’t die when that noble goddess descends.”

“That’s a terrifying thought… Morgan, don’t say such things again.”

“It’s because I mustn’t be discovered by my former mother. No matter how much she can’t see me through Mother, if she manifests, I’ll inevitably be discovered.”

Demons are all but incompatible with holy power and divine power.

For such demons, Isolde and Morgan, if they were here when Iriel descended, they would be lucky not to burn to death from the spreading divine power, and Libby was in a situation of having run away from Iriel, so she had to avoid the ridiculous situation of being discovered by Iriel when she manifested.

Therefore, I planned to send these three out far away from the kingdom and have them kill time, and Myu’s role was to take these three outside in my place since I had to cook.

In fact, if that was the case, there was no need for me to come here at all, and these four could have resolved it and come back, but why did I come here?

The answer to that can be explained by Isolde and Morgan looking at me with expectant eyes.

Their eyes sparkling like stars. I sighed with genuine concern towards such Isolde and Morgan.

“Don’t look at me with those eyes. When you look at me with such expectant eyes, I worry you might really cause trouble.”

“They were originally no different from our hands and feet, so how could there be a problem?”

“Yes, as Isolde says. There’s not the slightest need to worry.”

How excited they were, Isolde’s voice was full of strength despite having been half-dead just a moment ago, and Morgan had completely abandoned her usual seductive attitude.

I sighed again at the sight of the two, but since I had already come this far, I couldn’t not give it to them, so I finally approached step by step towards a long, large box located on one side of my private room.

“Haaa…”

A box covered with all sorts of protective magic, disguise magic, recognition magic, and barrier magic.

I carefully reached out to such a box and slowly opened its lid.

Creeeeak───

The box opened with a stiff sound of hinges. At the same time, as the box opened, something ominous that had been hidden inside revealed itself.

More precisely.

The weapons of Isolde and Morgan as demons, which had not been taken out even once since a few months ago, revealed themselves.

The five demon swords Morgan had used and the staff with a pure white gem embedded that Isolde had used.

“It’s really worrying to entrust these to those guys, but…”

“Mother, I’ll put a barrier on them.”

I carefully picked up the two weapons that still exuded demonic energy as if they had just been made, despite being left in the box for months, with worried words, and Myu, who approached me, put a barrier on the two weapons to prevent demonic energy from leaking out.

It was a good measure since the weapons of these two exuding this much demonic energy might be noticed by the temple’s priests.

Turning my head while holding the weapons, I saw the two looking at the weapons in my hands with eyes shining even more brightly than before, to the point of being burdensome.

Perhaps because they were their weapons that they had been with for hundreds of years, the two looked as if they had drawn up emotions from deep within their hearts.

Seeing their appearance, I felt worry bubbling up again that they might cause trouble, but it was only for a moment.

“…Sigh, here, take them. I’m giving these to you because it’s the Day of Divine Manifestation and to be wary of Goddess Iriel, but as I’ve said many times, be careful not to cause any problems.”

“We’ve already understood that. You really worry too much.”

“Yeah, as if Isolde and I wouldn’t know that much.”

Honestly, seeing the two immediately putting on the weapons without even making eye contact with me after receiving them, it seemed like their words and actions didn’t match… but what could I do?

What’s been given has been given, and in fact, Isolde and Morgan had now built enough rapport to be trusted.

Therefore, I barely cut off the worry that kept trying to rise and turned my head towards Myu standing beside me.

“Then Myu, take the three to a safe place as far away as possible. I’ll wait here for Iriel to descend. I’ll send a message when it’s all over.”

“Yes, Mother. Even if there’s any danger, thanks to the blood you gave me last time, I can now feel when you enter combat mode, so it’s alright. If a battle breaks out, I’ll come right away.”

Myu smiled, expressing her trust in me and saying she could rush over even in case of an emergency, hugged me once, then approached the three and struck the ground with the staff she was holding.

Then a teleportation magic circle appeared, enveloping the four including Myu.

“Then, we’re off. I guess we’ll see each other this evening anyway.”

“Heh…”

“Haah…”

“We’ll be going, Mother.”

“We’ll be back, Mother!”

Isolde and Morgan, absorbed in their returned weapons and not even saying goodbye, and Libby and Myu politely bowing and greeting me.

I let out a hollow laugh looking at the two cheeky demon girls, but before I could nag, they were enveloped in the teleportation magic circle Myu had deployed and disappeared.

Flash──!

The four disappeared in an instant, enveloped in light. I awkwardly scratched my head at the emptiness that felt as if it was a lie that this space had been full until just now, and slowly started moving my feet that had been stopped.

Clunk, the door opened.

However, there was no Myu clinging to my back or Morgan quipping.

“It feels kind of empty.”

The sensation of being alone that I felt after a long time was unfamiliar, but what could I do when the goddess was said to descend in just two hours.

I still had the goal of slapping Iriel’s cheek that I had been saving up for three months, and I had to check on the cooking participating in the party, so there was plenty to do in the remaining two hours.

Therefore, I left the room with leisurely steps.

It was still a peaceful morning in the Phara Kingdom without a single explosion yet.