Networking Event – 3

In a space resembling a hotel banquet hall, familiar Dimension Management Gods gathered and chatted.

Along the edge of the banquet hall, a long table was laden with various foods, each boasting its unique color.

As their stories blossomed, someone appeared on the stairs leading down to the banquet hall.

With the arrival of this being, the murmuring ceased instantly.

A strange light lingered on the faces of the Dimension Management Gods gathered in the banquet hall, but the one descending, looking down upon them, possessed a distinct halo.

Halting midway down the stairs, she leaned slightly against the railing and raised the glass she held.

“I decorated it with a style that was once popular in the dimension I manage… I’m not sure how it is.”

She scanned the decorations in the banquet hall.

“This is my first Exchange Meeting since being promoted to Level 2, and I hope you all have fun. It’s an Exchange Meeting, after all.”

With a snap of her fingers, a glass appeared in everyone’s hand in the banquet hall.

A deep orange liquid began to fill the glasses from the bottom up.

“Now, let’s begin the Exchange Meeting. I hope everyone has a pleasant time.”

As she raised her glass, classical music began to fill the banquet hall.

The Exchange Meeting hosted by the Level 2 Dimension Management God, Nibir, had now begun.

Solari excused herself from Runin and Empen and wandered around the banquet hall.

She scanned the faces of the Dimension Management Gods gathered in groups of three or five, searching for Nibir.

Deep down, a thought arose: ‘Am I doing something unnecessary?’ But she was a stickler for principles.

Solari roamed the spacious banquet hall, but she couldn’t find Nibir.

‘Is she in her room?’

In the center of the banquet hall, a spiral staircase led upwards, and at the end of the staircase, a room was visible.

Solari ascended the stairs without hesitation. Some gazes turned to her, but they soon lost interest and turned elsewhere.

Level 4 Gods trying to curry favor with a Level 2 God were a dime a dozen.

Solari stood before Nibir’s room, separated by thick curtains.

Until the very last moment, a thought held her back, but she shook it off by swallowing once.

She was a stickler for principles.

“Nibir, it’s Solari.”

Therefore, reporting the anomaly that had occurred in the dimension she managed was only natural.

Inside the room, which Solari entered with Nibir’s permission, there was already a guest.

The guest was someone Solari knew. She couldn’t not know, as it was a face she had seen just a while ago, making it unforgettable.

“……..”

The guest also seemed to remember her face, as their expression twisted strangely.

It would be natural for Solari to feel uncomfortable in this awkward encounter, but she couldn’t.

“Uh-huh, hands coming down?”

A voice, completely different from the one that had announced the start of the Exchange Meeting, flowed from Nibir’s mouth.

Solari sat on a chair, and next to her, Ranael was kneeling with her hands raised.

Solari tilted her head at the bizarre scene.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen your face like this. How have you been?”

Regardless, Nibir looked at Solari with her usual benevolent face.

“Ah, yes. I’ve been well.”

As Solari answered with a dazed expression, Nibir wore a deep smile.

“I know from the reports that the stability rate of the dimension you manage is the highest. It wavered a bit recently, but it soon stabilized, so I thought you handled it well.”

Without giving Ranael, who was standing there as punishment, even a glance, Nibir continued to praise Solari.

Feeling awkward from the praise of a senior, Solari scratched her face.

“Judging by the rank you’ve built up… you might be promoted to Level 3 soon. It’s like looking at myself in the past.”

Chuckling, Nibir subtly mixed in some self-praise.

It wasn’t unpleasant boasting; no matter what anyone said, Nibir was a capable Dimension Management God.

Solari listened quietly to Nibir’s praise, and only when Nibir paused to drink from her glass did she open her mouth.

“Um… Nibir, I have something to tell you about the dimension I manage.”

“Tell?”

Nibir’s eyes widened slightly, as if surprised, as she swallowed her drink.

“Yes, to be precise, it’s a ‘report’.”

Solari’s gaze turned to Nibir’s side.

“…Ranael, would you mind stepping out for a moment?”

Realizing that it was a rather serious matter, Nibir said to Ranael.

As soon as Nibir’s words fell, Ranael jumped up from her spot and hurriedly left the room.

Solari’s gaze, which had followed that undignified behavior, soon turned to Nibir.

“Have a seat.”

Solari sat in the chair in front of her.

“It seems like quite a serious matter. What is it?”

At Nibir’s question, Solari felt her mouth go dry.

She had made up her mind, but the words didn’t come out easily.

“It’s okay, tell me when you’re ready.”

Nibir gave her enough time to prepare.

After a while, Solari, who was ready, opened her mouth.

“It’s an incident that has already been dealt with, but…”

Solari told Nibir everything.

That there was a soul that had flown in from somewhere and possessed someone.

That the soul was a noble one.

That there was some kind of spell cast on the soul.

“Solari, is that soul perhaps in your dimension?”

Nibir interrupted Solari’s words as she listened to the explanation.

“No, I couldn’t undo the spell myself… so I ended up passing the buck to someone else.”

As Solari spoke regretfully, Nibir laughed.

“No, it was an issue you could have hidden well enough. But you’re honestly telling me about it.”

Nibir, who had come closer, patted her shoulder.

“Actually, that soul came to me too.”

As if trying to comfort her, Nibir casually said something shocking.

“Yes?”

Solari looked up at Nibir with wide eyes.

“Fortunately, in your dimension… he acted as you planned, so the causality didn’t deviate much. But in my dimension…”

Nibir shook her head as if she didn’t want to think about it again.

“If you think about how hard I worked to fix the deviated causality…”

Nibir’s sharply changed gaze turned to where Ranael had left.

Nibir tapped Solari’s shoulder twice.

“Anyway, I know about that matter too. I’m also tracking it in my own way.”

“If you’re tracking it…”

Solari asked cautiously.

“Ah, I should tell you in advance. I made a contract with a mortal in my dimension. I’m tracking that soul.”

“You made a contract directly with a mortal. Why didn’t you do it yourself…”

“It has to be done discreetly… if I move directly, everyone will know.”

Once again, Nibir’s gaze turned to where Ranael had disappeared.

“I’m tracking the traces of the Dimensional Shift and following behind, so I’ll be visiting your dimension soon. I’m moving discreetly, so you won’t notice, but if you happen to observe it, don’t be too surprised.”

Nibir smiled.

-Wooong

At that moment, a loud alarm rang in Solari’s head.

It was a kind of alarm that had been set up in case Maria acted strangely.

“Oh, excuse me for a moment… I’m sorry.”

She put her hand to her temple and closed her eyes.

Was it already time to punish the Order?

Solari thought that Maria was moving faster than she had expected.

“……”

Solari, who had been calmly observing the situation, opened her eyes.

“It seems that the mortal you sent has arrived in my dimension.”

“He can’t be a gentleman. …But how did you find out? I’m moving quite quietly.”

“Ah… it’s not that I detected the Dimension Entry. However, I found out because he came into contact with someone I’m keeping an eye on.”

“Ah, I guess that could happen. What should I do… he might be discovered soon.”

“But Nibir.”

Solari cautiously asked Nibir, who was worried.

“How many mortals did you contract with?”

As if to confirm something, Solari was very cautious.

“One.”

Nibir held up her index finger.

“That…”

Something was wrong. That was Solari’s thought.

As Nibir sensed something was amiss in her junior’s hesitant appearance, Solari asked again.

“Isn’t it two?”