By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 14 - Chapter SS

Special: The Gods Take a Break

While Ryoma embarked on his exploration of Syrus, the ten gods sat at their round table in the divine realm, squinting at thin air.

“Found it,” Serelipta announced.

“Where?” Gain asked.

“Right here, at the bottom of the ocean. It’s in a place where we could get rid of it, but I’ll just log its location for now. We’ll know if it moves.”

Gain nodded. “That should be fine for now. Even if we decide to eliminate it, we need to check if there are any other demon lord fragments in the world.”

“Dammit! I can blow that thing to smithereens right now,” Kiriluel growled.

“I understand how you feel, but it can’t be helped,” Meltrize interjected, still staring up at nothing. “Even if eliminating the fragment is possible, that will significantly impact the environment around it. We must first find and monitor all of the fragments, then calculate the effect of eliminating each of them. Based on that information, we must determine the best order to destroy them in... Without calculating that much at the very least, eliminating the fragments will tip the balance of the world.”

Kiriluel knew all that, of course. Still, the process of searching and cataloging the demon lord fragments was so mentally draining—even for the gods—that they couldn’t help but let out grievances.

“I know, I know. This kind of painstaking work just isn’t my thing. It’s bad enough that we have to scour the whole world for fragments the size of a rock, but it’s downright torturous when what little power the fragments hold is working to camouflage itself.”

“I agree that it’s difficult to find them,” Fernobelia said. “It’s concealed the fragments for this long, even from us. But don’t you agree that part of the reason the fragments are so small is because you went overboard when you blew the demon lord up?”

Kiriluel winced for a moment, but soon regained her composure. “How else were we supposed to get rid of that one? It had once been a god more powerful than us, and one that ruled over life, at that. Like Kufo, but more powerful and scummy.”

“I’m offended,” Kufo protested.

Some of the other gods loudly groaned.

“Let’s take a break,” one of them proposed.

“Good idea... I could keep going as long as it takes, but that won’t be good for my mental health.”

“This is gonna be a long haul, no matter how we slice it or dice it.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Serelipta crooned, halting his work. “Let’s see what Ryoma’s up to... Ooh, he just went into the Sea of Trees.” In a single flourish, he materialized drinks and baked goods for the whole table to begin a watch party of Ryoma’s progress down below.

“He’s already in the Sea of Trees? I hope he’s not rushing to complete our quest.”

“Your concerns are unfounded, Tekun. I reviewed Ryoma’s movements since we last saw him. While we were caught up in our work, plenty of time passed below,” Meltrize explained.

“He’s been prepping for this for a while... Even then, I feel like Ryoma can go from zero to a hundred in an instant,” Serelipta answered.

“He only has two speeds: snail and break-neck,” Kufo chuckled, softening the mood around the table.

“Sooner he can get it done the better, though I didn’t mean to rush him.”

“It’s a great weight off our shoulders just to have the Sea of Trees problem taken off our hands,” Gain said.

“I’m thankful we can focus on dealing with the demon lord fragments. If Ryoma wasn’t taking care of Syrus, we’d have to divide and conquer.”

“We can’t really afford that right now,” Grimp said. “If only Manoailoa would show up...”

The other gods nodded in agreement, resignation clearly showing on their faces.

“Not going to happen,” Wilieris said.

“If you’re expecting Manoailoa to be a team player, I have bad news for you,” Serelipta said.

“Manoailoa promised to search for fragments...and to call us as progress was made on that front. At least, there’s a willingness to try,” Gain hedged.

“It’s an urgent enough job, for sure. But why do I feel like Manoailoa’s bored of it already?”

“I know what you mean, Kiriluel... We should know better than to expect Manoailoa to stick to a single task or mood for so long.”

“As a god, Manoailoa will at least do the bare minimum,” Tekun said. “Have you decided on what to give Ryoma when he completes the quest, Fernobelia? It doesn’t look like it’ll take him long to produce results.”

Fernobelia crossed his arms and turned his gaze upwards. “I’m still not sure, to tell you the truth. I’m spoiled for choice.”

“How about the...you know, those swords we were saddled with? They belonged to Ryoma’s dad, didn’t they? Just give him those,” Serelipta suggested.

“Denied,” Gain shut down. “Those swords must not be released into the world without careful consideration. They are certainly not a prize to be handed out. If we are to return them to him, it should be on a later occasion, after we observe him a while longer. Besides, Ryoma might have been forced to relinquish those blades upon his death on Earth, but they are his by right. Isn’t it uncouth to call them a reward?”

“How about teaching him anti-curse magic, Fernobelia? It’s your specialty, and I think Ryoma will be very happy with that.”

“I’ve thought about it, Lulutia, but we’ve already made a plan to break his curse over time. A spell to mitigate the symptoms would benefit him in the meantime, but it was our fault Ryoma was cursed in the first place. I wouldn’t feel right to call that a reward either. Besides, his payment should reflect the enormity of the task. What Ryoma is undertaking is a task normally reserved for a god. What kind of reward would reflect a task like this?”

“While Ryoma’s skill set allows him to take on this task, we must remember that this would not be possible for most humans to undertake. If word of his achievement were to get out, songs could be written about him,” Meltrize said.

“The duke and duchess mentioned this to him, but he has a skewed sense of normalcy because he’s been so close to us. Ryoma didn’t seem to mind taking on the job, and he even said he’d put effort into cleansing cursed energy. All so he could repay us,” Gain said.

“As much of a help that would be, I’d have to come up with another reward...”

“Why don’t you keep it simple and just give him a blessing?” Grimp suggested. “Yours would be magic related, Fernobelia. Ryoma’d like that.”

“I’d rather not. While blessings are useful, they can hinder a human’s personal growth. I am a god of academia as much as I am one of magic. As such, I do not wish to interfere with humans who have a willingness to learn. And that includes Ryoma.”

“Leave it to Fernobelia to make a little reward so complicated,” Tekun quipped.

None of the other gods dared agree with him, but none rushed to defend Fernobelia either.

“Why don’t we just recognize Ryoma as being on our side? Humans give each other honorary titles. Since he’s willing to keep helping out our world, it’d be a good time for it.”

The gods considered Kiriluel’s suggestion for a few moments, but Fernobelia was the one to shake his head. “Those affiliated with a church or its congregation would take the designation as a great honor. Ryoma wouldn’t. We would be practically shoving a useless trophy in his hands for all the work he is doing for us. Whether it’s a tangible object or a piece of information, I want to make sure it’s valuable to Ryoma. Besides, if word somehow got out that we’d distinguished him like that, the humans would undoubtedly cause a whole ruckus, calling Ryoma an agent of our will, and whatnot... Which would be the opposite of benefiting him”

“Right... Some humans can sense our presence too. We’d better not,” Kiriluel agreed.

“I thought it was a great idea,” Serelipta grumbled. “What’s wrong with Ryoma being on our side and helping us out? We could even ask him to retrieve some demon lord fragments if they’re accessible.”

“Serelipta, you can’t rope Ryoma into doing everything you don’t want to—”

“That’s it!”

“What did you say, Fernobelia?”

Fernobelia had steadfastly opposed asking for Ryoma’s help, maintaining the position that the gods should handle their own problems and refrain from seeking any human’s help at all costs. Naturally, the gods were astonished that Fernobelia had apparently switched his position entirely. Even Serelipta stared at him with wide eyes, forgetting his own audacity in having suggested the very idea, while Wilieris held her tongue for once.

“Huh? Why are you all staring at me like— Oh, I’m not agreeing with Serelipta. While I admit his idea would be beneficial for us, I can’t condone saddling Ryoma with more work because he was willing to accept this quest.”

“So what is it, exactly?”

“I’d forgotten, but Ryoma can bring in things from the mortal realm, and vice versa. Didn’t you say you gave him a goblet once, Tekun?”

With that question, the gods knew what he meant: Fernobelia intended to gift Ryoma a divine relic.

“As long as it’s not a weapon, it won’t be too dangerous. That’s good,” Lulutia said.

“All I’ve given him is what could be used day-to-day. Shouldn’t be a problem,” Tekun agreed.

None of the other gods opposed this idea, but they soon began discussing exactly which divine relic would go to Ryoma.

So, the gods’ debate—and their momentary rest—lasted a little longer.