Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku (LN) - Volume 22 - Chapter 6

Land of Love and Flowers

Satou here. The first place that comes to mind when I hear ‘city of flowers’ is Paris, but according to a friend of mine, the title suits Florence best. No matter how worked up my friend got about it, though, I don’t think it’s all that important to decide which one is the better city of flowers. I’m sure they’re both wonderful cities, after all.

“Lots of islands.”

Our sailing ship traveled at full speed, and we reached the archipelago that was home to the Tenion Republic—also known as Aubehr Republic—the day after we left Blacksmoke Island. I used the Search Entire Map spell to get information about Aubehr Republic, the “land of love and flowers.”

The sage’s students we were on the lookout for were nowhere to be seen on the map, nor were there any demons, demon lord cultists, or reincarnations.

Privately heaving a sigh of relief, I looked over the rest of the information.

This nation’s population consisted primarily of humans, birdfolk, and finfolk—in other words, mermaids. The gender ratio was also of note: There were ten times more women than men, like the setting of a harem manga for young men. Most of the men were sailors or foreign merchants.

According to my Ministry of Tourism documents, this was because most of the men worked abroad since the agriculture and industry here weren’t very strong.

“Smells gooood?”

“There’s lots of different flowers, sir.”

Tama and Pochi gazed around the flower-filled islands, their eyes crinkling contentedly.

“This isn’t like those islands on the sugar route where they lured creatures in with the scent and trapped them to absorb their nutrients or plant seeds, is it?”

“Don’t worry, these ones are all normal flowers.”

I smiled at Arisa reassuringly.

“It seems like all of the islands here have a spring climate.”

“Yes, Lulu. It is pleasant, I declare.”

Lulu and Nana seemed to like it here, too.

“Tama, go up to the crow’s nest to keep watch. Pirates might attack us from behind the islands.”

“Aye-aye, siiir?”

“Pochi will go, too, sir! Pochi is a lookout pro, sir!”

Tama and Pochi struck a salute pose at Liza’s command and ran over to the mast.

While Tama climbed up it nimbly right away, Pochi moved her egg belt to her head before following suit, squeezing into the crow’s nest together.

As I looked up at them, I felt a tug on my sleeve.

“Provide the morsels.”

It was the ever-hungry goddess pair.

“Since the breeze is so nice out here, why don’t we fry up some crepes on the deck?”

I asked Lulu to get things ready to make crepes and poured a glass of the honeyed fruit water Karion liked and one of the sweet mead Urion favored.

“Tasty.”

The goddess girls tilted their glasses back in high spirits.

If I’m going to ask them, this is as good a time as any.

“…The Discordant Ones.”

As soon as I murmured the phrase, the goddesses reacted almost overdramatically.

They stared at me with eyes that seemed to see into my soul.

“You mentioned that phrase when we saw someone afflicted by the black corruption back on Blacksmoke Island. Is that what those things are called?”

“That is taboo.”

“Humans should not know of it.”

Taboo, huh… Come to think of it, stuff like radio towers, railroads, and printing presses are all considered taboo as well, aren’t they? That’s an awfully wide range of forbidden knowledge.

“I see… You also said that it’s ‘a goddess’s duty to protect the world from foreign enemies.’ Are these ‘Discordant Ones’ attackers from outside our world?”

“Thou hast many questions. Thou shalt not pry into affairs that humans should not know of. Karion says so, too.”

“I did not. Thou art delusional, Urion. But that question does fall under taboo.”

“Karion!”

Urion interrupted Karion sharply.

Ahh, I see.

Urion’s reaction made it clear to me. It might sound like Karion’s “taboo” was referring to the “Discordant Ones,” but she must have actually been talking about whether they’re “foreign enemies.” Perhaps Karion was telling me in a roundabout way that the “Discordant Ones” are outside invaders, beings that harm our world.

“I’ve been told that the likes of radio towers, railroads, and printing presses are all taboo as well. Is that for the same reason?”

“…Do not make me say it again. Mere mortals need not know the affairs of the divine realm. Karion says so, too.”

“I did not. But I agree. Anything that is taboo is such for a reason. Let it be known that to learn the reason is akin to violating the taboo in some cases.”

Knowing is as bad as violating the taboo?

In other words, if I learned the reason, it would have as severe an effect as having violated the taboo? What do radio towers, railroads, and printing presses all have in common…?

Karion clapped her hands sharply, making a loud noise.

“Thou shalt cease this line of thought. Thinking about it any further will cause harm to the world. We do not wish to invoke divine punishment, either. Urion says so, too.”

“I concur, Karion. We must take great care to avoid wasting our divine power.”

I had better put this line of inquiry aside until after we part ways with the goddesses.

Whatever “divine punishment” might involve, I certainly don’t want to experience it firsthand.

“Big islaaand?”

“Lots of ships, sir!”

Tama and Pochi called down excitedly from their post atop the match.

As I turned my attention away from the goddesses, I saw my companions looking at me with concerned expressions.

I guess I must have worried them a little.

Even after returning to a normal sailing speed, we reached the harbor of Aubehr Republic before we could finish all the crepes.

“I guess oceangoing ships have to wait to enter this port, too.”

“It looks like ships that don’t have cargo to unload are supposed to drop anchor in the bay and go ashore in small boats.”

When we lowered our dinghy and hopped inside, a group of mermaids gathered around it and pulled us to the pier. They requested one copper coin apiece once we arrived, which seemed reasonable enough to me. Since I hadn’t exchanged my currency yet, they were coins from another nation, but the mermaids didn’t seem to mind.

Although the Inland Sea Common Language worked with the mermaids well enough, I acquired an “Aubehr Language” skill during our conversation, so I put skill points into it and activated it just in case.

“Let us go to Tenion Temple.”

As soon as we stepped onto the pier, Urion made a short declaration and tottered off.

Tenion Central Temple was located on a low cliff overlooking the harbor, so it was clearly visible from here.

“Is that it up there?”

“Prettyyy!”

“It’s pretty like a jewel, sir. I want to show Mr. Egg, too, sir.”

Pochi removed the egg belt from her waist and wrapped it around her chest.

“No wonder it looks like a jewel. It’s made out of jade.”

I asked Arisa and Liza to take care of business with the harbor officials while the rest of us donned priest robes, pulled the hoods over our eyes, and followed the goddess girls.

“Hey, Mr. Priest, how about some flowers?”

“Care for a flower candy, Priest?”

“The flower sake is divine, too, Mr. Priest.”

Beautiful flowers were in bloom all over the stalls that lined the street, while pretty women called out to me with sparkly smiles.

“Mrr.”

“Master, if we stop here, we’ll lose sight of the goddesses.”

Mia and Lulu dragged me away from the temptation of the local specialties.

Come to think of it, it was rather unusual that the goddesses weren’t distracted by the sweets and sake on their way.

“Pretty.”

Mia spotted a big building at the end of the street.

According to my map information, the white palace at the center of the city was the Aubehr Republic parliament hall.

It was an elegant building, befitting the heart of the “land of love and flowers.”

Once we passed by the palace, we headed up a slightly sloping road, where Tenion Central Temple came into view.

“Welcome to Tenion Central Temple.”

“May you be favored in your fortunes in love.”

“Blessings of Goddess Tenion be upon you.”

The lovely young priestesses greeted us in lilting tones as we entered the temple.

Since we were wearing the robes of Karion Central Temple, I felt oddly out of place.

“Pardon me, please. Only authorized personnel are allowed beyond this point.”

A handsome young priest stopped the goddess girls as they strode toward the inner sanctum of the temple. He had a beguiling charm about him, even more than the good-looking priest at Garleon Temple.

“Such insolence. Thou shall not hinder a goddess’s way.”

“Hallowed be our names. Thou shalt bow down and beg forgiveness.”

The goddess girls’ divine commands prompted the handsome young priest to prostrate himself and let them through.

The other priests who appeared in their path were met with a similar fate, dropping to their knees like dominoes.

“Will Goddess Tenion need a wooden statue as well?”

“Nay,” Karion responded shortly. “’Tis unnecessary. We are only here to give her a report.”

A report… They probably wanted to tell her that the “Discordant Ones” had appeared.

The Tenion statue I’d already carved in secret was for nothing, then. Well, I could always just offer it up at Tenion Temple next time I went to visit Sara and the head priestess in the old capital.

“We have awaited your arrival, o sacred ones.”

As we approached an area with a particularly pure atmosphere, some priestesses in suggestively semitransparent robes were waiting for us.

I couldn’t help but notice that the priests and priestesses in this temple were almost universally beautiful, regardless of gender.

“Please, come this way.”

The head priestess spoke in a pleasant and clear voice, leading the goddess girls into the holy sanctuary.

When her veil fluttered, I realized with surprise that the head priestess was of the long-eared tribe, not a human. People of the long-eared tribe were a very rare sight outside of their sanctuary in the Saga Empire; I felt oddly lucky to have met so many recently, including Weeyari from the hero’s party and the depressed Demon Lord Shizuka.

“We shall meet with Tenion.”

“Yes, of course.”

The goddess girls proceeded into the sanctuary of Tenion Central Temple.

We were stopped by the priestesses and made to wait outside. Unlike in Sherifardo State, Karion didn’t call for me to come with her this time.

“O great goddess who watches over us…”

I faintly heard a call to the goddess from inside.

After a while, a green glow shone through from the other side of the door. It was a pure, soothing light.

“Satou,” Mia called to me.

As we bathed in the holy light, the door opened from within.

“You, the black-haired boy. Come with me.”

A different priestess came out to summon me.

“Quickly. The head priestess cannot commune with Goddess Tenion for long.”

The priestess grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into the sanctuary.

“Provide the statue. The vessel for Tenion.”

Apparently Karion knew about the statue I’d been carving in secret.

I had mixed feelings about this so soon after she’d proclaimed it unnecessary. Still, it seemed better than letting it go to waste, so I produced the statue from my Item Box.

Since Tenion had a more grown-up image than the goddess girls, I had carved her as a beautiful woman, like an adult version of Sara from the old capital.

At the goddesses’ prompting, I carried the statue to the center of the sanctuary.

“Tenion.”

“Ready.”

The goddess girls looked up toward the sky at the point where the green light was descending from and called out to their fellow goddess.

The particles of light multiplied until it was too bright to see in the sanctuary even with the “Light Intensity Adjustment” skill.

“So this is a human body…”

The room was still full of light, but my vision returned a little sooner than that of the people around me thanks to “Light Intensity Adjustment.”

There stood a beautiful woman draped in a veil of green light that floated around her. She was so thoroughly my type that if this was before I’d met Ms. Aaze, I might have proposed to her on the spot. It wasn’t just her appearance, either; she had an entrancing air about her as well.

“Hrm. A little plain, perhaps.”

The woman ran a hand down her teal hair, and it took on luscious waves, braided itself together, and formed into a complex bun. It was the kind of attractive look that would have all the men swooning over her at a fancy cocktail party.

“Thou art skillful, Tenion.”

The woman smiled at Urion’s murmured words.

So I was right: This beautiful woman was Goddess Tenion herself.

“It was that human over there that prepared this vessel for me, was it not?”

“Aye. He is an excellent craftsman.”

“And a good chef, too.”

I wasn’t sure whether I should answer that directly, so I stayed silent until Urion and Karion answered instead.

“I appreciate your efforts. Do you wish for a reward of some kind?”

Tenion spoke politely even to humans, it seemed. She must be polite by default.

“Well, if you would allow it, I wouldn’t mind some information about the ‘Discordant Ones’ or taboo in general—”

I lowered my voice so the priestesses wouldn’t hear.

“Nay. We have told thee that this is forbidden.”

“Thou shalt accept that discussion of taboo is not allowed by its very nature.”

The goddess girls rejected my request before Tenion could even answer.

“The Discordant Ones…? You told him about this?”

“’Twas a slip of the tongue. But we have not told him any details. Karion says so, too.”

“No, I didn’t. That was thy mistake, Urion. Thou shalt be scolded by Tenion.”

I see, so it was Urion who said that phrase.

“You there, human…”

“Please, call me Satou.”

“Forget all you heard.”

Tenion ignored me and gave me an order.

I could feel somehow that it was a divine command.

“’Tis no use. Divine commands do not work on this one.”

“Even if one uses extra divine power, there is still no effect. ’Tis bizarre.”

The goddess girls sounded annoyed. Could you not diss me while I’m right here?

“That is a problem…”

Tenion dismissed the priestesses with a wave of her hand.

“If you would prefer that I not tell anyone else, I will gladly keep it a secret. But is there any way you could tell me what those things are? I’ve encountered the so-called ‘Discordant Ones’—the Evil God’s Vestiges and Evil God’s Spawn—several times already.”

I didn’t mention that I’d defeated them, since that’s all Nanashi the Hero’s doing.

“Very well.”

““Tenion!”” both goddesses protested.

“It matters not. Though I cannot share too many details that fall under taboo. Is that still acceptable?”

I nodded at Tenion.

“They are foreign enemies.”

That’s not seriously the whole explanation, is it?

“Yes, that much I know. In other words, the Evil God and those who borrow its power, like demons…they are ‘Discordant Ones,’ or foreign enemies, correct?”

“No.”

Huh? That’s not right?

“Demons are still an element of this world. And the Evil God is still one of its gods.”

“’Tis unpleasant to be put in the same category as that thieving god. Karion says so, too.”

“I did not. ’Tis taboo to use a derogatory name for the Evil God. Let it be known that discrimination lessens the divine.”

From the sound of things, maybe Urion hated the Evil God, and Karion was defending it?

It was an interesting tidbit that “thieving god” was a derogatory term for the Evil God.

“Then the ‘Discordant Ones’ are not an element of this world… Meaning they’re invaders from a separate world?”

“It would be taboo to provide definitions or details regarding the ‘Discordant Ones.’”

Even without Tenion answering me, I had a feeling I was right based on all the information I’d gathered so far.

If Arisa was here, she’d probably be grinning ear to ear thinking about a certain super-famous light novel character who came from the future to “shake up the world.”

“So are things like radio towers, railroads, and printing presses restricted as taboo because they would interfere with your job of eliminating those invaders…?”

“The answer to that is forbidden,” Tenion replied coolly.

“Is there any way you could tell me if there’s other technology like radio towers, railroads, and printing presses that would be considered taboo?”

“The answer to that is forbidden.”

Darn. I was hoping I could avoid accidentally bringing divine punishment down on myself.

To summarize my theories so far…

There are invaders from another world that the gods call “Discordant Ones,” and the gods have a duty to protect the world from them. I think that’s pretty clear by now.

Things like radio towers, railroads, and printing presses are considered taboo and strictly forbidden. There’s a good chance that this is because they would have some kind of negative impact on the gods’ ability to carry out that duty, although I don’t know that for sure just yet.

…And that’s about it for now.

“I take it you have no further questions?”

“Just one more. Would it be possible for me to visit the divine realm?”

Before Tenion wrapped things up, I thought I’d take the opportunity to try and get an answer to something that I’d been wondering for a while.

“It is possible.”

Whoa, for real?!

“However, you would need to earn the approval of all of us in order to do so.”

“’Tis effectively impossible. ’Twould be crueler to give thee false hope. Karion says so, too.”

“I did not. It has been achieved before.”

“That was a god. ’Tis no comparison to this mortal.”

So the only person who’s ever succeeded at this task was some kind of god, huh?

Given the context, I got the impression that it wasn’t any of the seven main gods, which would most likely mean it was the dragon god or the Evil God.

“Goddess Tenion, what must I do in order to earn approval?”

“The gods must assign you trials, and you must surpass those trials and acquire a mark as proof. Acquiring the mark means you have earned their approval.”

This was starting to sound like a questline in a game.

Wait…a mark?

Come to think of it, I remembered getting a “Mark of Parion” title in Parion Province.

I checked the title list in my menu, and sure enough, it was there. Which meant I just needed to collect six more.

“Would you be so generous as to give me a trial, Goddess Tenion?”

“There are no trials I would like you to fulfill at this time.”

Tenion gave me a warm smile and a cold response.

“This discussion is over. Mortals’ lives are short. ’Tis foolish to waste them on impossible dreams. Karion says so, too.”

“I did not. ’Tis up to thee how to use thy time. A wasted life is still a life. Thou art too obstinate in the belief that all things must have significant meaning, Urion.”

“I am not obstinate. Thy way of thinking is dangerous, Karion. Tenion says so, too.”

Tenion looked on fondly as Urion and Karion teased each other.

It was like she was their mother, or maybe a much older sister.

“Glory to the great Goddess Tenion!”

“Praise be to her name!”

“Give thanks to the Goddess!”

A festival began at the Tenion Central Temple to celebrate Tenion’s arrival.

Since the temple was facing the ocean, there were a number of boats and ships floating off the coast nearby, giving praise and thanks to Tenion along with those lucky enough to enter the temple grounds.

“Glory to Goddess Urion!”

“Glory to Goddess Karion!”

Urion and Karion were sitting on either side of Tenion, being worshiped as well.

After the head priest and priestess begged us to join as apostles of the goddesses, we sat with the clergymen in the sacred seats on the tiered platforms behind the goddesses. At first, they pressed us to sit next to the goddesses, but I insisted that they take those seats instead. I imagine it’s not often that they get to have a conversation with their goddess.

“The Musical Saint Solulunia will perform a song of gratitude for Goddess Tenion.”

As soon as the priest made an announcement with Wind Magic carrying his voice, a sublime song began to play.

“Elf.”

“Looks like she’s from the Bulainan clan.”

The Musical Saint played a heart-shaped double harp similar to the holy instrument from the Flue Empire era that we saw in Parion Province.

While the musicians we met in Parion Province were very talented, she was on another level entirely.

Her performance was even better than the players in Bolenan Forest.

When the song for the goddesses ended, Mia stood up enthusiastically.

“Must talk to her.”

“Wait a second, Mia. I’ll take you to meet the Musical Saint.”

Even though Mia’s Spirit Vision would probably guide her there eventually, I was afraid she’d get lost on the way and give up.

“There.”

We found the saint right away.

Because no one was allowed to get close to her.

Some of her apprentices tried to stop Mia from walking up to her, until I lifted her hair to give them a good look at her pointed elf ears, which made them assume she was a friend of the other elf and let her through.

“Who?”

“Mia.”

“Bolenan?”

“Yes.”

Apparently the songstress was also an elf of few words.

What unfolded next was a high-speed volley of single-word statements.

Even a certified Mia interpreter like me couldn’t entirely follow what they were saying. All I know is they were both very excited.

At the Musical Saint’s prompting, Mia played a song on her harp.

For a while, the saint just listened. Then she got a mischievous look on her face, reached out, and started playing a duet with Mia on the other side of the holy harp. Mia was confused at first, but quickly began to enjoy the duet.

Some of the saint’s students listened blissfully, some stared at Mia rather enviously, and some others focused intently on the performance in hopes of stealing their techniques.

“Fun.”

“Again.”

“Mm.”

Mia and the Musical Saint shook hands.

That was probably a promise to play together again someday.

“Amazing.”

“Not yet.”

“Another?”

“Teacher.”

“Hmm.”

I wish I had subtitles for this.

My best guess is that the Musical Saint was saying that she still wasn’t as good as her musical mentor.

“Aaaaaah!”

There was a sudden scream, followed by a spreading wave of dismayed voices.

…A dragon.

A massive yellow dragon was flying across the sky above Aubehr Republic.

“Silence.”

“Let it be known that thou art in the presence of gods.”

The goddess girls’ divine commands settled the panicked crowd down.

The yellow dragon circled around the distant sea and came back this way at a lower altitude.

No doubt it thought that the White Dragon’s Egg in Pochi’s possession was its own.

“Mia, stay with the saint!”

Without waiting for Mia’s answer, I used “Warp” to weave through the crowd while everyone’s eyes were on the dragon, quickly reaching the rest of my group.

“It’s Master, sir!”

Pochi was the first to notice my arrival.

“I need to borrow this, Pochi.”

“Okay, sir.”

Pochi looked a little worried as she handed over her egg belt, and I used Return to teleport back to our ship.

Then I set sail at high speed, drawing the yellow dragon’s path away from the central temple.

If I had somewhere to teleport that was a little less obvious, I could’ve transformed into Nanashi the Hero and used “Skyrunning” to go up and talk to the dragon directly. Unfortunately, I could do no such thing with so many other people at sea.

“Good, I managed to lure it away from… Oh, come on.”

There was a single small boat between my ship and the dragon.

My “Clairvoyance” spell told me that the person on the ship was a woman in the prime of her youth. Although a veil covered her face, it was clear from the outline of her body.

“…  Create Leviathan.”

The veiled woman raised a staff, and the surface of the ocean roiled until a massive sea serpent burst into view.

“O Leviathan! Strike down this enemy mine! …Vortex!”

The giant serpent of water—the Leviathan—spun in time with her voice and created a whirlpool that torrented toward the yellow dragon.

“CWLOROOOOOUN!”

As it howled, the dragon unleashed a lightning-like “Dragon Breath” from its jaws.

The two earth-rending attacks collided in midair. There was a boom so loud it hurt my eardrums as splashes of water and lightning scattered in all directions, the sea churned as if a storm and a cyclone had struck at the same time, and the seawater that had been flung up into the sky formed into dark clouds and brought down a torrent of rain and lightning.

While my ship was tossed around like a leaf in a fierce current, I searched for the veiled woman who had been on the small ship.

She was next to the Leviathan, her boat lifted to safety by a pillar of seawater, unaffected by the violent storm.

I breathed a sigh of relief and assessed the rest of the situation.

The yellow dragon was hovering in midair, glaring at the Leviathan from some distance away.

Maybe my voice would be able to reach the dragon in this moment.

I changed into Nanashi the Hero and used “Flashrunning” to make my way up in front of the dragon’s face under cover of the storm.

I changed my title not to “Hero” but to “Friend of the Black Dragon.”

“<O Great Yellow Dragon! I am a friend of the Black Dragon Hei Long of the eastern continent and fought alongside the sky dragons of the sacred Fujisan Mountains against the Evil God’s Spawn!>”

I spoke to the yellow dragon in Dragon Language with the help of my “Ventriloquism” skill.

Since I didn’t think Nanashi’s casual speech would be very convincing, I used a more normal tone instead.

“<The sky dragons have a strange habit of supporting humans, but that violent black dragon called you a friend?>”

A deep, ringing voice blew away the storm clouds.

Without the “Dragon Language” skill, I might have thought it was threatening me with that terrifying sound.

“<What you sensed was the White Dragon’s Egg that the great White Dragon entrusted to me! Try and sense it again! Do you detect anything aside from this egg?>”

I held up the White Dragon’s Egg as proof.

“<…I do not. Then where is my egg?>”

“<I’m afraid I don’t know.>”

I felt bad, but I couldn’t throw out the name of Pialork Kingdom based on an educated guess.

“CWLOROOOOOUNN!”

The yellow dragon let out a roar of rage, dropping a massive lightning bolt on the ocean.

“<Farewell, friend of the Black Dragon. If you find my egg, come and bring it to me. I will reward you handsomely.>”

With that, the dragon flew away as furiously as it had arrived.

I used Return to go back to my sailing ship and removed my Nanashi the Hero disguise.

“In the name of Urion, I command thee. Storm, hasten away.”

“In the name of Karion, I command thee. Sea, be calm at once.”

The goddess girls’ voices rang out from far away, and a clear sky and calm seas spread out in concentric circles from Tenion Central Temple. Apparently gods can control the weather as they please, too.

By the time I looked back, the Leviathan was gone, and the small boat was back on the surface of the sea.

The little vessel passed by my sailing ship, heading toward the harbor.

I caught a glimpse of the woman’s face in profile as her veil fluttered.

“…Miss Aaze?”

When I blurted out the name without thinking, the woman looked up sharply.

It was an instinctive reaction because her face looked so similar to Aaze’s, but on closer inspection, her hair color and style were completely different.

The woman leapt off the little boat and landed on the deck of my ship, moving as if gravity didn’t apply to her.

“Aaze? As in Aialize of Bolenan?”

Her voice was imposing and dignified.

Although her face looked just like Aaze’s, the overall impression she gave was completely different.

“Do you know Lady Aialize?” I asked.

“I do. She is an old friend of mine. We met when I was in charge of the World Tree.”

A high elf.

My AR display revealed her race to me.

“I am Niyuniciize, a high elf born of Bulainan Forest. You may call me Nyuuze.”

Huh. Why “Nyuuze” and not “Niize”?

“I never thought I’d have the honor of meeting a high elf outside of the forest.”

If I remembered correctly, Bulainan Forest had the standard number of eight high elves.

“The only oddballs you’d encounter like this are Silumfuuze and myself. Though I am a high elf, my connection to the World Tree has been broken. I left the forest behind and chose to live as guardian to Leviathan, who sleeps at the bottom of the inland sea.”

“By ‘Leviathan,’ are you referring to the pseudo-spirit you created earlier with Spirit Magic?”

“No. That was only modeled after the real Divine Beast Leviathan.”

“There’s really a Divine Beast down there…?”

It didn’t show up on my map.

The bottom of the ocean must be a separate map, like it was in the south sea.

I’d be a little curious to meet this Leviathan.

“So are you always traveling around the inland sea by boat?”

“No. I normally lead a quiet life on one of the islands in the seas of the Aubehr Republic. I came here today because my student sent word by carrier pigeon that the gods had descended for a visit.”

Ahh, so she’s on her way to meet Tenion and the others.

Since it was such a rare opportunity, we chatted on our way back to the harbor of Aubehr Republic.

“Satou.”

My companions came to greet me, accompanied by the Musical Saint.

“Aaze?”

“Teacher!”

When they saw Miss Nyuuze, Mia and the saint both exclaimed at the same time.

Just as I suspected, the student who summoned Nyuuze was none other than the Musical Saint.

“Another elf? I don’t recognize you. You’re not from the Bulainan clan, are you?”

“Mm. Bolenan.”

“I see. I am Niyuniciize, a high elf born of Bulainan Forest. You may call me Nyuuze.”

When Miss Nyuuze introduced herself, Mia straightened up and bowed her head.

“My name is Misanaria Bolenan, youngest elf of Bolenan Forest, daughter of Lamisauya and Lilinatoa.”

It had been a long time since I last heard Mia introduce herself in a complete sentence.

“Spirit, amazing.”

“My teacher.”

“What spirit?”

“Leviathan.”

Mia and the saint exchanged words rapidly.

“I, Misanaria of Bolenan Forest, entreat you, Niyuniciize of Bolenan. Please instruct me in the ways of your magnificent Spirit Magic.”

“You want to know the secrets to my Spirit Magic?” Nyuuze gazed at Mia. “…How odd. Your level is plenty high enough. If you are from Bolenan, can you summon Behemoth?”

“Mm, I can. Garuda, too.”

“You can use the Beliunan clan’s Garuda as well? So you’ve earned the approval of another clan, then.”

“No. Satou.”

Mia shook her head and pointed at me.

“This boy?”

“Mm. World Tree.”

Mia’s explanation left a lot to be desired. Nyuuze looked at me questioningly.

“When I visited Bolenan Forest, swarms of Evil Jellies had infected all eight World Trees. I assisted the elves in removing them.”

“Evil Jellies… I see. That makes sense. Then out of gratitude for the one who saved my homeland, I will gladly teach you the secrets of using Create Leviathan.”

“Thank you.”

Oh, good. Now Mia would gain another variation on her Spirit Magic.

“I hope Mia is doing all right…”

“Yes, Arisa. Mia will be fine, I declare.”

Since the day we met Nyuuze, Mia had been training with her to learn a new Spirit Magic spell on the hidden island where Nyuuze lived.

Even though Nyuuze had come to see the three goddesses, she only played a song for them before whisking Mia back home with her the very same day. Though we tried to go with them, she told us we would only get in the way of their training.

“I’d love to hear Miss Nyuuze play again once Mia’s training is done.”

“Me too. The Musical Saint is wonderful too, of course, but Miss Nyuuze’s performance was really extraordinary.”

It made me realize that there’s always a higher level of greatness, even when you think you’ve found perfection.

“Are we going to leave once the goddesses’ festival is over?”

“Hmm… Let’s do some sightseeing in Aubehr Republic for a few days, then resume our journey. The goddesses said they don’t mind stopping along the way as long as we’re heading toward the Garleon Central Temple in the Garleon Alliance.”

According to the duo, they wanted to show off their vessels to Goddess Garleon.

They’d ordered me not to make a statue for Garleon under any circumstances, so I held off on carving one in secret this time.

“Master, today’s meal is a ‘flower bouquet’! All of the dishes are cooked with flowers!”

Lulu carried out a tray excitedly.

Even though we were guests here, she was helping out in the kitchen so she could learn Aubehr Republic cooking techniques.

“Masteeer?”

“We won again, sir!”

“They’ve stopped for a lunch break at the moment. I swear we will bring back the championship flag for you, Master.”

The beastfolk girls were competing in Aubehr Republic’s famous arena in a tournament called the Three Goddess Cup.

“I wish Mr. Egg could see me in action, too, sir.”

Pochi patted the egg belt that was wrapped around my waist.

I was taking care of it for her while she was fighting.

“Did you fight Aubehr’s Three Musketeers? They’re a favorite to win, from what I’ve heard.”

“No, I believe they’ll be joining in the finals this afternoon.”

“I guess the local champions get the seed treatment.”

Arisa was surprisingly knowledgeable about all this. The “Musketeers” she mentioned were a branch of the Aubehr Republic army that specialized in Magic Guns, she told me.

“We’ll come cheer you on in the finals.”

“Will you really?! In that case, simply winning won’t be enough. We’ll be sure to dominate the competition completely so that you can see us utterly victorious!”

Liza was blazing with excitement.

Just make sure you hold back so you don’t kill anyone, please.

“Apostle, the goddesses send for you.”

While we were all dining on the flower cuisine and discussing our plans for the afternoon, a priest in training came to get me.

“What is it? Did they tell you why?”

“No, they only said to bring their apostle.”

I had a feeling it was Karion or Urion who asked for me. If it was Tenion, she probably would have given a reason.

What could they need now? I imagined them requesting some sweet alcohol or pastries as I headed toward their altar.

Hmm?

No one was there.

The festival was on hold, probably because the guests of honor were missing.

“This way, Apostle. They are all in the sanctuary.”

Was there an emergency or something?

I hurried into the sanctuary.

“…Thou art late.”

Urion scolded me as soon as I entered.

The only people inside were the goddesses and me. The priest who brought me and the head priestess and company were all sent to wait outside.

“Did something happen?”

“Silence.”

It was only when Karion hushed me that I realized Tenion was standing stock-still, gazing up toward the heavens while a green light rained down on her.

“Tenion is receiving a message from her true self.”

Karion silently mouthed to me to explain the situation.

It must be a pretty delicate process.

“…It is done. My self in the divine realm has warned me of a danger to the world.”

Beads of sweat trickled down Tenion’s forehead as she tried to catch her breath.

“Has another demon lord appeared?”

“No. Demon lords are a danger to the mortal realm, yet they are still a part of the world. Their threat could not lead the world to destruction in the truest sense.”

More dangerous than a demon lord… Could it be the Evil God’s Vestiges, what the gods called the “Discordant Ones”?

“Your guess is mostly correct. Pray do not speak it aloud.”

Tenion stopped me before I could say anything.

She seemed to be dead set against letting me say the phrase Discordant Ones.

“Urion and Karion, take the apostle to the land that is home to Zaicuon’s temple.”

“What of thee, Tenion?”

“I did not provide this vessel with much divine power. In a matter of hours, it will likely run out of power and disappear. You also agreed that we should send you there. You understand, do you not?”

“We do.”

The goddess girls nodded.

It took me a second to figure it out, until I remembered that the vessels were being moved by the goddesses’ spirit avatars—basically, they were copies. Their real selves in the divine realm must have made the decision to send us out.

“Must we make haste?”

“The laws of cause and effect have not yet come together.” Tenion shook her head in response to Karion’s question. “We must not hurry overmuch and upset the balance of cause and effect. The best timing would be…”

Tenion gave Karion and Urion information in a compressed language I didn’t understand.

> Skill Acquired: “Hallowed Language: Compressed”

I wasn’t sure if I’d need it again after this was over, but since I had plenty of extra skill points lying around, I activated it anyway.

It might even end up being useful for something besides communicating with gods someday.

“All right. We shall go.”

“We will not make it in time by sea. We need an airship.”

“Very well. I will arrange for one.”

After Tenion said this, the dots of light on my radar moved away from the entrance to the sanctuary.

She must have given her worshippers an order through Telepathy or something of the sort. It felt rude to mention that we could just use my airship after the priests had already left to get one ready for us, so I kept that to myself.

The goddesses’ words had remarkable influence. In less than an hour, a small high-speed airship was ready for us.

Although they also arranged for a flight crew, I thought it best to only borrow the vessel rather than put anyone else in danger on our journey. Nana and I could fly it anyway.

“Faithful believers, I am pleased by your festival of welcome. Do not forget to continue your pious prayers. Love one another, bear and raise children, and live prosperous lives from this day onward.”

Tenion returned to the altar and made this statement to the people, then waved a hand glowing with green light. A veil of light rained over her followers, blessing them all.

Weeping tears of gratitude, the people all praised Goddess Tenion and thanked her devoutly.

“I wish you happiness, my beloved children…”

Tenion’s body glowed even brighter, then disappeared with a flash.

There was a heavy thud, and white smoke rose from the place where the goddess had been standing.

It was salt.

Now that she was gone, the body and clothing that served as Tenion’s vessel had evidently scattered into salt instead of turning back into a statue.

Was that another holy relic, I guess?

The priests and priestesses held back tears as they collected the salt.

“Let us go.”

We followed Urion onto the airship and soon left the Aubehr Republic.

“Do you all want to wait at Miss Nyuuze’s island?”

“No, we’ll go with you.”

“I would never be so arrogant as to assume I can fight by your side, Master, but I will strive to be of use to you.”

Arisa shot down my suggestion that they stay behind, while Liza politely insisted on accompanying me.

The other girls all seemed to feel the same way.

“All right. But I don’t want you fighting on the front lines. Even the hero and the sage couldn’t handle those things.”

Even knowing they’d probably be fine with Karion’s protection, I’d rather be safe than sorry.

I used the Space Magic spell Telephone to contact Mia.

“Mia, something came up and now we’re heading to Pialork Kingdom. If you’re still in the middle of your Spirit Magic training, would you rather stay there with Miss Nyuuze?”

“Wait…”

I heard Mia asking Nyuuze for permission.

“…I’ll come.”

I guess she must have gotten it.

We picked up Mia from Miss Nyuuze’s island and turned the airship toward Pialork Kingdom.

Our first visit to Pialork Kingdom was shaping up to be a rocky one.

I’ll have to make sure Pochi puts the egg in her Fairy Pack.