“Aww! If I knew it was gonna get that exciting, I would’ve gone with you!” Frei grumbled a bit as she slapped her palms on the table.
Come on, now... No need to misbehave.
“The wicked devout, huh? I wanna fight them!”
“I don’t think we have to do that...”
Linne was all amped up to go to war, while Elna was coming off as a lot calmer. I personally felt Elna was in the right.
“Don’t do anything reckless, okay? Especially not without our permission,” Elze said, and she narrowed her eyes slightly at Frei, who had a habit of running wild. Frei seemed to get the message right away, but Linne didn’t seem all that happy to hear it.
“Let’s just table this discussion for now, okay? Like Elze said, don’t do anything reckless.”
“Okaaaaaay...” Linne grumbled quietly, but still nodded her head. Quun, Frei, and Arcia all gave obedient little nods as well.
“Now, everyone. It’s time to take a bath and get ready for bed. Come along!”
“Okaaay!”
Yumina smiled before leading the girls off to the bath. She seemed more like a schoolteacher than a mother. Our bath was massive, big enough for us all to soak in the tub at the same time, even. Linze said she didn’t feel confident enough in Linne’s swimming, though.
Now that the kids are gone, I can head up to the divine realm and see what’s what. Oh, better not forget my offering...
God Almighty was a fan of traditional Japanese confectionery, so I’d made some dorayaki and yokan for him.
I opened up a [Gate] to that ever-familiar cloudy expanse. I’d expected to spend some alone time with God Almighty...but I was surprised to see another god sitting on the other side.
“Long time no see, kiddo.”
“Oh, hello there. You’re looking well.”
They greeted me, but I only had questions. Just what business did the god of destruction have here? Although, he was a god, so he had every right to hang around.
“Oh, before I forget... Brought you a little something. Dorayaki and yokan.”
“Oh, you need not have bothered, but thank you. Let us enjoy them at once.”
“Hey kid, want some booze?”
No thanks... Didn’t you drink a ton of it the last time you came down here? I remember being scared you’d destroy the world or something...
“What brings you here today, my boy?”
“Well, actually...” I began to explain the current situation to God Almighty. When I defeated the wicked god there, I became the world’s caretaker, so he no longer had omnipresent senses when it came to the events of my life.
I wasn’t really sure I was worthy of the title, but I was still technically the god of that world... Newbie or not, its safety was my responsibility. That was why I had to know what a god should do under such circumstances.
“Ordinarily, I would say to let things play out...but the presence of the wicked god complicates matters. The way I see it, you have two options.”
“And they are?”
“Option A would be to grant a divine weapon to a mortal in that world, allowing them to awaken as a hero. Then, it would be a simple matter of sitting back and letting them take charge of the situation. Normally, I would take that approach, but your situation is rather unique. You are not only the guardian of that world, but also a resident of it. Option B would be to handle it yourself. These residual dregs of malignant divinity, or even a new wicked god, should still pale in comparison to you.”
Wait, really? Just like that?
“Wait, old man. There’s option C! Just take everything in that world and—”
“Rejected.”
“I didn’t even get to finish!”
I had no interest in hearing out the god of destruction... It was pretty obvious he wanted to simply trash everything and be done with it.
Please don’t treat the world I live in like some kinda disposable napkin...
“That world has been bequeathed to you. Whatever happens to it is solely up to you. Oh, though I would request that you refrain from physically conquering the world. It may be your world, but that does not mean you can lay claim to the lives and lands within it. It belongs to the people of that world, first and foremost. It’s simply your job to ensure that its inhabitants stay on a proper course, free from cosmic sway.”
No plans on taking over the world here. Frankly, it’d be a massive pain in the ass.
Traditionally, gods were merely impartial observers of their worlds. They could occasionally nudge civilizations along the right path, but only in extreme situations did they make themselves known. They’d give out holy blades, choose oracles to speak for them, or even send angels or incarnations to spread the good word and save innocent souls.
It was a bit more complicated for me, though. I was technically still mortal, and I lived in the world I was in charge of.
“The wicked god’s dregs and supporters should mean very little to you. Though I imagine it may be a troubling task... Please don’t forget to completely excise the threat, however. If you leave anything behind, it’ll simply regrow eventually.”
“Ugh.”
Why is this thing starting to feel more like weeding a garden? Guess I’ve gotta be thorough when pulling the roots...
“Oh yeah, will I need to warn the gods down there about this?”
The world wasn’t just a place I managed, but also a resort of sorts for the divine.
Let’s see... Putting Karen and the Brunhild gods aside... There’s the goddess of dance, the god of strength, the god of industry, the god of glasses, the god of theater, the god of puppetry, the god of wandering, the goddess of flowers, and the goddess of gemstones down there.
“That will not be necessary. They are currently living as humans in that world, not the divine. They are on vacation, so there is no need to bother them.”
Guess that saves me some work. It’s hard enough looking after the kids, so I’d rather not have my hands full with a bunch of gods too.
“It’s not a huge deal, aye! Wicked god stains are the worst to scrub out when they spread across the lands... I usually find it easier to wreck the whole place instead of wasting my time huntin’ the blobs down.”
Hell no, man... I know it’ll be a hassle to clean up, but c’mon!
“At any rate, there is not a single thing explicitly forbidding you from directly interfering in this case, so feel free to treat it like pest control and handle the situation. Though be warned that if you fail, you will only invite further ruin for yourself down the line.”
“Ugh...”
Pest control... Well, I guess it makes sense. To the gods, dealing with this kind of thing probably isn’t too dissimilar to scrubbing out a persistent stain or putting down rat traps. I’m sure it’s work that most would rather not deal with.
Either way, I had God Almighty’s approval, so I was clear to handle the issue however I felt like.
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