Chapter 42
「Your Religious Order is hostile to 'The Eternal Sleeper'!」
Hmm, nice ring to it.
In the Game, pressing this button would immediately trigger a Holy War, but this was reality.
Naturally, "erasing their existence" will take a bit longer than it did back then.
I looked at Calisa's muscle-bound chest, or rather, at The Eternal Sleeper trapped within, and said,
“This is all… the way of the world, you know?”
It doesn't matter if they doesn't know.
This is a perfect opportunity for them to learn.
[Follower, 'Calisa,' is worried about you.]
“Yeah, it’s over.”
I smiled at Calisa, who still didn't understand the situation, and released the Divine Power I'd been subtly building up.
Handling Divine Power was nothing to me now that I was like this.
I could even pat the Pope of any Religious Order on the head right now.
'What a reward, huh?'
A pat on the head directly from the Absolute Being. It's something to be celebrated for generations to come.
-Kyuuung…
A cute whimper unbefitting her size.
It's laced with such sorrow that if I don't soothe her, a huge water bomb will drop on my head.
Now all that's left is to return to the Religious Order with Calisa, after she almost caused a huge incident, and act all lovey-dovey.
“Hmm.”
She’s still way too big.
I wanted to see Calisa’s original lovely form, and to get rid of the Dragon Lord's interference, I needed to undo the Polymorph.
“Wanna go back to your original form?”
[Follower, 'Calisa,' asks if she can.]
“Why not?”
[Follower, 'Calisa,' confesses to having committed a grave sin she cannot atone for.]
Atonement.
I'm well aware of what she means.
In fact, I was worried about it before coming here—
Worried that that insignificant jerk would run off with our follower somewhere, and that Calisa would get hurt because of it.
I had some seriously inappropriate worries for my position.
Even while experiencing exciting emotions from this dopamine party, courtesy of the first one to challenge me since Black Sun.
“So, do you hate it?”
I ask if she hates going back to the Religious Order.
-Koooong…!
The Dragon-transformed Calisa was startled by my question and expressed her refusal with her whole body.
-Kooong…!
But because of her size, a tremendous tremor centered on the Summoned body occurred.
“Okay, okay, I get it.”
I calmed Calisa down amidst my violently shaking Vision and summoned the 'Dragon Lord,' who was probably watching from afar.
-Whaack!!
Holy light poured down from the sky, and once again, a golden lizard was born.
Snorting, it looked at me, then up at Calisa.
-Is Calisa! Alright?!
“It’s done.”
-What’s done?!
Perhaps because of its agitated mental state, the Dragon Lord asks again, not understanding my words.
It shoves its massive head towards me as if it's about to headbutt me, which is quite intimidating.
“Ugh. Move your head. I said it’s handled.”
It wouldn't have happened in the first place, but...
Unaware of the circumstances, the Dragon Lord just flapped its wings happily.
-Thank goodness! Thank goodness!
Pure relief.
But there’s no way I don't know what lies beneath that.
For the Dragon Lord, Calisa is a tool to inherit its position.
This is an inherent characteristic related to their background.
“Now, undo the Polymorph.”
The Dragon Lord remains silent for a while at my words.
At this reaction, I feign ignorance and ask, and the disgusting head turns towards me.
-Why should I undo it?
“...What?”
Another pause here. I face the dragon head with a momentarily dumbfounded expression.
Focus is key, focus.
My situation.
I’ve been unexpectedly challenged by the Dragon Lord and have arrived to save Calisa, precious to both of us.
The Dragon Lord happily performed the Polymorph after I reluctantly allowed it for my follower.
What on earth is going through its head?
[Black Sun's Incarnation: I, I…!]
Black Sun seemed to have already sensed the moment of betrayal, sighing at the dragon head’s brazen attitude.
[Follower, 'Calisa,' is puzzled by the current situation.]
-Calisa was originally my child. A true Dragon among Dragons!
Roar!
The Summoned Dragon Lord roars with righteous indignation.
“But she converted to our Religious Order.”
-Conversion? It was a kidnapping! Calisa purely! Sacrificed herself for the prosperity and peace of the Dragons!
“Ooh, interesting.”
[Child of the Lost Star: Interesting.]
“And so?”
When I asked casually, the Dragon Lord, seemingly taking my composure as a loss of words, continued to shout.
-So right now! In this very spot! I declare that I will take Calisa back!
“And if I don’t let you?”
-Even an Absolute Being wouldn't go against the order of this world! If you try to forcibly take a follower, you’ll incur the resentment of the other Constellations!
A rather clever answer, unlike its usual self.
It’s saying it’ll play politics.
-Even an Absolute Being can't make enemies of all the Constellations rooted throughout the world! This fragile world wouldn't be able to withstand it.
I tapped my Forehead with a thwack and answered as if I hadn’t known.
“You’re right! Oh no!”
-Yes! So stop this tyranny…!
“Oh dear! I’ve been completely had!”
-Tyranny…
“Oh man…! I’m screwed!”
-....?
Doubt is added, spoonful by spoonful, to its confident demeanor.
The Dragon Lord felt a sense of unease at my composure, even at this point.
-Wh, what is it?
“What’s what?”
-Why, are you so calm…
“Calm? I’m just respecting the will of my followers.”
The Constellations are bad, and the followers are good.
I know that.
The current power and status of the Religious Order I lead.
From the Constellations' perspective, I probably look like a tyrant.
A tyrant who harasses other Religious Orders whenever I'm bored and threatens them with Holy War.
But as has been proven several times before.
Those Constellations tend to be too fond of themselves.
Is narcissism a basic passive skill?
“So, Calisa.”
-....
“What do you think?”
I met Calisa's gaze as she watched our little… squabble(?) from above.
Pupils stretched long amidst brilliant gold.
She was the very embodiment of a dragon.
So, did Calisa truly want to return to their Sanctuary?
“Want to go back?”
I knew about Calisa.
Perhaps even more than the Dragon Lord, who was involved in her very birth.
[Follower, 'Calisa' is flustered.]
She still belonged to my Religious Order.
But if she wanted, I was prepared to let her go.
[Black Sun's Incarnation: Really?]
‘Nope.’
[Black Sun's Incarnation: ....?]
‘You know she doesn't want to go anyway.’
When I said that much, Calisa began to express her will.
-Alright! Calisa! Come with me...!
-Kyuuung....
-....Huh?
Calisa started to cry.
***
The Dragon Lord was bewildered.
He was there, after all.
The existence, the very life of dragons, all originated from him.
Beings born to maintain the balance of the world.
That was their reason for being, and also his.
But the Dragon Lord had made a mistake.
What he had created were not machines that followed orders without change, but living beings.
He had lived believing and readily accepting that it was right for everyone to follow his words and will.
-Kyuung...
-Ca, Calisa...?
“Do you really want to?”
-....!
The Dragon Lord turned his gaze to the man who asked the loathsome question.
He saw the Absolute Being in the form of an inferior race.
-What, what have you done!!
Immediately, the Dragon Lord concluded that Calisa's reaction was heavily influenced by the Absolute Being.
“Me? Nothing.”
Ron put on an innocent expression as if he knew nothing.
-This can't be! Calisa is a noble dragon!
“But…”
-To succeed me, to become the idol of dragons, is a great aspiration! Without your interference, Calisa would never have shown any sign of refusal!
“Is that so?”
-...What?
Ron, who had been feigning innocence, erased his expression and looked at the Dragon Lord.
A chilling emptiness flickered in his eyes.
Even facing the Dragon Lord, who held a high rank among the Constellations, he showed no agitation.
As if the Absolute Being had the confidence to eliminate the Dragon Lord at any moment.
“Did you ask Calisa what she wants?”
-Such a thing doesn't...!
“Sigh... How are all these Constellation bastards so alike?”
Ron swept his face as if tired, then looked up.
At the end of his gaze was Calisa's massive head, still letting out low cries.
Despite being the successor of the Dragon Lord, she was expressing her sorrow in a human way.
-What, what is this.
The Dragon Lord, bewildered, tried to resonate with Calisa.
-Pak!
At that moment, driven by feelings of hatred, the connection was severed.
-Huh...?
The Dragon Lord, abruptly rejected, stared at Calisa in considerable shock.
Dragons don't use the inferior language of humans.
Their unique possession, their horns, was enough for communication.
In conclusion, the Dragon Lord's communication request had been flatly denied.
Eyes brimming with hurt stared at the Dragon Lord.
[Follower, 'Calisa' strongly Demands that the Dragon Lord cast 'Polymorph'.]
‘Whoa.’
Ron, observing the situation, found it all rather amusing.
He wished he could show him this message window as well, but unfortunately, he couldn't.
[Black Sun's Incarnation: Oh, you devil...]
‘Me? Nah.’
Where in the world was such a kind devil?
Ron simply waited.
For the Dragon Lord, faced with the Truth, to break down on his own.
-Ca, Calisa, I...
-Kyuung.
-This, this isn't... It's impossible.
-Kiiiyuuuung....!
Calisa strongly insisted on staying in my Religious Order.
Because here, unlike the dragons' Sanctuary, were the things she truly desired.
Freedom.
Freedom from all the oppression that had bound Calisa back then.
‘I was waiting for this.’
Ron finally felt a surge of emotion as his efforts were rewarded.
How to deliciously torment a Constellation.
Thoroughly dismantling their pride in the area he was most confident in.
Few things gave Ron more satisfaction than this.
-Ssshaa...
[Constellation, 'Dragon Lord' uses 'Polymorph'.]
After a brief struggle—
The completely defeated Dragon Lord silently restored Calisa to her human form.
A dark blue fog descended, and Calisa's form completely melted into it.
He thought about dispersing it with a gust of wind, but Ron decided to savor the situation.
“.....”
-Slide.
A presence gently wrapped around Ron's arm.
He turned his gaze to meet the eyes of Calisa in human form, looking at him with relief.
“F-Father God.”
“Yeah. You're back?”
“I swear, I never had any plans or thoughts that would harm my Lord God. I, I-”
“Hey, it's okay.”
The trembling transmitted through her arm made Ron unable to ignore it any longer, so he comforted Calisa.
-Flap. Flap.
Then, a small fluttering of wings towards them.
Ron and Calisa's gazes turned towards it simultaneously.
“...Elder.”
-Calisa.
The relationship instantly reversed.
Calisa glared at the Dragon Lord.
The start of round two.