Chapter 59
“I-Is this… enough…?”
A hazy smoke spread.
A characteristic visual effect I had also experienced with the Dragon Lord.
“Huh?”
But as the smoke cleared and the figure was revealed, my thoughts came to a screeching halt.
There was a beautiful woman.
There stood the ideal of men, there stood a dream.
「Black Sun's Incarnation: Wait. Huh?」
「Child of the Lost Star: Oh… Interesting.」
As I stared, dumbfounded, the Constellation who had used Divine Possession lowered their gaze and cautiously watched my reaction.
“It’s common knowledge that the Absolute Being has a fondness for Followers, especially those of the 'Human Race', so I tried to take on the most beautiful form possible…”
“Why… the maid outfit?”
“It was the most…eye-catching… so it just happened.”
Why was my hobby common knowledge?
More importantly, my gaze kept being drawn to the Constellation’s Divine Body, even as I tried to look away.
“My eyes are malfunctioning.”
「Black Sun's Incarnation: Uh…?」
“The Constellation looks beautiful.”
「Black Sun's Incarnation: Uh…?!」
I’d never experienced this before.
Before recognizing her as a Constellation, my ‘instincts’ had already filtered her as an attractive woman.
「Black Sun's Incarnation: Absolute Being…! Snap out of it!」
“Ah, I’d forgotten.”
The impact of the maid-outfitted Constellation made me recall a memory I had forgotten.
That I, as a man, was very weak to the opposite sex.
「Black Sun's Incarnation: You can't fall for such a simple trick! You have the authority of the Absolute Being…?!」
The authority of the Absolute Being.
To hell with that.
My values had always been the same throughout my life.
To exist as myself.
‘I admit it. You have excellent taste.’
The beautiful appearance unique to this world, combined with animal ears.
And a maid outfit on top of that?
‘Damn it, Burning Cat. What kind of attack is this…!’
“A-Absolute Being…?”
Perhaps sensing that my gaze wasn't unfavorable, the Constellation approached me with small steps and held my hand.
“H-Hand. I gave it to you first.”
-…What am I even looking at right now?
-Kraaagh!! My mind is being polluted! Not only did they take the form of an inferior race, but they’re even acting cute…!
“If I do this… I can become ‘friends’ with you, right…?”
I looked down at the hand held by the Lion of the Sun.
The warm, soft touch of her skin.
But it brought me back to my senses.
“What kind of trick are you playing?”
Get a grip.
She was a Constellation.
Even if it was in a game, she was the kind of malicious Constellation who treated humans like me as expendable.
“Attention.”
“U-Uh…?”
“Aren't you being a little too impertinent?”
I glared at the Lion of the Sun, still wearing the Lens of Truth.
「Black Sun's Incarnation: Are you okay now…?」
‘What do you mean? I was always fine.’
Ignoring the questioning Black Sun, I instructed the Lion of the Sun.
“You, wait here for a bit.”
“O-Okay…”
Her hesitant manner almost made me waver again, but we weren’t alone here.
There were still four more Constellations with corrupted minds.
-S-Sacrilege.
“What sacrilege? It’s a pleasant sight.”
-You make us take the form of an inferior race, and now what are you planning?!
They were saying things that could be easily misunderstood.
“What the hell am I supposed to be doing?”
-Absolute Being! Even you cannot defy providence! A Constellation ruling over another Constellation, what a cursed act!
-Y-Yes…! We will obey, but please, spare us from Divine Possession…!
“Hehehe.”
Unlike the quick-witted Lion of the Sun, these Constellations were still clinging to their beliefs.
But that was the average for them.
“You don’t want to use Divine Possession?”
-Y-Yes! How can noble beings like us take on such an unsightly form…!
What was so unsightly about it?
It was much better than their grotesque forms.
“Well, there is another way.”
And one Constellation was currently experiencing that method.
“Haven’t you heard the news?”
-About what…?
“The other Constellations who ran from me.”
The Undead guy and the follower kidnapper.
-…!
They knew very well that those two weren't in a pleasant situation.
Constellations were very interested in each other's affairs.
“Choose. Holy war? Or curse?”
Of course, the result would be the same either way: a slow death.
If they didn’t want to be friends, I would let them go.
-T-This can’t be. Even if you’re the Absolute Being, this kind of tyranny is unacceptable…!
“Tyranny? Tyrannyyy?”
Hearing those words from them was truly hilarious.
“You make it sound like you’ve been doing righteous deeds.”
-We… maintain balance and protect the foundation of the world…!
“Go tell that to the dragon bastard.”
I was trying to erase it from my mind, but they were so kind as to remind me. I was truly grateful.
“Constellations opening the gates of hell, summoning Outer Gods. And who cleaned up that mess?”
-I wasn’t involved in that…!
-Weren’t all those who participated annihilated back then?!
The Constellations protested indignantly, but I found their reactions endearing.
“Yes, they were annihilated.”
They disappeared one day, just like that.
Because they incurred the world's resentment.
“But who knows? You might be next.”
-Eek…!
“Um, um…”
The Lion of the Sun, who had been observing the situation, spoke, her words still carrying an unsettling power.
“It might be a bit presumptuous of me to say this, but since they haven't done anything other than harbor pure hatred and resentment towards the Absolute Being, a situation like ‘that time’ wouldn't have occurred.”
“Who can guarantee that?”
“…Huh?”
“Did you see it firsthand? Can you stand by your words?”
A sudden surge of annoyance prompted me to directly refute the Lion of the Sun’s claim.
Have you played Ragnarok?
Have you managed progress? Have you regulated the world’s foundational stress?
Ah, you haven’t, have you? Because these bastards were just data fragments.
If they realized how chaotic the game world was, they’d probably fall into a deep depression.
“You should be grateful to me.”
-What… what do you mean?
“I know you don’t understand, so I’m telling you. And you know I’m holding your followers, right?”
The highest-ranking followers dispatched from each Religious Order.
It would be difficult for them to find replacements of equal caliber.
It would take a long time.
They should at least know the value of high-ranking followers.
“If I wanted to, it would be a piece of cake to convert those high-ranking followers to our side.”
-Are you… stealing our followers…?
“I’ll make them happier than their original Constellations could ever imagine, and make them work right before your eyes.”
-How… how can you do such a terrifying thing…!
-My… my sense of self is crumbling…! Please, stop…
-Holy war, curses, and now stealing followers. Can the Absolute Being really do such monstrous things without hesitation?!
What?
Why did I feel like I had become the bad guy?
「Black Sun's Incarnation: Because the Absolute Being is the only one in this world who can exert such unreasonable influence over other Constellations.」
“But why won’t you listen?”
Was I asking for too much?
Just be polite and obedient, like the Constellation Maid here.
Joining my ranks was a bonus.
-Please let me out of here! Let me out!
-This is… hell… hell…
“…It’s easier if you just give up.”
The maid, who ‘used to be’ a Constellation, muttered softly, observing the Constellations desperately denying reality.
“You adapt quickly.”
“T-Thank you…”
See?
Once they used Divine Possession, their position and perspective lowered, making them realize how insignificant they were in this world.
Constellations treated Divine Possession almost like a taboo, but it was the most effective way to ‘normalize’ them.
‘Normalization of Constellations.’
That was the ideal I sought, the future of this world.
“I want you to live.”
-Then…!
“But you have to obey me, exist almost like my slaves. That way, you won’t run away.”
This was different from followers.
My relationship with followers was mutually beneficial, built on trust.
But Constellations had to be handled more strictly and harshly.
「Child of the Lost Star: Does that include us as well?」
‘You guys are past that stage.’
I had already vetted the Black Sun and the Star Child, who were currently my friends.
Of course, that standard existed only in my mind.
Since they had joined my ranks, I was reasonably certain they wouldn't harm the world or humanity anymore.
Therefore—
“Hurry up and choose. I don’t have time.”
I had plenty of time, ‘my time’.
‘What comes after a maid?’
「Black Sun's Incarnation: …」
And pure curiosity urged them to use Divine Possession.
-…
「‘Reassembler of Chaos’ uses Divine Possession.」
「‘Forgotten Wisdom’ uses Divine Possession.」
「‘Walker of the Night Sky’ uses Divine Possession.」
「‘Sculptor of Eternity’ uses Divine Possession.」
And so, I welcomed four new workers.