Velia's Intervention

At Velia's words, I froze for a moment, then understood her meaning after a long while, and my face flushed.

Oh, well... if you put it that way..."

"[I went and checked on your Girlfriends during the three days you were unconscious. They're quite impressive, aren't they? They are the twin Princesses, one of the most prominent Witches from the Magic Tower. Wouldn't it be fine to just add Kanya to that? Kanya isn't lacking in any way. As the Saintess of the Cult of War, her position is certainly not inferior, is it?]"

"...Does Kanya even like me?"

Velia burst into laughter at my question.

"[Did you think she'd hold a grudge against the man who risked his life to save her? Kanya is a child who has suffered for a long time. She never had a chance to date or even meet anyone resembling a man. With a handsome guy like you selflessly making a self-sacrifice to save her, how could she not fall for you? You're her first love, her first love. Unlike you, who has many girlfriends, she's a complete virgin, so be extra considerate of her.]"

Velia, who had been chuckling as she spoke, flinched for a moment.

"[Kanya's crying, so I'll stop here. Anyway, what do you think? I don't think there'd be any harm in adding one more. Honestly, Kanya isn't lacking in looks, is she?]"

She isn't, I guess.

But still, isn't this too sudden?

"It's so sudden that I don't know how to answer. I think I need a little time."

"[Alright. I can't force you to love her. But know this. Kanya can be as helpful to you as the twin Princesses and Witch Erfa.]"

"What do you mean by that?"

"[Lucifer will be busy just blocking the Pantheon now. As his power has grown, even just Communication Blockage will require an incomparable amount of power compared to before. In other words, he won't be able to command Asmodeus to interfere with you like he did at the Rocky Mountains. You can now command the most powerful Deity in history as you wish.]"

Indeed, Asmodeus, whom I saw at Talahaim's Rocky Mountain, had shown signs of being controlled on several occasions, as if his left wing was being pulled.

The sensation of pulling the white chains to control Asmodeus was still vivid in my memory.

"[Kanya can teach you how to control and handle that Deity. I'm quite a specialist in this area. You could learn from Dulanere, but honestly, he's too reckless. My style would suit you better than his.]"

"I suppose so. You are the Goddess of War, after all. I didn't see you fight, but I imagine it was quite magnificent."

Velia let out a hearty laugh at my compliment.

"[Keep Kanya by your side and learn how to control and handle Asmodeus. You need to keep the necessary people around you and receive help. Learn what you can from Kanya, and while you're at it, have some fun and make her laugh. Kanya will go through a lot, so there should be some give and take, right?]"

Seeing her mischievous smile, I found myself laughing along.

"...I think I should hear what my girlfriends have to say first."

"[Alright, do that. But they won't be able to refuse either. Didn't your Girlfriends practically force themselves on you first?]"

"How did you know that...?!!"

"[It's one of my Authorities. I can sense others' weaknesses and anxieties. If you bring that up and push for a new Girlfriend, they won't have anything to say.]"

Velia clenched her fist and thrust it forward.

"[That's advice given as a bonus, so make good use of it. And while I'm at it, let me give you one more piece of advice. Don't try to carry everything by yourself, Amael.]"

Velia approached and patted my shoulder.

"[You couldn't reveal it until now because you thought Asmodeus was a Demon King, right? That's why you tried to die quietly. I know all about it. But now you know he's not a Demon King, don't you? Be honest with everyone and share the burden. That's the right thing to do. If you try to carry too much by yourself, you'll break. Everyone does.]"

She wasn't wrong.

I had been on the edge many times.

If I tried to handle everything by myself any longer, it was only a matter of time before I'd break.

"[The Evil God and Hell are still very much alive. And they won't want to see the balance tip towards the Pantheon. Never. They will probably try desperately to hinder you. Lucifer hasn't yet come to the forefront in Hell, and we don't know what the Evil God is hiding either. You might see something more repulsive and hideous than you can imagine, Amael.]"

"So, make many allies who can help?"

"[Yes. The Pantheon's Cults and Gods. The Imperial Family. The Scrap Yard. The Magic Tower. And Karma Company. Mobilize everything you can use, as long as you're determined to restore the two Deities of the Pantheon. At the end of all this, only a Great War will remain.]"

A Great War.

And I was at its center.

I let out a hollow laugh.

Wasn't this supposed to be an adult game?

How did I get swept up in something so massive?

But having learned the whole truth,

I couldn't just stop here out of fear.

I stood up.

"I'd like to eat first, Lady Velia. And may I ask for one favor?"

"[A Human ordering a God around. But you're qualified enough. What do you want?]"

"Please gather the Imperial Family, the High-ranking Priests and High Priests of the Pantheon, Karma Company, the Magic Tower, the Labor Advocates from the Ministry of Labor, and the Heads of the Empire's major Noble Families."

It was time to reveal everything.

It was time for them to know the truth too.

Velia nodded at my words.

"[I'll gladly do that for you.]"

The Goddess left the room.

***

The Imperial Palace's Central Banquet Hall was magnificent.

Normally, it would be a place for dancing, singing, and socializing, but now the air was heavy.

The Heads of the major Noble Families in the Capital.

The High-ranking Priests and High Priests of the Pantheon.

The Board of Directors of Karma Company and Jonathan Karma himself.

Kal Renaro from the Ministry of Labor and other Labor Advocates.

The Mages and Witches of the Magic Tower.

And the Imperial Kin and the Emperor himself.

It was a gathering of virtually everyone who could be called the Empire's core.

And I had just finished telling them my entire story.

"This is my story. I apologize for keeping it a secret all this time. But I simply couldn't speak. At first, I was afraid to speak because I was pretending to be a Saint when I wasn't. After that, I couldn't speak because the source of my Authority was a Demon King."

I looked at the faces of the people gathered in the Banquet Hall.

Some were crying, some were frozen in shock, and others wore serious expressions.

"Then all the reasons for your sudden disappearances... were to destroy the Demon King's Authority? To have your soul destroyed?"

"Yes. At the time, I didn't know it was an Evil God's Scheme. I thought it was the best choice for this World, and for myself. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner."

At my words, the sounds of weeping grew louder.

I turned my head to see my three Girlfriends and Kanya sniffling.

I gave them an awkward smile.

I had a feeling I'd be getting an earful once this was all over.

"Saint, what should we do now?"

His Imperial Majesty asked, looking at me respectfully.

Fortunately, I had an answer for him.

"The Evil God currently holds twelve Deities, half of the Pantheon's Deities. And if we include Lady Velia, who will soon ascend, ten Seats of the Pantheon are currently filled. The remaining two Deities are still in the Mortal Realm. If we succeed in finding and ascending those two Deities, it will be our victory. The Evil God and Hell will no longer be able to torment Humans."

At my words, Gerson, the High Priest of the Cult of Silence, posed a question.

"May we know the names of the two remaining Deities in the Mortal Realm?"

Instead of me, Lady Velia answered.

"[The God of Courage, Ponemkin, and the God of Endurance, Altair, are still in the Mortal Realm.]"

At Lady Velia's words, some of the Pantheon's Priests murmured amongst themselves.

They were the people of the Cult of Heroes, who served the God of Courage, Ponemkin.

"We thought he was in the Heavenly Realm; to think he was in the Mortal Realm all this time."

"We will find him, no matter what."

"The fact that we can still use divine power is proof that he is still alive."

"We, his Followers, will take charge of finding Lord Ponemkin's whereabouts."

I couldn't help but smile at the words of the Cult of Heroes.

When I was alone, I lacked information and had to figure everything out myself, but not anymore.

I have reliable Allies now.

I nodded, then looked at the others.

"Members of the Pantheon's Cults, please focus on locating the two remaining Deities. And everyone else, please focus on just one thing: just one thing."

A Great War was approaching.

And it wasn't just Deities who had to fight in that war.

Humans also had to participate in that war.

And to do that, preparations had to be made.

"A Great War is coming. Hell and the Evil God will never stand idly by. Our nation must be prosperous and united. So, please do what each of you does best in your respective positions."

I looked at the Mages of the Magic Tower.

"Please accelerate Technology Development and Magic Research. In this war, your technology will save the Empire and its Humans."

This time, I looked at the Labor Advocates and the Imperial Family.

"Please formulate and implement policies so that not just a select few, but all Imperial Citizens can prosper. The more people with wounded and corrupted hearts there are, the weaker the Empire becomes. Cut out the rotten parts, establish Principles and Norms that can strengthen us in the face of crisis, and personally put them into practice."

Lastly, it was the Heads of the Noble Families and Karma Company.

"War requires capital. Please do what you do best. Earn money. Create Quality Jobs and develop technology to enrich the Empire."

And finally, there was me.

"If you all do that, I promise to ascend the remaining two Deities, and then return the Goddess of Life's Authority within my soul to the Heavenly Realm once more. This Authority is too vast and immense for me to wield. This Authority will be safest and most peaceful in the hands of Lilia of Grace, not mine."

I was never suited to grasp and wield such immense authority in the first place.

"I wish for everyone to be happy. I wish for this world to be peaceful. I can no longer carry this heavy burden alone. So please, help me. Lend me your strength. Will you do that?"

At my words, one person suddenly shot up from their seat.

This is a familiar face to me.

It was Magic Tower Lord Oergen.

"Inspired by the Saint's Treatment, the Hair Loss Treatment Potion production Project is underway. Well, it's called a hair loss treatment, but it's practically the Highest-grade Healing Potion."

The Magic Tower Lord grinned.

"With adequate support from the Imperial Family and the Noble Families, we can swiftly conclude our Research and Development and begin mass production. I hope it will be of some help in the upcoming war."

This time, the Labor Advocates stood up.

Kal Renaro, leading the way, declared in a serious voice.

"We can persuade the workers of the scrap yard to overproduce the weapons needed for war and the various equipment necessary for development. With our persuasion and sufficient night shift allowance, they will gladly work through the night."

Jonathan Karma also stood up.

"Based on Witch Erfa's Three Primary Colors Research from the Magic Tower and the elixirs flowing from the Capital, we are proceeding with a plan to create the Corporate Alliance, Eleos Group. Currently, 14 Noble Families have expressed their willingness to join our group. Legislation related to this is needed. We only hope that the capital of the Eleos Group will be of some help in the coming war."

The Cult of Silence stood up.

"We will locate the Evil God and Hell Followers scattered across the Continent."

The Cult of Wisdom also.

"We will share our wisdom with the Mages of the Magic Tower and the Workers of the Scrap Yard. It will aid in Research and Development."

The White Order also.

"Leave it to us to beat and kill those Evil God's and Hell's Followers once we find them."

And the Noble Families and the Imperial Family were also included.

"Senators of the Senate, follow me immediately. We'll hold a meeting. It seems there will be many matters to decide."

"Yes, Your Majesty. It seems there will be quite a few pieces of legislation to pass."

Everyone uttered a word or two, then began to move.

I was no longer alone.

The Specialists from each field moved like interlocking gears, and before long, the Banquet Hall gradually emptied.

And a short while later.

Only five people remained in the Banquet Hall, including me.

Erfa.

Iomene.

Almene.

And...

"Saint."

Kanya.

The four women approached me.

"Can we talk among ourselves for a moment?"

Erfa, Iomene, and Almene said that to me with a smile, while Kanya couldn't even meet my gaze.

Why?

I felt an inexplicable sense of dread from their smiles.