『Welcome to the Iris.』
I had no idea what Iris was supposed to be.
『Iris is a system created to monitor the universe and assist otherworlders that get summoned, reincarnated and transferred to this universe.』
The window replied. Was I always able to see such a window?
『Your access to Iris was previously blocked due to the status effect "Curse of the Archangel of Justice".』
That damn goddess. However, the window strangely reminded me of the goddess.
『Otherworlders are rarely capable of surviving without assistance from the Iris. The individual "Archangel of Justice" had been assisting you in place of the Iris.』
Iris was better at this work than the goddess. However, while she called herself a goddess, Iris referred to her as an archangel. I then remembered her words. The rebels became self-proclaimed gods while the loyal ones were revered as demon kings. It was only natural that the goddess, who didn't choose sides, remained as an archangel.
I thought I would be able to live a peaceful life after getting rid of the annoying goddess, but it turned out she was actually dead? I felt a bit lonely. I got what I wanted, but I couldn't ignore the feelings of loneliness.
『You can chat with a child of Iris in case you feel lonely. Do you wish to disconnect from the Iris and connect with a child? This might restrict access to certain data, but reduces the response time. Y/N』
For real? I mean it was just a floating green window. I had no idea it was capable of such awesome things. I clicked on Y.
『Disconnecting from the Iris.』
『Looking for a suitable child...』
It was looking for a suitable child for five minutes or so before I got a sudden popup.
『You have been connected to child Lily.』
The window suddenly turned blue. Some words appeared on the window.
『Greetings, master!』
'Uhh well, greetings, I suppose...'
『I am Lily. Your personal Child of Iris.』
It can chat with me? Ah yes the window did tell me to chat with a child if I felt lonely. Also, personal? Were there so many children as to be able to afford to give me a personal child?
『That's classified information. I am afraid I cannot answer master's question.』
That was understandable. Given a goddess herself had lots of things she cannot share, it wasn't surprising.
'So, since you are a floating window, does that mean I can see my "status" as in most isekai novels?'
『There are two things. One, I am not a floating window. Please call me Lily. Two, I do not have access to some of Iris' data since I am but a child. However, I can read your titles and their effects.』
'Can you show me the data?'
The floating window suddenly went blank. Slowly, characters began appearing on the window just as during the time of my appraisal.
==========
Name: Yevon Truesilver
Class: Mage
Titles: Apostle of Justice 5 (weak), Tyrant 1 (Nature), Candidate of Justice 0
Unique Effects: Strong Build, Full Health, Maximum Memory
Apostle of Justice 5 (weak): Judging Eye, Magic Creation
Tyrant 1: Intimidator, Dictator, Despair, Charisma, Fortress of the Tyrant
Candidate of Justice 0: Eye of Justice, Smell of Truth
Unique Magic: Lance, Arrow Rain, Magic Inventory, Golem Creation, Pillar of Hell, Castle of Flames, Ultima, Gae Bolg, Grand Aqua, Deca Needle, Levitation
==========
I was wrong. Appraisal was nothing compared to this. "I do not have access to some data"? Appraisal barely showed me my title.
'What are the numbers beside my titles?'
『They show your mastery on the title. Reaching a mastery of thirteen would mean "Complete Mastery". You can gain mastery over your title by learning to use it better.』
Just as I guessed. I had a higher level in my Apostle title since I had been using magic creation a lot.
Also, "Candidate of Justice"? I was sure the goddess never told me anything about it. Eye of Justice? Wind of Truth? They sounded pretty cool though I only had a vague idea about their effects.
『Eye of Justice: Acquire insight on good and evil.』
That was much more vague than what I had imagined.
『Smell of Truth: Whenever someone speaks the truth, the user senses a sweet smell. If it is a lie, the user senses the smell of Hydrogen Sulfide.』
Wait... What was the last part? Wasn't that too specific? After living nearly a hundred lives, I had entirely forgotten what Hydrogen Sulfide smelled like. The formula was something like H3S... right?
Anyway, if truth smelled sweet, then lies must have a pungent smell. Thus I moved on to exploring Lily more.
『The way you use "exploring" sounds creepy, master.』
I read the words on the window. That was bad. She was literally breaking the fourth wall. It was getting harder to believe that she was just a floating window. It was as if she had a persona of her own.
『That is what I have been saying since the beginning.』
I read the words on the window. She started off like a cute little sister and now has the maid-that-looks-down-at-her-master vibes.
『Children of Iris are child processes that spawn from the original Iris.』
She was beginning to sound like an autonomous program.
『I'm not.』
And a surprisingly straight one at that. Suddenly, the window turned white. More words began appearing on the window.
『Interference detected. Proceeding to scan for abnormalities.』
Abnormalities?
『Child has been determined too weak to deal with abnormalities. Borrowing power from Iris.』
Wait what did it even mean? I was scared. I was alone in a room with a white window in front of me. Were white windows always spooky?
-BEEP
The window disappeared. Suddenly a blue window appeared.
『I'm sorry, master. Certain abnormalities have been detected around you.』
'Around me?'
『Presicely, an interference that affects you and people around you. The origin couldn't be determined even by borrowing information from Iris since I do not have much access to the Iris.』
'What exactly does that interference do?'
『It manipulates events around you. What must happen decades later might happen in ten minutes.』
'Can't you do something about it?'
『I can weaken the interference at most. I cannot entirely terminate it.』
'Wait... If the interference can speed up events, does it have to do anything with the goddess vanishing?'
『The interference merely sped up the process of her consciousness vanishing. Without the interference, she must have lasted another estimated five years.』
My intution was right. The goddess vanishing was too sudden. She sounded all normal just morning and prepared to vanish in mere hours? That's absolute crap. And I didn't feel a thing when she vanished either.
『The interference sped up your emotions the same way it sped up her death.』
It all made sense. Things were progressing a bit too quick recently. And it was all this unknown interference...
'Can others see you?'
『I am a newborn child. Even if I wish to, others cannot see me.』
'That was reassuring.'
It indeed was. I didn't have to worry about others seeing her with this. I wondered if the interference was also the reason I got used to Lily in a mere few minutes.
『That certainly has to be it. I was made to read a manual on "How Not To Scare Your Master" before being connected with you.』
Understandable.
-KNOCK KNOCK
I heard someone knocking the door.
"Yeah, you can come in."
The door opened and a woman in a black costume with a crow mask came in.
"Were you waiting?"
"Not really."
"You must not forget to wear your mask within the base."
Yes I had forgotten the fact that my face was completely exposed.
"Ah I'm sorry I spaced out for a bit."
I hurried and wore my mask.
"So White, allow me to introduce myself again. I am Crow, the fourth seat of the Nine Apostles of Justice. I specialize in... eh... Swinging a scythe!"
"I suppose I need to introduce myself as well. Since you already call me White, I'll go with it."
"What's your specialization?"
"What is a specialization?"
"I mean, what are you good at?"
『The target cannot be viewed using Eye of Justice. I advice you to maintain a distance with that woman, master.』
'Are you sure? She is an apostle of the goddess anyway.'
『If I were you, I wouldn't trust the goddess in the first place after living through ninety eight lives.』
"Something wrong?"
"Ah sorry I spaced out again... I can only use placed spells."
"That's pretty vague. Placed spells are not suited for combat at all... Yet she chose you as an apostle? Funny..."
She then whispered to me.
"Do not trust other apostles. The goddess has a good insight for good and evil, but not everyone has the same definition of the two."
"What do you mean?"
"The goddess is no more. Yet everyone is calm. I figured it was due to you. Someone had placed an interference on you. An interference that messes with both time and mind."
I was confused as she continued.
"An interference strong enough to influence even Pumpkin, the one resistant against mental attacks the most..."
『You are advised to keep up your guard, master.』
"...As I said, do not trust other apostles. The one I do not trust, is you."