Crackle, crackle. Sounds from the fireplace fill the room.
Everything here is cast in an orange light and flooded with warmth. The heat washes
over me, embracing my cold body in a warm hug. My eyelids get heavy, but I shake my
head every time sleep threatens to overtake me.
The goddess is lying in the bed in front of me, sleeping peacefully. I sit quietly, holding
her right hand with both of mine.
"How is the goddess doing?"
"Ah, Mr. Kam… She's all right. Fell asleep a little while ago."
I hear a knock at the door, look up to see an elderly gentleman named Kam, and stand
to greet him. A human girl a little older than me is at his side. "I'm glad," he says with
a smile of relief.
—We came to this place, Edas Village, after we were fortunate enough to run into
someone in the gorge.
Edas Village is located deep in the Beor Mountain Range. Surrounded by steep cliffs,
it's a well-hidden small town in one of the valleys. Aiz and I were extremely surprised
that a place like this existed when we came to it. Who would've thought people lived
way out here?
After we explained the situation to the young men who came to check on the river,
they brought us here, and the villagers immediately offered to help. The village elder,
Kam, opened his home to us. Not only is the goddess resting in one of his guest rooms,
but he gave me a change of clothes as well.
Words can't express how grateful I am for his help. I bow to the elder once again.
"I can't thank you enough. You saved my goddess…"
"Raise your head, young Bell. This is the least I can cough, cough!" He couldn't finish
a sentence before breaking into a coughing fit.
The girl at his side supports him with both hands as the old man bends over, trying to
catch his breath between coughs. The girl, maybe his daughter, urges him to go back
to his room, with a concerned look on her face.
Kam slowly raises his hand, telling her he's all right, and gradually stands up straight.
"Um, please don't push yourself…!"
"No, it's all right… Bell, please make yourself at home. If you need anything at all, my
daughter will be happy to help. I pray for your goddess's recovery."
I take a step toward him, unsure what to do. Even though he's not healthy, Kam says
he's fine, but he keeps his eyes on the goddess, still lying in bed.
He has a thin beard and wrinkled face, but there's something about his eyes. I can tell
they've seen a lot, and there's a mix of complicated emotions running through him
right now. He then makes a small bow to her and says, "May the both of you stay in
good health…" before exiting our room with the help of his daughter.
"I wonder if he's sick…"
We only just met, but he immediately pulled out all the stops to help us the moment
he saw me carrying the goddess. It's almost overkill, but I'm extremely grateful for
everything he's done. He's been so good to us throughout our time here that the lack
of color in his face worries me.
I make my way back to the goddess's side and catch a glimpse of someone outside the
window.
I watch the hooded figure approach for a few moments, trying to make them out in the
rain. Once I realize who it is, I leave the goddess in Kam's daughter's care and rush out
of the room and to the entrance of the house.
"Welcome back, Miss Aiz. And, um, thanks for going back out."
"It's no problem, and thanks… How is she?"
Aiz takes off the soaking-wet hooded robe in the front hallway, revealing her battle
cloth and armor beneath. I hand her a towel as she asks about the goddess and tell her
that she's in stable condition.
"So, what did you find?"
"Asfi wasn't there and neither were Rakia's soldiers… Just the broken weapons and
charred aftermath of battle."
Aiz went back out to check on what was happening with Rakia's soldiers as soon as
the goddess was safely inside Edas Village.
She says that she followed the overflowing river upstream to the point where we fell
in. The storm had gotten worse, so she reasoned that Rakia's soldiers and Asfi had
taken shelter somewhere. Whether the enemy soldiers were biding time to come after
the goddess again or had completely given up and gone home, she didn't know.
Not only had she been pulled into this mess, but she also protected me the entire time.
I apologize for causing her so much trouble, but she kindly shakes her head and tells
me it's okay.
"We have no way to contact Orario… I don't think we should hope for rescue."
Going back to the city would require at least the rest of the night, and to make matters
worse, the weather isn't cooperating. Getting lost in rugged mountainous terrain is a
very real danger, separating her from us—and Lord Ares's troops are still out there.
They're strong and numerous enough that she didn't want to engage them in battle
under these conditions. So Aiz decided to come back to the village for the time being.
Asfi is an upper-class adventurer, so I'm sure she's returned to the city and explained
what happened by now… but I highly doubt she knows about a village this far into the
mountains, and that we safely arrived here.
"So then we stay here until the goddess recovers…?"
"Yes, I think that's best."
Aiz wipes down her wet hair and neck with the towel as she nods. Her soaked clothing
is plastered to her skin, making it very difficult for me to figure out where to look as I
agree with her plan.
The three of us will stay together and move as one. We'll have to impose on the people
of the village until the goddess is healthy enough to make the journey back to Orario.
I feel bad for making Lilly and the others worry… but it can't be helped.
Feeling a little guilty about it, I make a plan with Aiz for the next few days.
The goddess opened her eyes the day after we arrived. I was so happy I could cry, but
I knew she wasn't out of the woods yet. She stayed in bed the rest of that day, as well
as all of the next.
Then, on our third morning in Edas Village…
"Sorry… Bell."
"You've already apologized many times, Goddess. I told you, it's all right."
I've lost count of how many times she's said sorry while she lies in bed. I'm in my usual
spot next to her, tension leaving my face as I smile. Her color is better this morning.
She looks up at me but avoids making eye contact, as though she's ashamed of
something.
"This is… a nice village, isn't it?"
"Yes. Everyone is so warm and friendly."
Edas Village was originally an elf settlement, if you went back far enough in time. Back
to the Ancient Times, from what I've heard.
Elves generally don't like to mingle with other races, so a place like this was perfect
for their isolationist views. But apparently, the way they saw the world began to
change about 1,000 years ago. The arrival of the gods and goddesses on Earth spurred
the elvish youth to leave their homeland and explore the world, while the older elves
began to accept people of other races into their village.
People unable to face their own reality, people escaping danger, and young couples
eloping from families who couldn't accept their love all found their way here.
And, of course, exiled adventurers from Orario who wandered into the mountains with
the intention of dying out here ended up settling in the village as well. As a result, the
villagers are exceptionally friendly and open to new arrivals. More than halfthe people
living here are the descendants of these wayward travelers. I have a feeling that's the
reason they were so quick to assist lost people like us.
A hidden village not on any map, for people who had lost their way.
This… is another world I didn't know about.
Deities must be a rare sight in the village because two demi-human children, a boy
and a girl, keep peeking in through the window. Lady Hestia notices and smiles at
them, gently waving her hand. The kids blush and smile back.
"How are you feeling today? If you need something, please let me know."
"Oh, Miss Rina. Thank you for everything."
Kam's daughter, Rina, steps into the room and asks how the goddess is coming along.
I tell her the goddess is doing well and bow my head.
She's probably two or three years older than me and very friendly. She and several of
Kam's adult sons have been taking care of everything for us these past few days. My
gratitude for what all of them have done to help the goddess knows no bounds.
But there is one thing that feels odd. I don't want to sound rude, but Kam is pretty old.
There's such a gap between him and his children, it'd be easier to think of them as
grandchildren. Whenever I see them in the room or around the house, I can't help but
be a little confused. What's more, I've never seen anyone the right age to be their
mother during my time here.
Strange as it may be, I'm not about to ask. Instead, I bring up something else that's
been on my mind.
"Um, is there something going on today? There've been a lot of people outside the
window since yesterday…"
"There is. Today is our annual fertility festival. We were concerned because the rain
wasn't letting up, but it stopped just in time… Everyone's getting excited."
There's a blue sky outside my window, and I can hear many people talking outside.
She explains what's going on, her tied black hair swishing behind her head. I nod in
understanding.
The small village where I grew up had festivals, too.
"Bell… go help with the festival preparations."
"Huh?"
Both Rina and I turn to face the goddess, surprised by what she said.
"B-but, Goddess…"
"After all they've done for us, with us not doing anything in return, I'd make goddesses
look bad… Please, Bell."
She's much better now than she was, but leaving her side still makes me
uncomfortable. She laughs at my worry and says she wants me to go.
…I want to do something to pay back the people who have helped us, too.
Going home without repaying the debt seems cold, and I'm sure I'd regret it.
With that in mind, I return the goddess's smile and agree to do what she asks.
Standing up from the side of the bed, I tell Rina that I'll help. My offer makes her happy.
Leaving the goddess in her care, I exit the room.
"Ah, Miss Aiz."
"Morning…"
I bump into Aiz halfway down the hallway.
She returns my greeting, but it's her outfit that gets my attention—so much so that my
cheeks start heating up.
"Um, those… those clothes look cute on you…"
I always see her dressed in battle cloth and armor, but today she looks nothing like an
adventurer.
She's wearing a long red skirt with vivid embroidery, with a loose white blouse
underneath a patterned vest buttoned in the front. It makes her blond hair stand out
even more than usual. She looks like a country girl.
She's beautiful, as always, but… I've never seen this cute side of Aiz before. My face
turns red as butterflies run rampant in my stomach.
"These were recommended to me… Do I look weird?"
"N-no, no! You look great!"
She looks down at her outfit as I vigorously shake my head.
Just like me, she borrowed clothes from Kam's daughter to wear because the rain had
soaked through her equipment and battle cloth. Apparently, Rina got excited choosing
an outfit for Aiz because of her goddess-like beauty, and she wanted Aiz to look the
part.
Aiz looks slightly off to the side when I compliment her, her cheeks turning pink… and
shyly blushes.
—Jolt! Every move she makes sends a shock up my spine. I'm the one who
complimented her, but it's my chest that's getting tighter every second. As fire in my
veins turns my skin bright red, she looks at me with puzzlement while I turn into a
pitiful wreck.
"Are you heading somewhere?"
"Oh, yes. There's a festival in the village today, so I'm going to help them get ready."
She tilts her head when she figures out I was going outside alone.
Over the past three days, I've hardly left that room. As for Aiz, in order to keep us
safe—or perhaps because she's had nothing else to do—she's been on guard outside
the guest room or patrolling the house. The rain didn't let up until last night, so there
was no point in going outside.
However, she gave Kam's sons, and me, quite a scare by arming herself with her saber
while dressed as a cute country girl… She's a knight through and through, no matter
what she's wearing.
She nods while I explain what's going on and then says, "I'll come, too."
"Huh? Are you sure?"
"Yes. They provided clothing and more than enough food… I want to help."
Her expression is just as distant as usual, but her desire to help makes me happy.
The two of us exit Kam's house.
"It was dark when we arrived, and it was raining so hard that I couldn't tell but… this
village is pretty big."
"Yes, it is…"
The puddles on the ground reflect the blue sky above. The villagers outside come up
to greet us, and we offer our assistance for the festival preparations.
Being an old elf dwelling, Edas Village is surrounded by trees on all sides and much
bigger than it looks. Add in the tall mountains of the Beor Mountain Range, and the
term hidden village seems to describe this place extremely well. It would be really hard
to find this place without knowing where it was first.
The fact that we're here must've spread around the village by now, so when we emerge
from Kam's house, we get a lot of attention. Or, I should say, Aiz does. Looking around,
I see the men of the village are gathering left and right to catch a glimpse of her in this
outfit. Quite a few have their mouths open, gawking. At the same time, the ones who
are already married are getting reprimanded by their wives. A slap or two rings out
from the crowd. A smile grows on my lips as I watch the men shrink in front of the
angry women and excited children next to them.
There are many houses built around a central square in the middle of the village. Many
tables have already been set out in the open area, and several people are busy building
a bonfire. Things are already getting under way. A group of muscular middle-aged
men, probably the ones in charge of the event, are directing traffic. So Aiz and I listen
to their instructions, go our separate ways, and get to work.
"Um… I hate to bother you, but what is that?"
Working among the many races of people living in the village, we made a great deal of
progress. The afternoon was over before I knew it, and dusk arrived.
I was in charge of preparing firewood and carrying decorations from place to place, so
I had a chance to see several peculiar objects scattered about the village.
They look like large, shiny obsidian rocks, but there's a strange aura hanging over
them.
Each one is about the size of my chest. They form a ring around the village, creating a
line between where the village ends and the forest begins.
I ask a nearby elderly animal lady about the black things that seem to be protecting
the village. She smiles and answers right away.
"Oh, this? It's… one of the Black Dragon's scales."
" It's what?"
I can't believe my ears.
Beneath an evening sky so red it might as well be bleeding, I'm sure I misheard her
and ask for clarification as I step closer.
"The Black Dragon… As in the one in the legends? That Black Dragon…?"
"Yes, that's the one. Long ago, after heroes drove him from Orario, the Black Dragon
fled north. These scales fell from his body as he passed over this valley."
The lady tells me the story has been passed down through generations of long-living
elves.
So, many years ago, a legendary beast flew over that sky while scales dropped into the
forest below…?
"Didn't you find it strange that a village situated in the middle of a forest filled with so
many monsters never comes under attack?"
"W-well, yeah, but…"
Aiz and I were swarmed by harpies on our way here. But I haven't seen a single one
since we came inside the village. Sure, I thought it was weird, but…
"It's all thanks to these scales. Monsters are so afraid of them that they stay far away.
It's thanks to the Black Dragon that we can live in peace."
The strange aura coming from these things is the presence of the King of Dragons, or
perhaps his power.
The monsters are afraid of the isolated pieces of the legendary beast, so they don't
come close to them. That's why Edas Village doesn't worry about monster attacks.
Her story leaves me speechless. At the same time, she closes her eyes and brings her
hands together as she takes a knee in front of the black scale.
"…I'm sure you find it peculiar that we worship a monster. The reason we are alive
today is not due to the protection of adventurers or deities… but these scales."
That, and they are afraid.
Afraid of the day when the legendary beast will return and destroy the world.
The villagers living in Edas both revere the monster as well as live in fear of it every
day. They, who are more aware of the dragon's power than anyone, fear the day that it
will be unleashed on the world. To the point that they can't help but worship it.
…A village built on faith in a dragon.
No, not quite. A village that prays to a dragon so that tomorrow will continue to come
peacefully, and to hold back the calamity that is its power.
I'm stunned by this side of Edas Village, a place so far separated from the world I know.
The story of the calamities that Lord Hermes told me about feels so much more real.
The Black Dragon… I wonder if there's more evidence left behind by the one-eyed
dragon in other parts of the world.
"But of course, should there come a day when Lord Dragon is gone from this world,
we'll have no need to keep doing this, now will we…"
The lady, eyes still closed and hands still together, says this to me with a grimace.
Suddenly, it all clicks.
The meaning of the Three Great Quests that have been entrusted to Orario.
The wish for salvation that the world still holds to this day.
"Well, this heart-to-heart chat got a bit serious. We're almost done getting ready, so
why don't you run along and pitch in?"
"Ah… Y-yes, sure."
She looks up at me with a gentle smile. I manage to convince my head to nod. I've been
carrying a few logs over my shoulder this whole time, so I start moving my feet toward
my original destination.
After leaving the nice lady behind and delivering the wood, I pause for a minute and
survey the village.
The black scales dot the landscape. With the preparations nearly complete, this place
looks a little bit different from before.
"Ah…"
I spot Aiz while I walk through groups of villagers who've already finished what they
had to do.
Still dressed like a country girl, she has her back to me. She's standing in front of a
stone hut.
"Miss Aiz?"
"…"
She keeps her eyes on the stone structure, not reacting at all as I walk up next to her.
One of those black scales is inside the hut. Up on a pedestal, several plates of food and
other offerings are lined up in front of it… This must be an altar. That would mean that
this stone hut is a place where the people of the village come to pray to the thing that
protects their home.
Aiz stares quietly at the scale. Like me, she probably heard from the villagers about
the history of this place and the black scales.
"It's almost like a god, don't you think?"
Their fear of this piece of the dragon has led them to present it with offerings. The
similarities with actual gods are uncanny. I casually voice my observations.
However…
"This thing is no god."
Her sharp words cut through the air, slicing through my offhanded comment.
" "
She's still looking away from me. All I heard was a low, stone-cold rejection.
Was that really Aiz just now? I've never heard her put so much emotion into her voice.
Words are stuck in my throat.
My heart is trembling.
That voice genuinely scared me.
What did her face look like when she said it? Time comes to a halt without an answer.
"Let's go back."
"…S-sure."
Aiz turns to face me after a few seconds that feel like an eternity.
She's wearing the same aloof expression that I've seen many times before. It's the Aiz
I know. Even her voice sounds like it always does. She walks away from the stone hut.
But I don't move. She stops and looks over her shoulder after a few steps. My legs
finally wake up, and I scurry after her.
Now walking side by side, I chance a glance at her face. Castin a red glow by the setting
sun, nothing has changed. Absolutely nothing at all. Was what I heard moments ago
just my imagination? Those words are still haunting my ears, but did they really ever
happen?
I never work up the courage to ask.
Still a little bit shaken by what happened with Aiz, I finish what I was assigned to do
and head back to check on the goddess.
There are many wooden houses built around the center of the village. I make my way
all the way to the back to Kam's place, open the front door, and go inside. A quick walk
down the hallway and I'm at the guest room that he's so graciously let us use.
"Huh?… Mr. Kam?"
I open the door and go inside, only to find Kam standing at the foot of the bed in front
of the goddess.
She's asleep. Zzz, zzz. The breaths of the young goddess fill the room as the elderly
man silently watches her.
Standing with the help of a cane, he slowly looks up at me.
"Don't be afraid. I haven't done anything to her."
"Eh, um, I'm not worried about that… I-is something wrong?"
I venture a question, unable to hide my surprise. I see him turn to face me almost as if
he's moving in slow motion.
"I was waiting for you."
After yet another surprise, the elderly gentleman continues.
"Bell, can you spare a moment of your time on this old man?"
He leads me farther into the house, all the way to his room.
There's a bed, desk, and a chair in here. Not much else at all.
There's a small pile of papers and a feathered pen on his desk, but that's to be
expected. He is the village elder, after all, but I don't think he's used the pen in quite a
while. Even the top sheet of paper has a thin layer of dust on it.
"Cah-ough…!"
"A-are you okay?"
A loud cough comes out of nowhere.
I rush over to help him and offer to call his daughter, but Kam puts out his hand and
waves me off.
"Please don't concern yourself. I understand what's going on with me better than
anyone."
I'm not sure how to take that. It must've shown on my face because he tells me one
more time not to worry.
The elderly man is thin but still stands a little bit taller than me. The grayish white hair
on top of his head shifts as he smiles at me. I'm still worried about him, but I'll listen
to what he has to say.
As golden-red evening light streams in through the window, Kam makes his way to the
desk and opens the top drawer. Pulling something out, he sets it on top of the desk.
Whatever it is, it's very old. I lean in for a closer look, but the details are so worn that
it's hard to see… Is that a fire? An emblem?
"Is that… a familia's emblem?"
"Yes, indeed. A long time ago, I pledged myself to a certain goddess."
My ears perk up. Kam begins to tell me about his life.
"I fell for her, and she had feelings for me as well. We were in love with each other."
"You were…?"
He fell in love with a goddess.
This is shocking news to me. Kam takes his eyes off me for a moment. Is he blushing?
"Unfortunately, I was unable to protect her. I was her only follower, and I had sworn to
defend her with my life. But she was felled by a monster's claw…"
"…!"
"Her sacrifice saved my life… and consequently, she returned to Tenkai."
Kam casts his gaze up and out the window, as if remembering the events that
happened more than fifty years ago.
They were attacked by a swarm of monsters while traveling. Kam lost his goddess on
that day. She pushed him off the edge of a cliff and into the sea, saving his life at the
cost of her existence on Earth. At the same time, he plunged into the deepest depths
of despair.
His reason for living gone, Kam decided to throw his life away by wandering aimlessly
into the Beor Mountain Range, but…
"…I found my way to this village. I was unable to cast away the life that she had saved."
After he met several others who had walked a similar path, they took him in with open
arms. Crying tears of joy, he decided that he would one day be buried here. The Status
on his back had been sealed due to the fact that his goddess was no longer in this
realm—and he left it alone as the only remnant of the bond they once shared. He
committed himself to the village that took him in and eventually attained the rank of
village elder.
"…In that case, Rina and the others are…?"
"Adopted. Some of them lost their parents to the plague, others were abandoned… I
took in every child who didn't have a place to go."
He admitted that he wasn't related to any of his "sons and daughters" by blood.
Kam, who had sworn his love to a goddess but had been unable to protect her, couldn't
have a normal life, get married, and have kids of his own.
"Bell… please, please protect your goddess."
He doesn't need to ask me to do that because I fully intend to, but Kam does anyway.
"Cough!" He covers his mouth, and I take a worried step closer, but he just smiles at
me.
"You must not live life with the regrets that I have."
Now I finally understand why he was so protective of the goddess, so quick to welcome
us into his home.
He saw his younger self in us when we arrived, and he helped us so that I wouldn't go
through the same loss he did.
That smile and his words make their way into my heart. They'll stay there for a long
time.
"…Blah…"
Hestia lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and bored out of her mind.
"I can't sleep anymore…"
The day was practically over. The last of the red sunlight in the sky was fading. Only
dim light came in from the window, night descending on the view outside.
Hestia used her elbows to prop up her top half and sat up.
"Still no energy… But I'm better, probably."
She looked down at herself, convinced that her drowsiness was the result of sleeping
on and off for the past three days.
She wasn't sick, and her appetite was alive and well. Hestia felt that the worst was
behind her, and she didn't have to take it easy anymore.
"Uph." She started pulling up her sweaty shirt—a hand-me-down from Kam's
daughter that was tight across the chest. Her twin black ponytails, still messy from
three days' worth of bed head, swayed to and fro as she adjusted herself.
There came a knock at the door.
"Please excuse me…"
"Wall-Wallensomething…?"
Aiz stepped inside the room, holding a tray in her arms.
Hestia watched her approach with unblinking eyes. The blond girl set the tray on the
table next to the bed, steam rising from a bowl of soup on top of it.
"Have you recovered…?"
"I-I'm fine, but… wh-where's Bell?"
"Talking with the village elder, I think…"
The goddess asked why it was her and not Bell who came to check on her, and Aiz
responded in a quiet voice.
Kam's daughter had made the soup, but she was summoned to help with something
outside. So she had asked Aiz to deliver it to Hestia in her place.
Hestia had been so surprised to see Aiz that only now did she notice what the girl was
wearing. She practically gasped.
"Wall-Wallensomething, what's with those clothes?"
"Rina lent them to me…"
"You trying to tempt Bell or something…?"
Hestia's body shook, a vein bulging in her forehead. Aiz, on the other hand, tilted her
head in confusion.
Hestia knew. She knew that the boy liked the simple charming appeal of the girl-nextdoor type.
One look at the female knight standing in front of her, dressed like this Bell blushed
more times today than he does in a year, no doubt about it!
"Grrrr…" Hestia growled under her breath, on the verge of divulging her thoughts on
the matter when it was neither the time nor the place to do so. But then she realized
this was her chance and changed her mind. There was something she wanted to find
out once and for all.
"Have a seat, Wallensomething."
"?"
Seeing the goddess flick her wrist toward a chair next to the bed, Aiz did as she was
told.
"For starters… Thank you for saving me. Sorry you had to get mixed up in this."
"It's noth—"
"—But, and this is important, what do you think of my Bell?"
"What do I think…?"
"You know, it's that, um…! How do you see him? What's your impression?"
Hestia couldn't ask her directly if she had feelings for the boy. She tried but ended up
blushing too hard and tripping over her own words.
No matter how doll-like Aiz's aloof expression was, it was impossible to lie to a deity.
Hestia cast her divine gaze onto the human girl, determined to find out what emotion
was lurking inside her heart.
Under the goddess's intense gaze, Aiz casually looked up at the ceiling and gave the
question some thought. She answered after a few moments of heavy silence.
"…A rabbit?"
Hestia closed her eyes and nodded decisively upon hearing her answer.
"I always believed in you."
"…?"
Thump, thump. Hestia reached out and petted Aiz a few times on the shoulder.
Although the answer was a little bit out there, she now had proof that Aiz didn't see
Bell as a man—that is, a member of the opposite gender. Her spirits lifted
immeasurably.
"But be warned, don't be too nice to him. While I agree that rabbits are very cute, if
you're too nice to him, it'll go to his head. That'll be nothing but trouble."
"Under… stood…?"
Aiz once again tilted her head, not comprehending what the deity was telling her even
as Hestia continued to enthusiastically pat her shoulder.
"Oh, My Lady, are you feeling well?"
That's when Kam's daughter appeared at the doorway. "Very much so, thanks to you,"
said Hestia with a genuine smile to the girl who came to see how she was doing.
"You seem to be sweating. Shall I prepare a change of clothes for you?"
"Hmm, that might be a good idea…"
Rina handed Hestia a towel and a glass of water as the goddess considered taking her
up on the offer. She stopped in her tracks.
One quick glance at Aiz's outfit, and her eyes flashed with the spark of an idea.
"Sorry, but may I make one more selfish request?"
"The festival has already started…"
Kam and I talked for a long time, much longer than I thought we would. I take a look
out the closest window when I finally leave his room, and my jaw drops at what I see.
It looks like the dead of night outside, and all the villagers have gathered in the main
square. Everyone's talking, having a good time as logs are being assembled to make a
bonfire.
My muscles relax as memories of the festivals in my home village come to the surface.
Feeling nostalgic, I start walking to the guest room where the goddess is resting.
"Bell!"
"What, Goddess—eh?"
She's in the hallway, right in front of me, and wearing something that takes my breath
away.
It's almost the same outfit that Aiz is wearing. But instead of the red colors that made
her stand out, the goddess is wearing a more calm blue—although it looks like she
forced herself into that blouse. I can almost hear those buttons in front of her chest
screaming…
Standing next to Aiz like this, the two of them might as well be sisters.
"Hee-hee, so? How do I look?"
"You look great, but… are you sure it's okay to be out of bed?"
Yes, she looks really cute, and the butterflies are back, but my concern for her wellbeing is a little bit stronger right now. "Yep, I'm sure!" she says with a grin. Apparently,
she made a special request, and Rina went out of her way to help.
Kam's daughter is standing by her shoulder opposite to Aiz, smiling just as wide.
"Since you are once again in good health, My Lady, why don't you come watch the
festivities?"
The goddess immediately accepts her invitation.
Maybe it's because she's been in bed for so long, but she seems excited about the idea
and yells, "I'd love to come!" I'm still worried about her, though. She should be getting
some rest, but in the end I join her and Aiz as Rina leads the three of us out of the
house.
"Um, are you sure this is a good idea, Goddess? You shouldn't push yourself just yet…"
"I'm fine! After spending so much time so close to you, I'd be worried if I didn't get
better!"
She claims that staying in that room would make her feel worse. Seeing her giddy like
this is making me only more concerned.
She looks fine, but… maybe I'm being overprotective after hearing Kam's story. I'm still
thinking it over as we arrive in the village square.
"…!"
"Now, this is nice!"
"…Gorgeous."
The bonfire is already burning bright as all three of us voice our reactions in turn. The
tables surrounding the bonfire are covered with a wide variety of food. The villagers
see us coming and wave while holding their drinks in the other hand.
The goddess and Aiz bask in the warmth of the festival sprawled out in front of us.
This energy is infectious; even I'm getting drawn in.
"Ah! My Lady!"
"Are you feeling well enough to be outside?"
Several villagers gather around us.
The goddess has been bedridden for days, and everyone is worried about her. At first,
Hestia is overwhelmed by allthe men and women voicing their concerns, but it doesn't
take her long to start thanking them and smiling.
News of her recovery rapidly makes its way through the square as the festival starts
to feel more like a celebration. Aiz and I get swept up in it, along with the goddess.
"So, My Lady, why did you come this far into the Beor Mountains?"
"Word is you got lost. Is it true?"
The villagers start pressing for details.
The three of us do our best to answer them as the villagers form a ring around us. I
almost forgot; we're supposed to be in hiding. What if all this noise and the bonfire
give away our position to the Rakian soldiers? This village might be hidden deep in a
valley surrounded by mountains, but this bonfire would be easy to find… I glance at
Aiz. She notices me and lightly shakes her head, as though she's thinking the same
thing. A bead of cold sweat runs down my neck.
Orario's Alliance would have found them by now, and even if they haven't, I doubt that
the Rakian army would stay in the mountains for three days in the first place…
"The truth is, an idiotic god took us for a wild ride. Then again, this whole mess started
because I ran away from home—."
The goddess says that much before freezing on the spot. "Ah." The sound comes out of
my mouth as I remember, too.
That's right, Hestia and I were fighting—well, not really, but something close to it.
The goddess slowly turns my way, craning her neck. A jolt runs through my body, and
I quickly look away.
The villagers and Aiz stare at us with bewilderment.
N-not good! I have to apologize, and quickly…!
An apology might not solve the problem, but it certainly won't hurt. Glance, glance.
The goddess is looking around, waiting for me to make a move.
I scramble to come up with the right words, to make an apology here and now, when…
"Oh…?"
People are singing.
It's an upbeat melody, and others are clapping along to the beat. I look past the people
surrounding us toward the bonfire and see pairs of men and women starting to dance
in the crackling light.
"Is that this village's traditional dance? Most of the dancers seem young…"
"Ahhh, you see…"
The goddess notices, too, and has a look. Just as she said, the villagers dancing around
the fire right now are a mix of humans, elves, dwarves, and animal people, but the one
thing they have in common is youth. Well, that and their shy smiles.
An older gentleman answers the goddess's question for us with a dry grin on his face.
"It's not a law of our village by any means… but it's said that when an unmarried man
invites a woman to dance during the festival, it's the same as a confession of love.
Should she accept, the two shall be blessed with a lifetime of happiness as lovers. Or
at least that's how the story goes…"
"O-oh?"
His explanation fascinates me. For some reason, the goddess starts fidgeting.
"Please dance with us, Goddess! Today is our fertility festival, after all!"
"Please bestow us with a bounty of blessings!"
Several villagers use the start of the dance as an excuse to approach the goddess and
say their wishes.
I don't think Lady Hestia has any power over fertility, but… this might be the first time
they've seen a deity in person, so they're probably all the same to the locals. In any
case, they ask her for good fortune.
Surrounded by villagers, the goddess closes her eyes and, "Ah-hem," clears her throat.
Step, step, step. She slides over to me with shifty feet.
"Oh—Bell? It looks like there's an urgent need for me to fulfill my role as a goddess,
you know… So, eh, yeah."
Her face is turning red, redder than the warm light coming from the bonfire on her
face. Actually, I'd say she seems nervous.
"If you'll dance with me… I'll consider that incident to be water under the bridge."
I blink a few times.
Almost as if on cue, the villagers surrounding us start happily whispering to one
another.
My shoulders jump the moment I realize their excitement means it will be extremely
difficult for me to turn her down. Well, if she's willing to let the problem slide if I dance
with her, then yes, that's what I want… And also, I might enjoy dancing with the
goddess.
Fulfilling her role as a goddess will help these people, too, so I fight back my nerves—
and put up with the burning sensation in my cheeks. Then I nod to the goddess.
"All right… I'll dance with you, Goddess."
But for some reason, her cheeks are pulling back into a smug grin. This is what she
wanted, isn't it? Why does she look annoyed?
"If you're going to invite me to dance, do it right, Bell. Like you did with
Wallensomething at Apollo's Banquet, when you invited her to dance."
I freeze, my eyes wide. Aiz, standing right next to me, does the same.
The burning feeling in my cheeks grows to an inferno. My body jerks toward Aiz. She's
still got that puzzlement in her eyes, tilting her head to the side.
W-well, it is true that I danced with her during Apollo's Banquet of the Gods, but…!
"There's a line you have to say at times like this, isn't there, Bell?" says the goddess,
looking at me through half-open eyes. Meanwhile, I'm shrinking away from her, my
skin pulsing red.
"But… but, Goddess…!"
"It's your job to start things off right by setting the mood. Isn't that right, everyone?"
She seals off my only hope of escape by appealing to the villagers surrounding us.
I can't go against the wishes of people who want her to be happy. All of them are
nodding, urging me to take the first step.
I glance over at Aiz with sweat rolling down my face… She's staring back at me. It's
almost like she's waiting to hear my answer.
I feel like I'm surrounded on all sides, trapped in a pincer of monumental
proportions… but in the end, I can't go against the goddess.
"…W-would… would you dance with me, Goddess?"
I bring my hands together in front of my red face. The goddess looks back up at me
with a satisfied smile that stretches all the way across her face.
"Whoa!"
Her thin, soft fingers wrap around my wrist.
She leads me by the hand, almost like a child, toward the bonfire.
The villagers give us an energetic send-off—I can't see Aiz's face, though—and we join
the ring of young men and women.
Holding each other's hands, we startto mimic the movements ofthe folk dance already
in progress.
"Th-this is pretty hard."
"Ah, aha-ha-ha-ha…"
"Bell, would you take the lead so I can focus on building up my divine energy?"
I'm trying to pick up the dance without staring at the couples around us, but it's not
as easy as it looks. The two of us awkwardly drift around the bonfire with the rest of
the dancers. I feel like a fish out of water, but the goddess seems so happy, dancing
away with her hands in mine.
The light of the bonfire illuminating half her beautiful face, the skin beneath her
villager's clothing is bright red. We spin around in time with the beat, and I feel the
heat of the flames on my cheeks. However, I don't think that's the real reason my body
feels so hot.
She smiles at me, so genuinely happy. I can't help but do the same.
Sparks from the bonfire dance high into the air. Our shadows drift across the trees and
nearby mountainsides. I feel her warmth through my hands.
The older villagers are watching us, singing and clapping along as we continue to
dance.
"Whew…"
My dance with the goddess around the bonfire doesn't conclude until after many,
many more verses.
Finally satisfied, the goddess releases me and goes to join a group of kids trying to
learn the steps to the folk dance.
I start to ask her not to push herself… but one look at the kids' excitement and I hold
my tongue.
A smile grows on my lips as I watch the goddess teach a little girl, probably of mixed
descent, the dance. The joy on that kid's face… She's having the time of her life.
"Wait a minute, where's Aiz…?"
The festival really came to life the moment Lady Hestia decided to participate.
Everyone looks like they're having a great time as I search the crowd to find Aiz…
There she is. Standing next to a nearby house like a wallflower—well, maybe not a
wallflower, but pretty close.
I jog over to her.
"Um, Miss Aiz."
"…Yes?"
She's watching the dance from a distance, almost like she's trying not to be seen. It
takes her a moment to respond. Even her posture makes her as small as possible.
"Everyone looks like they're having a great time…"
A little human girl is dancing with her father; an animal mother is scolding her son as
the giddy little boy runs circles around her.
Aiz squints, as if all of the villagers' smiles are bright lights flashing around her.
"…Your dance was very good."
"Eh… Th-thank you."
"…You're… a great dancer."
"I-if you say so…"
"…"
"…"
An unexpected compliment brings an abrupt end to the conversation.
Aiz hasn't stopped looking at the bonfire. She's not trying to make eye contact with
me. That's normal for her, but still…
"Ah, um… Are you going to dance?"
"Everyone's having a good time… I don't want to ruin their fun."
"You won't!"
"And… I have no one to dance with."
Her words were no louder than a whisper, but they blasted their way into my head. I
come to a conclusion after a few moments of getting my thoughts together.
Cheeks flaring again, I work up the courage to speak.
"If… If you consider me worthy…"
With those words, Aiz finally looks in my direction with her eyes open wide.
"…You'll… dance with me?"
"Ah, yes, but that's only if you're okay with it…?"
She watches with unblinking eyes as I turn even redder.
A few heartbeats pass and I slowly extend my hand
"—Boom!!"
"Ah."
"Uphh!"
The goddess's tackle blindsides me, nailing me in the ribs.
"What's this, Wallensomething? You have no one to dance with? I'd be happy to dance
with you right now!"
"…Thank you?"
Ignoring my stumble to the side, the goddess grabs Aiz's hand and doesn't take no for
an answer.
Aiz blinks several times in confusion as Lady Hestia guides her toward the bonfire.
Then they start to dance.
One, a cute youthful goddess; the other, a beautiful young girl with a mysterious air
about her.
Twin black ponytails and long blond hair sway with the two figures, gleaming in the
light of the bonfire. Wearing the same style of clothing, they look like close sisters.
The dance shared by the dazzling young goddess and the elegant young girl receives
the loudest applause of the night.
Men and women, the elderly and the children—everyone in the village claps their
hands and smiles at the two beautiful girls.
My grin widens every moment that I watch them, to the point I have to open my mouth
to contain it on my face.
Surrounded by so many happy faces, the two are surprised when they first notice…
but then smile back with just as much joy.
The gladness continues long into the night. The festival maintains its celebratory
atmosphere, the goddess happily beaming along with everyone else until the bonfire
goes out.
The festival is winding down.
The goddess, Aiz, and I are resting in a corner of Edas Village.
"Uwahh, that's enough running around for one day… I'm so tired."
"Th-that's why I told you to take it easy…"
The goddess listlessly takes a seat on the ground. She ended up spending the entire
night dancing with those kids, so I'm not surprised. She wasn't even at full strength to
begin with, and she pushed too hard. I remind her of that in a quiet voice.
Aiz, silently standing next to us, watches our short conversation with the tiniest of
grins on her lips.
"Okay, then, what's our plan from here…?"
Plenty of men are still in the village square. They should be cleaning up, but most are
drunk and still laughing among themselves. Letting them do their thing, I pose a
question. The goddess, who had been massaging her shoulder while absentmindedly
staring at the boulder-like black scales that mark the boundary between the village
and the forest, looks up at me.
"Oh, I'm good to go. Took a bit longer than I hoped, but I can walk just fine now."
Aiz doesn't say anything at first. The top-class adventurer does, however, make eye
contact with us and nod.
"We leave the village… tomorrow morning."
We'll make sure everything is ready tonight and then wait for the sun to rise before
making a return to Orario.
Neither the goddess nor I object to Aiz's plan.
The three of us look around the village that we will soon be leaving, taking in the
mountain scenery one last time.
" My Lady!"
That's when it happens.
A shrill voice erupts from the back of the village at the same time a woman comes
rushing toward us.
It's Kam's daughter, Rina. She comes up to us, and I can tell immediately something's
wrong. She can barely breathe.
A monster's roar echoes off in the distance. Hearing the beast's ominous howl and
seeing the tears threatening to fall from her eyes make my heart sink.
She places a hand on her chest as a tear breaks free. Her voice sounds forced and shaky
when she finally gets the words out.
"Would you see my father off… on his journey to heaven?"
Aiz, the goddess, and I file into the room. Kam is in his bed, surrounded by all his
adopted sons.
His face is a ghastly color, his eyes closed.
I stop cold. All traces of life are gone from him.
"…Father wanted to see you one last time."
One of his sons invites us to come forward. I'm speechless.
How can this be? I mean, I was talking to him like any other day just before the festival
started—
"I understand what's going on with me better than anyone."
Is this what he meant… when he said that?
I still haven't moved. Aiz has her mouth clamped shut, and the goddess is holding her
breath.
That's when Kam slowly opens his eyes.
"…Ohh, Goddess. Thank you so much… for coming…"
"…No need to be a stranger, Kam. You've done so much to help me that I would come
running at your call."
Kam's weak gaze falls on the goddess first, and he smiles.
The goddess forces a bubbly grin and walks to the side of the bed.
"When I first met you, memories of my beloved goddess, Brigit, came back to me…"
The goddess's eyes fly open in surprise upon hearing the name of Kam's former
goddess.
"Did you say Brigit? Blond hair, deep-red eyes—that Brigit?"
"Do you… know of her…?"
"You bet I do! Brigit's a good friend of mine! We used to play together all the time up
in Tenkai; argued, too!"
A hint of surprise fills Kam's gaze. What a coincidence, to have a connection through
our goddesses. "Is that right…" he says with a weak smile.
"She was ever so kind… Treating everyone fairly and loving a lowly human like myself."
"Say what? She did? Kam, you've been duped! She resorts to calling me 'Tiny' and all
sorts of other names the moment she loses the upper hand in an argument. And she's
barely a smidgen taller than me! I bet she just wanted to look good in front of you and
made sure you didn't see how she really is."
"Ha-ha-ha… Really? I never knew."
I can tell Lady Hestia is trying to lift his spirits. Kam tries to laugh but fails.
Actually, just saying that much looks painful, like he's wracking every word out of his
body.
The small smile he made completely disappears after a few moments, leaving his face
blank and emotionless.
"Goddess, please tell me… Will I see her, once I arrive in heaven…?"
"…Brigit will find you, I'm sure of it. She's rather insistent about getting what she
wants."
Kam hears those words.
Then speaks again, barely above a whisper… like he's talking to himself.
"I'm scared… Scared I won't meet her, scared to see her… So scared."
The light in his eyes wilts like the last petals of a flower as he gazes up at nothing in
particular.
His last moments drawing near, Kam's one and only daughter bites her lip to keep from
crying out.
"Lady Brigit, please forgive me… I couldn't protect you, please forgive…"
Kam weakly lifts his trembling right hand into the air. But only just, like he's using the
last of his strength to reach out to heaven.
His sons must be unable to see their father burdened by intense guilt in this weak
state, because they look away with their mouths clamped shut. Aiz and I avert our eyes
and stare at the floor.
Then Lady Hestia steps forward.
She slowly wraps both hands around Kam's.
"Thank you, Kam. Thank you for your love."
The goddess's voice is completely different.
" "
Kam opens his eyes as wide as they'll go.
Aiz, I, and everyone in the room suddenly focus on Lady Hestia.
That's not her voice. The tone, the words, even the rhythm has changed.
It's like someone else is using her body, looking down on one child with a loving,
affectionate gaze and speaking.
She must be using her knowledge of Kam's goddess to speak and act like she thought
her acquaintance would.
"Even now… and forevermore, I shall always love you."
The goddess's voice is so rhythmic and smooth that she sounds like a loving mother
putting her child to sleep.
A goddess's sonnet of love.
Tears fall from Kam's eyes.
"Hhhhha…!"
Eyes that should have been withered and dry are now glistening under the magicstone lamps.
His lips tremble, like he's seeing something on the other side of his aimless gaze.
"Lady Brigit, I… I, too."
Love you.
Those were Kam's last words.
The last of the strength in the hand in Lady Hestia's fades away, and it goes limp in her
grasp.
The tears of his adopted children start falling to the floor. His daughter hides her face
in her hands, collapsing on the spot.
I'm crying, too.
The tears aren't stopping.
My vision blurs to the point that I can't really see the man whose spirit has just left us.
I try to wipe the tears away with my arm.
Even Aiz is covering her face.
Lady Hestia squeezes his hand before gently placing it across his chest.
The countenance of the man who devoted his love to a goddess is by far the calmest,
most at-peace expression I've ever seen in my life.
The moon's light is shining through the trees.
The howls of distant monsters are gone, leaving the forest eerily silent.
I found a small clearing among the trees and took a seat at the base of the closest one
and leaned back against it. Haven't moved since.
"So this is where you've been, Bell."
The sound of leaves underfoot reaches my ears as I sit cross-legged, my head drooping.
That voice… it's the goddess's.
We're north of the village, a ways into the forest.
After Kam died, I came to this spot by myself.
News of his passing traveled through Edas Village very quickly. Villagers who would
normally be asleep gathered at his home right away. Everyone who saw him lying in
that bed was devastated and shed more than their share of tears.
I… I couldn't take hearing all the sobbing and grieving voices… I needed to get away,
to escape.
"…"
"…"
The goddess sits down next to me.
We sit in silence under the dark-blue night sky. My head still drooping, I try to speak.
"Goddess…"
"What is it?"
"Will Kam be able to reunite with Lady Brigit on the other side?"
The fate of the spirit that has left Gekai and returned to Tenkai.
I want to know if Kam really has a chance of seeing the goddess who was sent back
before him all those years ago.
"…That might be… difficult. There are some of us, like Freya, who are special, but the
fate of the children's spirits is the responsibility of the gods who control death. It's not
like anyone can pick and choose which spirits they judge."
The spirits that travel to Tenkai get purified—returned to a pure "blank" state before
being reborn into another life on Gekai.
The goddess explains the process to me, but I tighten my grip on my legs with every
word.
Silence once again descends on the forest.
"—So then, children shouldn't fall in love with gods after all. Is that what you're
thinking?"
"!"
My shoulders quiver.
Lifting my head, the goddess's smile is right there to greet my eyes.
"After what happened at the manor, I thought you were just too stubborn for your own
good… but that's not it."
She looks at me with those blue eyes as if she can see through everything. They're only
half open, a kind gaze.
"I forgot something very important about you. You can see pain that you've felt in
others… and you're afraid to inflict that pain on anyone. Am I right?"
My head droops again.
She… She saw right through me.
"Is it the pain from your grandfather's death that's holding you down?"
It is.
With Gramps gone, leaving me alone, there was no warmth to be felt. I remember it all
too well. I remember my heart feeling empty, all the pain I endured when he passed
on.
I know the pain of those who are left behind.
I know how Kam felt. He was suffering all the way up until the moment he was saved
by the goddess.
—However, the end will always come for mortals like us.
Through our own death and rebirth, we can forget the pain of our previous life.
—What about gods and goddesses?
They live forever, so there is no forgetting. There's no way for them to soothe the scars
left on their hearts after we leave this realm.
From friend to family, family to lover, and lover to partner—the deeper the bond gets,
the more special it becomes, the deeper the scar that will be left behind. Is there any
way for deities to escape the torment of loss?
Gods and goddesses can't grow old with us.
They will be left behind without question.
So, falling in love with them will only make them suffer.
Is pain—agony worse than what I felt after losing my family—promised to the deities
who develop those strong feelings for mortals?
Causing that much pain is scary. I'm afraid of the sadness, the anguish.
It's not the same as with two people—it's an emptiness that can be felt by only deities,
who cannot die.
"—Bell. Our love lasts but a moment."
That's what Lord Miach said. Lord Hermes said the same thing.
A deity's love is over in a flash. And an eternity of emptiness is waiting for them after
that one second of love.
The price of one moment of bliss: everlasting pain and sadness.
That's terrifying.
The loss that I felt after Gramps passed away, possibly even worse, will continue for
hundreds, thousands, millions of years.
Absolutely horrifying.
"…Bell. Please don't think too hard about this. We—"
Not possible.
I close my eyes.
I don't even try to listen to her words, staying quiet like a kid and letting her voice drift
into background noise.
The scale of "forever" is impossible for me to comprehend. I just can't do it.
And if I were in their shoes—I couldn't deal with it.
Carry the burden of loss, even more painful than the one I felt, for the rest of eternity?
To make a deity carry that burden of loss?
If that's the price, it's better not to love at all.
It's the same as the romances between fairies and heroes. A romance between gods
and mortals will never have a happy ending.
Us and them—we can't live the same life.
"…You know, Bell, gods and children might not be able to live out the same lives."
As if she had read my thoughts like a book, she hits the nail right on the head.
I keep my gaze down, but I feel her left hand on top of my right.
"But I will always be by your side."
"Huh?"
My drooping head is lifted by her kind words.
"No matter how old you get, even if you become a bald, wrinkly old man, I will always
be with you. You think I would ever leave?"
She looks back at me, eyes overflowing with affection.
"And even if death forces us to separate… I will find you."
A smile grows on her face.
"No matter how many hundreds, thousands, millions of years it takes, I will find you
after your rebirth… Even after you're no longer you, I'll still be at your side."
" "
Words have left me, but the goddess continues.
"When I find you, I'll say, 'Would you join my familia?'"
The day when we first met, she asked me the very same thing.
" ah."
I think I'm going to cry.
My jaw clenches.
Body trembling, I look up at her and try desperately to keep the tears back.
She wraps both her arms around me and gently embraces my shoulders.
"Gekai and Tenkai are just places—they don't mean a thing. We're just like Brigit and
Kam. I will come find you again."
Her arms softly wrap around my head.
And like a kid—no, even more pitiful than a kid—I sniffle in a last-ditch effort not to
cry.
"I'm not the only one. Other gods' and goddesses' bonds with children like you can last
forever."
She quietly whispers into my ear.
"After all, we are gods. We live forever, you know."
She pats my head, gently running her fingers through my hair.
"So please, Bell. Don't be afraid of our love."
—Please don't run away from a deity's love.
I can decline, I can accept, but I must not be afraid—that's what Lord Miach told me.
The dam breaks. Tears pour down my face. The fear that had been weighing so heavily
on my heart is melting away.
Family, lovers, partners, love—I don't know what these feelings are.
Love for a deity, even less so.
I don't know, but I try to put words to it.
"Goddess… I want to always, always be with you…!"
"Yes…"
She's holding me.
All I can do is cry, but she doesn't break away from the embrace.
"I will always be here, Bell."
Moonlight shines through the trees. In a forest under a dark-blue sky, I cry and cry into
a goddess's chest.
"…"
She could hear the boy's trembling voice, his crying.
Aiz stayed close to him even after leading Hestia to his hiding place. She stood still,
leaning against the other side of the same tree.
"Always… together…"
The goddess's words and the boy's emotions resonated in her ears.
She looked up through the thin branches and foliage toward the golden moon high in
the sky.
"Mother…"
The word that tumbled from her lips faded into the night.
The air is thick with fog.
The sun is rising in the east, turning the night sky into day as Aiz, the goddess, and I
depart from Edas Village.
We ended up staying one extra day for Kam's funeral, helping out with whatever we
could.
On the fifth morning after we came here as refugees lost in the Beor Mountain Range,
we say our last good-byes to the villagers and set a course for Orario.
The oldest of the villagers showed us a route that he always took, one of the black
scales in hand, when we left the village. We were out of the forest in no time and
quickly made our way down the steep cliffs to an even path that ran along the river,
arriving just in time to see the morning sun peek over the mountains and inundate the
scenery with light.
"That was a nice place…"
"Wouldn't it be great to visit them again?"
"…If you go, I want to come with…"
"Huh? Are… are you sure that's okay?"
"Yes."
"Hey, hold on a second there, Wallensomething! Don't make promises out of the blue!
If you want to go, go with your own familia!"
The three of us walk side by side, talking.
Something sad happened, but even so, all of us are in good spirits. The goddess makes
a ruckus, I try to calm her down, and Aiz watches us with the same aloof gaze. And a
few smiles, too. The crisp mountain air fills our lungs as we make our way up the next
mountain road.
The morning fog is starting to clear.
"—There you are."
"Whoa! Miss Asfi?!"
Whoosh! She pops out of the sky, lands in front of us with her white scarf in tow, and
nearly scares the crap out of me.
The golden wings on her sandals contract as a look of relief spreads across her face.
"I've been searching for you. I never feared for your lives, knowing the Kenki was with
you, but…"
"You've been out here since then…?"
"No, only since last night, Goddess Hestia. Rakia's army had to be dealt with."
She adjusts her glasses and tells us what happened after we got separated.
Apparently, Asfi managed to escape the battle with the soldiers and return to the city.
She passed along the information she gathered to Finn, who then organized the gods
and goddesses of Orario into a strike force that prioritized capturing Lord Ares.
Rakia's army sustained a great deal of damage and couldn't move at full speed due to
the sheer number of soldiers who couldn't walk on their own. Asfi tells us that topclass adventurers caught up to them with ease.
The soldiers who didn't enter the mountains managed to escape, but the Alliance
succeeded in capturing their leader, Lord Ares, yesterday. The outcome of the war was
determined the moment their god was officially a prisoner inside Orario's walls. With
that out of the way, the Alliance changed its focus to finding us. However, quite a few
of the deities lost interest at that point and pulled their followers from the search-andrescue mission.
Asfi was under orders from Lord Hermes himself to continue the search and is now
smiling as if a great deal of weight has been lifted from her shoulders.
"I can carry all of you one by one using Talaria, if you so desire. What say you?"
"Hmm—… Well, this is a good chance to stretch my legs. It's not every day I get to be
outside the city, so I feel like walking."
The goddess politely declines Asfi's offer. Aiz and I feel the same way.
"As you wish. I'll go on ahead and deliver the news. There are many in Orario who are
concerned about your well-being, and I wouldn't want to keep them waiting."
She says this with a grin and takes a black helmet out of the pouch strapped to her
waist. She puts it over her head and suddenly, she disappears.
The goddess and I are floored—Aiz looks fine, like she already knew about this—as
the sound of flapping wings fills the air around us. Even that sound is gone moments
later.
I suppose that's Perseus… With a combination of magic items like those, it's no
surprise that very few people in Orario know about her ability to fly.
But wait, going invisible… haven't I been on the short end of the stick of an item like
that before…?
Memories of a certain rogue threatening to come to the surface send a wave of cold
sweat down my back. The goddess then speaks up in a cheerful voice.
"Now, I think it's about time we went home to Orario! I know a few children who have
been worried for far too long!"
"Yes!"
"…Wallensomething, um, thanks. I'm, well, grateful."
"No problem…"
Aiz and I smile at the goddess as she says thank you.
The moment lasts a bit too long for the goddess, so she takes a few steps ahead of us
to escape.
Aiz and I walk right behind her.
The goddess nearly trips, and the two of us barely manage to catch her. We walk
through the mountain roads illuminated by the morning glow and finally down the
last steep cliff to where the Labyrinth City is waiting for us on the other side of the
open plain.