Chapter 206: Asamas Farewell Gift
I was being led away by the little pope, who had a colorful flower crown atop her small head.
Our destination was the central Ravenna Chapel. Along the way, I caught sight of a courtyard terrace with a large fountain and pool—this truly was an impressive temple.
「Hey, hero. By the way, what does ‘loli baba’ mean? Is it a compliment or an insult?」
「Uh, well…」
The thought of referring to her as a ‘loli baba’ was just my inner voice; of course, I hadn’t said it out loud.
It seemed this little pope didn’t understand the term, so she must not have deduced it from my expression.
「Takeru, Pope Anastasia II can read hearts. You can’t lie to her.」
「Whaaaat…?」
Ria informed me of that. I had suspected it, but now it was confirmed that she could use mind-reading.
Well, considering she was the pinnacle of a priest capable of holy magic, I wouldn’t be surprised if she had one or two special abilities. 「Your Holiness, ‘loli baba’ refers to someone who looks like a loli on the outside but is actually an old woman on the inside. Whether it’s a compliment or an insult is ambiguous, but Takeru is married to a loli baba. So it might be safe to take it as a compliment.」
「Ah, I see. Saintess Steriana is quite knowledgeable. I still don’t fully grasp the meaning even after peeking into your heads, but if it’s a compliment, that’s fine.」
The little pope seemed satisfied, and Ria promptly bowed her head. While she was needlessly knowledgeable about such topics, it might be better not to pry too deeply into Real’s thoughts.
「However, Takeru, Pope Anastasia II is not a loli baba. She is a genuine, real little girl.」
「Eh? She’s really a child?」
She was apparently eight years old.
Really. Just as she looked. The fact that the Asama Church had a genuine eight-year-old at its pinnacle was astonishing and quite outlandish.
The little pope, still holding onto my sleeve, kept asking, ‘Is ‘real little girl’ a compliment or an insult?’ To that, Ria replied, ‘Takeru is a lolicon, so it’s more of a compliment.’
What kind of skit is this? The ‘real little girl’ part was from Ria, not me.
And I’m not a lolicon!
「Takeru, the reason Pope Anastasia can read minds is that her heart is so pure and transparent that the boundary between her heart and others’ is blurred.」
「I don’t really get that…」
「It’s not just mind-reading; it’s more like a possession-type ability that synchronizes her heart with others to extract information. That’s why she can easily connect with the Goddess of Creation Asama.」
「I see. So, because of that ability, she was chosen as the pope even though she’s a little girl.」
She’s apparently referred to as Anastasia, the Goddess Whisperer, and is regarded as divine.
「What does ‘Raddish Whisperer’ mean? Is that a compliment?」
「I’ve never eaten raddish, but I’ve heard it’s delicious.」
The little pope nodded in agreement.
Great, now she’s thinking about food…
I had climbed so high in rank that I could usually get away with most rudeness, but offending the top of the Asama Church would be a big mistake. After all, she was the pope of a world religion.
Turning the little pope into an enemy would be equivalent to making all Asama followers my enemies. There was no need to recall the humiliation of Canossa; it would be troublesome to oppose religious authority.
「Ris, is the humiliation of Canossa a compliment?」
「My knowledge is limited, so I’ve never heard that term before, but perhaps Takeru, being a masochist, wishes to receive sweet humiliation from the lovely Pope? I think that could be seen as quite the compliment.」
「Ah, is that so? I’m a bit embarrassed now.」
The young Pope Anastasia smiled, not entirely displeased.
How long is this skit going to last? I really didn’t want her to keep interrupting my monologues.
Whenever Ria gets involved, it usually spirals into some absurd conversation.
And by the way, I’m not a masochist!
It seemed that Anastasia liked compliments, so I sent her some especially flattering thoughts.
But suddenly, she looked sulky. Didn’t I just compliment her?
Pope Anastasia puffed up her cheeks like marshmallows, released my sleeve, and whispered something to Ria.
Why not just say it directly? Did I think of something I shouldn’t have?
「Takeru, she says she’s used to being called ‘cute’, so it doesn’t count as a compliment. She feels it sounds a bit insincere and is angry about being treated like a child. Also, being called ‘little’ is clearly not a compliment.」
Having mind-reading abilities and being accustomed to compliments makes her quite a difficult child to handle…
Despite struggling to appease the sulking young Pope, I was guided into the center of the Asama Church headquarters, the Ravenna Chapel. The vast white temple is said to have been built on the hill of Ravenna, where Asama descended into this world and created it.
This massive cathedral was the result of repeatedly expanding and renovating the original small Ravenna Chapel. The old chapel built from white bricks in the back was quite modest compared to the extravagant marble temple surrounding it, which could easily be said to have cost a fortune.
Even so, being called the center of world creation gives it an aura of solemnity. The roses adorning the flower bucket near the stained glass were in Asama’s symbolic colors of white and blue.
In this cruelly fantastical reality where genetic engineering is nonexistent and knowledge of crop improvement is limited, roses of any color other than red are born only through miracles and hold extraordinary value.
The furnishings placed casually around the chapel, upon closer inspection, were all of the highest quality, surpassing even the finest.
More than just their monetary worth, the exquisite items offered at the chapel represented the reverence of those who donated them and symbolized the miracles of Asama.
True sanctity is not determined by the opulence of buildings or furnishings; it is defined by the sincerity of the people who worship.
This small chapel, with the utmost devotion bestowed upon it, stands as the center of prayer in this world.
I had stepped into the inner sanctum of the Asama Church headquarters, a place accessible only to a limited number of high-ranking bishops. The young Pope Anastasia II sat perched on a small chair in front of a stone altar depicting Asama.
「Hmm, you seem a bit nervous.」
「Of course I am.」
「You, the hero of Silesie, value what is created by human hands over the divine act of creation by the goddess?」
「Without magical power, the concept of miraculous power doesn’t resonate with me. However, I can see how something created by human hands is made, from the effort it took to gather and transport the materials. I respect that hard work.」
Perhaps my perspective undervalued the power of the goddess of creation. However, before the young Anastasia, who could read hearts, I knew I could not lie.
「It is precisely because you respect human hearts and craftsmanship that Asama takes an interest in you.」
「By the way, Your Holiness Anastasia, I was called here because there was something Asama wanted to discuss?」
「Ah, yes. Just wait a moment; I’m calling her now.」
「Got it.」
When I urged her to hurry, the haughty tone of the Pope crumbled, revealing the face of an ordinary young girl. It was quite rude to keep someone waiting after summoning them, but considering the other party was a deity, it was somewhat understandable.
Asama, the only goddess in this world, always seemed busy. In her terms, she was “on a tight schedule.”
Suddenly, three silvery wings sprouted from Anastasia’s small back. Unlike when she had descended upon Ria, where only one wing appeared, this was an impressive display.
「Ah, testing, testing. Yes, the audio is clear. With three silvery wings, the frequency must be strong. This place truly is the headquarters.」
「It’s been a while, Asama. Are those wings like a mobile antenna?」
I wondered if she usually only had one wing because she was far from the base station. Arriving at the headquarters seemed to increase her wings to three… It felt like the descent of a goddess was akin to a mobile signal.
「It depends on the performance of the receiver… I mean, the talent of the one receiving. However, the closer one is to the center of my power, the stronger it becomes.」
「I see.」
「I called you here for a reason. It seems you are aiming for the western new continent?」
「Yes, that’s correct. I’m heading there.」
Perhaps, from Asama’s perspective, this was a troubling matter.
I felt a twinge of anxiety, wondering if I would be reprimanded.
「From my point of view, that’s a bad idea. 」
「I knew it… 」
She seemed to read my mind. Ah, right, since she was currently manifesting through Anastasia, my thoughts might be crystal clear to her.
But was it truly a bad idea to go to the new continent? If it weren’t, she wouldn’t have called me here. I had my reasons for planning this trip.
Even if Asama warned me, I couldn’t just say, ‘Okay, I’ll stop.’
「Ah, you needn’t be on guard. I have no intention of forcibly stopping you from going, Sonata. After all, you are not my creation, so I have no such authority over you.」
「But it is concerning, right?」
「The issue is that the new continent Sonata intends to visit is beyond the reach of my power of creation. Therefore, your power as my hero will be diminished.」
「Oh, so that’s all it is?」
「It’s not merely ‘that’. Given the current maritime technology, long-distance voyages can be perilous. There may very well be a landmass on the other side, but I cannot guarantee its conditions since it lies in a realm untouched by my power of creation. Without my oversight, I would be unable to assist you should danger arise.」
In other words, Asama was genuinely worried about me.
She was an incredibly caring goddess.
「Asama, my purpose for the voyage to the new continent is to obtain potatoes and corn. If I can acquire these calorie-efficient crops, it could alleviate much of the hunger currently plaguing the Eura continent.」
「Well, I cannot guarantee that such crops exist there, as I did not create that land…」
If Asama did not create it, then it must be shaped by the Earth Mother, the original source of creation in this world.
In that case, there might not be a continent resembling the Americas as I imagined, but rather a bizarre and fantastical world that has emerged.
Thinking about it this way made me feel a bit uneasy.
The ‘furuki sha’ created by the Mother of Chaos in ancient times, had produced grains, including rice, so there was a strong possibility that crops not found in the Eura continent could exist there.
「If only Asama could create potatoes and corn for me.」
「That is something I can’t do…」
As the goddess of creation, Asama technically should be able to do so. Yet, there must be a reason why she cannot.
If Asama, the symbol of order, were to generate energy-efficient crops that could radically transform the world, it could provoke a reaction from the Mother of Chaos, leading to famine spreading throughout the land.
Asama’s reluctance to directly intervene in the world’s suffering stems from the lessons learned throughout history regarding the constant backlash from the Mother of Chaos.
Even the indirect relief efforts by the clergy of the Asama Church have been known to incite the stirrings of demons.
The conflict between the holy and the demonic, the struggle between order and chaos—this grim and fantastical reality exists upon a razor-thin balance of power.
「Asama, I’ll be fine. I have the ‘Neutral Sword’ bestowed by the Mother of Chaos, and I don’t think she’s someone I can’t talk to.」
「Sonata is the first hero to speak of conversing with the Mother of Chaos. That makes you a valuable existence. You are the first case of someone from outside this world successfully communicating without triggering a backlash from her.」
「Whether we actually communicated successfully is a bit debatable, though.」
「The fact that the people of this world are considering cooperation with the demons is likely due to your influence. Nations are starting to cease their pointless conflicts and aim for an improved quality of life. The world is gradually becoming more prosperous. You are still bringing a good influence to this world. There’s no need to recklessly take risks.」
「That’s exactly why I need to go, Asama. If wars cease and the population increases, but there’s not enough food to support them, famine and poverty will arise again. Stopping that is part of my duty.」
「Sonata is a true hero, after all…」
Not a very noble one, though.
Cooperation with the demons is partly because my child is half-demon, and my desire to improve the world stems from wanting to create a better future for my children.
「Anyway, I’m going.」
「Then I shall give you a parting gift.」
Asama plucked a bundle of ‘Silver Feathers’ from the wings sprouting from her back and handed them to me.
「What are these…?」
「I have infused my power into these ‘Silver Feathers’. I called you here just to give you this. It’s customary for a hero embarking on a journey to receive a parting gift, isn’t it?」
These feathers, coming directly from the goddess, are beautiful and likely to sell for a high price. It’s certainly a better parting gift than receiving a copper sword from a king.
「I will accept them gratefully.」
「I’ll remind you not to sell them, okay?」
「Oh, yes…」
「These aren’t just ordinary feathers. If you stray too far from the Eura continent, the ‘Sword of Light’ I’ve bestowed you will become unusable. However, with these feathers, you can perform my miracles of creation as many times as you have feathers. How you use them is up to you.」
Come to think of it, there was a time when Caroline, who had received Asama’s sacrament, was protected by the goddess’s power.
So it seems Asama can infuse her own feathers with her strength.
「It’s like an item with a usage limit, huh?」
「Indeed, it is such a thing. If I were to use my power too much, the Mother of Chaos would retaliate, so it’s more of a comfort than anything. But with your wisdom, Sonata, I’m sure you can think of good ways to use them. Now, my hero, Sawatari Takeru, I pray you return safely.」
Receiving such a parting gift makes me feel as if I might be setting myself up for trouble, but I’ll gratefully accept this kind gesture.
Thus, with a personal send-off from the goddess Asama, I set out on a new adventure.
It’s been a while since I felt like a proper hero, and it feels good.