Chapter 30
Now, the world has become more dynamic due to the element of heroes, and the situation has begun to change.
Until now, progress has been slow, with advances and retreats dictated by human will. The world has been in a state of stagnation, so to speak.
Thanks to the benefits of levels and skills, people are satisfied with a moderate amount of effort. Although conflicts arise due to the abundance of inexhaustible resources like monsters and dungeons, they have not led to the world's destruction.
And above all...
"It's begun.""Yes, it's begun.""So it has started, huh?""...Once it has started, there's no turning back."
The flow of events, controlled by the gods who govern the world, was tacitly accepted and affirmed.
In a garden above the clouds, four gods gather.
The floor is made of clouds, and the absence of walls allows a clear view of the ground below. It's an open space at a height that would terrify anyone with acrophobia.
There, four chairs surround a stone game board.
"That's right, Eastern God. This is the result of your deep contemplation. Now, all we can do is watch the outcome."
The four gods peer at the board. The golden-haired man, dressed in loose, luxurious clothing, mutters with a hint of regret.
His domain is wealth. He is the god who creates resources, determines the value of things, and brings circulation to the world.
People on the ground call him the God of Commerce, Goldos.
"You gave the Eastern Hero something quite characteristic of you. It's not against the rules, but you pushed it to the limit.""I don't need to hear that from you, Northern God. As you said, I stayed well within the rules."
Dungeons are tricky even by divine standards. Even with multiple safety measures, granting a god-made alternate space brings immeasurable benefits.
The one pointing this out is a childlike god with flowing red hair. His small frame is clad in armor scarred from countless battles, yet it shows no sign of breaking.
"I also stayed within the rules. Skill distribution is my domain, and the skills I granted won't destroy the world."
His name is Akam. He is the god who created the skill system in this world and oversees its circulation.
People on the ground call him the God of Combat, Akam.
Though he always wears a smile, his eyes hide a dangerous light. Despite his small stature, he exudes confidence that, in pure combat ability, he is the strongest among the four.
"Stop fighting. I'm the one who has to clean up the mess."
Wealth and combat. These two gods overlap in both good and bad ways. The resulting devastation has been witnessed by another god, who acts as a brake.
"Western God, arguing here won't affect the outcome and isn't worth a single copper coin.""Eh, I'm a bit frustrated and want to cause some trouble. Hey, Eastern God, want to pick a fight?""Then shall we three take you on?"
The silver-haired goddess, with a slender yet well-proportioned figure, wears a dress that accentuates her beauty. Her words, though smiling, carry pressure, showing she's not just about beauty.
She is the goddess of mediation, who values discipline, creates rules for people to live by, and judges those who fall into evil.
People call her the Goddess of Duels, Maetel.
"Eh, if the Western God gets involved, I'd rather not.""Then please restrain yourself."
This goddess, despite her rational appearance, enjoys combat as much as Akam. In a world where skills spread and monsters thrive, strength is often seen as justice.
Thus, she is a well-rounded goddess, possessing both the knowledge to establish laws and the武力 to enforce order.
The divine dispute doesn't escalate and temporarily subsides.
At that moment, the sound of a page turning echoes.
"Southern God, could you communicate with us a bit more?""I hear you. And I can converse. Part of my consciousness is directed there and also to the board. Anything more would be inefficient."
The last god is a goddess shrouded in a deep black robe.
Her raven-black hair spills from the robe, and her ample bosom obscures the book in her hands. Her appearance is said to be understated due to the plain robe.
She is the goddess of knowledge, who collects and manages all the knowledge gained by people, monsters, and the world itself.
People call her the Goddess of Wisdom, Kefeli.
"Hmm, you seem to be hiding quite a bit. You even took on penalties to keep it from us. What's your plan?""..."
She isn't particularly unusual among the gods. However, this time, a wave has been created in the world by the gods.
The ones who caused this wave are none other than these four.
Akam asks Kefeli about the wave she created. Goldos and Maetel are also unaware of what Kefeli has done. Thus, the conversation shifts to focus on Kefeli, who had been silent until now.
"Knowledge is a weapon."
She stops turning the page and looks at the other gods. Her glowing blue eyes are visible from within the robe.
Her calm tone shows no intention of hiding, indicating she will answer questions within her domain.
"But fear cannot be instilled by what is known."
First, she looks at Akam.
"The hero you granted skills to, Northern God, is indeed powerful. But my 'hero' knows."
Akam feels a chill run down his spine. Thinking it might be a pre-battle shiver, he realizes it's not that kind of sensation.
Next, Kefeli looks at Goldos.
"The dungeon you granted, Eastern God, will indeed enrich nations and nurture people. But too much of a good thing can corrupt. You were a bit lax in your selection. My hero knows how to utilize treasures."
Goldos wants to ask what she means, but Kefeli shifts her gaze to Maetel before he can.
"Western God, your hero is the one to be most wary of right now.""That's flattering.""The match-up is bad. You made a good choice, but what you granted worked in your favor."
Then, Kefeli's confident tone shifts slightly as she looks at Maetel with a troubled expression.
Kefeli's hero and Maetel's hero—though mixed with personal bias, Kefeli believes her hero is most likely to lose to Maetel's.
"There's plenty of room to exploit.""Is that so? But I have no intention of losing."
Still, she declares that a path to victory remains.
"Hey, you've been evaluating our heroes for a while now. How about telling us a bit about yours? It's fine if you goddesses get along, but..."
The banter between rivals. While it may seem like that, fundamentally, Maetel and Kefeli don't get along well. One enforces order, while the other seeks knowledge even at the cost of disrupting order.
They aren't as close as Akam suggests. It's fortunate they aren't openly hostile.
"What I did was simple. I prepared a sandbox and let them play. That's all.""That's all?""Yes, that's all."
These four gods are necessary to maintain the world. Thus, they原则上 avoid conflict.
However, the current rivalry is something that must be pursued even at the cost of disrupting that order.
"Hmm, aiming for the throne of the chief god, aren't you?"
The four here are candidates for the future chief god.
After Akam belittled his own hero, Kefeli reveals that she simply gave her hero a game to play.
As Akam shrugs in disbelief, Kefeli laughs within her robe.
"If you think so, keep thinking that. It suits me better. Though our dice have already been cast. Only the juniors who can come here might be able to make a late move.""Hmm, do you think other gods will come?""Who knows? Don't we all have some idea?""Well, do you have any idea, Eastern God?""Hmm, I wonder?"
The seat of the chief god is vacant. Everyone here is aiming for it.
And there are other gods who are also aiming for it.
"Playing dumb is fine, but be careful not to trip over your own feet."
With that warning, Kefeli returns her gaze to the book in her hands.
"Eh, after stirring things up, you're just going to leave it at that?""Maybe it's because the Northern God's attitude is annoying. The Southern God has responded sufficiently.""Eh, are you picking a fight with me? Are you selling it? I'll buy it, that fight.""Please save it for later. Deciphering the Southern God's words is more urgent. She mentioned a sandbox... What could that mean?""Boo, fine. But I'm more concerned about where the Southern God's hero is.""I agree with the Northern God on that. As things stand, my hero, along with the Northern and Western heroes, will compete—or rather, fight. They'll likely interfere with each other."
They pool their wisdom to decipher Kefeli's words, having chosen silence. They search the board, looking for signs of her hero, but no one stands out.
"The authority of divine revelation is limited to three times per god. It's a trump card for critical moments, but using it just for the Southern God's hero is hesitant."
From the gods' perspective, they can see every person in the world, but they can't determine who is a hero.
"It's the only exception where we can interfere with the world. The targets are limited to believers, the time is mere minutes, and once used, we must wait at least a year before using it again. And in this contest, it's limited to three times.""Normally, one would hesitate to use it."
They have no choice but to judge who the heroes are based on human activity. Even if they figure it out, using the precious divine revelation to convey it is something the gods hesitate to do.
"Then, all we can do now is find the missing Southern God's hero, gather information, and warn our heroes if necessary.""That's right. Whether to act or not is up to each of us.""There's also the possibility they'll discover it on their own."
The sound of pages turning indicates that Kefeli is listening to their conversation. Despite the quasi-alliance forming against her, she remains unfazed.
"By the way, Southern God, what are you reading?""Does the knowledge-obsessed Southern God even have books in this world she hasn't read?""Hmm? I have no idea."
The book she's so engrossed in. Sensing their concern, the other three gods glance at Kefeli again.
"Pfft.""Eh?""Did the Southern God just laugh?""Ah, perhaps a natural disaster will occur tomorrow."
At that moment, Kefeli bursts out laughing. It's a light, natural laugh, something they've never seen from her before.
Maetel is stunned.Akam doubts his eyes.Goldos quickly checks the board to confirm the world's stability.
What kind of book could make the Goddess of Knowledge laugh?
Though the other gods can't see it, if Liberta had a chance to see it, she might be surprised to find a long-running police comic and beg to borrow it.