Chapter 135
A garden above the clouds, where gods who oversee and manage this world reside.
In this place, the gods solemnly carry out their duties of maintaining order.
"Ahhh! I haven’t finished reading that yet!?"
They carry on.
"Wait, please!! I was planning to read that later!!"
They carry on.
"Just this one! Just this one!! This is my favorite!!"
They carry on, though at the moment, they are busily arguing about something else.
"Silence. That is my book. Until now, I merely lent it to you out of kindness. Once my purpose is fulfilled, it is only natural that I take it back."
The goddess of wisdom, Kefeli, clad in robes, retrieves a book from Akam, the god of war who takes the form of a boy, and stores it away in another dimension. She sighs deeply as she watches the other gods desperately resist having their manga confiscated.
"Or perhaps you would prefer to pay me for it?"
With a single snap of her fingers, one by one, the manga volumes vanish, stored away in Kefeli’s Library of Wisdom.
"What do you say, Meiteru?"
"W-Well, that’s…"
"You, of all people, should know that nothing is freely borrowed or lent among us."
All the gods present here are equals. There is no hierarchy, and thus, if one desires something, they must offer something in return—such is the rule of their exchanges.
This time, Kefeli had been scattering manga as a distraction to hide Libertà.
But now, that is no longer necessary.
Another snap of her fingers, and the manga held by Meiteru, the goddess of duels, disappears.
"Give it back!!"
"That is my book. If you want it, acquire it yourself."
"Do you think there’s an easy way to obtain goods from another world!?"
"There isn’t. Well, unless you consider a simple method—save up for a few hundred years, and you might afford a volume or two."
As if mourning a heartbreaking farewell with a lover, Meiteru clutches her chest and lunges at Kefeli, only to be blocked by a barrier, reducing their exchange to a conversation through a translucent shield.
"Money!? I’ll pay any amount! Then will you give it to me!?"
"Some knowledge cannot be bought. Besides, if I sold it to you, I wouldn’t be able to read it myself."
Finally, she points at Goldos, the god of commerce, who attempts to negotiate, and snaps her fingers once more. The books hidden behind his massive frame vanish.
"Ahhh!? My beloved series!?"
Overcome with loss, Goldos falls to his knees and sobs.
"Monster! Devil! Goddess of Wisdom!!"
"What do you mean by using ‘goddess’ as an insult?"
With this, the manga confiscation is complete. The resistance, fueled by divine powers, made it more troublesome than expected.
Exhausted, Kefeli sighs once more, sits down in her chair, and opens her own book while half-heartedly retorting Akam’s complaints.
"Th-That is!?"
"Ah, the recently released sequel."
"You can even get new releases!?"
"That’s the nature of the contract."
Meiteru’s eyes widen as she recognizes the book—it’s the sequel to a series she’s been eagerly awaiting, delayed in its serialization.
"You’re a demon! A heartless fiend!! A goddess of wisdom!!"
"You too? Your insults are far too childish."
Her response could easily be taken as provocation, but from Kefeli’s perspective, it was purely coincidental—she hadn’t deliberately chosen that book.
But to Meiteru, it feels like a deliberate affront. Clenching her fists, she protests furiously.
"I refuse to tolerate such tyranny!! I hereby lodge a formal protest against the despotic Goddess of Wisdom, Kefeli!"
In response, Goldos rises as well, waving a massive banner conjured by divine power. The word "Lawsuit" is emblazoned across it, visible as he swings it wildly.
"That’s right!! We’ll fight!!"
"Indeed! We stand united against this injustice!"
"Hands off our manga!! We refuse to back down!!"
For gods, boredom is the greatest enemy. Earth’s comics, capable of staving off ennui for decades, are a precious form of entertainment.
They won’t let them be taken without a fight—even if it means three rival gods joining forces.
"……I’m speechless. Do as you please."
Unfazed, Kefeli loses interest and erects a barrier, returning to her book.
"You sure about that~? If we join forces and issue a divine decree to crush your hero, you’ll never claim the throne of the Chief God, you know~?"
Akam attempts to provoke her, but Kefeli merely glances up once before replying.
"Then I’ll simply say this: Meiteru, Goldos. Help me crush Akam’s hero, and I’ll lend you the manga."
"「「「!?」」」"
Without looking up from her book, she drops a bombshell.
Even if the three unite, they are still rivals vying for the Chief God’s seat. Their alliance is built on the desire to read manga—so if she offers to satisfy that desire, their unity will shatter instantly.
The three gods immediately distance themselves from one another.
"Th-That’s cheating!!"
"I have no interest in being lectured by a god who just tried to gang up on my hero."
With that, cooperation becomes impossible.
"Besides, if I’m eliminated, I’ll simply return to the Library of Wisdom. The Chief God’s authority is vast, but it cannot compel me to provide entertainment. I have no obligation to share knowledge unrelated to the world’s management."
Her final nail in the coffin leaves them speechless.
If their heroes are defeated, the gods who selected them will be disqualified from the race for Chief God.
But that doesn’t mean they’ll die or lose their divine roles.
The Goddess of Wisdom has her own duties.
Even if she doesn’t become Chief God, she will continue to support the world’s operations.
Though she lingers in the garden above the clouds, like the others, this is not her true domain.
Each god has a place they belong—they will simply return there.
For Kefeli, her rightful place is the Library of Wisdom, where knowledge is stored.
It is a repository of all the world’s information, managing the data necessary for the world’s functioning—her role is to preserve, protect, and swiftly provide it to the other gods.
Among this knowledge are manga from another world, though they hold no relevance to the world’s governance.
If she exercises her right to refuse, no one can access them.
Normally, she would dismiss such trivialities outright, never wasting time on dilemmas like these.
But the gods have already read them.
They have experienced the stories born in another world—Earth.
They have learned of their entertainment.
And now, they crave the books that alleviate their boredom.
"First of all, you speak of crushing my hero—but are your heroes even capable of standing against this madness?"
Seeing that their scheming will prevent her from peacefully immersing herself in her book, Kefeli closes it and looks up.
After observing the three for a few seconds, her gaze shifts to the board.
It provides an overview of the world’s affairs.
Since they are currently competing for the Chief God’s seat, only surface-level information is visible—but even that is enough.
"!? These materials… could it be?"
"Wind Dragon materials, I see."
"……Hmph."
First, the location of the dungeon’s emergence becomes clear.
Where it appeared, what kind of dungeon it is, and what monsters inhabit its surroundings—such information is now available.
"Did he slay it?"
"Who knows? Perhaps he has allies who handed the materials to him for transport."
Though the dungeon’s interior remains a mystery, fragments of what transpired can still be gleaned.
By observing the adventurers entering and exiting, the dungeon’s nature can be deduced.
And from that, the level of strength required to conquer it can be inferred.
With their divine power, the gods can easily gauge the capabilities of the boy chosen by Kefeli—especially after seeing the materials he obtained.
They do not know how he defeated the Swamp Dragon.
But they know he slew the Marsh Dragon.
However, his method—luring it into a trap and restricting its movements to deliver a one-sided defeat—suggests his combat prowess is not yet at a level worth fearing.
But now, new information shakes their confidence.
Kefeli is certain her hero slew the Wind Dragon, but the other gods believe there’s a 99% chance Libertà did it—though they must consider the slim possibility of another explanation.
Namely, that he has an ally capable of slaying a Wind Dragon.
The mere fact that the Wind Dragon was slain is already inconvenient for the other gods, but the possibility of him having such a powerful ally further widens the gap between their heroes and his.
"Fighting relentlessly is fine. Engaging in politics is fine. Devoting yourself to commerce is fine. Now, who will come out on top? I look forward to it."
Each god pursues their own path to becoming Chief God.
Yet, it feels as though Kefeli’s hero is already a step ahead.
Akam, the God of War, wonders:
Could his hero slay a Wind Dragon?
After some thought, he concludes it’s possible—but not without severe injuries.
An old man’s face twitches in shock, though the exhausted boy remains oblivious.
Meiteru, the Goddess of Duels, reflects:
Her hero has been gaining political influence, but in terms of combat prowess, the gap has widened.
Even politically, the boy’s connections with nobles make him a formidable rival.
He could have kept the materials for himself, yet he handed them all over—even offering up the great bow.
What level of trust will this earn him from the ducal family?
Goldos, the God of Commerce, muses:
His hero holds a significant financial advantage—or so he believed.
But this boy possesses the potential to overturn that lead.
What will remain for his hero if that advantage crumbles?
Libertà’s actions may seem calculated, but his primary motivation is guilt—he essentially hijacked a dungeon the ducal family had been struggling to conquer.
The Wind Dragon materials are valuable, but they alone cannot craft a full set of equipment.
The gear that can be made from them is limited, so handing them over avoids future complications.
Yet, he fails to realize that his face and the materials have already been seen.
Exhausted, he remains unaware—but the old man, Lotus, notices and imposes martial law to contain the information.
Confidentiality agreements have some effect, and earnest individuals will uphold them.
But secrets inevitably leak.
It’s already too late.
"There is no hero in the southern continent."
This realization unsettles the knights, and the ducal steward’s personal support for the boy only fuels speculation.
Could he be the hero?
A boy capable of slaying a Wind Dragon.
A boy connected to the ducal family.
He doesn’t boast of his deeds or seek fame—he simply acts as needed.
Is this not the very image of a hero?
Kefeli smiles faintly, pleased with how things are unfolding.
Speculation breeds thought.
This is how wisdom is born.
Why does the boy hide his status as a hero?
Why doesn’t the duke proclaim him as one?
Imagination spirals into conjecture, leading the knights to their own conclusions.
Perhaps there’s a reason this hero cannot be openly acknowledged.
The seed has been planted.
It will take time to sprout, and even then, there’s no guarantee it will bear fruit.
But Kefeli deems it necessary—this seedling must be nurtured.
"「「「……」」」"
"It seems you’ve realized you have no time to read manga."
Seeing their troubled faces, Kefeli acts as she always does—as the other gods know her.
"If you understand, I shall return to my reading."
Quietly, she opens her book again.
Normally, she would lose herself in the story, but this time is different.
She watches the gods, torn between reluctance and resignation.
"Ah, I forgot to mention."
As if suddenly remembering, she speaks without looking up.
"If you agree to my terms, I may consider lending you the books."
With that, she drops another bombshell to unsettle them.
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This concludes the current chapter.
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