Chapter 198
"......"
"Uuuuu... Why, why is love in this world so fleeting and cruel? And yet I can't stop reading."
In a garden above the clouds where gods gather, an unusual scene was unfolding. The four resident deities were intently observing one goddess among them.
Before her lay an open book, tears streaming down her face as she confronted the nature of love. This was Paffle, the Goddess of Love - a deity who had sunk many nations through love throughout history. Neither purely good nor evil, she occupied a philosophical middle ground where love could become either depending on its direction.
"What do you think of the Love Goddess's choice of hero this time?"
The book that moved her to tears was a volume from a shounen manga about a yellow octopus becoming a teacher. After immersing herself in works depicting negative aspects of love, this heartwarming comedy about a teacher's affection for his students was cleansing her soul. As it was the final volume, even Metel who had read it before nodded in understanding at Paffle's emotional reaction.
"If you say it's like her, it's also unlike her. I definitely thought that girl would be her champion - the type who spreads love everywhere chaotically. So choosing that man by the Southern hero was unexpected."
"...It seems she has learned something."
Meanwhile, the other three gods - Goldos of Commerce, Akam of War, and Kefeli of Wisdom - turned their attention to a board showing their disciples. It displayed Kefeli's disciple Liberta conversing cheerfully with Paffle's disciple Hyurida as they traveled together.
"Learned? Southern, what do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. Her previous choices were all outward-facing lovers as North said. Those who can spread intense love everywhere do make ideal candidates to influence the world. But this time she chose someone who directs that love inward."
To Kefeli, this was completely unexpected. Depending on how this played out, it might give Paffle's disciple a significant advantage. Massaging his temples, he answered Goldos while debating whether to issue a divine oracle.
"So familial love counts as proper love too. Paffle's really thought this through."
Yet the new manga volume in his hand never loosened its grip. Akam gave Kefeli a sympathetic look as he multitasked between conversation and reading, as if saying he couldn't endure this stress without his comics.
"So? How do you feel now?""Absolutely terrible."
Normally rivals would relish each other's misfortune, but even Akam pitied Kefeli this time.
"Right? Inward-directed love means limited outlets. When those outlets disappear, the aftermath is messy to handle.""...Thinking about losing his wife, son or daughter sends chills down my spine."
While Paffle's previous champions caused disasters by spreading love outward, containing it inward wasn't a solution either.
As the Goddess of Love, her selection criteria prioritized depth of affection above combat ability or personality. So while Hyurida maintained cheerful sociability now, he would transform like when Liberta discovered him - that was merely the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface lay far greater love, all directed inward.
"There have been such figures before. Those who loved one woman, built a family, enjoyed happiness... until losing wife and children to leave them alone. Such loving souls meet one of two ends."
The God of Commerce understood more than just profits - his domain included the intimate relationship between money and building happy families.
"One is following them in death. Most take this path. Having lost the person they staked their life on, it can't be helped. Not my preferred outcome.""The other is revenge against the cause. With sound mind, they retaliate only against the perpetrators. Without it... they bare fangs at the world itself."
The Goddess of Wisdom, who understood love precisely because of her knowledge, lamented its troublesome nature. Some loves end well, others disastrously. As gods, they'd witnessed countless conclusions - many reaching peaceful ends, but equally many meeting tragedy.
"Honestly didn't expect this case. Really glad they moved South from my territory! My region's public safety is... not ideal. Was constantly worried when they'd explode! If they did, my champion would definitely get involved."
Akam rejoiced at avoiding that catastrophic scenario.
"Navigation-wise I expected West or East. Thank goodness they headed West away from my champion's continent."
Goldos similarly sighed in relief at dodging that bomb.
"My back froze momentarily imagining an explosion amidst an elixir sales slump."
Metel joined the conversation with distant eyes after stopping her reading.
"Really now, what do you all think of my champion?""A bomb.""Or a poison jar perhaps.""Maybe a storm?""An utter nuisance.""How cruel! I simply choose those with deepest love!"
Hearing this, a now slightly recovered Paffle joined only to be met with scathing remarks:
"That selection criteria is precisely the problem.""But as gods, we can only choose champions matching our natures, no? Thus my choices naturally follow this pattern.""Then your nature is the issue.""How harsh! Elder Kefeli, aren't you too cold? First making me read that book..."
Though not at maximum irritation, Paffle lamented Kefeli's coldness as the others ignored her protests.
"I'm currently suffering damages. I'm no merciful god - I'll complain about nuisances accordingly."
He reopened his manga, focusing on reading.
"Your own fault.""Indeed, I agree with Kefeli this time.""Can't deny it.""Uuu, I'm just being honest with love!""Lament being born with such troublesome traits."
As Paffle wept loudly, the others paid no mind. Kefeli pondered how to handle temporarily allying with another god's disciple in the coming conflict over the Chief God's seat.
This was serious enough to consider using his trump card - a divine oracle. The question was, upon whom to bestow it?
While the Goddess of Wisdom had several disciples, none were positioned near Liberta.
"Well, leaving Paffle to South for now - why can West read manga normally?""Because we made a contract. I added one condition to South's earlier terms that satisfied her."
Though gods couldn't directly interfere below, they created disciples to spread their faiths. However, Kefeli's faction remained small - while influential in academic circles, such scholars avoided the limelight. As study was for self-improvement, they lacked expansion capabilities.
While Kefeli accepted this nature, he still found it inconvenient. Worse, new problems arose from his contract with Metel.
As Kefeli wrestled with this, Akam noticed Metel reading manga beside Paffle and interjected:
"Added a condition? What content?""Simple. South demanded two things: banning any oracles involving her champion for ten years, and relinquishing manga reading rights. In exchange, I'd receive reports whenever related oracles occurred."
Currently, while Kefeli's disciple was gaining recognition as a champion, her fame paled compared to other continental champions. If anything, Jakaran's violent antics lowered her visibility further. Thus other champions remained unaware and unwary of Liberta.
Previously, Akam, Metel and Goldos had refused these terms. But now Metel accepted the ten-year information embargo on Liberta - a potentially crippling restriction in intelligence warfare that could prove fatal if delayed too long.
So what condition could outweigh this?
"When I asked what could overturn this, she said: 'Tell only me the content of Kefeli's next oracle, and I'll accept your terms.'""What?""That's all?"
Akam and Goldos stared wide-eyed at Metel's solution - using information to counter information secrecy to regain manga access. While honest about desires, this seemed recklessly simple.
For Metel who had already used one oracle, carelessly issuing another was impossible. Plus, Kefeli's champion's location was exposed. While needing caution, immediate danger seemed low. Having Paffle's disciple nearby was a fortunate miscalculation.
Indeed, this condition shackled whether to play his oracle card now. Watching Metel blissfully reading shounen manga, Kefeli decided this wasn't the time to act. There wasn't even a suitable candidate to receive an oracle.
"Ah, this condition applies only to me by the way.""Urk, that's-""Wasn't planning to copy, but watching manga read before me is irritating."
Kefeli realized this development was slightly beyond his calculations.
"......"
Glancing at his manga, he saw a page where a scheming boy's triumphant "All according to plan" smirk had been replaced by despair.
If even stories could have upheavals, then perhaps miscalculations were inevitable even for gods, Kefeli mused.