Tiana continued to present me with various mysterious ingredients I had never seen before. Sampling them and learning about the culture of another world was a fascinating experience; every bite felt novel and exciting.
"Mmm... things from other worlds really are fascinating. It brings back memories of how I felt when I first arrived in Trinia. I was quite bewildered by everything back then, but that sense of discovery was so vivid."
Thanks to the efforts of the previous Hero-roles, Trinia already had a foundation that made it relatively easy for otherworlders to adjust, so I had settled in quite naturally. Even so, I remember being constantly amazed by magic and the local cuisine—like the worm meat I ate on my date with Kuro, or the flowers that would try to bite you back.
"Being able to experience that kind of wonder is something where a person like you is clearly superior to World Creators like us," Tiana remarked. "In my case, and for others like me, possessing the power of omniscience makes it very difficult to encounter any genuine surprises. In that sense, having greater power doesn't necessarily mean your life is better."
"I see. That’s a wonderful way of looking at it. Now I understand exactly why Canalis said you were such a kind person, Tiana-san."
"Thank you. But if I seem kind to you, I think it’s because you’re a kind soul yourself, Kaito. After all, when you’re with someone gentle, you naturally want to be gentle in return, don't you?"
"That certainly might be true."
From what we had discussed so far, my impression was that Tiana was an incredibly gentle and virtuous person. Her aura was calm and soothing, and she accepted my praise with a humble grace while returning the compliments. Despite possessing the staggering power of an omniscient and omnipotent being, she wasn't arrogant in the slightest and felt no need to flaunt her strength.
Canalis and Electrone were also wonderful people in their own right, but considering Canalis was always expressionless and Electrone had a high-strung "switch" that made her a bit eccentric, Tiana felt like the most grounded and approachable World Creator I had met so far.
In fact, I suspected that even if I introduced Tiana to Lilia, she would be able to befriend her without her stomach acting up too much.
"...Still, after seeing some of these items, I get the feeling your world’s civilization is much more advanced than the one I came from."
"It is. There are differences in the ecosystem and the laws of physics, so I can't say they're exactly the same... but based on your perspective, you might describe it as an SF-esque world. At least, the one I created is."
"Oh, come to think of it, didn't Canalis say you were managing the world she created as well? Isn't it a lot of work to look after two worlds?"
Canalis had told me that she had entrusted the management of her world to Tiana.
When I asked, imagining that managing two worlds would be quite a daunting task, Tiana gave a wry smile and scratched her cheek. A light tinkling sound, like a small bell, accompanied her movement.
"Ah... well, actually, it's not just two. At the moment, I’m managing 4,853 worlds."
"...Huh? Wait, do you mean... not just planets or universes, but the worlds themselves?"
"Yes. Though I only created one of them myself. Canalis was a special case, but as for the others... well, it’s not exactly something to be proud of, but the number just kept growing. I was asked to take over by World Creators who grew bored of their duties, or I took in worlds left behind when their creators were annihilated for various reasons, or simply worlds that had been abandoned by their gods."
Tiana gave a bitter smile, but the idea of managing nearly five thousand worlds all by herself was staggering. It was a scale of responsibility I couldn't even begin to fathom.
"Cases where a World Creator is destroyed—whether they lose a battle against another god or simply lack the power to sustain their own lifespan—are unavoidable to some extent. But as for those who simply get bored or abandon their posts... well, the creator might be fine, but I feel sorry for the people living there. So, I try to take them in whenever I can."
"That sounds... incredibly difficult."
"Mmm, well, I don't manage them with a heavy hand, so it doesn't take much effort. Each world has its own ecosystem and society, after all, so there's rarely a need for me to intervene. But that doesn't mean I can just leave them entirely alone. Worlds are complex things. Sometimes the flow of energy gets distorted, and holes open up in the dimensional walls. I really only step in to handle troubles like that—things the inhabitants can't resolve on their own."
She didn't seem to find it a burden at all. For Tiana, managing multiple worlds appeared to be something she could handle effortlessly in her spare time.
Then again, Canalis was capable of existing in multiple places simultaneously, so perhaps numbers weren't much of a hurdle for Tiana either.
However, even though she spoke as if it were only natural, the fact that she so readily extended a helping hand to worlds abandoned by their own creators—worlds she hadn't even made—spoke volumes about her innate kindness. It was a story of cosmic proportions, yet it filled me with a simple, human warmth.
Serious-senpai: "I see. So, setting aside the fact that she's insanely powerful, there isn't a single weird quirk in her appearance or the way she talks... Since there's no reason for her to go into Jealousy-crazed Berserk Gorilla Mode against Kaito himself, he finds her incredibly easy to talk to. Just like Canalis said, she'll probably get her visitation permit without any trouble at all."