In a corner of the God Realm, within a Hanging Garden where flowers of every hue bloomed in vibrant profusion, two figures sat facing one another.
A woman with silver-white hair and a young girl sat at a table set with black tea. At a glance, they might have passed for sisters, yet they were study in contrasts. One was an expressionless woman with long hair, dressed in pure white, possessing an ideally proportioned figure. The other had a semi-short bob, wore black clothing, and looked like a young child whose expressions changed as rapidly as a spinning wheel. Aside from the colors of their hair and eyes, they were total opposites.
"Hey, Shiro, let's have some girl talk! Let's talk about romance!"
"Romance talk?"
"Whenever girls get together, they're supposed to get all excited talking about love!"
"...I recall that you are technically genderless, Kuro?"
"I’m in the form of a girl right now, so that makes me a girl! It’s fine!"
Kuromueina made her declaration with a bright, cheerful face. In response, Shallow Vernal replied in a flat, monotone voice.
Though one was a Demon and the other a God, they were friends with a vastly long history. They frequently sat together like this, letting conversation blossom over tea. Today followed the usual pattern: Kuromueina would bring up a sudden, whimsical topic, and Shallow Vernal would provide a calm, detached reply.
"Come on, even you must want to try falling in love, right, Shiro?"
"Not particularly."
"Even if it’s a lie, you’re supposed to say you do!"
"Very well. It is a lie, but I would like to try it."
"Yes, yes! In that case, I’ll give you some advice!"
Kuromueina was well-accustomed to Shallow Vernal’s complete lack of emotion. She pushed the conversation forward without a hint of concern.
"But Kuro, you have no romantic experience yourself, do you?"
"Ugh... Th-That’s not true! I’ve been confessed to plenty of times..."
"As far as I am aware, everyone who holds romantic feelings for you is female. Is that not correct?"
"...I’m popular, okay?"
"I would not call it popularity. In your case, most people bypass romance entirely and move straight to 'worship.' Therefore, it never develops into a romantic relationship, does it?"
"Uuuuu..."
Struck by Shallow Vernal’s blunt, clinical assessment, Kuromueina’s shoulders slumped in defeat.
It was true that many beings, whether Humankind or Demons, adored Kuromueina. However, just as Shallow Vernal said, the vast majority of those feelings were rooted in worship or loyalty. Because Kuromueina reigned as the Underworld King—one of the absolute peaks of the Demon Realm—there were virtually no individuals who could view her through a romantic lens.
So, despite her grand proposal to give advice, the truth was that Kuromueina had zero experience with love.
"I-It’s just that the right person hasn't shown up yet!"
"Just how many years do you think you have lived?"
"...A-About eighteen thousand years..."
"That number seems significantly lower than your actual age as I know it."
"I’m a girl! There’s nothing wrong with shaving a few years off!"
"I fail to see the point of doing so..."
Despite her monotone delivery, a faint shadow of exasperation flickered across Shallow Vernal's face. To change the subject, Kuromueina forcefully pivoted the conversation.
"Anyway! Today, we are having girl talk! About romance!"
"I do not mind, but what shall we discuss?"
"Hmm, let's start with types! Shiro, what kind of boy would you want to fall in love with?"
"Let me see... As an absolute prerequisite, it would have to be someone who can pique my interest."
"...And with that one sentence, almost every single being in this world has been disqualified."
The list of things Shallow Vernal found interesting was incredibly short. In fact, even Kuromueina, after their long friendship, only knew of a few examples she could count on one hand. In other words, Shallow Vernal's answer was essentially a declaration that she had no intention of falling in love.
"And what about you, Kuro? What kind of partner do you prefer?"
"Hmm. For me, I guess... I like cute kids. You know, someone who knows nothing and looks uneasy, but is still searching for something. I like the kind of person I’d want to teach all sorts of things to."
"That is simply your definition of a 'fledgling.'"
"Ugh, well, yeah, but... when I think about what I like, it always ends up being someone like that..."
"Since you only ever find such people and raise them, is that not why they never develop romantic feelings for you?"
"Ugh... N-No, that’s not the only reason! Among them, there are special ones where I feel a spark the moment I see them! Like it’s destiny!!"
"...And they are always women, are they not?"
"Uuuuu... Why can't I find any boys who give me that spark?"
Hit by another expressionless, razor-sharp retort, Kuromueina’s shoulders slumped again.
It was true that Kuromueina had met a few special individuals among those "fledglings" she adored, but every single one of them had been female. She had never felt that way about a male.
"Man... romance is hard."
"It is."
"Oh, that reminds me. I’ve been wondering, how do people in the Otherworld handle romance? Is it similar to how it works here?"
"I do not know. Shall we take a look?"
"Yeah! Please!"
Since neither of them had any experience, the conversation wasn't going anywhere. They reached the mutual conclusion that love was difficult and decided to switch gears. Kuromueina asked about romance in the Otherworld, and since Shallow Vernal didn't know the answer either, she suggested they investigate.
Fortunately, this was a year for the Hero Festival, and the current Hero-role was currently traveling to various regions to give greetings.
Seeing Kuro nod, Shallow Vernal moved her finger in the air as if drawing a circle. Space blurred and wavered, projecting a vision of a ceremony being held in a distant country. A black-haired Otherworlder stood on a platform lined with knights, right in the middle of a speech.
"Looks like he’s giving a greeting. By the way, Shiro, just based on looks, which one of those boys do you like?"
"I cannot distinguish any difference between them."
"What’s wrong with your eyes, Shiro? Do they all look like potatoes to you?"
"And what about you, Kuro?"
"Eh? None of them have 'fledgling' eyes, so I’m not interested!"
"...I believe your impression is effectively the same as mine."
The Otherworlder and the knights on stage didn't catch their interest. After exchanging these indifferent remarks, Shallow Vernal shifted her focus deeper into the youth playing the Hero-role.
"...I see. It appears this individual has experience with romance involving women from a world called '2D.'"
"2D? What’s that?"
"It seems to be another world within the Otherworld."
"Is it like the God Realm or the Demon Realm here?"
"Most likely."
Shallow Vernal peered into the heart of the young man and plucked out information regarding romance. The terminology was foreign to Kuromueina, who leaned in with an intrigued expression, waiting for more.
"Apparently, women in that 2D world quantify their affection for a partner into a numerical value called 'Affection Level.'"
"Whoa! They represent the heart with numbers? The Otherworld is incredible!"
"Yes. By meeting or speaking with the target, that Affection Level value increases. Once it reaches a certain threshold, an 'Event' occurs, and the relationship with the partner becomes more intimate."
"An 'Event'?! What kind of thing is that?"
Kuromueina was now leaning far forward from her chair, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"It seems they do things such as going shopping or sharing a meal together."
"Hmm, I see. So you meet, talk, get close, and then go out or eat together... isn't that just normal? Do you really need an 'Affection Level' for that?"
"No, there is more... By accumulating Affection Level, it appears one can receive powerful weapons or items useful for an adventure from their partner."
"In the Otherworld, you give your partner weapons when you get close?! Not accessories or something?"
"Yes. Since monsters appear in that 2D world, it must be a quite a harsh environment."
"I-I see... So the Otherworld has monsters too."
At this point, if a human from Earth had been present, they would have had a thousand things to shout in protest. Shallow Vernal’s information had a fatal flaw: she was extracting only terms associated with "romance" from the youth's heart, and she viewed all things with a terrifyingly objective equality.
To her, the "2D world" of video games and the "3D world" of reality were identical. She didn't distinguish between fiction and fact; she simply extracted the data. Depending on whose heart she read, the information she gained could be wildly skewed.
Unfortunately, there was no one here to correct her.
"Furthermore, as their Affection Level rises, it seems the women themselves can become stronger."
"What?! Otherworld girls get stronger when they fall in love?!"
"So it seems. In some cases, they may even learn magic."
"They learn magic too?! Affection Levels are amazing!"
"Indeed. However, it appears that these Affection Levels only exist on the female side."
"Oh, really? I see... So, if we ever have a romance with a boy from the Otherworld, we should keep track of our Affection Levels, and after we experience an Event, we should give him a present!"
"Yes. I believe that would be the best way to become intimate with an Otherworlder."
"Heh~ I'll have to remember that."
And so, another piece of Otherworld knowledge was transmitted into this world—or at least, to a very exclusive part of it—in a completely distorted form.
Fortunately or unfortunately, even God could not have predicted at this moment that, exactly ten years later, a single young man would become the target of this massive misunderstanding.