Somewhere in the Divine Realm, a god resembling a gaunt man stood waiting as three other deities manifested before him.
"Augh... I’m exhausted..."
"You have finally returned, I see."
"Oh, Fernobelia. Were you here this whole time?"
"It is quite rare for you to venture outside your own domain, isn't it?"
The deity standing there was the God of Magic, Fernobelia. The three who had just arrived were Gain, Kufo, and Lulutia—the ones responsible for bringing Ryoma to their world.
"I was brought here by force, though I will admit I was somewhat curious myself."
"""By force?"""
As if in answer to their confusion, four more deities appeared from thin air, completely surrounding Gain and his companions.
"Wait, what... what is this?"
"Why are we being surrounded?"
"Care to explain the meaning of this?" Gain asked.
One god stepped forward to answer. It was Tekun.
"Why don't you put your hand on your chest and ask yourself? Don't you dare try to tell me you don't know."
"Why are you suddenly so furious!?"
"Now, now, Tekun. You can't expect a civil conversation if you keep crowding them like that."
"That's right. Settle down now, maybe have a drink."
The two who had restrained Tekun were Willieris, the Goddess of Earth and Fertility, and Grimp, the God of Agriculture and Livestock. These two were known for being particularly gentle among the pantheon; she appeared as a refined middle-aged woman, while he took the form of a middle-aged man carrying a hoe over his shoulder.
The pair were husband and wife. Moving in perfect synchronicity, Grimp kept Tekun occupied with a drink to calm his nerves while Willieris handled the explanation.
"The reason we have taken such measures is that we heard reports of you three sneaking off to another world for amusement. Tekun was the first to hear of it, and he gathered us together in a rage, claiming he wanted a way to kill time as well."
Fernobelia cut into the explanation.
"Tekun went so far as to summon Willieris and Grimp just to coerce me into using my power to track you down."
"Now that you mention it," Lulutia noted, "you were using your divine power just to keep Tekun out of your domain, weren't you?"
"He is crude and careless in everything except his craftsmanship," Fernobelia replied coldly. "He's a nuisance who makes a racket when he drinks. He is a distraction."
"Hey! I can hear you!"
"It is not as though you have business with me often anyway. Besides, you are not the only one I refuse to admit into my space... But putting that aside, what were you three thinking? Frequent trips to another world are a violation of our non-interference policy."
"Wait a second," Lulutia asked. "Who told you we were there?"
Tekun answered for them.
"Don't play dumb. Ryoma told me. He said Kufo mentioned it to him. I felt bad about doing it at the time, but I read the kid's heart. He wasn't lying."
Kufo pressed a hand to his forehead and groaned. "Augh... I definitely told him not to tell any humans, but I suppose I didn't explicitly tell him not to tell any gods..."
They decided to sit and discuss the matter properly. Chairs manifested out of the void, and they formed a circle to begin the conversation.
"Well then, let's hear it. And while you're at it, you'd better take me with you next time!"
"Putting the entertainment aside," Willieris said, "we cannot simply ignore the fact that you are frequently crossing the boundary to another world."
"We'd like some answers," Grimp added.
"Hmph. The truth of the matter is... we were investigating the status of the God of Earth," Gain admitted.
"We mentioned it a bit before, remember?" Lulutia said. "It seemed like Ryoma was being subjected to some very strange interference by the God of Earth."
"I heard," Fernobelia said. "I recall being surprised to hear they were committing acts a deity must never perform."
"So we went over there to investigate, just a little bit."
"So you weren't just going there to play?" Tekun asked.
"I haven't told Ryoma the truth about the God of Earth from his previous life yet," Kufo explained. "I had to make up an excuse on the spot."
At those words, Tekun's anger vanished instantly.
"What? So that's all it was?"
"Tekun... were you seriously only angry because you wanted in on the fun?" Fernobelia sighed.
"Even so, crossing over so frequently still poses its own set of problems, does it not?" Willieris pointed out.
Fernobelia composed himself and asked, "And were there any issues during your stay?"
Gain and the others grimaced.
"Well, it wasn't exactly a problem, but..."
"It was quite an ordeal sneaking over there without being detected..."
"We didn't find anything definitive," Lulutia added, "but something is definitely wrong. To varying degrees, I found several people who were being made intentionally unlucky, just like Ryoma. But there's no sign of that stolen happiness being used for anything."
"At first, we suspected the stolen happiness was being funneled to that god's followers or some such," Gain said. "However, our investigation proved otherwise. It is simply being taken away and granted to no one."
"Also, the management of that world is incredibly sloppy," Kufo noted. "Perhaps it's because the people there have advanced their technology to the point where a god has nothing left to do... but even so. The rule is that gods don't interfere with other worlds. We were so careful to remain hidden, but it was almost disappointing how easily we were able to slip in. I felt like a fool for being so nervous."
"Indeed," Gain agreed. "It was so easy we suspected a trap, but in the end, nothing happened. At that rate, if a Demon King or some other threat were to attack from another world, their response would be tragically delayed."
"Is it really that neglected?" Fernobelia asked. "That sounds less like poor management and more like the complete abandonment of divine duty."
"It may well be..."
"Besides, what's the point of taking people's happiness?" Grimp asked. "It's not like it's of any use to us gods."
"That is exactly what we don't understand..."
"If they had lost the faith of the people, it could perhaps be used to maintain their power," Fernobelia mused. "But as long as the world itself is intact, they should not lose the minimum required energy. What is the situation there?"
"We considered that as well," Gain replied. "While it is true that many people in Japan have less faith than the people here, those in other nations remain quite devout. There are no major issues with the world yet, either. Environmental destruction is progressing, but they haven't lost their core power. That is precisely why they still have the magical energy to send to this world."
"True, that was a foolish question. However, if that is the case, there really is no logical use for it. Just what for..."
At that moment, a goddess who had remained silent until now finally spoke up.
"...Does it really matter? We just don't understand because we don't go around stealing happiness from people, but maybe they have some use for it. Let's just leave it at that. If they pick a fight with us, we'll just crush them."
"Kiriluel, there you go again with your simplistic thinking... You are a muscle-brain through and through, woman."
The speaker was Kiriluel, the Goddess of War. She wore armor over a well-conditioned physique, her hand resting habitually on the hilt of the sword at her waist. While her build was sturdy, she still possessed many supple, feminine traits. Her speech was rough and masculine, but she was a goddess without question.
"Who are you calling a muscle-brain! I use my head too!"
"The only thing you use your head for is battlefield tactics."
"That still counts! If anything, I'm much healthier than you, lurking in your dark domain all day."
"Our bodies do not deteriorate," Fernobelia countered. "There is no such thing as being healthy or unhealthy for a god."
These two, being polar opposites in both personality and lifestyle, bickered like this every time they met. The other gods were accustomed to the display. Before the conversation could be completely derailed, Gain cut in and addressed Kiriluel.
"Putting that aside, why are you here? You weren't called by Tekun, were you?"
"What are you saying, old man? I'm the God of War! Where there's conflict, there's war, and where there's war, there am I! I felt Tekun's fury, and when I heard you lot were sneaking off to another world, I figured some discipline might be in order. I was waiting here to give you a proper thrashing."
"We don't need that!!"
"That isn't even funny!"
"You're a god too, so that would be incredibly dangerous!"
"Relax. I'm not doing anything this time," Kiriluel said. "I understand that the God of Earth is acting strange, and I've heard that something odd is happening to that Ryoma guy's soul because of them. Since there's a chance the souls coming from that side might be compromised, I'll accept 'staying on guard' as a valid reason for your trips. I can't exactly lay a hand on the God of Earth unless they invade us or give me a real reason, anyway."
Kiriluel was the most formidable combatant among the gods, also serving as the Goddess of Condemnation—the one who protected the world from threats and struck down enemies. Though it was rare, if humans were to cause a crisis that severely harmed the world, she was the one who delivered divine punishment.
By chance, this had turned into a situation where four gods were prepared to judge the three, but Gain and his group would have been no match for her alone. If she were to truly go all out, it would not be impossible for her to destroy them.
They likely wouldn't have been completely obliterated, but imagining the considerable pain they would have endured, the three gods felt a wave of relief wash over them.
"That was bad for my heart..."
"I feel like my lifespan just shortened..."
"Please, stop scaring an old man like that..."
"A god doesn't need to worry about their heart or their lifespan," Kiriluel snorted. "Well, looks like I wasn't needed here after all, so I'm heading out. People are still waging wars as we speak, so I'm a busy woman."
"Yeah, sorry about the trouble."
"It's not like Tekun called me. I came on my own. Still—Gain, Kufo, Lulutia—don't go overboard with your trips to Earth, you hear?"
"Yes, of course..."
"Understood."
"Let's just take turns from now on."
"Wait, you're not going to stop going?" Fernobelia asked.
"Well, because... we still..."
Tekun pounced on Lulutia's hesitation.
"Still? Still what?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
"We haven't quite grasped the motives of the god over there yet, you see," Gain added smoothly.
"Exactly, exactly."
On the surface, the three were keeping their composure, but then Willieris spoke up.
"Are you three still hiding something?"
At those words, Tekun, who began radiating a dangerous aura once more, pressed the issue.
"You lot were really investigating that god on Earth, weren't you?"
"Yes, we were."
"Of course."
"We were definitely looking into the situation there."
"Since you've found other victims, I'll believe that much isn't a lie," Tekun said. "Let me rephrase: have you been doing anything else besides investigating that god?"
Gain and the others stiffened, eyes darting away.
"Well? Kufo, Ryoma said you mentioned you were sightseeing on Earth."
"Well... since I was searching for victims from among the entire population of the world, I naturally saw the scenery and the environment as I traveled. I just used the word 'sightseeing' to keep things simple for him."
"In other words," Fernobelia muttered, "you can sightsee if you intend to."
Kufo jumped at the comment. "Wait, isn't that a leading question!?"
"Kufo, you're basically admittin' you were sightseein' while you were lookin' for folks..." Grimp muttered.
As the atmosphere around Tekun grew volatile again, he turned his interrogation toward Gain.
"Gain, I heard you've become obsessed with something called 'idols'?"
"Idols are simply those who entertain the humans of Earth with song and dance. They appear frequently on those boxes called 'televisions' that project images. If you happen to look into the city, you are bound to see them. It isn't as though I look for them intentionally."
"Song and dance, eh? Well, we have those in this world too, so I suppose that's fine..."
Just as it seemed Tekun's anger was softening, Gain's eyes sharpened as he snapped back with unexpected passion.
"Do not compare them to the ones in this world! Earth's idols are adorable, and they work so very hard! They make a man want to cheer them on!"
"W-whoa!?"
Tekun flinched at the intensity. Gain immediately realized his mistake and made a face of pure regret. Seeing this, Willieris sighed.
"It is quite clear from that outburst just how seriously you have been watching these 'idols'..."
Finally, Tekun turned his gaze toward Lulutia. Realizing she could no longer hide it, she answered before he could even ask.
"I'm always so stressed while I'm working on Earth, so I do enjoy a few Earth sweets during my breaks to help me relax."
Moments later, the sound of Tekun's roars and the screams of Gain and the others echoed throughout the Divine Realm.