Kuro—who had come to stop Fate-san’s rampage, or more accurately, to give her a thorough thrashing—had departed after leaving her looking like a worn-out rag. Alice, too, had vanished.
Fate-san was a pitiful sight, sprawled facedown on the floor before Chronoa-san and me.
"……I’m sorry…… for being born."
"……"
She was utterly broken. Well, knowing her, I figured she’d bounce back soon enough.
Chronoa-san stared at Fate-san’s crumpled form, let out a massive sigh, and turned to me.
"Well then, shall we proceed to the Temple of the God of Life next?"
"……Hey…… Space-Time God? No reaction? You’re just going to ignore me in this state?"
"Hm? Just make sure you do your job."
"Wait just a minute! I’m coming too!!"
Fate-san snapped upright and shouted her declaration the moment she heard Chronoa-san’s exasperated words. That was a remarkably fast recovery.
"I am more than capable of acting as a guide on my own," Chronoa-san replied.
"Aahhh!? You’re trying to keep Kai-chan all to yourself, aren't you? You’re hoping to slide into that fourth lover slot!"
"As if! You fool!!"
"I don't care, I'm coming! I won't do any work, but I'm coming! It's decided!"
"……You……"
Completely back to her usual self, Fate-san gave her finger a little flick. A floating cushion materialized out of thin air, and she hopped onto it, bobbing along as she followed us.
Chronoa-san seemed to realize that arguing was pointless given their long history; she let out another heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping.
"……Still, that was something. The Underworld King is terrifying. Tormenting someone until the very brink of death, fully healing them, and then starting all over again…… That woman is a demon."
"How many times did she heal you?" I asked.
"……Forty-eight times. Halfway through, I was honestly begging for death."
"It was your own doing, was it not?"
Kuro had clearly been beyond furious. The way she had laid into Fate-san sounded less like a scolding and more like a scene of pure torture.
Then again, Kuro had warned her previously that she wouldn't be forgiven next time. Since Fate-san had gone and done it anyway, it really was her own fault. Though, I was one hundred percent certain she hadn't actually learned her lesson.
"Hey, Kai-chan. Comfort me. I’m totally okay with you giving me a nice, gentle hug, you know?"
"Hm? Has the Underworld King returned?"
"Eek!? Wh-Where?! Where is she?!"
Fate-san was clearly traumatized. At Chronoa-san’s lie, she turned pale and began frantically scanning the surroundings.
"……Wait, she’s not here!"
"Hmph. I see this might be useful after all……"
"Space~! Time~! God~!"
"No, my apologies. However, you should try reflecting on your behavior a bit more."
We left Fate’s Temple and arrived at Life-san’s.
The exterior was identical to the previous temple, but the interior was a different story. Wide corridors were lined with vibrant, beautiful flowers and lush, ornamental-looking trees. The sheer brilliance of the greenery was eye-catching.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t really spoken with Life-san much yet. When we’d met briefly before to exchange greetings, she’d struck me as a calm, capable woman.
"Hey, Space-Time God…… She’s just going to be asleep anyway, so isn’t this a waste of time?"
"……I am well aware, but it would be improper not to pay our respects."
Asleep anyway? What did that mean? Was it her scheduled break time?
"By the way, Kai-chan, why did you come to the God Realm? I mean, I’m personally all for it."
"Um, Shiro-san invited me."
"Shallow Vernal-sama? That means Kai-chan is going to the Sanctuary! Wow, Kai-chan, that’s a massive achievement. Hey, Space-Time God, isn’t this the first time a human has ever entered the Sanctuary?"
"Umu…… In fact, besides the three of us, only the Underworld King has ever set foot there."
"Right? Even when 'Hikarin' visited, we acted as the go-betweens, so she never entered the Sanctuary itself."
Just as I thought, the Sanctuary where Shiro-san lived was exceptionally sacred, even by the standards of the God Realm. No human had ever been allowed inside. I assumed the "Hikarin" Fate-san mentioned was Noin-san, but apparently even the First Hero hadn’t been permitted entry.
Chatting as we walked, we eventually reached a set of massive doors. Chronoa-san knocked and called Life-san’s name, but there was no response.
"……Let us just go in for now."
"Yep, yep."
"Wait, is that okay?"
"It's fine. She's asleep anyway."
Since the lack of a response was exactly what they’d expected, they pushed the heavy doors open and walked in. I followed hesitantly. Inside was a spacious room adorned with an incredible variety of plants.
In the center of this tranquil, nature-filled space, the green-haired woman I remembered—Life-san—was standing regally. However, her eyes were shut tight.
"Hey, Life God. We have a guest."
"……Sshhh…… Sshhh……"
"……Figures. There was no way the Life God would be awake."
Wait, was she sleeping while standing up? That was either incredible or just…… very strange. She was surprisingly skilled in her own way. Chronoa-san tried shaking her shoulder, but Life-san showed absolutely no sign of stirring.
"……It is no use."
"Told you. Once the Life God goes under, she doesn’t come back up easily. Come on, let’s go."
"Ah, well, I’ll at least say hello……"
Since waking her seemed like a lost cause, both Chronoa-san and Fate-san were ready to give up. Still, since I had come all this way, I felt I should at least offer a greeting. I approached Life-san and spoke.
"Life-san, hello."
I didn’t shout; I just spoke to her in a normal, conversational tone. Immediately, Life-san opened her beautiful lapis lazuli eyes and offered a serene smile.
"Hello, Miyama-san."
"……Wait, what?"
"……The Life God…… woke up?"
She had woken up so effortlessly that it made me wonder what Chronoa-san’s struggle had been for. The other two goddesses sounded utterly floored. I hadn't really expected her to wake up either, so I was momentarily stunned, but Life-san continued with a calm expression.
"So you have come to the God Realm. My apologies. I was performing my daily 'meditation' and was delayed in noticing you."
"Eh? Ah, I see……"
"……That is certainly a creative way to put it."
"……You were clearly just napping……"
Listening to her, Chronoa-san and Fate-san muttered things I felt like I had heard somewhere before. Life-san, however, ignored them, her gentle smile unchanging.
"I am truly honored to meet you again. Thank you so much for fulfilling Shallow Vernal-sama’s wish the other day. As a member of the God Race, I offer you my heartfelt gratitude."
"N-No, please, don't mention it……"
"……This is incredible, Space-Time God. The Life God actually looks like a proper deity."
"……I wonder if she is an impostor?"
Again, I heard the same sort of disbelief from the other two. Apparently, the version of Life-san I was seeing was unthinkable to them.
"Miyama-san, if you have the time, I shall prepare some tea. It will be a simple affair, but—"
"E-Err…… I would love to, but I’ve been summoned by Shiro-san, so I can’t stay for very long……"
"I see, you are heading to Shallow Vernal-sama’s side. In that case, if it is alright with you, Miyama-san, I shall accompany you as well."
""……Eh?""
When Life-san offered to join us just like Fate-san had, the two behind me let out a synchronized gasp of shock. They were staring as if they were witnessing a miracle.
"……Life God, what has gotten into you?" Chronoa-san asked. "You, offering to leave your temple of your own accord? More importantly, why is your attitude toward Miyama so radically different?"
"Whatever do you mean? Miyama-san is the recipient of Shallow Vernal-sama’s Blessing. As such, it is only natural to treat him with the utmost reverence as an extension of Shallow Vernal-sama herself. He is an exceptionally vital guest to the God Realm. It is perfectly logical for me to accompany him to ensure we are prepared for any unforeseen circumstances."
"Mmm…… Well, when you put it that way……"
"The Space-Time God just got shut down by the Life God’s logic…… That’s a first."
I wasn't sure what to think. Maybe it was because I didn't know how she usually acted, but she seemed like a perfectly dependable woman to me. Chronoa-san and Fate-san clearly felt otherwise. As I pondered this, Chronoa-san put a hand to her chin with a grave expression, muttered something to herself, and then turned to me.
"……Miyama. Seriously, won’t you come live in the God Realm? I will guarantee your room and board, and I will even pay you a daily wage of one gold coin. Your only job will be to tell the Fate God and the Life God to get to work once a day!"
"……"
Just how much did this poor woman suffer on a daily basis? Wanting to hire someone for a million yen a day just for that…… it sounded like a cry for help. I felt a lump in my throat just listening to her.
Dear Mother, Father—
After Fate-san’s Temple, I visited Life-san’s as well. In front of me, Life-san seems like a very dignified woman, but according to the others—she apparently spends most of her time sleeping.
Serious-senpai: "A-Ah…… It’s coming…… It’s almost here…… Starting next time…… that natural enemy…… Aahhh!!"
Chronoa’s Recruitment Post
Duties: Once a day, urge the God of Fate and the God of Life to do their jobs. Salary: Daily wage of 1 gold coin (1,000,000 yen). Benefits: Food, clothing, and housing fully covered by the employer. Requirements: Must be Kaito Miyama (Must possess Shiro’s Blessing).
It was an absurdly lucrative offer.