It was my third day in the Hydra Kingdom. I was walking through the streets before the sun had fully risen, heading toward a specific spot.
It wasn't that I was obligated to go, and there was no guarantee he’d even be there, but since he’d asked me to be his conversation partner the day before, I found myself returning to the place where I’d met the old man.
Well, even if I felt like he’d talked me into it, I had agreed. Besides, I probably wouldn’t be visiting the Hydra Kingdom that often, so I figured I should drop by as much as I could while I was here.
"Hm? Oh, if it isn't the young fellow from yesterday!"
"Ah, good morning."
"Oh, good morning indeed! What’s the occasion? Did you come to listen to my stories again today?"
"E-Eh, well, yes..."
"Oh, that reminds me! Did you hear? Apparently, there was quite an incident yesterday."
His machine-gun talk was the same as ever—switching topics before I even had a chance to respond. By "that incident," he had to mean yesterday’s attack, right? I was literally standing there.
"To target the Hero like that... what a ridiculous thing to do."
"T-That’s true."
"Umu! It’s a real bother, it is... because of that, I’m also having a hard—ahem, I mean, the Assemblymen of this country must be having a miserable time right about now."
"Eh? Is that so?"
This old man seemed remarkably well-informed. He was either a total gossip or just had his ear to the ground, because he seemed to have a very firm grasp on the details of yesterday’s event.
"The fact that the attack happened in this city is what makes it so bad. They’ll have to overhaul the security systems, and since the attacker is currently in custody here, he has to be punished by our laws... but no ordinary sentence is going to satisfy anyone."
"..."
"The rumors say the God of Fate-sama’s mood is just terrible... they say His Majesty the King is clutching his head in distress."
"I-Is that so..."
Fate-san... I’d have to remember to put in a good word for her next time we met.
Whether he sensed my thoughts or not, the old man let out a heavy sigh. Hmm. Was it possible this old man was actually an Assemblyman himself? That would certainly explain why he knew so much.
"It’s a matter of national prestige, you see... a real headache."
"T-That sounds difficult."
"It really is... if you handle it poorly, the noisy Kings from other countries start breathing down your neck..."
"Hm?"
"Ah, no, it’s nothing. I just meant that since international prestige is on the line, the King and the Assemblymen must be struggling."
"I-I see..."
The way he said that was a little suspicious. I was starting to suspect he really was an official of some kind. However, if he wanted to keep it a secret, it would be rude to pry. I decided to play along and pretend I hadn't noticed.
"I suppose you're right. Being responsible for a country must be a lot of weight for the King and the Assemblymen to carry."
"Oh! You understand? Young man... it really is a burden... cough. I mean, I imagine it must be quite a burden."
"..."
Could he please hide it a little better? It was getting hard to find a reaction for this...
"In the first place, it’s just scandalous. Attacking the Hero... Honestly, if I’d been there, I would have 'snapped' him myself..."
Snapped what, exactly?! I had a general idea, but I really didn't want to visualize it. Was this old man actually a warrior at heart? You couldn't judge people in this world by their covers, so despite his looks, he might actually be incredibly powerful.
While I was lost in thought, the old man stood up and began reeling in his fishing line.
"Oops, forgive me, young man. I have a bit of business to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave."
"Ah, yes. Sorry for taking your time when you’re so busy."
"No, no, I had quite a bit of fun... Still, for you to come back so faithfully after everything that happened yesterday, you really are a good man."
"I-I see..."
"You’re a bit lean, but you’ve got a good face. I doubt the ladies leave you alone for long, hahaha!"
His talk skill was in top form right until the end. He was the one who brought up leaving, but he was already off on a different tangent.
"Well then, until next time!"
"Yes. Good luck with your work, sir."
"Umu! Ah, right... I heard the Hero's Speech will be in front of the Assembly Hall at 13:00 today. If you have nothing better to do, you should go have a look."
With a boisterous laugh, the old man walked away with a surprisingly vigorous stride. Yeah, he definitely seemed strong. At the very least, he was almost certainly stronger than me.
In any case, Mitsunaga-kun was giving a speech. Since I was in town, I figured I’d go watch.
After finishing my chat with the old man, I decided to attend the speech, but since it was still early morning, I headed back to the inn to grab some breakfast first. However, when I reached my room, I found Heart-san standing outside my door for some reason.
"...Heart-san?"
"—! Miyama-sama! Thank goodness... I’m terribly sorry for the intrusion, but please, come with me immediately!"
"W-What’s happened? So suddenly..."
Heart-san usually maintained a very composed, professional air, but right now she was visibly panicked. The moment she spotted me, she rushed over and begged me to follow her. What was going on? For a member of the Gods like Heart-san to be this frazzled... and for her to ask for my help specifically...
"T-The God of Fate-sama is in trouble!"
"Eh? Fate-san!?"
"Y-Yes... there’s no time to explain, please just come!"
"I-I understand."
My confusion only deepened. I couldn't fathom a situation where Fate-san would actually be in danger. She was one of the strongest beings in existence; I couldn't imagine a scenario where she would need help from someone like me.
She seemed to be working diligently this time, Chronoa-san wasn't around, and since she hadn't tried anything weird with me, it was unlikely Kuro was punishing her. Before I could make sense of it, I was whisked away by the teleportation magic Heart-san deployed.
We arrived at our destination instantly... and the second we did, I understood exactly what Heart-san had meant by "in trouble."
"G-God of Fate-sama... please, just endure a little longer..."
"Nooo! I’ve worked enough!! I’m not moving an inch from here today!!"
"..."
Standing before me was a flustered, troubled Shia-san, and Fate-san, who was curled up inside a futon like a turtle hiding in its shell.
Ah, I see... So that was it.
"I did it! I was serious for once! It was supposed to be over yesterday!!"
"T-That’s true, but... there was that incident, so things were delayed..."
"I don't care! I’m done! I don't want to work! I refuse to work!!"
"..."
Apparently, despite working properly for the last two days, Fate-san’s slacker switch had finally flipped back to the ON position. This morning, she’d begun a full-blown strike.
Heart-san explained the details: because of yesterday’s assault incident, the Assembly sessions that were supposed to conclude in two days hadn't finished. Now that they had been carried over into today, Fate-san was throwing a tantrum.
"...And so, that is the situation. Miyama-sama, please, lend us your strength. When the God of Fate-sama gets like this, there is nothing we can do to move her..."
"I-I see... I’ll give it a shot."
The reason Heart-san had brought me here was to serve as a negotiator. To be honest, it looked like a high-difficulty quest. She clearly wasn't listening to a word Heart-san or Shia-san said.
I suspected asking Shiro-san would solve the problem in a heartbeat... but since that would be a forced order, I decided to save it as a last resort and try persuasion first.
Dear Mother, Father—actually, considering how she usually acts, I think she really did her best. And in the back of my mind, I’d had a feeling things might end up like this. To put it simply—Fate-san’s bad habit has come out.
A Goddess who endured for two whole days only to revert into a spoiled brat... and she's a Supreme God, no less.