I was walking with Shia-san to get lunch, but the conversation was failing to pick up any momentum.
Part of the problem was undoubtedly the filter she used to process everything into something negative, but more than that, I simply couldn't get a read on her personality. To be honest, I still didn't really understand what she was like or how she truly felt. She was just difficult to categorize.
At times, she treated me with an aggressive, almost hostile attitude, making me think she disliked me. Yet, she would also bring me gifts or offer roundabout apologies. She was an enigma.
I followed behind Shia-san as she walked ahead in silence. I watched her back, wondering if there was any way to break the ice, when she suddenly came to a halt.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"……"
Shia-san didn't answer. She shifted her gaze slightly toward a young girl at a nearby stall. The girl had just bought a treat that looked like ice cream and was wearing a radiant, joyful smile.
Was there something about that girl? As the thought crossed my mind, the girl ran past us, still beaming with happiness. In that fleeting moment, I saw a faint line of light flicker across her body for a split second.
"Wait! Shia-san, what was that just now?"
"……"
Before I knew it, a wicked-looking great scythe had appeared in Shia-san's hands.
Her current posture made it clear she had just completed a full swing of the weapon. I turned in a panic toward the little girl, but she didn't seem to be hurt or even aware of what had happened.
Shia-san spared a glance at my frantic expression before dismissing the scythe as if it were nothing and resuming her walk.
"……My scythe severs misfortune."
"……Eh?"
"Think of it as seeds of misfortune, if you prefer."
"Um, does that mean that girl was carrying one?"
"……Misfortune is everywhere. It only differs in scale."
So it was like a form of purification? Had she just performed an exorcism for that girl?
"……Forcefully cutting away a major misfortune can affect the physical body. But if it’s a minor one, there’s no harm in severing it."
"……Just out of curiosity, what would have happened to her if you’d left it alone?"
"Who knows? I cannot see destiny like the God of Fate-sama. I only see the misfortune itself... I don’t know exactly what form it takes, but with a seed that size... she probably would have tripped and dropped her snack. Something along those lines."
It seemed Shia-san couldn't see the future, but she could perceive the precursors to unhappiness. She had stepped in to stop it. If she hadn't, that girl would have suffered a small stroke of bad luck.
"……Then, Shia-san, you actually helped—"
"Don't get the wrong idea. Gods don't go out of their way to assist humans who haven't even received a blessing."
"Eh? But, you just..."
"……I was merely practicing my swing, and that brat just happened to be in the way. That's all there is to it!"
"Eh? Ah, right……"
"……Hmph."
It was a blatant excuse, but I realized then that this was simply who Shia-san was. I might have been misjudging her.
Despite her harsh words, I had seen her quietly help a total stranger—a little girl—whom an ordinary God wouldn't have given a second thought. She had a kind heart. Of course, if I actually said that, she’d probably blow a fuse, so I decided to keep the observation to myself.
Eventually, Shia-san led me to a restaurant, and we took our seats inside.
Since she was No. 5 of the God Realm and the effective head of the High Gods, I had worried that her presence might cause a stir. However, it turned out that Shia-san mostly worked behind the scenes and rarely appeared in public. Her face was almost entirely unknown. Because of that, she could sit in a normal restaurant without needing Recognition Inhibition Magic.
"……Order whatever you want."
"Ah, thanks."
I scanned the interior, which had a somewhat ethnic vibe, while looking over the menu she handed me.
……Wait, why did everything look so spicy? What kind of restaurant was this? A specialty shop for heat-seekers?
It seemed those super-spicy sweets she gave me really were her favorite. Browsing the list of intimidatingly named dishes, I picked something that seemed relatively safe.
When the server arrived, Shia-san placed her order without hesitation.
"At this establishment, you can customize the heat of your meal. How would you like yours prepared?"
"……A hundred times the normal spice level."
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
Both the server and I froze at her flat delivery.
"……One hundred times."
"U-Um, forgive me, customer... our restaurant prides itself on our spice levels. I won't say it's impossible, but... well, are you sure you'll be all right?"
"It’s not a problem. A hundred times."
"I-I understand... and for the gentleman? Will you be having the same?"
"N-No, normal spiciness is fine for me……"
I answered the visibly shaken server as quickly as possible. A hundred times the heat? That wasn't a meal; it was an assassination attempt on my taste buds.
Once the server bowed and hurried away, Shia-san looked at me with a bewildered expression.
"……Are you a fan of sweets, by any chance?"
"……"
No, that's not how this works. Choosing the standard level at a spicy food restaurant does not make someone a "sweets lover." What kind of terrifying scale was she using?
A short while later, the server returned with my delicious-looking, normal meal... and a horrifying bowl that was "boiling and bright red like molten lava."
It was red. Just purely, aggressively red. I couldn't imagine how anyone could actually eat that.
I watched Shia-san take a bite. Her expression darkened slightly.
See? I knew it. Even for her, that had to be too much—
"……It’s a little on the sweet side."
"……"
Her sense of taste had to be broken. Where in that hellish bowl was there any room for "sweetness"? Just looking at it made my own mouth burn. It was unbelievable.
Was Chronoa-san really the only sane person among the higher-ranking Gods?
Still shaken by the sight, I finished my meal and stepped outside with Shia-san, who had finished her "lava" as if it were a light snack.
"……Shia-san, thank you for the lunch."
"Mhm... honestly, I don't know how you can eat such sugary food."
"……"
I could say the exact same to her. I really could.
"……Regardless, my promise is fulfilled. No complaints?"
"Eh? Yes, thank you very much."
"Then let's head back."
"Right."
I followed her as she started walking toward the inn. Wait, wasn't she staying at the Royal Castle? This was the opposite direction. Was she... walking me home?
As I pondered this, Shia-san stopped again and turned her head toward the horizon. The ocean stretched out before us, and far in the distance, I could see a lone fishing vessel.
"……A large calamity."
"Eh? That ship?"
"……"
"W-What are you going to do?"
When she spoke of a "large calamity," surely that meant the ship was in danger of sinking or something equally dire.
I asked her out of concern, but she looked away from the water with a cold indifference.
"I’m not doing anything. Like I told you, Gods don't go out of their way to help humankind."
"……B-But……"
"Don't push your sense of morality onto me. You can believe whatever you want, but our values are different. Don't expect me to do what you think is 'right'."
"!? I-I'm sorry."
"……Tch."
I lowered my head as she clicked her tongue in annoyance. She was right; I shouldn't have pressured her to interfere.
I felt a bit dejected, but I couldn't stop thinking about the people on that boat. Just as I started to wonder if there was anything I could do myself, Shia-san cursed under her breath and drew her scythe.
"……May my strike sever the calamity..."
"!?"
After the quiet murmur, she swung the scythe. A massive, jet-black slash manifested and tore through the air toward the ship. It vanished the moment it struck the hull, absorbed without causing a single ripple. Shia-san dismissed the weapon immediately.
"……Shia-san."
"Clearing a major calamity has consequences... but I can manage the output if I'm serious. Consider this payment for the debt I owe you for talking to the God of Fate-sama. I’ll humor your soft-hearted nonsense just this once."
"……Th-Thank you. Truly."
"……Hmph. Everyone should just go off and be happy on their own then..."
She sounded bored as she resumed her walk. But the moment she said it, I knew. I had a feeling she would have helped that ship even if I hadn't said a word.
"……You really are a kind person, Shia-san."
"Wha—!? Wh-Wh-Wha—what are you suddenly talking about?! What are you plotting?!"
"Eh? No, I'm not plotting anything. I just said what I felt……"
"Ugh... Sh-Shut up, you idiot! Just drop dead already!"
"E-Ehhh……"
I had intended it as a sincere compliment, but Shia-san clearly wasn't used to being praised. Her face turned a vivid crimson, and she practically sprinted away.
Watching her retreating figure, the word "tsundere" felt like the only appropriate description.
Dear Mother, Father—There’s still a lot about Shia-san that I don’t understand. I can’t even tell if she dislikes me or actually enjoys my company. But one thing is for certain—Shia-san is a truly kind person.
Serious-senpai: "I feel like I've been betrayed by my own self..."