The long-awaited second meeting between my parents and Fate-san—or rather, our tea party—began with a stiflingly heavy atmosphere.
It wasn't that the mood was hostile. However, even to my eyes, it was obvious that both parties were incredibly tense.
"..."
I could sense an impatient anxiety radiating from Fate-san as she tried even harder than before to bridge the distance. Meanwhile, my mother and father seemed lost, struggling to find any opening for conversation.
To put it simply, both sides were so overwhelmed by nerves that they were paralyzed, and because that tension was mutual, neither could find a way to break the ice.
This was a difficult spot. I could have jumped in and forced the conversation forward, but I didn't think talking while everyone was this stiff would lead to a good result.
If they didn't calm down, nothing would go well, yet the longer the silence stretched, the harder it became to say anything at all.
Just as I was about to open my mouth, figuring I should push a topic through even if it felt a bit forced, my mother suddenly stood up awkwardly, unable to bear the silence any longer.
"Oh, um... I’ll go get some more black tea!"
Since we expected things to be awkward, we hadn't invited anyone else into the room. Illness-san had simply left a cart with a pot of black tea and some snacks for us.
As my mother moved to refill the tea, something like a small notebook slipped from her belongings and fell to the floor.
"Aka-rin, did you drop—hm? Are these characters from the otherworld? Let’s see... 'Dream Notebook'?"
Fate-san picked up the notebook that had fallen near her and tilted her head at the writing on the cover. A moment later, she pressed her index finger to her forehead. After a brief flash of light, she spoke the title effortlessly.
It was likely something similar to the translation magic automatically granted during a Hero Summoning.
"Ah, yes... that’s just a notebook where I write down my dreams, or rather, my goals."
"My mother has always done that," I added. "Whenever she has a goal, she writes it down, and once it's achieved, she marks it with a symbol. She says it’s so she doesn't forget what she wanted to do or how far she's come."
"I see... Ah, no, um... may I look inside?"
Fate-san had murmured the first part with apparent disinterest, but she seemed to catch herself. With a startled expression, she quickly asked for permission.
She probably realized she was about to end the conversation with a cold "I see" and was desperately trying to keep the dialogue going. Even in small gestures like this, I could tell she was trying her best to reach out. I hoped this would lead to a breakthrough.
"Oh, yes, go ahead. But I only scribbled down what I could remember after coming back to life, so I don't think you'll find it very interesting."
"Is that so? Wow, there are so many. I guess the ones with the little flower marks are the ones that came true..."
Fate-san flipped through the notebook, but based on her expression and what I picked up through Sympathy Magic, she wasn't finding anything that truly caught her interest.
She continued leafing through the pages until her hand suddenly stopped. She began to stare intently at the paper.
"..."
"Fate-san?"
Puzzled by her sudden change in behavior, I stepped behind her to peek at the notebook. She had it open to the page with her most recent dream.
There, in my mother’s handwriting, were the words: "I'll do my best to become friends with Fate-sama!"
Fate-san stared at the line for a long time. Then, she let out a soft, self-deprecating chuckle.
"I see... So that was it."
"Um, Fate-san?"
"Kai-chan, Shallow Vernal-sama told me once that I lacked something essential to truly take an interest in your parents. I finally understand what she meant."
Speaking in a quiet, steady voice, Fate-san looked up at the ceiling and pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Good grief, I really am an idiot. I’ve lived for so long, yet I didn't notice something so simple. Just because my Authority lets me manipulate others however I want... it doesn't mean I actually know anything about them."
"That was what you were missing?"
"It’s obvious, isn't it? You can't normally feel interest in someone if you don't even try to get to know them. What I should have been doing wasn't just vaguely 'trying to be interested'—it was making an actual effort to learn who they are."
She smiled as if a heavy weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders. Then, she turned toward my bewildered parents and bowed her head deeply.
"Fate-sama!?"
"W-Wait, what are you doing...?"
"I’m sorry! Until this very moment, I had absolutely no interest in either of you. I felt you had no value. No, I had decided on my own that you were worthless. I acted all high and mighty as a Goddess, but I was so immature that I didn't even realize the truth. I’ve put you both through so much fear, and for that, I want to apologize."
It was a strange sensation—as if a stagnant stream had suddenly begun to flow again, or like gears that had been grinding finally clicking into place.
Changing values that have been held for eons usually takes either a long time or a massive catalyst. By sheer chance, that catalyst had just presented itself.
After holding her bow for a moment, Fate-san looked up at my mother and father.
"I know it’s selfish of me to ask this now. But I want to be able to cherish the people who are precious to Kai-chan. So, even though it's late in the game, I want to know about you. Will you tell me?"
"...Then, in exchange, will you tell us about yourself, Fate-sama? We want to know more about you, too."
Seeing Fate-san’s aura soften, smiles finally broke across my parents' faces. Hearing my mother's reply, Fate-san laughed, looking genuinely happy.
"Okey-dokey! Then it's a deal!"
The mood was perfect. I felt like we might actually resolve this issue today. All that was left was for me to jump in and keep the conversation lively.
With a smile of my own, I joined the three of them and began to talk.
Natural God: Smugness intensifying.
Serious-senpai: "Ugh, how annoying... By the way, apparently the 'God’s Growth' arc ends with the next chapter. After that, it’s all about battles and high stakes!"