The upper level of the God Realm was a sacred land where only the Supreme Gods and the high-ranking gods under their direct control were permitted to step. In the temple belonging to the God of Space-Time Chronoa, one of the three great sanctuaries in that region, the three Supreme Gods had gathered.
Two of them sat opposite the third around a circular table, their expressions grave... or rather, two looked serious while the last one looked bored. This meeting was a discussion regarding the festival in the God Realm that Shallow Vernal had proposed.
By Shallow Vernal’s decree, Chronoa and Life were the primary organizers, but Fate was also present. Shallow Vernal had strictly ordered that Fate would act as the supervisor for this festival, and no plan could be put into motion without her explicit approval.
"Then, I would like to begin immediately. God of Fate, this is the proposal that the God of Life and I have drafted."
"I don't mean to boast, but I believe it is an excellent piece of work. Honestly, I doubt you will find many areas requiring revision..."
"Hmm, you two certainly work fast. Well, the less effort I have to put in, the better."
The proposal Chronoa and Life placed before Fate was a massive document exceeding a hundred pages, detailing every aspect of the plan with meticulous precision.
Fate flipped through the pages with a look of mounting annoyance. Then, with a pleasant smile, she reduced the entire stack to ash with a burst of magic.
"...Now then, why don't we discuss the 'God Realm Festival' from scratch?"
"Wait, what? God of Fate... you just destroyed our proposal..."
"Did you find a problem somewhere?"
As Chronoa and Life asked their questions, appearing bewildered by Fate’s smile—which now carried a heavy hint of intimidation—the grin vanished from Fate’s face. She slammed her fist onto the table with a loud thud.
"It wasn't just 'somewhere'! It was everything!! Argh, honestly, I want to punch my past self for thinking I could take it easy just because I was the supervisor. What were you two thinking, God of Space-Time and God of Life!? Shallow Vernal-sama told us to hold a 'festival'! Who told you to plan a 'ceremony', you idiots!"
"N-No, but... this is an event held in the God Realm, effectively Shallow Vernal-sama's own backyard. Surely a certain level of prestige and decorum is required?"
"Exactly. It is only right to demand a degree of etiquette from the participants..."
The reason Fate was so incensed was that the content of the proposal she had just glimpsed was utterly abysmal. The fact that Chronoa and Life didn't see anything wrong with it was the biggest problem of all.
"No! First of all, 'A three-hour practice session for attendees'? Why are the guests the ones practicing instead of the organizers!?"
"...D-Deportment is a vital element, is it not?"
"Next, 'A Pilgrimage of the God Realm'? Realize that the moment the word 'pilgrimage' appears in a festival plan, something is horribly wrong, damn it!"
"...We thought it was a thoughtful inclusion for those unfamiliar with the lands of the God Realm. We felt it would be difficult to offer a sincere prayer without such knowledge..."
Fate pressed her hand against her forehead and let out a long, weary sigh.
"...I can't believe it's this bad. Didn't you two attend the Hero Festival and the Six Kings Festival? After seeing those, did you honestly think this was okay?"
"Is it not a magnificent honor to be invited to the middle level of the God Realm to offer prayers to Shallow Vernal-sama?"
"Indeed. No matter how much of a festival it may be, as long as it takes place beneath the sacred gaze of Shallow Vernal-sama, it must remain solemn."
Hearing their unwavering replies, Fate looked up at the ceiling. She covered her eyes with one hand and spoke in a quiet, controlled voice.
"...Just a moment. I'm trying to think of a way to explain your mistake so that you two idiots can understand... Yeah, I guess I'll have to use Kai-chan."
To correct the thinking of Chronoa and Life—which was rigid to the point of being fossilized—Fate searched desperately for the right words. Deciding to use Kaito as an example, since he was the person who always occupied her thoughts, she turned back to the others.
"...Okay, listen. Kai-chan is definitely going to be invited to this festival, right? You both understand that he is an incredibly important person to Shallow Vernal-sama, don't you?"
"Umu."
"Of course."
"Then tell me this. If we held the festival exactly as you two planned it... do you really think Kai-chan would have fun?"
Chronoa and Life froze, their expressions going blank as they realized the implications. Both of them had conversed with Kaito enough to understand his personality and temperament.
When they applied their plan to Kaito's personal tastes...
"...No, I don't think he would."
"See? Then it's a failure! You talk about etiquette and solemnity, but isn't it the ultimate act of disrespect toward Shallow Vernal-sama to plan a festival that Kai-chan can't enjoy?"
Faced with that argument, Chronoa and Life were left speechless. The festival—or rather, the ceremony—they had planned was a stiff, joyless affair with a schedule calculated down to the minute. Even they could now see that Kaito would hate every second of it.
"Kai-chan is amazing, sure, but his tastes and sensibilities are actually pretty close to a normal person's. If it's a festival Kai-chan can enjoy, there's a high probability that other humans and demons can enjoy it too, and vice versa. So, why don't you two start by thinking of a 'festival Kai-chan would enjoy'? You can adjust the technical details later."
"...I see. That was a blind spot. You have my gratitude, God of Fate."
"Yes. We were on the verge of committing an unprecedented act of irreverence toward Shallow Vernal-sama without even realizing it."
"...To think they’d be this reasonable the moment I brought up Kai-chan's name. Kai-chan really is incredible."
The conversation had finally been steered in the right direction, and Chronoa and Life began to ponder their options with newfound seriousness. Fate watched them with a satisfied nod as she sipped her tea. Once they had gathered their thoughts, the two goddesses spoke up.
"...Regarding the content, I would prefer the counsel of a human. I believe I shall consult Lilia."
"There are also unique challenges that come with being the host rather than the guest. I shall try speaking with the Six Kings. I'm sure I can get some valuable perspectives from the women who organized the Six Kings Festival."
"Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Rework the proposal with that in mind and we'll talk again. Good luck~"
Relieved that they had cleared the first major hurdle, Fate gave a casual wave and left the temple.
As she stepped outside and looked up at the vast blue sky of the God Realm, she whispered to herself.
"...Is it because I've grown that I find their way of thinking so annoyingly 'god-like'? Well, this might be a good chance for those two to broaden their horizons. Though, at this rate, they'll probably hit a wall two or three more times. Oh well. For now, I'm going to go see Kai-chan."
The God Realm's first-ever organized festival was finally starting to move forward—slowly, but surely.
Bonus: World King's Executives Section ①
① "Demon Flower Princess" Lilie The head of the World King's subordinates, she was a blind female demon with long blonde hair adorned with red flowers. She was a spirit born from Magic Flowers that bloomed only in pitch-black caves, meaning she had been blind since birth. However, she possessed sensory abilities so advanced that she could read her surroundings and even the surface thoughts of those around her, so she suffered no inconvenience in her daily life. She was gentle and kind, with a playful side to her personality. Among the Seven Princesses, she was the one who most closely resembled Liliwood in temperament.
② "Fairy Princess" Tiltania A junior to the current Fairy King, Razulia, she was a flower fairy just like her predecessor. She respected Razulia immensely and imitated her clothing and speech style, though her hair color was slightly different. She was the mood maker of the Seven Princesses, always bright and energetic. Lately, because Razulia had been constantly boasting about someone called "Kaito-kun-san," she had become very interested in meeting him. While Liliwood was also friends with Kaito, Tiltania believed them to be two different people because they used different names.
③ "Grass-Flower Princess" Camilia A grass spirit. She was the most inconspicuous executive among the Six Kings; with her light-brown braids and simple village-girl attire, she appeared incredibly plain. Combined with her timid personality, she didn't look powerful at all. She was an expert in all forms of housework, which led Ein to mistake her for a maid serving Liliwood and force her to compete in the Maid Olympia. In reality, she was the strongest member of the Seven Princesses. She had been promoted to Duke-class alongside Lilie, and while she hoped to stand out more, she instead won the title of "The Number One Duke-class whose face you can't remember." Her favorite food was grass mochi, and her dream was to become a bride.
④ "Cherry Blossom Princess" Blossom A cherry blossom tree spirit created by Liliwood after she heard stories about Noin. She was a Japanese-style beauty with black hair and a cherry blossom hairpin, possessing a dignified aura similar to Noin’s. Though a natural genius, she never grew arrogant and practiced her swordsmanship diligently. Among the Seven Princesses, who mostly specialized in defense, she was a rare offensive specialist. After losing a mock battle to Sirius, the swordsman of the Death King's Executives, she made it her goal to surpass her. According to Sirius, there was a terrifying swordsman in the Demon Realm who used a mysterious technique called the "Transcendent Soaring Snake Style." Blossom hoped to find this person and become their disciple.