I wasn’t sure what Eingana thought of her, but it was clear that Marine was acutely aware of Eingana's presence. More than that, she seemed to harbor a fairly intense sense of rivalry.
Curiosity getting the better of me, I waited until Dragon Soul finished their set and then asked Shiro-san while they were preparing for the next act.
"Shiro-san, does Marine have some kind of history with Eingana?"
"Who knows."
Shiro-san’s reply came with a slight tilt of her head, sounding as if she didn't have a shred of interest in the matter. That made sense; I didn't expect Shiro-san to care about that kind of information. While she had certainly become interested in a much wider variety of things than before, her lack of interest in petty feuds and personal drama remained unchanged.
I had asked the wrong person. Just as I was thinking I should ask Alice or someone else about it later, Shiro-san shifted her gaze and spoke.
"God of Life."
"Present!"
"Answer Kaito-san's question."
"Understood."
Since she didn't know and wasn't interested, she simply summoned someone who did... a truly rational decision. Seeing her do this really made me appreciate how much Shiro-san had grown, or rather, how much more adaptable she had become.
Setting that aside, it seemed Life-san was going to answer my question. Just like Sky-san and Gaia-san, Marine was likely one of Life-san's direct subordinates.
"Life-san, I'm sorry to trouble you."
"No, it's no trouble at all. Now, regarding the Great Sea God... it's true that she harbors a strong sense of rivalry toward the Great Sea Dragon. While they are both beings deeply connected to the sea, the Great Sea Dragon is far more famous. Since Marine has a bit of a desire to stand out, she likely views Eingana as a rival."
"Great Sea Dragon" undoubtedly referred to Eingana. And just as I had largely suspected, Marine seemed displeased that Eingana was treated like a deity of the sea in the Human Realm—specifically in the Hydra Kingdom.
"She is, how should I put it, undeniably talented. Her strength ranks among the highest even for the High-ranking Gods, and her abilities are beyond reproach. However, she is slightly overshadowed by the Sky God and the Earth God. Furthermore, since there is no sea in the God Realm, she has almost no opportunity to exercise her Authority. Being a High-ranking God also means she has little interaction with the Human Realm, so the Great Sea Dragon ended up becoming more famous. For some reason, she always ends up being somewhat inconspicuous, and perhaps because of that, she's developed a personality with a desperate need to stand out and be noticed."
"Ah, I see. So that's why she had that displeased expression when she saw Eingana, the person she views as her rival, gathering so much attention."
"Yes. She's aware that it's essentially a one-sided grudge, so she generally keeps it in check... but the Great Sea Dragon is also a factor. She is incredibly prideful regarding matters of the sea, so whenever they encounter each other, it quickly develops into a volatile exchange of provocations."
I see. After hearing Life-san's explanation, I understood the relationship between the two a lot better. Marine felt jealous and competitive toward Eingana, who held a position similar to hers as the Ruler of the Demon Realm's Seas and enjoyed much higher recognition.
And while Eingana was generally a calm person, she was fiercely prideful about the sea, meaning any meeting between them turned into a quarrel. However, from Life-san's tone, it seemed they both knew when to hold back; it sounded more like a war of words than a physical brawl.
"Well, she has a strong desire for self-display, or rather, she just wants people to look at her. That is likely why she changed her hair color."
"Wait, Marine changed her hair color?"
"Yes. Her original hair color was a dark blue, but since it wasn't very eye-catching, she changed it to a bright blonde. That being said, she is undoubtedly one of the most capable among the High-ranking Gods and possesses good judgment, so she won't let her emotions lead her into a reckless outburst. Even if the Great Sea Dragon were to appear before her right now, she would ignore her, as she recognizes that her top priority is the mission to support Shallow Vernal-sama."
"I see..."
According to Fate-san, while Life-san might seem easygoing at first glance, she was actually quite strict regarding the rules and values of the Gods. Among the three Supreme Gods, she was supposedly the most demanding toward her subordinates.
Since that same Life-san was praising Marine for everything except her need for attention and clearly trusted her, Marine must indeed be quite capable.
Still, a desire for attention, huh... I suppose it's only natural that even the Gods have all sorts of personalities.
Serious-senpai: "I see, so that's the story behind them..."
???: "Yeah. Like Life said, Marine knows her jealousy is a one-sided grudge and tries to suppress it... but as we saw in the stories about Needsbeld's past, Eingana has a habit of acting incredibly superior whenever the sea is involved. Unless there’s something more important to focus on, like there is today, an encounter between them almost always leads to a fight."
Serious-senpai: "Now that you mention it, Eingana did try to pull that 'I am the Ruler of the Demon Realm's Seas' routine and looked down on Magnawell. She ended up getting thrashed by Needsbeld for her trouble..."