No matter how formidable their powers may be, the Goddess remains a machine.
And machines exist to be used by people.
Let’s try to deceive the Grand Duke of the North under the guise of the Goddess—the mechanical device. Construct a setting, weave it into the world. From this moment forward, I am the Angel of the Goddess.
⋯⋯⋯⋯.
●
The Goddess was devoid of emotion(無心).
Although she spread the radiance of Divine Power throughout the world and sought to maintain order, she remained detached, pursuing ideals beyond the comprehension of mortal minds.
When one considers the absurdity of an omnipotent being harboring desires akin to humans and shaping the world at will── the Goddess’s indifference would seem like a divine virtue.
In her silence, humanity finally attained a semblance of free will.
But this inevitably led to a single, troubling question:‘If she values human autonomy, should she simply stand by as they march toward their own ruin?’
The Goddess provided her answer:
‘I shall grant you a sacred chalice. This golden cup will dry when laughter fills the air and brim over when sorrow prevails. When it overflows, I shall rise from my silence and cleanse the earth──.’
Cross the line, and judgment will follow.
The Goddess had thus set the threshold for corruption.
===============================================================
“And this—is that Holy Grail.”
With a subtle motion, Heart gestured, and a cup materialized smoothly upon the table.
The ornate chalice, gleaming with the color of gold, had a pitch-black liquid within it, silently making small ripples. It looked as though the slightest shake would cause it to spill and dirty the table.
This was an artifact that metaphorically represented the Goddess’s patience. It was designed to make its rippling waves dizzying for any observer.
Even the shape of the cup was deliberate.
Had it been an hourglass or a snow globe, external interference would be impossible. But a cup—this was an object meant to be tipped, to be spilled.
If Heart was truly an angel, then this was a metaphor of her holding the trigger for『Divine Punishment』.
Heart grasped the base of the cup, tilting it back and forth playfully before meeting the gaze of the Grand Duke of the North, Elvillion Julius.
The key elements to highlight were mystery and a hint of charm. While seemingly contradictory, when blended well, they created a powerful synergy.
I even lowered my voice a bit.
“Now that I have shown ability and cause, it is time to establish trust. If I demonstrate my power by stripping a priest of their Divine Power, would that be sufficient proof of my identity as an Angel?”
“That would suffice.”
“Do you believe me already?”
“I do. But if that were all, you’d be disappointed, wouldn’t you? You⋯⋯ have always been terribly uncomfortable with blind faith in your words.”
Do you remember our talks at the brothel?
That was Heart’s nature—she strongly disliked young men who surrendered themselves to her without thought. More specifically, she loathed those who did so without considering the consequences.
When a man squandered his entire fortune in pursuit of her, failure meant losing everything. Nine times out of ten, the aftermath led either to violent rage or a tragic end.
If one was not prepared to handle the consequences, such reckless attempts should never be made in the first place. I hated ‘bad endings.’
That was why she imposed a limit—never accepting more than 1% of their wealth.
The Grand Duke of the North exuded an air of cold severity as he spoke.
“Since that is what you wish, let us speak of benefit rather than trust. What do you offer the North, and what do you seek in return?”
“I do appreciate how smart Daisy is.”
Heart propped her chin on her hand, flashing the Grand Duke a knowing smile, her eyes gleaming with amusement before she delivered her words as if she was saying a joke.
“I offer the North prosperity—and liberation from its burdens.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
I knew his desires well.
Elvillion Julius had dedicated himself to the North’s prosperity, seeking to restore his father’s honor so that, one day, all of winter would speak his name with reverence.
His ambitions had not changed. And with the power of the Church of the Goddess, they could finally be achieved.
When the interests of both parties were clear, and they understood each other well, negotiations proceeded surprisingly quickly.
“Then, what will you take in return, Heart.”
“Assistance in the Hero Selection Tournament, and furthermore, help in rooting out the Cardinal Faction. Once the 『Reformist Faction』 takes control of the Church of the Goddess⋯⋯ the Goddess’s light will reach the North as well.”
“Then I shall help you. The North’s Champion will enter the Tournament of 『Faithfulness』.”
“That puts me at ease. Let’sdo that.”
Perhaps due to our old friendship, the Grand Duke of the North did not raise any significant objections, bringing our discussion to a smooth conclusion. There was truth in the saying that good friends made for good negotiations.
A formal contract was sealed between the Grand Duke and the Angel, with every detail documented and signed by both parties.
It was done. The conversation had played out exactly as I wanted. Everything had fallen into place. Problem solved! A grin spread across my face behind Heart’s mask.
Then, without warning, a grenade was thrown at me.
“I already knew that the birth of a Hero was being suppressed by the Church of the Goddess. That is actually why I visited the Holy City. I figured I might get something in exchange for keeping that secret.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
My mind flipped upside down behind Heart’s mask.
⋯⋯What did you just say?
===============================================================
Elvillion Julius possessed knowledge that others were unaware of—a crucial secret about the Church of the Goddess that he obtained from his younger brother, Dakiten Julius.
A Hero was said to emerge whenever a great threat arose in the world.
And that threat was already here. The Eastern Front and the Dark Wizards.
The Princess of the vast Empire, which held dominion over the continent, fought on the frontlines, while the Empire’s Sword Saint—who should have been guarding the Imperial Family—traveled around the country, hunting down Dark Wizards.
This wasn’t some minor disturbance that could be dismissed as an “insufficient threat.”
Elvillion casually brought up this information, probing Heart at a moment when she seemed likely to let her guard down.
“It has been centuries since a Hero last appeared. My brother Dakiten told me that the Cardinals came up with a way to prevent a Hero from being born, and that the Empire has been filling the void in their absence.”
“Yes. I knew that too.”
She didn’t know.
Elvillion Julius, with years of experience and insight, was certain of one thing: Heart had no idea. Though her mask was flawless, her true emotions tumbled beneath the surface, impossible to fully conceal.
Their relationship spanned a long time. Just as Heart had figured out Elvillion, he had done the same with her. That was how he knew.
She never lied about promises—
But everything else? She was a master of deception. To the point where lies flowed effortlessly from her lips, as if they were second nature. Most of what she had been spouting was likely fake. Her whole act as an “Angel” of the Goddess was probably a lie too.
Heart⋯⋯ sometimes let her imagination run wild. An Angel? The concept itself was absurd. Her acting and direction was impeccable, so much so that it felt real, but the story itself was extremely far-fetched.
Had she claimed to be an undercover operative within the Church of the Goddess, he might have believed her.
But he chose to play along.
“The exclusion of a Hero. Since the entire structure maintaining and serving the Goddess has completely collapsed, I had no choice but to descend and set things right, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Indeed.”
He just went along with it.
Because he understood.
Beneath her carefully crafted exterior, he had a vague yet certain understanding of her true nature.
Even if her words were riddled with half-truths—her intent to aid the North, if possible, and her concern for Elvillion were undoubtedly 100% genuine.
So in the end, the difference between truth and lies didn’t matter. Beyond the illusion, their bond was forged through something unshakable.
“It’s good to meet again.”
“⋯⋯Suddenly?”
And once he accepted the fact that Heart was built upon layers of deception⋯⋯ he started to see things in a new light.
The way she carried herself, brazenly acting as the Goddess’s Representative, confident she hadn’t been caught.
The way she pretended to know everything as if she had always known the truth, despite clearly being shocked.
Wasn’t it amusing?
Behind his stern facade, the Grand Duke of the North smirked as he enjoyed Heart’s elaborate one-woman play with an excited heart.
But even he did not know—
That the Goddess’s functional failures were not just exaggerations, but the actual truth⋯⋯.
===============================================================
Ah fuck.
After wrapping up my negotiations and intricate mind games with the Grand Duke of the North ‘Daisy’, I immediately set my sights on Evil God-chan.
“Come out, Evil God-chan”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯??”
Lying on the sofa, lazily scratching her stomach, Evil God-chan peeked out from behind a manga (made from illusion magic) she had been reading, wondering why I was shouting.
Wasting no time, I grabbed her by the collar and shook her furiously, venting my frustration and anger.
“What the hell is the Cardinal Faction doing?!”
“You crazy Mima bastard, why are you suddenly flipping out on me──?!”
“They didn’t just overuse the Goddess to the point of breaking her, preventing a Hero from emerging—they deliberately sabotaged the process entirely! They disabled the antivirus program themselves!”
“Ah⋯⋯ wait, so that wasn’t me screwing things up?! I thought I was the villain here, even though I don’t remem⋯⋯ no, wait, then why the hell are you taking this out on me?!”
It was because I discovered the fact that the Church of the Goddess, specifically the Cardinal Faction, had been actively blocking the birth of the Hero with their own hands.
It felt like watching someone disable an antivirus program and ruin an entire computer for no reason—the sheer stupidity of it boiled my blood. And since I needed an outlet, I naturally took it out on Evil God-chan, my easiest target.
finally let go of her when her clothes had ridden up enough to reveal her belly button. For the record, her panties were red. Hastily fixing her clothes, Evil God-chan glared at me fiercely.
What? The fuck do you want? What?.
I plopped down next to Evil God-chan. Then, she moved her butt, putting some space between us.
The recruitment of the Grand Duke of the North was complete. I had written a blank check using the Goddess’s authority, borrowed on credit, and ‘Daisy’ had believed it. I should be able to dominate the next tournament like a piece of cake.
“So, are you just going to wipe your mouth clean after getting everything you want? While the North slowly withers away, unable to receive the promised support and⋯⋯.”
“No. I’ll keep my promises. Because in the future, when I gain control of the Goddess and the Church of the Goddess, I plan to make the North livable—if only for old times’ sake.”
“Then why is it a blank check?”
“Because it is a lie right now.”
But the moment I gained even a fraction of the Goddess’s authority⋯⋯ all lies would become truth. I would become the Goddess’s true representative and the Goddess’s true angel.
“Liar.”
“Look who’s talking.”
For now, shall we toast to the half-success of the plan?
I had used Irid’s power to take the first tournament, and I planned to use the Grand Duke of the North’s power for the second. It had been easy so far.
But from here on, the difficulty was expected to rise.
The Cardinal Faction and the Red Flavor Family wouldn’t sit back and let all the Hero candidate positions be taken. They would move soon.
That meant total war from now on.
That 『Puppeteer』 guy would start throwing his weight around again, and the suspiciously dormant Cardinal faction would finally begin exerting its influence. Maybe they would even manipulate the goddess system along with it.
I was considering using the Bennett Party.
Their strength was undeniable. With just a small push from behind, they could carve a path through most challengers and rise above the competition. The real issue, however, was when they had to clash with the other winning candidates.
Bennett’s Metamorphosis was stable yet lacked the decisive power needed for a conclusive strike. If the opponent wielded a protruding-type Metamorphosis, a surprise attack could take him down. In this case⋯⋯.
I could deploy the『Metamorphosis Extra Module』.
I wasn’t just going to create an illusion of an ‘Awakened Fallen Dual Swordsman Bennett’—I would bring him into reality.
While preparing for the tournament, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to dig deeper into the Church of the Goddess’s secrets. Their behaviours still held too many mysteries, too many incomprehensible aspects.
Starting with the Hero Generation Restriction.
When I thought about it carefully, the absence of Heroes was a significant loss for the Church of the Goddess. Even if the Cardinal Faction’s goal was to consolidate power, taking such an extreme measure from the outset seemed excessive.
Before this, there must have been at least one attempt to control the Heroe.
They had likely tried to put a leash on them first, and when that failed, they prevented their birth altogether. Wouldn’t that be the more rational conclusion?
Time slipped by as I juggled various tasks—failing to get love advice from Bennett, investigating the Church of the Goddess, tracking the movements of the Red Flavor faction’s guys⋯⋯.
And just like that, the days vanished like an arrow shot through the wind.
The meeting with the Grand Duke of the North bore fruit.
“The Tournament of 『Faithfulness』 has concluded! At this very moment, four out of the eight Hero candidates have been chosen! They are── the Mercenary King’s Vanguard, Wolfhild, and the Champion of the North, Cavale Rycan!!”
One ally, and one neutral party. It was a success.
Remaining Hero candidate slots: four. Remaining tournaments: two.
===============================================================
The Tournament of 『Faithfulness』 ended without any surprises, but what followed—the Tournament of 『Immutability』—was⋯⋯ a complete mess.
“S—Suddenly, misfortune struck as the ground caved in, only for fortune to shine through with a burst of light from the heavens! Then, misfortune struck again as a gust of wind blew at just the right moment! And just when it seemed over, a dead bird plummeted from the sky, blocking the opponent’s vision… Priest Killio claims victory over Red Burn’s knight, Soje—!!”
As the Red Flavor faction’s 『Lantern of Foresight』 clashed with the Cardinal Faction’s 『Cogwheel』, the match spiraled into chaos. Victory was no longer dictated by the skill of the contestants but by the strength of the backers pulling strings from the shadows.
Could this even be called a tournament⋯⋯?
I was so frustrated that I shouted from the spectator stands.
“Fight fairly! What kind of cowardice is this—interfering from outside the arena?!”
“Hey, are you really one to talk⋯⋯?”
But my voice was swallowed by the deafening cheers of the crowd, failing to reach heaven or earth. This was injustice. How was I supposed to deal with our Bennett’s side, fighting honorably with pure ability, against this madness?
I couldn’t just let this slide.
If they were going to fight dirty, then so be it—I would rev up my engines too.
Tournament of 『Immutability』── let the outside-of-arena match begin.
***
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