Chapter 4 – Goddess of Peace
In that world, everything was flowing with light.
Of course, where there is light, there are shadows. That being said, they were like clothes. Something to enhance the appearance and brightness of the light.
And it was in that world of light, that someone was walking.
A single girl, moving along a white road that was made of marble-like stone. If she was human, she might look to be about fifteen. While enveloped in cloth, she moved quietly.
There was nothing on either side of the road, just the blue sky. It was like a path that pierced through the heavens. But shortly up ahead, there was a floating island covered in green.
Aside from her silk garment, the only thing she had with her was her sandals and the hair clip that kept her golden hair together.
Still, she did not give the impression of poverty.
A round, egg-like shaped head that expressed both a strong will and nervousness. Her strides were purposeful, and had a grace that suggested nobility. A completed image of beauty.
Eventually, a shining gate of gold appeared in front of her.
She turned to the green trees on the side, and said her name.
“In the name of Saliashe Shus Suira, open the path to the meeting hall.”
‘Beautiful Goddess of Peace. To receive that name, that voice, it brings me great honor.’
Salia’s eyebrows narrowed just a little at the dryad’s words, and then she continued to walk towards the gates as they opened.
‘O beautiful one, we offer humble greetings to your esteemed name. Welcome, Saliashe Shus Suia, Princess of Fresh Green, the Mediator, and the Goddess of Peace!”
The hall went quiet at the maiden’s words of greeting.
Salia was in the place known as the ‘Stairs of the Exalted,’ where stairs stretched down on all four sides. Before her, there was a descending staircase, leading to a visible plaza.
Lush trees had been planted for the scenery, and birds spread their colorful wings as they flew around. And there were also people, both men and women, relaxing on the grass, under the gazebo, and on stone benches.
As for these men and women, they were not all like Salia in appearance. There was a great man covered in armor, a sleeping dragon, and something made of metal that spat out a strange steam. There were some that were just shapeless blobs of flesh. Still, the majority still had humanoid forms, and everyone was looking towards Salia.
They were all gods like her.
“My beautiful princess. I hope you are doing well.”
Said a young man with pointed ears, who had been standing next to her. He wore beautifully woven clothes, and carried a long blade. At his feet, there was a stringed instrument that he used when singing sweet songs of love.
And while he wore a friendly smile, there was something quite opposite in his eyes.
“It is unusual for you to come here. This place…”
“Was opened for the purpose of ‘amusement.’ I know. You do not have to tell me that.”
“Oh, my apologies. It’s just that you seemed to have been secluded in the God Seat for a long time, so I foolishly wondered if you might have lost touch with the world.”
“You are too considerate. Well then, I shall tell you something in return.”
Salia said with a bright smile.
“I am one who has lived for thousands of years. And so there is not a single reason for me to listen to the teaching of some upstart elf who has only lived a few hundred years.”
“…Pardon me.”
Contempt just barely grazed the young man’s face. He then shrugged his shoulders and turned towards a different goddess, who appeared to be of the same race.
However, while he walked away, he did not forget to throw one last thorn.
“You talk very grand for an abandoned god.”
Still, Salia kept her head held high as she walked down the steps. They were gentle, and it didn’t take long for her to reach the bottom. There, low-ranking gods sat, and they whispered softly to each other.
“…Saliashe. How unusual.”
“Does she mean to try and stop the fighting again…”
“How foolish… Not a single one here would listen to her words.”
After the stairs, she walked on stone paving over a field of grass. Usually, this plaza was open to all of the gods. But as the high-ranking and strong tended to gather here, the others avoided it.
“The girl has returned. Her words are a blight on my ears.”
“How troublesome. Should I use force to silence her?”
“No. After all, she is an abandoned god now. It would be foolish to even oppose her.”
After passing through a grove, she came out to a large arbor that was built in the center.
Here, a merry group were talking peacefully.
While they were different in shape and gender, there was one feature they all had.
Intimidation. Something that would make others fall to their knees.
They did nothing to hide the tremendous light that would overwhelm others. In numerous dimensions, they were the gods with the greatest power.
“Oh! It is Salia! It has been a while!”
One of them said as he turned towards her. While the blonde hair was similar to Salia’s, they were the opposite in every other way.
He was a young man with a physique that suggested strength and vitality. The face was so handsome that it would draw anyone in. And there was a gentle smile on top of it.
His clothes were of thin fabric, as if to show off the balanced figure, and instead of accessories, he wore arm protectors and combat boots. The design of them was terribly similar to the armor of that human Hero on the surface.
As he smiled in that carefree way, he got up to his feet and then pointed to where he had been sitting.
“Now, come! Do not be modest. Gossipmongerers might call you an abandoned god, but no one is like that here.”
“Brother.”
That alone cut off the welcoming mood. The brother’s expression darkened a little at her attitude.
“I am very sorry, but I have not come here for casual banter.”
“…Saliashe. You’re not here to talk of that again?”
He said as if listening to a spoiled and stubborn younger sister.
“You know it too. The meaning ‘Amusement of the Gods.’ The agreement between gods and devils.”
“I do.”
“And this battle is important in deciding whether or not we have an advantage. Sending a Hero to a world invaded by monsters. As for which Hero will slay the enemy, the god of that world decides.”
“Yes. And the gods will not fight against each other. They gain a new world and believers, and with their power, they can bring true peace.”
Salia pursed her lips as if to hold back her rage.
At the same time, she remembered the monster she had spoken to earlier, and she felt a pang in her chest.
She could not tell him this.
Killing the Demon King for world peace. It was just an excuse. Even the Demon King was a pawn in the power struggles of the gods.
“And you have complaints regarding this method. Even when everything is going well. But if you are so dissatisfied, Saliashe, then you should just participate.”
Just then, the others burst into laughter.
The small gods and the great ones. All at once.
“Zephalis! You are horrible!”
“If that happened, Saliashe will be obliterated to nothing!”
“Without a world to rule, or people to worship her, how could she hope to participate in the game!”
“Aye, I am sorry. I forgot all of that.”
He chuckled at his mistake. And then Zephalis reached out consolingly to his sister.
“But fear not. Even if you cannot participate, there are infinite worlds out there. Perhaps next time, I can lend you some of my own power.”
“Do not worry about me, brother.”
Salia brushed away his hand.
“Because I will participate in the game this time.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Goddess of Judgement, accept my oath.”
As the others looked in surprise, Salia called out to the goddess who was in the center of the gathering of great gods.
She was very strange indeed. Her clothes were terribly different from the silk robes of the others. She was wearing a suit and holding a staff.
Though, it would only be called a staff, as it was long, yet now a weapon.
There was a great hourglass, and wall clock, a table clock, a digital clock, and other instruments to measure hyperdimensions that humans could never comprehend, such as the melted clock.
All manner of clocks hung from this staff, which she held so lightly.
She had long black hair, and eyes so thin they were like lines. Yet she appeared to be smiling gently.
“Goddess of Judgement, Yesta. At your service.”
“Accept my oath, Yesta.”
“What are you saying, Salia!? It is too late for any gods to be joining! The rules cannot be changed now!”
“Yes! In the first place, Saliashe surely does not have the power to call a Hero from another world!”
The other gods muttered in agreement. Among them, there were some who gave up participating this game.
“And even if she could, the Hero would need our blessing to even have a chance of surviving!”
“But without worshippers and a world to rule…it cannot…”
“It is only after having one world that you gain enough power to give to a Hero. What can a god with nothing do…”
“Everyone, be silent.”
Yesta said gently, and there was silence. The words of the ‘game master’ were prioritized above all others.
“Saliashe had confided in me previously, in regards to the possibility of her participation. As you have all pointed out, she has lost her power. And so…there is nothing for her to offer, aside from herself.”
“Saliashe…you don’t mean!?”
“Yes.”
The crowd was stunned again. Her brother went pale, shook his head, and then looked at Saliashe as if she were a small, dying animal.
“How foolish… But then, what have you been doing up until now? Were you calling Heroes from other worlds, and desperately trying to help them with words?”
Indeed, if you used your own existence as an offering, you could call a Hero from another world. However, any other help, for instance, a divine revelation to a nation, turning them into allies, or giving magic and holy artifacts. Such things were impossible.
Calling a Hero from another world. It was an option that she could never take.
“No. The reason that I had never declared my participation up until now, was that I had to take time in order to find the right ‘pawn.’”
“The…then… What did you decide upon?”
“A monster.”
Bonus chapter courtesy of Photo. Thank you so much!
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