Chapter 5 – Meeting Above the Clouds
It was a land of clouds, soft under the foot, and enveloping any who tripped and fell over it. Like a mass of silk floss.
A blue sky stretched endlessly above, but there was no sun to be seen.
After all, this was the seat of the greater gods, and those who gathered here were like the sun itself.
However, there was no one present now. Nothing existed. No wind, no plants, no stone buildings.
“…Oh, dear. I’m first yet again.”
He appeared without warning. The red-headed god who wore a suit and colored glasses. In one hand, he carried a book.
“I couldn’t tolerate the thought of rogues and jesters setting up meetings for us, but I wish the others could learn from their one admirable quality of taking the initiative.”
As he grumbled, the world around him began to transform dramatically.
The cloud floor turned into a mosaic of polished obsidian and marble, and walls decorated with carvings of the gods throughout history appeared.
In an instant, all of this was surrounded by a garden covered in green plants and colorful flowers. There was a small rocky mountain with a waterfall, and an arbor was built nearby.
In the meantime, the god walked through all of this without changing expression. He inspected and measured to see that everything was right.
“Aha! What? What is this!?”
Someone shouted as they ran over the mosaic floor. She was short and appeared to be a young girl.
“I saw, I saw, Lukacchi! What is this banquet hall!? Is everyone going to gather here!?”
“Ah, ‘Beautiful Princess of the Eternal Kings,’ ‘Silent Dancing Shadow,’ ‘Unreachable One,’ ‘Lord of Chaotic Love.’ Makumatuna.”
He adjusted his glasses and glared at her.
“Even if we have all the time in the world, it is rude to be late.”
“Hehe. Sorry. But why did you make this banquet hall?”
“That is what you think after seeing this style of architecture? There is something wrong with you.”
“Oh, now you’re mad. Haha.”
She twirled in her light pink dress and laughed.
“In the first place, you would not be saying such things if you looked at the reliefs and understood them. These are images of the ancient battles between gods and demons, and they are related to this meeting.”
“Oh, how impressive!”
A massive wall loomed behind the scowling god.
“However, it is a little too much. You always take things too seriously, Furukamuto.”
“‘Fist of the Creation of Heaven and Earth,’ ‘First Arrow of the Great Chaos,’ ‘War Hammer of Absolute Destruction,’ ‘Thunderous Black Sword,’ ‘Embodiment of Ambition,’ ‘War God.’ Rushaba.”
He was a strange sight indeed. Like something carved roughly out of volcanic rock, with numerous horns sprouting from his head.
His skin was a reddish black, and he had thick limbs that were equipped with sharp claws. And in the back, he had what looked like a great dragon tail.
“If that is what you think, then you should have come first and prepared everything yourself.”
“But I do not like doing such work. That is why I leave it all to you.”
“Yes, yes! Besides, whenever we do it, you always complain and say we got it wrong! That’s why you have to do it, Rukacchi!”
“In that case, you should be on time. Don’t you have any manners?”
“My apologies, Furukamuto Geudo Neerika. ‘One Who Discovers Wisdom,’ ‘Guardian of the Blue Book,’ ‘Unmeasurable One,’ ‘Master of Myriad Strategies,’ ‘Sage.’”
Compared to the other three, the newcomer seemed quite plain.
A young man with short black hair who wore white robes. He had kind, narrow eyes of chestnut color, and well-chiseled features.
“Next time, I will offer you my help, so please accept it.”
“‘Hero God,’ Shiaruka.”
Furukamuto sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
“If everyone was as polite as you, then I would not have to become so upset.”
“But Shi was late too?”
“But he notified me that he would be late. Unlike some others.”
“Oh, oh. How very lacking in manners, Makumatuna.”
“Indeed, Shi.”
While Furukamuto looked sulky, they arrived at the square table in the center of the temple. Then the god of wisdom who held the book, opened his mouth.
“Now then, we will begin the meeting for the games. Each of you, speak the truth without any concealment in your hearts.”
“I swear it.”
“So do I!”
“You have my word.”
At the same time, a giant map spread out over the table. There were numerous black game pieces, as well as caves, fortresses and castles.
Furthermore, a giant boulder appeared over it all. The god of wisdom nodded with satisfaction.
“So, who will begin?”
“I will.”
The war god said, and then he looked down at the map. The world had three continents in the northern hemisphere, and another in the south. The east had a cluster of islands.
“As you already know, my Hero started from here, in Hedekias.”
He picked up the small, white board piece and placed it to the west of the continent.
The terrain around it was dark and filthy. Beyond it was a wasteland. Farmlands had been polluted and turned into bogs. A world without any life.
“He has reached this point and will continue to advance.”
The white pawn moved up to the northeast. Crushing any dungeons or fortresses in its patch.
“How long will it take to defeat the vampire king that rules the continent?”
“Well, at least a month. After all, my Hero is alone. It will take time.”
“In that case, I should make my report first.”
Furukamuto adjusted his glasses and moved his hand over the table.
Immediately, numerous white pawns appeared on the table. In their center, there was an especially large and shining one.
“Woah! Amazing!”
“Our Radiant Military is not approximately 100,000. Rather small in scale, but the surrounding kings are now allies, and our fighting force will continue to expand.”
The dark enemy forces around them were destroyed by the sheer advantage of numbers.
“Currently, we are working on consolidating the expanded front lines and reorganizing the army, but we also plan to take control of the central continent soon. Of course, an expedition to the western continent is also expected.”
“You have become quite aggressive. Very well. I’ll tell my Hero to stop playing and kill the chief.”
“Alright, my turn now.”
She picked up a single card and threw it at the islands to the south of the central continent.
It sank deeply, just where a giant castle rose from the sea. However, it then crumbled into nothing.
“I got rid of the sea demon general for you! Now you just need to wipe out the remaining enemies?”
“Thank you. It was very difficult for me to move my forces across the sea. Now the invasion will be a lot easier.”
“This is no good. Now Furukamuto will win everything.”
Rushaba laughed. However, the god of wisdom ignored him and turned to the final god.
“As for me, it’s the same as always.”
His pawn was in the shape of a fist, and he placed it in Kedena, the south continent.
The invasion here was much slower than the war god, less bright than the god of wisdom, and it seemed like he had not even taken a single small fortress yet.
“I see. Things seem to be delayed.”
“It seems that with Shiaruka’s methods, this game has become too burdensome.”
“However, it has only just begun. Who knows what will happen after this.”
“Woah, scary. I should also tell Himi to try harder.”
After they shared information on their achievements, the gods held their goblets and inspected the map.
“The advantage of commanding armies is that you can gain experience points from many battlefields. In terms of efficiency, no one can beat my Hero.”
“However, if your protection is spread out too thin, then it might as well be paper when against concentrated power. That is what I think.”
“Thank you for the warning. I will be careful of lone Heroes then.”
“Nevermind that. What about the east continent?”
The goddess’s delicate finger pointed to the triangular-shaped land mass, Morania.
“Ah, we should be able to leave it for now. There is nothing there.”
“Wasn’t that the place where Zephalis had his Hero explore?”
“Now that I think about it, he lost, didn’t he?”
Rushaba narrowed his eyes as his fingers traced over the area.
“There are no strong enemies or leaders there. To think that he was defeated in such a place. Who was it that defeated his Hero? The storm god?”
“Saliashe.”
Said the young man with black hair. The goddess looked shocked as she raised her head.
“Saliashe… I have not heard that name in a long time. So she is still around.”
“Huh, Sali… She beat her older brother then. I’m glad she’s doing well.”
While they were a little conflicted, just for a moment, they thought back on the past.
“Still, even if he was arrogant, to be defeated by a fallen god like that. What kind of trick did that little girl use?”
“It was an impressive fight. She used a young kobold. I think his name was Sheto.”
Shiaruka repeated what he had heard in the heavens. The others reacted immediately.
First confusion, and then boisterous laughter.
“Ha…hahahahaha! A kobold!? Those little monsters!?”
“Surely not! Ahahaha!”
“That’s why I said there is nothing there.”
Furukamuto said with annoyance, and then he placed the small dog figure down on the map. Then he surrounded it with other white pawns.
Their numbers increased, ten, fifty and then a hundred.
“The Heroes of the east continent are starting to gather around, targeting this one beast. Eventually, it will turn into an ugly struggle for power. By then, there will be no trace of this Saliashe having ever been there.”
“Well, beating Zephalis is enough of an achievement. Perhaps the poor thing will be able to acquire enough territory for a lesser god.”
“…Yes.”
“Is something bothering you?”
The hero god shook his head.
“I think it’s time to end this meeting. Let us go to the banquet hall.”
“I agree. We can continue after we have all completed our goals.”
Said the hero god and god of wisdom. The other two broke into smiles.
“So it is a banquet! I should call my dancers then!”
“Furukamuto, if you could serve the same fire wine as last time.”
“I am not going to do that much. If you have wishes, then you should prepare them yourself.”
“I must leave for a short while. I will return after I have confirmed the movements of my Hero.”
The other gods all left, so that only Furukamuto remained.
“So…”
With a cold light in his eyes, he approached.
The small rat in the shadows.
“You are aware, aren’t you, of the sin of exposing your filthy nature and presenting yourself before the radiant gods?”
‘I am fully aware.’
He shuddered under the overwhelming presence, even though he was not actually there. Still, Evacus opened his mouth.
‘I have come with a request. ‘One Whose Name Cannot Be Uttered.’’