"Pah!"
The memory that I had glimpsed through the Apostle Safira’s recollections came to an end.
Born into a noble High Elf family, rolling through the underground city, escaping it, defeating Arcilla , and reaching the final shocking conclusion. I could now fully understand why she became an Apostle, and how the Dark Elf Gaizerus, who had died, was able to ascend to the Constellation.
‘An artificial god, in a different sense from the Research Director’s methods.’
This could be a story with a greater lingering impact than any of the episodes I’ve created for the game.
If only the Constellation of [Theft] hadn’t consumed the Ascended.
I lifted my head and looked across at the Apostle Safira, who was sitting opposite me.
She met my gaze with wide, round eyes.
“Is it... the power to peer into memories? The authority?”
Her eyes were trembling.
“Did you come because of what I did?”
Thud.
She suddenly stood up, slamming her seat.
“Did I spread what Russ did, causing a faith that made him into a god? Did you come to find me because of that taboo I broke?”
...I think she’s mistaken something.
After ‘that incident,’ Gaizerus, the Dark Elf, who had died.
It seems Safira had searched for ways to bring him back.
She tried numerous forbidden methods, magic, and rituals, but they all failed.
The final method she chose was to spread Gaizerus’s deeds, turning him into a symbol of unity for the Elves, glorifying his balanced, impartial sense of justice, and deifying him to resurrect him as a god.
Surprisingly, her intentions worked, and Gaizerus succeeded in being resurrected as a god, but...
‘Of all sins, it had to be Lust.’
Not only was he consumed by Lust, but he also became a personification of desire, completely ignoring his connections to the surface world.
Considering that his only meaningful relationship had been with Safira before the final battle, it was an ironic turn of events.
“I’ve already been punished! My attempts with the forbidden arts have resulted in the worst outcome!”
Safira wailed.
It seemed she had mistaken me for an angel of judgment come to scold her for her mistakes.
...It’s sad.
It wasn’t a misguided method; she merely spread the deeds of the one she loved to bring him back to life, only for him to be seduced by strange forces, turning into a lust-driven being who couldn’t even remember himself.
“You’re misunderstanding something.”
“...Huh?”
“I didn’t come for that purpose.”
At first, I was simply focused on eradicating the sins and increasing my allies.
“I came to bring him back.”
The long, drawn-out memories of the Elves, showing the past between him and her.
Having seen that, I couldn’t just leave it be.
“To restore him as the pure god of [Moderation] that he was when he was alive on the surface.”
Because a beautiful story of pure love is much better for selling to players than a meaningless tale of lust.
And, stepping out of the Director’s perspective, I also don’t like what the Abyss creatures are doing.
***
The Apostle Safira had shouted at me, but this wasn’t going to be an easy task.
To strip away the sins that consume a god.
When I thought about it, it was something a mere, ordinary human like me could never accomplish.
It’s about extracting or crushing the parasitic concept that dwells inside, something even those great divine beings cannot do.
Let alone purifying the Constellation of [Moderation], with whom I have no connection.
I lay on the bed, lost in thought.
[Sacrifice Who Overcame Indolence] and the Demon God were able to overcome their sins through the game’s story, either by awakening their past or by overcoming their past to defeat their sins.
The Magitech Engineer resurrected his lost love through the game and used that to defeat his sin.
...Now that I think about it, none of this was intentional.
It was all the result of chance.
My goal was to incorporate the Constellations into the game’s story, but I never intended for their sins to be purified.
These were just byproducts of achieving their respective goals.
Now, the task of removing the sin that clings to the Constellation is something new.
“...Ugh.”
I pulled at my hair in frustration.
The Constellation of [Moderation], according to what the Constellation told me, is one of the many player gods who played our game.
So, they do play our game.
I thought I could somehow use that, but...
I can’t think of anything.
How do I erase Lust?
How can I purify the Constellation of Moderation?
His lover isn’t dead.
In fact, he died to save her.
In a situation like that, like with the Magitech Engineer, I can’t just resurrect Safira through the game and purify him.
The Constellation of Wisdom, unlike her, isn’t trapped somewhere, but she’s out there, enjoying her time with other goddesses.
I can’t just take him out of his confinement or clear his mind to return him to his former state.
The only option left would be something similar to what we did with [Sacrifice Who Overcame Indolence], to make him remember his nobility by constructing memories of his past life.
The problem, though, is that Lust and Sloth are different sins.
Even if I craft a beautiful story about him in the game, would that really erase his sin?
Ah, there’s that problem too.
This isn’t the time to add a new story. We’re in the middle of a horror event to commemorate the memorial rite.
I even promised to hold the horror event on the official broadcast, so I can’t just release a new story.
At this rate, I’ll have to either make a new story specifically for the Constellation of Moderation or somehow use the horror event.
But no, there’s no way a horror event could erase Lust.
That’s impossible...
Wait a second.
“...Gu-gu-bup-gu.”
That’s right.
There’s a way.
His lover is alive?
Then couldn’t I create a tragedy, not a comedy, using his living lover?
A woman he loved but now avoids.
What’s the best way to deal the most devastating blow to a man using that woman?
There are plenty of textbooks already written by the countless “experts” on Earth.
“Could he still be ruled by Lust after turning his woman into dust?”
Stealing the Constellation’s woman by all means.
Until he’s sick of Lust.
Until he regains his former nobility.
If I create a horror just for him, would the Lust still linger in him?
***
“I can’t believe I’m scared.”
“Then go ahead and break it open right now ♥!”
“Enter the horror event mode, achieve all the goals in 10 minutes, and when you clear it, I’ll do any position you want, no questions asked ♡!”
“...It’s a promise.”
The brown-skinned deity with a dazed expression picked up a terminal lying nearby.
“Mm~. You won’t clear it~ ♥. It took me over an hour~ ♥.”
He chuckled at the goddess next to him who was babbling, then activated a program on the terminal.
I was the one who endured in that dark space.
Just a horror game?
No matter how much it’s virtual reality, I wouldn’t be afraid of something like that.
Pah!
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The power of dreams enveloped him.
He could have escaped the power by sheer will, but he silently accepted it.
Now that I think about it, I wasn’t alone when I endured in that darkness...
Who was it?
The memory is too blurry to see clearly.
Who was with me, helping me endure...?
It must have been some insignificant woman.
Just one woman, it doesn’t matter.
Inside the [Akashic Archive], he scrolled past multiple screens and stories that didn’t interest him.
At first, he entered the game to try some lewd acts in the virtual reality but got bored of it and rarely logged in.
So, there were plenty of accumulated stories, but he skipped them all and entered the new horror mode that had been added.
Explanation...?
Ah, whatever.
Who needs explanations for horror?
He ignored the NPC who tried to explain the event, and before him, an endless darkness unfolded.
Just darkness?
Are they trying to scare a Dark Elf with darkness?
He sneered as he walked forward.
“This thing’s making me salivate. You’re ridiculous, you perverted woman.”
Creek, creek.
“No, no! This is your magic at work!”
The familiar smell and sound.
It was his favorite.
“Pretending to be tough. But your water is already full below. Is that what you’re expecting?”
“I hate it... Russ, help...”
If it were the usual him, he would have immediately jumped into the middle of the two lovers and enjoyed the chaos.
“...What’s this?”
But this time, the smell didn’t feel appealing to him at all.
The smell and sound that used to excite him so much.
“What’s going on...!?”
Now, it only brought him irritation and disgust.