What caught my eye were the last words in the message.
"The gods are watching me."
Not just one, but several beings are showing interest in me.
And they wish to reward me.
The first thing that comes to mind are the blessings held by various benevolent gods.
Special things given only to their apostles, things that are particularly useful in many ways.
For instance, the might of a giant that could be obtained from a god with the power of immense strength.
The wisdom gained from a god with the power of foresight.
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The forced vows that could be obtained from a god with the power of oaths.
There are various skills one can acquire by spending long years under the gods, elevating their authority, and these thoughts filled me with greed.
However, on the other hand, I also felt that I shouldn’t get too excited.
Although the message says 'gods' in the plural form... just the perverted trickster god and the perverted crow alone already makes it plural, doesn't it?
I didn’t want to be betrayed again by getting my hopes up, so I swallowed nervously, waiting for the next message to appear.
"The Goddess of Beauty and Art wishes to bestow upon you a new blessing!"
As expected, it’s you. Perverted crow. It’s nice that you want to give me something, but how about giving something to your perverted apostle instead, in that time?
This guy should get stronger so that he can take more of the burden in my place.
Well, whatever.
It’s enough to get what I couldn’t get last time.
"The God of Martial Arts takes an interest in the martial arts you practice!"
Enough?
"The God of History and Records is interested in your biography!"
Hmm.
"The God of Nature shows gratitude to you!"
I blinked rapidly as the messages kept coming, feeling my head start to spin as I tried to process everything.
Wait.
Wait just a moment.
Could I have a bit of time to think?
I’ve hardly ever been in a situation like this, so I feel a little dizzy right now.
...Oh? Is it not just a feeling?
It feels like thoughts are suddenly cutting off in my head, almost like how it felt when I collapsed last time.
One.
Moment.
Underground in some building, a man draped in a robe listened to the stories transmitted through a crystal ball, letting out a long, silent sigh.
Many had tried to create something while sacrificing their lives.
They had risked their own deaths in order to fulfill the will of the great being.
But in the end, what was left was nothing but the deaths of others.
Where had things gone wrong?
What had caused their plans, which were so close to success, to fall apart in such an empty collapse?
We had bent our pride and extended a hand to the unbelievers, yet why did our plans fail?
"What went wrong?"
The man, having raised his head at the sound of a voice that felt devoid of any sympathy, bit his lips at the neutral expression of the person in front of him.
Now that even a plan that had to succeed in order to secure their future had failed, the man found himself in a position where he had to beg for cooperation from the one in front of him.
"There was a slight interference."
"The person was the daughter of the Arlen family, wasn't she?"
"How do you know that?"
"The one most likely to attract the interest of the gods in the current continent is she."
The other person lightly smiled as they mentioned Lucy’s name, settling into a chair across from the man, resting their back against the chair's support.
"Did I not tell you?" The other person continued with a calm demeanor. "If you wish to put the Arlen daughter into trouble, you must target those around her, not her directly. She will face her enemies proudly, but she will not endure the collapse of those close to her."
The man couldn’t argue, even though he bit his lip, as the words mirrored what had just been told to him by the evil god he served.
Choosing to target Lucy Arlen herself, the beloved of the gods, was not a good choice.
Even though the evil god of fire moved directly against her, and the evil god of darkness staked his own existence to kill her, Lucy Arlen had effortlessly overcome all trials and now stood in front of them.
She had surpassed the trials with ease and had ascended even higher.
Look at the current situation.
The insane alchemist, having lived for countless years, attempted to manipulate the two guardians of the forest and crush her, but he was defeated instead.
"In a way, this worked out well. Your incompetence has been proven. Now, you won’t be able to object to whatever I do, even out of embarrassment."
"Do you have something in mind?"
"Yes. Several things. If you cooperate actively, I will achieve certain results."
The man met the gaze of the other person, whose smile became even more unnerving. Seeing the madness glimmering in his eyes, the man couldn’t help but smile lightly, realizing the emptiness within the man’s soul.
He was running toward something, losing his sanity, yet this man’s true self was absent.
Fine. For now, I will follow your words.
Our goals align, so I will comply with your demands.
However, don’t think that we will remain beneath you forever.
When the emptiness that spreads from within you eventually swallows you whole, you will become subordinate to us, whether you want it or not.
The man thought of betrayal in his heart, while Luka, sitting across from him, guessed what the man was thinking.
If Luka were in the man’s position, he wouldn’t have been able to endure such disrespectful and arrogant behavior.
However, it didn’t matter. Luka had no intention of fulfilling the other man’s desires. He would make Lucy Arlen a tool to be sacrificed for her true purpose.
By his death, he would nurture the very target of his hatred.
And in the end, Lucy Arlen would become a star brighter than anything, even brighter than the moon.
He would create a new moon, a new sun, and it would become the center of the sky.
As Luka smiled, so too did the man across from him.
For now, both were preparing their hidden knives for each other.
"...Huh?!"
I came to my senses and, rising from the ground, I blinked as I checked the now-dark surroundings.
<Did you wake up?>
‘...What happened?’
<It’s a simple matter. Using insufficient ability as output caused a problem.>
So, did I collapse because I filled in the missing parts of magic with my divine power?
Well, considering what I just did—reviving the entire destroyed forest—it wouldn't be surprising for my body to hit its limit.
‘Where am I right now?’
<I’ve teleported you to a village. It’s the lord’s mansion there.>
‘...The lord’s mansion? Not an inn?’
<Do you really think people like you would stay in a shabby place like that in the countryside?>
I chuckled at the grandfather's explanation, imagining that the lord was probably sweating in fear, wondering if he had made some mistake.
I felt a little guilty. If I hadn’t passed out, this wouldn’t have happened.
After that, I asked the grandfather various questions—whether the guardians of the forest were fully healed, whether there were any issues with the forest I revived, and what my friends were up to.
The grandfather’s answer could be summarized in one word: There was no need to worry.
The many problems that had been plaguing the forest were already solved, and now the only remaining issue was me.
Hearing that, I chuckled, stretching.
Since it was already late, causing a commotion and rushing back would only trouble the others further.
I decided to take it easy for the day. After all, I had just gone through a hellish ordeal recently, so a little rest was okay.
After settling my thoughts, I turned on the log function to check the messages that had come in.
I didn’t expect so many gods to be interested in me.
The perverted crow, the god of martial arts, the god of nature, and even the god of history and records.
Wow. Can I take something from each of them?
Can I pull some strings if they want to dip their toes into my hero’s story?!
Haha! This is insane!
Becoming an apostle of the great gods has its rewards!
This is the awe of being at the center of all gods!
[Please choose one of the gods who have shown interest in you.]
...Eh.
What? Just one?
I have to choose from among these?
This is so disappointing. If you’re going to call yourself a great god, at least do some work for your subordinates.
You could pressure your apostle to give you something, instead of me.
I’ve done enough for this, so I should be able to ask for at least this much!
Tsk, tsking and crossing my arms, I scanned the list of gods once more.
It was a tough decision. I have to choose just one out of all these?
Telling me to pick one when you’ve set up a buffet? That’s just cruel!
If you’re going to do this, just pick one and give it to me!
Why are you making me choose?!
Hmm...
Well, I’ll exclude the perverted crow for now.
This guy’s abilities are useful, but are they truly necessary?
The god of nature is the same.
His abilities are good, but most of them can be replaced by my divine magic.
So, there’s no real reason to choose him. If I have to choose, it’s between the god of martial arts and the god of history and records.
I furrowed my brows as I thought about the two gods’ personalities.
Which one would allow me to take more?
The god of martial arts would give me anything I asked for if I had the skill.
Since they’re worshipped by many, their power is great, and I can expect a lot of help.
On the other hand, the god of history and records is very picky.
A typical, annoying scholar type.
If I compare the two, choosing the god of martial arts seems like the obvious choice.
But, the hero’s story...
A hero’s story.
I thought about it, then grinned to myself.
If I play this right, I might catch a sucker.