The beings commonly called gods by those on the surface are not mere transcendents. The immense power and abilities that a god possesses are merely byproducts of the divinity they acquire.
Simply put, those who are called gods did not become gods because they were worthy of it. Rather, they became gods, and through that, they acquired the power and the right to be called so.
“For example, when did the fairy queen here become known as a queen?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been called that since distant past.”
“Another example: Do you know why the master of the forest became the master of the forest?”
“I don’t know. At some point, I just became it, so it’s only natural.”
“According to the goddess’s explanation, these two and divinity are no different. They are beings created from the union of concepts.”
In the beginning, there was light, and because light existed, the first god was born.
In opposition to that light, darkness existed, and darkness, jealous of the god who expanded the light, wished to create its own counterpart. And thus, the god of darkness was born.
Other gods are the same.
The god of beauty and art was created from the union of those two concepts, the god of history was born from the concept of history, and the gods of martial arts and others were created by similar unions of concepts.
“Do you think that even if the god of darkness disappears, darkness will willingly give up its agent?”
“Of course not. Just as the forest desires another master, darkness will also seek a new god.”
And in this case, the next being chosen by darkness is clear. There is already a being here who possesses the powers of darkness, so there is no reason for darkness to choose anyone else.
“Then why not just become a god?”
Uden, who had been listening to this discussion with some boredom, spoke up, and Frete smiled, asking him to please stop with the foolishness.
It was hard to believe that he was the one who had been growling next to Lucy.
“To make it easier for Uden to understand, let’s use an analogy. Power is like a cursed sword. It certainly grants enormous strength, but it simultaneously devours the wielder.”
“So, it can be consumed by darkness?”
The god of darkness, born from darkness itself, was an irredeemable creature.
The things this being had done on the earth were so horrific that dozens of souls would have to be sacrificed just to make up for it. When Erginius accepted this power, he couldn’t be sure how it would change him.
“Of course, Erginius has a strong mind, so nothing may happen. But if the worst situation arises...”
The worst scenario they could imagine was Erginius, the great magician, completely consumed by the powers of darkness and turning into their enemy.
If a genius who brought down the divine powers to the earth with human wisdom became a god and sought to kill them, who could stop him?
“Ha. Annoying useless woman. I guess she’s grown after hundreds of years.”
The man, who had been struggling not to die just moments ago, had now regained his composure. Seeing the astonishment directed at him, he smiled wickedly and raised his bound wrists.
“If a darker being is born than I, that wouldn’t be too bad. After all, I was born from darkness.”
Just as the master of the forest prioritizes the forest, the man’s words, saying he values darkness more than anything else, could not be taken as a lie. They were utterly sincere.
“Everything was an act?”
“Of course. That way, my reason would be thrown away, and I could strike sooner than expected. Oh, and just in case that little brat says something, I’ll tell you now: the heat was real. That girl is something else.”
Seeing Lucy sleeping soundly in Benedick’s arms, the man frowned but then exhaled deeply and raised his head again.
“So, what now? Will you seal me away? Or pass your burden to some distant future generation? Do as you wish. God’s time is long. Someday, everything you tried to protect will collapse.”
Now, Erginius was recalling the time when, during the mythical wars of the past, the gods had unanimously declared that there was no way to kill a divinity.
It made sense why they suggested sealing as an alternative. In the face of gods who could resurrect no matter how many times they were killed, there was a reason for the need for sealing.
They do not disappear.
They cannot.
Even if they are killed, something new will rise in their place.
Realizing this, I...
“Ha.”
Erginius, or rather, the pseudonym created by Erginius, the skeletal mage, gave a wry smile.
“This is troublesome.”
The one who created me knew this, didn’t he? That’s why he placed restrictions to prevent me from reaching this conclusion.
Looking back now, it’s strange. How could someone studying divine power not know this?
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Logically, it makes perfect sense.
Even if you know your duty, you can’t give someone, so prone to twisting, the chance to imagine darkness after hundreds of years of research.
And after a long, long study, to face the smile of someone you love, only to make this duty appear before you...
The tool left behind by Erginius, carrying his memories, could never turn away from the fairy queen.
She could never escape from the world she must live in.
She couldn’t run away from the deeds she created.
A truly great magician’s logic.
Even if I make plans, I would have made them that way.
“Oh? You’ve made a decision? You think you can endure the darkness? I’m rooting for you. If you are the great magician who will leave your mark in history, then you surely can.”
Ignoring the words of the evil god, who seemed as if he would clap in support, I turned my head away.
And there was my love.
My, Erginius’s, first and last love stared at me blankly.
She was more beautiful than any great magic ever shown by the god of magic. Just looking at her face took my eternity away.
Just facing her made me feel that I could endure hundreds or even thousands of years.
The cruel thing was that it was actually true.
I gave up hundreds of years of my life just to face this face.
“Erginius?”
Ah, great magician. Your predictions were right.
Your tool has finally received the reward for the long effort.
So, well, a life remains.
“Great and pure one, I am surely Erginius, but the one you know...”
“You’re just a pathetic fool, thinking just like one. It’s so lame I can’t even pity you.”
Following the sharp mocking voice, I turned my head and saw the girl, who had fallen into an eternal slumber, awakening.
Her words were no different from usual, but strangely, her tone and expression were nothing like her.
From the girl I wanted to slap for being so annoying came a challenge, direct and confident, but underneath, there was a clear, considerate form of a knight.
It was exactly like that stiff, rigid knight.
“...Ruel?”
“Oh? You’re surprisingly sharp? I guess blood is flowing through your body because you’re about to die? It’s small for something like that though.”
“How did you...”
“I don’t know how foolish this act of acting tough is. I stomped on that idiot god’s head and got the price. Never thought I’d use this on a fool like you, though.”
The distorted words through the girl’s mouth made my head spin. Especially in Erginius’s position, hearing Ruel say this with her outward appearance and voice made him feel like he was about to retch.
“If such a miracle was the answer, you should have saved it for the future.”
“You only think about women, huh? You must’ve been dying to lose your virginity. I get it. After hundreds of years, I can see why you’d go crazy. Yeah. Yeah.”
“What nonsense are you talking about!”
As Erginius shouted in terror, a subtle smile appeared on the girl’s lips.
Was she saying that because she was also born from darkness?
Probably. A knight living in a world of meaningless formalities wouldn’t say such things.
Huh. Calm down and try to interpret what she just said.
“Well. So, does it mean the power disappears when the darkness weakens?”
If the miracle is going to fly away anyway, it’s better to use it effectively.
“So why did you intervene? What if I change my mind?”
“I told you. You idiot. You’ve been soaked in virginity so long your brain has rotted. That’s why you can’t think straight, so I had to intervene.”
...It’s blunt criticism, but if I were to interpret it, it would be like this. He is so trapped in his love that he can’t think clearly. He needs to be calm and think more broadly.
“Your one advantage was that your brain worked well, but now that’s gone, what will you do? You’ve always been this pathetic. Hmm, that’s right.”
What should I do? What metaphor should I use? Everything she said is true, so it’s difficult. Muttering this, Erginius tried to focus on his thoughts.
“Are you normally like this, or is this the real Erginius?”
Was Erginius always this kind of person?
Was he someone who forced others into sacrifice?
...
No.
That’s not it.
If Erginius was that kind of person, he could never have become a hero.
He was eccentric, but he was never an evil man.
At the very least, he would never force someone who sacrificed for hundreds of years to sacrifice again.
Especially not now. This sacrifice didn’t align with his regrets. It would only make me sad. The fairy queen would be sad, and the evil god would laugh as the worst conclusion was drawn.
Where is it? What did I miss? What went wrong?
“Even after I’ve told you all this, you still don’t get it? You idiot. The only thing you’re good at.”
“I’m good at something?”
What Ruel might have meant when she mentioned I was good at something is, undoubtedly, the fusion that seemed impossible between us.
“Your Majesty!”
Suddenly, an idea came to Erginius, and he sprang to grab the fairy queen’s hands, looking at her with intense eyes.
“F-Fairy Queen.”
“I’m sorry. I’m a foolish magician who should only ask for help from you. But once, just once more, please help me!”
It’s possible.
It’s definitely possible.
If it’s not one, then with two, I can do it!
“I know I’m not trustworthy! But I, Erginius, swear upon all the magic I’ve accumulated in my life! Please cooperate with me, and I will make sure your end will be happy!”
With sudden words, Erginius looked at the blushing fairy queen and froze.
“Well. A virgin fool gives off the scent of virginity even when confessing.”
Hearing the mocking voice from the side, Erginius realized how his words might sound.
“No! I didn’t mean that! I—uh! I mean, yes, I did think that, but... well... ahhh!”
In that moment, Erginius, the great magician, seriously regretted not researching magic of time.