319 - God of What #6

"Water."

My short, single word.

But those who knew would understand how much thought and deliberation were contained in that single, one-syllable word.

And how much power struggle, rivalry, obedience, and humiliation it held.

You could even see it as an extension of the power game that had existed since the dawn of time, when the two beings, younger sister and older brother, first came into existence.

Gloria seemed to know it too.

Seuuk-.

She looked at me as if asking if what I said was true.

But I stood firm, without needing to say it twice.

As if it were only natural, as if it were the rightful duty of all younger sisters to pour water into their older brother's cup.

Perhaps seeing my solemn expression, Gloria, who had just been ruining the banquet atmosphere with her arrogant behavior, slowly rose.

And then, she slowly approached the chair where I was sitting and carefully poured the water from the pitcher into my cup.

Jjoreureuk-.

━Oh, look at that-.

━My goodness, the ferocious holy warrior of Juno, completely subdued like that....

━She even spat in Prince Friedrich's face, didn't she...?

━As expected of Pluto's rightful heir, truly amazing.

━Is that the Archduke of Hell? To dare order that wild Gloria to pour water like a maid! I don't know what I'm seeing!

People clicked their tongues and expressed unreserved admiration at the simple act of pouring water into a cup. I could vividly feel my own evaluation and score rising in tandem.

I felt quite bewildered by this situation.

Not only had I encountered Gloria, the most famous Samaritan in this kingdom, but I was also using her like a maid to pour my water.

Of course, this was probably because this Samaritan woman was mistaking me for her older brother or something. In that case, wouldn't it be best to take advantage of it for now?

It actually worked quite well.

The fight between Hippolyte and Gloria, who had been snarling as if they were about to clash, had stopped, and this banquet was able to proceed somewhat normally, all thanks to my quick thinking.

"Now, behave yourself."

"...."

Dealing with a younger sister who treats me as her older brother is easy.

Having been trained as an older brother since my younger sister was born, I was practically a natural-born sister tamer.

My own sister was a pain in the ass, but this Gloria, though ferocious, was an absolutely perfect younger sister.

Of course, this peace was merely a thin veil.

I had no idea what would happen if she realized I wasn't her older brother. What the hell was this bastard?

As I looked at Gloria with slightly uneasy eyes, someone burst into hearty laughter. It was Marquis Carbillas, the owner of this mansion, a middle-aged man with a large X-shaped scar on his forehead.

"Indeed, you are magnificent. Everyone knows the renown of Juno's holy warrior, who bows to no one. To make such a person so docile, everyone is too surprised to even speak."

"It's nothing special."

I said nonchalantly, as if it truly were nothing special. Marquis Carbillas continued.

"Hassan-nim, I heard you originally made a name for yourself as a Samaritan adventurer. And Gloria is also the most famous Samaritan on the continent. I arranged this gathering wondering what it would be like if the two of you met, but it is truly unexpected."

Only then did I feel like I understood why this ferocious Samaritan, Gloria, had attacked me in this banquet hall. He had deliberately set up some kind of event match.

Was he trying to test me?

It was fortunate that Gloria had a peculiar facial recognition disorder; otherwise, I might have gotten entangled with this strange Samaritan and ended up in a bad situation, making my heart feel quite cold.

Naturally, I couldn't help but recall.

The nobles of this world are like grand warriors of political strife, raised and taught from birth to rule over others.

To such individuals, a soft, fledgling god like me might be an easy target to test and judge.

I was currently acting as Gloria's older brother, but perhaps what I truly needed to act as was a skilled religious leader, the Archduke of Hell, Pluto's rightful heir?

The Archduke of Hell, huh.

The thought of having to play such a role made me feel a little dizzy.

I'd never been to Hell, nor did I know what kind of place it was, but I was suddenly cast in the role of an action leader who had descended from there onto the mortal realm.

But, thinking about it, this wasn't my first time experiencing something like this. Hadn't I already lied to Paranoy and Antiope that I was Hassan, the Archduke of Hell?

Although it wasn't intentional, if I considered that experience a rehearsal, I felt like I was getting a sense of what kind of image I needed to portray.

I should think of myself as the successor to Team Rocket. Stroking Paranoy's head instead of a Persian Cat, and swirling a wine glass-.

Indeed, a truly powerful Prince of Evil.

As I was thinking such thoughts, the meal had already ended, and maids flocked to clear the dishes scattered before us.

As I slightly admired their professional skill in neatly clearing the messy table, Marquis Carbillas, with his elbows on the table and fingers interlaced, casting a shadow over his face, spoke first.

"So, Hassan-nim, what kind of god are you becoming?"

I felt everyone's gaze turn towards me.

Their eyes, watching with keen interest to see what I would say, and their hushed breaths, contained immense curiosity.

Before I could say anything, Carbillas added another word.

"What can you bestow upon your Followers who believe in you?"

Seuuk-.

I distinctly felt Hippolyte looking at my profile. In that gaze, I could sense a kind of encouragement.

I had already prepared some anticipated answers for the questions Carbillas might ask before coming to the mansion.

Indeed, just as Hippolyte had advised, he asked what I could do for my Followers who believed in me.

If I pledge my faith, what can you give me?

In fact, this was a fundamental question.

Though it was just my shallow thought, people naturally have a purpose in believing in a religion.

It could be heaven or enlightenment, likened to salvation, or a materialistic worldview that prioritizes worldly possessions.

What could I do for those who believed in me?

This was a question that pierced the very core of my being: what kind of god would I become, what powers would I gain upon realizing my new divinity-

What kind of being am I?

Honestly, I didn't know.

But I knew what I had done. I just needed to show people what blessings I could bestow.

"What I can do for you. I will show you now. Paranoy. Come here."

"Y-yes, I understand-ssi...!"

I stood Paranoy before the people looking at me. And then I opened his mouth to show everyone.

"Ah-."

"My, my goodness, look at that Nymph!"

"His teeth are incredibly even!"

"Truly an amazing power! It's mind-boggling!"

Isn't it a bit early to be surprised? And Paranoy's even teeth aren't exactly my power.

It seemed people had misunderstood something, but since the atmosphere was heating up, there was no harm, so I proceeded with the act.

"Here, you can see his mouth is empty. Now, does anyone have a coin?"

I asked the people around me like a seasoned magician. The onlookers exchanged glances, perhaps finding the sudden request for a coin strange.

Then, someone soon held out a Copper coin towards me. 1 Copper. A cheap, common coin you could find anywhere.

"Here you go."

"Then, you must watch closely from now on."

I put the coin into Paranoy's mouth. And a little while later, when I took it out again, the blue Copper coin had transformed into a shining silver coin.

"There you have it. This is the power I can give you all."

I returned one silver coin to the man's hand. The man who received it looked quite dumbfounded. Now, curious about the reactions around me, I slowly turned my head and attention-.

"My goodness, the Copper coin turned into a silver coin!"

"Can such a power even exist? The kingdom's market might completely collapse!"

"This is insane! It's insane! I, I wasn't ready to accept something like this!"

Everyone widened their eyes in surprise. And then they busied themselves whispering to each other, looking at each other's faces.

The reaction was good, just as I expected. Of course they would be surprised if a Copper coin transformed into a silver coin right before their eyes. Luna and I were also very surprised back then.

But this was a rather simple trick. Paranoy's blessing, 《Squirrel's Hoard》, was literally what it sounded like.

Just like a squirrel stuffs various things into its cheeks. Paranoy could store and hide various things inside his mouth. You could think of it as a four-dimensional pocket.

I had merely put a 1 Copper coin into Paranoy's hoard and taken out a silver coin that was already in his mouth. In other words, I had exchanged 1 Copper for 1 Silver that I possessed.

It could be considered a huge loss for me-.

"My goodness, what an amazing power! To be able to multiply money at will!"

Seeing their reactions, it wasn't such a big loss after all. Of course, I couldn't be responsible for how they understood it.

I felt like I was lying, but according to Hippolyte, it's always good to give people dreams, even if it's an exaggerated story, so I couldn't help it.

In fact, when my Cult's influence grew with many Followers, I might even become Hassan, the God of Gold, and be able to mint gold at will.

"How interesting."

Anyway, while everyone was muttering in surprise, only Marquis Carbillas wore a relaxed smile.

"To create gold, it's like something out of a myth, isn't it? Indeed, a son of a god should at least be able to do that much."

Carbillas then clapped his hands in admiration. In response, applause and nods of agreement echoed from various corners.

Seuuk-.

Finally, Carbillas held out a strange note towards me.

"What is this?"

"According to the kingdom's laws, to build a new Temple, approval from at least four noble families is required. This is my, Carbillas's, consent and letter of recommendation. I hope you will accept it."

Gasps erupted from various places.

"Marquis Carbillas, isn't that too hasty a conclusion when we've heard so little? While changing Copper to Silver was certainly a great blessing...."

They probably thought Carbillas's actions were too impatient. Even I thought so. I still had so much more to show.

Hippolyte also seemed to find this judgment strange.

"Carbillas, I don't know what you saw to so readily decide to support him."

"There is no particular reason. In fact, gaining my consent is a trivial matter compared to the many questions and problems Hassan-nim will have to overcome in the future. I merely didn't want to exert effort and make him frown-."

Seuuk.

Carbillas's eyes, gleaming fiercely from his scar, looked very ominous. Hippolyte then asked casually.

"They say you sacrificed both your eyes to Pythia and gained the ability to see a little into the future. Did you perhaps see some future in Hassan?"

"Well. Something about fighting a huge monster. A very, very huge one-. A monster that would make the Kraken or Hydra you defeated seem like trifles. Hassan-nim, you will fight that."

"A monster, you say?"

"No, that was a slip of the tongue, actually. I merely wished to connect with Hassan-nim, the son of the three great Chief Deities, even if it was just a small thread."

Laughter erupted from various places.

However, I couldn't laugh.

For some reason, the man's blurry gaze, which couldn't see, felt like it was intensely piercing through my body.

* * *

『Hassan's Holdings

Number of Followers: 3

Number of Foundations: 0

Number of Temples: 0

Number of Priests: 0

Number of Blessings: 0

Overall: Young and Weak Boy God - Followers are like blind sheep. Each is acting wantonly according to their own thoughts.

Advice - You must build a Temple and appoint priests.』

The Number of Followers hadn't increased.

Did the performance just now have no effect? How could I increase the Number of Followers?

"Everyone is looking for you, Hassan. The host of the banquet shouldn't be away for too long, should he?"

Hippolyte approached me as I stood on the balcony, enjoying the breeze.

I listened to the boisterous applause and singing coming from the banquet hall behind me.

The elegant laughter and formalities from earlier were nowhere to be found, replaced by the loud sounds of things breaking and shattering.

━Drink, drink!

━Wow, look at this pink-haired young lady. She easily beat the administrative vice-minister, who's famous for being a heavy drinker!

━That administrative vice-minister bastard, falling over again?

That was precisely why I had come outside. They kept urging me to drink so much that I felt like my stomach would burst before I even got drunk.

My stomach churned.

So I couldn't help but frown, but Hippolyte seemed to think I was deep in thought.

"There's no need to worry so much. Marquis Carbillas is famous for being a man whose thoughts are inscrutable, after all."

I was just suffering from a churning stomach, but since a man in thought seemed cooler, I decided not to explain.

"And I never expected Gloria to be here. I guess I was outmaneuvered. That damn wild one."

"Hmm-."

Instead of answering, I looked at the small document in my hand. It bore a wolf crest, symbolizing the Marquis's family.

"Still, having secured one supporter like this, haven't we achieved our purpose for coming here today?"

"Indeed. With Pluto's influence at an all-time low, you wouldn't find a supporter willing to back you so readily, except for an eccentric like Carbillas."

Noble's consent, huh.

Who among the nobles do I know?

"However, Carbillas is not just an eccentric; he's also highly renowned as a shrewd operator. Because of his ability to see the future. You can genuinely be happy that he agreed to support you. This was a sponsorship event for you from the start, anyway."

"Is that so?"

"You could say he saw some potential in you. And it seemed that all the people gathered were only Carbillas's hand-picked acquaintances. They all seemed to hold goodwill towards you."

Really?

I didn't think I was receiving any goodwill. I was even wondering if their constant urging me to drink was some elaborate scheme to make me collapse from excessive alcohol poisoning.

"In fact, most of those gathered today seemed to be former Pluto Followers. Carbillas himself was also a fervent Pluto Follower when both his eyes were intact."

"I had no idea."

"Nobles are naturally skilled at acting, you see. Hiding their true identities, concealing their true intentions, and masking themselves is as natural as breathing to them."

Hippolyte's eyes sparkled at the night sea in the distance. She opened and closed her mouth as if to say something, then let out a small sigh.

"Anyway, let's go back inside now. Since you're not at your seat, that wild Gloria has started making a mess again."

Hippolyte patted my back and led me into the banquet hall.

Without any serious posturing, it was a chaotic scene of drunken ruffians bursting into laughter in the hall.

━Hail to Hassan-nim, who will become the great ruler of the underworld and the world...!

"Hail!"

━And hail to Paranoy, Hassan-nim's foremost Follower and the great future Archduke of Hell's Borderlands...!

"...."

"Please accept a drink from me! And, if I ever die and go to the afterlife, please, please send me to heaven instead of Tartarus...."

"Oh, come on, I was first. I actually pretended to convert to the Vesta Cult, but secretly worshipped Pluto's statue!"

"Fuck, was that you who wrote 'Long Live Pluto' behind the city hall?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck, do you know how much trouble the administrative vice-minister went through trying to root out Cultists because of that?"

"Not my problem. Anyway, the prophecy has come, so now we Pluto Followers will also rise again! The misunderstanding of being labeled a Cult will also be cleared! In that sense, Hassan-nim. A drink from me-."

As I kept drinking the alcohol poured for me from various directions, I became quite tipsy. Objects began to blur into multiples.

"I, I, that, the God of Light, and, what! I did it all!"

"Oh, indeed-."

As the atmosphere was in full swing, someone said.

"Truly beautiful young ladies. Their radiance is like that of goddesses, drawing one's eyes constantly."

"That's right. While our Delphi is famous for its many beauties, these are truly unique beauties, unlike any seen nearby, it's admirable."

They praised Luna and Hippolyte's appearances. But the problem was the next remark.

"So, which of the Amazon warrior woman and the pink-haired young lady is Hassan-nim's bride? If neither of them is, I still have an unmarried daughter...."

At those words, Hippolyte and Luna, who had been laughing drunkenly, their expressions turned cold and stern.

"Why are you leaving out Paranoy? And why aren't you hailing me? Everyone is fined-ssi...!"

That Paranoy bastard, is he drunk? I forgot to tell them not to give Paranoy any alcohol. So, just as I was about to get up to stop the drunken Paranoy from causing trouble.

Gloria, the barbarian in white leather, who had been sitting quietly for a long time, bared her fangs and snarled.

"My older brother has to live with me forever. I won't give him to anyone."

"Does that mean, Lady Gloria, that you will marry Hassan-nim?"

"Are continentals all idiots? How can you marry your own older brother? Do you think we barbarians are as uncivilized as you continentals who even marry your cousins?"

"That young lady is quite drunk. She really seems to think Hassan-nim is her older brother."

"Aren't they really siblings? Their attire and appearance are quite similar. More importantly, uncivilized continentals, she says. Who is she to say such things-."

The murmuring began to grow louder.

It was at that very moment.

"Ah, it's no good after all. I tried to be a good younger sister and stay quiet. But seeing my strong and magnificent older brother, I just can't hold back."

Someone lifted me up and slung me over their shoulder, making me sober up instantly as if waking from a dream.

"Let's do that thing we used to do-! Whine, whine-!"

"What the hell, fuck. What are you talking about?"

In my eyes, I saw Hippolyte's face, clearly showing her bewilderment as she looked at me.

"G-grab Gloria! If this continues, something terrible will happen!"