She’s really cute like that, Sophie thought warmly, only for a low voice to address her.
“Master.”
Sophie looked up at Azuello’s massive frame to see his blue eyes were glimmering. Sophie had seen that sort of glimmer before.
“What is that?” Azuello asked.
“It’s mushroom and pork soup. I guess you could call it a mishmash stew of sorts,” Livio answered.
“I see...” Azuello said, nodding. “I have been curious about the food ye humans consume. Give it unto me as well.”
“Ummm...”
Come to think of it, don’t clerics and such abstain from eating meat? Isn’t it taboo to make an offering of meat?
“Is it okay for you to eat meat?” Sophie asked.
“And why should it not be?”
“Huh?”
He’d turned the question back on her. Why shouldn’t he? But indeed, just a moment ago Azuello had been on the verge of “flattening” Vyce, so at the very least, taking lives didn’t seem to be any sort of taboo for him.
“I am neither a steed nor a swine,” Azuello answered. “I know nothing of ye humans’ reasoning, and I care not whether creatures live or die.”
So that was it.
When it came to “gods,” people let their imaginations paint them as benevolent forces that sought to save all. In turn, they prayed, and pleaded, and begged for the gods to deliver them. But in the same breath, there were likely also gods who were the very definition of self-centeredness—gods who’d kick those rosy perceptions to the curb as if to say they couldn’t give a damn about any of that.
The world was indeed a vast place. It wasn’t out of the question. Even Sophie, who’d been desperately trying to learn healing magic up until just a few moments ago, now found herself the master of a god. There was absolutely no telling what would happen next or whom they might encounter.
There were, after all, countless gods in the world. Most of the world’s children were taught that a trifecta of gods had created the world and that other, smaller spirits tied to these three gods resided in nature. However, there were certain regions that denied that and instead had their own unique religions.
In other words, there were endless variations when it came to the particulars of deities. Rather than “different strokes for different folks,” it was likely a case of “different odds for different gods.”
Which was exactly why it was completely fine that there were both the welcome sort of gods who brought salvation, as well as others who asked for soup with meat in it.
“But if you have your fill, Azuello, there won’t be any left for us...” If they were all to have their share of the soup, that was; just how much would it even cost to keep the massive beast well-fed?
Suspecting that the figure was starting to rival the national budget, Sophie looked up, only for Azuello to nod back. “Hrmm...”
Just then, Azuello let out his familiar burst of light.
Sophie gasped. It was just! Too! Adorable!
There, shrunk down to the size of a small kitten Sophie could’ve cradled in her hands, was a tiny little bear!
He’s looking up at me like he’s practically begging for some soup! Am I going to give him some soup?
You bet I am!
“You’re a genius, Azuello!” Sophie exclaimed.
“A god, that is,” Azuello replied.
As she instinctively stretched out her arms, Azuello bounced onto Sophie’s lap. His fur feels so fluffy and soft!
“Purple one. Let me have the soup as well,” Azuello said.
“I hear you.” Livio laughed. “Sounds like you’ve got a god-sized appetite too!”
With Livio laughing and Azuello’s fluff atop her knee, for a moment, Sophie felt like she might faint from sheer bliss. This is heaven. After all, she had a god with her—not to mention an angel.
“Now that I think upon it...” Azuello started.
Savoring the sheer ecstasy while trying her best not to let it show in her expression, Sophie cast her glance down on Azuello.
“Purple one,” Azuello said, addressing Livio. “When my master was using her magic on me, the light it cast resembled the color of thine eyes.”
“Huh?”
Huh?
“Whatever do you mean...?” Sophie asked, forcing down something welling up from within her.
Azuello lifted his fluffy head to look up at Sophie. “When you healed me, master. Verily, it was beautiful—that purple light, tinged with azure.”
Er, ummmm?
Azuello was entirely too cute looking up at her. That was fine. Fine and dandy. Great, even. The problem, however, was that if this went on any longer, it would have been a veritable catastrophe...for Sophie’s mental health, at least.
“W-Well, I couldn’t see the light myself, so...”
“Indeed, thine eyes were shut firm,” Azuello replied.
Right. Which was why Sophie was convinced something so embarrassing couldn’t have happened. She felt her body get warmer and warmer.
“On that note,” Lunetta said, “what were you imagining back there to mend the damaged magical force?”
“Well, I, uh...”
Don’t get into it! Don’t get into all that!
With Lunetta’s round eyes sparkling with genuine curiosity regarding magic, Sophie felt like her face might very well erupt in flames. Good thing I can’t use fire magic, hee hee! But this is no laughing matter, Sophie!
When Sophie had seen the pitiful, tattered magical force, it’d been— Oh, how to put it? That. She’d just thought of how that felt, so...
She sounded just like an old minister on the verge of retirement who’d grown particularly forgetful. “It’s that—you know, that!” But that wasn’t it. It wasn’t like she’d just up and forgotten it out of the blue. She was just hesitating to actually form the words. Oh, but that’s not it—it’s not that I don’t want to say it or anything like that.