Kanata, however, rescued Marianne from inside the angel intact. It was a feat that turned Marianne’s faith from the Goddess toward Kanata herself. The brainwashing she had received from her Profession vanished without a trace. Perhaps Kanata had simply excluded the Goddess’s influence when she extracted Marianne from the angel. It had been a perfect fusion, after all. Kanata had done nothing less than extract and reform Marianne, and Marianne alone, from within the amalgamation.
In her present state, with the status boost from the Saint Profession, but not under the Goddess’s domination, Marianne was a significant threat to the gods.
“From what I’ve seen, she’s gone on to create a whole new religion,” said the boy. “Fluffism, I believe it’s called?”
“An absurd name,” said the old man. “But there’s no denying that she’s gathered a considerable amount of strong faith.”
“The harvest is late, people’s faith is declining...” said the girl. “Now what do you intend to do about it?”
This meeting between the four gods had been nothing short of an interrogation.
“I still have a plan in mind,” the Goddess finally said, bitter at being made to take the blame. She was clutching the throne’s armrest so tight that cracks had started to form in the stone. None of the other three gods had ever before seen the serene Goddess so plainly vexed. “I would ask you to wait until after I have tried it to strip me of my position.”
“Very well,” said the old man. “We’ll hold you to those words.”
“Just don’t go forgetting your position, would you?” said the girl. “Right now, you don’t have a single ally in the whole world.”
“If you fail, we’re stripping you of your divinity in exchange,” said the boy.
And with their respective indignation, mocking laughter, and contempt, the three vanished from the white space.
“Damn them all to hell!” the Goddess spat as she rose from her throne, with markedly un-Goddess-like invective. “If this plan of mine fails, I’m done for...” she muttered. “No! I am an omniscient and omnipotent goddess! I’ve left my former world behind!” She forced her shoulders to stop trembling. “I mustn’t lose my head. That girl is like a bug in this world. If I send someone unprepared after her, they will only be defeated in turn, and converted to her side like the Demon King and the Saint. Fortunately, it happens that the Demon King is presently in the human realm. That means that the conditions for selecting a Hero are fulfilled. If I find some absolute powerhouse and make them a Hero, the bonuses from the Profession might just be enough to let them defeat that girl...”
The Goddess turned her attention toward the mortal plane, wasting no time in putting her plan into action.
† † †
The Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Falkas was the most prosperous city on the continent. Its unparalleled population boasted craftsmen of every imaginable industry, leading to ever-greater development. The city was devoted to the education of its people as well, and had made a name for itself as a great center of learning. Nobles from all over sent their sons to study at one of the various academies in Hightown, depending on their affiliated cliques, so that they might gain the knowledge they would need to one day govern their family’s domain. And among all the many schools, the one famous for having the most demanding curriculum of all was the Academy of the Holy Word, where boys pursued martial and literary arts alike. But most of all, the focus of the academy was on swordsmanship, taught in imitation of the style of the first Divine Sword.
Right now, the school’s expansive yard was full of shouting voices as the students practiced their swordplay against one another.
“Come on!”
“Raaaaaah!!!”
The Academy of the Holy World was a men’s school, with no women allowed on the premises. The young boys of the student body were still somewhat small, but they were training their bodies for all they were worth. Their musculature was hidden underneath layers of protective gear, however, as they clashed with each other with dull-bladed swords. It was quite the workout.
Thanks to their intense training, these boys were already strong enough to handily defeat a city guard, but their instructors had no problem giving such formidable youths the runaround. The teachers were all former adventurers and knights, hand selected for their prowess and offered a high salary to lure them to the Academy, boasting advanced Professions like Sword Saint and Dragon Knight. None of the students could cross swords with them.
None, that is, except for one.
In the middle of the yard, an imposing, burly swordsman faced off against a much smaller opponent. At first glance, it seemed the larger swordsman had the advantage, but appearances could be deceiving...
“Gh! Nice one, Aldezia!” the Sword Saint instructor said, praising his student. He moved much faster than one might assume from his large stature, swinging his sword so quickly that the students watching couldn’t even count how many strikes he had made in the span of a single breath.
“On the contrary, I have a lot to learn,” the boy replied, seemingly unperturbed by the fierce attack. He readied his sword, his mind a placid mirror, and parried each and every one of the flurry of blows coming his way. His sword arm was stronger than seemed possible with a body as small as his, and his speed was far beyond the instructor’s.
“You’ve got a lot to learn, huh?” the instructor echoed back. “Honestly, I’m not sure I’m cut out to teach you...” He dropped his sword and held his hands up in surrender.
The match had been settled in a split second. The instructor had barely seen a flash in the boy’s hands before he found the boy’s sword point quivering an inch away from his throat, bypassing all his protective gear. There was no room for doubt—everyone had seen the boy score an overwhelming victory.
“H-Holy crap!” a student exclaimed. “He took out an instructor!”
“Alus really is built different, huh!”
The students, who had already abandoned their own training to watch Alus Aldezia’s match, raised their voices in celebration as they mobbed their victorious classmate.
“That’s enough, you sorry lot!” another instructor bellowed, as if he, too, hadn’t left his duties as instructor in order to watch the match. “Back to training!” The noisy voices of the schoolyard took a slightly different tenor than usual after what they’d witnessed.
“Ahh...” Alus sighed, taking off the mask he had been wearing as part of his defensive gear, revealing his gorgeous features and rosy cheeks.
He shook his light blond hair, filling the air with droplets of perspiration. If there had been any girls present, they would surely have shrieked with excitement at the sight, but alas, this was a school for active young men. The only gazes turned his way were the intense stares of his male peers. Or, to be precise, one of the gazes fixed on Alus in particular was intense in a whole different way from the rest.
“Teacher,” Alus said, “I thank you for your instruction. With your help, I have surpassed another of my former limits.” He bowed with utmost politeness.
The instructor picked up the sword he had dropped in their bout and gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“Hah. You’re saying I taught you something by getting my ass handed to me like that? If you’re too obsequious, it sounds more like sarcasm. But y’know what? I’m glad to hear that. Say,” he paused, “any interest in joining me for a drink after class?”
“As I am a minor and still in school, I am afraid I must decline. Also, we are both men...”
“Th-That’s right, I forgot how young you were! But still...!”
Alus left the schoolyard, leaving the rejected instructor behind. Class was still in progress, but nobody was about to stop the boy who had just defeated the strongest instructor in the whole school. He could hear excited chatter behind him. That was no surprise. His opponent had been nearly twice his age, and a holder of the Sword Saint Profession. Alus, a young boy who had yet to go through his Selection Ceremony, had defeated him without taking a single hit. It was nothing short of a miraculous feat, but Alus didn’t seem happy about it at all.
“Teacher,” he said to himself. “The truth is, I really do have a lot to learn...”