In the chaotic space above the skies.
There was nothing but haze as far as the eye could see.
There was no trace of light anywhere, but there were dimly discernable, shifting human figures ambling atop the towering mountain.
The peak was flat, with one enormous palace after another standing proud on its surface.
There was quite a distance between the buildings, but all of them were shrouded in mist. Still, if you looked at them from sufficiently far away, the scattered palaces seemed to form a city, and not a small one, either.
Countless people drifted between the palaces, their feet never touching the ground. Some carried money, while others carried nectars and finery.
At the center of these palaces was a purple and gold palace at least several times larger than the others.
A man clad in a white knight’s uniform knelt inside, his eyes shining as he looked at a carelessly handsome youth seated atop a throne. The youth, who was at least a hundred meters away, held a wine glass.
Inside was a pure red liquid, and when he shook the glass, the liquid stained the walls of its vessel.
After another shake, the youth on the throne poured the liquid down his throne. It stained his lips an unearthly shade of red.
Immediately, the two servant girls beside him stepped forth. One gathered up the wine glass, while the other carried a tray with a white silk handkerchief.
The youth elegantly cleaned his lips, then placed the dirtied handkerchief back on the tray and gestured for the servant girls to leave.
Only then did he look at the knight, who’d already been kneeling there for who-knows-how-long. “Touya, if you have something to report, do so now.”
His voice had a magnetic charm to it. Just hearing it gave listeners a good impression of him, but it also instilled an irrepressible sense of awe and fear.
When the knight heard this, his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “Your Majesty, the Godhead of Life condensed in the Third Era.”
“The Godhead of Life, the Third Era.” The carelessly handsome youth atop the throne smiled. “It was in the Third Era that a little fox last managed to condense it, yes? Who is it this time?”
“A nine-tailed fox,” said the knight.
“Another little fox?” The youth couldn’t help but shake his head. “Tell me, what good are you lot? The God of Life’s position has been open for so long, yet none of you managed to take it. Now you’re telling me that someone of the Third Era took it, again? Isn’t this just a slap in we gods’ faces?”
Although the youth was smiling, the knight’s expression turned solemn.
“Your Majesty, please, calm your fury. I’ve been cultivating talents in the hopes that one of them would acquire the Godhead of Life all this time. It’s just that the godhead’s former owner inserted her soul into it, resisting all of our people’s attempts to claim it.”
“How embarrassing,” said the youth. “We’re the true god race, yet the people of those barbarian reams go around calling themselves that too. Now, on top of all that, they’re going and condensing godheads. We, the venerable god race, are the only ones worthy of them. Don’t you think this whole incident is a disgrace to our entire race? Don’t you think letting this happen was negligent of you?”
“Please, Your Majesty, forgive me!” The knight took off his helmet and kowtowed.
“Forget it.” The youth sighed, then waved the knight off. “You’re just an upper-rank god. Entrusting the acquisition of master god-level godheads to you was unfair. How is the offensive against the First Era going?”
“The First Era are still stubbornly defending, but they can’t change their inevitable fate of annihilation,” said the knight.
“How much longer until we can start our game in the Third Era?”
“Based on our calculations, it should be about half a year.”
“Half a year?” The youth squinted at his fingers. “I’ve been waiting for far too long. I’m starting to get itchy. Call back the giant beasts we’ve been raising. I’ve grown tired of our game with the First Era. I’d like to play something new.”
“I’ll go make arrangements right now.”
“Wait a moment. About the Goddess of War….”
“There hasn’t been any news of her lately.” The knight stopped, then replied carefully.
The youth atop the throne nodded, then waved the knight away. “Alright, I got it. Go on, then.”
The knight left the hall, carrying his silver helmet in his arms. The youth atop the throne suddenly disappeared as well.
However, not long after, one of the serving girls attending to him arched her brows. She left, leaving the other servant to return on her own.
“Master, Master….!”
Meanwhile, in a palace decorated entirely in cool colors, a slender, graceful woman stood before the palace windows, gazing at the scenery outside. The girl who’d just rushed inside, shouting for her attention, was none other than the servant who’d just left the youth’s throne room. She began shouting the second she entered the cool-colored hall.
“What is it?” The woman’s voice matched the decor completely; it was so cold that just hearing it could send a chill down your spine. Between her voice and the icy decor, listeners couldn’t help but tremble.
“What are you doing, running back so suddenly? If that Yale discovers you, it’s your head on the line. Even though I sent you, you ought to know I won’t be able to save you. You’ll only drag me down with you.”
“His Excellency Yale left. There’s absolutely no way he’ll discover I came here to see you,” said the servant girl with a smile. “You know that news you asked me to keep an eye out for? I heard it while attending on His Excellency.”
“Is that so? Let’s hear it, then,” said the icy woman.
“Someone condensed the Godhead of Life, and it wasn’t one of His Excellency’s People, but rather, a fox of the Third Era. His Excellency Yale is rather upset about it. Touya was so scared, he kowtowed repeatedly. “
“Touya kowtowed? What’s so surprising about that? He’s just an upper-ranked god is all,” said the woman.
“Master, you’re really not taking this to heart. General Touya kowtowed, and now you’re saying he’s ‘just an upper-ranked god’?” The servant girl was visibly stunned. “If he hears about this, I’m afraid he’ll be angry.”
“If he had the guts to lose his temper in front of me, he wouldn’t ‘just be an upper-ranked god’,” said the woman.
“You’re a master god! He can’t afford to offend you!” Although the girl called the woman ‘master’, she didn’t seem particularly fearful or reverent. When she heard the icy woman’s response, she even pursed her lips.
Finally, the servant added, “In any event, General Touya bowed and kowtowed. I also heard His Excellency Yale ask about the First and Third Eras.”
“What specifically did he ask about?” asked the woman.
“He….”
“Are you that curious to know what we discussed?” At that moment, a clear breeze blew in from outside.
The servant stopped mid-sentence and prostrated herself on the ground, trembling from head to toe. The icy woman turned away from the window. When she saw the new arrival, she narrowed her eyes, then bowed slightly. “Your Excellency Yale.”
“You’ve treated me so coldly ever since you got back. I really have no idea what happened all those years you were gone.” This new arrival was none other than the carelessly handsome youth from before. When he looked at the icy woman, his gaze carried a hint of wistfulness. “Also, if you wanted to know something, you could just ask me. Was there really any need to send a servant like this?”
“Goddess of War, I’m sure you know that no one cares for you more than I!”
