The Grand Cathedral. The Eastern Chapel. The Chamber of Fate.
"It's over."
'GRAAAAAAAAARGH—BWAHAHAHAHAHA—HAAATSSS!'
Max laughed in fury, his body riddled with holes that looked like black dots.
"Haaah... haaah... haaah... I'm getting sick of this."
All I could manage was ragged breathing. I was a total wreck. And this was my favorite, too.
"I do wish you'd go easy on these old bones, you know."
Alexander pulled out his pipe.
At his feet, Hanswurst lay scattered in pieces.
"———And that's how we won. But the Crown itself was nowhere to be found, you know? Alexander and I looked all over, and it turned out there was one section we still hadn't checked. Besides, I was totally wiped. So we headed toward camp like he said, and on the way, a Strange Box showed up. Then it was Dust Boxes, Panic Boxes, and more after that... I really wish they'd lay off."
Megadia proceeded to knock back wine after wine, one bottle at a time.
"So what happened then?"
"I took them all down."
"That's our girl!"
So all the giant mimics had finally been defeated.
Still, having to take on three at once — so this was the power of a Rank II delver.
"I do wish you'd stop cracking the whip on these old bones any further, I must say."
Alexander puffed on his pipe. Did he even have bones?
For the record, Megadia had just gotten out of the bath.
Her hair was still damp, faint wisps of steam rising from it.
And she was wearing a new gothic lolita outfit.
"That must have been rough."
"We took down three giant mimics on our end too."
"There were six giant mimics in all. That wraps them up, then."
"All that's left is the Crown."
"Where is it?"
"That thing's in the Grand Cathedral. The Central Sanctum."
Those eerie, luminous violet eyes turned to me. She gave a soft smile.
"The place where that statue was…"
"Yes, the Sanctum."
"It's closed for now, it is."
"Shut?"
"Yes, it's been shut."
"…"
"And so. Megadia. Everyone managed to come through that situation miraculously unharmed, they did. I'd like to celebrate that, but before we do—what do you intend to do next?"
Pakira asked.
Megadia drank straight from the wine bottle, gulping it down.
That wine was from the Temple District's storage vaults.
"The situation isn't the worst it could be. Everyone's alive. We lost about four to the accident, but that's not bad in its own way. Thunder Fang is here too."
Thunder Fang
There are also disciples of the claw blade."
"But what should we do about that door?"
"That door, I can open."
"You can open it?"
"Wait, you know about me..."
Mineha, who had been silently eating this whole time, looked up.
"Yes, I can open it. And tomorrow, we settle things."
"Got it."
"Mm. Let's tell Lupinus and the others too."
"Come to think of it, they're not here. Lupinus and Riv. What are they up to?"
"Bathing."
"Ah, I'll head in later too."
"I shall bathe as well."
"Then let's bathe together."
"......Fine, I suppose. This is also saving money."
"Wait. We're not done talking yet. Listen—what comes next is important. After we defeat it, we go straight back through the return transfer circle we set up."
"Huh? Is there something urgent?"
"There are still tons of unknown ingredients out there."
"There's no need to rush. We're delvers, you know."
"No way."
Megadia applied pressure that allowed no argument.
"No way. This is the Edda Sanctuary. Somehow or other, we've ended up in a place we were never supposed to enter. Once the subjugation is done, we're leaving immediately."
A place we were never supposed to enter...
"If that's the case, then there's nothing to be done."
"It's a shame, though, isn't it?"
The Edda Sanctuary, huh.
"Hey, make sure we get a special allowance for this!"
"Will we?"
"Of course we will. Otherwise, it wouldn't be worth it."
"I'll be sure to tell them to make sure of it."
Megadia smiled sweetly as she vouched for it.
Then she looked at me.
"W-what is it?"
"Wof, come have a little chat with me."
"Wha—"
She took me by the shoulder and led me away before I could protest.
Where are we going!? I wondered, and found myself in a three-panel tent.
It was a storage shed.
"There's something I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
"I asked Alexander about it. You went to the Central Prayer Hall?"
"Yes. I heard the door was open, so I went to have a look."
"You saw Generous's statue, then."
"I did. And there's something I'd like to ask about as well."
"What would that be?"
"...You said before that Generous was a boy god, right?"
"Yes, I did."
"But the statue in the Grand Temple was a girl."
The statue's clothing had just the faintest hint of a curve.
Megadia answered with a knowing expression.
"That's right. It's a statue of the incarnation."
"Incarnation?"
"Generous is indeed a boy god. But Generous incarnates regardless of gender."
"That's the first I've heard of it."
"That's the first time I've told anyone."
"Also, it didn't have six eyes."
"You remember well. About that — my apologies. It was a metaphor."
"So Generous doesn't actually have six eyes?"
"No. And I don't know what they're meant to represent."
"That recurring person... is that still the case now?"
Could I be that recurring person?
Megadia let out a soft chuckle.
"That's right. And the recurring one is among the first-tier delvers."
"Huh...?"
Hm? A recurring person among the first tier?
"You don't know? First-tier delver Narcissus Utopia. She's Generous's recurrence."
"—Do multiple recurring people exist?"
"I've never heard of that. There's supposed to be only one at any time."
"I see."
Then what am I...?
Megadia was looking at me with those violet eyes. Staring intently, meaningfully.
"Wof. I've thought so since we first met. You're quite mysterious."
"Is that so. Um, sorry. There's one more thing I'd like to ask."
"Oh? What might that be?"
"—Do you know about the Banishment Line?"
"Hmm, what could that be? Perhaps an OOPArt?"
"It's a Restriction Relic."
"A Relic, then. I don't know about it."
She didn't seem to be playing dumb.
She really didn't seem to know.
"Is that so?"
"By the way, what kind of Relic is it? Do you mind if I ask?"
"It has the power to change the world."
"That's rather scary."
Megadia let out a soft laugh.
"Um, Megadia, what do you think about the Resurrection?"
"That's abrupt. What do I think... well, I suppose things like that happen."
"Isn't it because she's a god that people worship her?"
"A Resurrection is a Resurrection. But it's also true that there are factions even within Edda."
"...I think I sort of get it."
"You know what I think? Humans must not become gods."
"Humans must not become gods...?"
Megadia's violet eyes gleamed eerily as she spoke again.
"That's right. Humans must not become gods. Gods are gods. Humans are humans."
"..."
I fell silent without meaning to. Megadia stared at me with an intense gaze.
Violet eyes really are scary when they glow.
"You're a strange one. Hey, I know I've asked before, but won't you become my hireling?"
"That's, well..."
"Mu-fufu, fine. Think about it."
"Oh."
She lightly tousled my hair, then Megadia giggled and walked away.
"Humans must not become gods..."
That's right. That's exactly right.
But.
And tomorrow, it would be settled.