Baal and Thetis didn’t come back until the evening of the next day.
Traversing the deep sea is no joke, even for a god, and Baal’s face looked like a storm cloud.
His complexion was darker than Nyx’s hair, who was calmly perched on my lap.
“Well, with this, you’ve passed my test. You’ve even been to the deep sea, so now this small and young goddess can go anywhere, right?”
“Hmm. You don’t look so good. Should we maybe postpone the next test a bit?”
At my words, Baal gave a startled look and slowly shook his head.
“It’s fine… There’s only one last test left…”
“Right. The last one is Sagarmatha, isn’t it?”
The silent Sagarmatha was just staring at Baal without saying a word.
I’ve raised that kid, but sometimes it’s like trying to read a book in a foreign language. What on Earth is going through that head?
What kind of test will that child dish out?
“Okay. I’ve decided.”
Sagarmatha slowly opened her mouth.
“My test? You’ve passed it.”
“Huh?”
Suddenly? What’s she talking about? That kid?
“I was originally going to prepare a different test… but now it doesn’t seem necessary. I’ll let you pass.”
Hmm… I can’t tell what changed her mind, but does that mean Baal can now become the king of the gods?
I should be happy since I can push the workload onto Baal, but… why did Sagarmatha decide to bail him out?
“But what was the actual test you had planned?”
“Oh, it was to bring back a treasure.”
“A treasure? What kind of treasure?”
“I was going to make him fetch the treasures that mom created and blessed, without using divine power, in his human form.”
Treasures that I made and blessed? Hmm… There are a bunch, but most are probably off in the hands of some power-hungry folks.
And you want him to fetch them without divine power? Not an easy test, especially since he’ll likely run into humans or other races.
Well, skipping that is a relief.
I set Nyx down and stood up, saying,
“The final test may feel a bit lackluster, but we shouldn’t drag this out too long; this might just hit the sweet spot… Now you’ve been recognized by everyone.”
Including me, the seven strongest gods in this world. The God of the Sky, who has received recognition from the seven, will become the king of the gods and rule over countless deities of this realm.
He’ll need a temple, a throne, and some symbols to boost his authority, of course.
“Then let’s whip up the coronation site for Baal to rise as the king of the gods, and prepare the realm for the gods to hang out. It’ll take a few days, so everyone should catch some Z’s once the preparations are done, especially Baal.”
Noticing Baal still looking pretty worn out—probably from Thetis’s demanding test—I added with concern:
“Ah, yes… I’ll be taking a break for a while…”
“Good. The others should also rest properly.”
With that, I took off into the space, leaving Baal and the kiddos behind.
Now, let’s get to work on the world where the gods will gather.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“But Sagarmatha. Are you really okay with just letting him pass?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Sylphid spoke to the poker-faced Sagarmatha.
“You seemed super set on not letting him pass at first, but now you’re just handing it over like it’s nothing…”
“It’s fine.”
Baal’s complexion had improved slightly after Thetis’s test, but he still looked a bit off.
Watching Baal, Sagarmatha spoke with a chilling gaze.
“Seems Thetis’s words had some effect.”
“Thetis? What did she say?”
“I don’t know the specifics. And Sylphid doesn’t need to know.”
With Sagarmatha cutting Sylphid off like she was swatting a fly, Sylphid puffed up in annoyance and said,
“Hmph! Whatever! The tests are done, so I’m heading back! I really prefer wandering freely anyway!”
“Then I’ll head off too. The desert should have settled down by now; I need a nice break.”
“We’re wrapping up? Guess I should get back too! I’m worried about those elven kids’ vegetarian diet.”
One by one, the gods who had gathered began to return to their original places.
Except for the silent Sagarmatha and the exhausted-looking Baal.
“Whoa. Everyone’s gone.”
After the rest of the gang left, Sagarmatha quietly stood up and approached Baal.
“…?”
Baal just tilted his head, looking puzzled. With the tests over, he should have no more business left.
That thought was quickly overshadowed by Sagarmatha’s last words.
“Just one last thing.”
“With a hand on Mom, you’re a goner.”
Her words were as emotionless as a robot’s.
As if it were the simplest thing in the world.
With that icy message left hanging in the air, Sagarmatha quietly bolted.
So, in the temporary space created for Baal’s tests, only the weary Baal was left behind.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
I effortlessly drifted through space and stepped out into the vast sky.
Alright, let’s create the world of the gods now.
Having gathered some experience while creating a paradise, I’ll tap into that knowledge to whip up a space where the gods can chill.
The reason for crafting the world of the gods separately from the existing space is that gods, having stronger powers than humans, could wreak havoc if things go awry, so isolating them serves to keep things orderly and easy to manage.
Plus, if there are squabbles among the gods, it’s best if it doesn’t ripple into the human realm. Isolation just makes sense!
Hmm. Let’s start with a name.
A space where countless gods will reside… a temple… Oh, since all those gods will be gathered here, a Pantheon sounds fitting, right?
Since countless deities will flip on in, we need to build it big, grand, and super flashy.
“Um, excuse me…”
“Huh?”
I just popped into the sky where no other kids were, but I heard a voice from behind me.
“Umm, where is this place…?”
A faint voice, sounding like it was about to disappear into thin air. I turned around.
“Uh, I kind of… followed you.”
Nyx was clinging to my back.
“When did you start sticking to me?”
“Right after you set me down… I just felt more comfortable like this…”
Ah, this kid. The goddess of shadows.
I was deep in my thoughts, and I didn’t even realize she was glued to my back. Talk about rock-solid stealth skills!
“Alright. Since I’ve got stuff to do, could you peel away from me?”
“Ah, um… if it’s okay, can I stay like this for a bit?”
Stay like this? On my back?
“I don’t really mind, but is that safe?”
“Yeah, I think so! If I don’t actively try to fall off, I can just remain like this! I’ll behave!”
Hmmm… as long as she doesn’t mess with my work… I suppose it’s okay for her to stick around.
“Fine, but just stay out of my way while I work.”
“Okay!”
So, with Nyx sticking to my back, I kickstarted the creation of a world for the gods.
Right, unlike the paradise where the humans who passed the judgment head to, this will be the realm for the gods. I’ll set the entrance high in the sky.
The godly realm… hmm, the first image that pops into my head is something like Olympus, Asgard, or the Celestial Realm.
Since it’s where the gods chill, it should be clearly different from the lower realm where humans reside.
What vibe should I go for? A world floating above the clouds? A place accessed via a rainbow bridge? Or maybe a mountain reaching into the sky… oh wait, that’s supposed to be Sagarmatha now, isn’t it? Scratch that!
Alright, let’s go with the primary concept of a world above the clouds.
You know, like one of those floating sky islands from a shonen anime! A world made on clouds so solid you can actually walk on them.
Oh, and I’ll make sure the entrance isn’t easy to access, only opening a couple of times a day, maybe during the transition from day to night.
Yes! An invisible door that opens at dawn and dusk, linking the divine realm with the human world. Sounds pretty rad, right?
I mean, it’s highly unlikely a human would try to soar into the world of the gods. Maybe a dragon could manage it, but dragons are pretty good at listening to me, so no worries there!
Speaking of which, newly born gods and dragons—who do you think is stronger? Individuals seems to hint that dragons have a bit of an edge, but then again…*sigh*
Whatever, it’s not like gods and dragons are going to duke it out over this!
With these random musings, I brought the sky world into existence. At its center, I erected a massive marble temple. I’ll take cues from Greek temples for this one.
A temple made of pure white marble. Starting with massive columns on the outside, I built towering walls inside to create this grand temple.
That dazzling temple, crafted from snow-white marble, was even more radiant under the sky’s light.
Throw on the triangular roof, and bam! The building is officially done! I based the basic design on the Parthenon in Greece.
I didn’t adorn the temple’s exterior with any sculptures or reliefs, but honestly, it looks pretty impressive just the way it is.
Now, for the interior… I’ll just set up a reception hall where you’ll face the divine throne right as you walk in.
As for the rest, I’ll leave a bunch of empty rooms for Baal to rearrange as he wishes. Just a huge throne remains as a placeholder.
And so, the first temple of the Pantheon, the Temple of the Sky, has been completed, with only the reception hall being present.
The rest of the construction will be up to whatever Baal dreams up! Let’s leave it as is!
Oh, and I just thought, should I make myself a temple too? Hmmm… Sounds like a hassle…
But hey, it can’t hurt to have a temple prepared. I’ll make a smaller one than Baal’s, just to have something.
Not like I’ll be living there! Just a little something that fits the bill.
I can always upscale it if the need arises later! For now, small temple it is!
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
