Chapter: 195
The abode of the gods: the Pantheon.
Upon passing through the entrance guarded by Sirius, the massive wolf-headed deity, I arrived in a world high above the clouds.
“These days, it’s tough to accumulate faith unless you’re part of a major faction.”
“True, but not all gods belong to a faction. The Great Mother of Life, for instance, has been solo all this time.”
“Well, we should exclude her! But the other ancient gods have connections with various powers.”
“That may be so….”
“That’s why, dear friend, it’s crucial to have a backing force to support you. Consider this heartfelt advice.”
Two gods were engaged in a conversation, resembling humans in both form and speech; they passed by just like individuals struggling through their daily lives.
“I find it increasingly difficult to gather faith lately. What’s going on?”
“Is that how you feel? My numbers have been dwindling too. What’s the deal here?”
They exchanged concerns just like humans who were barely scraping by, which, considering that these gods were born from humanity’s beliefs, only seemed natural.
“Ooh, this is… high-purity mithril! I wonder how extraordinary an artifact I could create with it! How much faith would it cost to acquire?”
“That’s not for sale.”
“What? Why not? A treasure like this surely deserves a price!”
“I purposed it for my own use, so it’s not for sale. Forget about that mithril, or you’d best clear out.”
“Geez… you really have a nasty disposition. No wonder you’re shunned even within Olympus. Tsk.”
Watching as they treated faith like currency in their transactions, I thought maybe this dynamic wasn’t so bad after all, but then I remembered the troublemakers who had opporated against Baal, and it made my blood boil just a bit.
Anyway, let’s head to Baal’s temple—one that currently has no owner.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
At the center of the Pantheon stood Baal’s temple.
This grand edifice, despite its emptiness, still gleamed with vibrancy as if nothing were amiss.
Except for the one deity hollering at the entrance!
A handsome young god with golden hair was engaged in a scuffle at the entrance of Baal’s temple.
“Why can’t I go in?!”
“Because you can’t.”
“But why?! This temple doesn’t have an owner anymore!”
“Exactly! So that’s all the more reason no one can enter.”
The other party in this tiff was a raven-haired goddess—Nyx.
“You are not Baal; you’re just one of his fragments.”
“But even a fragment can be considered the same entity, right? It’s just like how a person’s body can still be as long as a piece remains. I am a part of Baal!”
“What nonsense! How dare you speak like that?”
Nyx glared daggers at the golden-haired god, causing him to take a step back.
“I’m not scared of that look! When you’re losing most of your faith, you should have joined Olympus ages ago!”
“I will not associate with a bunch of fools like that, so clear out before I use force to drive you off.”
Hmm. Indeed. Indeed. I see how it is.
For now, let’s just deal with this situation.
No, is killing too extreme? Hmm, perhaps it’s a bit rash. But I can’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance.
“Hey.”
“Huh? Who do you think you are….”
I approached the golden-haired god from behind and spoke.
“I find that face quite unappealing.”
With a casual flick of my hand, I decapitated the young god.
His head flew off, and the headless body toppled backward in a feeble manner.
The other deities watching the squabble between Nyx and the golden-haired god could only stare in dumbfounded shock.
And then…
“AAAAAAHHHH!!!”
“What, what?! The leader of Olympus?!”
“No, who is that little god?! What on earth?!”
Ugh. Such noise!
“Silence.”
With a low command, I dominated the surrounding space, and only then did the clamor quiet down.
Much better.
“Nyx.”
“Oh, uh….”
“Nyx.”
“You’ve returned….”
“Yes. Here I am.”
Upon seeing me, Nyx’s dark eyes seemed to glisten, almost on the verge of tears.
Has she been feeling this anguish since Baal stepped into the afterlife? The moment she laid eyes on me, her expression turned watery.
“First, let’s talk later.”
I gestured lightly toward the head rolling on the ground, and with a wave of magic, it floated up and landed gently in my palm.
Even though the head and body had separated, the expression on the face still appeared very much alive… so it seems gods don’t just die that easily.
In that case, would completely obliterating the physical form be the key to death?
Well, I’ll figure that out later.
I tossed the head lightly, and it stuck back to the neck as if it were being attached by someone else.
“That fool is supposed to be a fragment of Baal? He doesn’t resemble him at all.”
“Right? Not at all.”
Baal was a refreshing boy to look at; he was nothing like that greasy, smarmy god.
“Ugh, khk!”
The shock of the decapitation must have hit hard, as the golden-haired god began coughing repeatedly and touching his neck in disbelief.
Hmm. That must be a first for him. Honestly, who can chop off a god’s head?
“Know your place and act accordingly, foolish one.”
“Kuh, kuhh…! Who are you?!”
Oh ho, he recognized me?
No, as a fragment of Baal, he might have some recollection of me since he’s a being connected to Baal.
If that’s the case, this conversation should go smoothly.
“Scram.”
With a single low word, the golden-haired god fell silent and slowly began to retreat.
“Hmph. What a pathetic creature.”
“Anyone would shrink before someone who could easily behead a divine being like you.”
That’s… fair enough.
Then, shall we step inside? I should consider the other gods’ gazes as well.
At that moment.
“The incident occurred here…. Ah!”
“Hm? Oh, Sylphid.”
Sylphid, appearing with the wind, glanced back and forth between Nyx and me, utterly taken aback.
Perfect timing. I needed to find the others, and relaying this through Sylphid would make things simpler.
Excluding the light itself, Shammash, the fastest among my kids, was Sylphid.
“Let’s head inside for now.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Wait a moment! I’ll disperse the other gods! I was shocked and rushed here thinking something terrible had happened, but… you’re fine!”
“I didn’t kill him. I merely separated his head and body.”
“That’s the same! For an ordinary god, this is a big deal! Thankfully, it’s a high-tier god who can handle such a situation.”
Hmm? Oh. So that means it’s not the same as taking damage outright?
After observing Sylphid as she dispersed the other gods nearby, we made our way into Baal’s temple.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“You plan to reduce the number of gods…?”
“Yes. Well, they may dwindle naturally over time, but a lot is bound to happen during that period.”
With Baal gone, there’s no one to regulate relationships among the gods, and it wouldn’t be surprising if those obsessed with accumulating faith sparked a war.
Those humans caught in the crossfire would, like shrimp caught between whales fighting, suffer greatly.
“Talking about reducing the number of gods is an extreme measure.”
“That may be true, but now that Baal is down, we can’t just leave things be.”
“Quite right. Additionally, there are those who want to claim Baal’s position for themselves… we can’t just let that slide.”
“Like that previous fool?”
“Yes. Like Zeus, that dimwit.”
How surprising. Upon learning that the head of Olympus was indeed Zeus, my expectations were met.
If a fool like that is at the helm, it gives insight into the standards of Olympus.
“But, but… if you’re reducing the number of gods… what about us…?”
“Hm. Do you think I would harm you?”
At my words, Sylphid’s expression brightened immediately.
“Absolutely, right? Then, ah, but not all gods cause issues. Uh, um….”
Sylphid began shaking her head vigorously, deep in thought about the dilemma.
Well, my kids are gods, so naturally, they would have connections with the others.
Some of them might even have become quite friendly.
So, no wonder she’s hesitating after hearing what I said.
“I won’t annihilate all gods. We’ll simply bring their number down to a manageable level.”
“Still, um… Mom. Do you have a list of gods you plan to handle?”
“No, not yet.”
Although I have a list of all gods rattled out in my head.
A never-ending roll of gods piled up like a scroll.
“If that’s the case… how about making a curated list of gods to save or eliminate?”
“A curated list?”
“Yes. Not all gods are bad; some could actually be helpful. Frankly, I wouldn’t mind leaving them alone, but since you’ve made this decision, there must be a reason behind it.”
A reason. A reason, you say.
Well… I’m simply angry because they defied the king I appointed, aspired to that position, and messed up the situation related to Baal.
That’s all there is to it. Nothing beyond that.
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