Chapter: 273
Time keeps ticking away.
As decades pass by, Arthur, now seated on the emperor’s throne, still governs the nation with a youthful appearance.
When he wraps up state affairs and takes a break, I wish he’d just stop heading over to that little house he built in the garden!
Well, aside from those strange habits, he’s actually a good emperor managing the country well.
If there’s a downside, it’s his lack of an empress.
Even after so many years, that resolve hasn’t changed. A certain noble who attempted to make his daughter the empress found himself forced to choose between having his entire clan executed or committing suicide when his plot was uncovered by Arthur.
Let’s gloss over the rumors about the only woman Arthur ever loved. Yeah.
It seems the courtiers also realized it was futile to expect Arthur to have an heir, and started forging connections with collateral branches of the royal family.
Of course, given that there was a precedent with Arthur’s uncle, these were probably just private meetings—not official relationships.
Let’s sidestep to ponder how Arthur’s subjects are likely struggling…
Moving on to Vivi. Vivi, the Dragon Priestess.
Over the decades, Vivi has served valiantly as a Dragon Priestess.
She’s managed the Church of Life, aided the citizens, exercised influence, and occasionally pulled the reins, controlling the Church of Life when it threatened to run amok.
By chance, Vivi encountered a wonderful person.
Love blossomed after receiving ten years’ worth of fervent affection from a young child she’d assisted during volunteer work at the Church of Life.
However, Vivi is the Dragon Priestess. She’s the saint of the Church of Life, the only one who can hear the Goddess of Life’s voice.
Thinking that she couldn’t possibly indulge in love while serving as the Dragon Priestess… After consulting with me, she decided to step down from her role.
Naturally, there was quite the uproar in the Church of Life, but hey, it all worked out somehow!
With Arthur’s support, Vivi’s unwavering will, and a revelation I bestowed upon her… Vivi managed to relinquish her title as Dragon Priestess and live a normal life as a human.
There was also Vivi’s lover… her husband, Ai, who cherished having Vivi—now just an ordinary person—by his side even more than the Dragon Priestess herself. Thanks to that, Vivi achieved a life filled with happiness.
That concludes the tale of Vivi and her husband. Even if she’s no longer the Dragon Priestess, Vivi remains the emperor’s sister. She can lead a life without any lacks. She’ll manage just fine.
However, Arthur took it upon himself to appoint Vivi’s son as crown prince, which sparked a bit of a dispute between Vivi and himself… But well, that’s just a minor family issue.
This incident made those with ties to the imperial family’s collateral branches, potentially next in line for the throne, taste a bit of bitterness. What’s it to me?
In any case, I granted special blessings to Vivi’s son at birth. No doubt he’ll grow up healthy.
And that wraps up the stories of Arthur and Vivi.
Next up is the Lizardman.
Through their deal with water spirits, the Lizardmen have begun to expand their range and explore new territories.
Thanks to their ability to move beyond the damp environments, several Lizardman merchants that couldn’t exist before are popping up.
Some of them have settled in places along riverbanks, leading to the gradual spread of the Lizardmen, who once lingered mainly in wetlands.
This has resulted in the rumors about the Lizardmen slowly leaking into the ears of ordinary folks, outside of just traders or those with knowledge of other races.
Sure, they look drastically different from existing races, so there’s a bit of pushback from those races, but their incredible strength and physical prowess earned them respect nonetheless.
Anyone who witnesses a Lizardman take down a monster bare-handed, with enough brawn to rip it apart by the snout, can’t help but respect them.
Also, it seems just as fortunate that Lizardmen have a generally good-natured disposition. Yeah.
Anyway, in this fashion, the Lizardmen began to spread out, bit by bit, across the world.
So, what shall I explain next?
Beastmen? They’re managing to get along just fine. Sure, conflicts might arise from racial differences, but it ought to be manageable. Just like beastmen, who are all individuals and somewhat scattered, if a minor spat erupts, they merely roll with it.
Feels a bit late to be dredging up species issues now, huh?
Giants are just being giants, and mermaids are still out of reach since their sailing skills haven’t yet landed in the distant oceans.
Alright then. If it’s at this point… Is it okay for me to drift off to sleep? Can I really sleep now?
The gods are mostly prancing about for leisure lately without stirring up much trouble, monsters aren’t showing any major issues, and goblins are being handled by the kids living above ground. At most, a couple of orcs pop up here and there.
So, I can actually take a break, right? Right?? Some gods have been asking me to add more functions to LD, so I’ve been gradually enhancing it, but Sandalphon and other angels keep dropping by the temple! Sometimes I have to scold Asherit for being addicted to LD and drag her out!
Can I genuinely rest?!
There were definitely moments when I thought…
“Oh Mother! Please lend me your wisdom!”
“Sure, Mom. Help me out.”
What interrupted my much-needed rest was… Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha showing up.
No way, what’s going on? Does this mean you two are here because of something concerning elves and dwarves? What trouble are those two races stirring up now?
“What’s happening?”
I stifled the peculiar annoyance bubbling from my interrupted rest and addressed the two kids.
“How can I ensure my kids thrive in such a vast world?”
“I want to make the dwarves independent soon. Please help.”
They were two children bringing forth almost similar but oddly different tales.
Yggdrasil wants to ensure the elves thrive, while Sagarmatha wishes for the dwarves’ independence.
What a troublesome pair of kids.
“The elf kids don’t seem keen on leaving the forests around me. Sure, I manage the forest’s environment so the elves don’t go hungry…
but the resources available from the forest are limited. Moreover, the kids treat trees like their own bodies, refusing to cut them down.
How can I help these children survive outside the forest?”
“Dwarves just dig down the mountain. They don’t venture elsewhere. It’s troubling. How many mountains exist in this world?”
So, the crux of the issue is that they both want to send their respective kids out into the world.
Well, aside from a few oddballs and those tussling on Betelgeuse, elves and dwarves don’t really roam much.
You could say they’re akin to hikikomori, hunkering down at home and not stepping outside.
“In the end, you both wish for your children to spread out into the world.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Yeah. I hope so too.”
I nodded slightly at the words from both kids.
Independence. It’s a double-edged sword. When children grow and gain independence, it’s a cause for celebration, yet there’s also that tinge of regret.
Are these two children prepared to accept such a reality?
Well, they’ve probably contemplated it somewhat, having come here to seek my help.
But…
“I think the assistance I can offer is merely some simple advice.”
The matters concerning the races the two children care for. This is something I mustn’t interfere with directly.
What I can provide is limited to advice. Just some helpful words for the two of them.
“That’s enough. Mother has knowledge we’re lacking.”
“Yeah. No objections here.”
Even with my words, the two kids seemed intent on accepting my help wholeheartedly.
If they trust me this much, I can defer my break for a bit to help them out.
Let’s see… Their intentions vary slightly, but their end goal aligns.
Both desire for elves and dwarves to venture out into the world.
If that’s their goal, this is simple.
“If you two command your respective races, that’ll be easily accomplished.”
Elves and dwarves are quite subservient to their racial gods.
Yggdrasil, who has safeguarded the elves’ ancestors since time immemorial, and Sagarmatha, who had originally been angered by dwarven ancients digging into her, ultimately embraced them.
The influence both possess over their races is, therefore, absolute.
It’s a matter of giving instructions, straightforward as pie.
“Hmm… That feels a bit. Like I’m pushing them away… Ideally, I want the children to naturally step out from under my shadow.”
“Me too… I don’t relish the idea of shattering my image as a taciturn deity.”
No, I’d say Sagarmatha is pretty taciturn already.
They seem to shy away from the easiest solution. What difficult kids.
“Isn’t there an alternative? A way to achieve this without coming off as sending them off…?”
“Please, Mom.”
The two children unleashed their ‘please, Mom’ gaze attack! A critical hit straight to this mother’s heart!
Although they appear as older kids, this plea displays such vulnerability. Seriously.
“Hmm… then…”
I really don’t want to directly address the kids I’m looking after. Yet, I also want to help send each race off to different places. It’s a tricky balancing act.
If I can’t say it directly, perhaps encouraging them to part ways naturally is the better path. But if they leave on their own…
Then we’re talking about interfering with their individual free will!
Should I resort to the improved LD here…?
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