Conversing with the Gods & Awakening

How should I explain it? I racked my brain. I needed to help them understand the situation from my and Lord Ferdinand’s perspective, without denying the gods’ point of view.

”…If one knows the gods’ perspective, then even from a human point of view, I agree that Lord Ferdinand may seem high-handed. However, I did not know there was a way to restore her thread, or that Lady Rozemyne was gathering materials for that purpose. Could it be that Lord Ferdinand is unaware of this as well? Did the gods not inform him of these circumstances beforehand?”

If a message had been given when the Zent made her inquiry at the Garden of Beginnings, Lord Ferdinand most likely wouldn’t have gone so far as to have me summon the goddess just to investigate the situation.

“They didn’t go out of their way to inform him. Among the gods, the prevailing opinion is to leave a person with a severed thread to their fate. Especially since Ferdinand tends to do things that could be seen as picking fights with the gods, there’s a high chance that too much involvement with him would lead to complications…”

Ahh… Ventuhite the Goddess of Weaving, let out a sigh, looking kind of troubled.

…Lord Ferdinand picked a fight with the gods!? Please wait a moment. I haven’t heard anything about this!

There had to be a limit to how much one could smooth things over while knowing nothing. Just what had Lord Ferdinand done to the gods? I wanted to know—but at the same time, I really didn’t.

“Would something inconvenient happen for you mortals if you didn’t know our side of the story?”

“If one doesn’t know the circumstances or that it’s an act of divine grace, it can seem as though Lady Rozemyne is being unjustly kept in the world of the gods, even after finishing repairing the threads. Not just Lord Ferdinand—I myself was also puzzled as to why Lady Rozemyne hadn’t returned after completing her task.”

When I earnestly defended Lord Ferdinand, Liebeskhilfe the Goddess of Binding, gave a soft “Hmm, is that so?” as if she were somewhat convinced. I nodded vigorously in response.

“That’s right. It’s possible that Lord Ferdinand doesn’t fully understand the circumstances—that his thread was cut, or that Lady Rozemyne’s thread was used to reconnect it. I hope Lady Letizia or Her Majesty the Zent managed to tell him something, but I… I didn’t have the chance to speak with him at length.”

At that meeting, Lord Ferdinand only questioned me about what I had wished for from the goddess and then offered his assistance. He was focused solely on fulfilling the task given in the Garden of Beginnings.

“It’s his fault for not asking properly,” the goddess said. “Besides, that man always rushes headlong down the shortest path, doesn’t he? I do wish he’d take things a bit more leisurely.”

“Ferdinand is far too cautious,” the goddess continued. “Because he’s capable of solving things on his own, he tends to reject or neglect help from others…”

Listening to the goddesses, even someone as frighteningly capable as Lord Ferdinand was starting to sound like a problem child.

…No, on second thought, picking a fight with the gods is undeniably problematic behavior.

Even so, from a human perspective, I thought Lord Ferdinand’s actions followed a certain logic. At the same time, if he were made aware of the gods’ circumstances, I believed he would be able to take those into account when making decisions.

“I do not know much about Lord Ferdinand’s situation, but if he knew the gods’ circumstances, I don’t think he would demand Lady Rozemyne’s immediate return.”

“Is that why Dregarnuhr said it would be better to speak with him directly—because she could foresee this?”

“She’s bound to snap at him like she’s biting his head off.”

It seemed that the Dregarnuhr, the Goddess of Time, had descended in order to speak with him directly—whether it would be better to return Lady Rozemyne immediately even if it meant losing her reward, or to have her bring back the gathered materials.

…In that case, the rest would depend on Lord Ferdinand’s decision.

That was all the defense I could offer. However, if Lord Ferdinand knew that Lady Rozemyne’s thread had been used to reconnect his severed one—and that there was a way to restore it—I was sure he would not insist on having her returned immediately.

“Has Dregarnuhr already left?”

Startled by the sudden male voice, I turned around to find Sterrat the God of Stars, standing there.

“Oh, Sterrat. Did the other gods agree?”

“For the most part. They were quite reluctant, but in exchange for atoning for that blunder, they’ve agreed to overlook it—so long as the girl gathers the materials alone.”

I didn’t fully understand the meaning behind the gods’ conversation, but when it came to a girl currently gathering materials, the only one who came to mind was Lady Rozemyne.

“Um, might there be a problem with the materials Lady Rozemyne is gathering?”

“Some of the gods take no issue with the damage done to the thread of fate, but they object to repairing it. Even though touching the thread is the same in either case… You’d think the beauty of the pattern that can be woven is more important than the fate of a single thread, wouldn’t you?”

Ventuhite sighed in frustration as she gazed down at the thread in her hand. I glanced around uncertainly, unsure whether I should agree or not. As a mere human, I couldn’t help but hope that the gods would care not only for the beauty of the tapestry they wove, but also for the fate of each individual thread.

“This isn’t something for you to worry about, Hannelore,” said Liebeskhilfe “The gods already burdened Rozemyne—letting this much slide doesn’t even begin to balance the scales. The negotiations weren’t all that difficult, were they, Sterrat?”

It seems that Lady Rozemyne has been considerably troubled by the gods. I want to ask for details—but something tells me that once I know, there will be no going back. I glance away, quietly holding my breath, doing my best to blend into the background.

“As a god, I would appreciate it if others cared a bit more,” grumbled Sterrat. “Especially you, Liebeskhilfe. If you’re going to say the negotiations were easy, perhaps next time you can handle them instead of sending me as the messenger.”

As I watched the weary expression on the face of Sterrat, Liebeskhilfe let out a delighted, almost mischievous laugh.

“Fufu, it was Ventuhite who asked Sterrat, after all. As payment for the negotiation, I offer up Ventuhite’s legs.”

…Could it be that Ventuhite, despite her gentle and serene appearance, is surprisingly adept at delivering kicks?

I couldn’t quite grasp the value of this “offering of a lap” that was said to be compensation for the negotiations, and inwardly tilted my head in confusion. Even the God of Stars, Sterrat, looked puzzled, his brows furrowed.

Then, with a gentle smile, the Goddess of Weaving beamed up at him and patted her thigh with a soft tap-tap, saying, “Sterrat, would you like to rest for a bit?”

“H-huh!?”

I had tried my best to stay unnoticed, yet the sheer unexpected direction of this “offering of a lap” caught me so completely off guard that I accidentally let out a sound. My voice, faint as it was, drew the attention of the gods, and I suddenly found myself at the center of their gazes with no place to hide.

Just as I was floundering in discomfort, Sterrat cleared his throat and let out a sigh.

“My compensation can come later. More importantly—Hannelore, did you properly receive compensation from Ferdinand?”

Realizing he had changed the subject to help me, I nodded several times, filled with the urge to offer my prayers and thanks to Sterrat the God of Stars.

“Yes. Thanks to Lord Ferdinand’s advice, a path has opened to allow Kenntrips to participate in the bride-stealing ditter.”

When I explained what I had asked Lord Ferdinand for in return, the Liebeskhilfe widened her eyes in surprise.

“Oh my, is that what you wished for? Compared to your previous wish, it’s rather adorable,” Ventuhite said.

“What’s the harm, Ventuhite? When a god decides to grant a wish, things just get a bit bigger, don’t they?”

…Um, when gods say “just a bit,” exactly how large-scale is that to them?

It seems I’m not the only one who finds the goddess’s casual “just a bit” difficult to trust—Sterrat also muttered, “Will it really be just a bit…?” With how things were turning out, it almost felt like receiving help from Lord Ferdinand instead of the gods had somehow led to protecting all of Yurgenschmidt.

“Lord Ferdinand’s aid is more than enough to grant my wish. But without the divine message, that wish could never have come true. I am truly grateful to you for calling upon him to help.”

There’s no telling what else the gods’ goodwill might affect. I do my best to express that no further help is necessary.

“It’s quite alright. Last time, we borrowed your body for our own reasons, so we offered our thanks ourselves. But this time, you’re being caught up in something because of Ferdinand’s request. That means he has to pay the price himself.”

When the goddess Liebeskhilfe casually waved a hand and said, “So, no divine reward this time,” Ventuhite looked at me with a slightly apologetic smile.

“There’s also the fact that Rozemyne has already finished repairing the thread. Even if you were to ask to return to the past again as thanks for lending your body, we wouldn’t be able to grant it. After all, it would be troublesome if the pattern we’ve finally managed to mend so beautifully were to change again, wouldn’t it?”

I recalled how, as thanks last time, I had asked to go back to the world of one year ago. If that wish had truly been granted, just how many people would have been affected? Now, the sheer recklessness and ignorance of my past self struck me hard. I was deeply relieved that it had ended with me simply gaining insight—without altering history in any way.

“I apologize for making such an unreasonable request at the time. I will never again wish for something that could alter history.”

“It didn’t change anything in the end, so don’t worry about it.”

“Liebeskhilfe, please do show at least a little concern.”

Just as the Goddess of Weaving gently chided the Goddess of Binding, Dregarnuhr the Goddess of Time, returned.

“Welcome back, Dregarnuhr. Did that man finally understand?”

“Yes. He says he’ll quietly wait for Rozemyne’s return from now on.”

“So he really chose to wait, just as Hannelore said he would.”

Libezukhulfe’s voice brimmed with surprise, but to me, it didn’t seem like something so unexpected. I couldn’t help but wonder—just what kind of existence is Lord Ferdinand to the goddess?

“He said all sorts of rebellious things, but when I explained that the root of the issue lay with him, and spoke of Rozemyne’s devotion, he agreed to allow the replenishment of the thread of fate.”

“Hmph, I thought he’d say something unnecessary or throw a fit…”

While I felt that Liebeskhilfe’s impression of Lord Ferdinand was far too harsh, I couldn’t help but recall how he had forced the Zent’s hand and swept me off to the gazebo without leaving room for protest. Remembering that, I also found myself thinking, Well… he does have that side to him.

“For now, I’ve instructed him to create a marker that will guide Rozemyne back, not to the gazebo, but to Ferdinand,” Dregarnuhr noted. “He should be able to stay quiet until the marker is complete.”

It seemed that after speaking with the Goddess, Lord Ferdinand had decided to wait for Lady Rozemyne’s return. I was quite relieved—if he remained occupied for a while, perhaps I wouldn’t be summoned away from my classes by the Zent again.

“Hannelore, as I told you before, it is not ideal to remain separated from your body for too long, you should return soon.”

“I understand.”

Prompted by the Goddess of Time, I rose to my feet. The Goddess of Weaving, gave me a gentle smile and waved her hand gracefully—the light of blessing rained softly down upon me.

“We thank you for your cooperation.”

“And from me,” added the Goddess of Binding, “a blessing for your choices. You’re still entangled in a few troublesome fates—so be sure to sever or distance yourself from them by your own strength. I’ll be watching with interest.”

…Um, so the blessing is merely for my choices, and not to drive away any ill-fated ties on my behalf.

Feeling a twinge of unease at being treated like a source of amusement, I released a gentle stream of mana as a parting gesture, much like offering a respectful bow.

“I offer my heartfelt gratitude for your efforts in restoring history, for replenishing Lady Rozemyne’s thread, and—above all—for watching over us.”

As my vision slowly turned white and voices began to fade into the haze, the voice of the God of Stars echoed clearly.

“Ah, one more thing. A warning. It seems someone is scheming to disrupt your ditter match—a match that offers much prayer and gratitude to the gods. The other male gods were rather irritated by it.”

To me, this is far more urgent than defending Lord Ferdinand. It’s a matter deeply tied to Dunkelfelger. And if the male gods are angered, then it must be a truly serious matter.

…Sterrat, why would you wait until now to tell me such a thing!? Details! Please, tell me the details!

When I came to, I was once again immersed in a blue liquid. It was the familiar bath in my chambers. Just like the last time I was possessed by the goddess, it seemed I had been placed in a jureve. The only difference this time was that it wasn’t Cordula by my side, but Andrea.

“Eh? Eh? Lady Hannelore? Already?”

I remained floating in the jureve as I looked over at Andrea, who was staring at me in wide-eyed surprise. It seemed I had woken up far earlier than anyone had expected.

”…Where is Cordula?”

I sat up in the tub on my own and asked my question. Andrea, flustered, immediately summoned an ordonnanz.

“I’ll call her right away… Cordula, Lady Hannelore has awakened!”

It wouldn’t be easy to talk things through properly while sitting like this. I rose from the tub filled with the blue liquid.

“Andrea, please cast waschen to wash off the jureve. Then help me change.”

“Understood… waschen.”

Cordula came hurrying in just as I finished cleansing myself with waschen and began changing outside the bath.

“Lady Hannelore, you’ve awoken in only three days—this is much earlier than last time. I didn’t expect such a difference.”

“Truly. I wonder what the reason for the difference is?”

As I pondered what might have been different from last time, Andrea let out a small “Ah.”

“Perhaps it’s because you didn’t have to wait for Lady Rozemyne this time? Maybe you spent less time in the world of the gods, and the divine power feels weaker than before.”

“I can’t sense the gods’ power myself, so I wouldn’t know… but that does seem possible.”

…The biggest difference from last time was probably that I went to the world of one year ago.

That, I believe, was when I was most deeply affected by the gods’ power. Still, since I haven’t spoken of that time to anyone besides Kenntrips, I’ll keep it to myself.

“I’m relieved it was over quickly this time. If I had remained unconscious for another ten days, I might not have been able to finish my lectures.”

At Andrea’s soft giggle, she’d spread out my clothing, and Cordula let out a breath as she began dressing me.

“Milady, whatever happened to cause the goddess to descend once again?”

As I tilted my head slightly, unsure of how to explain it all, I asked, ”…Did Zent Eglantine or Kenntrips, who were there at the time, not explain anything?”

“‘The goddess descended once again’… That much we were told,” Cordula said. According to her, they had been waiting quietly in the designated waiting room when Kenntrips was summoned, and then there was no word for quite a while.

“Just as some began to suggest that perhaps it was time to go check on things, an ordonnanz came flying in from Kenntrips,” she added.

Almost at the same time as Kenntrips’s ordonnanz arrived, a retainer of the Zent came to the waiting room and called them into the room where the discussion had taken place, Cordula explained.

“When we entered the Zent’s reception room, I saw you, milady, unconscious in Kenntrips’ arms. The Zent then informed us that Dregarnuhr the Goddess of Time, had once again descended upon you,” she said.

…So they brought my unconscious body back to the Royal Palace and made it seem as though the goddess’s descent had occurred during the meeting.

Also, Lord Ferdinand hasn’t come up at all in Cordula’s account. I was so surprised to see him there, so if Cordula had seen him too, she surely would have mentioned it.

…Come to think of it, Lord Ferdinand did say that it wouldn’t be ideal for him to be in the Royal Academy during this time of year, didn’t he?

I was summoned during class to avoid drawing attention. Lord Ferdinand must have left before Cordula and the others were brought in. He truly does conduct matters with the utmost secrecy.

“There weren’t even any of the Zent’s retainers present—it was a situation with no witnesses at all. If not for Kenntrips being there, people might have suspected the Zent of harming you, Lady Hannelore.”

Royals and archducal families bring their retainers not only for protection, but also to ensure a third party is present who can testify to what occurred.

“It seems Kenntrips has also been ordered to remain silent by the Zent. He hasn’t said a word about the purpose of the goddess’s descent.”

I don’t know what the Goddess of Time said to Lord Ferdinand, but at least half of what I discussed with the gods was made up of harsh criticism toward him—and my attempts to defend him. There’s no way I could talk about it.

”…In that case, I suppose I shouldn’t speak carelessly about the goddess’s descent either. How many people know of her return?”

“If the Zent hasn’t spread the word herself, then likely only her retainers and a few from Dunkelfelger know.”

It seemed no one beyond the bare minimum had been informed. That explained why, unlike last time, my retainers hadn’t been split into factions or caused a commotion within the dormitory—and why no trouble had spread to other duchies. This truly impressed upon me how vital it was to keep problematic matters concealed and to work behind the scenes.

“Cordula, have you reported to Father…?”

“Of course I did, but aside from the fact that milady lost consciousness after the goddess descended again, I had hardly any useful information to give. The Aub was quite at a loss. He said, ‘At least explain everything before losing consciousness.’”

Even I had been swept along to the gazebo under the smiling pressure of Lord Ferdinand, which allowed no room for argument. There was no way I could have explained everything in advance.

“Please, don’t ask the impossible.”

“Can you blame him? The goddess descended again just after the jureve was prepared—it’s like the gods had planned it all along.”

…Surely even Lord Ferdinand didn’t time his arrival with the completion of my jureve.

“Send word to the duchy that I’ve awoken. And summon Kenntrips, please.”

“You can’t summon him to your chambers, you know?”

At Andrea’s wide-eyed comment, I froze in realization. That’s right—unlike last time, there were eyes on us now.

“Andrea, that means you should prepare the meeting room and summon him there,” Cordula said smoothly. “Milady is well aware she cannot summon Lord Kenntrips to her private chambers.”

Not a hint of the fact that he had been secretly summoned here before crossed her face, as Cordula gave her orders with perfect composure.

“Ah, this is something I still need to consult with the Zent about, and it’s a matter that deeply concerns Dunkelfelger—so please report it to Father. I received a warning from the gods. Apparently, there is someone plotting to disrupt the ditter match that is also considered an offering to the gods.”

”…Milady?”

Cordula gave me a chilling smile—the kind she wears when she’s about to scold me for not explaining enough. But I had only been told right as I was leaving the world of the gods; I truly know nothing more.

“I don’t know the details either. They didn’t explain.”