Those Three Women (?) Are Here (3)

“Hohohohoho.”

“Pff! Pff! Heh.”

The laughter of the two goddesses echoed in the Garden of the Gods.

Just listening to the laughter, it sounded somewhat poignant and purifying for the soul, but the situation wasn’t like that.

“Hey! Don’t laugh! Is this funny to you?”

“Of course it is. Kim Han, you actually have something you can’t do?”

“What are you talking about? I’m actually an average or below-average representative. Anyway, how do I pose and what do I say?”

For someone like me who hates anything that makes me cringe, the script Aetas handed me is really… I’d rather face a beast head-on.

“O merciful and beautiful god, your servant who loves you is here. Is this hard? Huh?”

“Are you seriously going to do it like that? Merciful? A god who wants to crush half the continent and punish mages, including the magic tower masters, with soul penalties? And a loving servant?! That’s hilarious! And what’s with the tone? Why is it so cringe-inducing that it makes me want to disappear? Is this for real?”

A complaint that wasn’t quite a complaint. We were rehearsing a play that would be performed in front of all the continent’s people and gods on the day of the incarnation.

“Hey! I’m Aetas! Aetas! It’s troublesome if you keep comparing me to Ister because of the pronunciation. Those perverts in the Holy Union who love wearing white clothes are even worse.”

“What nonsense… Sigh. Fine. I’ll do it! I’ll do it!!”

The frustration that would make me kick the blanket if I were in bed. But I have to do it. I’m playing the good cop role.

“O merciful and b-beautiful? God. Your s-servant who l-loves… Ah, screw it…! I won’t do it! Love, my foot.”

“Hehehe! Hahahahaha!!”

“Pff!”

The laughter of the two goddesses erupted once more. It evoked a scene of fairies flying over a meadow.

However,

“Agh! Ludicer! Just laugh! Aetas, you! Ah~! Come on!!”

—A conversation between two goddesses and their representative a week before the Trio Gods’ manifestation in the Garden of Gods.

The Wind Magic Tower, which focuses on learning and researching wind magic, historically had many female mages, along with the Water Magic Tower.

While the Water Magic Tower had many female mages due to its elemental properties, the Wind Magic Tower could be attributed to the yearning for freedom in women’s hearts.

Freedom.

It’s clear that the ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ is mainly ability-oriented.

Many women have advanced into society with outstanding talents and exceptional abilities.

Among them, there are not a few who hold more power and influence than men.

Nevertheless, almost all women living in this ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ long for freedom.

Yearning for something means it’s not easily obtainable, and that implies women are not free.

This statement seems contradictory to the aforementioned cases of successful women.

Most successful women belonged to the category of geniuses and came from prestigious or wealthy families.

The reason only such limited women can succeed.

It is because of the discrimination that stems from the imbalance of opportunities between men and women.

Even among children of noble families, there were hardly any parents who welcomed their daughters applying to knight academies, no matter how exceptional their talents were.

However, if it was a mage, the story changes.

Therefore, women with a talent for magic could fully blossom their abilities, and among them, the Wind Magic Tower provided a glimpse of the most coveted concept for women living in this world: the longing for freedom.

The current Master of the Wind Magic Tower, Lubeit, was one such woman.

She was selected at a young age by a distinguished elder of the Wind Magic Tower. Guided by the elder, who was impressed by her exceptional magical talent, she, a commoner, became affiliated with the Wind Magic Tower.

The problem was her talent. Her specialization in wind magic was so remarkable that the elders unanimously praised it as talent they had never seen before.

The wind that blows from nature, not magic. The ability to see the flow of air currents. That was her talent.

She fit the Wind Magic Tower better than anyone and grew stronger faster than anyone.

As she was rising to the position of master candidate of the Wind Tower, she met him at a gathering of candidates from each tower.

The candidate for the Black Magic Tower’s Master.

He was younger than her, yet incomparably stronger. His strength seemed to rival that of her mentor and the current master.

Shocked, Lubeit returned to the tower to inform the master of this fact.

The shocking truth she learned afterward.

In this continent, known as the ‘Battlefield of the Gods,’ the Darkness Empire was supported by demons and gods beneath them, and the reason the Black Magic Tower, receiving aid from that empire, was strong.

Enormous financial support, ancient circle magic formulas, and even elixir support was given to them.

Since then, Lubeit never became complacent. She reduced her sleep and worked tirelessly, often found collapsed from exhaustion. She continued to push herself to the brink.

Even after becoming the master, she never stopped her efforts.

However, the gap between her and that guy who became the master of the Black Tower remained unchanged. No, if she took her eyes off for even a moment, the distance would widen in an instant.

Lubeit was swept away by the flow of time, and she became an aged crone.

Feeling her stamina decline with age, just when she was about to half-give up, a piece of nearly 100% pure Mithril was placed in her hands.

100% pure Mithril. Just holding it felt like her mana was being purified.

The flow along her mana circuits felt vibrant, like in her younger days—no, even more lively.

‘What if I gathered more of this and made a magic staff? No, what if I made a robe out of this Mithril thread? Yes! What if I covered the entire training room with Mithril? Yes!’

The desire for strength slowly raised its head, jealousy towards the Black Tower Master, and the suppressed sense of defeat.

She tried to endure and be patient, but after just one, two, or three days, her desire consumed her and made her lose her reason.

A mage who had lost their reason.

Is there any existence more weak, irresponsible, and worthless than that? And is there any existence more dangerous?

Consumed by greed, she failed to recognize beings stronger than herself, and she forgot—no, ignored—the fact that she shouldn’t provoke them. Because she was the master of the Wind Magic Tower.

An existence that could occasionally act obstinately against a country or a coalition of holy armies. Because she was the owner of the Magic Tower!

However, the person Lubeit faced was not human. It was a representative of a god.

Foolish and reckless defiance led to her ruin.

Ruin eventually left her, stripped of all armaments, lying face down on the dirt as a criminal.

―The sin of the magic tower masters of the Five Towers cannot be cleansed alone. The Five Towers, their cause and effect are considered, and punishment is given. Above all, the tower masters and the mages who are members of the tower, and those employed by the tower, all face execution. After the God of Death passes them, a punishment of the soul is imposed.

Lubeit, with a sense of desperation, turned her gaze to the man she had attacked, the man who was the representative of a god, the man who had brought her to her knees in a single day.

However, even the man who was a representative of a god was trembling at the overwhelming presence emanating from the three gods.

As time passed and the murderous intent and resentment directed at her grew stronger, Lubeit regretted the past and shed tears of repentance.

If someone could save her in this situation, or at least the members of the Wind Magic Tower where she grew up, she vowed to become a soul’s slave for life for them.

“O merciful god, your representative is here.”

The voice of the man, who had just been trembling and had first instilled the fear of death in her, struck Lubeit not in her ears, but in her heart.

For reasons unknown, the moment she heard that voice, hope began to emerge.

Severus, the archbishop of the Holy Union, couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the sudden appearance of the three gods.

There had been no oracle from Amor, the God of Love and supreme god he served. This meant that this appearance was in accordance with a legitimate procedure.

What on earth could have happened for three gods to manifest? His heart began to pound wildly with inexplicable anxiety.

Seeing the pope, who was not acting befitting his position, only heightened his sense of unease.

―Not long ago, my representative was ambushed by the five magic tower masters of Exorsus.

At the words of the goddess standing at the forefront of the three gods, Severus felt as if his heart had stopped.

What kind of nonsense is this? If it were some thief from a rogue guild, or a street thug attacking out of ignorance, it would make sense.

But!

But the magic tower masters!

The masters of the magic towers receive thorough education on the representatives, the messengers of the gods, as part of their basic training.

This includes, of course, the period of apprenticeship.

“Th-that can’t be…”

―How dare you! Are you doubting the divine words?

“Ugh!”

The pope collapsed before his eyes.

Severus pinched his thigh, determined not to die here, and forced his trembling lips to speak.

“Wh-why on earth…?”

―They coveted the near-flawless Mithril Ingot that only my representative can produce.

At the flash of light, the sound of the pope’s last breath was heard. When the light faded and the pope’s figure was revealed, his heart had already stopped.

However, there was no time to worry about the pope.

He couldn’t stay here. His survival instincts warned him that this was a place of death.

Of course, the pope’s final words weren’t incomprehensible. It was just that hard to believe.

Could they have really ambushed a representative of a god for mere Mithril without losing their minds?

―The sins of the five magic tower masters cannot be cleansed alone. The five towers, considering their cause and effect, will be punished…

As expected! His instincts, always sending warnings, and his frantically beating heart had a reason for signaling that everything was at its worst.

Even the archbishop of the Holy Union couldn’t claim to be completely unrelated to them.

No, the position of an archbishop was akin to that of nobility in other countries, so he had often conspired with the five magic towers.

But to impose punishment for all such causes.

This was practically a declaration to kill more than half of the continent’s inhabitants in the ’Battlefield of the Gods.’

For a brief moment, he considered invoking the Heavenly God that Severus believed in, but he shook his head, dismissing the absurd thought.

Perhaps Amor would remain inactive. No, even Amor might actively agree.

Because it was an attack on a representative during a training period, not just anyone.

Intervening in such a situation would set a precedent, and such a precedent would create an environment where even the safety of Amor’s representative couldn’t be guaranteed.

It was only then that he realized the situation with three gods manifesting was a precedent.

The resolve to absolutely protect any representative during their training period. This was the common will of all gods.

Additionally, he realized that he couldn’t do anything about this entire situation.

All strength left his body, and in his despondency, he had no energy left to ask questions.

He only resented himself for not having killed those foolish and greedy old magic tower mages earlier.

‘Anyone, please. If someone can do something about this situation, I will grant any request. I would give my entire fortune! Please…’

“O merciful god, your representative is here.”

He suddenly heard that voice.

Even though it was a man’s voice, not a woman’s, the moment Severus heard it, his heart raced as if he had met a beloved lover, and strength returned to his legs.