Meeting Those Problematic Women (1)

As soon as I entered the garden, I was greeted by Ludicer’s smile.

Could it be that something good happened? Ludicer welcomed me with a rare and deep smile.

Looking around, the usually cold and mechanical atmosphere had retreated, and there were two antique tea tables with plush, comfortable-looking chairs.

“Welcome, Kim Han. Please come this way…”

Ludicer pointed to the chairs, inviting me to sit.

Since she had never done this before, I was a bit embarrassed and unsure how to respond, so I clicked my tongue once and sat down.

“…So. Have you been well?”

“Yes? Yes! Of course!”

She nodded up and down so much that her mysterious silver-gray hair swayed, answering in a voice that carried a strange resonance.

It’s certain that something good has happened. I don’t know what it is, but if something good has happened to her, it won’t be bad for me…

“Kim Han…?”

“Hmm? Ah, yes. You heard and saw what I did, right?”

“Yes.”

Ludicer’s expression showed some pride? Yes, it was full of pride.

“So… how did the things I asked for turn out?”

“Of course, they are prepared. Here they are.”

She confidently handed over a small box as if presenting a perfect report card.

Opening the box, I saw twenty crystal orbs arranged in two layers, ten in each layer.

“Thank you. You must have worked hard.”

“Ah, no.”

Ludicer’s cheeks flushed red.

I looked at her curiously for a moment, then picked up any orb from the box and infused it with divine power.

The video played.

The main character was Violentia.

The location was somewhere in the Monster Belt.

Behind Violentia, who rushed out hurriedly, there was a sound of something collapsing, and debris rolled to her feet and hit the ground.

Violentia, who was sighing deeply, suddenly changed her expression strangely, pulled down her pants, and started urinating right there.

Wherever Violentia moved, the urination continued at all times, even in Exorsus and in her home.

The video ended with her making an artifact, wearing it, and crying tears of joy.

“Is this Violentia? Do I have to check each one?”

“No. Violentia’s videos are stored in the red orbs, and Benialis’s videos are in the white orbs.”

Checking the box again, the upper layer contained reddish orbs, and the lower layer had white orbs neatly arranged.

Judging by Violentia’s video, the quality was good and the content was satisfactory.

“But is this okay? Of course, I am confident I will win. So even if I invest heavily in this ‘Battlefield of the Gods,’ I believe all that power will return to you. But you don’t have to overdo it. If you use too much power and can’t do what you need to, it would be troublesome for both of us. This isn’t something that ends in a day or two. So if the cost of giving this is excessive, just one would be enough.”

Did my interference in Ludicer’s intentions upset her? Her mouth closed and her expression became cold.

That expression was the Ludicer from my previous life. Always cold and rational. A face showing no emotion.

Her mouth slowly opened, and a firm voice came out.

“Absolutely not.”

“Huh?”

“Both gods and representatives put all their effort into winning the ‘Battlefield of the Gods.’ Above all, your characteristic is Fons. If you die in the ‘Battlefield of the Gods,’ you will face irreversible Destruction of causality. You must give your all, and I have responsibility for choosing you. I intend to cooperate fully to make you win.”

“…I see.”

The atmosphere suddenly changed. Ludicer’s expression and tone became cold as if exhaling icy breath. It was hard to get used to.

But well, I thought it was natural for a god to act this way, and since what she said was for me, I tried to adapt.

At that moment, Ludicer’s mood changed again like a spring breeze.

“And as I said before, these video orbs are neither weapons, nor crafting tools, nor even potions. They are really insignificant in terms of cost. So you can accept them all without any burden.”

“Alright, then I’ll take them all. Thank you.”

“…Yes.”

Putting the box whole into my inventory, I started to organize the questions I wanted to ask her.

Ludicer cleared her throat awkwardly for a moment, but only spoke after a little more time passed.

“I have a few questions. Please answer what you can.”

“Of course.”

“Then first, Proy Rium.”

“Proy Rium?”

Ludicer repeated the name as if surprised at the mention.

I found it strange, but there was no time to dwell on it. I had many questions and many people I wanted to meet.

I quickly continued.

“Yes, Proy Rium. You saw me meet him, right? Do you have any idea who his responsible god is?”

“Um… Please wait a moment.”

Ludicer asked for understanding, then seemed to search the air, pushing and pulling something repeatedly. Then she looked troubled.

“Actually, just seeing the representative doesn’t reveal the responsible god.”

“Really?”

“Yes. When you met Benialis at the tavern, there was no need to be so far away. Moreover, no need to be so submissive… Anyway, we can infer.”

“Infer? Who do you think?”

“Considering Proy Rium’s strength, the information that he is related to the war god lineage, and the fact that he avoided revealing his god’s name, he is either the lowest god or Manus, the highest god.”

Manus. Hearing that name made my heart drop strangely.

The one who spoke of Deicide and Destruction.

The winner of the first ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ and the first man to become a god from a representative. His name appeared again.

“I understand if he’s a lower god, but why Manus? If he were such a high god, wouldn’t he boast about it?”

“Because Manus is peculiar.”

“Peculiar?”

A war god being called peculiar? From a human perspective, gods are always peculiar.

“Yes. He is the god of war and battle but hates the ‘Battlefield of the Gods.’ No, it’s better to say he despises it.”

“Despises…”

That makes sense. It took away his beloved lover, was distorted against his will, and later the ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ became a tool for the political strife of crazy and promiscuous women.

“Yes. Historically, Manus’s representatives did not receive special advice or benefits from him. Because Manus was indifferent, they only received the basics.”

“Then why not just not choose representatives?”

“Manus never sought representatives. The candidates came to him.”

“…What?”

Not choosing representatives, but candidates came to the god? No, before that,

“They come to the god? Gods don’t always manifest, so how? And how do candidates know the ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ started? And why Manus? If they were close, shouldn’t they seek Heavenly Gods or Demon Gods?”

“Do you remember what Biosis and Talis told you? How the first ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ was conducted?”

“Right… Ah! The live broadcast? Even if it was live, thousands of years have passed.”

“For them, it has become a legend. ‘Those who want to see the end of martial arts, challenge.’ So martial artists or mages who have reached a certain level seek Manus’s temple when the ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ begins. Manus tries to persuade them but most refuse and fight each other to be chosen.”

Strange. Something uneasy touched my mind. I couldn’t say exactly what, but it felt very uncomfortable.

“So they hide that they are Manus’s representatives?”

“No, they don’t boast about it. They are proud to be Manus’s representatives. And for that reason, Manus’s representatives have been strong for generations.”

“Hmm… What kind of god is Manus? Do you know?”

Ludicer seemed to be organizing her thoughts, touching her chin with one hand.

“Manus is an outsider. He doesn’t lean to either side nor cares about either side’s opinion.”

“Then it’s strange. What is his purpose? Even gods have reasons for existence or goals. The crazy and promiscuous women want to overthrow the Creator and stand at the top. The creator-line gods like Aetas work for the Creator’s will. So what about Manus?”

“…I don’t know. What I have is all based on records…”

“Ah…”

I forgot that Ludicer was the youngest god because she always gave clear answers. Knowing this much was abnormal.

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind. Next question.”

“Yes!”

“Ludicer, you told me before that the powers granted to representatives are replicas. Biosis and Talis said the same. That’s why I’m training now. What do you think about receiving powers by ‘transmission’ versus direct training?”

It might have been an unexpected question. Ludicer looked slightly surprised.

“Are you asking me for advice? About training…?”

“Yes.”

“Ah! Um… Yes, I have observed your training. It might be a bit hard, but I agree with receiving training in the current way, not by ‘transmission.’ You said you want to learn Deicide and Destruction, right? Based on your information, if you acquire the two powers by ‘transmission,’ the skill rank is ‘Ex.’ But if you master them directly, the rank approaches the power itself.”

“The power…”

“You currently have eleven talents. Among them, ‘Adaptation (Modified),’ ‘Thousand Talents,’ ‘Heavenly Talent,’ ‘Harmony,’ and ‘Insight’ help you master Deicide and Destruction. In the process, your talents can develop in a virtuous cycle. So your current training method is very suitable, even beyond expectations.”

Ludicer spoke confidently but then cautiously watched me as she finished.

What makes Ludicer different from other gods is that she draws conclusions based on precise evidence.

Other gods are more intuitive. Since they are gods, their instincts are often right but sometimes wrong.

In that sense, since my previous life, I have regarded Ludicer not emotionally but as a god entity, so I sought her advice moderately, and her cold deductions were always accurate.

“That’s a relief. Then I’ll continue like this.”

“Yes, thank you.”

‘Huh? Thank you?’

I felt a bit puzzled by her gratitude but moved on to the next question.

“Next is about Hazel… Ludicer?”

Ludicer’s face, which had been smiling and blushing moments ago, suddenly became expressionless and filled with dense killing intent.