The Goddess Of Life

The divine domain of the Goddess of Life was completely different from Lady Seremees’s domain. Just like there, an endless grassland stretched out in every direction—but the pavilion standing there was entirely different. Lady Milora’s pavilion seemed to be made from plants that had grown together in complex shapes.

Large leaves formed the table, and plants covered in fluffy white cotton-like fibers—something I had never seen before—served as chairs. The whole place felt incredibly fantastical.

“Lady Milora, I’ve brought Luca and Rebecca.”

“Hehe, so many friends! Henriette looks happy, so I’m happy too.”

Lady Milora said that with an innocent smile—and she looked completely different from what I had imagined. I had expected an adult woman like Lady Seremees, but instead she looked like a girl around ten years old.

Though one thing hadn’t changed—her face was unbelievably beautiful.

“Lady Milora, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Luca, a servant of Lady Seremees.”

“I’m Rebecca, Luca and Ann’s companion.”

“You don’t need such stiff greetings. Come on, sit down.”

Lady Milora’s face sparkled with excitement as she invited us to sit on something that looked like a sofa.

She said “I,” but she definitely looked like a little girl. Her fluffy blonde hair was styled in half-up twin tails, and she wore a pure white, fluffy dress that made her look incredibly cute.

“I think Seremees will arrive soon… Ah, looks like she’s here.”

“Did I keep you waiting?”

“Nope. Seremees, it’s been a while!”

Lady Milora ran up to Lady Seremees and hugged her around the waist. The sight of a beautiful woman being hugged by an adorable little girl was quite a picturesque scene.

“I’m happy to see you again.”

“Me too! It’s amazing that our servants ended up becoming companions.”

“I was very surprised. But I’m truly glad it was you.”

After that, the two goddesses began talking with each other, and we couldn’t possibly interrupt. We simply watched in awe at the incredible scene unfolding before us until their attention returned to us.

“So today you’re going to think of a way for Henriette to escape, right?”

“Yes. We want to fake Ann’s death safely while respecting her wishes as much as possible.”

“Thank you. I’m counting on you to look after Henriette. This girl never listens to me. She used to say that dying for her country was her duty. I’m really glad she met you two and learned to value herself more.”

When Lady Milora said that, Rebecca turned and stared at Ann.

“Ann, even if it’s for the country, you absolutely can’t die!”

“Of course I wouldn’t say something like that now. The old me was just foolish.”

“If you say so…”

Rebecca still looked a little suspicious, her lips pouting slightly, while Ann smiled warmly. It really was nice to have people who cared about you.

“By the way, when did you become Lady Milora’s servant, Ann? Don’t you have to touch a divine statue to become one?”

“I was twelve at the time… so it’s been five years now. Actually, Lady Milora’s statue is placed in a church within the palace grounds. I used to go there often, and that’s when Lady Milora chose me as her servant.”

“I had been watching Henriette for a long time,” Lady Milora added. “Seeing how kind she was to plants and sometimes even to animals is what made me choose her.”

A divine statue inside the royal palace… That was surprising. That meant there might have been other members of the royal family in the past who were also Lady Milora’s servants.

“…I’m not sure if it’s alright to ask this, but does Lady Milora give Ann tasks as your servant?”

“You can ask me anything,” Lady Milora replied cheerfully. “But honestly, I rarely give my servants tasks. I am the Goddess of Life, after all. I cherish all living things. However, it’s also true that living beings must consume other living beings in order to survive. So rather than favoring one side, I usually leave things to nature. But there have been times when I asked my servants to deal with those who take lives pointlessly. Disaster-level monsters, for example.”

So… her approach was somewhat similar to Lady Seremees’s. No wonder the two goddesses got along.

“I’ve never been asked to do anything, though…” Ann said, sounding confused.

“Henriette is still too inexperienced for that,” Lady Milora replied gently. “Besides, I usually just watch over things, so that’s fine.”

“I hope I haven’t been causing trouble because I’m too weak…”

“No, not at all. But now that you’ll be traveling with Luca and Rebecca, I think you’ll naturally end up fulfilling my wishes as well. So perhaps I can start asking things of you from now on?”

“Of course! I wasn’t even able to practice magic properly before, but from now on I’ll work hard to become stronger!”

“Fufu, I’m looking forward to it.”

Ann looked delighted that Lady Milora was relying on her. Her cheeks softened with a smile, and determination shone in her eyes.

“Now then, let’s start thinking about how to set Henriette free,” Lady Milora said. “Nothing can begin until that plan succeeds.”