By Zephyria 
“For now, I understand your words.”
Rubel’s voice was surprisingly calm.
“However, there are several things we, your humble humans, need to know to complete the mission you, the Sun God, have bestowed upon us. May I ask?”
[Very well.]
“Michael… Black Magic existed in history even before the outsider came to this world. What is different between then and now?”
The Sun God answered without hesitation.
[That originated from our world. Since I can return all dead things to nothingness, I could return corpses reanimated by magic to nothingness.]
“…Like how a ghoul, half-rotten, rises, and eventually stops moving after some time?”
[Yes. But this time, wicked arts from another world are involved, so I cannot intervene.]
Marianne’s addition helped me understand.
Zombies… must be cut multiple times to stop them from moving. They do not naturally rot away. I calmly asked again.
“But previously… when you came to greet us, you dealt with them easily.”
[That is only possible when you are very close to my domain. The area I can directly manifest and roam is not that wide. Would you burn down your house just to catch a few bugs?]
That was also true.
I recalled hearing a story about how the hastily born sun was too hot and completely burned the land that was born before it. So, they had to quickly move its heat to the west.
Even if some parts of myths are true and some are false, it wouldn’t be entirely wrong.
Ruben asked again.
“Do you happen to know if the Ninth God took several humans?”
[Yes.]
“How can we save them with human strength?”
[First, kill the Ninth… no, once he is put to sleep, you will be able to retrieve what is within his domain. Then you can save them.]
“How can we resolve the contaminated mana seeping into their bodies?”
[If you bring them into my domain, I can perform purification. It is not difficult at all. If you manage to defeat the Ninth…]
The Sun God whispered in a sweet tone.
But bringing so many people all the way to this desert is troublesome, isn’t it? Since I’m doing a big favor, I thought he could help with such a small matter more easily.
So, without hesitation, I asked directly.
“Do we absolutely have to bring them here?”
[I cannot go there, can I?]
“…Even though the sun’s light reaches everywhere.”
[No. I cannot burn five thousand to save a hundred.]
“…”
While I was lost in thought, engaging in futile questions and answers, Rubel calmly asked again.
“Do you happen to know how many lives are needed to tear the world apart?”
[Hmm… That depends on the size of the soul. It is not divided by numbers. Only the total amount of mana matters… It seems that is why the Ninth is selectively capturing humans with large souls.]
Humans with large souls.
The Sun God continued in a critical tone.
[That fellow is slightly deranged and never does anything thoroughly. He likely wouldn’t bother capturing insignificant ones, so the number of lives is not that important, my guide.]
“…Then, would gathering Divine Objects be of any help to us?”
Hmph, the Sun God scoffed. Pollen once again poured from the flower on Makrir’s head.
[Sora must have told you that story. The God of Oasis, that foolish one.]
“…”
I could not curse a god just because another god did. I simply listened.
[Divine Objects were given by the First one to care for humans, so if they are all taken out at once, the balance will be broken. If you use the power of the Divine Object your father holds to kill the Ninth, how will you handle the overflowing mana?]
“…You mean.”
[It would be good to have two or three with not much influence. I heard that Yulan’s and Biban’s Divine Objects are circulating in the world these days. Do not touch anything else. Anything more is excessive greed.]
“Why is that?”
[Humans, like the Ninth, are greedy. Will they easily give up the treasures they hold? Furthermore, child, you carry the blood of a leader. If the Divine Blood of another Empire tries to seize a holy relic, how much blood will flow in the world?]
Ruben fell silent, lost in thought. Then Hugh Benson spoke up. It was something I had wondered about many times, but now my mind was elsewhere, and I couldn’t bring myself to ask.
“…We currently suspect the First Prince of the Sierran Empire and one of the Duke’s Young Masters as followers of the Ninth God. Can you offer any advice on that matter?”
[Hmm… I do not memorize the names of humans who do not believe in me. However, our Fourth might know. He is the only one among us who memorizes all human names.]
“You mean the Fourth?”
[The God of Records and Lakes, Gano Pumpkin. That fellow’s hobby is to wander through Empires and Kingdoms in human form. I heard he wrote several books. I don’t know if he’s still using that name these days…]
“…Gano Paquin?”
[Ah, yes. Paquin. Paquin is correct.]
The two among the group who read the most books were startled. I wandered for a moment, not understanding why. It was only when Marianne shrieked in a high voice that I belatedly understood the reason.
“Are you talking about Gano Paquin, who wrote ‘
[Yes. Although it is overly idealized, it is not a bad book.]
“Wh-where is that person now?”
[Hmm… Somewhere?]
Just as the God of Oasis couldn’t pinpoint the Ninth God’s location, the Sun God also couldn’t specify the locations of other gods one by one. He explained at length that they were in a world where their powers were heavily mixed, making it impossible to pinpoint any single spot.
“But, the God of Oasis… said the First Goddess is in the Magic Territory.”
[It seems the First one gave the God of Oasis a heads-up before going. He is the only one among us who feels pity and affection for the Ninth.]
When the Magic Territory was mentioned, I had another question.
“What exactly is in that Magic Territory?”
[…]
The god remained silent for a moment.
Everyone in the group tensed, watching the Sun God. Makrir’s roots twisted from the left to the opposite side. If it were a human form, it would be akin to adjusting one’s posture.
[…When creating a world, naturally… dregs are bound to form.]
“…”
[Originally, they should be neatly organized and reused elsewhere, but everyone wants to create worlds… no one wants to do that kind of cleanup.]
“…”
[It’s like pushing aside fruit peels or eggshells when cooking… Since I am in the southwest, it is natural for the northeast to be cool… I piled them there so they wouldn’t rot, and they accumulated quite a bit.]
“…”
[Now, it’s so much that it’s daunting to touch. I thought it would not overflow as it was well-blocked by the mountain range, but the Ninth gathered the trash from there and detonated it…]
It was an unexpected statement.
That if the gods had cleaned up their rooms on time, this wouldn’t have happened.
I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t speak.
I didn’t know why the other children were silent, but I suspected they felt similarly to me. I made a desperate effort not to sigh in front of a god. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
Then, the god cleared his throat a couple of times and asked.
[Do you have anything else to ask?]
A chilling silence settled. There was nothing left to ask.
Just then, John, the large and quiet one among the mercenaries, hesitated and spoke.
“Um, excuse me.”
His usually clear voice trembled like a young goat’s. His lower lip was swollen like a thumb, plump from how much he had chewed on it. His sun-tanned cheeks were so red they looked black.
He mumbled his question.
“…Um, we… I, offered a prayer. Were you… listening?”
[Hahaha!]
The Sun God laughed heartily.
[Of course, I find all the children who come here and act politely endearing. John, I remember you. You are a very brave and lovely child. I have strived to cast warm sunlight upon your path and to gently warm your nights.]
“…Oh, my.”
[Thank you very much for coming to worship me so many times, John.]
Then John burst into tears.
He cried until his plump cheeks were soaked with tears, overcome with emotion. He prostrated himself on the ground, bowing and sobbing. Seeing him, the other mercenaries also began to sniffle one by one, and the disrespectful feelings I had towards the Sun God slightly faded.
I never dreamed that a god would remember the names of each mercenary.
Yes, wasn’t it to avoid harming other creatures that he settled in this desolate desert? This god was less deranged than the Ninth God and more affectionate towards humans than the Third God. Simply knowing a god who stood on the side of humans was a great achievement.
Listening carefully, it was said that Leon and John were particularly devout among the Sierran mercenaries, where not believing in gods was common. That’s why the Sun God seemed to have bestowed his gentle blessings whenever they prayed and came to kneel.
Learning that the Sun God had pondered with them every time Leon’s axe fell east or west, Leon and John acted as if they had lost their minds from sheer emotion. As they cried and laughed, yellow pollen was generously sprinkled around the head of the Sun God, who was chuckling.
In high spirits from the mercenaries’ unfeigned affection, the Sun God made another grand gesture.
[I was already worried about many wicked beings outside. I will grant you a room to stay in until you depart again. Eat and drink my fruits and nectar and rest comfortably. For the moment the sun is high in the sky, no one can harm you.]
The entire group bowed respectfully and followed the young Makrir to their new location.
At that moment, I had something I was very curious about, and it itched inside me.
Were the god’s fruits and nectar… Spiritual Medicine?
Rubel and Benjamin’s Dantians were almost ripe, and I felt they needed new Spiritual Medicine.
My heart fluttered with excitement.