Leaving the Academy went smoothly without any issues.


    Thanks to the promise from Reba that as long as I passed my exams, I could skip sses, there was no need to write an absence note.


    Since we were going to Alfheim, I decided to take Pam’s family along this time. And it was only natural to look after Faye, who would surely be targeted if left alone.


    Well, she grumbled about not being able to focus on her new research, but once I offered her the chance to study me in my dragon form, she immediately nodded.


    She had always been easy to understand, back then and now.


    After somehow finishing our preparations and getting ready to leave, Helena, who had been admiring her well-maintained mace in the sunlight, grabbed my sleeve, smiling contentedly.


    “Brother. Could you spare some time to talk with me?”


    “…That sounds kind of ominous. What’s up?”“Think about it. Don’t you owe me something?”


    “What really is it?!”


    Worried that I might have done something wrong, I hastily reviewed my actions from the morning.


    First, I woke up, greeted everyone, had breakfast together, which Pam’s family prepared, and teased Iris about how many months along she was as her belly looked bloated after eating…


    “Ah.”


    Could it be that?


    I cautiously reached out while reading Helena’s narrowed golden eyes.


    <em>Soft.</em>


    The feel of a soft, b-less abdomen. But perhaps because she fights using her body even with divine power, there was a strangely firm muscle beneath the softness. It was quite addictive.


    <em>Gently.</em>


    “……”


    “……”@@novelbin@@


    <em>Caress, caress.</em>


    “……”


    “……”


    But theck of any reaction, even after all that caressing, was a bit scary.


    Not this…?


    Feeling cold sweat trickle down my neck, I swallowed hard. Seeing this, Helena chuckled, hanging her mace on her belt.


    Then, she proudly puffed out her chest.


    “Didn’t we agree to travel in my carriage? If it weren’t for me, the Saintess, this many people would have suffered, cramped in amon carriage.”


    “Oh.”


    Was it about that?


    We did decide to use the papal carriage from Sris, now the Saintess’s carriage, that we usedst time since we could get back quickly with teleportation. ????????


    But why boast about it now…?


    Blinking in confusion, Helena stepped closer, meeting my gaze from below.


    <em>Press.</em>


    Close enough for her chest to press against my upper body. With a slightly more mischievous smile than usual, Helena continued.


    “You should thank me a bit more, Brother.”


    “Uh, um… I’m always thankful, Helena.”


    “Not just in words; show it in action.”


    Then, Helena tantly pouted her lips.


    Ah? So that’s what this is about?


    With a smirk, I let my hand, which had been caressing her stomach, slide down and firmly grabbed her butt.


    <em>Grip.</em>


    “Hic?!”


    “You tease me first and then show such a cute reaction.”


    “I-I was just surprised.”


    Helena turned her head away. Following her, I leaned in this time.


    Though Helena tried to avert her gaze to the other side, I followed and kissed her.


    <em>Peck.</em>


    “Hah…”


    “Why? Are you running away again?”


    We continued this yful chase of kisses for a while until Helena, unable to bear the embarrassment, switched with Sri who had been eager to take over.


    “Alright, alright! Enough flirting, gather over here!”


    Iona’s teleportation was ready.<hr>


    The journey was smooth.


    Upon arriving in Sris, we discussed the current situation with the cultists, then teleported as far towards Alfheim as possible with the carriage. After that, I shared some of my blood with the exhausted Iona from the repeated teleportations, and we restedfortably inside the carriage.


    By the way, Pam’s family took turns driving the carriage.


    Using an intermediate mage as a mere coachman, what a luxurious trip.


    With such thoughts in mind, I spent several days alternating between training and lounging. Before we knew it, we had arrived at the entrance of a vast forest.


    “Is this the Great Southern Forest?”


    In the southern and northern parts of the Eurelia Continent, there were unique regions.


    The ck Mountain Range in the north, said to hold every kind of mineral known, a treasure trove of resources.


    And the Great Southern Forest, which upied nearly half of the southern region with its vast expanse.


    Needless to say, thesendscapes didn’t form naturally. They were miracles created by divine intervention.


    The Righteous Radiance, the Sprouting Bud, and the Free Breath.


    These three epted followers regardless of race, and their doctrines were not bound by racial considerations.


    For example, the Righteous Radiance urged to live justly by hating evil within one’s capacity.


    The Sprouting Bud taught to devote oneself to agriculture to ensure no one would go hungry, sharing the harvest.


    The Free Breath was quite something; their doctrine was simply to enjoy life without harming others.


    That was really all there was to it. Hence, among the followers of the Free Breath, there were many well-meaning entrics.


    But this was only possible because their identities as Gods were not tied to racial characteristics.


    However, the other Gods were different.


    The shing Steel, born from fire and aiming to forge civilization through technology, demanded high levels of skill from their followers, making it difficult for races other than dwarves to even be baptized.


    The shing Steel particrly cherished dwarves with exceptional craftsmanship, so now, over 90% of their followers were dwarves.


    The Circting Life had an elf as theirpanion before bing a God. Just as Sri was influenced by her first priest, the Circting Life was deeply immersed in the values of theirpanion.


    Naturally, the doctrines of the Circting Life included elven thought, and the God themself favored elves.


    Although not as extreme as with the dwarves, it was why over half of the Circting Life’s followers were elves.


    Lastly, though now fallen as the Serpentine Leisure, the Surging Waves was simr in that regard.


    Since only mermaids and fishermen could live in water, choosing the gentle mermaids was only natural.


    The Surging Waves was practically the patron God of Mermaids.


    …Thus, when Antis fell and mermaids were being hunted in droves, they went mad and fell.


    But anyway, some Gods openly favored certain races and performed miracles for them.


    Like the vast mine expanded over thousands of years, the ck Mountain Range.


    Or the impossiblyrge forest that flourished around the World Tree as a control tower, the Great Southern Forest.


    I poked Helena in the ribs as she was also admiring the view and asked.


    “Doesn’t the Righteous Radiance have something like this?”


    “The Righteous Radiance did not create a better living environment separately. Instead, she pulled out her own teeth for weapons and cut her mane for cloaks.”


    “Oh…”


    Come to think of it, many Gods made divine artifacts imbued with their power, but only the Righteous Radiance used parts of her own body for such.


    “Can you tell me why?”


    “Of course, but please wait a moment. Wouldn’t it be better to hear it from the God herself?”


    With that, Helena switched consciousness with the Righteous Radiance. Even though it was not the first time, the speed of possession was remarkably faster than before.


    If she used the full divine descent, even that short dy would vanish.


    While I was admiring this, Sri appeared, her lion ears and tail made of light swaying yfully. She spoke with a bright smile.


    “The reason I made powerful artifacts? If mypanion wants to know, I should tell! It’s not like it’s a secret!”


    “Oh… So there’s a reason, huh?”


    “Yep. I gave them to fight better.”


    “…?”


    Well, giving weapons and armor meant to fight better, sure. But really, that was it?


    Such a warrior-like reason… Ah, um… it made sense for the Church of Righteous Radiance…


    As I nodded, Sri continued with a serious voice.


    “Paradise isn’t something you beg for from a God. It’s something you build with your own hands. I wanted my children not to dream of an ideal world that doesn’t exist but to make this world into that ideal.”


    “Ah.”


    “Even if evil rises again, they should be able to quell the chaos by shouting for justice. Creating a world that can run well even without the God of Justice. That’s what I hoped for my children. That’s the greatest miracle I could perform.”


    After saying this, Sri looked towards the sky with a benevolent smile, as if gazing at something far away.


    Humans were weak and imperfect, so while some Gods protected by confining them in their embrace…


    Others, like Sri, wished for them to grow strong and independent.


    I nodded in admiration, but the smile on Sri’s lips turned bitter.


    “…The problem was, things in the world are never that simple. I never imagined Evil Gods would invade.”


    “Hm.”


    With an unexpected self-deprecating response, I shrugged and smiled.


    “Well, it’s fine. I’ll be Sri’s greatest miracle and defeat the Evil Gods.”


    “…Kyaa?! Th-That was divinely romantic!”


    “I know.”


    I did it on purpose, after all.


    How long did we continue through the forest, chatting like this?


    At one point, the view opened up from behind the trees, revealing a small vige.


    Houses made from living trees, bent to grow into living structures.


    Beautiful elves, barefoot, running around in light, leaf-adorned clothing.


    Ca, Faye, and Helena gaped at the scene like a painting.


    “Look at that, Master! The trees are growing in the shape of stairs!”


    “I’ve never been to Alfheim, but it’s like this. d we came, Junior!”


    “This is… beautiful.”


    While the rest of us remained unimpressed, Faye, who first checked my reaction, nced at me several times before hesitantly approaching.


    “Junior…? Is something wrong? Are you upset because I was all over the ce, happy one moment, andining about leaving before?”


    “You’re being too hard on yourself today, Faye. That’s not it. I just didn’t want you to expect too much.”


    “Eh?”


    “It’s all fake. Kind of like a theme park? It’s a tourist spot made for people like you, who are visiting Alfheim for the first time and have fantasies about elves.”


    “…Really?”


    Faye’s voice sounded shocked, and Elisha answered for me.


    “It’s true. See that girl in the white dress ying over there?”


    “Yeah. You mean that cute kid?”


    “Yes. She’s one of the elders who came to congratte me at a party I hosted before entering the Academy.”


    “……”


    “Iter heard that she has been working here for almost 120 years and is quite a veteran.”


    “……”


    The light in Faye’s eyes seemed to vanish as she realized the truth.


    Wow! Dead eyes!