Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 263
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 263
57. Integration (4)
"S-So suddenly?"
"Haa, this isn't right."
"Oh goddess…."
The headquarters of the Rondel Peace Organization at the ducal palace of the Duchy of Lawrence.
Count Elfried chairman Adrian's aide and also the proxy of the Bringham Empire's Emperor, the Supreme Assemblyman stared wide-eyed at the anomaly that had occurred without warning and looked up at the sky.
'Too fast. There were signs, of course, but I never thought integration would happen at this time and in this manner. Even Chairman Lawrence, who founded the Peace Organization, couldn't have anticipated this.'
There was no process to speak of.
When I suddenly looked up, there was merely a blue planet floating above Rondel's sky.
Moreover, that planet was close enough that the shapes of its oceans and continents were clearly distinguishable.
"Huh? The sky is…."
On top of that, the sky's scenery suddenly changed as if Rondel's glass window had shattered.
Day turned to night, and with the appearance of Earth, the barrier that had been blocking Rondel's advance into outer space vanished, revealing the true face of the cosmos.
Only after integrating with Earth could Rondel finally obtain a true sky.
But now was not the time to be merely marveling.
-Drrrrrrr!
Immediately after Earth's appearance, an extreme earthquake struck Rondel along with ominous red hail.
The earthquake occurred throughout all of Rondel, creating tidal waves in every part of the world.
"Due to the chairman's absence, I will be giving orders from now on!"
"Yes!"
Count Elfried calmly controlled the command center.
With Adrian's seat currently vacant, the highest-ranking administrator here was her.
"Carry out the emergency response in preparation for disasters as planned! Relay it to each nation's government!"
"Yes!"
"And have the Ministry of Magic measure and report the distance between Rondel and that planet presumed to be Earth!"
At Count Elfried's orders, the administrators and Mages belonging to the Peace Organization's command center moved busily.
And a short while later, the Ministry of Magic reported the distance between the two planets.
"It's approximately 50,000 kilometers!"
There is a common misconception people have about Earth and the moon: that the two are very close.
But in reality, the distance between Earth and the moon is about 380,000 kilometers very far.
That's enough distance to fit thirty Earths between them.
"Are there no anomalies caused by the two planets' gravitational pull?"
Even the moon, separated by such a distance, causes tidal waves on Earth and heavily affects the climate if it comes just a little closer.
And yet two inhabited planets most of whose surface is water and which possess atmospheres face each other this closely?
It was nothing less than the beginning of annihilation.
"Various disasters are currently occurring in Rondel, but they don't seem to be caused by Earth's gravity. Perhaps it's an interference phenomenon caused by the world integration."
"Well, the goddess must have taken some measures."
But the influence of gravity is, after all, just ordinary physical law.
In this world where magic and miracles coexist, it is an area that can be changed freely if the creator goddess intervenes.
Applying Earth's common sense, the very integration of the two worlds was nonsensical.
"In other words, the only thing we must do right now is stop the disasters currently occurring?"
"That is correct."
"Good our task is clear."
If Adrian had not created this organization and the international community had not been integrated as one, the damage would have been great.
But since the Rondel Peace Organization was launched, many preparations had been made.
Thanks to that, even though the integration happened earlier than scheduled, they had the ability to respond sufficiently.
"I pray the chairman returns quickly."
Count Elfried and the rest of the Peace Organization's command center moved swiftly and awaited Adrian's return.
His presence is extremely powerful.
Enough to affect morale just by his being there or not.
Moreover, because there was a belief that he would resolve things no matter what variable arose, everyone wished for Adrian's swift return.
* * *
An integration earlier than expected.
Moreover, I never thought integration would happen in this manner.
'To place the planets of the two worlds side by side. Wasn't it supposed to be a merger?'
So I had to look at Lord Exceed, and under my gaze, he shrugged as if to say this was a situation even he didn't know about.
"Still, this way there would be less damage. You could call it the goddess's consideration in her own way."
Certainly, it's not a puzzle, and merging two planets into a jumble wouldn't be an easy task.
Naturally, the damage would be great as well.
In that respect, this method might be the most rational.
But isn't this too optimistic a judgment?
"It's unknown. Whether the goddess will leave the two planets as they are, or gradually bring them together to merge them."
"That's true."
He could not deny my argument.
Now that there is no one left to interfere with the goddess's plan, the world will move as she desires from now on.
There are many things I want to demand answers for from Lord Exceed, but for now, I thought stabilizing the world thrown into chaos took priority.
The anomalies arising from the integration of the two worlds are also a problem, but if left as is, the Earth whose World Tree has vanished will collapse.
I looked at the corpses of the Heavenly Kings and Demon Kings strewn about here and there, and raised my hand.
Then the fragments containing the Creator's power that they had failed to swallow gathered together according to my will.
"Do you intend to swallow it?"
If I were to be greedier, it seemed I could be.
For some reason, unlike others, I appeared to have no side effects from this.
However, if I were to swallow even more power, I would become not a middling god race but the Creator itself.
Unfortunately, I have no desire to become the Creator.
Power comes with responsibility.
In my view, the bare minimum line that keeps me at least somewhat free from that responsibility is exactly where I am now.
I plan to dump the troublesome management of the world onto the goddess and live in human society.
I will dream of such a future spending happy, peaceful days with my wife and watching my child grow.
"I have already obtained more than enough power. Even at this level, I won't need to watch anyone's moods."
Rather, I held out a fragment to him and offered it, asking if he would like to eat it, but Lord Exceed turned pale and waved both hands.
"I don't wish to die just yet."
I knew he would refuse.
This time, he had narrowly survived thanks to my help, but there was no guarantee it would be possible next time.
And that was the same for Arcia as well.
She was currently assisting a certain Heavenly King, the sole survivor of the underworld, and even though she had already been reborn as a god race, suppressing the Creator's aura dwelling in another's body did not seem easy.
"Then, let's use this to restore the World Tree again."
"That would be best."
"But before that."
I took out two of the more than twenty fragments and held them out to Brangish and Blake, who had been watching the situation until now.
It was to create more beings of equal rank who would be on my side.
"You're telling us to become a god race?"
"With you two, there shouldn't be a problem."
At my proposal, worry settled on the faces of the two who had been forced to watch countless Heavenly Kings and Demon Kings die.
If I helped, they might somehow safely absorb the power, but there is always the possibility of a mishap.
It was only natural to think that even with help, the possibility of failure existed.
"All right, let's do that."
The two accepted my proposal, risking the danger.
As I handed the fragments to the two like that…
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the fragment left my hand and shot up into the air.
Then the remaining fragments also escaped my hand as if fleeing, and realizing this was someone's intervention, my companions and I tensed and guarded our surroundings.
After all, it was a situation where betrayal could follow betrayal.
-Pop!
And then.
At that moment, a figure appeared in the hall as if watercolor paint were being applied to empty air.
[This is a power that must not be used recklessly. From now on, I will manage it.]
A translucent woman in a pure white dress, bearing a soft golden glow.
Moreover, a figure with overwhelming presence and powerful Divine power.
"Sepia?"
None other than the goddess Sepia herself had appeared.
She collected all the fragments.
Even the one from the Heavenly King who had been barely sustaining his life with Arcia's help because he still could not absorb the fragment's energy.
The fragments gathered that way merged together and returned to their original place.
Compared to the beginning, the blue crystal had shrunk by about 10%, but once the goddess infused it with energy, it quickly regained its original size.
-Thud!
Then, with a noise like some mechanical device settling into place, the sound of the world's cracks that had been echoing continuously disappeared.
Earth is still experiencing disasters caused by the merging of the two worlds, but at least the worry of collapse due to the World Tree's destruction is gone.
And the goddess approached Lord Exceed and placed a hand on his shoulder.
It seemed like she was comforting him, as if saying he had worked hard.
"Lord Exceed. You traitorous bastard."
But perhaps displeased by this sight, the Heavenly King, who had barely regained his senses, staggered to his feet.
Every Heavenly King had died while absorbing the Creator's energy, and he was now the only Heavenly King left on Earth.
He too had absorbed part of the Creator's Authority, but the amount did not reach mine, and the energy he harbored was also at the level of a slightly strong Heavenly King rather than a god race.
"I'm sorry. In order to obtain what I wanted, the only way was to receive Sepia's help."
Lord Exceed offered an apology to the Heavenly King with a look that truly seemed sorry.
But after stabbing someone with a knife, saying sorry could never sound like a true apology.
The surviving Heavenly King, greatly enraged, lunged at Lord Exceed.
-Kwaaang!
However, the Heavenly King could not reach Lord Exceed and was restrained.
By none other than me.
"Kuh! Let go, let go!"
"If you rush in, you'll only meet a dog's death."
Arcia had gone through the trouble of keeping this one alive, so killing him like this would be a waste.
After easily subduing the Heavenly King, I spoke to Lord Exceed and the goddess.
"I will take this one."
From the goddess's standpoint, a single Heavenly King was a being of little consequence.
Whether she simply had no great interest, she neither affirmed nor denied it, and Lord Exceed either because of a trace of guilt or because he lacked the confidence to contend with me and gain the upper hand, obediently nodded.
"What nonsense is that!? Who do you think I am?"
I crushed the Heavenly King, who was raising his voice, with force and knocked him unconscious just like that.
"Who you are? You're a being useful in many ways."
Then I handed the unconscious Heavenly King over to Brangish and Blake, and approached the goddess together with Arcia.
"By any chance, must we spit out the power we possess?"
The plan to make even Brangish and Blake into the god race had fallen through.
Now I was in a position where I had to worry about my own standing.
Though it may be late to say this, I felt that even if I had become part of the god race, it would be difficult to compare with the Creator.
So I was even tense inside.
[Do you like that power?]
"Of course. Apart from Sepia, there would be no one whose notice I need to mind."
[Then I will grant it. It is a gift for you, who have completed your own task.]
The goddess's following words were quite kind.
She unexpectedly communicated well, and since I had many things I wanted to ask her, I thought this was the chance, but one step ahead of me, the goddess conveyed unexpected words.
[Earth is the world my son created. I do not wish for Rondel to invade Earth and violate it.]
It sounded like she meant that although she had created Rondel, she did not intend to place Rondel above Earth.
[Therefore, for the balance of the two worlds, many measures will be carried out from now on.]
This was no different from announcing that various changes would come in the future.
I was surprised by the unexpected statement, but why was it?
That her words gave off an ominous feeling.
[Even so, it will not be easy for Earth to stand above Rondel.]
Soon, realizing what she was trying to say, I had to furrow my brow.
At my reaction, the goddess, without any sign of displeasure, for some reason smiled and said.
[From now on, I hope you will strive together with your wife for the peace of Rondel and Earth, the two worlds.]
What is Lord Exceed doing, that she says this only to me and Arcia?
[Lord Exceed will, as my agent, add his strength to the management of Earth. He will not directly influence human society.]
The answer continued as if reading my thoughts.
"In other words, you are telling Arcia and me to continue acting as members of human society as we do now, but to move for the peace and stability of the two worlds."
[That is correct.]
Taking on a heavy role was bewildering, but thinking coolly, it did not seem very different from what I had been doing until now.
Wouldn't it be enough to simply strengthen the power of the Rondel Peace Organization?
In the end, I answered the goddess that I understood.
"I will do my best."
From the start, I was not in a position to refuse the goddess's request.
At my answer, she smiled once again, and soon Sepia's form began to blur.
"Huh? You're leaving? I still have things I'm curious about…."
[You will see me again later.]
And so the goddess, as always, unilaterally said only what she wanted to say and vanished.
Thanks to that, the underworld's hall of reincarnation was steeped in silence, and I spoke to Lord Exceed as if growling.
"I have a lot to discuss with you. Come to think of it, you said you joined hands with the goddess because you had a wish?"
I no longer had anything like respect for him.
I had gained something, yes, but it was an undeniable fact that I had been used by him.
"There is plenty of time to talk. But now does not seem to be the time, does it?"
However, he postponed even that conversation and projected a hologram showing Rondel's situation before our group's eyes.
-Rumble rumble rumble rumble.
A massive tidal wave arises and approaches the continent, and against that tidal wave, the Sky Fortresses lined up in a row serve as breakwaters.
But no matter how many Heaven-Piercing Fortresses Rondel has, covering the entire continent was a difficult task.
In the end, it meant damage was unavoidable.
"Damn it."
Lord Exceed's actions reminded me that there was something I had to prioritize over talking with him, and in the end I had to turn my back on him.
"Next time we meet, you will have to make me understand."
Still, I did not forget to say a word before leaving.
And so I headed to Rondel's ducal palace with my group, and while moving.
'For the balance of the two worlds, many measures will be carried out from now on.'
I reflected on what the goddess had said.