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Yahweh, her eyes closed, was deep in thought, desperately trying to formulate a plan to hinder the progression of Mika and Athena's relationship.
Her current form wasn't her true body—she couldn't possibly make a direct move on Mika before Athena did. If she could, she would have acted already.
Goddesses were not typically shy—when they found someone they desired, they pursued them directly.
But her true body wasn't in this world. She had no way to go on the offensive.
All she could do was play defense.
'Damn it, how am I supposed to guard against that woman, Athena?' she fumed silently, her hands clenching into fists over her chest.
She's not going to be easy to handle.
————
Sandwiched between Mika and Athena, Alfia felt as if she had been cast into an abyss. She never could have imagined a situation like this.
She knew what Yahweh was thinking.
While inside Mika's soul, she and Yahweh had spoken, and she was aware of her Goddess's new romantic intentions. She didn't have any particular opinion on the matter—in fact, she found it rather amusing.
It wasn't as if Mika lacked for admirers, and love affairs between Gods and mortals were hardly unheard of in Orario. As Mika's nominal senpai, preserved by him in spirit form, Alfia had followed him and witnessed everything.
His journeys had shown her sights she'd never dreamed of, and she was deeply fascinated by it all. She, too, held a special affection for Mika, which was why she had given up on the idea of having her body restored and living as Alfia again.
She had decided to watch over him from the shadows, as a guardian. It didn't matter that her own strength was far eclipsed by his; her resolve was firm.
But now, she had been caught in the crossfire.
Alfia respected Yahweh deeply. After all, Yahweh had played a crucial role in saving her life. It was through Yahweh's divine blood that she had reactivated her Falna, becoming a member of the Yahweh Familia.
Yahweh was her new patron Goddess.
But now, her patron Goddess was in love, and she had been tasked with running interference against her rival.
This forced proximity to Mika was unnerving.
She cautiously opened her eyes, her gaze falling upon Mika's peaceful, sleeping face. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
They had never been this close before...
'I wonder what's going to happen now,' she thought, her heart fluttering. She tentatively reached out, her fingers gently tracing the line of his jaw.
It was clear now that guarding against Athena was her mission.
But getting involved in a romantic rivalry between these two... Alfia worried she would be dragged into all sorts of "dangerous" situations.
She wanted to maintain her unique position as Mika's guardian, not get lost in the sea of other women who surrounded him.
'I have to be careful,' Alfia resolved silently.
————
On the other side of the bed, Mika, who was only pretending to be asleep, fought the urge to open his eyes. He desperately wanted to see Alfia's expression right now, but he held back.
Alfia was, more or less, his senpai. He felt he owed her that respect.
Besides, he was busy trying to figure out Yahweh's intentions.
Her behavior today had been a complete departure from the norm, and it baffled him. He couldn't have imagined that the change was due to her feelings for him turning romantic.
The affection she had shown him before had always been so clear, so deeply felt. She was a Goddess who could have been his mother. And in Orario, that was a common dynamic.
So, his thoughts never even strayed in that direction.
Which was why he couldn't find an answer.
What on earth is going on? Mika wondered, completely stumped.
————
And Athena, likewise, was not asleep.
As the Goddess of Wisdom, she had naturally deduced that she was being targeted by Yahweh.
This puzzled her. Having decided to join this "family," the intelligent thing to do was to not antagonize the "matriarch," Yahweh.
This sudden hostility was difficult to understand.
But she was the Goddess of Wisdom, after all.
Recalling Yahweh's words and actions throughout the day, she began to form a hypothesis. It was only a guess, but it was a start.
'It seems I'll have to test this a little,' Athena thought, a new plan forming in the darkness.
————
The next morning, a soft knocking sound echoed through the room.
"Time for breakfast, Mika, Athena." It was Couronne, carrying a tray of food.
"Coming," Mika's voice replied, and a moment later, the door opened.
"Morning, Couronne,"
"Good morning to you too, Mika," Couronne responded with a smile. But as she looked at the sleepy-eyed Mika, a strange image flashed through her mind. She couldn't help but peek into the room.
And then she saw it.
The large bed, with three beautiful women lying in it.
"Eeeh!?" Couronne was utterly shocked. "I thought it was just you and Athena! Where did the other two come from!?"
"Oh, them?" Mika glanced back at the three figures now sitting up in bed and looking their way.
"Yahweh and Alfia usually reside within my body. They just haven't come out until now. They decided to pop out after we got settled yesterday."
He rubbed his eyes and walked back into the room.
"O-oh, I see," Couronne stammered.
One man and three women getting out of the same bed, combined with Mika's tired appearance... Couronne's mind was already racing.
In an age where survival was a daily struggle, her thoughts were still quite innocent. The mere thought of what she was imagining made her blush furiously.
But she had a job to do, so she steeled herself and followed Mika into the room.
Once inside, however, she breathed a sigh of relief. With her and Mika's arrival, the three on the bed had all gotten up. Seeing that they were all wearing proper pajamas, Couronne realized she had probably jumped to the wrong conclusion.
She felt a pang of embarrassment, but also relief.
Athena, who was already familiar with Couronne, then introduced Yahweh and Alfia. When Couronne learned that they were spiritual entities, existing in dependence on Mika, her eyes lit up.
This ability was astonishing. Though Mika had told her he was from another world and could travel between them, she hadn't seen his powers with her own eyes. But now, seeing this incredible ability firsthand, she was thrilled.
In this world, after all, humans couldn't use any special powers.
"Is this one of your special abilities, Mika? Can I see some others?" Couronne asked, her voice filled with excitement.
"Oh, you like it?" Mika sat down in a chair and popped a piece of food from the tray into his mouth.
"Then why don't you take a look around you," he said, his words muffled.
"Around me?" Couronne looked around the room, puzzled. She scanned the furniture, but nothing seemed out of place. It was all arranged just as she had left it.
No, wait.
Couronne suddenly noticed the blind spot.
The bed the four of them had slept on... wasn't it too big? She was sure the bed she had prepared wasn't that large.
Had they replaced it? But a bed that big shouldn't have fit in her room.
Finally, she realized what had changed. The furniture was the same, but the room itself... seemed to have gotten bigger!?
"Eeeh!!!" Couronne shrieked in astonishment. She couldn't understand it.
It was too strange. How could her room have gotten bigger on its own?
"Was this you, Mika?" she asked urgently, having finally recovered.
Mika, who was still stuffing his face, simply nodded. He had noticed yesterday; though their lives were hard, the food here had a unique, delicious flavor.
"You really did this? How?" Couronne's excitement grew even more.
As Riku's second-in-command, she often modified devices brought back from expeditions to make them usable for humans. Her hands-on skills and creative thinking were top-notch.
The moment she saw this technology, she instantly understood its importance. With it, they could expand their existing space to accommodate more people, solving their housing shortage.
They could even find a hidden location, dig a small cave, and then use this technology to expand it from the inside, making their settlement even safer. This was an incredibly important technology for them.
"This ability isn't actually that rare," Mika explained after swallowing his food.
"For us, it's a very common technique."
"Really? Then could you please help us expand this cave?" Couronne rushed to Mika's side, her eyes pleading.
Mika couldn't help but smile. He reached out and gently placed a hand on her head.
"I know you're anxious, Couronne, but calm down. While I don't mind helping you expand your living space, it's not really necessary."
"Have you forgotten? I told you yesterday that we would defeat the Gods and win back your tomorrow. When that happens, you won't need to hide in this cave anymore. You'll be able to live under the sun."
"Wouldn't that be the best ending?"
Hearing Mika's words, Couronne fell silent. After a moment, she looked up, her eyes moist with tears.
"Yes... that would be the best ending."
————
After breakfast, Mika went to Riku's room again, introducing him to his new companions, Yahweh and Alfia. Then, he went back to his reading, collecting more intelligence.
Yahweh and the others began analyzing the strength of this world's Gods.
Riku, seeing he couldn't contribute to their conversation, took out the intelligence he had gathered from the Dwarven airship and began his own analysis.
After some time, he found something that aligned with his own objectives.
It was information regarding the location of an Elven ruin.
This piqued his interest.
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