âSomeone you know?â Misha asked while staring at the message engraved on the wall.
ââŠHmm. I guess it was someone I know. But I canât tell who it was exactly just from this.â (Anos)
At that moment, Misha stared right into my eyes.
Maybe she was trying to sound my mind or something, but her gaze looked somewhat reproachful.
ââŠâFall for youââŠ?â (Misha)
âThatâs what it says, yeah.â (Anos)
ââAll over againâ?â Misha said in a monotone voice.
Indeed, the message said âI will fall for you all over againâ.
âA crush from two thousand years ago.â (Misha)
âDuring the Mythical Age, things like that were rare.â (Anos)
Misha cocked her head a bit.
âWas there no one who loved you, Anos?â (Misha)
âWell, I wouldnât know. There was no place for stuff like romance in this era, after all. Iâm honored to know that someone has a crush on me, but perhaps she couldnât bring herself to say it in person.â (Anos)
âBecause youâre the Demon King of Tyranny?â (Misha)
I nodded in response.
âAnd because there was no peace. No one had the leisure to even speak their own minds. I guess she wrote down her innermost feelings here, where no one else could find it.â (Anos)
I slowly approached the wall and gently touched the letters.
I felt a strange sensation.
âWhatâs wrong?â (Misha)
âThese letters are enchanted.â (Anos)
Whoever wrote them mustâve been a great spellcaster for me not to see it at first glance.
I use my Magic Eyes to peer into the abyss hidden in this message.
âHmm. I see. Looks like weâll have to wait until nightfall.â (Anos)
âShould we look for the Conflagration King first?â (Misha)
âNo, there isnât much time left before it gets dark. Letâs take a rest for a moment.â (Anos)
I sat down with my back against the wall.
Misha came over and sat down next to me.
âHow are Shin and Reno?â (Misha)
âShin is still being pushed around, as usual. But it seems that Reno is also having a hard time with him. Theyâre quite a good match, arenât they?â (Anos)
By sharing my sight with Lay, Sasha and the others, I watched the exchanges between Shin and Reno in Aharthern, which made me chuckle.
ââŠCan Shin learn how to love?â (Misha)
âIf he truly wants to, then itâs possible.â (Anos)
Misha blinked in response.
âHis source is a demon sword.â Misha muttered indifferently.
âThat wonât be a problem?â (Misha)
âDo you think just because heâs a demon sword, he canât love anyone?â (Anos)
Mishaâs eyes widened in surprise at my statement.
âA world where you can never obtain what you truly desire from the bottom of your heart is better off gone.â I said to Misha, who looked anxious.
âThatâs what the Goddess of Creation Militia said.â (Anos)
ââŠDid she create a kind world?â (Misha)
âIndeed. This world she created is warm and full of love and hope. It used to be very kind.â (Anos)
âWhat changed it?â (Misha)
âAs is the case with Nosgalia, there are many gods in this world, not just Militia. Even if the king of demons tried to establish a nation, said nation wouldnât be governed by the will of the king alone. The world also revolves around the will of many gods.â (Anos)
Misha earnestly listened to my story while nodding.
âBut at the root of it all, the foundation of this world is Militiaâs benevolent order. If you wish from the bottom of your heart, this world she created will definitely respond to you. No matter how desolate it may become, or how widespread the strife may be.â (Anos)
Mishaâs gentle gaze scanned my face.
âDo you believe in her?â (Misha)
âMilitia regretted it, though.â (Anos)
When I said that, Misha tilted her head in confusion.
âShe lamented how all sorts of gods had brought so much insanity and tragedy to this world. She once bowed her head to me and apologized for âcreating such a sad worldâ.â (Anos)
Misha smiled a bit.
âThere are many kinds of gods.â (Misha)
âThatâs right. Until I met Militia, I thought none of the gods cared about demons, humans, or spirits. That no matter how hard people prayed, the gods would never work miracles. And that they only ever did when those miracles worked to their own advantage, and were convenient for maintaining their orders. With no regard for the fate of those who live in this world.â (Anos)
There was a time when to me, all the gods were the avatars of insanity itself.
But it turned out that some of them werenât.
âDid Militia perform miracles for the demons?â (Misha)
âHer power is world creation. But thereâs only so much she can do for a world sheâs already created. Recreating this world would be equivalent to destroying the one we already have now.â (Anos)