This Isn’t an E*otic Game?

I froze for a moment at Belia’s words. It took me a while to fully understand what she meant—and then my face flushed red.

“N-No, I mean... if you just say it like that...”

[I checked in on your girlfriends during the three days you were passed out. They’re solid. You’ve got the twin princesses, and the top witch of the Magic Tower. Wouldn’t it be fine to just add Kanya to the list? It’s not like she’s lacking in any way. Being the Saint of the War Sect isn’t exactly a low-tier title, is it?]

“...Does Kanya really like me?”

I asked, and Belia burst into laughter.

[What, you thought she’d resent the guy who risked his life to save her? Kanya’s been through hell for a long time. She’s never even had the chance to date—or even meet—a decent guy. Then someone like you shows up, good-looking and all, throwing himself on the line to save her. Of course she fell. You’re her first love, her first everything. Unlike you, Mr. Multiple Girlfriends, she’s completely untouched, so try to be a little considerate.]

Belia let out a hearty laugh as she said that, but then suddenly flinched.

[Kanya’s crying, so I’ll stop there. Anyway, what do you think? No harm in adding one more, right? She’s not exactly lacking in the looks department either, is she?]

That’s true.

But still—wasn’t this way too sudden?

“It’s just... too sudden. I don’t even know how to respond right now. I think I need a little time.”

[Fair enough. You can’t force someone to fall in love. But remember this—Kanya can be just as much of an asset to you as the twin princesses and the Nepal witch.]

“What do you mean by that?”

[Lucifer’s going to be too busy holding off the Pantheon now. Just cutting communication alone is going to take an insane amount of power compared to before, thanks to how much stronger he’s gotten. In other words, he won’t be ordering Asmodeus around to interfere with you anymore like he did at the Rock Mountains. Which means—you can now wield the most powerful divine authority in history, however you want.]

It’s true—as I recalled the Rock Mountains of Talhaim, I remembered how Asmodeus had often seemed restrained, like her left wing was being pulled by something.

The feeling of that white chain being tugged to control her—it was still vivid in my mind.

[Kanya can teach you how to handle that authority—how to control it. I’m kind of an expert in that area. You could learn from Dulanaer too, but honestly, she’s way too unrestrained. My style would probably suit you better.]

“I mean, you are the Goddess of War. I’ve never seen you fight, but I imagine it must’ve been pretty damn impressive.”

Belia roared with laughter at my compliment.

[Keep Kanya close. Learn how to control and command Asmodeus. You need people around you that you can rely on. While you’re learning from Kanya, maybe show her a good time too. She’s been through a lot—it's only fair she gets something in return, right?]

Seeing her grin mischievously, I found myself laughing along without even meaning to.

“...I should probably talk to my girlfriends first.”

[Yeah, go ahead. But I doubt they’ll object. Didn’t they basically force themselves on you while you were unconscious?]

“Wait—how do you even know that...?”

[It’s one of my authorities. I can sense people’s weaknesses and anxieties. If you bring that up while introducing a new girlfriend, I doubt they’ll have anything left to say.]

Belia clenched her fist and thrust it forward.

[That one was a freebie. Use it well. And since we’re on the topic—one more piece of advice. Stop trying to carry everything on your own, Amayel.]

She stepped closer and patted my shoulder.

[You probably kept quiet until now because you thought Asmodeus was still a Demon Lord. Because you wanted to quietly die with that truth. I get it. But now you know she isn’t. So be honest. Tell everyone the truth. Let them carry the burden with you. That’s the right thing to do. You’ll break if you keep trying to shoulder everything by yourself. Everyone does.]

She wasn’t wrong.

I’d already been teetering on the edge more times than I could count.

And if I kept doing this alone—it was only a matter of time before I broke.

[The Evil God and Hell are still very much alive. And they sure as hell don’t want the scales to tip toward the Pantheon. No way. They’re going to come at you hard. Lucifer hasn’t stepped up personally yet, and who knows what the Evil God is hiding. You might see things more grotesque and disgusting than anything you’ve imagined. Amayel.]

“So you’re saying—I need to create more allies who can help me?”

[Exactly. Rally the Pantheon’s sects and gods. The imperial family. The Scrap Yard. The Magic Tower. And the Karma Company too. Use everything at your disposal. Because now that you’ve committed to restoring the two remaining divine Thrones—there’s only one thing left at the end of this path: a colossal war.]

A colossal war.

And I’d be right at the center of it.

I let out a dry laugh.

Wasn’t this supposed to be an eroge?

How the hell did I end up swept into something this massive?

But now that I knew the truth—

I couldn’t just freeze ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) up in fear anymore.

I stood up from my seat.

“I’d like to eat first, Lady Belia. And—could I ask you for one favor?”

[A mortal who commands the gods, huh. But you’re probably worthy of it. What do you want?]

“Gather them all for me—every high priest and archbishop of the Pantheon. The board of the Karma Company. The Magic Tower. The labor theorists from the Ministry of Labor. The heads of the imperial noble houses. And the imperial family.”

It was time to reveal everything.

Time for them to know the truth too.

Belia nodded.

[Gladly.]

The goddess left the room.

****

The central banquet hall of the imperial palace was magnificent.

Usually, it was a place for dancing, music, and mingling—but now, the air was heavy.

The heads of the major noble houses in the capital.

The high priests and archbishops of the Pantheon.

The board of directors of the Karma Company—and Jonathan Karma himself.

Karl Lenaro and the other labor theorists from the Ministry of Labor.

The wizards and witches from the Magic Tower.

And the imperial bloodline—including the Emperor himself.

Practically every pillar of the Empire was now gathered here.

And I had just told them everything.

“This is my story. I apologize for having kept it secret until now. But I simply couldn’t say it. At first, I was too afraid to admit I was pretending to be a saint. Later, I stayed silent because the source of my powers was a Demon Lord.”

I looked out at the faces in the banquet hall.

Some were crying. Some were frozen in shock. Some looked deadly serious.

“Then the times you suddenly disappeared... that was all to... destroy the Demon Lord’s authority? To have your soul annihilated?”

“Yes. Back then, I didn’t know it was all the Evil God’s manipulation. I thought it was the best choice—for the world, and for myself. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner.”

The crying grew louder.

I turned my head—and saw my three girlfriends, and Kanya, all sobbing quietly.

I gave them an awkward smile.

I was probably going to get chewed out for this later.

“Saint... then what are we to do now?”

His Majesty the Emperor looked at me with solemn eyes and asked.

Thankfully, I had an answer for that.

“The Evil God currently holds twelve of the Pantheon’s divine Thrones. And if we count Lady Belia, who is soon to ascend, the Pantheon has ten active Thrones. That leaves two still grounded in the mortal realm. If we can find and awaken those last two... we win. The Evil God and Hell won’t be able to torment humanity anymore.”

At my words, Gerson, the high priest of the Silent Sect, raised a question.

“May we know the names of the two divine Thrones still remaining on Earth?”

Instead of me, it was Lady Belia who answered.

[The God of Courage, Ponemkin. And the God of Endurance, Altair. Those two are still on the mortal plane.]

Some of the priests of the Pantheon murmured at Belia’s words.

They were from the Heroic Order that worshiped Ponemkin.

“We believed he had already returned to the heavens. We never thought he was still among us.”

“We will find him—no matter what it takes.”

“The fact that we can still use divine power must mean he’s alive.”

“Finding Lord Ponemkin is our duty—as his followers.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the words of the Heroic Order.

When I was wandering around alone, lacking information, I had to do everything myself. But not anymore.

Now I had allies I could count on.

I nodded, then turned to the others.

“Members of the Pantheon’s sects, please focus on locating the remaining two Thrones. As for everyone else—focus on one thing. Just one.”

A great war was coming.

And in that war, it wasn’t just the divine Thrones who would fight.

Humanity had to take part too.

And for that, preparations had to be made.

“A massive war is approaching. Hell and the Evil God will not sit idly by. The nation must be strong and united. So, in your respective roles, do what you do best.”

I looked toward the mages of the Magic Tower.

“Accelerate your development of technology and magical research. In the coming war, your advancements will be what saves the Empire and its people.”

Next, I turned to the labor theorists and the imperial family.

“Draft and implement policies that don’t only enrich the few, but uplift the entire population of the Empire. The more broken and wounded hearts we leave behind, the weaker the Empire becomes. Cut out the rot. Establish principles and norms that can endure crisis, and live by them.”

Finally, I faced the heads of the noble houses and the Karma Company.

“To wage war, we need capital. Do what you do best—generate wealth. Create high-quality jobs. Drive innovation. Make the Empire prosperous.”

And the last one left... was me.

“If you all can do that—then I promise this: once I awaken the last two Thrones, I will return the power of the Goddess of Life, housed in my soul, back to the heavens. This power is too vast—too massive—for me to wield. It should be held by none other than Lilia of Grace. Only then will it be safe. Only then will it bring peace.”

From the beginning, I was never someone fit to control such power.

“I want everyone to be happy. I want this world to be at peace. But I can no longer carry this burden alone. So please—lend me your strength. Will you?”

At those words, one person suddenly stood up.

A face I knew well.

It was Lord Yorgen, master of the Magic Tower.

“After being inspired by the Saint’s healing, we’ve launched a project to develop a hair-loss treatment potion. Well, we call it that, but truthfully, it’s essentially a top-grade healing potion.”

The Tower Master grinned slyly.

“With proper support from the imperial family and the noble houses, we can wrap up the research and begin mass production quickly. I hope it can be of some help in the upcoming war.”

This time, the labor theorists rose from their seats.

Karl Lenaro, standing at the front, spoke in a serious tone.

“We can persuade the workers of the Scrap Yard. We’ll push for overproduction of the weapons and equipment needed for war. With our persuasion and enough night-shift pay, they’ll gladly work through the night.”

Jonathan Karma stood up as well.

“We’re currently planning the launch of the Eleos Group—a corporate alliance built around Lady Erpa the Witch’s tricolor research and the elixirs emerging from the capital. Fourteen noble houses have already expressed interest in joining. New legislation will be needed. I only hope the Eleos Group’s capital can be of some use in the war to come.”

The Silent Sect stood.

“We will hunt down the Evil God’s and Hell’s followers scattered across the continent.”

Then the Wisdom Sect.

“We will share our knowledge with the Magic Tower’s mages and the workers of the Scrap Yard. It should aid your research and development.”

And the White Sect.

“Once you find the Evil God’s and Hell’s followers—leave the beating and killing to us.”

The noble houses and the imperial family stood next.

“The elders of the Senate will follow me immediately. We have a meeting to hold. Looks like there’s a lot to decide.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It seems there are quite a few laws we’ll need to pass.”

One by one, everyone voiced their resolve and began to move.

I was no longer alone.

The skilled and powerful from every field moved like interlocking gears, and before long, the banquet hall had emptied.

And a little while later—

Only five people remained in the hall, including me.

Erpa.

Iomene.

Almene.

And...

“Saint.”

Kanya.

The four women approached me.

“Could we have a word... just us girls?”

Erpa, Iomene, and Almene smiled as they said it, while Kanya couldn’t even meet my eyes.

I didn’t know why—

But something in those smiles filled me with an indescribable sense of dread.