At the sudden appearance of the pair of girls, the elf commander took a step backwards and respectfully lowered his head, soon followed by his guard.

The drakonids seemed too busy prostrating themselves before Davna to notice, though.

From the way these two addressed me, their vocal patterns, their clothes, their brightly shining eyes and, most of all, from their aura of divinity and the associated effects, I was pretty certain who these two were. Even yet, I decided to use [Appraisal] to make absolutely sure.

Name

Salamander

Sex

None (Currently possessing a female body)

Race

████ God (Fire)

Grade

10 (Almighty)

Skills

Divine

[Divine Aura] [Divinity of Fire] [Blessing of Fire] ([Divine Being] [Divine Punishment: Fire])

Divine Aura

You may pressure any mortal being into immediate compliance with as much as a thought. This skill has no effect on beings who have strong loyalty to a different divine being.

Divinity of Fire

You lord over this world’s fire, and it will follow your every command and wish. The more people profess their faith in you, the stronger you will grow.

Blessing of Fire

Grant a living being the skill [Divine Protection: Salamander]. The stronger the target and the stronger the blessing, the more of your power will be consumed. If the target is a monster, there is a chance its core will be dyed in your colour; This chance will grow the weaker the target is. If the target’s soul disappears for any reason, the divine power will return to you.

(Aspect of Heat, Aspect of Ashes, Aspect of Affection)

Afflictions

[████ God] [Lent Blessings]

████ God

You are not a ███████ God, but have been ███████ by such a God. You will never reach the level of a ███████ God.

Lent Blessings

You have blessed between 11 and 100 creatures. Your divine power has decreased accordingly.

* As you are currently inhabiting the body of a mortal using the [Divine Possession] skill, you are unable to use certain skills. These skills have been abbreviated.

* This is the status of a godly being. Although the being’s power has been quantified to the best of my abilities, I cannot guarantee that all of its powers are properly reflected in this status.

Name

Sylph

Sex

None (Currently possessing a female body)

Race

████ God (Wind)

Grade

10 (Almighty)

Skills

Divine

[Divine Aura] [Divinity of Wind] [Blessing of Wind] ([Divine Being] [Divine Punishment: Wind])

Divine Aura

You may pressure any mortal being into immediate compliance with as much as a thought. This skill has no effect on beings who have strong loyalty to a different divine being.

Divinity of Wind

You lord over this world’s wind, and it will follow your every command and wish. The more people profess their faith in you, the stronger you will grow.

Blessing of Wind

Grant a living being the skill [Divine Protection: Sylph]. The stronger the target and the stronger the blessing, the more of your power will be consumed. If the target is a monster, there is a chance its core will be dyed in your colour; This chance will grow the weaker the target is. If the target’s soul disappears for any reason, the divine power will return to you.

(Aspect of Mobility, Aspect of Cutting, Aspect of Comfort)

Afflictions

[████ God] [Lent Blessings]

████ God

You are not a ███████ God, but have been ███████ by such a God. You will never reach the level of a ███████ God.

Lent Blessings

You have blessed between 11 and 100 creatures. Your divine power has decreased accordingly.

* As you are currently inhabiting the body of a mortal using the [Divine Possession] skill, you are unable to use certain skills. These skills have been abbreviated.

* This is the status of a godly being. Although the being’s power has been quantified to the best of my abilities, I cannot guarantee that all of its powers are properly reflected in this status.

I stared for a few seconds at the blanked out portions, then shook my head. It would do no good to think about things I could not understand.

Regardless, it seemed my theory about their identities was correct.

“If you say I am to cease, then there is nothing I can do,” I said, retracting my intimidating mana from the environment, “but could I request we move to a more… comfortable location?”

“Mmh… Agreed,” Sylph said, nodding with minimal movement and looking like she was about to collapse on the spot. “Out here is-” she paused to yawn, “hm, draughty?”

“I do believe that term applies only to closed spaces, Lady Sylph,” Tempest said, stepping forward a little with her typical tired smile.

“Ha! I take it you’re on my side, then, missy?” Salamander said, throwing an arm around Tempest’s waist. It seemed likely she would have gone for her shoulder, instead, if only she could have reached it—her shrine maiden was not very tall, perhaps Charlotte’s height.

“I do not recall taking sides,” Tempest said, wriggling out of Salamander’s grasp. “I will follow Master’s decision.”

Salamander looked rather disappointed.

I cleared my throat. “I propose we just get going,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “You too, Davna, do not lag behind!”

“Uwah, wait for me, Master!”

With great difficulty, she managed to escape the mass of drakonids trying to present her with stacks upon stacks of gifts and caught up to us.

We reunited with Charlotte along the way. I did not ask her what she had done with the elf she had… ‘intercepted’.

Although rather different from Lady Entropy’s castle, the elves’ capitol building, also called the Tree’s Roots, was quite high-class. In addition, we appeared to have been guided to one of the higher-end meeting rooms.

The windows let in large amounts of light, and although the walls were organically grown, it did not seem like they were going to be letting anything through. I was wearing shoes, so I could not feel it, but from Davna’s expression, I could surmise the carpet in the room was quite soft, as well, perhaps to match Sylph’s preferences.

I had not yet sat down, in large part because the idiot trio had decided to hide behind me. Both Asami and Nexu were peeking, however, so perhaps they were not truly all that scared.

“What do you three think you are doing?” I said without looking at them.

“These two… Their smell is similar to the white lady in black,” Alpine said, and I could feel it trembling against the back of my legs. Fair enough.

“I’m just searching out a safe place, mister demon king!”

“... The same as sis.”

The children were good kids, perhaps too honest for their own good. Lying was clearly a skill they had not yet learned.

“Right. Well, you will not be able to keep this hiding spot for long.”

I took a step forward, and both children fell to the floor. Alpine somehow managed to retain its balance.

Without so much as a shred of hesitation, I placed a hand on both of the shrine maidens’ shoulders. It invited curious gazes from many parties, including the goddesses themselves.

“Mmh… Lord Astaroth?”

“Lord Astaroth, what’re you-”

For expediency's sake, I activated my skill before Salamander could finish her question.

“[Exorcise].”

The only warning was the singular word that left my mouth.

Both shrine maidens fell to the floor, though if one looked closely, they would notice the two of them were still breathing, merely unconscious. The skill’s effect was far less peaceful for the two goddesses, however—they were rather violently forced out, and flew backwards before colliding with the room’s wall.

It looked and sounded a little painful.

On the right, slowly sitting up, was Salamander. Red hair that was trumped in colour only by her blazing eyes, chocolate-brown skin and a body which many would probably describe as ‘a bombshell’, wrapped in rather sensual-looking garb. On her right cheek was a red symbol, and it sometimes seemed as if her arms were covered in scales, though I had never quite been able to tell. The heat she emitted just by existing was enough that I could feel it from where I stood, a good few metres away.

On the left, limbs splayed across the floor like a starfish as she lay face-down, was Sylph, caressing the carpet with both hands. Green hair, like the crown of a tree, messily covered her head, and the only reason I knew her eyes were a darker green was because I remembered. Her massively oversized robe, which obscured her figure, was about as well taken care of as her hair—in other words, a giant mess. I also recalled there was a green symbol around her eyes.

From what I could tell, she was already asleep.

Just like Lady Entropy, Gnome and I, the both of them had pointed ears.

I stood, unmoving, with half-lidded eyes, for quite a while as I watched the two of them.

After a while, Salamander stood up, rubbing her lower back.

“That hurt, you know?” she said, sending a glower my way. The heat around her intensified—I saw the air waver—and a few sparks formed and jumped about around her head.

Well, I suppose I could not blame her for being angry, but I would still rather she did not attack me. Thus, I gestured to the other drakonid-elf pair in the room—the Elven Council President and the drakonids’ chief, both of whom were watching in silent bafflement.

She took a deep breath and calmed herself.

After a few minutes of silence and the Elven Council President nudging Sylph and calling her name a few times, she, too, stood up.

“So, Lord Astaroth?” Salamander asked, tilting her head to the side.

I did not immediately respond—that is, I took more than two seconds to respond—so Sylph used this chance to get a comment in edgewise.

“Mh,” she said, “tomboy-” she paused to yawn, “finish your sentences?”

Salamander’s eye twitched.

“Who’re you calling a tomboy, you walking stick?”

I held out a hand to prevent Charlotte from walking forward, though the goddesses seemed too preoccupied to notice.

“You’re, um. The one who,” Sylph paused a moment, “got angry,” she scratched her nose, “that quickly?”

The pressure was as though I could cut it with a knife, so I cleared my throat to draw the two’s attention to me.

“Please elaborate on your question, Lady Salamander,” I said as I made my way over to one of the room’s sofas and sat down.

Soft and comfortable.

The moment I sat down, my companions took places they seemed to think appropriate. Charlotte, Tempest and Davna placed themselves behind the couch, soon followed by Navillus, though it did not seem like Davna or Navillus were thinking about much.

Up to this point, I entirely agreed.

Nexu and Asami sat on either side of me and stuck close.

Not ideal, but given they were meeting a pair of goddesses of which we had no guarantee they would be friendly, it was understandable enough.

The line was crossed, however, when Alpine decided to place itself on my lap.

It would have been one thing if it had been shaking in fear, but-

It curled up in comfort.

I pushed it onto Asami’s lap. Neither of them complained, so I let Salamander know I was ready to answer any questions by looking at her.

She was about to sit down on the other sofa, opposite the one I was on, but before she could, Sylph dove onto it, stomach down, and buried her face into the armrest, which looked just about as soft as the rest of the thing.

“... Move it, stick insect.”

“Mmh… ‘S my country? So, ‘s my couch.”

“I said move it, before I burn that country of yours to the ground.”

“Mph. Try it.”

I cleared my throat to get their attention once more. “Please, you two, calm down. I do not want to have to treat you like kindergarteners, but…”

Sylph raised her head and Salamander’s eye twitched, but the two of them did not say anything. After a bit of staring, Sylph sat up ‘properly’—she still leaned against one of the armrests, but at least there was now more space—and Salamander sat down next to her, with as much distance between them as she could manage.

Salamander cleared her throat.

“The two things I’d like to know are why you pushed us out of our shrine maidens and why you’re here at all.”

“Being physical’s,” Sylph said, “tiring?”

“So you say, but Lady Entropy is physically in the world constantly, is she not?” I said, answering a question with a question. “To add, she normally does not sleep at all.”

“ ‘Normally’...?” Salamander parroted, raising an eyebrow.

“It is nothing,” I said, a sly smirk on my face. “Rather than that, my question.”

“Ah, right. Well, I’m sure you’ve noticed, but Lady Entropy’s a bit of a special case, you see? It should be pretty obvious, but she’s, how do I put this… She’s a little stronger than us, so it’s not as big of a deal.”

Rather unbefitting of her outfit, she started taking on a more familiar tone of voice as her explanation went by.

“Mh,” Sylph said, nodding. “Lady Entropy is-” she yawned, “an exception. Normally,” she paused, “gods just stay-” She stretched her arms. “In their divine realms? Mhm.”

She nodded to herself once more as she finished her sentence, an almost catlike, smug smile on her face.

I was not entirely sure what she had done that was worth getting smug over.

“Hmm. I see. As for why I forced you out… You know as well as I that staying in a shrine maiden for too long will be detrimental to her health.”

As if on cue, the drakonid shrine maiden groaned in her sleep. Neither shrine maiden seemed to be making much headway towards waking up.

“And then there is the more… interesting question of why I am here. Like I said earlier, to put it simply,”

I spread my arms on either side of the backrest of the sofa.

“I am here at Lady Entropy’s behest, with all the authority that grants me.”

I was not entirely aware of the potential hierarchy between gods, but Lady Entropy’s mention of ‘flaunting her influence’ made me think it was likely she was ‘above’ the elemental goddesses, in some way. Indeed, judging from Salamander’s expression, there was a bit of a hierarchy there.

Like this, perhaps I could—

“Like I’d believe that!”

My train of thought was interrupted by a voice I did not recognise, though I was pretty sure I knew who it belonged to. Indeed, the drakonid chief had been so rude as to interrupt my thoughts. That said, I was honestly surprised it had taken him this long.

“If you’re going to lie,” he continued, “at least make it sound a little plausible!”

Apparently prompted by the chief’s outburst, the Elven Council President spoke up too, in a sing-songy voice of which I could not determine the gender. “Oh my~ That’s quite a claim, isn’t it~? I’m sure we’d all like a little evidence~”

I decided to have a proper look at the two of them.

The drakonid chief was, perhaps as expected, rather muscular and, for some reason I could not identify, he was topless. His skin was lightly tanned, and he had bright orange hair the same colour as his eyes. His hair was a mess—at least half of his ten centimetre-long black horns must have been covered by it—and instead of hands, he had orange-scaled claws. Similarly-coloured, dragon-like wings sprouted from his back.

The Elven Council President, on the other hand, was like the very definition of the word ‘elf’—extremely androgynous and captivatingly beautiful. Their blonde, green-tinged hair cascaded down to their waist, their pointed ears flicked occasionally as they picked up far-off sounds, and their forest-green eyes had something… deep to them, under the surface.

Those same eyes also seemed to be the site of a magical effect, but I could tell it did not affect me, so I did not pay it any mind.

“W, well,” Salamander said, “I wouldn’t find it hard to believe, I suppose. The twig and I get along like fire and-”

She stopped, likely because the idiom she was going to use was not quite fitting.

“-like cats and dogs. It also wouldn’t surprise me if Lady Entropy could sense which of us descends onto the world, and where. But still—”

“Mh… I don’t need,” Sylph yawned, “any of that-” She paused a moment. “Useless fat?”

“Why, you little—!”

“That is enough, you two,” I said, putting pressure into my voice. The two of them quickly shut up. “Please continue, Lady Salamander.”

“Ah, yes. Like I was saying, I’d still like some proof, y’know,” she said, looking a little awkward.

“Nh,” Sylph said, “if you don’t have proof-” She tilted her head to the side. “I can, uhm. Handle it? Myself?” Once more, she produced a sleepy, smug expression.

“I am not letting you two handle this yourselves,” I spat, narrowing my eyes.

“Ah, Lady Entropy stalks you, right, Lord Astaroth?” Salamander asked, an expression as if she had made the discovery of the century.

“She watches me, yes. How do you know that?”

“Same difference, and that’s not important. Point is, couldn’t you just ask her for evidence, then?”

“Hmph… So you can have a good idea from time to time. Very well.”

It was what I would have done anyway, after all.

I clasped my hands in front of my chest, a smirk on my face.