July 15, 1616 Central Calendar, 15:00

Roguerider Foundation HQ Training Ground, San Redentore District, Runepolis

"Begin!"

As soon as Adonis signaled the start of their sparring bout, Kaios quickly sidestepped and swung his arms in a wide arc, directing the water magic he conjured to intercept a blast of wind hurled by Meteos' opening move. He had no time to savor the feeling of actually controlling water like it's another limb without the troublesome verbal chanting as Adonis' lessons kicked in, forcing him to pay attention to his footwork and constantly circle around the circular sparring area lest his opponent would catch him off guard from the back.

Watching the air current and the water stream cancel each other with a loud hissing noise, the silver-haired boy somersaulted backward to create some space between the two combatants while Kaios tried to waste no time and willed a defense to form around himself, causing more water to appear and coalesce into a shimmering ring that encircled him acting as a mobile barrier. Meteos himself tried to not remain static, silently following Kaios' movement in the opposite direction and coiled around the arena together, keeping each other in their lines of sight.

And then, with flicks of Kaios' wrists, baseball-shaped water projectiles shot out from the water ring's edge in order to assail Meteos.

His opponent reacted immediately and channeled his own elemental magic, as Kaios expected. A vortex of wind manifested around Meteos' hands, and in the face of incoming water bullets, he quickly swung his hand in sweeping arcs, cleaving through the oncoming attack and reducing them to harmless droplets that rained down on the arena floor. The defensive maneuver derived from a certain circular walking martial arts style was elegant and efficient, but Kaios wasn't finished yet.

With a determined grunt, Kaios whipped his left foot forward, this time conjuring more water that appeared to be erupting from the ground in a wave-like attack. Meteos also didn't stand his ground this time. Instead, he launched himself into the air and performed a somersault over the wave's crest. In response, Kaios retracted the water with his hands and made it circle around him briefly before directing the water in a stream toward his airborne opponent.

Meteos landed lithely on the balls of his feet and immediately pivoted on his left foot, bringing his other leg in a high arc roundhouse kick aiming for the incoming water stream. Amidst the maneuver, the wind magic was willed again, revealing a powerful surge of air that slammed into Kaios' attack. As a follow-up, Meteos continued to send various forms of wind magical attacks while darting sideways, forcing Kaios on the defensive by manipulating the water to either intercept or block the strikes.

'Are all wind elemental mages such twinkle toes...?' Now sure that he is on the back foot, Kaios tried to make sense of his opponent's movements.

Occasionally, he would launch his own counterattack, but Meteos' movements soon morphed into a whirlwind. He twirled and pirouetted across the arena floor, each step seemed barely a touch upon the ground as if he danced on the very edge of wind currents. The air itself seemed to bend to his will, swirling around his body and deflecting Kaios' water projectiles effortlessly.

Eventually, Kaios found himself being subjected to an onslaught that stretched his water manipulation to its limits. With every dodge and leap, Kaios felt his focus narrow, his mind consumed with conjuring one defense after another. He became so fixated on blocking the incoming attack that he turned into a helpless turtle, constantly withdrawing into his shell while Meteos, the swift and agile hawk, circled overhead.

'Oh, shit—'

He blocked an incoming air blast with a large amount of water stream in its general direction, only for Meteos to quickly change position and launch what felt like a compressed air bullet(?) whistling past Kaios' ear.

The blonde Parpaldian widened his eyes in shock. So far that was the closest one to hitting him. Being barely visible with the faintly glowing residual mana in each move as his only visual cue, Kaios was really having a hard time defending against the so-called favorite elemental magic of the assassins of yore.

A smile tugged at the young Roguerider's lips. "Impressive, Kaios," he called out across the arena. "It has only been three weeks, isn't it?"

Kaios held his tongue and settled with a wary nod of acknowledgment. Compared to the silver-haired boy who was definitely going easy on him this time, three weeks of practicing bending their elemental affinities with a Manadriver in earnest is nothing.

"Then it would be a disservice to perform in a lackluster manner."

'Uh, oh,' Kaios' eyes widened slightly. What does he even mean by that!?

Despite a shiver running down his spine, Kaios took a deep breath and focused his senses, searching for any subtle tells in Meteos' stance that might reveal his move. His eyes darted between the swirling currents of wind surrounding his opponent and the faint tremor in the air that often preceded an attack.

Suddenly, Meteos crouched and performed a sweeping kick. Every instinct screamed at Kaios to jump, to avoid whatever attack was coming, but a flicker of uncertainty held him back. It was at that moment that flames erupted from his foot, transforming the kick into a fiery projectile hurtling toward Kaios.

"!!!"

Right, he almost forgot that Mrs. Robin's team is practicing a secondary element. Okay, jumping seemed risky; a follow-up attack might catch him mid-air when he is vulnerable. In a desperate bid to shield himself, Kaios channeled his mana to conjure a wall of water in front of him just in time to meet the fire blast.

However, the reprieve was short-lived. Meteos anticipated this and did not stop his momentum, propelling himself upwards and twisting mid-air to perform a reverse sweeping kick, sending another flaming projectile arcing towards Kaios from the side while he was still focused on maintaining the now steaming wall.

Kaios was unable to rely on another water wall forming fast enough, so he dropped to the ground, diving just as the second fire blast came flying down and narrowly missed him. As he landed in a crouch, the adrenaline coursing through his veins gave him a burst of energy. He quickly brought his hands up and this time, instead of a defensive move, a jet of water erupted from his palms aimed directly at Meteos midair. Hopefully the silver-haired boy would be doused before he could unleash another fiery attack.

'Lámhach Stoirme!'

Meteos met the challenge with a flourish. He made a sign with one of his hands and the water attack suddenly sputtered and dispersed, revealing his figure unharmed as he landed. This left Kaios watching in disbelief, as he only saw his attack being disturbed repeatedly by something strong and invisible before ceasing completely mere inches in front of his opponent. And then it occurred to him.

'......This is it! The real wind magic!'

Indeed, Meteos had conjured a barrage of small Drilling Air Bullets from his surroundings and directed it to neutralize the incoming attack. He compared it to how a gun-based close-in weapons system intercepted an enemy guided missile.

A decent wind specialist mage in real battle would never let signs of improper control like glowing mana particles expose themselves. A real wind magic is totally invisible as the mage is manipulating the air itself. Legend has also said that a certain high-level wind magic technique has been used to make heads explode like watermelons long before sniper rifles were a thing.

Crazy if true.

A silent scream echoed within him, a desperate plea to his own body: 'Move! Mind your footwork!'

The sweat stinging his eyes did little to blur Kaios' focus as the opening allowed him to resume his circling dance with Meteos. Each step was now more measured as they exchanged attacks that danced across the arena floor. Water jets met swirling winds, hissing and dissipating in a cloud of mist. But this time, Kaios wasn't just reacting. He was learning.

Heeding the lessons from the previous assault, Kaios forced himself to forego the heavy water shields and opted for a more agile defense. He tried to weave and dip, mirroring Meteos' swift movements as best he could. It was like a dance of desperation, limbs flailing just enough to deflect the onslaught of mixed wind and fire magic attacks that Meteos chained seemingly so seamlessly with a coy expression on his face as if taunting the blonde to 'bring it on.' It was a face looking so smug and confident that maybe he thinks he can fly.

Despite his newfound resolve, Kaios' clumsiness was evident, comparable to a toddler trying to mimic his older brother. His dodges were often close calls, leaving him breathless and winded from the near-misses. He stumbled once, nearly falling victim to a particularly well-placed air blast that sent him staggering backward. Well, relying on an opponent's tactics might not be the best course of action, especially when Meteos' mastery far exceeds his.

"Dodging is not just about avoiding the attack. It's about positioning yourself for a counterattack!" Adonis' voice called out from the side.

'Counterattack, huh...'

Kaios felt spurred by his mentor's words and seized a narrow opportunity, lunging and rolling forward in order to close the distance between them. Even in the midst of the action, he questioned himself if this was the right move. He wasn't entirely sure, but the primal urge to take an offensive burned brightly within him.

The momentum from the roll carried him past Meteos' outstretched leg, narrowly avoiding another fire blast. Before the silver-haired boy could react, Kaios rose from the roll, his hands already forming the familiar gestures to conjure water magic. A concentrated jet of water, thicker and faster than his previous attempts, erupted from his palms, aimed directly at Meteos' exposed back.

His opponent, however, effortlessly sidestepped the attack and retaliated almost in the same breath. His hand, seemingly innocuous one moment, wreathed itself in a swirling vortex of wind the next. With a sharp "whoosh," he launched a wind-coated punch directly toward Kaios, who barely had time to react. Drawing on his dwindling reserves of energy and channeling every ounce of focus, he tried to summon a small water-style barrier in front of him. It met the brunt of the attack head-on, but the barrier immediately buckled under the force and shattered into droplets.

Meteos then capitalized on this opportunity. Focusing wind magic on both his feet, he dropped to the ground supported by his two hands as he used his legs together to launch a larger air blast. Kaios was still slightly disoriented from the impact and had only a fleeting moment to react. He raised his arms once more in panicked swipes, vaguely desiring his mana to "defend himself." However, the combined force and speed of his opponent's maneuver proved too much. The air blast pierced through the newly formed, weaker barrier, sending a shockwave that rippled through the surrounding air. And as a consequence of his lackluster defenses, Meteos' attack broke through and hit him.

"Agh!" Kaios yelped, feeling the blast struck his gut. The impact sent him flying backward, his body tumbling across the arena floor before coming to a rest in a heap of dust and grit. A pained grimace briefly crossed his face as he lay there, his arm instinctively reaching up to cradle his throbbing head.

A beat of tense silence filled the arena for a moment, neither of the combatants' teammates who spectated the match emitted a sound. All eyes were glued to Kaios, who lay on his back on the ground. Then, Adonis' voice boomed across the space.

"Kaios has stepped out of bounds. The winner of this match is Meteos!"

"YAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

A loud cheer erupted from around the arena and a two-story building adjacent to the training ground where a cafeteria was located. The Foundation's employees who were taking a break nearby made up for the sheer volume of the noise as they were watching a scion of their boss and his friend sparred against their foreigner buddies using the modern fighting style of mage-to-mage combat. With a beaming smile, Meteos bowed at his friends and spectators leaning on the second floor's railing, spotting a familiar mustached man among the crowd.

Oh, his father is also here.

"Heh."

He was cheering loudly at his son, but not to the point of amazingly embarrassing. Balanced, like all things should be.

Meanwhile, Robin approached Kaios and crouched beside him with an extended hand.

"Are you alright?" she gently asked.

"Yeah... I think so."

"No shame, son. Let me help you stand up."

"Ah...... Thanks, Mrs. Robin."

Pushing himself up, Kaios let out a groan. Robin's hand offered much-needed support, and with a bit of effort, the blonde young man managed to sit up and stand on his wobbly legs. He dusted himself off, feeling the dull ache in his abdomen when he walked inside the boundary to stand across Meteos in order to officially conclude the match.

"Thank you for going easy on me," he bowed first.

"I got lucky," Meteos responded with his own.

With an understanding that both mean no harm to each other, both combatants grinned, Meteos' own more amused compared to Kaios' sheepish one. And when Adonis stepped into the arena after the cheers settled, the two turned to face him.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"A well-fought match. Both fighters displayed control over their respective elemental affinities. For Kaios and his team, it's even more so considering their still brief period of getting used to casting magic aided by the Manadrivers. Your control over water manipulation has improved significantly from when we started in earnest. Good for you."

He paused and narrowed his eyes slightly. "However, you still have a tendency to remain standstill. Okay. While remaining stationary did allow for focused spellcasting, it also makes you vulnerable. Meteos exploited this by maneuvering around Kaios and forcing him to react rather than dictate the flow of battle. Footwork, Kaios, is just as crucial as spell mastery. We will work on improving your agility and positioning so that you can better anticipate your opponent's movements and respond with greater efficiency."

"Thank you, Master."

"The upcoming mage exam doesn't solely assess magical prowess. While utilizing your magic effectively is vital, strategizing and adapting to your opponent's tactics are what the examiners want to see from you. Kaios was also distracted by Meteos' words, catching him off guard and combined with his hesitation in his reactions, costing him the match. If you can't handle his polite compliment, then you will lose to competitors who will throw you mean insults during the upcoming exam."

Adonis paused, letting the fact sink in on the foreigner team who nodded grimly upon hearing that.

"The Imperial Board's magic exam is not a sports festival. It was initially created with the intention of turning it into a substitute for war between nations and still is. So yes, trash talk and even underhanded moves are valid strategies as long as it is kept within the exam boundaries."

"Maybe someone should create a sport version of mage matches...?" Irmiya squeaked.

He thought he was a sneaky one, but Robin heard him.

"That's actually an interesting idea!" she hollered, startling the boy.

"Save it for later."

Deciding to conclude his commentary, the Rogueriders' eldest son turned to face the assembled trainees.

"Well then, that concludes our training session for today. Thank you for your cooperation. You are all dismissed."

…………

Kaios walked out of the infirmary with a relieved sigh. Thanks to the help of healing magic that the doctor administered as soon as Meteos brought him to get checked, the ache from where Meteos' air blast hit was no longer present. Just outside the door, he spotted the rest of the two team members huddling together and chatting to each other.

"Finally," he said as he approached the group. "Just got the all-clear."

"Kaios, how are you feeling now?" inquired Irmiya.

"I'm fine now."

"Alright," Elto muttered with a nod. "Do you know? You actually lasted the second longest in the match among our team, after Irmiya."

Kaios blinked in surprise. "I am? Is that good?"

Annette quipped. "Well, you tell me. Against an opponent like him, even if he's holding back, that's exceptional."

"Ooooh..."

Prior to Kaios' bout against Meteos, matches were concluded on this day pitting Adonis' apprentices against Robin's in order to gauge their development. Gabriel was up against the fellow fire elemental user Walman; Irmiya was against Nadia; and Elto faced Annette. Even though all the foreigners ended up being bested by their more experienced Milishian counterparts, they have undeniably showcased a considerable level of skill.

As both teams made their way to the lounge to take a rest before going home, Meteos walked up to Kaios and Walman from behind and chuckled. "I had a good fight back then."

"Uh, it's nothing."

The silver-haired boy's smile faltered slightly. "Do not use that phrasing. Saying 'it's nothing' when someone acknowledges you is not a display of humility, Kaios, it's an insult to everyone who made an effort."

".........!?"

"In this land, there are three things that our people consider serious business: filial piety, Ancient Sorcerous Empire, and training. When you dismiss praise with 'it's nothing,' you not only belittle the one who spoke but also disrespect the countless hours everyone else has put into honing their skills, and everyone here has done it at least once. They have to and you've seen it yourself, haven't you?"

It was, after all, part of everyone's education.

"Next time, say that you have a good teacher instead."

Kaios nodded sheepishly, understanding settling in his eyes. "I see. Thanks for correcting me."

Meteos clapped him on the shoulder. "Think nothing of it. So, ready to obtain your magic staves?"

"Isn't that the thing... I mean artifact, that is given to a certified Mage when they pass the exam?" the blonde Parpaldian boy stuttered.

"It is."

"I don't know, are you sure that's even the right question at this point?"

"Did I stutter?"

Walman snorted, and Kaios laughed and wondered to himself. Are people allowed to be this optimistic?

July 16, 1616 Central Calendar, 06:30

Legiel idly shuffled a certain deck of cards as he sat on the balcony to watch the sunrise, looking down to the courtyard to see Kagaseo's mortal guise riding out of the Roguerider residence to pay his weekly visit to the hospital.

"Ah, another tranquil day," he murmured, savoring the fresh air that entered his nostrils.

In a template world where the curbstomping by the fan-favorite protagonists against the local cannon fodders is not yet happened, Ars Goetia's situation is that of peace and quiet, with little to no prospect of a world-ending conflict.

In the story narratives of the Civilization Annihilation Games that the Audience subscribed to, this situation is unacceptable, uninteresting, bland, and boring. The Audience wanted an interesting plot, and that's usually achieved by cursing worlds that are supposed to be idyllic little havens running stably on their course until Judgment Day with the insertion of plot devices that will generate conflict and propel a plot forward. They also disdain easily resolved conflicts, finding them equally uninteresting and lacking in depth. To be fair, this is subjective, but eh, everyone's a critic.

A female sex worker in a certain world was unknowingly given a power unnatural to that world, manifesting as hardened growths on her left arm. Even though this woman later died in childbirth without ever truly knowing about her ability, Game cursed this world with more of these "superpowers" and created a new branch of humanity that was initially discriminated against and hunted down as society broke down and chaos festered. The world did eventually adapt to the new status quo, but with this "Backstory Event," the "Plot" was already laid down, rendering the course of events that will unfold next ready to be watched by the Audience.

A species in another world was cursed by inserting the thought of assuming the "Mantle of Responsibility" that eventually led to their extinction when the candidate they passed over for succeeding their guardianship of life retaliated and drove them to extinction. This eventually created a galactic-spanning problem and a legacy that pitted sentient creatures against each other long after this event.

In other scenarios, the Game committed things such as buffing the starter villain faced by a protagonist, thereby turning what supposed to be a triumphant debut into a hopeless fight where the protagonist will be killed when they are still inexperienced and weak. Even things such as leaking a part of hell to invade places are sometimes enough to create plots that are watched by the Audience.

Legiel can list more if one were to ask, but that would be all tell, no show, don't you think?

So, according to the moral standards of this world, at least, apparently he is an irredeemable monster.

While he would have a justification for his endeavor, his own set of morality and methods he used to achieve his grand goal eventually resulted in him receiving hatred from everyone whose world he screwed over. But since Legiel is a part of the Four Horsemen, such grudge from gods and mortals who can't even lay a finger on him means absolutely nothing to him, one of the absolute constants of the creation themselves.

The entity himself, on the other hand, believed that he had done the creation a thankless job, but eventually a great service by destroying things here and there, purging negativity from the creation. The more unhinged higher beings and their creation are deleted from existence, the closer everything will be to achieving true happiness.

To use an analogy, Pestilence viewed this whole affair like cleaning a street or building from excrement (mortals) dropped by rabid dogs (the Audience, players, sponsors, and other higher beings who throw in their lot with the Game). While he felt nothing against the excrement, it stood in the way of a clean place and must be cleaned as soon as possible, while the source must be neutralized so that it can't throw its shit randomly anymore. How did he do it? By using a lure (the Civilization Annihilation Game) to bait the dogs to one place and drug them to death. A simple operation that doesn't need too much effort.

He is not like his eldest brother, Death, who claims to understand gods and mortals due to being with them for so long and believes they can always change, that they must be given a chance to be better.

He feels nothing over these mundane matters.

However, since Death had dared him to be "better" than Amatsu-Mikaboshi and Meteos Roguerider, whatever that means, he who likes challenges from his brother whom he loved and will not really lose anything by humoring the proposition, will see what he can do while he's still walking this plane of existence.

Eventually, Legiel's attention fell on that one card again. All as One.

…………

Later in the morning, Legiel found Meteos lounging in the backyard garden alone, since his usual companion from the family is gone seeing his comatose girlfriend.

"Hello, Brother. Go away."

Without even turning his head to see him, Meteos muttered in a dismissive tone.

"Now that's the level of honesty I can get behind," Legiel smiled.

No matter the level of enmity, it's not like anyone but the other Horsemen can make him leave the places he wants to be. But he did encourage Meteos to be more honest in expressing his feelings. He can take it.

"Well, Little Brother," Legiel began, pulling a nearby lawn chair to sit on it. "Since you are now able to explain in no uncertain terms to guide your colleagues in relevant departments, you must be feeling good now that they continue to strike gold, don't you?"

"Death's act did allow for my plan to expand its scope," the younger brother stubbornly acknowledged, "while Star God Kagaseo's divine blessing made it easier for me to act upon it."

A so-called "Happy Time" had descended upon the Holy Milishial Empire as the MOASEC enjoyed significant success in its duties, uncovered new veins of magical resources and rediscovered forgotten ruins one after another. It was thanks to Meteos' pointers delivered via the White Lotus members, now the Holy Empire had plenty of resources to bolster its national power. And when the unearthed pieces of technology were brought to the Ancient Ministry in order to be analyzed, Meteos and company served as guides with their expertise to minimize the mishaps that would ensue if they were left alone.

Theoretically, he should have felt good seeing what positive change unfolded in the wake of Death's cosmic-level retcon of his world, but he was wary of what twist Legiel would give to dampen the moment into something else.

"Theoretically, with all your plans for the Holy Empire's development being covered by our family's massive connections, you should be able to travel around and see the wonders this world has to offer while not worrying about the development. It's kind of useless having all of us gathered in one place."

"Oh, so this is what it comes to."

Meteos arched a skeptical eyebrow, though he couldn't help but acknowledge the timeliness of the topic. He had recently pointed out to the Order of the Ancients an Area with a map room (an intact globe projector) in the Middle Lands capable of showing them a clearer picture of their own planet. However, since this Area is currently an undiscovered ruin buried underground, it would be strange from the non-White Lotus' perspective to have them suddenly go there with an intel they deem dubious at best. Hence, he and Lugiel strategically arranged the subordinates to "stumble upon" clues in locations capable of giving hints to the others about this Area and its function.

"Well, I know that you've already visited places in your past life, but are you not curious about what those places look like in a different era? Maybe you can use your foreknowledge to eliminate threats before they become problems, become a hero to some settlement, help people, make friends, save endangered species, broker peace between warring countries, dig up more relics! Find the hollow planet's entrance, too! This planet is beautiful, you can turn it into an even better place as a force for good. Maybe you're born too late to fight in the Warring Kingdoms, and too early to explore your galaxy, but just in time to walk all over Ars Goetia. Leave a legacy to your descendants, that kind of thing."

Legiel spoke in a casual tone, but all Meteos heard from those words is that "You're obsolete, get the fuck out and find a place to be useful or something." His words also unironically reeked of a messiah complex, now that Legiel's twisting was laid bare upon him.

He abruptly halted his train of thought. Such negativity actually sickened him now that it began tainting the offer with prejudice, even if it's Legiel. Meteos consciously took a deep breath, compelling himself to analyze Legiel's words rationally rather than allowing his personal feelings to color his judgment. He recognized the familiar sting of prejudice, knowing the First Horseman of the Apocalypse is really brave to say all that when he's the source of EVERYTHING THAT IS WRONG IN THIS WORLD, and pushed it aside.

It took an insurmountable effort to do so on his part. But to his surprise, he managed to do it.

"......That's an intriguing suggestion," Meteos gulped and sighed heavily, resignation evident in his voice. "It's just... Ars Goetia is vast, our known world only constitutes less than a fifth of the planet, and the situation at present makes it impractical to try to venture beyond the known world. At best, I can only travel within regions of the known world even if I wanted to. Until the technological and logistical hurdle can be overcome, there's no other choice but to stay in the known world for a while longer."

Legiel absorbed Meteos' explanation with a small smile on his face.

"Indeed," he chuckled. "Still, it's a shame to limit oneself when there's so much potential for discovery. But fret not, Little Brother! At this rate, you will not have to wait until you're much older in order for that to happen."

The younger brother snorted.

"To think it's more feasible for this country to launch an artificial satellite first than landing on the uncharted lands..."

"You know what else is more feasible?"

".........What?"

Legiel's smile widened a fraction. "Let us have the Holy Empire lease the Paganda Kingdom from Leifor and develop the island as a trading hub to facilitate exploration and trade expansion past the Second Civilization Area."

"Really... Paganda of the Deadly Sins?"

"Having visited that wretched island myself, I can attest that its people are so insufferable to the point of being suicidally stupid. Still, we are talking about a people who will be hunted to extinction by the Gra Valkans like animals shortly after they appear in this world," Legiel pointed out. "So, if you really are firm in the belief that people can change to be better... I double dare you to prevent them from suffering that path. How's that sound, Little Brother?"

"I see..."

Meteos narrowed his eyes. Sure, it might start as helping out another nation, but this is a slippery slope that anyone will be eager to criticize and tear apart simply for thinking about it in the first place. History, and his past life, were filled with examples of countries that ended up exploiting and subjugating others in the name of progress. A civilization that is not careful will fall into the same trap. Forcing to choose between allowing an empire to potentially exploit another, or indirectly causing the demise of an entire nation, is what this "double dare" is all about. The true test, as Legiel always loved to twist everything, was one of preserving benevolence.

"What's wrong with that hesitant face? Is it not in line with the noblesse oblige that this country is always talking about?" Legiel taunted. "You're not trying to chicken out of that ideal and turn into a hypocrite, aren't you?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that."

Meteos shook his head and calmed himself.

"But from my understanding, you are walking this world as one of us, therefore—"

"Silly Little Brother, of course I'm in, I wouldn't have it any other way," the older silver-haired cut him off.

The reincarnator internally groaned. Despite the playful malice that dripped from every single one of Legiel's words, he sounded really sincere in helping Meteos in his plans for this world.

And he did. As long as it did not concern supernatural matters, Legiel would happily oblige to his Little Brother's requests regarding mundane matters.

He must talk to Adonis and Ace about this later.

'Dammit... is this really happening?'

"Ah, I'm so happy! My Little Brother is asking for my help in his sidequests!"

"Shut up! You're forcing yourself upon me—shit, wait, that came out wrong... Eeeugh... I'm going to hurl..."