"Hey! Lady Yuna, the Demons all have these cool nicknames — Demon King, Seven Sages of Destruction, Sage of Corruption, the Omniscient One, so many of them, it's really cool!"
In the steam-filled bathhouse, two flashes of green stood out vividly against all the white.
"So, I thought up a nickname that really suits Grand-Master Nanoda!"
"Oh~ What great title did Übel come up with?"
Yuna lifted the small basin of warm water she'd prepared beforehand, raised it over her head, and poured it down, the water splashing loudly as it washed over her whole body.
Sometimes while bathing she thought it would be more convenient if there were some folk magic that could clean the body instantly. But she also genuinely enjoyed the sensation of water flowing over her skin — a comfort nothing else could replace.
"The Homebody Demon!"
Übel stuck out her tongue with a bright, mischievous grin while combing through her wet hair.
"Pfft! Hahahaha."
As she'd grown older, Yuna rarely found anything genuinely funny anymore, but the nickname Übel had come up with was too much — she couldn't stop laughing.
"Think about it — all Grand-Master does is cultivate in one spot, eat, and sleep. I've never once seen her leave Gaderia. She's basically the textbook definition of a homebody!"
Übel spoke with total conviction. And it was true — Nanoda didn't seem the type to fly into a rage and execute a disciple over something like that. At worst she might crank up the intensity of training a little.
"So — the Homebody Demon!"
"Ahem. Übel, that nickname is far too disrespectful — rejected! Besides, back before Gaderia had settled down, Nanoda was always out there, working herself to the bone. Everyone was deeply grateful to Lady Nanoda."
Yuna's expression snapped back into that of a stern adult. Übel's words had touched something in her, stirring up old memories.
"In the past, I invited Lady Nanoda out on adventures many times. The last one was... maybe over ten years ago now. These days I'm always busy running the orphanage, so it's been a long while since I asked her to travel with me."
"What kind of adventures?!"
With a splash, Übel bounced out of her own basin like a curious cat and dove straight into Yuna's larger one.
"The one that left the deepest impression on me has to be from thirty years ago — the Labyrinth of the Water Mirror. The copy of Lady Nanoda that labyrinth produced was absolutely terrifying. Even now, I still can't think of any way to fight it — it was every bit as strong as the real Nanoda. And, well, seeing my own copy get crushed so easily by Lady Nanoda left me feeling a little down, too."
"A copy? That's fascinating! Was that magic? Can you tell me more details?"
"All right, Übel, you've grown up now — we can't keep bathing together."
Feeling Übel pressed right up against her, Yuna sighed a little at the girl's clinginess.
"Aw~ What's wrong with that? It's not like I mind that Lady Yuna's gotten old. Ow! My head!"
"If Übel keeps being this rude, she won't have any friends left."
Yuna couldn't help herself and gave Übel a light knock on the head.
Übel looked up at that face, now lined with wrinkles and crow's feet, and finally crawled obediently back into her own basin. "So can I ask Lady Nanoda to take me on an adventure?" she asked, lifting the little wooden ladle beside her to keep rinsing herself off.
"She'll definitely say yes."
"That was fast."
"Even if she doesn't agree, just keep pestering her. Lady Nanoda looks relaxed on the surface, like she doesn't care about anything but a quiet, stable life — but really, she hates trouble more than anyone."
"Achoo!"
Sitting cross-legged on a stone slab, meditating beneath the moonlight, Nanoda sneezed out of nowhere, pulled from her communion with nature.
Could Demons even catch colds? No matter how she thought about it, that seemed impossible.
Still, the timing felt about right — that "New God" from the Scripture was probably getting lonely again and coming to "chat" with her.
She opened the Scripture she always carried with her. A line of golden text had already appeared on the page.
[Good evening]
Nanoda reached out and wrote her reply directly.
"That method you gave me for treating headaches — soothing the soul — works pretty well. My control over my Mana has gotten smoother, too."
[Heh heh heh, I am a God, after all! Ψ(Ψ]
Looking at the line of golden words that popped up, Nanoda found it strangely amusing.
At first she hadn't trusted this deity that had appeared out of nowhere, and had only been feeling it out as an exchange of information.
It was a bit like being reincarnated for so long with no cheat power to start with, having to make do entirely on inherited legacy.
Then, just as things were finally going well, some old man from a book pops up wanting to chat with you and offer a bit of guidance.
Normally, there'd be almost no reason to trust something like that.
But the information this "New God" had revealed so far was enough to make Nanoda a believer — like the prophecy about the Skyvein Dragon before. That had genuinely felt like a miracle.
Thinking it through further, in a way that made her uneasy, Nanoda had begun to suspect that her current circumstances were deeply connected to this "New God."
It — or perhaps He — seemed to have already seen through the changes unfolding in this world, alongside the rise of the Church of the New God.
As if noticing Nanoda hadn't replied in a while, the golden text on the Scripture shifted on its own.
[Any new developments recently?]
Nanoda thought for a moment before replying.
"The territory shared by Humans and Demons has expanded. Gaderia has joined forces with Kinton and Weise, pushing outward toward the region where all three territories border each other. We've persuaded quite a few of the smaller nobles, villages, and towns along the northern border to join us, forming an independent border triangle separate from the Northern Empire."
[Well now, that's practically a thorn stuck right in the Empire's side.]
"So do you think the Empire, now that it's gradually stabilizing, will rush to pull that thorn out?"
[Hmm, I can't be certain of that. Too many variables are involved — I can't make an accurate prophecy on this one.]
"I see."
Having failed to fish out any specific, useful information, Nanoda got a reply as if the other side already knew exactly what she'd been thinking.
[Gods aren't omnipotent, you know.]
Right after that, another line of golden text appeared.
[My representative on earth has grown quite old, and it's about time to choose a new head for the Church. I'd like you to make that decision, Holy Son.]
The corner of Nanoda's mouth twitched. Calling this thing an "old fellow" didn't quite fit — it felt more like dealing with a mischievous kid. Holy Son... she couldn't shake the feeling she was somehow getting the short end of the stick.
"Let's skip that title, thanks. I'd rather just be Acting Pontiff. I only have one request — if you sense some major upheaval coming, don't forget to tell me ahead of time."
[Of course. After all, I'm the one who chose you. Just don't forget to bring me more interesting experiences and stories — I've already heard all about your disciple's adventures.]
"Sick of human stories already? Fine then — next time, how about I tell you about me and Aura?"
____
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