Chapter 45: Volume 26 Chapter (7-Book 1 Epilogue)
Chapter 7, New Members of the Succubus Clan
There was an unusual visitor at the Administration Floor.
It was Giselle, the head of the Defrayer clan.
It was Giselle's first time coming to the Administration Floor.
Giselle himself had refused to come to the Administration Floor so as not to become too familiar with it.
Until now, Kousuke had been going to the Defrayer Family's Floor, or Peach had been bringing him messages.
The reason Giselle decided to come this time was because he really wanted to talk face-to-face to Kousuke, who was busy making tools.
"I'm sorry, you had to come all the way here."
When Kousuke finally managed to squeeze in a few moments to meet Giselle, the first thing he did was to apologize.
Gisele waved his hand as if he were afraid of Kousuke.
"No, no. The usual thing is just my selfishness, so don't worry about it."
Giselle, of course, was aware that, under normal circumstances, it would have been more strange for him to approach Kousuke directly, who was his superior.
"So, what happened this time?"
Kousuke asked Giselle, not because of Peach's message, but because he thought that something big might have happened.
"No, no. It's not that something big happened, but I wanted to discuss something with you or make a proposal."
"A proposal?"
Kousuke tilted his head at Giselle's words.
"Yes. You are going to build a country, right? I don't think we have enough help to support you on our own."
"Oh, I see."
The Defrayer clan had been growing in numbers since moving into Amamiya Tower, as their livelihoods have become more stable since then.
Still, Giselle believed that this was nothing compared to the amount of work that was expected in the future.
Kousuke understood this intention, but he could not immediately think of a solution.
It was unrealistic to increase the number of children born so rapidly.
Above all, he did not want such a thing to be artificially manipulated.
"But is there any way to increase your numbers?"
"Well? Of course, there are many other clans that have similar problems to ours."
Hearing this, Kousuke was convinced, but at the same time he felt uneasy.
"I see… I understand that, but are you okay with it?"
As Giselle said, it was not surprising that there were those who were in the same situation as the original Defrayer clan.
Kousuke had not heard of them, but he did not doubt that the Defrayer family was aware of such people.
However, the question was whether these people would work properly and without betrayal.
Despite Kousuke's concerns, Giselle smiled broadly.
"There's no need to worry. It wouldn't really matter even if they caused some trouble, would it? This is different from our time in the beginning."
After all the commotion from Kouhi, no one in the know would dare to go against her.
Those who work behind the scenes, like the Defrayer family, knew better than to go against her as soon as they got such information.
It may be said to be the wisdom of those who have been working behind the scenes with the powerful for many years.
"And if you're worried about it, there would always be that option of tying them up in a contract, just like we did."
"Oh, now that you mention it, I remember when we did that as well."
When the Defrayer clan first arrived, they had contracts in place for those who would be in management positions.
But that was rarely done these days.
Partly because there were no more high-ranking people to contract, but also because trust in the Defrayer clan had improved.
"If anything, the other side might want a contract more than we do."
A contract could certainly be something that binds them, but there would be nothing more optimal in terms of gaining their trust.
One might even wish to enter into a contract from the outset, to show that there was no intention of rebellion.
"Well, if that's the case, I don't see any problem…. Have you decided which clan you're going to call?"
"We have one in mind. The rest will be up to Kousuke-sama's decision."
Since he had already talked about it up to this point, they must have already looked into it to the point where it would be up to Kousuke to decide.
"Yes. Have you told the other party?"
"No, I'm afraid I didn't go that far on my own."
Although they haven't decided exactly what part of the business will be conducted by the Defrayer family, there was a clear distinction in Giselle's mind.
It worked well so far because Kousuke had never complained about it before.
And that probably will not change in the future.
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After obtaining Kousuke's approval, the Defrayer clan immediately contacted the other party.
The other party was the Eisler clan, a succubus clan just like the Defrayer clan.
The Defrayer clan was not going to make the mistake of having Kousuke meet them in the Tower, so the meeting took place at the Eisler clan's village.
The Defrayer clan members went to the village first and connected a transfer gate there.
The gate could be connected as soon as they had the tools to do so.
Incidentally, even if the tools were available, they could not normally be used to create the gate, so there was no worry that they would be misused.
Even if a member of the Defrayer clan were to have their tools stolen, they would not be able to use the gate to raid the place.
The head of the Eisler clan was a woman named Camilla.
"So you are Kousuke of Amamiya Tower.", Camilla said.
Kouske thought, "Oh, oh my," Giselle, who was accompanying him, quickly gave a warning.
"Camilla-dono. If you don't want your clan to be eradicated, change your attitude."
When she looked, Giselle's expression became slightly impatient.
Her gaze glanced at Mitsuki, who was following as Kousuke's escort.
Apparently, she was thinking the same thing as Kousuke.
She did not know about Mitsuki, but she somehow guessed it from Kousuke's and Giselle's attitude.
Camilla cleared her throat once and bowed her head.
"I am sorry. I am the head of the Eisler clan, Camilla."
Apparently, Camilla had led the Eisler clan and was unparalleled in her ability to avoid danger.
Even without that, a perceptive person would be able to sense many things from Mitsuki's gaze.
Camilla's attitude changed, and the mood of Mitsuki also changed.
Evidently, the sharpness of Mitsuki's demeanor returned to the usual calmness.
Once changed, she could understand how dangerous the previous atmosphere was.
Camilla found herself clearing her throat again.
After that, the conversation proceeded smoothly without any major problems.
The Defrayer family was a precedent, so there was no need to come up with new conditions.
The Eisler family seemed to have no problems with the same conditions as the Defrayer family, so the decision was made quickly and easily.
On the contrary, Kousuke even had to ask if they were willing to accept the same conditions as the Defrayer clan.
Regarding this, Giselle said it was fine, so the same conditions were applied.
The reason being that favoring the clan that was there first could corrupt the later clans that came after them.
If the Eisler family was clearly doing a better job, but the Defrayer family was given preferential treatment, there would be some dissatisfaction no matter what.
If that were the case, it would be better to make the conditions the same from the beginning.
Gisele was receptive to Kousuke's opinion.
Giselle, however, seemed to have other ideas.
After that, the members of the Eisler clan, like the higher-ranking members of the Defrayer clan, were to be welcomed into the Tower after being given contracts.
Naturally, it was Shrein, who came along with them, who gave them the contracts.
Since Shrein was so excited to get her chance finally, there would be no problems with the contract.
Later, it was decided that the Defrayer clan would be responsible for Crown information and the Eisler clan would be responsible for Kingdom information, but that was another story.
Thus, Amamiya Tower welcomed a new clan in its wings.
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Chapter 8, Razequa Amamiya
Half a month after the announcement that the West would become part of Amamiya Tower.
Once again, Amamiya Tower made a big announcement.
The reaction of the people who heard the announcement was divided into two types of reactions: "I knew it" and "Finally.
The announcement was that a nation would be founded.
The name of the country was Razequa Amamiya.
In the old language, it means "the one (country) embraced by Amamiya (Tower)".
The King, or rather Queen, at the top of the country was announced as Floria Doria Razequa Amamiya.
At first, the reaction was "Who?" but gradually word spread that she was one of the companions of the living god Kousuke.
Of course, the government was spreading the story intentionally.
When the story spread, the people accepted the Queen as if they were convinced.
The inhabitants did not believe that the God himself would rule the country, but there was a lot of talk about who would stand at the top of the country.
As long as it was a companion of the living god, there would be no problem in terms of being a candidate for the position.
It was at least more acceptable than if someone completely unrelated to the current deity had been chosen.
The scope of Razequa Amamiya included towns and villages that had been part of Amamiya Tower in the past, as well as towns and villages that had been added to Amamiya Tower with this announcement.
The newly announced towns included those in the southern region.
The announcement of the southern cities was later than that of the western cities because the condition of the southern cities' joining was the establishment of a state.
This left Razequa Amamiya with almost two-thirds of the Central Continent under its control.
In the Central Continent, where monster attacks were common, the rule was decided based on points rather than on territory, and it was a threat to towns and villages that were not near the controlled area.
However, since there were no other nations on the continent as there were on other continents, there were no organized armies to protect the towns and villages.
Instead, in addition to the guards that protect the city, a private squad would be deployed to protect the city from the threat of monsters.
Only three points have been deployed initially, one in Amamiya Tower and the other two in the south and west city.
Although the official decision had not yet been made, for convenience, these troops were referred to as the "strike force".
The troops stationed at Amamiya Tower could go out to any of the four cities through the transfer gate.
Basically, these units would go out when a major monster attack was likely to occur.
At the beginning, the operation would be experimental, but it was hoped that it would still be very effective in the future.
As for the rest, it remained almost unchanged from the rest of the world.
Regarding taxes, the burden on the people remained almost the same.
The rulers of the city had to take the brunt of this, and they had to give up on this one.
Rather, they expected to earn more by becoming part of the state, so there were no major complaints.
It was partly because they knew it was going to happen in the first place and had given up on it.
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"… I'm tired."
Sylvia put her hand over her smile when she saw Floria plopping down on the desk in the Oval Office.
However, her eyes also had a mirthful expression, so she couldn't hide it.
"I thought you were used to this kind of thing."
Floria also replied, while looking at Sylvia with a glare.
"I've never been welcomed by this many people before, you know?"
Floria had been showing her face from the balcony of the government building several times a day for the past few days.
Of course, she did this to show herself to the people.
The people of the country were there every day to celebrate the announcement of the new Queen.
Floria was taken in by the enthusiasm of the crowd.
"To be honest, I didn't expect it to go this far."
People's expectations were high, of course, for being the companion of a living god, but there was also a great deal of anticipation for the establishment of the first nation in the Central Continent in history.
The person who was most exposed to the heat of the moment was the Queen, Floria.
"Well, well, well. This is my role as queen."
"That's true, but… Besides, isn't Sylvia the same way?"
Sylvia, being Sylvia, was announced as Floria's attendant priestess.
Sylvia herself was originally known as Kousuke's priestess because she had shown her face in the temple.
In many ways, Sylvia's appointment to the position alongside Floria was an understandable choice.
Sylvia was also popular among the people.
"Well, you see. I am a Kousuke-sama priestess, you see. I'm not nearly as popular as you, though."
"…That's not fair."
Sylvia's reply made Floria whine involuntarily.
"Well, I think it's time to stop complaining and get on with the next job."
It was Alec, her own father, who said this to the groggy Floria.
Alec served as Prime Minister and was responsible for the management of Razequa Amamiya.
Incidentally, Floria, Sylvia, and Alec were the only ones in this room, which was Floria's private room.
Also, that's why Floria could be seen slack-jawed and at ease.
"Ugh… What was next?"
"A meeting with an influential person."
"Again… I knew it, but there are so many."
The Queen's job, to begin with, was to meet people.
Floria was well aware of this.
If she neglected this, it could lead to the establishment of a dictatorship by the Queen.
That was not what Floria was aiming for.
Above all, Floria understood what Kousuke disliked.
"Well, it can't be helped. I think the first month will go on like this, right?"
At Alec's words, Floria let out a big sigh.
Since she knew this was going to happen, she had finished most of the work related to the country's internal affairs before the announcement of the founding of the country.
The only thing that Floria had to do was to sign the permission.
But it was hard to keep her mind off it because sometimes there were strange things that had slipped through Alec's checks.
That job was already over, and now she was prioritizing meeting with people.
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"How are those two doing?"
"Oh, what? You miss them already?"
Kousuke blurted out in the relaxation area, and Collete gave him a teasing look.
Neither Floria nor Sylvia had been seen on the Administration Floor for the past half month or so.
They were busy with various things, so they knew that they couldn't come to the Administration Floor.
"I'm not implying that…. Anyway, I have a feeling that those two might be pushing themselves too hard."
"Yeah, that's possible."
Whether it was Floria or Sylvia, they tend to push themselves to the limit.
As they get used to it, they would learn to cut corners, but initially, they would try desperately to do their best anyway.
This was the case when he gave them Divine Blessings.
Of course, all the members of Administration Floor tend to be more or less like that.
Kousuke himself, of course, was at the top of the list, but he was unaware of it.
"Well, I think it's all right, you know? If it were just one person, then it would have been a big burden, but there are two of them."
They both looked at each other, serving as a nice halt to the conversation.
It was a lot of work for Floria right now, by all accounts, but Sylvia would be watching her closely to make sure she was not pushing herself too hard.
"That's right."
Satisfied with Collete's words, Kousuke nodded and then went back into deep thought.
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Chapter 9, Floria's Struggle
The major changes resulting from the founding of Razequa Amamiya were the creation of a defeat squad and the installation of new transition gates.
The four transfer gates that had been in place until now were installed when the Crown was in its infancy.
It was often misunderstood by those who had never used a transfer gate before, but the so-called "transfer gate" was a generic term for a facility and did not refer to the actual gate.
Initially, there was only one gate to enter and exit Amamiya Tower, but as the number of people using the facility increased, the number of gates themselves increased.
There were two gates: one that only ordinary people could enter and exit, and the other that allowed goods to be brought in.
These two gates were collectively called the "transfer gate," but many people were unaware of this because they did not use the gate to bring in goods unless they moved their residence or did business in Amamiya Tower.
Since there were two gates but only one transfer gate, it was thought that only four transfer gates could be installed from Amamiya Tower to the outside.
However, with the founding of Razequa Amamiya, the installation of new transfer gates was announced.
The new gates were to be located just outside the southern and western cities.
Following precedent, the gates were placed outside the cities for a reason.
The original reason was for defensive reasons so that the gates could be quickly disconnected in case of attack from the town.
However, as more and more people came in and out of the Tower, it was considered better to have it outside for other reasons.
One reason was that it would take time to bring in supplies, which would inevitably take up space in the waiting line.
Instead of preparing a space inside the city for the waiting line, it would be better to have a large space outside the city where a large space could be prepared from the beginning.
In places like the south and west cities, where it would cost a lot of money to secure a space, it would be better to have it outside the city.
Of course, there were disadvantages to having facilities outside the city, but these had already been experienced in the four other towns, so they could be dealt with.
With the installation of the transfer gates in the south and west cities, there was no reason to keep the branch offices in the two cities.
To enter from outside the Tower, without a Crown Card or Resident ID, there would be a toll charge, but it would be returned once a card was issued.
At that time, a temporary pass would be issued, but it would be different from the temporary Crown Card that had been made at the branch.
With the transfer gate in place, it was now possible to go directly to the headquarters in Tower, so there was no longer any point in issuing temporary Crown Cards, which had been issued in the past.
Therefore, it was decided that the Crown branches in the South and West Towns would cease to exist, but not completely.
Nansen was located between the south and west cities, and the branches were moved to the towns in between Nansen and the two cities.
The size of the towns were not as large as those in the south and west, so the branch offices were also of a suitable size.
In addition, branches were also established between the southern town and Mixen, and between the western town and Kennelsen.
Since these were originally smaller than the southern and western cities, they were able to expand their operations easily.
However, a simplified version of the Crown card-making machine had to be prepared for that purpose, which was prepared by Kousuke and Isnani.
With the installation of the new transfer gate and the resulting reestablishment of the Crown branch, the operation of the Crown's large-scale merchant corps also changed.
The narrowing of the distance between the towns with gates and the towns with branches has allowed for more detailed operations.
Large-scale trading units still remained, but other trading units were also formed.
This allowed logistics to carry more goods than before.
Naturally, the towns and villages in between benefited greatly.
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The relationship between Razequa Amamiya and the Crown was, by design, that of a nation and an organization belonging to that nation.
However, no one believed in such a premise, and there were even those who wished that the two organizations would remain unchanged.
The Crown's influence on the continent was that great, but of course there were those who opposed it.
The reason for the one-state organization was established in consideration of the people and guilds.
The most opposed were the villages and towns that did not benefit from Razequa Amamiya's founding.
Floria was being interviewed in her office by the heads of the Crown departments.
They were discussing a report that had been given to her earlier in the day.
The Crown also changed the destination of the report to Floria, not Kousuke, since it was already out of Kousuke's hands now that it had a clear recipient in the form of the state.
Floria assumed a delicate position in this area, as she was also the ruler of Razequa Amamiya and had to manage the Crown.
At first, she wanted to put Wahid in charge of Crown affairs, but he was unwilling to do so.
It was the same for the other overseers, so in the end, Floria had to take over.
"….Why don't we choose one of you?"
At Floria's words, the four department heads laughed.
They understood what Floria was trying to suggest, but there were circumstances in which that was not possible.
"It would be better not to do that. If a head comes out of one of the divisions, there will be conflict within Crown."
That was what the department heads were worried about.
If, for example, someone from the Adventurers' Division were to have the final say in Crown, the next question would be where the next person would come from.
Even if a rotating system were used, that would create problems because they would have to wait for the position to be changed.
If that were the case, it would be better to decide from the beginning, like the Kings, being decided by blood lineage.
Of course, it would be impossible for every person born to be a good person, but that would be the same if they were to choose from among Crown's ranks.
Above all, there would be another issue apart from competence.
As long as the Crown remained closely involved with the Tower, the relationship with Kousuke will inevitably be inseparable.
It would be a different story if Kousuke abandoned Amamiya Tower, but that was impossible at the moment.
In that case, it would be quicker to choose one of Kousuke's associates.
To put it bluntly, Floria's family members could be viewed as human sacrifices to Kousuke.
Kousuke would never treat Floria that way, though.
It might not be a problem for now, but if Floria were to become pregnant, she would certainly not be able to handle the same amount of work as she was doing now.
When that happened, Kousuke himself would come out, but that would cause more problems.
Even though Kousuke, who was a God, left the management of the organization, it could end up returning to the original arrangement.
Sylvia gave Floria some advice.
"Why don't you just leave it to Shrein?"
"Shrein? No, that's… No, wait, I think that's a good idea."
To begin with, Shrein already had the Vermilinia and Ygrite clans to rule over.
Recently, another vampire clan had joined them.
Floria wondered if Shrein could leave some of the management to that clan's head and help with the management of Crown, since the work was not that time-consuming to begin with.
With Wahid and the others, most things were taken care of by the four heads.
Since Wahid and the others were also around, and they would handle most of the details of the work.
That was the reason why Floria was able to work two jobs, one of which was being the Queen, so it might be possible for her to entrust Shrein with some of her work.
Floria shook her head as she thought about it.
She thought she was getting too far ahead of herself, even though she hadn't consulted Kousuke a word about it.
"Yes, I agree. It's certainly worth thinking about. I'll ask Kousuke about it next time."
"You'd better."
From Sylvia's point of view, Floria had too many things on her plate right now.
If she asked Kousuke for help here, he could easily lend a hand, but that would make no sense.
If possible, it would be better if Sylvia herself could lend a helping hand, but she was a stranger when it came to the management of the organization.
If there was anything she could do, it would be to offer advice like this.
For Floria, this was most gratifying, but for Sylvia, it was frustrating.
Eventually, after this, Shrein's consent was obtained, and Shrein was assigned to manage Crown.
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Chapter 10, Auspicious Report
Kousuke was visiting the Yurino Shrine even though he had no particular business at the shrine.
Ever since Razequa Amamiya was established, the members were so busy that it was difficult for them to rest at the Administration Floor.
Kousuke felt like a father lazing about on the weekend. If he had nothing better to do, he would try to help out, but he was rejected. This was not because they were pushing Kousuke away, but because they thought it would not be good to set a precedent that Kousuke, a living god, could just come and help out whenever.
The relaxation space on the Administration Floor was originally a place to rest, so no one complained if Kousuke was resting there.
The problem lay with Kousuke, himself.
When a member, who was busily working, came back and met him in the relaxation area with an exhausted expression, he would feel somewhat sorry for them.
He would get bothered when someone else was busy.
When that happened, he would start making magic tools to take his mind off things, but he quickly got tired from making them all the time, so he had to take a break as well.
As a result, he had to take a rest at the relaxation area…. which turned it into a loop.
That was why he decided to visit the Yurino Shrine.
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"Oh, um. Are you sure you don't mind?"
Saki asked Kousuke as he lay down on Kouhi's lap.
At first, Kousuke was not using a lap pillow. Rather, he was just using a normal cushion, but Kouhi, who followed him, forced him to use her as a lap pillow.
Kousuke did not resist and settled into position. In other words, both of them were in tacit agreement, and it was a significant improvement from the first time they met.
"Hmmm? What is it, Saki?"
"Ah, don't mind me. I don't really have any…"
Suddenly, Yuri appeared and added, "Saki. This place is a good place to rest, right?"
"Eh…! Eh, ummm, that's not what I meant to say…!!!" Saki looked slightly confused at Yuri's frying.
"Hey Yuri. Don't make fun of Saki."
"That's true. My apologies."
Kousuke laughed and looked at Yuri, who laughed and lowered her head as well.
"What? I, um, um…?"
"Oh, don't worry about it. Besides, the other members know we are here, so it's fine."
"Eh. Oh, I see. I'm sorry, that was unnecessary worry on my part."
"No, no, no, not at all."
Saki lowered her head and left as Kousuke smiled calmly at her.
"Nevertheless, I'm glad you're resting here. But, is it really okay?"
"What? Well, as I said before, the other members know I'm here."
"Yeah. But, that's not really what you came here for, right?"
"Oh, you mean, about that, huh…"
Kousuke raised himself from Kouhi's lap pillow and turned to face Yuri.
What Yuri wanted to talk about was not about resting here. Rather, it was about what they would do from now on. He didn't think he should answer this while laying down.
"Aside from Tower related matters, Crown and the country are already out of my hands. How about going on a trip with me?"
"Hmm…?"
Just as Yuri was about to answer, there was a clang.
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All eyes in the room turned toward the direction of the sound.
There stood Wanri, looking slightly pale.
A tray and a spilled teacup had fallen at her feet. It was the cause of the sound.
"Ah, brother, are you going to be away from the Tower?"
"Ah, wait, wait. No, that's not it. Don't panic, stay calm."
Kousuke hurriedly corrected Wanri's misunderstanding.
"….No?"
"No, no. I just thought it would be fun to go on a trip. Even if something happens, Sylvia is able to use her Divine Oracle and would be able to help me stay in contact. That way, I can come back here right away."
"You won't leave?"
"No, no no, that is not my intention."
Kousuke flapped his right hand from side to side as Wanri stared at him.
In fact, Kousuke never had the slightest thought of leaving the Tower.
Wanri let out a sigh of relief at Kousuke's response.
Kousuke asked Wanri, "Why did you think I was going to leave?"
"Ummm… I just somehow thought you were going to leave?"
Wanri's gaze wandered a bit, and she said that with a look of uncertainty.
As if to comfort Wanri, Nana, who had been following Kousuke, came up to Wanri and licked her hand.
"Hyan, Nana-chan. That tickles."
Wanri smiled, perhaps relieved by Kousuke's response and Nana's pampering.
She then hurriedly began to clean up the tea she had dropped.
Kousuke, who had been relaxing in the same manner for a while, suddenly had a change in mood.
"…Master?"
Kouhi noticed Kousuke's change and came to look at him quietly.
"Oh, no. I had said it casually earlier, but I am really wondering if going on a trip might actually be a really good idea."
He intended to answer Wanri's misunderstanding. But, once he worded it out, the idea to leave the Tower really stuck. .
"But that's…"
Going on a trip was no problem for Kousuke himself. As he had told Wanri earlier, he could always come back immediately by using the Yurino Shrine's functions. Kouhi's concern was not about Kousuke, but about the women, especially Floria.
Kousuke also knew exactly what Kouhi wanted to say.
"Yeah, I know what you're worried about, but it's probably fine."
"…How so?"
"Hmmm. I'll explain later when we get back to the Administration Floor. In front of everyone."
Kousuke said, and evaded answering.
Meanwhile, Kouhi did not pursue the matter any further.
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"So, what's going on?"
Floria asked as Kousuke broke the ice once everyone had returned to the Administration Floor.
Only Mitsuki was in the dining room, setting up dinner. Everyone else was in the relaxation area.
Of course, Kousuke had gathered them.
"Well. I was actually going to tell everyone when things were a little more stable, but since it involved you, Floria, I thought it'd be better to tell you first."
Sylvia was the first to notice Kousuke's words. She put her hand over her mouth in surprise.
"No way…"
"As expected. You are the most perceptive in this kind of thing."
"But isn't it too soon?"
"Yes, certainly, Eris told me about it."
When Kousuke said that, Sylvia smiled. She even had a few tears in her eyes.
Peach looked at Floria as if she had noticed something. Peach was smiling as well. However, she still didn't seem to fully understand and had a puzzled look on her face.
"What is it?"
Floria looked at Collete and Shrein, both of whom still didn't seem to understand.
Kousuke, not wanting to drag this out forever, took one big deep breath and then told Floria something important.
"Floria, congratulations. It looks like you're pregnant."
Kousuke slowly said each word so that Floria would not miss it.
Collete and Shrein were momentarily startled by his words and immediately smiled at Floria.
Floria's expression turned to one of uncertainty, and then she said in a bit of a panic.
"But! But! I haven't done anything yet… No, I don't think…"
"They said it's still a little while before we'll see any visible changes. But I heard that the child is definitely there."
Kousuke heard this information while visiting the Yurino Shrine.
Suddenly, Eris requested a Divine Oracle.
Kousuke now could do Divine Oracles without the need to rely on any tools.
What he heard in that Divine Oracle was the story of Floria's pregnancy.
"So, then, am I really…?"
"Yeah. The Goddesses were the ones who noticed first." The first person to notice was Spica, who gave a Divine Blessing to Floria. After checking, she confirmed that Floria was definitely pregnant, so she rushed over to let Kousuke know.
"Oh, I see. Then, I really…"
Perhaps it was an unconscious motion, but Floria gently placed her right hand on her stomach.
A smile gradually appeared on her face.
Seeing this, her friends congratulated her one after another.
""Congratulations!""
Kousuke smiled as he watched Floria surrounded by her friends.
"Come on, let's have dinner. Mitsuki is preparing a sumptuous meal for us today."
Kousuke had already informed Mitsuki of this.
Of course, Mitsuki was going to prepare a festive meal for them.
"I'm looking forward to it."
Shrein said from the bottom of her heart.
Mitsuki's food was truly exquisite.
Everyone nodded and headed for the dining room.
That evening's dinner was to be the most lavish and extravagant yet.
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Book 1 Epilogue
The Master of the room was writing on a desk, which had pillars of paper forming a massive structure. It seemed that even those with powers far beyond the reach of ordinary Humans could not escape from paperwork.
As Kousuke watched, he remembered the first time he came to this room.
At that time, he had no idea what was going on, and was confused…
Kousuke thought that he was much calmer than he expected, despite the strangeness of the situation.
Then Kousuke, who was bewildered by the scenery he had never seen before, was greeted by a beautiful woman, also unfamiliar to him, who appeared out of nowhere and suddenly brought him into a mansion.
When he was brought into the room, he was stunned by the events that happened one after another. Another beautiful woman appeared, even more beautiful than he could possibly comprehend.
The beautiful woman told him that he was already dead.
Kousuke, having thought about it, decided to backtrack.
Thinking about it, he recalled how he was not panicking in the slightest, which was really odd considering the strangeness of the situation.
He looked at the beautiful woman at her desk, filing paperwork, and then thought for a moment.
In retrospect, he was probably trying not to look as foolish as possible in front of Asura, the Master of the room, who was an unparalleled beauty.
While thinking about this, he kept looking at Asura, and she seemed to notice his gaze.
"What's wrong?"
She removed her gaze from the papers and looked at Kousuke.
"Oh, it's nothing. I apologize for interrupting you."
"It's okay. I've already finished."
"I see."
Thinking about it, the fact that he was able to casually speak with Asura, a being that oversees the other Goddesses that watch over the world of Earthgard, it could be considered a strange state of affairs in itself.
Kousuke came to this realization only after all this time.
♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦
"So? What's up with you today?"
Kousuke was supposed to come to the Sanctuary regularly. However, this was not one of those days he was regularly scheduled to visit.
He was not prohibited from coming. In fact, he had regular visits and was allowed to visit anytime he wanted to.
However, it was unusual for him to come in this manner, so Asura asked him.
"Well. It's a rare opportunity, so I thought I'd ask."
"What?"
"Am I allowed to stay on the ground as I am now?"
Kousuke's question seemed abrupt, and Asura made a slight gesture of thinking.
"I think it's fine… What's wrong?"
"Well, nothing in particular. I simply wondered if I could continue to stay on the ground where my influence is so strong."
"If that's the case, don't worry about it. I told you the first time, didn't I? Kousuke, you can do as you please."
That being said, Kousuke recalled the first time he asked.
"…Did you say that before?"
As Kousuke twisted his head, unable for the life of him to remember, Asura started to giggle.
"I said so before. That hasn't changed, even now that you have become a living god. Really, you can do whatever you want."
"Is that so?"
"That's so."
Asura smiled at Kousuke, who nodded.
"… Speaking of which, did you ever figure out why I came here?"
Asura had told him when he was first brought to this room.
She said that it was not unusual for a soul to be out of samsara, but this was the first time for that soul to come to Sanctuary.
She also said that she had no idea what caused it.
"That's the thing. You can say I understand a bit, but at the same time I can't say I have the full understanding, you know?"
"?What do you mean?"
Kousuke tilted his head at the unusual ambiguity of the answer.
"It's really a coincidence that you came here. But ultimately, it should have been impossible for you to come here by chance. Therefore, I can say that I understand, and also say that I don't understand."
After Kousuke came to the Garden of Everlasting Spring, Asura also immediately started to investigate.
However, no matter how many times she looked into it, she could not find any evidence indicating how Kousuke had entered this place. Likewise, she could not find any traces of someone sending him to this place with an intention to do something.
As a result, she could only assume that he had come here by chance, which was supposed to be impossible because of the structure of Sanctuary.
Thus, she was completely at a loss.
"I see."
"Well, you don't care much about it, do you?"
Kousuke's unenthusiastic reply, on the contrary, raised a question mark in Asura's mind.
"Well, if I wasn't brought here by someone's will or something, then it's not much of a problem."
"I can assure you are here by accident."
"Well, if so, then it's fine. I'll just think that I'm a resident of this world now."
"Yes."
Asura nodded at Kousuke, who said this without showing any significant change in his expression.
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The founding of Razequa Amamiya in the Central Continent.
It played an essential role not only in the history of the continent, but also in the world of Earthgard.
The establishment of a nation, which could not be achieved in the Central Continent, and the establishment of Crown, which would later spread throughout the world.
These two alone would make the inhabitants of the world of Earthgard well-known to all.
In particular, Queen Floria, known as the founding mother of the nation, and Sylvia, a priestess who was always by her side, have left their names brilliantly in the history of Earthgard.
Queen Floria left at least three children, each of whom was assigned to an important position.
The eldest son of the King of 'Razequa Amamiya'.
The eldest daughter was administrator of the Amamiya Tower in the Central Continent.
And the second son as head of Crown.
Of the three children, the eldest was the most modest in his accomplishments.
The eldest son's greatest achievement as king was the foundation of the long-lasting Razequa Amamiya.
She was also famous for quickly handing over the throne to her own son without sticking to the foundation she had created.
The 3rd King of Earthgard left his name as the second most influential ruler after Queen Floria.
The Amamiya Tower, managed by Queen Floria's eldest daughter, was also well known throughout the world of Earthgard.
The two major weapons that protect the Central Continent were feared by the nations of the world as something that would keep invaders at bay from other continents.
However, surprisingly little information was available about Amamiya Tower.
The reason was that the Tower had been opened to adventurers even before the nation was founded, but the conditions of its conquest had never been revealed.
The eldest daughter of the Tower's administrators, who was a woman but managed the Tower with great skill, remained in the history books as a woman of great renown.
There was also talk that other groups besides the Kingdom of Razequa Amamiya were building towns in Amamiya Tower, but surprisingly little detailed information was available on this as well.
Of course, as long as people entered and left through the gates, it was known that there were other towns, but the inhabitants of these towns were adamant about not sharing this information with the outside world.
Some even say that monsters have built settlements, but the truth has not been confirmed.
Finally, as for the Crown, where the second son became the chief, it would no longer be necessary to speak of it.
When Crown was established, so did the Crown Card, a revolutionary device in the world of adventurers, which quickly took the world by storm.
The head of the Crown was said to have more influence than the king of a country.
There was no guild that could stand up to the Crown.
Numerous names remained in the creation books of the Kingdom of Razequa Amamiya.
However, surprisingly, little was known about Kousuke, the living god who laid the foundation for the creation of the nation in the first place.
This problem could not be determined, since there existed a number of theories.
The most popular theory was that the priestess Sylvia intentionally left the name of Kousuke out, but the truth remained unclear.
The truth had been completely buried in history.
However, there was no one who did not know about Kousuke, the living god.
After all, he created the Crown Card, a magical tool that changed the world.
The Crown Card, which was now in everyone's possession, would not have been created if not for Kousuke, so it was truly an achievement of a God.
This alone would be enough to be considered an achievement of a living god, but he also left behind many other anecdotes.
Some of them were doubtful, but most of them had nothing to do with Razequa Amamiya, so it would be better to omit them here.
The story of him as a God, not as a nation builder, was discussed in the church as much as anyone would like, so that would also be omitted.
It was said that Queen Floria and others who were around the God Kousuke were of a higher species as legend has it, but this, too, had remained a mere rumor.
However, this too was only a rumor, and since the Goddesses were often tight-lipped about Kousuke, there was no way to confirm the truth.
There were various theories as to the reason for this, but since all of them were just speculation, it would be better to avoid making any assertions here.
What should not be forgotten, however, was that before the Kingdom of Razequa Amamiya was founded, a group of outstanding individuals gathered around the Living God Kousuke, leading to the founding of the first nation in the Central Continent.
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From [History of the Central Continent] by Hadley Charlton
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