'Yumina and the others alone in Nokia...?　What, why?
''Princess Paphira told me all about what happened just now. Judging from the summoned beast and what she said, this Lord Kanaza is definitely a possessor.... It's a kind of necromancer (necromancer) who uses evil spirits to possess and control people at will.

　Lean answered on behalf of Yumina, but I'm still not sure. A possessor?
　Linze explains as he adds.

'I read about it in Babylon's Library. A possessor is a sorcerer who can possess those who are weak-willed, those who have strong negative emotions, and those who have mental gimmicks. Speaking of the court, it's a hive of conspiracy numbers, and I'm sure they could manipulate it as much as they wanted.

　Yeah. I think I've read a bit about it too. Was it an ancient magic born from the dark attribute that can't control dead bodies, but can turn living people into puppets?　I don't quite remember.

'Well you're saying that this guy Kanaza used that possession technique or something like that to rise up in Nokia?
'That's not all. That man has also manipulated that young maiden to do his bidding. He's the worst kind of man, even to the winds of men.

　Hilda mumbles as she spits. As a princess knight of Restia, whose motto was fairness, she would never forgive him. The flames of anger could be seen flickering in both of her eyes.
　I can control others 《human》. If you have that kind of power, most people will probably use it to satisfy their own desires. So Kanaza is one of those people who lost to that desire.

I heard that Kanaza sometimes orders his daughters to be given away to possessed noblemen. I've heard that he lets his favorite women serve him and then abandons them when he gets tired of them.
You can't do this. An enemy of women!　My bowels are going to boil over!
Very true. There will be no more muffins for the outsider who plays with people's minds.

　Else, Lou and Yae seem to be quite angry too. I wonder, it's not about me, but it's kind of scary.... I can control others if I use dark magic too.

''Fortunately........can I say, King Nokia and the First Princess are the strong-minded ones, and they didn't get possessed.......''

　Leanne glanced at Princess Paphia.

''Kanaza moved the Noble Assembly to make his sister become his betrothed. Most of the people in the assembly were also Kanaza's faction, but now that I think about it, that too was probably possessing and manipulating evil spirits. It couldn't be overturned by your father's power in his sickbed....... On top of that, Kanaza was even targeting me. When my sister found out about it, she let me go. She said that I was the only one who could be sacrificed........ But on the way to escape, my pursuers caught up with me, and while I was fighting, I was dropped into the river below the cliff with Lysia...

　The other side thought that was why they were both dead and turned back.... Huh?　Then what about the fake body?

'Perhaps ... perhaps Kanaza did it to upset his sister ...'
When the thing that held us up breaks, there is a hole in the heart of a human being. The heart becomes weak. Just the thing for the evil spirits to take advantage of you.

　Leanne returned, folding her arms. Paula is muking at her feet, stepping on the ground. You're a stuffed animal, don't be so spirited. I know I'm a scumbag too.

''Then the First Princess has already been turned into a puppet by Kanaza...''
'No. 'My sister is not such a weak woman. Even if she heard that I was dead, she would not take a personal interest in the sake of her country. That's why I think Kanaza will force her to marry your sister. If her father dies, her sister will be the one who succeeds to the throne. If they marry, Kanaza will be the next in line to the throne. And.........
If the first princess on the throne dies, Kanaza will have a bowl.

　Princess Paphira nodded her head. So it's a usurpation of the throne after all.
　When I asked Ambassador Jantche why he didn't ask Xenoas to mediate with him before coming to Brunhild, he said it was because he was quite unhappy when he told His Majesty the Demon King about me before. Apparently, Ambassador Jantje knew about it and that's why he came directly to me. It's not that we don't have a bad relationship, you know?　Perhaps it's the yoke of being cold to my daughter on a regular basis.
　Well, I know what's going on at home in Nokia....

'Why is it just Yumina and the others?
'This kind of scum that looks at women as nothing more than tools should be brought to justice at the hands of women.

　Expressionlessly, Sakura uttered something that creeped her out and moved her fingers around like scissors. Continuing, Hilda opened her mouth.

''We have received a request from the Second Princess of the Nokia Kingdom, Her Royal Highness Paphia, to come to Nokia to verify the authenticity of the request. At least it is true that the summoned beast of Kanaza, the military lord of Nokia, rampaged in the royal palace of Brunhild and attacked the fiancée of the king, Fuyao-sama. He must be rewarded for that.

　Did you attack your fiancée...?　It's not your fiancé, Else, who attacked you.

What?
No, I didn't.

　I avert my gaze as Else glared at me. Well, well, she said something like 'I'm going to possess you', and there was definitely a harmful intent.

'I guess I should go too, after all........ I'm a possessionist, you know?　What if you're possessed by an evil spirit? Besides, going to Sue....
Don't keep treating the strawberries like children. You are a lady now. Have a little faith in me. Don't you trust the warriors?
No, I mean, I believe in you, but...

　Sue glares at me, a little miffed. She's in a bad mood these days when she's treated like a child.
　However, although I trust her, I'm worried about what I'm worried about...

''I'll be following you, so there's no need to worry.
What?

　 When I turned around, there standing there was the Time and Space God...or Grandma Tokie, clad in a hand-knit shawl.

''Grandma Tokie is going too!
'I have to move once in a while, too. Besides, I can get everyone in transition and it would be easier to get there and back, wouldn't it?

　Grandma smiles at me. No, I'm the one who has to pick them up and drop them off.

I know you care for them, but protecting them isn't the only way to love them," she says. Sometimes it's also a form of love to trust and wait for them. You're going to have a lot of those situations coming up, so you have to get used to it while you still can. This is a good rehearsal for what's to come.

　I huffed when my grandmother told me. If I were to become one of the divine race managing this world, there would be a lot of situations like that. Situations where I want to interfere in the earth, but I can only help them enough to not break the rules.
　Yumina and the rest of the group are subordinate to me and my sister Hanakoi's 'divine love'. And Grandma Tokie is with us. What do we need to worry about?

"Fine, but don't take it easy. But don't worry about it. I'll be in touch if you need anything else.
Dah-rah! I'm telling you, I'm fine. You worry too much!

　Uggh. I am told with a sigh by Else. As expected, he was persistent.........

So we'll help you. You should feel like you're on a big boat.
Ladies and gentlemen... for my sake... thank you very much!　Thank you so much...!

　Perhaps overcome with emotion, Princess Paphira bowed her head with large tears at Lean's words. Continuing on, Ambassador Yang Che and Lisia-san also bowed deeply to Yumina and the others.

''........Or rather, if Fuyao-san were to save Princess Paphia herself here, she would definitely become the tenth person to do so, you know.
For what it's worth. It's like Lou's pattern, isn't it?
What? Don't do the same thing to me as you did to me!
'It seems like a good thing to have more wives in the winter night, doesn't it?
'Sue is sweet. Any more and we'll lose our share.
What's my share, that I don't know...?
'Anyway, it's best that we take care of that disgusting man ourselves...'

　I can hear some disturbing conversation, but I think he's a clever guy to pretend he didn't hear it. .........maybe.


　　　　　　　　　　◇ ◇ ◇


You know, I've had this thing...
I see. Winter nights are tough, huh?

　Ende drank the fruit water in his hand and asked the tavern master for a refill.
　The tavern next to the Adventurer's Guild, the "Wings of the War Maiden" tavern, is bustling with activity today. The seat at the most inconspicuous end of the tavern is our reserved seat, and lately we've been chatting with Ende about the unimportant topics of complaining and being complained about.
　Since the guys from the Order are also coming, I've changed my appearance with a [Mirage] just in case. It's bad enough that they don't want you to have to worry about them.

I think it's an important condition to communicate with girls only. It's the same in my place, too.
Including Ende's.
'Mel, Lise, and Nay go out alone more often than not. I don't worry about them like someone else does, though.

　Geez. I'm sorry, my friend. I'm sorry for worrying. It's not like you're going shopping in the neighborhood. Well, if it's the kid's first time on the road or something, you'll worry about it.

"A man just needs to take it easy. That's what they feel comfortable with. I wonder if the winter night would understand.
''Well that doesn't sound like a line from a guy who got kicked out of his house for interrupting a sleepover party.
Gulp.

　Holding his chest, Ende plops down on the table. Mel and the others have become friends with not only us, but also Micah and Fleur from the inn, Rebecca and Spica from the Order, Sonia from the adventurer and Est from the Red Cat. Today is a sleepover with them all, I hear. And Ende, who is a nuisance to them, has been kicked out of the house.

It's great that Mel has a friend. Maybe we should have a night out alone with the guys too!
I'm sorry. I've done it before.
Why didn't you ask me out?

　No, it's not that good. I'll be up all night playing mahjong. Well, next time, I'll invite you.
　I tossed the potato chips on the table into my mouth. It's good.

"Hey, Mr. Waiting.

　The master came over and gave Ende a refill of fruit water, placed three plates of booze snacks on the table, and finally, a ton of glasses of spirits and ice. Huh?

What? I didn't ask you to...
'Nyahaha~. I've been waiting for a chance to drink this sake from Regulus for a long time. It doesn't come in stock very often, and Karina is too stingy to give me any money. Dorara, I'll have a drink first...

　Drunken Flowers, who was sitting at our table before I knew it, reached for her glass. It's your doing, Konnyaro.
　I enjoyed the aroma, then grabbed Drunken Hana's hand as she tried to peach the glass in one go.

I don't remember telling you that you could drink it?
Nah.... I thought you'd buy my cute little sister a drink...
You remember our agreement, don't you?
"Well......... I don't go out drinking at night, I guess....

　Although Drunken Flower is a drinking god, he looks like a child of about seven. If it's daytime, but if a child goes out at night, it could cause all sorts of problems and even cause trouble. That's why they forbid Drunken Flowers to go to the tavern after dark unless there's a special reason to do so.

'Achish, I was looking for my brother Winter Night. Then I heard he was at the tavern with Ende's brother.
And you're going to have this drink while you're at it?
Yeah, yeah. By the way. Yeah, by the way.

　Impatiently, Drunken Flower laughs, nyahaha. Haha, since I've already ordered it, it can't be helped, though.

''........it's just for today.
Hi. I can talk to you, Fuyao-chan.

　The released Drunken Hana gulps and tilts her glass.

I can't stand it. I can't stand it. It soaks into the five organs.
You're an old man.

　Shucks, this guy drinks really well. Ende is also dumbfounded and laughing. Is this also the power of the drinking god? Is it to calm the place down?

So, why are you looking for me? I mean, why don't you just give me the phone on your phone and that's it?
'Nyaha. As soon as I heard you were in the bar, that option was gone. Well, you know... I'll be descending to earth soon, so please take care of me.
'What?　Are you a wedding guest?
'Hmmm, no. He said he wanted to come down directly to talk to Fuyuyo-chan.

　He's coming down. You say that so easily. I thought you don't have to be a senior god to get permission from the World God to come down.　Who are you?
　I ask the drunken flower while drinking the fruit water.

'Um, God of Destruction,'
Buuuuut?
Disgusting.

　He splashed the fruit water he had contained onto Ende's face, which was in front of him, in a grand manner.
　Haha, God of Destruction!　The God of Destruction, who says he's going to wipe out that unwanted world and the world that is no longer under the control of the gods!

Hey, wait a minute!　Why would the God of Destruction contact you through you and not the World God!
'What?　Because we're drinking buddies.

　Seriously?　That's such an easy match!

What's the God of Destruction doing here...?
'Well?　It's also important to tell Fuyao-chan that he has to be a senior brother. That god, human being, is also a member of the world gods.

　Is that so........ Does that mean you're a great senior in your direct lineage?　What are you doing here, really........

I feel like I've heard something I don't really want to hear, but........ This world isn't going to disappear, is it?　If I had to, I'd take Mel and run away with me.
No, it's okay I guess.

　Ende, who has a drawn-out smile on his face, replies with an equally drawn-out face. No matter how much he's a god of destruction, I don't think he would destroy the world unreasonably. .........maybe.
　It's not like the volume of God Company's new employee, Mochizuki Fuyuya, being bullied by his seniors, the God of Destruction, is it?
　Apart from Yumina and the others, we've got our own problems. I gulped down the rest of the fruit water.