第１０５７堀：彼女の決断 (Part1)
**Chapter 1057: Her Decision**
**Side: Yuki**
Good grief. They say everyone has a history, but I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that gods have one too.
That said, if she were to just depart as if nothing had happened, it would only cause me trouble. I’m not about to let her off the hook that easily.
"Alright, alright. Sorry to interrupt this moving finale. Here you go, Luna."
After all, I have a useless goddess—a High God—right here. Something of this level should be…
"I know, I know. *Poof*."
With that nonchalant call, Senal’s fading form solidified once more. In the blink of an eye, she was back to normal. Even so, she was at the very bottom of the divine hierarchy—even weaker than Hylen.
"Eh?"
It must have been a shock to her. She had intended to intentionally leak her remaining magical power and vanish once the conversation ended. She never imagined it would be prevented—especially not by the very High God she hated as an enemy.
"Lady Luna! You saved me! Thank you!" Hylen cried, leaping toward Luna.
"It’s nothing. Don't mention it." Luna seemed pleased to be thanked, getting a bit carried away.
I wish I could say that letting her get carried away would solve all our problems, but I’d already gathered from Senal’s story that Luna’s methods of "solving" things were problematic. I really shouldn't look to her for conflict resolution.
Setting that aside, Senal, who had looked surprised at our sudden intrusion, locked eyes with Luna—one of the intruders—and narrowed her gaze.
"A-a High God!?"
"Yoo-hoo. Long time no see? Though, I don't think we've actually met."
"..."
Senal’s expression grew even sterner at Luna’s flippant reply. Yeah, there’s something truly imposing about a capable-looking middle-aged woman glaring at you. If she had a pair of triangular glasses and a suit, she’d look the part perfectly.
"Yes, yes. Don't glare at me like that. I saved you, so I think you could at least offer a word of thanks?"
"…I am grateful for that, but why?"
"Why? Because Hylen and the others all looked like they didn't want to say goodbye to you just yet."
"Huh?"
"It’s the same for you, isn't it? I like to help my acquaintances, too. Besides, there’s no way I’d let some idiot who’s trying to vanish on her own get away with it, right?"
"…I understand the latter part, but a High God like you is empathizing with an individual?"
Senal was completely taken aback by Luna’s behavior. I wanted to tell her, *“Yeah, she’s usually like this,”* but I held my tongue.
"Well, they follow me, so of course I’m going to play favorites. The Mid-level Gods were the same, weren't they?"
"Certainly, that is… but then why did you…?"
"Look, 'he who does not work, neither shall he eat,' right? Asking for help without putting in any effort is pretty cheeky."
"But you didn't have to drive us into a situation where we had to face death!"
"Yeah, yeah. You had several times more grace than a human would have, didn't you? You could have taken some sort of self-defense measures by then. It’s your own fault for not doing even that. Besides, you’re a god, aren't you? You were recognized as a Mid-level God, so act like one."
"..."
Senal fell silent as Luna pressed her. Well, I can’t say I don’t understand her feelings, but it seems they had plenty of time. If they couldn't manage anything with that, it really does feel like they brought it on themselves.
If a Japanese politician said something like that, they’d be fired immediately. Even if the opponent is a god, telling someone you’ve essentially abandoned them is a one-way ticket to public outrage. After all, the general public only wants to see a kind world. They don't recognize or accept the harsh choices of reality; they simply blame you for the failure of not saving everyone.
But that’s beside the point right now.
"Anyway, you had comrades you wanted to save even if it meant defying me, right? So, are there actually any of them left who were saved as a result of your defiance?"
I hope there are still a few of them alive. I really don't want to hear that I went through all this only to find out they were all dead. That wouldn't be saving comrades; it would just be a memorial service. Nothing would remain. Or maybe, if it gave Senal some closure, that’s enough? I don't know if she’d actually feel relieved, though.
"Do you think I would tell you that honestly? We are all just going to have our divinity stripped and be erased by you anyway, aren't we?"
I see. "We." So there is a remnant force after all. That means plenty of information sources. The "we're allies, don't be scared" strategy is off the table thanks to Hylen the idiot, but another option has opened up.
"That’s true. If I don't punish you and the others accordingly, it wouldn't be fair to the gods who have followed me properly and are still working hard even at death's door."
"..."
"That said, I can't punish you right now."
"Excuse me?"
Senal, who had been bracing for judgment, tilted her head in confusion.
"I told you, I can't dispose of you yet. Because of a promise I made to this man with the 'faint presence'."
"Hey, cut it out. Who has a faint presence? Your personality is just too overwhelming."
I immediately denied the insult about my presence being faint. Still, it was helpful that Luna remembered our conversation. It saved me from having to point it out awkwardly.
"You are… I see. Judging by that, are you a subordinate of the High God?"
She noticed my existence for the first time and looked surprised for a moment, but her eyes quickly sharpened, and she threw those cold words at me. Man, she really does have the aura of a capable office worker. The intensity is different.
However…
"Don't call me a subordinate. If anything, I’m a victim of this useless goddess. I might be in a similar position to you."
"Wait just a second. What do you mean, 'victim'?"
"Shut it. You dragged me here on your own and told me to 'do something' about the magical depletion of this world? Are you an idiot? Do you have any idea what kind of insane task it is to tell someone to fix a world-scale natural disaster?"
Saying it out loud, I realized once again that what this useless goddess was asking of me was absolutely absurd. Improving the global environment? We haven't even achieved that on Earth yet. We don't even have definitive proof that humans are the sole cause of climate change; it’s just based on data from the last hundred years or so.
Considering that, the magical depletion in this world might not have a clear, man-made cause. It could just be a natural cycle, like water drying up. In other words, it’s not guaranteed that a solution even exists.
But upon hearing my words, she narrowed her eyes even further.
"The person chosen and brought here by a High God… does that mean you are a Dungeon Master? But you were brought here against your will? What does that mean?"
"That’s right! All the Dungeon Masters in this world were useless, so I went out of my way to bring him from another world! And listen and be amazed! This lazy-looking, pathetic man has actually achieved the incredible feat of stopping and stabilizing the magical depletion in multiple continents!"
"It can't be…"