第１２８４堀：ある不思議 (Part2)
"Now then, let’s hear from Seraria."
At those words, every gaze in the room converged upon me. I wasn’t imagining the sharpness in their eyes; it was far more piercing than when they had questioned Lilishe or Hairen. After all, until very recently, we had been enemies. Though, to call us "enemies" was perhaps a stretch—the disparity in our power was such that it was more like a child throwing a tantrum.
"It’s been a fair amount of time since then. Have things settled down?"
"Yes. Thanks to you, those children are attending school and living their days happily."
"That’s good to hear. Now, regarding your time in the Haine Empire, is there any information of note?"
"I appreciate you being so considerate of us, but I truly have no information regarding gods other than ourselves."
I spoke the unvarnished truth. Yet, looking at their faces, they didn't seem to believe me. Well, of course they didn't. No fool would take the word of a former enemy who claims to have "no information." I was pondering how best to explain the reality of the situation when Yuki spoke up.
"We aren't expecting much on that front. Luna has already given us the gist of it. What we want to know isn't about the gods who remained in the Zurable region, but whether you heard anything about those who fled."
"Ah. Well, as the magic depletion phenomenon became severe, there were indeed some who began to scatter. They claimed it was to gather faith, or something of the sort. Even in their pathetic state, I had held the lion's share of the faith in those lands, so I imagine they found it difficult to operate."
It was true. The territories controlled by the Haine Empire and the Zurable Great Empire were, fundamentally, the domain of my own church—the Seraphina Church. Or, to be precise, the original Haine Empire. Naturally, churches existed on the Zurable side as well, but perhaps due to the influence of Hairen’s barrier, there was little profit to be found there, so they hadn't invested much power, especially in areas near the Great Mountain Range. I suppose the other gods felt the same. Because I presided over healing, I remained necessary even as nations shifted and lives changed; that is likely how I managed to survive in those lands.
"Can you tell us which direction they fled?"
"Which direction, you ask? It’s not as if we were on friendly terms, but... do you have a map? I believe I can make some reasonable predictions."
At my request, a girl named Fiora, who was standing by Yuki, manipulated a console, projecting a map onto the whiteboard at the back of the room. She then handed me a pointer that emitted a red beam.
"Could you explain using this?"
"...Yes. Very well."
It was far more convenient than huddling around a map spread across a table, though this world’s penchant for such strange conveniences never ceased to amaze me. The projected map displayed not only the Haine Empire and the Zurable Great Empire—now collectively called the Zurable region—but also the Great Mountain Range and a portion of the Haiden region to the west.
"I’ll use the process of elimination. It is true that some fled toward the Haiden region, but Hairen is unaware of their presence. Or, there is a non-zero possibility that this 'Aquenoque' person is one of those who fled that way, but if no other names have surfaced, we can safely assume that those who fled into the range of the barrier Hairen erected were essentially wiped out."
I used the red beam to draw an 'X' over the Haiden region. Then, I turned to the opposite side.
"That leaves the north and the west, excluding the Haiden region. It wouldn't be strange if some fled in those directions. However, those areas are also surrounded by massive mountain ranges, making travel quite difficult. I suspect there were already gods on the other side of those mountains, so they would have likely clashed with them."
"That makes sense. It must have been a survival-of-the-fittest scenario back then."
"Indeed. I was desperate myself. That is everything I know. You might find some information lingering in the towns and villages near the northern and western mountain ranges."
"I see. That’s a fair point. I’ll have Yopia reach out and gather intelligence. Also, as a possibility—is it unthinkable that they fled toward the sea, to the south?"
"To the sea?"
The question was so abrupt that I couldn't believe my ears and found myself repeating it.
"You aren't exactly the type to risk your lives trying to cross the ocean... or so I thought. No, I cannot deny the possibility. But there is no way to verify it. If there were something beyond the sea, it might be possible, but we have no history of contact."
"I suppose so. Come to think of it, I’ve always wondered—were there no gods associated with the sea, rivers, or water?"
"Eh?"
I tilted my head at this further inquiry.
"It’s not such a strange question, is it? I heard from Lilishe that there are beast gods. It wouldn't be odd to have gods of birds, dragons, or the sea and rivers. For instance, look at Sota, one of Hairen’s companions. The water attached to him is the Water God. Do you not have any acquaintances like that? Or perhaps you, Hairen, or Lilishe?"
"..."
The three of us exchanged glances. Lilishe and Hairen both wore expressions that suggested they had never once considered such a thing.
A Water God. A Sea God.
Why did we know nothing of this? It seems the nature of gods differs between Earth and this other world. Well, it is an alternate world, so it is only natural that things would be different. Why did I assume the common sense of Earth would apply here?
Perhaps it was simply the weight of my own preconceptions.