Confirmation and a Trap

Now, Leona has left, but I can't sleep just yet.

I have to do one final confirmation.

So I came to [White Beach]. Leona's footprints had mostly vanished, but I think she walked in that direction?

I headed into the forest.

"Let's see, it was this way, I think… oh, found a broken branch. This way it is."

I went deeper and deeper into the forest.

… Huh? What am I doing? Why did I come this far again?

No, right. I have to do the confirmation. The final confirmation. That's right.

I arrived in front of a cave. There were scorch marks here and there, and some of the ground was still smoldering. It was probably an impromptu cave, forcibly blasted open with some violent magic.

And inside was my destination. Right, I know the details, so I understand. I came to confirm this.

When I peered inside the cave, Leona was there, sitting on a spread-out futon, waiting.

Damn, too soon!? No, this is fine…!? The thoughts of GO and STOP arose simultaneously in my head.

Wh-what the? What's going on? My head is confused.

"I've been waiting."

"Tch…"

Spoken to by Leona, I clutched my head. I used [Super Transformation] today, so it's fine. I have an extra life stocked. Calm down.

"You have things you want to ask, right?"

"… Yeah. I do."

"Very well, as thanks for entertaining me for the first time in hundreds of years, I'll teach you. —About Setsuna and the others, about the Toys, how to raise skills, how to kill and deceive gods, even how to steal their powers… anything at all. So, what do you want to ask first?"

"Leona, what era did you come from?"

"Oh?"

Leona smiled, as if she hadn't expected me to suddenly ask a question akin to asking a woman's age.

Well, even if I asked her age, she'd just say seventeen, so it shouldn't be a problem.

"Let's see… I'll say it was an era where today's entertainment felt nostalgic. It was the same for you too, right, Kehma-san?"

"… I see. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"I had so much fun that I don't want to go back for a while…"

Leona smiled sadly. Just what was she thinking? Someone like me who wouldn't live even five hundred years couldn't understand.

"That's why I absolutely had to thank you, so I called you here with this."

Leona stroked the futon… the Divine Comforter. I see, so that's what it was.

It seems I was lured here by the divine aura of the Divine Comforter. Like a moth drawn to a flame.

"Next, I'll tell you about the Toys. That girl, Niku Kuroinu, was it?"

"… You knew? No, so Niku really was one?"

"Of course I know. I'm the one who made them, after all… or maybe 'created' is more accurate? Unlike Setsuna, that girl isn't natural."

… Niku… no, the Toys are created beings…?

"Different from Setsuna and the others? I thought they were supposed to be siblings?"

"Setsuna has none of my adjustments. She's completely natural. And yet she turned out to be such an interesting existence, right? A seed I chose at random produced a miracle. That's why I had Nayuta and the Toys born as well."

Hold on. She just casually said something outrageous.

Leona continued talking without listening to my response.

"Setsuna's talent values are very close to what you'd call 6V, more like 5V really! Ah, maybe you don't get the reference? Well, basically she's a holder of miraculous talent. But her head is a bit lacking, so I adjusted Nayuta to be smarter, and for the Toys, I went all out modifying them to see what would happen if I raised their talent values as high as possible! I did accelerated cultivation, so there were a lot of them, and I called them all Toys collectively… Ah, the name comes from the word 'toy.' Well, aside from Nayuta, who I mostly just ran composition checks on to make sure she wasn't unreasonable, there were a lot of failures with the Toys. As expected, synthesizing different creatures causes many problems. By the end, I was able to mix compositions nicely without changing their appearance, but only after many sacrifices. Finally, five Toys were completed to form the Toy Rangers… ah, just kidding. There was no Toy Rangers. It would sound like 'toilet jaa' when you flush. Well, it's true that I made lots of failures, but only three succeeded with all their planned talent values exceeded. Ah, but don't worry! They're my cute grandchildren after all, so I didn't waste the failures. The staff happily made use of them, or rather, used them as materials, as feed, as furniture… Ah, I even made one into a toilet, so the name Toy connects there too! Ufufu, I said something clever… Hmm? But that's strange? I kept the failures properly locked in cages and recycled them. I know exactly where the three successes are? Huh? Then there's a fourth? Maybe one I discarded without paying attention? Well, it's a trivial matter. She was probably one I threw into a slum during the experimental phase to see if she'd break through her limits in a harsh environment and then forgot about. There's also the possibility that Haku-chan stole my research results. That child has a hero under her control, after all. Divine intervention is another possibility, but well, that's not much of a problem either. What I can't remember must not matter. Ah, I went off on a tangent. Anyway, to summarize—"

Leona took a breath before continuing.

"—The Toys were created by me! Amazing, right!?"

"You already said that."

"Oh?"

Yeah, most of that didn't really sink in, but I understood that she's done some truly terrible things. I just let it wash over me because actually processing it would have been soul-crushing.

"Hmph, let's talk about something else then. How about raising hero skills?"

"… Sure, let's hear it."

"+1 if you destroy a Dummy Core. +1 with a chance to learn a new skill if you destroy a Dungeon Core. If you're at max level and can't learn more, it gets stocked. —That's something you probably already knew, right, Kehma-san?"

No, I didn't know that. I'd realized that your level goes up when you destroy a Dungeon Core, but that was it.

"Then do you realize that those of us who belong to the Dark God's faction and are also Dungeon Masters can level up as much as we want?"

… What?

"W-wait. Is that even allowed?"

"? What's wrong with it?"

I mean, Dummy Cores are items you can exchange for 5000 DP. I used to think that was expensive, but now I can earn 5000 DP in no time. In other words—

"I can level up as much as I want!"

"You can?"

It's like an all-you-can-eat buffet with unlimited french fry refills. Unlimited leveling.

I should level up [Super Transformation] as soon as I get back.

"… Ah, but I don't recommend leveling hero skills too much at once. The Light God will devour your soul."

"Huh? Wait a moment. What do you mean all of a sudden?"

Ufufu, Leona smiled.

"Did you think skills as extraordinary as hero skills could be mastered so easily? Your soul's adaptation and growth can't keep up. Unless you're an exceptional vessel, you should only level up once or twice a year at most."

Is that how it works? Also, soul adaptation and growth? What even are skills?

"And if you exceed your limit, it erodes your soul. Since hero skills are the Light God's domain… you see where I'm going with this? That's right. If you work hard and level up at a fast pace, you'll become a fine God's Vanguard."

… Let's not level up at all this year! I've probably used up my limit already. I'm probably right at the boundary or already over it. I went straight to Lv 3, after all.

"Well, normally you can't capture multiple dungeons in a year, so it's a loophole unique to us. Even if other heroes tried their best, anyone hunting multiple dungeons in a year would already be a splendid God's Vanguard with almost no sense of self left."

"Leona, have you been… eroded?"

"Me? Nope. My soul isn't just one person's worth, so I have far more capacity than you, Kehma-san. This is a rule I discovered through experiments with Haku-chan. Well, I kept it quiet, so Haku-chan probably hasn't noticed."

So many terrible things. The experiments, Leona, the hero skills.

"Oh right. Please take care of Setsuna, okay? You can add her to your harem. But make sure to have lots of children. I'll be taking one."

"Eh? No, I don't intend to make a move on my employees. And forget harems, I haven't laid a hand on anyone."

"What?"

Leona opened her red eyes wide in surprise.

"… Wow, really? I can't believe it. You've gathered so many cuties around you… Wait, what is it? Are you gay? Ah, Setsuna has a penis, you know? She's still a girl though."

"I'm straight!"

"I see, so you're a gutless virgin."

"Wh-wh-who says I'm a virgin!?"

"… Shall I give you some confidence? Don't worry, I'll be gentle?"

She patted the Divine Comforter while slightly opening her clothes. Her collarbone was exposed, and her cleavage was quite visible… But too bad. With that pose, her legs weren't visible. In other words, it wasn't very effective on me.

"I refuse."

"Oh, rejected? Strange, is the comforter's effect not working…? No, if you came this far, it must be working. Do you have some resistance…?"

It seemed dangerous to stay here any longer.

"Honestly, I'm incredibly attracted to that futon, but I'm leaving!"

"Oh, that's a problem."

Before I knew it, bandages had wound around my hand… The other end was in Leona's hand. What is this? I can't get it off.

"Don't worry, it'll be over before you can count the stains on the ceiling. Just kidding?"

"Wh-what are you going to do!? Stop it!"

And then I lost consciousness.