All the members of the knight order looked at Eriri, who appeared delicate and powerless, with disbelief. It was hard to imagine that the bizarre scene earlier had been caused by her.
But they had no choice but to believe it. Otherwise, there was simply no explanation for what had just occurred.
"Protect Her Highness!"
With a loud shout from the short-haired female knight, the six knights surrounding Pina quickly drew their weapons and pointed them at Eriri. Every one of them bore expressions of fear and dread.
Some of the more timid knights were even visibly trembling as they held their weapons.
Recalling how Zorzal and fifty cavalrymen had vanished in an instant, they knew full well that what they were doing was ultimately futile.
Even so, none of them retreated. Though they desperately wanted to flee from this terrifying individual, the oaths they swore upon joining the knight order gave them the courage to stand their ground before Eriri.
At that moment, Princess Pina, having come to her senses, dismounted her horse and, ignoring the protests of her knight escort, stepped through their protective circle to stand before Eriri.
"Why did you do this?"
"Huh? What kind of stupid question is that? They were about to attack us. Isn't it completely reasonable for me to strike back?" Eriri looked at Pina with a hint of amusement.
Hearing this, Pina bit her rosy lip, her expression turning exceedingly complicated.
She knew what Eriri said was true, but what she couldn't understand was why Eriri had been so ruthless—killing over fifty people without hesitation.
She also believed that she had nearly reached the scene in time and was confident she could have resolved the situation peacefully.
But there was no point in saying anything now. Pina also knew that none of them were capable of doing anything to Eriri. As a result, silence fell over the street.
"Forget it. I don't have anything more to say to you. I've seen everything I came to see."
Clearly losing interest, Eriri withdrew her gaze from Pina and turned Rory beside her. "Rory, let's go back to the Emroy Temple. The agreed time is almost up."
"No problem," Rory said with a cheerful nod.
With that, Eriri and Rory vanished from the now quiet and desolate street, leaving behind a group of relieved knight order members and a speechless Princess Pina.
...
When Eriri and Rory returned to Emroy's palace, Emroy and Hardy were already there waiting.
Five hours wasn't long, but it was enough for Hardy to handle the follow-up matters related to the "Gate." As for Emroy, she had finally made her decision.
"Are you sure?" Eriri asked with a smile as she looked at Emroy.
"I'm sure!" Emroy replied with a resolute nod. "Even though I won't be able to grow any further, at least I won't have to endure the risk of becoming human. And as the Goddess of Death and War, I can't just throw away my duties so casually."
That's right, Emroy had once again rejected becoming human.
Eriri had expected this outcome. After all, Emroy's reaction the last time she was turned into a human clearly showed how much she valued her divine powers. She would never give them up lightly.
"Very well, I respect your choice. I hope you won't regret it."
Though it felt like Eriri's words carried another meaning, Emroy still responded firmly, "I won't regret it!"
Then, Eriri shifted her gaze from Emroy to Hardy, who had been waiting eagerly.
Seeing Eriri's gaze shift to her, Hardy didn't even wait for Eriri to speak before loudly declaring, "Eriri, I want to become human!"
Hardy's straightforward answer left Eriri slightly stunned. Curious, she asked, "Are you sure? Becoming human means you'll lose all your divine powers. Everything will start from scratch."
"I've already decided. And in my heart, divine power isn't worth anything compared to you. I know that if I stay in this world, I may never see you again. So even if the chance is slim, I'll do everything I can to transcend this world and chase after you."
"Even if in the end I fail and lose to the limits of lifespan, I'll never regret it."
Hardy spoke with utmost seriousness, a far cry from her usual playfulness. Then her tone shifted, "Besides, I'm already tired of this long divine life."
As she spoke, Hardy playfully stuck out her tongue at Eriri, looking rather cute.
Her answer pleased Eriri quite a bit, and she found Hardy increasingly agreeable.
What Hardy said also stirred something in Eriri, though it still wasn't enough for Eriri to fully accept her. At the very least, it was no longer entirely hopeless like before.
"Since that's the case, I'll grant you a body first."
With those words, Eriri stepped forward and, under Hardy's expectant gaze, took hold of her right hand.
In an instant, Hardy fully shed her spiritual form and transformed into a flesh-and-blood human. Her appearance and figure remained exactly the same as when she was in spiritual form.
This proved that her previous appearance had always been her true form, not something altered by herself.
Because Eriri constructed her physical body based on the original state of her soul, if Hardy's appearance had been a result of transformation, then her human form would have looked completely different.
"Having a body feels amazing, and this time it's my own. This is wonderful!" Hardy exclaimed with excitement as she felt the changes in her body.
At the same time, she noticed her divine power had vanished completely. But she was fully prepared for this, so she didn't mind.
What mattered more to her was that Eriri was still holding her hand, and the skin-to-skin contact made her feel a rush of exhilaration.
"Hardy, so this is the choice you made..."
Emroy, standing off to the side, silently murmured in her heart as she looked at Hardy, now just an ordinary human woman.
She had thought Hardy would make the same choice as her—to not give up the identity of a god. But Hardy's choice had taken her completely by surprise.
It made her question whether her own decision was truly the right one.
...
After transforming Hardy into a human, Eriri didn't remain at Emroy's palace. Not long after, she took Rory and Hardy with her and left, appearing in a clearing not far from Alnus Hill.
Now that Hardy was human, it was no longer appropriate for her to stay in the temple.
Of course, if Hardy were to regain her powers in the future, whether she would reclaim her place in the original temple would be up to her.
Just like when Emroy became human, Hardy now felt hunger without the support of divine power.
Coincidentally, it was also around dinner time for Eriri. Although she had eaten some snacks earlier in the imperial capital, that hardly affected her appetite for dinner.
So Eriri conjured a dining table and three chairs right there in the clearing, then took out dish after dish of delicacies prepared by Aoi Kujo from her storage space.
A rich aroma wafted through the air, making both Hardy and Rory involuntarily swallow their saliva as they stared hungrily at the food on the table.
"Don't just stare—sit down and eat," Eriri called to them, taking the lead and sitting down on one of the chairs.
Hearing her, the already famished Hardy and Rory quickly took their seats and wasted no time diving in, not bothering with formalities.
Especially Hardy, who was absolutely ravenous. Tempted by the delicious food, she devoured it without the slightest concern for her image.
But a beauty was a beauty. Even her unrestrained eating style was somehow pleasant to watch.
"Mmm... Eriri, where did you get this food? It's so delicious!" Hardy exclaimed with bliss after swallowing a mouthful. "Now I feel even more certain that becoming human was the right choice."
Rory, seated beside Eriri, chimed in with satisfaction, "Eriri, I kind of understand now why you said the food in the Imperial Capital was just average. Compared to this, it really is pretty ordinary!"
"If it's good, eat as much as you want. Don't be shy, I've got plenty more," Eriri replied with a smile.
Compared to the other two, Eriri's table manners were far more elegant. Watching her eat was a pleasure in itself—even Hardy, deeply engrossed in the meal, couldn't help but sneak glances at Eriri now and then.
"I want to eat more, but my body can't handle it," Hardy said with a bit of regret as she patted her now slightly rounded stomach.
"No problem. Let me help you."
Eriri set down her chopsticks and moved to Hardy's side. As Hardy looked at her with puzzled eyes, Eriri placed her right hand gently on Hardy's slightly bulging belly.
Eriri channeled energy from her body through her palm into Hardy's, instantly transforming the food she had just eaten into a stream of energy that merged into her body.
This energy converted from food was very weak, providing only a tiny benefit to the body.
Without the food bulk, Hardy's stomach flattened, and the bloated feeling vanished instantly.
However, Eriri didn't withdraw her hand immediately. She continued to guide energy through Hardy's body, gradually enhancing her physical constitution while slowly forming an energy seed within her.
"Eriri, what is this?"
Though Hardy had been a god for many years, she immediately sensed the presence of the energy seed. But she didn't know what its purpose was.
"Since you've chosen to become human and even set such a lofty goal, I don't mind giving you a little help."
Eriri smiled and withdrew her palm as she spoke. Hardy felt a bit disappointed—she had been enjoying the warmth of Eriri's hand on her stomach.
But her attention was quickly captured by what Eriri had said.
Before she could ask her questions, Eriri answered them as if reading her mind.
"You should be able to feel the energy I left inside you. I call it an 'energy seed.' This seed will grant you a continuous stream of energy, but only if you work hard to stimulate it through training. This energy seed is enough to help you grow all the way to the peak of Level 6—the level of power you had as the Goddess of the Underworld—and it will also significantly extend your lifespan," Eriri explained calmly.
Hardy and Rory both widened their eyes in astonishment. For a mere human to grow to the peak of this world's divine hierarchy—this was something even more unbelievable than a miracle.
Hardy never imagined Eriri would do something so generous for her. She was moved beyond words and filled with excitement, because she now saw hope—hope of one day standing beside Eriri.
And then, Eriri said something that lit an even greater fire within her.
"If you can use your own strength to surpass the peak of Level 3 and reach Level 4, I'll come find you myself. I hope you won't let me down."
Was stepping from Level 3 to Level 4 difficult?
For Eriri and the members of the chat group, it wasn't—it was actually quite easy.
But for Hardy, it was a monumental challenge.
The world's natural level cap was peak Level 3, the upper limit for even the highest gods. Breaking into level four meant surpassing the very ceiling of this world's system.
As a spiritual-form deity, Hardy could never have achieved it. But now, as a human armed with the energy seed, she had a real chance.
In fact, if she worked hard enough, she might even achieve it in the near future.
"I'll do my best!" Hardy said with great excitement, as if she were in a dream. Eriri's promise gave her tremendous motivation.
In that moment, Hardy was filled with energy and drive. She could hardly wait to begin her training.
Watching the excited Hardy, a hint of envy flickered in Rory's eyes.
An energy seed... she wanted one too.
At the same time, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pity for Emroy. If Emroy learned what had just happened to Hardy, would she regret the choice she made today?
...
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