Ch 39: The conference.

The press conference was about to start, and Noah kept his nervousness hidden behind a facade of calm. He really didn’t like being in the limelight, and wanted to quickly get the whole media circus over with and regain some measure of privacy back.

With ten minutes left, Noah reviewed once again his papers, where he had written the bullet points of his speech. Satisfied, he looked around for his lovers.

Large banks of batteries had been carried in the forest to power the spotlights and the cameras, and over two hundred journalists were patiently waiting in front of a raised podium, quietly talking. Likely wondering why a place five hundred meters deep inside a forest had been chosen. A dozen cameras were placed to capture the conference from different angles. Behind the journalists were installed several dozen officials and ambassadors from various nations, as well as the girls’ parents.

“Nervous?” Asked Asuna. Noah turned to her.

She was beautiful, dressed in a dark blue gala dress. Issued by the government for the occasion. All the girls wore the same. They would be presented to the world in just a few minutes, but only Noah was expected to speak.

“Of course. You know I don’t really like public appearances. I look forward to the time where I’ll be able to live as a recluse with you all, only leaving to heal a bunch of people or fix some of the world’s issues.”

Suzu and Kaede joined them. The rest of Noah’s lovers were being given the final touches by a team of professional make-up artists.

“I look forward to it, too. I feel a little overwhelmed right now.” Said Kaede. Suzu nodded.

“Trying to imagine the people watching you being naked. I hear that helps.” Suggested Noah. He had tried himself, and it didn’t really help.

A technician came closer. “Sir, we’re about to begin, three minutes left.”

Misumi, Tomo, Silica and Rika joined them, all looking extremely beautiful with their make-up and improved charisma. They would all have millions of fans very soon.

Noah gave them a last-minute cheering, and with one minute remaining on the counter, they took position. The girls placed themselves in two ranks, to the right of the podium. Japan’s Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister were to the left. And Noah reached the podium.

He set his papers on the podium, took a deep breath, and began.

“Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen, and thank you for coming to assist to this press conference. I first wish to thank the Japanese government for doing the grunt work in setting it up.”

Noah nodded to the Prime minister, who nodded back with a slight smile.

“As many of you likely are aware by now, my name is Noah Enfield, and I can do things no other human being in this planet can do. At least, until a few days ago. I declined to answer questions about those abilities previously because I already planned to speak about them during this conference.”

”To put it simply, I am the Champion and representative of the deity that created this world, and she gave me the tools to perform the task she entrusted me with.”

Ignoring the shocked whispers in the crowd, Noah continued.

“Before I speak further about myself, and the reason I have been sent here, I need to give some context. In the very beginning, billions upon billions of years ago, was only something that was later called the Primordial Chaos. From it, three beings were eventually born. These three Primordial Gods, as they were later referred to, were Nyx, Erebus, and Chronos. They gave birth to the cycle of life and death, space, and time. To occupy themselves, those Gods started creating worlds, each in their own dimension, and populated many of them with mortals.”

“Later, they decided to give some of those living in the worlds they had created a chance to obtain something called Divine Sparks, that would allow those who possessed them to ascend and become Lesser Gods, gaining immortality and immense power. Those lesser gods were given only one mission, which was to keep creating more and more worlds, and the mortals to live on them and make those worlds more interesting.

“And the world we live in, was created by one such deity, Lilith, the Goddess of Conquest, Lust, and Domination. Each Divine Spark is associated with a particular concept, and this one is hers. Now, while many of you will without a doubt find her… theme… to be ominous or distasteful, well, that is just how it is. If you’re unhappy with it, pray to her, and maybe she’ll answer. She likely will just ignore you, as she doesn’t really care if anyone worships her or not. She created this world to fulfill her duty as a Goddess, and she keeps an eye on it because she considers herself, as its creator, to be to some small extent responsible for the wellbeing of the mortals living there.”

Noah made a short pause, to give the people watching a bit of time to digest the information.

“I met her by complete accident, when I, just a random human living in another world located in another dimension, inadvertently walked through a distortion in the very fabric of reality, and found myself in a strange place, where the vegetation wasn’t green, but purple. Moments later, she appeared before me, saying I was intruding on her domain. After examining my memories, she determined I had a suitable mindset to become one of her subordinates, and sent me to this world to be evaluated. I played a role in solving the SAO incident to her satisfaction, and she decided to promote me to the status of demi-god, with the task of overseeing this world.”

“When Lilith created this world, she gave its inhabitants free will, and was hoping that this branch of humanity would be wise enough to thrive without needing to be supervised, by herself or one of her servants. But you do not need me to tell you that this isn’t the case. The world could have been a paradise, but humans are turning into a purgatory. All because of tribalism, greed, and corruption.”

“I have been sent here to stop humanity’s worst excesses, bring in a number of reforms, and make the world a better place, by any means necessary. In order to achieve this, I will consult with experts in their respective fields and take their advice into consideration, but I will also expect the world leaders and lawmakers to do their part in implementing those reforms."

"And if they don't, whoever will replace them will likely be more amenable to reason." said Noah with a softer voice. But the naked sword appearing in his hand for a few seconds made clear that by replacement, he didn't mean waiting for another election cycle.

“I will now answer questions.”

Several people lifted their hands, while most where still frozen in shock by Noah issuing a threat.

Noah looked at the closest one and nodded. The reporter stood.

“Lisa Meyers, from CNN. Can you tell us why you chose this location to do this conference? Is there a meaning to do it surrounded by trees?”

“I will answer this question for him.” Said Lilith, causing a shiver of pleasure up Noah’s spine.

Noah turned to his left, just as the air shimmered, and Lilith appeared, dressed in a gorgeous white dress with golden accents. Her long silver hairs shone under the light of the projectors, and her red pupils focused on Noah for a few seconds, then each of his girls, and finally the journalists. She released a tiny bit of her aura, and suddenly, everyone with the exception of Noah and his girls found themselves kneeling, staring in shock and awe.

Noah bowed deeply, and Asuna and the others followed suit.

“It a pleasure seeing you again, Lilith-sama.”

“I figured I should help build up your credibility. Before you do it by purging a bunch of corrupt mortals. As for why I chose this place, it was to do, this.”

Lilith snapped her fingers, and part of the forest behind the podium just disappeared. The ground flattened itself almost instantly, and a structure emerged from its midst. In mere seconds, a white castle was created, surrounded by a fairly extensive garden full of flowers, fruit trees and vegetables. A high wall made of pristine white stone rose around the perimeter, hiding the castle and the garden, with a single large gate slightly to the side, and more trees disappeared in a relatively straight line, creating a road linking the gate on the wall to the closest city.

“A reward for my hard-working Champion and his servants. This castle is alive and will change its shape according to your wants. It also has some defensives measures, should anyone be foolish enough to intrude without permission.”

“Thank you, Lilith-sama. I am very grateful.”

Lilith nodded, and turned to the journalists.

“I will answer three of your questions… you.” She said, pointing at one of the more quick-witted reporters.

“Ah...yes… thank you. Alex Cramers, from the BBC. Could you please tell us more, about the Gods, and why your name appears in some of our legends?”

“Mortals are, to a miniscule extend, able to perceive our existence at a subconscious level. For that reason, our names, and the nature of our Divine Sparks, often make appearances in your myths and legends. There are thousands of Lesser Gods, and the vast majority are either somewhat benevolent or indifferent to the fate of the mortals they create. It is your good fortune that I care and assigned my newest Champion to your world. His role will be to guide you away from your worst mistakes. Next question.”

Lilith nodded at another journalist.

“Mohammed Farhi, Al-Jazeera. It is an honor. Could you please tell us, about the afterlife?”

“Certainly. It depends on which deity created the world. In your case, you all have a Karma balance, positive or negative, that will change depending on your actions, and your souls will be rewarded after death, with a period of bliss, or one of torment. Its duration will vary depending on the karma you accrued. Once your time is over, you will lose your memories and reincarnate. Next question.”

She nodded to a bald white reporter.

“Stephane Mieller, Faux News. Do you… approve of gay marriage?”

An awkward silence spread across the reporters, and a handful even facepalmed, as Lilith just stared silently at the man. He started trembling.

“…Most of the servants that are given the honor of warming my bed are women. This should answer your question. Of course, this answer doesn’t fit the narrative you wanted to push. You weren’t really interested in knowing. You just wanted to use me as ammunition to promote your bigotry. And this deserves some punishment. Stephane Gregory Mieller, I will reveal some of your darkest secrets.”

“When you were in high school, you snuck into the girls’ dressing room and stole Emma Smith’s panties. At nineteen, you caused an accident while drunk driving, killing Julia Edison and her son Andrew, and got your father to bribe a corrupt cop, Anton Jones, to get away with it. You sexually harassed two interns last year, and Faux news’s CEO covered for you, because he shares your bigotry. You also promised your mother that you would take care of her after she signed over her house to you, but made her homeless barely a week later. And you do not feel a shred of remorse over your actions. That is quite a lot of negative karma you accrued. Quite the depraved soul, you are. Thousands of years of pain and screams awaits you. You should be careful not to die.”

“Now, since this question was rather stupid, I will allow one more…”

The bald reporter sat back in shock, as those around his shifted away in utter disgust. The woman Lilith designated rose and bowed to the goddess.

“Johanna Sinclair, from Spiegel. Are the God from the bible, Buddha, and Allah, real? Will they answer our prayers?”

“They are real, yes. And they will hear your prayers, if they make the conscious effort to listen. They might speak to you, if they are in the mood for it. However, you should not expect them to do anything for you. It is a great taboo among gods to interfere with the world created by another. Like finding in your home a work colleague that came uninvited, and seeing him take food from your fridge, or search your bedroom. Feuds between gods have started for less.”

Lilith stared at the reporters and the politicians and ambassadors for a few seconds, before she continued.

“I will give you all a warning. My champion is here to stay. He is gradually growing stronger, and while he isn’t invulnerable yet, I will simply revive him, should something happen to him. Or I might bring in a more experienced champion. I am giving him carte blanche to deal with those who will oppose the reforms your world require. I value the lives of innocent people, but not those of the corrupt or overly greedy. And while I may be the Goddess of Conquest, Love and Domination, that doesn’t mean I condone things like abuse. So, while I approve of what you call BDSM relationships, make sure you keep things consensual and that every person involved is happy. Or you will spend a lot of time screaming in the afterlife… Oh, and before I leave: I have confiscated all of your nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. You are not allowed to make more of those. I’ll be watching.”

Lilith smiled slightly, and disappeared just like she came.

After a few seconds of everyone staring at the space she previously occupied. Noah cleared his throat.

“I was worried about finding accommodations. I’m glad I work for someone so caring.” He said as a joke. A few reporters lifted their hands, and Noah choose one.

“Arthur Frost, from the Washington Post. You said earlier that you weren’t the only one able to do extraordinary things anymore?”

Noah smiled and nodded.

“Yes. I also wanted to use this conference to introduce my subordinates.”

He gestured toward the girls, who spread themselves in a line.

“Let me introduce to everyone Asuna Yuuki, Rika Shinozaki, Suzu Aizawa, Kaede Aizawa, Misumi Tozawa, Tomo Hosaka, and Keiko Ayano.”

Each of the girls bowed as their name was called, trying to hide their nervousness behind a serene mask.

“I have given them some of the abilities I was granted, with Lilith’s permission. If Lilith made me a demi-god, you could say they are quarter goddesses. And as my own power grows, so will theirs. At some point, they will become immortal. They will assist me in my mission. I intend for them to mainly focus on healing and curing people, not the enforcement part. This, I will do myself, or with a few future subordinates who will have the appropriate mindset for it.”

“I imagine some people among those watching will wish to join their ranks, to gain authority and immortality. Do not bother sending me resumes, as I will only see it as a red flag. Same for trying to bribe me. I do not need power-hungry people among my subordinates. If some people distinguish themselves by providing exceptional service for humanity’s sake, I might consider promoting them.”

“I am also certain that there will be no lack of individuals who will want me dead, and will not take Lilith’s warning seriously. So I will give them a chance, for the sake of avoiding collateral damage. In two weeks, I will go to a deserted place. I will announce the precise location a few days in advance. I will go alone, and that will be their best chance to kill me. If they try to kill me at some other time and get innocent people involved, well, let’s just say that I will make their punishment the stuff of nightmares. Next question.”

On and on, the journalists asked him about his life within SAO, his relationship with the Japanese government, or details about his planned reforms. No one dared asking him about his exact relationship with the girls, or if there was any BDSM involved. Not after the still trembling, sweating and ostracized bald man had been put on the spot like that.

After about ninety minutes, Noah checked the hour on his phone declared an end to it. He said goodbye to everyone and walked away, signaling for the girls to follow him.

“Thirty minutes until the next test starts. I intend for us to be inside our new home by then.” Said Noah simply.

“That was… I feel like I just used my lifetime’s allotment of nerves just now.” Complained Keiko. “I’m a wreck.” The girls nodded as they vehemently agreed.

“You girls did great. We’ll all get used to it. But I’m not doing that again for a while. If you wish to go speak to your families, now is the time. Come back in front of the gate in fifteen minutes?”

They did, and Noah could see from a distance that some of the conversations were getting quite lively.

Kikuoka and the prime minister walked closer.

“Noah-kun. We just received a message. Akihiko Kayaba agreed to surrender himself. He released his assistant that he had kept hostage.”

“Nice. I was hoping for it to happen.”

“You didn’t tell us what you intended to do with him.”

Noah glanced at the Prime Minister.

“Does the Japanese government acknowledge my authority?”

“How could we not?” the prime minister shrugged. “I might have believed it was all a hoax, with all the people present being complicit, if I had just watched a video of it. I suspect many of the other governments will reach that conclusion. Until they get reports of their weapons of mass destruction disappearing, at least. But I was present, and I didn’t just see her. I felt her, down to my bones. I will work to implement your reforms, even if many of those won’t be easy.”

“I’m not demanding a perfect outcome. Just that you make an honest effort, and I will deal with some of the obstacles. As for Kayaba, I want him to help me track the movements of money, worldwide. Billionaires and large companies and banks are going to try to play hide-and-seek with their money, and I will play whack-a-mole.”

One by one, the girls all returned, and the large gate opened as they approached. They walked down a paved road and reached the castle’s main body. It was a very large structure, pristine white like the walls. The gate opened, and when he entered inside, Noah felt information being downloaded into his brain. He knew how to control the castle.

The inside was already fully furnished with modern appliances, and they gathered in the main living room, almost large enough to hold an Olympic pool.

“Noah, what’s this about the next test? Can we participate?” Asked Silica. The twins, Rika, Mizumi and Argo stopped looking around and gathered around him.

“Lilith doesn’t intend for me to oversee only one world. Five minutes from now, I will be sent to another. After fulfilling a mission to master at least 20 proficiencies in SAO, Lilith gave me the right to bring at least one of you girls with me. I do not know how many yet.”

Seeing their dejected faces, Noah hurriedly added.

“Don’t worry too much. Lilith will freeze the flow of time for this world while we are away, so you won’t have time to miss me. Most likely, the only clue you’ll get is that you will suddenly gain a few more sisters.”

“Who will you choose?” Asked Kaede hopefully.

“If I can bring only one, that will be Asuna. If more, I’m not sure yet. I do not like having to choose between you girls, and I will miss terribly those who will stay behind. But we will have plenty of time together later.” Said Noah as he shrugged.

“Well, it can’t be helped. After meeting Lilith-sama, and seeing this house… I don’t feel like protesting.” Sighed Tomo.

“It’s good that you know to be respectful.” Said Lilith, watching them with amusement, sitting in one of the sofas, a glass half filled with a yellow fluid in her right hand.

Everyone flinched, as they had not noticed her with her aura hidden.

“Lilith-sama? Thank you again for this castle.” Said Noah as he recovered.

“You have mastered twenty-two skills while you only had to do twenty, so I will allow you to bring with you three of your slaves. Who will you choose?”

Noah closed his eyes for a few seconds, before he sighed.

“Asuna, Kaede and Suzu.” The three girls perked up, while Rika, Misumi, Keiko and Tomo looked a little disappointed.

“Sorry, girls. I’ll make it up to you when we return.”

“Noah will have the possibility to visit more worlds after the one I am about to send him to, if he is willing to have more than two worlds under his responsibility. Maybe he can choose you, then. And once he is done, he will be able to bring you all over there, too.” Pointed out Lilith.

“What kind of world will with this one be, Lilith-sama?” Asked Asuna.

“Not spoiling the surprise. Noah, I am taking you and the three you chose in another place, then I will place this world into stasis. I suggest you all say goodbye. From the perspective of those staying behind, you will be away for only a minute. But for you, it will be about five months.”

Noah nodded and was hugged by Tomo. She kissed him quickly.

“Be careful out there, you hear?”

“Yeah, of course. I have a place to return to, so I can’t afford to die.”

Tomo left him and hugged Asuna next. “A-chan, make sure our Master doesn’t bring home too many sisters.”

“No can do, Tomo-chan. We live to serve him. Our duty is to help him get more slaves, as long as they are worthy.” sweetly answered Asuna.

“Of course I know. I’m just joking.”

Silica hugged Noah next.

“I…I’ll miss you, even if it’s only for a few minutes.”

Noah patted her head fondly.

“Look forward to my return, my cute slave. I certainly will.” Said Noah before he kissed her.

After her came Misumi and Rika. Kaede and Suzu got their hugs, too. And they promised to take care of their Master.

Lilith waited until they were done. Then, suddenly, Noah, Asuna, Suzu and Kaede disappeared with her.