CH 644-648

Even though Sol had been unable to sense anything at first, the slow but steady increase in his power, paired with the distinct whispers of the threads of fate made sure that he couldn't ignore something incredible happening right under his nose.

What the heck?

He nearly jumped when the threads of fate started twisting around him, warning that something dangerous was about to happen.

“Sol, is something happening?” Camelia asked from Sol’s embrace. She had been snuggling in his embrace, drifting blissfully into sleep. That was why her voice was incredibly groggy, stirred awake from the sudden jolt she felt. But Sol shook his head and shushed her. Giving a kiss on her forehead.

“Sleep. I will explain later.” There was no need to explain now.

Camelia nodded and simply closed her eyes, drifting back to sleep. Meanwhile, in the room, a second Sol appeared out of nowhere and nodded to the Sol who was sleeping with Camelia before walking through the wall.

This was one of the skills Sol had obtained after ascending to the King realm. As long as it was within his sphere of control, he was able to create a projection of himself and by dividing his thoughts, he could control all of his projections simultaneously.

In a way, this was a nascent form of Omniscience, allowing him to be in many places simultaneously. Since all his projections existed in his sphere of control, they could act as relay stations and allow him to use his power and skills wherever his projections were placed.

***

Sol’s projection flew through the air toward the place where he felt the disturbance, invisible to all. At his level, impeding the perception of ordinary mortals was extremely easy.

If he used the full extent of his powers, creating a projection directly at his destination was not a problem for him as it was under his sphere of influence. However, Sol refrained from it as it was not exactly necessary for him.

The direction is… Duke Hermes’ residence?

Sol was quite surprised. Hermes was a Duke both as a leader and a warrior. There was no one else in the house with a similar sense of talent or power as him.

Well, there was one…

Theresa? Really?

He was positively mystified by his knowledge. As far as he could remember. Theresa has always been a weak but extremely resourceful woman. Some may even say she was… too resourceful.

Sol held immense respect for the diminutive woman. Sol did not doubt that he was a one-in-a-generation genius. But many factors had aligned perfectly to bring about his current achievements.

Theresa was different, however. She was the ultimate genius, the apex of all geniuses. An epoch-changing monster who could revolutionize an entire era with her talents alone.

What kind of discovery did she make this time?

He thought inwardly as he stopped above Hermes’s mansion, wondering if he should enter or not.

From where he stood, he was able to look through the entire house and witnessed Theresa furiously sketching in her canvas as though she was possessed by the God of Schematics themselves. Her current condition did not allow her to stop, lest something irreversible may happen.

“An epiphany?” Sol nodded to himself, coming to an understanding of her current situation. It was impossible to disturb her at the moment.

In fact, he had to make sure there would not be the slightest disturbance to her. Thinking up till here, he moved his hands and created a miniature space bubble, encasing Theresa’s room within it and isolating her from the outside world. No one could enter now.

{Hermes. No one is to enter the basement where Aunt Theresa is working. I have already set up a barrier but better be safe than sorry.}

Sol could see Hermes jump at the sudden whisper entering directly into his mind but he ignored the man’s antics. The epiphany of a genius such as Theresa was something that should never be halted even if it meant the world would end the next second.

“I wonder just how much of a monster she will become now.” He could feel his blood rising in excitement at the thought.

Theresa had been a monster since practically forever. However, she was greatly limited by her mortal mind. Her ability to process information could never go past a certain level.

Now that she was a Duke and even had the potential to become a King, her processing power would simply be off the charts, completely different from anything she had been previously capable of. She might be able to work, 10 or perhaps 100 times faster than ever.

Thinking about this, two new projections appeared and flew in separate directions. One toward Milia and one toward Clara.

Sol had many plans for Lustburg's growth and Theresa was proving to be an essential piece for those plans to become reality.

To Clara, the message was simple. They had to start preparing more workers for the genius dwarf. The witches were extremely skilled but they couldn’t simply rely on them for everything.

It was necessary to find more skilled personnel from Lustburg itself rather than just depending on external entities. The initial screening would be left to the elf. He believed in her skill and judgment. The final screening would be done by him. There was no way he was about to let even the faintest possibility of something bad happen after all.

All the people who will work close to Theresa need to be completely and absolutely trustworthy.

As for Milia, the message he sent was even clearer.

“Capture all the spies who infiltrated Lustburg. No questions asked. No hesitation. Anyone who resists should be immediately executed.”

His orders were cold and blunt, leaving no concessions. He initially planned to leave the spies to play around a little and go back home with nothing to show. This way, there would be fewer spies infiltrating their kingdom later.

However, Theresa’s current condition had changed his mind. He would not leave anything to luck. He would make sure to exterminate all spies and possible assassins.

***

Milia had been walking toward the church when she found Sol appear next to her and share his orders before promptly vanishing like he had never existed in the first place.

“Well…” She sighed before tracing her steps back. She didn’t know why Sol went from mere observation to capture on sight and even elimination at the drop of a hat, but it wasn’t her place to question his decisions in the first place. Unless she thought it would do more harm than good that is.

“I guess it’s the best time to let the crew exercise their limbs a little.” The last time they were in full destruction mode was when Sol ordered the death of many rebels from the noble households.

Equipping her communicator, she promptly sent orders to all available agents.

“Ketia. Code Yellow. Full Freedom of action is allowed. Avoid disturbing the civilians at all costs and make it clean.” She unequipped the communicator and vanished into the shadows, complete silence descended at her departure.

This night promised to be extremely bloody and gory. After this night, she was sure that few would dare to bring their spies into Lustburg ever again.

***

The sudden, unnatural spike in Theresa’s aura did not alarm Sol alone. The aura of an unknown King was a cause of concern for practically everyone who could sense it and necessitated identification.

Lilin, Isis, and a few others gazed at the distance, wondering if someone had become daring enough to attack Lustburg again. However, feeling Sol’s aura that he was intentionally emitting to affirm his presence, they calmed themselves down almost immediately.

They knew that since Sol was there, there was nothing to worry about. Everyone lost all interest in the matter and focused on their own tasks.

“It seems like this happened in the direction Miss Theresa was located in.” Isis mused, causing Lilin’s eyes to narrow.

“I guess this means we need to accelerate our training as well.” After the recent war, everyone noticed a substantial boost in their powers. Thus all of them were racing to reach the next realm of power.

Isis and Lilin were no different as they were meditating on the names and concepts of their King state.

“To be honest. I knew that I would become a King eventually. But I thought it would take me years if not decades to reach the realm.” Lilin clenched her fist as she felt the raw power coursing through her veins.

The power of War filled her body and mind at all times, propelling her to the next level. Not only was she becoming incredibly stronger but killing techniques appeared one after another in her head.

Different types of war existed and the one Lilin chose to embody was the primal destructive nature of war. A primal concept that relied on pure martial power, brutality, and absolute might.

The more she focused on this feeling the more concrete the name in her mind felt.

“You have Sol to thank for this. Thanks to the contract relying on us, Sol’s growth and power affect ours and vice versa. Furthermore, we were partly integral to his contract and got many benefits in return.” Isis was not as excited as Lilin for obvious reasons.

She could have already become a King a year ago if not for her desire to not follow the same concept as her father which would have ultimately caused a clash in their road to the pinnacle.

However, since Sol promised her that no such thing would occur, she was able to rest easy. She could simply focus on building her new name.

It’s quite the pain.

She had used the name Erishkigal for years on end already and had gotten used to it. Having to build up and control a new name was something she would have liked to avoid. However, thinking about such matters was pointless now.

“Speaking of that, I am surprised that Aunt Theresa is becoming a King. She did not seem very talented in the way of cultivation.” Lilin spoke about her doubts regarding Theresa. She was pretty close to the genius dwarf since the two of them fought together during the invasion of Lustburg enacted by the Wings of Freedom.

From what she remembered, Theresa herself had admitted that she was not particularly talented in cultivation which was one of the reasons she was so enthusiastic about machinery.

“My Father likes to say that all the roads eventually converge on the same destination. At the end of the day, as long as she finds her own Truth, nurtures a True Name, and finally obtains her concept, she will carve herself a road towards Ascension.”

Lilin readily accepted Isis’ reasoning. Remembering Arachne Milaris as a great example. That woman became a Duke by virtue of her own excessive talent in arts. Thinking that way, it was strange that someone as monstrously talented as Theresa never managed to become a Duke until now.

“Well. We should focus on our own problems for now,” A bitter smile was etched on Lilith’s face as she mentioned the troubles they were going through. But Isis only giggled when she saw her being so bitter.

“Heh… What is going on?” On Isis’ head was a small fairy. Scheherazade had been sleeping for a long period since the end of the war. She had intervened despite being told not to but everyone appreciated the devotion the loveable small fairy had shown.

Isis was not too worried about her friend's current state. She could feel that the small fairy was also growing stronger at an accelerated rate.

She had a feeling that soon, the Tower of Babel would be filled with King-ranked warriors and magicians.

***

While Lilin and Isis were relatively indifferent to the changes happening to Theresa, there was a certain someone who could hardly ignore it.

“Oh. I thought you would continue to avoid me.” Sol, who had been waiting above and making sure that no one would disturb Theresa, smiled at the newcomer.

“Well… I have been busy. Training, fighting Wukong, and some other important matters that needed my undivided attention.” A feminine voice answered him as the newcomer stopped in front of him.

Lilith Luxuria. Once the Regent Queen of Lustburg, she was one of the few with the power to truly ascend as a demigod. In more ways than one, she could be considered a Demigod even now. All she lacked was the creation of a Territory to complete the process and receive a substantial boost to all of her abilities.

“Other matters huh…” Sol gave an amused glance at Lilith who simply looked away from him, too embarrassed to hold his gaze. Neither of them had forgotten the promise she had given in the heat of the moment and while Sol was not one to pressure someone, he sure as hell intended to cash out on the wish.

“No matter. This is not the place to talk about such things.” Once he made her a little embarrassed, Sol decided to not tease Lilith too much for the moment. “At first I thought that Theresa was simply building her name. But it seems like she is ready to become a King in one go.”

“This is…” Lilith was speechless when she heard Sol’s account of Theresa’s current state. “People sure are different.”

She still remembered how she only managed to become a King after losing her brother and Blaze during the war. Now, Theresa was about to go from nothing to King rank in one night?

“You shouldn’t be surprised. Honestly, Theresa should have already become at least a Duke long ago. What you are witnessing is the results of decades of accumulation, all ignited by one spark of inspiration.”

Theresa had created a divine weapon and dozens of high-ranked weapons throughout her lifetime. She was the leader of a project that allowed mortals to match Dukes through the usage of armor and now she was working on an even more grandiose subject.

“It’s possible that she never managed to grow until now because of her lack of confidence or some other psychological reasoning. What matters now is that soon, I will have another King under my banner.”

“I doubt she will be much of a fighter, even as a King,” Lilith interjected but Sol merely shrugged.

“True. But her mind alone is worth more than anything. Don’t you want to know for yourself? The kind of wonders a King-level Theresa can create.”

“The kind of monstrosities you mean.” Lilith shuddered just imagining what would happen when that crazy lunatic ascended to the King realm.

Theresa had always been a daredevil. She was the woman who did not hesitate to steal an egg from Echidna while being chased by a Chimera.

The only limitation Theresa had until now was her realm. Now that limitation was about to vanish. The more she thought about this, the more she paled with fright.

Theresa was truly someone who could easily change the landscape of power. What made her even scarier was that her increase in power did not just affect herself alone.

She would be affecting everyone around her with her change.

What if she was able to create an armor that would allow the Rangers to fight toe-to-toe with a King rank? What if such a weapon could be mass-produced?

“You seem scared.” Sol couldn’t help but chuckle at Lilith’s reactions, “Well, you have every right to be. If I am not wrong… what Theresa is designing is truly outrageous.”

Sol’s memories of his past life on Earth may be cloudy after all this time… but he knew that he definitely had never worked as a physicist. Even so, it was not hard to guess one of the things she was working on.

“Trust me, Lilith, history will be changed forever starting now. The new era of warfare is about to begin.”

Sol’s eyes twinkled as he watched Theresa as if he were watching some supreme treasure he could absolutely not part with.

Clearly, after this, he would make sure to increase the protection surrounding the crazy dwarf. She was now no different from a national treasure.

As he thought, Theresa's aura seemed to reach a crescendo before it finally stabilized after breaching the last obstacle.

“Success.” Despite all her worries, a smile filled with warmth bloomed on Lilith’s face. Theresa was her friend and an old companion. Seeing the crazy small woman become stronger may be scary but it also made her incredibly happy.

Arachne is going to be so pissed once she learns about this.

Lilith giggled internally. After all, with Theresa in such a situation, it means that out of all the people in their past team. The only non-King was Arachne.

***

Theresa could instinctively feel that whatever source had fuelled her initial inspiration was slowly dying. Yet she did not try to keep holding onto it, accepting the end as the natural cycle of things.

More than anything, she believed in herself. Believed that she could achieve greatness without needing some spark of inspiration from Fate or anything of the sort.

Her surroundings had gotten strange amid her reverie. This was not the interior of her Hermes’ estate nor any building she knew of.

All she could see was a forge, filled with a beautiful crimson flame that seemed ready to burn for all eternity, an anvil, a slab of metal, and a hammer. She realized what this place was immediately.

My inner world.

It was the place that every being could enter once they reached a level close to or surpassed that of a Duke. The soul palace was the Gate of Truth. In this place, time and space were meaningless. An eternity could go here and only an instant would have transpired in the real world.

“It seems like many things have changed.” She muttered to herself. Now that her mind had stepped out of the reveries, she could fully focus on the changes that her body had undergone over the days of her blindly pursuing the spark of inspiration.

I am stronger.

She thought with no particular passion. She had never particularly sought strength.

Things might have been different in her youth when she did not truly understand her worth and was filled with a feeling of inferiority by comparing herself to the monsters she had as a companion. But, after all those years, Theresa realized that she did not enjoy fighting as much as her companions did. She felt no thrill in growing her strength nor in subduing her enemies.

What made her truly happy was scientific research, discoveries, and smithing— bringing the schematics in her mind to reality.

The feeling of metal as it bent to her will.

The satisfaction she felt when people marveled at her creation.

The pride she had in being one of the best smiths in the world.

All those feelings were irreplaceable and made her who she was now. A crafter, a tinkerer, a seeker of truth, and a mad woman who would stop at nothing to attain her objectives.

Realizing this, a pure smile spread on her face. A smile that was born from the joy of understanding her inner self to a higher degree.

“Nothing has changed.” She was still Theresa and her goal was still the same. Surpassing the gods by creating something none of them could.

If so. What then was her Truth? What was the ultimate feeling hidden behind her gate? She smiled as she lifted the heavy hammer. Her dainty hand clenched around it and her eyes trailed over the slab of metal before her. Her Gate, the one leading to her Truth.

It was pretty simple.

“I believe that Mortal Wisdom is superior to that of the gods.” She laughed while uttering blasphemous words. Yet she showed no hesitation and struck the gate with a mighty blow.

A heavy clang resounded as she made contact. Her hands trembled because of the recoil. The Door was so hard that it seemed like nothing she did to it would change anything.

But she did not waver and once again struck with all her might.

This was her Truth. The realization that was born deep in her heart and the foundation of her Zone.

In this world, mere mortals could never hope to face a goddess. The simple thought was nothing but pure madness and ignorance. Yet wisdom had nothing to do with power and strength.

What did it matter if a goddess could erase her existence with a wave of her hand? This did not make the goddess wise now, did it? Only strong and unbending.

“Mortals can make even the gods fear.”

Clang~!

Another sound. One close yet subtly different from the previous. one. This sound caused Theresa to grin further and strike again and again and again.

At first, her hits were frenetic but it did not take long for her rhythm to change and her technique to evolve.

She was pouring everything into this work. Her knowledge, her fears, her desire, her dreams.

“I wish to be remembered in the ages to come.”

“I wish to become the best crafter in the world.”

“I wish to make even the goddesses beg me to forge for them.”

Childish dreams, serious dreams, dreadful dreams. It did not really matter.

“I want to make mortals fly without using mana.”

“I want to reach beyond the sky and explore the immensity of space.”

She would not let the shackles of reality slow her down or stop her from accomplishing her objectives.

“I will make the impossible possible.”

Even if someone told her that such a thing was impossible. That she was deluding herself and chasing after clouds, she would stand proud and mock them directly.

After all,

“It always seems impossible until it’s done!”

One final strike landed on the gate, causing it to break entirely and a new one formed above her.

A gigantic gate. One much more magnificent than the previous one. It was a work of art in the truest sense.

In Theresa’s mind, four names slowly appeared. Each of them represented an aspect of her skill, power, and aspiration.

The first one was Hephaestus.

She rejected that name. She could feel great power from it but it did not suit her or what she wished to accomplish.

The second name was Prometheus.

Theresa could feel a deep resonance with this name. It was a powerful name. One she was sure would bring her to a new level and yet she rejected it without batting an eye.

This name gave her a feeling of selflessness and dedication. But at her core, Theresa knew that she was not a person of virtue. She did not wish to help mortals for their own sake. Only for her pride and aspiration alone.

The third name was Sindri. [1]

This name made Theresa hesitate the most among the names. She had a feeling that she would be able to create unsurpassed divine weapons with its assistance. However, her aspirations did not stop there. Furthermore, she had already created a divine weapon that would go down in history and would exist as long as Sol lived.

Finally, her eyes landed on one last name.

It was weaker than Hephaestus. It did not possess the grandeur of Prometheus and it did not promise her success like Sindri.

It was a humble mortal name. But from that name, Theresa saw what she researched. The potential to do the impossible and to reach even the sun.

Seeing this, Theresa showed no hesitation. Bringing her hands forward, she grasped that name and fused it with her soul.

She knew this might seem foolish but she felt no regret for her decision. For what better than a Mortal’s name to show the true potential of Mortal’s Wisdom?

“From now on…”

Theresa muttered, her eyes shining as one of the highest Concepts imaginable filled her soul.

“My Avatar is Daedalus.” [2]

If necessary, she would fly to the sun.

“As for my concept…”

She laughed heartily, joy filling every corner of her being… She wondered what Kali would feel later on when they met. After all,

Her concept was <<Creation>>.

That night. A new King was born. One that would illuminate the world not with her power but with her Wisdom.

This night would represent the start of a new Age. The Age of Mortal Triumph.

***

When Theresa finally came to herself, she immediately noticed the barrier surrounding her, seemingly isolating her from the world.

“Congratulations!” Sol’s voice reached her before a bout of confusion could assault her mind about the purpose of the protective barrier. A sigh of relief escaped her as she saw the barrier crumbling before her, giving her access to reality.

The sigh was followed by a radiant smile, “Thank you.” She understood that Sol had placed the barrier to protect her and ensure no one could disturb her epiphany.

“This is the least he could do after everything you have done and are doing for Lustburg.” On the side, Lilith chuckled and approached the dwarf before lifting her up like a child and hugging her.

“Congratulations.”

Theresa’s eyes opened wide in shock at the totally unexpected display of affection. For good reason too as Lilith was not known for showing much affection.

“Thanks.” But her surprise was short-lived as she hugged her friend back. Ascending to the King realm was unexpected but a welcomed change, if she had to be honest.

She had always felt the limitation of her mind so the power boost was definitely welcome.

“So, do you have a good feel of what you can do?” Sol asked with curiosity to which Theresa answered with a shrug.

“I am a little vague on that front but my power is based on the concept of Creation. I think…”

She mused a little before tapping Lilith's shoulder, prompting her to free the dwarven woman. Once her feet landed on the ground, she walked toward a slab of metal and inspected it carefully.

Then, with a thought, sparks of zapping lighting flew everywhere before the slab vanished and a handleless short sword took its place.

Theresa looked at the blade silently and swung it left and right before concluding,

“For now. It seems like I can manipulate the structure of the object I hold.” She stopped for an instant, organizing her mind on the conclusion. “I do not think I can create things out of nothing at the moment. But I think with higher mastery I should be able to manifest any construct as long as I have enough understanding about its structure.”

Sol raised an eyebrow and praised her generously, “This is very impressive.”

“Heheheh, right!? Even now, I can feel new ideas popping up in my mind constantly. This will help me save so much time!” Theresa laughed with pure joy, glee coloring her face.

Sol admired her craftswoman spirit. Even now, all she could think about was her next creation and how to use her powers to implement her imagination.

Still, her power was indeed very impressive. More than his initial estimations even. If he started analyzing this power, he might be able to duplicate it but it would certainly not be an easy task.

But I don’t need to analyze it the normal way now, do I?

Theresa becoming a King had already surprised him greatly, but the nature of her powers simply blew his mind away.

Sadly, I don’t have much knowledge when it comes to science. He mused despondently. If he could he would share all the information he had about science from Earth but all his knowledge was superficial at best.

He nodded to himself, his mind churning at unimaginable speeds as he processed the ramifications of Theresa’s powers and the advantage they brought with them.

More than anything,

“Say, do you wish to become a goddess?”

“Oh?”

Theresa and Lilith immediately shot looks of surprise at Sol. For varying reasons.

“Sol… are you finally…?” Lilith asked hesitantly.

“Indeed. I believe I have the final piece to truly set the base for my dimension to reach the next level.”

His power was Balance. What he needed more than anything else was stability and now Theresa brought with her the stability he had been desperately searching for.

Creation and Destruction. Time and Space. Life and Death.

The three most important Cycles for the stable functioning of an ideal dimension were now set in stone. He even had access to the four elements.

This was more than enough for him to set the perfect foundation for his dimension. If he just proceeded with these balancing concepts, he was sure his dimension could easily accommodate the birth of multiple Demigods and eventual gods with no problems.

I won’t have to support everything alone.

His Concept was all-encompassing but having help was definitely welcome.

Theresa was a little confused about Sol’s proposal. However, seeing Lilith’s reaction, she understood that Sol was being serious.

“I always knew I had a godly disposition.” She grinned, causing Sol to laugh out loud. He knew that a woman with a devil-may-care attitude like Theresa would immediately be on board.

“You will have to move in my dimension once I am ready. But it will not take long. I just have to find one last person.”

He thought about Dawn. From what he knew, she had both the authority of Night and Day coexisting in her being. Even though her concepts were not exactly essential for his plans, why reject something that was basically handed to him on a silver platter?

Though I wonder if I can convince her.

Sol grimaced while thinking about the complicated relationship tying him to Dawn.

As for Theresa, she started packing all the documents she had been working on, breaking Sol’s reverie.

“So, even though I fear to ask… what exactly have you been working on?” He knew that Theresa could be… dangerous if left unchecked so he wanted to be aware of her plans, all the know-how and the sort.

“Nothing really. Just… I was wondering. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could make our own flying castle or some flying cavalry? Just think about it. All angels can fly, right? And in Lustburg only the Wyvern Knights can fly. So what if we could make it so the Rangers could fly or even better… Create a carrier for even normal humans to fly freely.”

Sol’s eyebrow arched in response to her proposal. Was Theresa thinking about creating planes?

“Then, I started wondering just how much energy would be needed to make something so big fly at such altitude. We would also need an energy shield to avoid them becoming simple targets.” The more Theresa spoke the more excited she became.

“So, I thought about energy. How to condense and convert mana into a clear focused source of energy or if there was anything that could replace it. The mana crystal would be great but I wanted something that was easier to reproduce and I got some ideas thanks to Kali.”

Theresa took the last of the document on the ground, her eyes gleaming dangerously as she looked at it, “Then I thought… All such condensed energy should be highly volatile, right? What if… and I really mean it… What if we could condense it even more? Increase the volatility, increase the energy. Then… Just watch as everything explodes.”

She gazed at Sol, “Just how powerful that explosion could be? Would it be enough to kill a Duke? A King? Could enough condensed energy be enough to even kill a Demigod?”

She chuckled darkly, “I believe it would be impossible to kill a demigod with just this much energy. But a King? It should be theoretically possible. I just need the right formula. What I have now can only erase a city. It’s definitely not enough to kill a King.”

Looking at Theresa proffering such scary words, Sol decided here that he would do everything to keep Theresa as a friend rather than an enemy.

This woman definitely had a screw, or a dozen, loose somewhere in the head.

***

In the Tower of Babel, Kali sneezed out of the blue, making an adorable noise as she did.

“Winter getting to you?” Freya asked absentmindedly while sewing a small insignia on a napkin.

As much as she would have loved to work on Medea’s wedding dress she had been explicitly forbidden from even approaching the general direction of the dress, let alone fiddling with it.

The one in charge was none other than Duchess Arachne Milaris. As much as Freya had confidence in her talent, there was no denying that Arachne was vastly superior to her.

Hearing her sister, a snicker leaked from Kali, “You know that is impossible. If a King would fall sick just because of the weather, well, then it would be the least of my worries.”

King-rank beings were already on the road toward transcendence. Common diseases had no way of affecting them nor could the seasons have any effect on them.

“Anyway, forget about your sneeze. What do you think of this? Two snakes coiling together. You know? Since Sol is a Blessed of Luxuria and Medea is under Asmodeus' authority, it seems fitting, doesn’t it?” Freya showed the napkin to her sister. The main background was the usual pink but it seemed like Freya had been wise enough to add more color into the mix.

Of the two snakes coiling, one had gold scales and an unusual pair of horns sticking out of its head. From Kali’s perspective, it looked more like a Chinese dragon than a snake. The second one was entirely white with monochrome eyes of gold and red.

Well, Kali had to admit… the embroidery looked wonderful. However, she also spotted a major problem.

“It’s great and all… But you know that there will most likely be hundreds of important invitees and thousands of normal guests, right? Do you plan to sew all of them by yourself?”

“Of course not. Do you take me for an idiot? I just need to complete this template and my girls will take care of it.”

Listening to Freya’s retort, Kali barely kept herself from mentioning that Milaris had an entire supply and production line— immensely useful for mass production tasks. She knew that her sister had formed a weird sense of rivalry against the duchess for some reason only she knew.

Which was hilarious when Kali thought about it since, in terms of pure power alone, Freya could crush someone like Milaris without even breaking a sweat.

“Now that I think about it. Shouldn’t you have gone to the Hermes’ Mansion? That dwarf girl is your friend, right?” Freya asked absent-mindedly, wondering if there was anything else she could add to her design to make it… pop.

“That she is. But if my hunch is right regarding what triggered her enlightenment I believe it would be wise for me to hide here for some time.” Kali giggled and Freya put down her work, gazing at her sister with suspicion.

“Kali, just what in hell have you done this time?” Freya knew that Kali could become a crazy, mad bitch when she let her mind run wild. After all, she had even temporarily joined the side of Chaos once just to attain her goal. Even hundreds of years ago, she started studying so many elements and somehow managed to fuse them and control the concept of Destruction perfectly— a feat that was once considered the height of lunacy.

Freya had met many unconventional people in her long life. But Kali took the cake or she did…

Now that I think about it. That girl, Theresa, and also Milaris are not quite right in the head either.

“Well… Technically, nothing. But…” Kali started…

“Kali, come to my office. We need to talk.” However, she was interrupted mid sentence by Sol’s call. Unexpectedly, she could not trace just where he was even though she could clearly hear his voice.

Freya snickered, “Good luck. Seems like he’s angry.”

Freya had made a promise with Sol before the ritual and she planned to get what she was promised. At the moment, however, she was more focused on making sure her sister, Medea’s wedding would be perfect.

Kali grimaced and stood up. She felt like she was a troublemaker student being called to the principal’s office. Things were clearly not going well for her.

***

A few minutes later, Kali found herself sitting in Sol’s office with her head bowed down and eyes shut. She had been wondering how she could feel his energy signature in many places simultaneously but knew better than to question him about it.

Well, he doesn’t seem angry, at least. She mused to herself in the silence. She had seen what an angry Sol could do. She did not want to get on his bad side.

The suffocating silence lingered between them for a few more seconds.

“Do you know why I have called you here?” Sol asked out of the blue, voice calm, not letting his emotions slip. That made Kali’s worries skyrocket. A calm Sol was far more frightening as there was no way to judge his mood.

“Can I plead the 5th?” She asked timidly.

“Kali… She is making a bomb! A Fucking nuclear bomb powered with mana.” Sol had to force himself to not shout.

“Okay! Okay! I apologize, okay!? I didn’t mean to do that. How was I to know she would be able to draw the design of a nuclear bomb from just a few explanations? Hell, even I don’t know how to make one and I wield the power of Destruction!” Kali exclaimed. She found the whole situation extremely unjust.

While she had some knowledge about sciences thanks to her studies, she was no pro. She had mostly been a recluse otaku before her death. All she talked about with Theresa were a few theories and personal ideas, as well as a heavy dose of anime and manga knowledge.

Who in their right mind would think someone could use such fragmented knowledge and procure such a frightening result?

Sol groaned to himself. He knew that this was not the time to point fingers. How Theresa was able to attain such results was not important anymore. What mattered was that she had achieved.

This reminds me of something. Lilith created her sword art after Mars told her a few Xianxia’s stories, right?

Thinking along those lines, he could only sigh out loud. Clearly the people of this world were dangerous geniuses who only needed the right boost and the general knowledge about things to accomplish wonders. That or he was just surrounded by literal freaks.

“Look… Okay, I get it.” He waved his hand, calming down Kali before she really cried due to all the indignation she was feeling. “What is done is done. There is no putting back that genie in its lamp. The only way would be to quite literally kill Theresa. Otherwise, the more we constraint her, the crazier she will become and even rebel.”

Sol had a certain measure for geniuses like Theresa. He knew that restrictions and doubts would only create problems for them. What he needed was to give her the freedom to create what she needed but also make sure to think of all the potential problems and solutions for the problems that accompany the creations.

“My head hurts. It was supposed to be a time for me to rest. Not for worrying about possible nuclear warfare and the subsequent fallout.” Sol groaned with his head between his hands and Kali could show him a sheepish grin in response.

“Hey, look at the bright side. At least we will be getting a flying island. Pretty cool, don’t you think?”

Sol glared at Kali, but soon his gaze softened, “You are right. That will indeed be pretty awesome.” Kali understood too well that deep down, Sol was as much an Otaku as her. There was no way he wouldn’t be excited about such a thing.

Like this, the two reincarnators sharing the same singular brain cell started working on possible regulations to stop Theresa from potentially destroying the world in the future.