"Where did you hear that term?"
Lucia paused mid-move, turning to look at Kurose Akira with clear confusion in her eyes. She could hardly believe that those words had come from his mouth.
"From a dragon," Akira replied with a shrug. Then he pressed further, "So—you know about godhead exchange? Is something like that really possible?"
"It is."
Lucia answered without the slightest hesitation. In fact, Akira could see a flicker of certainty in her gaze—almost as if she had personal experience with it… something involving her own godhead.
"Even between two completely opposing godheads?" Akira asked, disbelief evident in his voice. This was far beyond anything he understood.
"Of course."
With a gentle flick of her hand, the chessboard on the table vanished without a trace.
Then she turned fully toward him, her expression turning serious.
"As long as both parties are in complete agreement, and the two godheads themselves acknowledge one another, the exchange can be realized."
"…."
Akira listened intently, his mind rippling with shock.
"Is it Miss Mare Rhein?" Lucia's gaze drifted briefly toward his bedroom, quickly deducing the answer.
"Yeah." Akira nodded. "Two dragons exchanged the godheads of life and destruction."
"Life and destruction…" Lucia's eyes flashed with unmistakable surprise.
But she quickly composed herself, analyzing calmly:
"Though they appear completely opposed, those two godheads actually share a certain symbiotic logic. Their coexistence is more evident on the level of power."
"I don't know what exactly happened to Miss Rhein," she continued with a small shrug, "but for thousands of years, she has existed as the Dragon of Destruction—and that godhead has acknowledged her. Perhaps… for her, the godhead of destruction is her true destination."
"Godheads may not be living beings, but they represent the ultimate embodiment of laws. Without their acknowledgment, no being can claim them."
"I see…" Akira murmured.
After hearing Lucia's explanation, his understanding of godheads became far clearer.
Within the power system of the Magic Continent, a godhead was the key to entering the ranks of the divine—it was the qualification to challenge for godhood.
And after obtaining one, there were generally two outcomes:
First—if one succeeded in the challenge, they would ascend as a true god, gaining supreme power and status.
Second—if they failed, they would possess the godhead without attaining a divine throne. In that case, they would not be a true god, but a false one.
Though they would still retain the right to challenge again in the future, until they succeeded, they would remain a pseudo-god—an existence drifting outside the laws themselves.
Even so, pseudo-gods were far from weak. In some cases, they could even threaten true gods.
"If there's anything you need my help with, just say the word," Lucia added after a brief pause. "As long as it's within my power, I'll do everything I can to fulfill it."
"I appreciate it," Akira replied with a faint smile.
He picked up the coffee Alice had prepared for him earlier, took a sip, and turned his focus back to guild management.
Tomorrow was moving day.
He expected to be busy until evening, so he needed to make sure everything in the guild was perfectly organized beforehand.
"…You…"
Lucia blinked, slightly taken aback by his reaction.
After all, Akira now knew her true identity as the Pope.
Under normal circumstances, anyone would cling to someone so close to divinity.
But Akira didn't.
He treated her exactly the same as before—without excessive reliance or any shift in attitude.
Which made Lucia wonder…
Did he truly not care about her identity?
Her brows knitted slightly as her gaze lingered on him.
Her emotions were… complicated.
Because a part of her wanted him to rely on her more—to become something uniquely his…
Time passed in a blink, and soon it was midnight.
Lucia and the others had already left. Alice and the rest were long asleep. The guild hall was quiet, with only Akira remaining.
He rubbed his tired eyes.
Everything for tomorrow had been arranged.
Even if he couldn't log in during the move, the guild would continue operating smoothly.
"Whew…"
He stood, letting out a long breath, preparing to log out.
But just then—
"So late, and you're still not asleep?"
"…?"
Akira turned, puzzled—and froze in surprise.
Idis had appeared behind him without a sound.
She was sitting on the sofa, holding the half-finished cup of coffee he had left earlier, taking a delicate sip.
"When did you get here?" he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
Idis set the cup down, elegantly crossing her long legs. Resting her cheek against her hand, her crimson eyes locked onto him as she smiled.
"What? Not happy to see me?"
"Of course I am," Akira replied with a faint smile as he walked over and sat opposite her.
"My negotiations with the Elf Queen are complete," Idis said bluntly. "She will give you a drop of the Progenitor Elf's blood. Make sure you accept it."
"I've already heard," Akira nodded. "But… what exactly does it do?"
Idis inclined her head slightly, explaining calmly:
"The Progenitor Elf's blood has the ability to harmonize all conflicting forces. That's why the Elf Queen can wield multiple ultimate elemental magics."
"Your power is far too complex. You need it to stabilize everything."
"I see…" Akira said, a bit overwhelmed.
"So—has she given it to you yet?" Idis asked, her tone carrying a hint of concern.
"Mm…"
Just as he was about to answer—
Idis suddenly parted her lips, exhaling a faint pink mist that carried a subtle scent of roses.
The sudden action caught him off guard.
But in the next moment—
Her expression turned cold.
"If it's a lie," she said sharply, "then don't bother telling me. I despise deception."
"…."
Akira hesitated for a few seconds before answering honestly:
"She said it needs time to prepare. It can't be given immediately."
Idis's expression softened slightly.
"That's normal," she said with a faint smile, her tone turning teasing. "After all, women only have that one day each month… and the Elf Queen is no exception."
"…?"
Akira froze.
Her words hit him like a hammer.
"Wait…" he said slowly, his voice trembling. "Don't tell me that 'Progenitor Elf's blood' is actually the Elf Queen's—"
"What?" Idis smiled, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
"…."
Akira suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
There was no way…
"Fufu~" Idis laughed softly, clearly enjoying his flustered expression. "Relax. It's not what you're thinking."
"…Whew."
Akira let out a long breath of relief.
What he didn't notice—
Was the faint, mischievous smile curving at the corner of her lips.
"Still," Idis continued, "since it's her promise, she won't break it so easily. I'll deliver what the Elf Kingdom needs tomorrow—but don't forget to urge her to hand over the blood as soon as possible."
"Got it," Akira nodded.
"Now, that matter aside—I have something else to discuss."
With a wave of her hand, a translucent map materialized before him.
"This is…?"
"A map of the Starfall Kingdom."
Akira studied it closely. Dozens of cities and hundreds of territories were clearly marked, along with the boundaries of various factions.
"It's been ten days since the Starfall Ceremony," Idis said as she stood and walked to his side, arms crossed. "In that short time, nearly half the kingdom has fallen into war."
"Prince Thales and Prince Laps are both expanding aggressively. The territories once controlled by Princess Vivian are defecting to them one after another."
"…That's bad," Akira muttered, a frown forming.
He wasn't good at warfare.
But even he could see the situation clearly.
This was unfavorable for Idis.
"The situation is indeed dire," she admitted. "That's why I need your help."
She looked straight at him.
"While Thales and Laps are carving up Vivian's territory, the royal capital's army has already pledged allegiance to me."
"They surrendered?" Akira was genuinely surprised.
The royal army had always been Vivian's core force.
"To them, interests matter more than loyalty," Idis said calmly. "As for the truly loyal knights—they serve the kingdom itself, not any single royal."
"All that remains is to gain the recognition of the Star Knights. Once I have that, I can proceed to the next stage."
"…What do you need me to do?" Akira asked after a brief silence.
Idis answered lightly:
"Get married."
"…What?"
The two words exploded in his ears like thunder.
His eyes widened as he stammered, "Married? Me… and you?"
"Of course not," she rolled her eyes. "There's no need to worry. It's only a nominal marriage."
"I'll give you a new identity. You'll marry the future king of the Starfall Kingdom."
"…A fake marriage? To the future king?" Akira felt completely lost.
Since when could kings have fake marriages?
Was this some kind of political alliance?
"It can't be helped," Idis shrugged. "After ascending the throne, the ruler must take a spouse and produce an heir with Starfall blood as soon as possible. Only then will they gain recognition from the Star Knights and the people."
"I couldn't find a suitable candidate… so I had no choice but to ask you."
"…."
Akira fell silent.
This kingdom had way too many damn rules.
"Relax," Idis continued calmly. "You only need to play a role—like an actor on stage. Even the 'bride' can be replaced by Ivsha if necessary. Treat it as a wedding I'm hosting for you."
"All you need to do is attend. As for producing an heir—you won't be needed for that, because…"
"Because what?" Akira frowned.
"Because you carry a trace of Starfall power within you," Idis explained. "So I'll arrange a more suitable wife for you—not some puppet forced onto the throne."
"Stop right there."
Akira cut her off immediately.
"I don't need you picking a wife for me. And you don't have that authority."
"And besides," he added plainly, "Ivsha is more than good enough. You don't need to worry about that."
Idis froze slightly, a trace of confusion flickering in her eyes.
"…Are you serious?"
But she could clearly sense it—
There wasn't a hint of deception in his voice.
He truly believed Ivsha was an excellent partner.
"…Why would I lie?" Akira shrugged. "If it's just acting, I'll cooperate fully."
"Do Ivsha and I need to rehearse? I've never been married before—I'm not exactly experienced with this."
"…."
After a moment of silence, Idis finally spoke.
"No rush. Handle the Elf Kingdom first."
But her thoughts were anything but calm.
He's obviously a shameless womanizer…
So why is he refusing a wife being handed to him?
Could it be…
That Ivsha had already completely captured him—body and soul?