Arrogance also requires strength. If you lack the ability to back it up, then don't act arrogant, or you'll inevitably be the one who suffers in the end.
Thus spoke Kikotenshin Nekonyan.
Sometimes, lowering yourself appropriately was nothing to be ashamed of. As long as the final outcome was favorable, that was enough.
However, someone had raised objections to this view.
At that moment, a heated debate was taking place inside the Theocracy's temple.
The projections of the Six Great Gods surrounded a massive round table, tension hanging heavily between them.
"So this is your excuse for providing information to our hypothetical enemy?"
Alah Alaf.
The god who represented Life and Light broke the silence in an even voice.
His words seemed to carry an irresistible force that made the surrounding air tremble.
"I already told you. It was to secure a better deal."
The projection of the God of Wind waved a hand, seemingly exasperated by Alah Alaf's questioning.
"I don't consider that information particularly important. The Dragon Emperor's claims back then were vague, half true and half false, and had no practical value. What was wrong with using them as a bargaining chip?"
"Besides, none of the information I disclosed involved the Theocracy or our shared interests."
Alah Alaf's projection shook his head in disagreement.
"Even so, you should never have placed yourself in a weaker position."
"That information may appear meaningless, but no one knows whether such a seemingly insignificant detail might ultimately become the spark that ignites everything."
Making concessions was another form of submission.
It made one appear uncertain, or even guilty.
Considering the personality of this cat fanatic before him, the other party might not have given the matter much thought or become overly suspicious. However, no one could guarantee that nothing would go wrong.
The God of Light did not dare take unnecessary risks, especially at such a crucial time.
He understood that even the smallest mistake could lead to irreversible consequences.
That was why he refused to yield on this matter.
"In the end, you only did it to satisfy your own selfish desires! You damned cat fanatic, have you completely lost your mind from wanting a cat so badly?"
"Uh, if you already knew, why did you bother asking?"
A concise and straightforward answer.
Agh!!!
Alah Alaf nearly passed out from rage.
This was unbearable. They were discussing an extremely serious matter, yet what kind of attitude was that?
It felt like punching a wad of soft cotton.
"All right, both of you, calm down. Alah, I understand your concerns, but Nekonyan must surely have... well, his own considerations."
"At the very least, he forced the other party to consume one wish from the Cash Shop Item [Shooting Star Ring]. Isn't that a good thing?"
"Everything has two sides. Besides, it has already been six hundred years. Finding Rufus a companion to play with should be beneficial."
Seeing the situation deteriorate, Surshana hurriedly intervened and provided both sides with a graceful way out.
"I am perfectly calm. He's clearly the one making trouble over nothing."
Kikotenshin Nekonyan turned his head away and muttered under his breath.
Rufus was Surshana's pet, a young female cat who had been transformed into a Vampire. Her body felt cold to the touch, which was rather uncomfortable.
As an incomparably distinguished cat fanatic, he merely wanted a cat of his own. Was there anything wrong with that?
To borrow a concept from the laws he had learned about in the Sorcerer Kingdom, he was simply pursuing his own happiness.
"Fine, let's set that aside. Then explain why you didn't return to the Theocracy immediately after completing your task."
"If Zesshi Zetsumei hadn't returned and reported everything, we might still be completely in the dark. We would never have known that you spent two entire months outside enjoying yourself! Two whole months!"
The mere thought made Alah Alaf furious.
The rest of them had been exhausting themselves in the Theocracy, proceeding with the utmost caution, while this damned cat fanatic had been out sightseeing and enjoying himself without a care in the world.
More importantly, he had even dared to conceal the truth and falsify his report.
He was completely out of control!
What happened to the most basic trust between people?
"...We left together, so naturally, we should have returned together, right?"
"Who could have known that Zesshi Zetsumei, that unfilial daughter, would run back on her own without saying a word? And to think I even helped her plan her romantic strategy."
Kikotenshin Nekonyan glanced around evasively, his guilty conscience obvious to everyone.
Tsk. As expected of someone carrying the inherently wicked bloodline of the Eight Greed Kings.
Her talent for stabbing someone in the back was truly impressive.
"All right, there's no point in continuing this argument."
"What has already happened will happen again, and what has already been done will be done again. We are one whole. There is no need to argue endlessly over an outcome that can no longer be changed."
What a headache.
Surshana sighed inwardly.
He had spent the past six hundred years acting as both a workhorse and a mediator. Even if the others were not tired of it, he certainly was.
Sometimes, he truly wanted to unleash Death's End and return the entire world to eternal silence.
"Let us discuss how to deal with the desert Demihumans."
The other three projections finally stopped watching from the sidelines and spoke up together.
An occasional dispute was not necessarily harmful, but it still had to be kept within reasonable limits.
"Hah. Isn't this an obvious test?"
Alah Alaf spread his hands and spoke without reservation.
Anyone could tell that the information Zesshi Zetsumei had brought back was a test from their fellow Dragonoid, intended to force them into making a choice.
There were only two possible outcomes.
The first was for the six of them to act and eliminate the threat in order to protect the Theocracy.
However, doing so would play directly into the other party's hands and trap them within his test.
The second was to remain inactive and send the Theocracy's soldiers to campaign against the desert Demihuman army.
However, the war with the Elf Country had only recently ended. Hastily entering another conflict would undoubtedly cause considerable losses.
It would also make the six of them appear fierce on the surface but weak underneath, potentially triggering a whole series of further incidents.
This was an open scheme laid bare for all to see.
It surrounded them like an airtight net, leaving them no real choice.
Even if they knew the food before them had been mixed with filth, they still had to grit their teeth and swallow it.
"A perfect scheme."
"But it may not be entirely disadvantageous to us."
"I wasn't doing nothing but enjoying myself while I was outside. There is one matter we must address. Our new friends are aggressively spreading their faith."
"Not only in the Sorcerer Kingdom, but throughout the Dragon Kingdom, the Empire, the Dwarf Kingdom, Demihuman tribes both large and small, and even the Beastman Country on the Central Continent, bards are enthusiastically singing legends of the so-called Three Supreme Beings."
"In other words, faith in the Six Great Gods is being steadily pushed back, while faith in the Three Supreme Beings is spreading like wildfire."
Kikotenshin Nekonyan spoke rapidly.
Although he was usually unreliable, he became quite serious whenever his own interests were involved.
"So you propose retreating in order to advance. We seize this opportunity to publicly announce Surshana's powerful return, not only to this continent but to the entire world."
"He would annihilate the desert Demihumans with overwhelming force, demonstrating his power while giving the followers of the Six Great Gods a tangible spiritual pillar and securing the stability of their faith?"
The faith of the Six Great Gods was rooted among humanity, so they only needed to protect humans. There was no need to concern themselves with Demihumans.
In fact, Demihumans who followed the law of the jungle might even begin worshipping the Six Great Gods out of fear.
That possibility was by no means unfounded.
"I agree. After six hundred years, I'm sure all of you have noticed that the supply of the Power of Faith is weakening. Time can bury everything, so we must make a choice."
"The supply of faith takes precedence over all else. Taking a calculated risk may be worthwhile."
Surshana was the first to express his approval.
This plan could be considered the optimal solution. It perfectly transformed their disadvantage into an advantage, and it had an exceptionally high chance of success.
"But... never mind. Let's proceed with it."
The God of Light hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something more, but soon chose to remain silent.
The mysterious entity that had destroyed the Eight Greed Kings all those years ago remained a persistent concern.
If possible, he truly did not wish to act so conspicuously and attract attention.
However, nothing in the world could ever be perfect. He had no choice but to weigh the advantages and disadvantages before making a compromise.
"Then leave the rest to me."
Surshana's decaying body slowly rose to its feet. The soul fire within his eye sockets flared violently as strands of golden light emerged uncontrollably from within.
Although his current condition was unsuitable for prolonged combat, briefly exercising his power would not pose a problem.
Hmm. He would begin by extracting approximately one year's worth of accumulated faith.
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