“Mother?” a Fingill asked the Paladin. She was gazing into nothingness, so the Fingills followed her gaze. Their webbed hands rested on the rocks while their fins splashed in the water. “Mother, why are you interested in where the Sylvans are?” A bitter smile hung at the corners of the Paladin’s mouth. “So ridiculous. I told her to talk like a mother does to her children, but she really can’t help herself.” The Fingills became anxious. “We know a lot about you, Mother, but not much about her. Is she a good person?” “She’s sad but transparent,” the Paladin simply stated. She became lost in thought, as if she was recalling her past. It didn’t take long for her to pick up the helmet she had left on the rock. Without saying a word, she put the helmet back on. Wearing it filtered out the chatter from the world. The dazzling colors of the world also became paler. Her view was filtered and narrow, enough for her to only think about what she had to do. The Paladin stood up and looked around. In the river where the dragon had sunk, the Fingills were slowly swaying their tails in the water. They all looked up at their mother. “Fingills, because I’m inexperienced, I made many mistakes. Thank you for comforting me and not blaming me for my mistakes. I’ll treasure the stories you all told me tonight. Seeing you crossing the dark waters will remain in my heart forever.” “Are you leaving, Mother?” The Paladin nodded. “I’ll come by sometimes, but I have a lot of work to do. I have no choice.” Silence fell. The rivers and seas where the Fingills swam always splashed around with ripples. The merfolk had developed a habit of holding each other tightly and whispering in each other’s ears. Like many other times, they gently grabbed the shoulders of their fellow kin. Their whispering spread until it reached everyone. After they were done whispering, a Fingill spoke on behalf of their species. “Mother, won’t you take us with you? You said there is a place called the Tower, and that we would soon be able to see it. If that is your home, wouldn’t it be okay for us to follow you there? We love water, but we love the land a little more, even though we can’t swim there. If the Tower is the land you call home, we will love it even more. Please take us with you.” The Paladin stroked the hilt of her sword. “There are many vile people in the Tower. I don’t want them to hurt you.” “They’re going to call you fish just because you have fins. Not because they think it’s a funny joke, but because they want to make you feel bad. There are so, so many people who live as if nothing else matters for as long as they can hurt other people’s feelings. So—” The Fingills looked at each other before turning back to the Paladin. “Mother, there are many people like that here, too.” “There are many of them among us.” “Many people bully others because they are in pain.” “Such people will always exist, no matter what.” “There are already people among us who think this way.” “So, that can’t be why we shouldn’t see your world, Mother.” The Paladin hesitated. “I...” Someone grabbed her shoulder. “Just a moment.” The hand was gentle and considerate, yet filled with determination. The Paladin knew only one person who would grab her shoulder . [The Death King has descended.] “You don’t have to be so scared, Senior.” The Paladin turned her head and looked at me. “Death King, you say I’m scared? How so?” I didn’t answer. I presumed she was afraid that the Fingills were disappointed to find out that their goddess was just an ordinary person. Cheerfully, I asked, “How about something ?” “Something like what?” “Instead of inviting the Fingills to our Tower right away, we send them to study abroad in the Aegim Empire. There are merfolk there, too.” The Paladin opened her eyes wide. I nodded. It’s understandable that she hadn’t thought of that. The Paladin wasn’t there with me at the time. Back then, I stood as one hero, taking in Preta. However, the Aegim Empire hadn’t known that. They had formed a multi-species alliance army to chase after the witch. Among the troops, there was a lizardfolk mage. “I believe the matter at hand is ultimately simple.” “We just need to verify three facts: is the young man really the Great First Emperor’s messenger, and is the woman actually the witch? If both these claims are true, all that’s left is to determine whether or not he actually managed to control her.” “This is the Soul Gem bestowed by the Mermaid Queen.” “Using the gem and a drop of blood, we can tell what kind of soul he carries. The gem will shine bright white if his soul is kind, but black if his soul is evil.” Of course, I had sprinkled my blood on the gem without hesitation. “How many lives did he save for it to be so white...! This is... This is...! Ahhh...! He’s light...!” That was the moment when I earned the name Shining Light. “The merfolk living on the fifteenth floor love me. They truly think I’m a divine herald. Well, the goddess there is the Goddess of Protection, and I have Shiny hanging from my waist. I guess it’s not exactly wrong to call me that, but...” The sword at my waist shook. It seemed like a protest demanding my attention. But I had a lot to do—meeting the Tower master, raising my children, mediating between my colleagues, or joking around with the Guardian. Shiny, just hold on a little longer. Someday, you’ll get a spin-off—your gourmet travelogue like Twinkle Twinkle Goddess’s Dining Diary on the Tower’s First Floor. “The point is, there are merfolk in another world who are very friendly toward me. Wouldn’t it be a good idea for the Fingills to study abroad? It’ll be like a tutorial.” The Paladin looked into my eyes. “Can you arrange that for us?” “Of course, connections exist for times .” The Paladin’s expression changed. “Death Ki—Gong-Ja...” Because she wasn’t exactly an expressive person, it was hard even for me to tell her inner feelings usually, but the emotion on her face was so clear this time. “You have my gratitude,” she concluded. I waved my hands. “No, no, it’s nothing. I’m just doing what’s right.” “Gong-Ja—no, Shining-Ja, you’re truly kind.” “Hahaha... I guess I am a little. Anyway—” “You’re kind and handsome. They say a person’s life is reflected in their face. I guess this is where the saying comes from.” “Well, I’m a bit handsome, so you don’t have to bother—” “Even your voice is beautiful. You could be a singer. Is this where the term ‘born singer’ comes from? Sing-Ja.” “Sing-Ja? Um... Senior?” “You’re kind, handsome, and good at singing, so I think you’ll be exempt from military service. Korea still has mandatory military service, right? Have you done yours?” “No, the mandatory military service was abolished when I was young.[1] It’s now a volunteering system. And celebrities avoiding military service is a really, really old story[2]. Above all, I’m a High Ranker, so even if it was still mandatory, there’s a high chance that I would have been exempt for helping with the national prestige or something—” “That must be true. You’re a man of national merit.” “Yes, as a man of national merit... Senior! You’re teasing me right now, aren’t you? Just like when we worked together on those Cavefire plays!” The Paladin feigned innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I sighed. The Paladin smiled at me and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me in. Naturally, I leaned into her orbit. The Paladin put her arm around my neck and showed me the Fingills. “His name is Death King. He’s the Terras’ god and a High Ranker from my Tower. As you can see, he is my junior and also my friend.” “A man of national merit!” Damn, my cheeks are burning... The Paladin let go of me with a soft smile on her lips.“So, Death King. Thank you for your excellent offer. Hmm. I’ll keep your offer in mind and come up with a plan.” And the Paladin quickly put together a proposal. Some Fingills would be selected and sent to the Mermaid Fall of the Aegim Empire to study possible problems or conflicts and come up with solutions. In time, she would send over more merfolk. Eventually, the Fingills would be invited to Babylon, the Tower’s first-floor city. The Paladin chuckled. The Fingills seemed convinced by this proposal and decided to follow it without any objections. “What would a mermaid from another world look like?” “They don’t live in the sea but a gigantic lake.” “Do lakes that big exist?” They acted like children right before going on a school trip. “Life is truly unpredictable,” the Paladin murmured. “Even though I’m not an actual parent, I really feel like I’m raising these children. I reconciled with the Black Dragon Master and the other guild leaders...” The Paladin smiled at me, but her gaze was beyond me. “After all that...” Her gaze grew distant. Perhaps she was reminiscing about the past, so I kept my mouth shut. Before reaching the fifteenth floor of the Tower, where the mermaid lake was, when I first went up to the thirteenth floor of the Tower, there was a traitor dividing us. I had a guess as to who the traitor was, but instead of revealing who they were, I buried my worries deep down and instead decided to change the stage itself. I sometimes wondered if it was a good idea not to pursue the traitor’s identity at that time, but now that I saw the Paladin’s face, I could tell for sure that it had been a good choice. Morning mist slowly enveloped the jungle. Behind the palm trees, the Inquisitor was talking to the Shellmounts. His expression was serious, but he would occasionally laugh. Meanwhile, the Countess was stroking the Sylvans’ heads. Was it some kind of oath of loyalty? Or was it her first expression of affection that a parent showed her child? Perhaps it was both, but the Countess smiled and the Sylvans looked happy. “Thanks,” the Paladin told me. “You are a good friend, Gong-Ja. You may call me Patricia.” “That’s my real name. Patricia. From now on, when no one else is around, you can call me by that name. If the league people hear about it, they might accuse me of favoritism.” She paused before continuing, “The children you raised will surely understand you too, mi amigo.” The Paladin walked to the river where the Fingills were splashing around. She removed her heavy armor, helmet, and gloves before diving into the water. [The quest is in progress.] [Votes are being counted.] [All votes have been counted.] [Choice 2 Voting Percentage: 01.32%] [Choice 1 Voting Percentage: 98.68%] [Choice 1 has earned the majority vote.] The Fingills’ laughter could be heard from afar. I had heard stories of gods walking along people, carrying them, or dancing with them. Having a god who swam with their people was a happiness that only the Fingills could experience. [The forty-second floor has been cleared!] I watched the Paladin and her people swimming in the river shaded by the palm trees for a long time. “Ugor. Daddy,” a familiar voice called out from behind me. The Inquisitor, the Countess, and the Paladin had cleared their stages, so now it was only me and the Black Witch left. Before she left the waiting room, she had made me promise, “Don’t peek, Kim Gong-Ja! If you do, I’ll poison you to death!” It had something to do with her not wanting to be seen talking openly with the Bloodborns while in her parent mode. I could tell Anastasha was serious since she specified she would poison me to death. That left no choice for a noob who didn’t have the Impervious Body. Unlike Anastasha, I wasn’t embarrassed at all. I was very close to my children. Rather, I wished everyone would see how amicably I talked with the Terras and how strong our parent-child relationship was. It would make me feel even better if they felt envious. I slowly turned my back and spread my arms, planning to hug Uburka. The Inquisitor had proven his mental growth by apologizing to his children. The Countess had shown her capitalistic virtue by personally providing jobs for her children, and the Paladin had shown that she would always prioritize her children’s hearts. I, Kim Gong-Ja, was in another league. I was confident I could demonstrate spiritual growth, capitalistic virtue, as well as my profound character. Unlike the others, I knew from the beginning that my true self would be revealed to my children one day. It was said that one never lost if they knew their enemies. In a way, the biggest enemy in life was one’s own children. In that sense, the Terra children were no match for me. I already knew everything about them. Maybe they would say, “Ugor! Even when his colleagues laughed at him for choosing goblins, our daddy still chose us, the Terras!” Or something like “I knew the legend of how you taught us our letters and markings, but it was so touching to see it myself! Ugor! You have been taking care of us in every way possible! Or perhaps they would say something like “Daddy’s grace is like heaven. It knows no bounds. There is no way to repay it. If it weren’t for Daddy, we would have had a hard time becoming the sovereign species of the continent, and we would have been much more ill-tempered than we are now. Daddy is our true friend.” I could go on and on. In my head, I could already hear the sound of hundreds of thousands of Terras, including the Uburka, singing a hymn. “Daddy! Daddy!” Of course, I was in favor of this hymn. I was ready to act humble and say, “Hey, what are you guys doing? This is all because you guys are so great. As your daddy, I’m fine to just watch you grow up and become so strong. I love you, my children!” It was perfect. From now on, I was no longer Shining-Ja. I was the Shining Sky. The glorious moment when I would be reborn as Shiningsky-Ja would take place now. I looked back, flashing the business-like smile I had practiced under the Black Witch’s training as I anticipated the children’s passionate hug. “Come on, come hug me—” Well, something passionate was definitely waiting for me. “Your back is wide open.” A huge ax flew toward me, fervently aiming for my chest. “What the fuck?” I muttered. It was purely thanks to my high skill level that I could avoid that blow. Perhaps it was because I had a bad feeling after seeing the frown on the Guardian’s face. He had been watching me with extreme disdain since earlier. Even so, if it weren’t for my footwork, I wouldn’t have been able to avoid the strike. “Uger.” Uburka, the one who swung the ax, spat on the ground. “Daddy moves like a squirrel running around in the forest. I thought I caught you off guard perfectly.” “W-what are you doing, Uburka?” Confused, I looked over Uburka’s shoulder and spotted a swarm of Terras. Not only their hearts but also their flesh reddened. Unless my eyeballs weren’t seriously damaged, they each held a weapon. It was a very inappropriate item to hold when meeting parents. “What about a touching reunion? Didn’t you see the footage of me caring for and cherishing you for thousands of years!” “But why are you swinging an ax?” Uburka bared his fangs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We’ve known for a long time that you love us, Daddy, so watching it on video now doesn’t really make us feel anything.” “Think about it. Whenever we are bored, we go to the theater and watch Cavefire plays. The main themes of those plays are your love, trials, and your friends’ stories. The Cavefire plays where you’re the protagonist have been performed so often that all the Terras can recite them with their eyes closed. You seem to have forgotten that there is such a thing as an emotional perception threshold, Daddy.” I couldn’t believe it. What was he saying? Did they take my paternal love for granted? Was that why they felt no filial piety toward me? Uburka swung his ax again. “Yes way.” This time, he wrapped aura around his weapon with care. After absorbing the energy dragon, the level of his aura seemed to have gone up. His already destructive power transcended what he had been capable of until now. “Eek! Someone save your Daddy!” Uburka’s biceps throbbed. “Oh, I’ve been waiting for a day ! You wiped the floor with me when we first met! Even after I became a Constellation, you crushed me. But, today, on this day after I slurped all that aura from the turtlehead, I will finally teach you a lesson, Daddy!” “You crazy bastard! Don’t you think losing twice was enough? Why can’t you let go of it already?” “Ugor. Who do you think I am, Father?” [The Immorality-Dreaming Muscle Pig roars.] “I am Uburka, the chairman of the Fire Water Council, the chief warrior of the Death King Clan, and your son! My sole dream is kicking your butt!” Stop living up to your Constellation title! 1. It’s actually still mandatory. ☜ 2. No, they can’t. Celebrities are not exempt from military service. ☜