MC POV
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A few days later, after Kuro and Shalltear's visit…
"So, what do you think, Abernyu… about Kuro and Shalltear?" (Arthur)
I was in the meeting room together with Abernyu, Grayfia, and Alfia.
Abernyu looked at me for a moment before answering.
"Hmm~ how should I explain it… For Kuro, she is strong… if I were to fight her as she is now, I could still win. However, if we were to fight in the future… it would become an extremely difficult battle, with no clear victor… considering that both Kuro and I are still continuously growing stronger, it would never truly end…" (Abernyu)
She paused briefly, then continued.
"On the other hand, Shalltear… it would not even be a battle… I could 'destroy' her in an instant. Her current self is still too weak… however, in the future, I believe she is capable of reaching the same level as Kuro and myself…" (Abernyu)
I nodded at her explanation.
That assessment was quite accurate. Kuro and Shalltear still had yet to release their full potential…
Even so… compared to every other being in Trinia… the two of them were still among the strongest.
"The power level in this world is completely insane…" (Alfia)
Alfia muttered while holding her forehead.
"Well, it's not that surprising when compared to Arthur-sama…" (Grayfia)
Grayfia looked at me with a wry smile.
"Hehe~ according to Arthur, if we exclude him… there is still one being in Trinia who is stronger than Kuro and me, you know~" (Abernyu)
Abernyu chuckled softly as she added that information.
Grayfia and Alfia immediately turned to look at me, as if seeking confirmation.
"... That's correct. She is the woman who created Trinia." (Arthur)
"A woman…?" (Grayfia)
Seeing Grayfia tilt her head in confusion, I gave a brief explanation.
"The creator of this world is a woman. And because that creator has a rather irresponsible nature… the population of women in this world ended up becoming more dominant. So in the future, don't be surprised when you see that many of the powerful figures in this world are women." (Arthur)
"..." (Abernyu, Grayfia, Alfia)
Yup, just as expected—they were definitely stunned.
"Sigh… I suppose it's not a problem… it's just surprising." (Alfia)
"So that's the reason why most of the kings and powerful figures in the Demon Realm are women… what a truly fascinating world~" (Grayfia)
Alfia looked bewildered and surprised… while Grayfia smiled with clear interest.
"... Yeah… I look forward to seeing how this world develops~" (Abernyu)
Abernyu murmured softly, her face showing quiet amusement.
…
Right now, I was watching anime in a private theater inside the castle.
This theater was one of the entertainment facilities I created when I built Delsgade. There were several other public entertainment areas within Delsgade as well… but we can talk about that another time.
There was also a large public cinema in Delsgade, and I had already prepared a long list of movies that my subordinates could watch there.
"Arthur-sama, I have brought the snacks and drinks you requested." (Grayfia)
Grayfia entered while carrying a bag filled with various snacks and several bottles of drinks.
"Sorry for troubling you, Grayfia. Thank you." (Arthur)
"It is no trouble at all, Arthur-sama~" (Grayfia)
She placed the bag on the table in front of me, then left to continue her duties.
I resumed watching the anime that was currently playing. The anime I was watching right now is Gintama… no matter how many times I watch it… it always makes me laugh. Right now, I was attempting to marathon it from the very first episode to the very end.
…
In the middle of my anime marathon, a long white-haired woman suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
When our eyes met, we both fell silent and stared at each other for a few moments.
What the hell!?
Out of all possible times, you choose to appear right now?!
Sigh… I have no idea what she's thinking.
"... It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Arthur Twilight." (Arthur)
I greeted her with a slightly forced smile.
She tilted her head slightly as she looked at me, then spoke.
"My name is Shallow Vernal." (Shiro)
She's seriously adorable… calm down, heart, don't get too excited.
"... What brings you here?" (Arthur)
I asked while gesturing for Shiro to take a seat.
"I wish to understand you better. You are clearly a being similar to me… yet you are able to display emotions so easily… why…?" (Shiro)
Shiro looked at me with her golden eyes, shining with curiosity.
"That's a rather complicated question… although we could be called similar beings, in essence, we are different. You simply need to try to 'live', rather than merely performing the function called 'living'… Try interacting with others… perhaps you will learn something from it." (Arthur)
"Live… have I been doing it incorrectly all this time?" (Shiro)
I gently shook my head.
"No. You simply don't understand yet… there's no need to rush. Take your time… when you begin to enjoy each process, that means you're already on the right path." (Arthur)
I smiled faintly while glancing toward the theater screen.
"We are beings who will never run out of time. If we do not enjoy life, boredom might end up tormenting us~" (Arthur)
I wasn't sure whether Shiro would be satisfied with my answer… but she fell silent for a moment and began watching the anime with me.
"Then… are you enjoying your life?" (Shiro)
Her question caused me to freeze for a moment.
That was an incredibly painful question for my former self… Sigh…
"... I'm beginning to enjoy my life… and I intend to keep it that way." (Arthur)
"I see…" (Shiro)
Shiro fell quiet, as if sinking into her own thoughts.
I looked at her and continued.
"... You don't need to make it complicated. Feel your emotions, then act according to what you truly want… don't do things half-heartedly… if you desire something, then realize it yourself. In the end, you will come to understand yourself." (Arthur)
I grabbed a bottle of cola and took a drink.
Shiro stiffened as she listened to me, her eyes slowly widened.
Shiro is like a system suffering from a bug. Ever since she became aware… she had continuously ended worlds alongside their creators. Whether it was coincidence or not… when Shiro met Makina, she began to show signs of emotion for the first time. And it was that emotion that made her increasingly curious.
Shiro then began creating her own worlds in order to better understand herself. Yet somehow, in the end, she still couldn't fully comprehend her own feelings…
…
I let Shiro watch the anime with me. While watching… she asked many questions about things she didn't understand, so whether I liked it or not, I had to explain them to her one by one.
"... This is truly a unique story…" (Shiro)
"Yeah, I agree with that…" (Arthur)
I broke into a slight cold sweat since Gintama contains quite a lot of dirty jokes… but fortunately, I managed to brush past those parts since Shiro didn't press further when asking about them…
It was honestly a nerve-wracking situation.
After several hours of watching, Shiro suddenly stood up.
"Leaving already, Shiro?" (Arthur)
"... Shiro?" (Shiro)
She tilted her head with an indifferent expression.
"That's right. I think that nickname suits you." (Arthur)
I couldn't help smiling when I saw her tilt her head… she looked incredibly adorable.
"... I see. Thank you for today." (Shiro)
Hearing her express gratitude surprised me slightly… I suppose she had learned something from the anime we watched.
"Anytime." (Arthur)
"... As a token of our meeting, I shall grant you my blessing…" (Shiro)
Shiro walked toward me, her golden eyes shining as if radiating divinity.
The space around us suddenly transformed… it felt as though we were floating above the world itself.
"With my name— Shallow Vernal—" (Shiro)
She did not raise her voice, yet her words echoed as if reaching the entire world… The world itself began trembling in response to her.
'Shiiiingg!'
Suddenly, millions of fragments of light emerged from the earth… from the oceans… from the stars… all the light of the world floated like meteors and began circling around me.
"... Arthur Twilight— I bestow upon you— the Blessing of the World—" (Shiro)
As all the lights converged… Shiro extended her right hand and gently touched my cheek…
I fell silent as I looked at her smile… as though all the beauty of this world had gathered into the enchanting smile of that divine goddess…
When the light faded, the space returned to normal—and she vanished.
Watching her disappear, I shook my head slightly.
"I guess I've truly been captivated by that smile…" (Arthur)
I chuckled faintly and resumed watching Gintama.
…
After her first visit, Shiro began coming to see me more often. Since I couldn't stop her anyway, I told her to visit only when I was alone. It would be troublesome if she appeared while Kuro and Shalltear were here.
As for the 'Blessing of the World' she granted me—basically, it allows me to use Shiro's power as the Creator God… so it's quite useful.
Truthfully, if I wanted… I could simply create an 'end' to grant myself any power I desired… but even so, I wouldn't refuse additional strength. Besides, this 'Blessing of the World'… could be considered the beginning of our bond.
"Arthur-san. What are you thinking about so absentmindedly?" (Shiro)
Shiro called out to me in her usual flat tone.
Today, Shiro had come to visit again. I was starting to feel like she was beginning to treat this place as if it were her own.
Since I was worried about strange influences affecting Shiro from watching Gintama… this time I played the Toaru series instead. At least this one was more normal.
"Nothing. Would you like something to eat?" (Arthur)
"There is no need. This dessert is sufficient." (Shiro)
Shiro picked up the chocolate mousse cake on the table and began eating it.
Honestly, this was my first time watching anime together with a woman… and I have to say, it wasn't bad at all. Especially when that woman happens to be your favorite character… the pleasant feeling multiplies several times over.
"Is it really fine for you to leave so casually like this, Shiro?" (Arthur)
I asked lightly.
"It is fine. In the God Realm, none of the gods dare question me. They simply carry out their respective duties." (Shiro)
She explained calmly, then picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.
Yeah… even in the original story, you made the gods fulfill your every spontaneous whim. I feel a little sorry for them.
All the gods in this world prioritize Shiro above everything else… though that isn't strange, considering she created them all.
As I thought about it… I quietly enjoyed this peaceful time with Shiro. Truly… it was an unexpectedly pleasant experience.
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