Well, there’s no need to explain what happened afterward—it all went as smoothly as could be.
After slipping into the sleeping king of Arcadia’s dreams, I spun a tale and made off with the First Beast… Sirius. That was that.
In the process, the king of Arcadia seemed oddly moved, so there was even an incident where Sirius’ temple got cleaned up and repaired, but really, it was such a minor thing.
Plus, for some reason, it wasn’t just Sirius—my own faith quotient seemed to have gone up too. Hmm… Is this what happens when a god shows up directly in a human’s dream? Guess that’s what happens when ordinary people meet divinity.
From now on, I’d better avoid appearing in dreams directly. All I did was show the tiniest bit of divine radiance to make them believe my words, yet the king of Arcadia ended up with deep devotion.
Of course, it might also be because I’m one of the irregular gods among countless others.
Anyway, thusly, I soared into the sky cradling Sirius in my arms.
“Alright then, this is the entrance to the Divine Hall where you’ll live from now on.”
“Bark!”
The entrance to the Divine Hall perched atop pure white clouds. There, I set Sirius down.
“Hmm, let’s see. First things first, we need to prepare a place for you to stay.”
A doghouse… No, wait, even though you’re a deity, a doghouse won’t do. It would look too shabby.
Since you’re a god, your dwelling should be a temple. So, let’s build one. Something like a watchtower with a clear view of the entrance.
If any non-divine beings try to pass through, we’ll need a structure that allows Sirius to leap out immediately.
So, the pure white temple was constructed in a wide-open style to ensure Sirius could dash out at any time from anywhere.
True, it makes the interior visible and vulnerable to cowardly attacks, but… well, can’t help it.
Can’t cover every single detail after all.
Not that I think Sirius would fall easily even if attacked.
“Alright, this will be your home from now on.”
“Bark?”
“What do you need to do? You’ll be staying here, blocking and chasing away anyone who tries to pass without permission. Though, right now, there aren’t any authorized individuals yet…”
At my explanation, Sirius tilted his head slightly.
As if asking, “Why aren’t there any?” But what can you do? The place has only just been established!
Let’s restrict access to those possessing divinity for now… Shall I create a list?
I had something suitable for creating a list of deities. A rarely used divine messenger device or something.
The only issue is that the number of gods has skyrocketed recently, making the list almost burst with entries.
It feels like they’re trying to instill a deity into everything in existence.
“Anyway, your job will be like being the guard dog of the Divine Hall.”
“Bark! Bark!”
Sirius barked, wagging his tail as if asking me to leave him in charge. Ah, still lacking in faith, so he looks like a whining puppy—but it’s kind of cute.
I stroked Sirius’ head while sharing some of the faith gathered within me.
It was quite wasteful, but what can you do? Transferring accumulated faith to another god isn’t exactly common practice.
Anyway, after transferring a significant amount of faith…
“Hem!”
Sirius transformed into a massive wolf.
Though as the First Beast, he isn’t limited to any specific species—perhaps due to his name being derived from Canis Major, his default form seems to lean toward canine-like creatures.
This form suits him well for guarding duties since he can change shape as he pleases, so no real issues there.
“Take good care from now on, Sirius.”
“ROAR!!”
Thus, I secured Sirius as both the Divine Hall’s guard dog and guardian deity.
Now, let’s tidy up inside and prepare for Baal’s coronation ceremony.
—
Speaking of preparations for the coronation, there wasn’t much to it.
Just crafting a crown symbolic of Baal’s authority?
Still, since he’s the King of the Gods, a plain crown wouldn’t suffice. So, I created something special.
A laurel wreath forged from lightning.
While its overall shape resembles a laurel wreath, the material itself is woven from strands of lightning.
Whoever wears this crown will wield lightning as their weapon, held firmly in their hands.
Sure, it’s mimicking Zeus from Greek-Roman mythology!
But even though it’s a copy made in jest, its performance is nothing short of genuine.
A crown capable of producing and hurling lightning like a javelin. Its strength matches actual lightning—naturally potent.
Lightning has long been a symbol of bountiful harvests, as it reacts with nitrogen in the air to create fertilizer beneficial for plant growth.
Much like Thor from Norse mythology, revered as a god of harvests, a god of lightning is inherently linked to bountiful crops.
For humans, abundant food equals prolonged life. Thus, a god of lightning fits perfectly as the King of the Gods.
Still, this isn’t something just anyone can use.
Given its immense power, only someone compatible with the essence of lightning and strong enough to endure wearing it can utilize this crown.
Honestly, it’s a Baal-exclusive crown, so it’d be problematic if other gods could use it.
With that, upon completing the crown, Nicky standing behind me spoke softly.
“Wow, it’s dazzling…”
“Yeah, that’s lightning for you.”
The pure white streaks of lightning continued to glow in the shape of the crown—a pretty sweet design if I do say so myself.
By the way…
“Nyx, how long do you plan to stick around behind me?”
“Ah, umm… Can I keep following you?”
“You’ve been trailing me for days now. Don’t you think it’s time to back off a little?”
Though having the shy black-haired girl tagging along isn’t unpleasant…
Even gods need personal space, you know.
“Ahh… Okay, I’ll step back after the coronation…”
Her deflated voice stirred a slight pang of guilt, but what can you do?
Can’t have her clinging to me forever.
“Anyway, looks like the preparations are almost done.”
Several temples were erected across the Divine Hall—all crafted by me, naturally.
While building my own temple, I threw in a few for the children as well. They’re a tad smaller since their main bodies aren’t present yet.
Oh, Shamash’s temple is slightly larger than the others’. Being the god of light, justice, and law, his jurisdiction differs from the rest of the kids.
And even after Baal becomes the King of the Gods, Shamash’s importance won’t diminish.
“Shall we summon everyone then?”
Might as well gather all the other gods while we’re at it.
—
The Divine Hall, accessible solely to gods.
To a place whose very existence remains unknown, the gods began arriving one by one.
Drawn by voices echoing from somewhere, the gods ascended to the world above the skies.
Riding the beautiful rainbow visible only to those with divine essence, they passed the giant wolf guarding the clouds, entering through the gateway that opens during twilight.
Following the benevolent, noble voice calling all gods, they entered the realm exclusive to deities.
Thus, the grand hall welcoming all gods—the Divine Hall—was fully opened.
—
Wow. More came than I expected.
Using GodTalk, the dedicated messenger app for gods, I sent out mass messages to the others—but I didn’t expect this many to show up.
“It’s time.”
I turned to Baal, who emerged from the rear chamber of the temple, freshly attired.
His snow-white clothes and azure hair blended seamlessly, evoking the image of the heavens themselves.
Yet, there was a deep concern etched on his face.
“Something troubling you?”
“Yeah… It’s a tough problem.”
“What kind of issue?”
On such an important occasion as becoming the King of the Gods, what could possibly be weighing on his mind?
“Hmm… It’s something I can’t tell Gaia.”
“And me?”
What kind of issue can’t even be confided in me?
Hmm… Must not be anything serious.
“I don’t quite understand what troubles the King of the Gods-to-be… Do you even need to worry about it?”
“Huh?”
Placing my hand atop Baal’s head, I said:
“You’re destined to become the King of the Gods. In other words, the one who stands above countless deities.”
“…”
“You carry concerns beyond the reach of most gods. But as the King of the Gods, doesn’t your newfound power solve all these worries?”
Among the gods, only I and my children could rival Baal. And since he’s already passed our trials…
Factually speaking, there’s no force left that can oppose Baal.
“As the King of the Gods, you hold the potential to claim dominion over everything in this world.”
“Everything in this world…”
“That’s right. With such vast power, the trivial concerns you currently bear will pale in comparison. Stop worrying about them.”
Because if the King of the Gods gets bogged down in such trifles and neglects his duties, that would be troublesome for me!!
“Yeah… Thanks, Gaia.”
“No problem. Not a big deal.”
“Thanks to you, I’ve resolved to move forward. Truly, thank you.”
Baal’s face lit up with a bright smile.
