The investigation within the divine realm proved not to be difficult, but rather time-consuming due to the limited means of communication with the goddesses spread across the vast realm.
Of course, there were ways to communicate instantly in emergencies.
However, since this was not an emergency situation, the information spread slowly through the goddesses.
Even so, because Kousuke was involved, the spread of information was faster than usual.
Jal spoke to the goddesses, and within a few hours, the parties involved came forward, which was faster than anticipated.
Jal had considered that it might take about a day if necessary.
Seeing the goddess before her, who was abasing herself with a look of apology, Jal spoke in a light tone.
“Don’t be so scared. I’m not going to scold you, you know.”
“Hah! Yes!!”
Jal had intended to speak gently, but it had no effect, and the other goddess was completely stiff.
If things went poorly, she might start trembling like a cornered rabbit.
Deciding that it would be impossible to get the information from the goddess herself, Jal decided to confirm things herself.
“Alright, I’ll ask you questions, so answer what you can. You can stay silent if you don’t want to answer.”
After giving her that assurance, Jal continued to the main topic.
“You were the one who guided the beastkin tribe to Kousuke, weren’t you?”
“Y-yes. There was someone who gave them a blessing…”
While a blessing requires permission, there are often fewer rules regarding subsequent actions like divine pronouncements.
Especially for goddesses with weaker divine power, like the one before her, permission is rarely needed.
Remembering this, Jal continued.
“I see. That’s natural for you. More importantly, why didn’t you seek permission from us?”
When Jal asked this, the goddess finally looked surprised.
“U-um. I submitted a report, though…?”
“Huh? No way?”
Jal’s eyes widened at this fact, which she was hearing for the first time.
“It’s true. The first time I met Kousuke, a connection was formed, and I thought I could use it…”
“When was it that you first met Kousuke?”
“Um… Well. It was around the time you two joined, I think.”
The goddess before her, referring to “you two,” looked at the two goddesses standing behind Jal.
These two goddesses had started assisting Jal as she became busy with her work.
As Jal remembered this, her face instantly turned pale as if all the blood had drained from it.
“Eh!? Um? Do you two know about this?”
“Well, at least I don’t remember seeing it.”
“I’m the same.”
Jal’s face became even more troubled by their replies.
Suddenly standing up, Jal said to the goddess sitting before her.
“R-right. I understand. Thank you. You can go now…”
“Where do you think you’re going? There’s more we need to ask in detail, isn’t there?”
“—Y-yes!!”
Jal let out a startled yelp at the voice that cut in.
Even without seeing her, Jal knew who the voice belonged to.
Trembling uncontrollably, Jal turned around with a stiff smile.
“E-Eris-sister. Why are you here?”
“Why do you ask such a strange question? I heard that Jal was unusually calling out to goddesses, so I came to see what was happening.”
“It’s not unusual at all, is it?”
“Is that so? Well, be that as it may, what have you been trying to hide since just now?”
Looking into Eris’s eyes, which were fixed on her as she said this, Jal resigned herself to the fact that she couldn’t escape.
After hearing everything from Jal, Eris let out a sigh of exasperation.
“—So, what you’re saying is that this goddess properly reported it, but you overlooked it, causing Kousuke trouble?”
“It wasn’t *that* much trouble—”
Jal struggled to lessen her sentence, but Eris easily dismissed her.
“Anyone can see that it caused trouble… Honestly. Even if you were busy and working alone, overlooking something this important—”
Sensing that Eris’s scolding was about to continue, Jal quickly pretended to remember something.
“R-right! I need to tell Kousuke about this properly, so I’ll…”
“I’ll tell him. You stay here and reflect on your actions.”
Jal’s attempt to escape using Kousuke as an excuse failed, and she was caught by Eris.
Realizing that escape was impossible, as usual, Jal slumped her shoulders.
♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦
Although Kousuke was supposed to be talking to Jal, he somehow received a divine union from Eris. Hearing her explanation, he nodded in understanding.
“So, in short, the communication was delayed at Jal’s end, is that right?”
“To put it simply, yes… Honestly, it’s a miracle that it wasn’t discovered for such a long time.”
Kousuke almost asked “a miracle for whom?” but decided against it, fearing that the lecture to someone would become too harsh.
Instead, he asked for more details about the incident.
“So, information that should have been immediately conveyed through Jal never arrived, and as a result, it was unilaterally conveyed to the Akatsuki clan. And because that limited information was the basis, it took this long to sort out, is that correct?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
The goddess who was now by Eris’s side had properly conveyed a request for help to Amamiya Tower in the form of a divine pronouncement.
However, that connection had already weakened, taking a long time and transmitting only restricted information.
As a result, the information that reached Akatsuki was extremely limited.
Grasping the flow of the situation, Kousuke asked Eris the crucial question.
“So? Was their acceptance a request from your side?”
“That is not the case. Please make your own judgment, Kousuke. The goddess who issued the divine pronouncement has also said she will give up if you refuse.”
The surprisingly casual response left Kousuke even more bewildered.
“Huh? Are you really okay with that?”
“Yes. After all, how many endangered plants and animals do you think exist in this world? We cannot ask you to accept them all into your tower.”
While her words could be taken as quite cold, Kousuke couldn’t help but give a bitter smile at the response, befitting a goddess who managed the world.
He was surprised to find himself agreeing somewhat with Eris’s reasoning.
In any case, now that he knew the decision was up to him, Kousuke thanked Eris.
“Alright, I understand for now. Thank you for investigating.”
“There’s no need for thanks. It was our own oversight that caused this.”
Hearing her cool tone, Kousuke thought that Jal would have a tough time ahead, and then he ended his divine union with Eris.
Once he understood the gods’ situation, he could do as he pleased.
With this information in hand, Kousuke looked at the still-unconscious Akatsuki and pondered what to do. To an extent, it’s all Jal’s fault.
Despite everything, it seems Jal tends to get her work done, and this is actually her first major mistake, at least in terms of this story. (Or so it should be.)
The two attendant goddesses later recounted to their friend goddesses that Eris’s subsequent scolding was fierce.
