Ever since Sentinels existed, the government of the Izumo Kingdom had been controlled by the guardians. Izumo had always been chaotic and lawless, so whoever was strongest, whoever could protect the weak, held the authority to speak.
Now, Lucian, with his overwhelming power, had conquered all of humanity in Izumo, becoming the strongest, standing above the guardians.
When he obliterated the innumerable horde of kami and Takamagahara with his giant beam of light that erased the darkness covering Izumo, those who witnessed it bore an indelible mark on their hearts, sparking a wave of worship.
At this moment, Lucian sat at the main seat in the conference hall of the Shuten Castle, reviewing the report sent by Kyuusyou.
A day had passed since he agreed to be Izumo's leader and pillar, and now, he had gained some understanding of its history and national foundation.
Hundreds of years ago, people from other civilizations had mistakenly wandered here, and some of them were killed by the kami, while the rest were trapped in Izumo, having no choice but to remain here forever.
As a result, the natives of Izumo learned what the world outside of Izumo looked like from them, as well as from some of the books and records they brought with them.
For that reason, many years later, various cultures in Izumo had mixed together, which could be seen in people's names like Bianka, Ana, or Theresa, names which clearly didn't match the Japanese-style names of Izumo's natives.
Even Xuanyuan's ancestors, who ended up trapped in Izumo, were apparently travelers who had come from one of the Xianzhou ships.
Moreover, Izumo itself only had a population of barely ten million, an unbelievably small number for a planet, and thanks to the kami invasions, the number diminished even more, which explained why there was only one nation—the Izumo Kingdom—on the entire planet.
Over the years, too many people had been slaughtered by the kami of Takamagahara, and when combined with Izumo's harsh environment, the flora and fauna had become abnormal, making the growth of their civilization increasingly slow.
In the end, the Izumo Kingdom now consisted of only nine cities, with Amatsukuni in the center as the capital, and the other eight surrounding it.
"A province in my world has more people than your entire planet…"
Lucian couldn't help but mutter, making every guardian sitting at the round table wear somber expressions.
"It's not our fault. It's this world's fault."
Kyuusyou nodded solemnly, then adjusted her monocle, which was purely decorative and had no prescription, before spreading her arms with a dramatic flourish.
"We have always awaited the arrival of a savior! And now, the great Savior of Light has come! Please bring eternal radiance to Izumo, illuminate the darkness, and drive away evil!"
Lucian glanced expressionlessly at the flamboyant Kyuusyou.
In this one day, he realized he had been mistaken about her.
He had thought Kyuusyou was a fairly normal and serious woman, but she was actually a severe chuunibyou woman.
"I said, don't call me that. Call me Boss, or just my name directly," Lucian said helplessly while pinching the bridge of his nose. "Privately, we're friends, so don't make it so distant."
He believed that, to strengthen bonds, a relationship of friends was far better than one of superior and subordinate.
Meanwhile, seeing Lucian's approachable manner and kind aura, the twelve women were left momentarily stunned, not expecting this 'god' to be so easy to get along with, with no airs of superiority at all.
"So... what's the next step, Lucian?"
Mei asked gently, prompting Lucian to glance at the gloomy sky outside the giant window.
Izumo's mortal enemies were gone, but the massive, lifeless black sun overhead still cast a huge shadow over everyone's hearts, causing an uneasy feeling to linger. Yet some minerals spawned by the black sun were very useful, and among Izumo's resources, these minerals were the only things that truly caught his eye.
"...Well, let's move everyone first," Lucian said casually after a brief moment of musing. "Move to a normal place, far away from that black sun."
"..."
All the women in the hall froze, falling silent.
"Move?"
"Where?"
"How do we even move everyone?"
Relocating tens of millions of people at once was no easy task, especially since they had no technology to leave the planet.
Izumo's current tech was entirely derived from the kami and from some records left by the trapped foreigners who had ended up living in Izumo. Despite the futuristic-looking tall buildings and urban structures, they couldn't even make airplanes, let alone spaceships.
Lucian said nothing and slowly stood before walking to the giant floor-to-ceiling window.
He looked at the gray land below and the lifeless black sun in the distance, then extended his right hand—not toward the door, but toward the ground itself. Under the gaze of everyone in the conference hall, he lightly touched the floor beneath him.
No shaking, no loud noise—everyone only felt the slightest sway, like a gentle nudge on a boat by a passing wave, and the next second, the scene outside the window turned completely upside down.
In just a few seconds, the annoying, massive black sun was gone!
A deep, dazzling, ink-blue sky sprinkled with what looked like diamond dust suddenly unfolded, replacing the gloomy reddish sky. A huge, warm star, burning with golden flames, soon appeared in the sky, hanging silently—its warm light poured through the windows, bathing everyone in brightness.
Even the ruined houses and debris outside were coated in its radiant golden light.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Himiko shouted in shock, nearly smashing the table.
"I-It changed?" Wendy muttered in disbelief, the cup in her hand slipping and clattering to the floor. "No… Izumo... has Izumo been pushed out?!"
As the wielder of Mist, she was sensitive to the changes in the wind, so she could tell clearly that their planet, Izumo, was moving.
"Uhh... I'm not dreaming, right?" Senti mumbled, rubbing her eyes hard. "What the hell is happening? Is that the sun I always heard about?"
Kyuusyou clutched the edge of the table, staring at the unfamiliar yet magnificent starry sky, lips trembling, unable to say a word.
Ana's face went pale as she held Theresa's small hand tightly.
Xuanyuan, Sakura, Sirin, Azta, and Bianka—all of them froze in place, their minds completely blank.
"Alright, new home," Lucian said while clapping his hands casually, as if he had just forced open a stubborn door. "And that glowing thing, just like what Senti had said, is what you call the sun."
He scanned the women, all with their jaws dropped, and stopped on the equally stunned Mei.
"Mei, c'mon, show me the city. I was holed up in this room all day and haven't had a chance to tour Izumo yet."
===
In the eyes of Izumo's inhabitants, the star system of their new home looked like a painting.
Above, the sky was blindingly blue as the golden sun poured warmth endlessly, illuminating everything brightly and warmly—a sight they had never seen before—and beneath them, the soil was soft and black, cushioned under their feet.
"Light! It's real sunlight mentioned in the books!"
"Ahh... It's the legendary golden sun… Is this what it's like? Ow, my eyes!"
"Thank you, Lord God... Thank you for granting us true light..."
"Surviving all the kami invasions was worth it..."
All the people of Izumo erupted in excitement, crying and laughing as they rushed out of their temporary shelters, rolling on the ground, playing in rivers, and feeling thrilled, like sunflowers turning toward the light.
For those long shrouded in the black sun, Lucian's actions were more than enough to earn their unshakable devotion. From now on, they would undoubtedly worship him as a true god—even if an Aeon appeared before them right now, THEY couldn't shake their devotion toward him.
At this moment, all the guardians had let down their guard, playing under the sun like children.
As for Lucian, after strolling in Amatsukuni with Mei for a while, he built a large house with a huge observation deck in an area with the best view on the hillside.
From today on, peaceful days truly began—no kami, no alarms, only birdsong, insects, and laughter.
Understanding this fact, the sorrow on people's faces slowly faded as well, replaced by relaxed smiles.
Children ran madly across the fields in groups, elders basked in the sun outside newly built homes, and the young and strong worked on cultivating the land and constructing new houses and settlements.
Lucian's house was big but simply arranged.
Just like in Penacony, he took a hands-off approach, delegating political work to each guardian while operating in the background.
He also appointed Mei as his 'personal attendant,' which resulted in them living together and, in turn, gave him plenty of time to grow closer to her and allowed him to capture her heart.
===
Some time later, on one afternoon with the sun shining perfectly, Lucian lounged lazily on a garden recliner in the backyard, enjoying a sunbath with eyes half-closed.
Mei approached with a tray holding a pot of freshly brewed herbal tea and a small plate of cookies.
"Lucian... your afternoon tea..." Mei said softly, her face slightly embarrassed. "I just learned how to make it..."
"Oh?" Lucian sniffed and focused his gaze on the cookies. "You made these cookies yourself? Learned from whom?"
"Uhh... Theresa..." Mei answered while fiddling with her fingers, looking slightly shy. "It's my first time, so I'm not sure if it's good..."
Because she resolved to protect Izumo and to slay all the kami until the end of her life, she was much more skilled with blades than with pans.
"Hmm, using me as a test subject again?" Lucian said with a smile, then picked up a cookie and bit into it.
Crispy, perfectly sweet, with a hint of cocoa bitterness.
"Well, not bad..." Lucian nodded and picked up another. "Y'know, the first time I saw you, I knew you had a talent for cooking."
Even before Mei became Acheron and lost her taste, she could cook—only her particular counterpart couldn't, which was embarrassing.
Mei blushed at Lucian's direct compliment and couldn't help but smile gently—her smile was beautiful, gentle, like a perfect wife and mother.
"As long as you like it..."
Mei spoke softly, watching Lucian eat each bite of her handmade cookies with relish, feeling an inexplicable warmth in her heart.
Having this kind of peaceful, ordinary daily life was truly wonderful, which made her hope that this life would truly last forever.
Fortunately...
Fortunately, she had met Lucian at the hot spring that day...
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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