In a lightless room, Soma quietly regarded the wine he had brewed, simply tasting its flavor.
"Mm. It's… fine."
To him, no matter how stunning a god-wine was, it was still ordinary. Even if he could lavish it with praise, god-wine was his own creation; there was no need to flatter himself.
Yet the god-wine he judged as merely "fine" gave Soma a headache.
He hoped to find, in the Lower World, the path to the absolute pinnacle of brewing. But no matter how he strove, he could not discover a way to transcend his limits.
However he adjusted his technique, he could reach only the level of "god-wine," never anything higher.
"Perhaps I should try different ingredients."
Soma realized he'd relied too much on past experience and too rigid a set of materials. With other ingredients, perhaps he could brew a god-wine unlike any before.
"That won't work. Your kids can't possibly procure better ingredients."
"!?"
The sudden voice made Soma jerk around.
"Loki?"
A head of blazing red hair and a rather… meager figure—one glance and he knew who stood there.
Loki was not strange. Loki appearing in his home was.
His gaze slid a little to the side, taking in the gloomy-faced youth beside her.
"Your child? Doesn't look human."
No human vitality at all—he looked nothing like a normal person.
"Can you not? First thing out of your mouth and you call my kid 'not human.'"
Loki's complaint didn't move Soma. Then Loki said:
"Your eyes aren't wrong. He isn't human."
"He's my child's summoned creature. A puppet, essentially."
A summoned creature…
Soma studied the puppet's form. Indeed, there was no human spark—more like a shell without a soul.
After a moment's observation, Soma returned his attention to Loki.
"So… you came to see me for something?"
He didn't recall being on friendly terms with Loki. Of all gods, she was among those he interacted with least.
"Something like that."
"I want one of your children. I'm interested in that kid."
One of my children?
Soma, reflexively, wondered if Loki had gone mad. Did his children include anyone worthy of Loki's notice?
They were all drunk on god-wine, willing to give anything for it. Like puppets, not human—more like hollow shells.
He doubted any of them were worth a special visit.
"Which one?"
"A Pallum girl with transformation magic."
At that description, Soma recalled the girl's name at once. Yes, he had raised her, and yes, her transformation magic was rare.
And that was all.
What stuck in Soma's mind was the girl kneeling and praying, yearning for the intoxication of "god-wine."
He couldn't help but doubt Loki's judgment.
"A child like that has value?"
"Hey, hey—she's your child, at least."
"So what? I led them, and still they chose to drown themselves in god-wine. What value is there in a child who willingly degrades herself?"
Disappointment.
Soma's tone didn't waver, but the meaning was unmistakable. Seeing that, Loki held her tongue.
To Soma, his god-wine might be nothing special; but in the Lower World, its allure was overwhelming.
Even gods had been ensnared by it.
"Soma, your expectations for your children are too high."
"Even gods can't handle your wine. How could your kids possibly withstand it?"
Loki had a point, but Soma ignored the logic completely.
"'Can't handle' and 'addicted' are different."
"I don't fault them for failing to handle it. But wallowing in 'inebriation' is an eyesore."
"Even the ones I raised with my own hands."
"From that moment on, I stopped expecting anything of them."
He ended the dull topic with a flick.
"If you want her, take her."
It was ruthlessly cold—he didn't treat his children as family at all.
Seeing Soma's finality, Loki understood just how deep his disappointment ran.
"You shut-in…"
She sighed. She knew too well how disappointed he was in his children.
She didn't think his reasoning was entirely wrong—but it cut the children all the same.
Soma believed his god-wine was a reward, and his children had no idea how ruinous it could be.
Given that, their addiction wasn't solely their fault.
It was simply that Soma knew too little about his own children—and thought too highly of them.
There was a point she needed to make clear.
"Tsunayoshi, come out."
Wrapped in a translucent barrier, Sawada Tsunayoshi stepped from the pocket dimension into the room.
Soma's eyes went to him at once.
This was the first time he'd seen such a method used by a Lower World child.
But Loki's child was very cautious: a trench coat on his body, a brimmed hat on his head; it was hard to make out his face.
"Oh? The coat gives you quite the mysterious look."
Loki found the getup unexpectedly fresh.
"You did call me out suddenly, Loki."
"In any case, it's best I don't show my face to outsiders right now."
"Fair enough."
Smiling, Loki walked toward Soma's cupboards.
Rows of jars, and many exquisite cups. She helped herself to a cup, filled it, and handed it to Tsunayoshi.
"Try it."
"I want this shut-in to witness a scene he's never seen—and doesn't understand."
God-wine was powerfully addictive to ordinary people; its corridors were meant for them. Loki believed in Tsunayoshi's uniqueness and was sure he wouldn't be swayed—so she would let Soma see.
"Okay."
Taking the cup, Sawada Tsunayoshi didn't worry about the wine. He raised it to his lips and took a slow mouthful.
A fiery line ran through his body, and he couldn't help but hiss softly.
"The proof is a bit high. Burns going down."
Wherever he was, Tsunayoshi never took to high-proof liquor. He preferred juice or cola.
"That's what wine is."
Loki chuckled at his reaction. She took the cup he'd just drunk from, tipped it back herself, and took a healthy swallow.
The special flavor brought a rosy tint to her pale cheeks.
Then she slowly turned back, noting Soma's long hair half-hiding eyes that still widened despite himself, and she smiled.
"I believe my child can resist the lure of god-wine."
"He's special. So my understanding isn't wrong."
"But what about you, Soma?"
"You know nothing about your children, yet you test them with the wine you brew. Did you think any child could withstand it?"
"If so, why hone your craft at all? Are you setting yourself up on purpose?"
"You gave them no guidance. You only watched them sink and decided that's all they were."
"If you never tried to steer them, then don't presume to be disappointed, shut-in."
(End of Chapter)
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