Around noon, Morpheus received a prayer from Saeko.
With the situation in Tokonosu City resolved for now, Saeko had returned to her normal life.
However, she remained concerned about the Umbrella Corporation and prayed to Morpheus today to ask if he needed her assistance.
"No need," Morpheus replied decisively. "Things with the Umbrella Corporation are progressing smoothly. It won't be long before we can uproot it entirely. You don't need to worry."
"But if you really want to help me, go hunt some evil spirits."
Whether it was Morpheus or his followers, eliminating evil spirits provided Morpheus with feedback, slightly boosting his strength.
The growth was painfully slow—slaying a dozen evil spirits only granted a tiny increase in the Power of Light.
Morpheus himself was too lazy to bother with such spirits.
But handing the task to Saeko and the others seemed just right.
Morpheus could enjoy the sensation of growing stronger while doing nothing, even if the progress was excruciatingly slow. Still, it was progress.
Every little bit counts, after all.
Saeko nodded in agreement upon receiving Morpheus's response.
She knew full well she was a bit of a violence enthusiast.
In modern society, she'd had to suppress that side of herself.
Now, with the chance to cut loose and slay evil spirits, she was thrilled—how could she refuse?
So, after school, Saeko grabbed her wooden sword and headed off eagerly to hunt spirits.
Meanwhile, Morpheus received a sudden message from his clone.
While Morpheus had been dealing with Umbrella Corporation matters, his clone had been attending school in his place, and no one had noticed a thing.
Each evening, the clone would share the day's school events with Morpheus.
They were mostly trivial matters.
For instance, today the clone ate lunch with Ritsu Tainaka and watched Mio Akiyama's Light Music Club performance.
Or how a couple at school had a fight and threatened to break up.
Or how a teacher called out a student for something in class.
Morpheus didn't care much for these petty details.
But there was something uniquely precious about this mundane routine.
That's why he insisted on sending his clone to school every day—to experience this rare, valuable normalcy.
From the clone's message, Morpheus learned that Megumi Kato had approached the clone, expressing her desire to become one of his followers.
It jogged his memory—back when he first met Megumi Kato, he'd had a spur-of-the-moment idea and offered her a choice.
To become his follower.
He'd even asked her what she could offer him if she did.
For example, Hisako and Erina could provide him with three meals a day.
Nanami could work and offer him money.
Saeko could slay evil spirits, helping him grow stronger passively.
Miko, with her top-tier Spirit Sight, was qualified to bring Hana along as an additional follower.
So, what could Megumi Kato offer?
Back then, she hadn't been able to answer, so Morpheus gave her time to think it over.
Now that she'd sought out his clone, did that mean she'd figured it out?
Since he had some free time, he figured he might as well meet her.
Morpheus left the Umbrella Tokyo branch and headed to the school.
On the rooftop, he found Megumi Kato waiting for him.
Stepping forward, he asked, "Have you thought through the question I asked you?"
Megumi nodded. "Yes, I've figured it out. All I can offer you, my lord, is myself."
"I can dedicate myself fully, doing whatever you ask of me to the best of my ability."
Her words were a bit roundabout, but they boiled down to one thing: absolute obedience.
Or, put another way, complete loyalty.
It was a simple concept.
Saying it was easy, but doing it? That was harder.
What if Morpheus gave an order that clashed with Megumi's values?
What if he asked her to kill someone she had no grudge against—could she do it?
The answer was obvious: no way.
A person raised in modern society couldn't easily kill an innocent stranger.
Morpheus was certain Megumi couldn't do it.
Yet she said it anyway, which showed just how desperately she wanted to escape her faint presence.
That trait had caused her endless hardship growing up, and now that she had a chance at freedom, she was seizing it, no matter the cost.
She'd deal with the consequences later.
Morpheus figured that was likely her mindset.
Of course, he wasn't some villain who would force her into such acts.
All he wanted was her resolve.
And now, Megumi had shown him that resolve.
It was impeccable.
A bright smile spread across Morpheus's face. "You pass. From now on, you're my follower."
On Megumi's usually impassive face, the corners of her mouth twitched upward slightly.
For someone as stoic as her to show any expression spoke volumes about how happy she was.
Then, Morpheus transferred a portion of his power into her, officially making her his follower.
With this power, Megumi could control her presence.
Whether she wanted to remain an ordinary high school girl or become a school celebrity, it was now up to her.
At that moment, Megumi suddenly asked, "Lord Morpheus, I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"Besides me, do you have other followers?"
"Of course," Morpheus replied matter-of-factly.
Megumi said, "Then, may I contact them to ask how a new follower can become a proper one?"
Her suggestion caught Morpheus off guard.
It was actually a great idea. As time went on, his followers would only grow in number.
If two unfamiliar followers ended up clashing, it would be a mess.
While the chances were slim, it was worth preventing.
Perhaps there should be a way for them to get to know each other.
The first thing that came to Morpheus's mind was a chat group that could connect across all worlds.
Of course, with his current power, that was impossible.
Linking followers across all worlds was out of reach, but connecting those in this world? That seemed doable.
It wouldn't be too much trouble.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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