I arrived at Level 100—the temple—and, as expected, Grace still wasn't wearing a shirt on her upper body. Whatever. I set down her lunch, then sat about two meters away and started reading a book about cars.
I had just reached the third page when Grace suddenly spoke, as if she had noticed something.
"New food… Oh, it's already noon."
"Go take a break."
The old man god gave her permission to eat. I didn't say anything and kept reading, hugging my knees.
"Yes… Huh? Mr. Karen, when did you get here?"
I wasn't sure how Grace noticed me—probably when she turned her head. The old man god, on the other hand, greeted me with obvious displeasure.
"Hmph. The black-haired one's here."
I ignored him completely and kept reading, only telling Grace:
"Put your clothes on."
"Yes."
After a while, I shifted my gaze from the book to Grace, who was now dressed and about to start eating.
"Grace, it's been the two days we agreed on. Did you learn everything?"
"Yes, though I'm not very proficient yet."
"Do you still need the Sword God's guidance?"
"Um…"
She made the kind of hesitant sound students often make—like she thinks she's learned it, but isn't fully confident, yet also doesn't know what she doesn't know.
Then the old man god spoke up for her.
"No need. The girl's talented. Even though it's only been two days and her form might still slip, if she keeps training, I can guarantee no one will be able to defeat her in swordsmanship."
With that level of approval from him, there was nothing to worry about.
"That's good."
While waiting for Grace to finish her meal, my mind started wandering. Halfway through reading, I suddenly felt like asking something.
"Sword God, what kind of god is the Goddess of Fate?"
I hadn't had time to ask before, with everything else going on.
"How insolent…! Sigh, whatever. Telling you to show respect to Lady Fatelis is just a waste of breath."
He sounded too tired to even be angry anymore. Then Grace chimed in as well.
"Sword God, I'd like to know too."
"Fine, fine. Though I don't know everything. Lady Fatelis is a graceful and mysterious goddess who treats other gods kindly. She's like an idol to us lesser gods."
He spoke with clear admiration. A distant, untouchable beauty—fitting for someone called a goddess.
Earlier, he had referred to a "beauty god," not specifically a "goddess," but since he admitted to peeping, it had to be female. That probably meant there were ranks among gods.
"So the Goddess of Fate outranks you by a lot?"
"Of course. Lady Fatelis and I exist on completely different levels. She's one of the three supreme gods. In human terms, that's second only to a king."
"Is there someone above her?"
"Yes—the Earth Mother, Gaia. The supreme Earth Mother is the creator god who made this world. But she fell into a deep slumber long ago after using immense divine power, so the three supreme gods currently govern the divine realm."
So she was the creator of this world. That made sense—without her, there wouldn't even be a Goddess of Fate. Truly the mother of all gods.
Then how would that explain Earth? Was it created like in myths, stirred together with a staff? Or was this genuinely another world that just happened to resemble Earth?
I considered asking, but Grace was here—and could this old man even answer? Probably not. Forget it. Not knowing didn't really matter.
Still, something else bothered me.
"...Why don't you use the Earth Mother's name?"
"You were silent that long over that? Her name is far too sacred to be spoken casually. Even the three supreme gods don't dare use it freely."
I see. You can say it when introducing, but not in casual conversation. After all, no one casually calls their mother by name.
"I understand. Then who are the other two supreme gods?"
"The Goddess of Life, Lady Lifendas, and the Goddess of Time, Lady Timeos."
I hadn't heard of the Goddess of Life before, but the Goddess of Time had been mentioned by that criminal god.
"What are they like?"
"Lady Lifendas is quiet and reserved. She only speaks when necessary and shows little interest in things around her."
She sounded like the type who preferred focusing on her own interests over socializing—someone who proved things through actions rather than words.
"And Lady Timeos is the opposite. She's cheerful and approachable—a cute goddess who's always smiling and loves chatting with others."
That sounded like someone with lots of friends—the type who enjoys helping others and brightening the atmosphere.
"I see… so gods all have their own personalities."
So they weren't emotionless or indifferent after all. Their society sounded surprisingly similar to human society. It almost made them feel… closer.
In this world, the hierarchy seemed to go: gods, dragons, humans and other intelligent races, then monster. And within each group, there were further hierarchies.
But with enough strength, dragons, humans, and even monsters could defy that hierarchy. In the Adventurers' Guild, you often heard stories of adventurers being killed by beasts—or, like me, a human hunting down a dragon.
But gods were different. Just meeting one was already a miracle. They governed the world itself. Killing a god was nothing but a fantasy.
With no more questions, I returned to my book. The old man god, however, still seemed eager to talk, asking in a lofty tone:
"Do you have anything else to ask?"
Right—I did have one more question. A trivial one. More like a joke.
So I replied calmly:
"Why are you still here? Planning to stay another hundred years?"
"Then just say you've got nothing! I shouldn't have asked! I'm leaving!"
The old man god was clearly about to leave in anger, so I turned to Grace—who, for some reason, had frozen in place mid-motion, still holding food near her mouth.
"Grace, don't you have anything to say?"
"..."
"Grace."
"...Ah—there was just too much shocking information all at once. I couldn't process it. What?"
Only after I called her again did she finally snap out of it. I pointed at the old man god.
"The Sword God is leaving."
"Really!? Sword God, please wait—I have something to say."
"Make it quick."
With his permission, Grace immediately put down her spoon, stood up, walked in front of the statue, and knelt.
"Sword God, thank you very much for teaching me such unparalleled, masterful swordsmanship. I will continue to improve, spread your techniques far and wide, and pass them on to the world!"
"No. Just pass them on to your family."
"Huh…?"
In my mind, I echoed her confusion. Not pass it on? Then the old man god spoke to me with a hint of regret.
"Black hair, she's a good person."
He meant that good things shouldn't be shared with outsiders—keep them within your own circle. A bit selfish, maybe. But honestly, I thought the same, so I asked to confirm.
"So you also think it shouldn't be shared?"
"Looks like we're the same kind of person."
Of course. The way to remain strong is to keep your advantages to yourself. Once you share them, you risk becoming ordinary—and the chances to stand out diminish.
The old man god then turned to Grace and spoke seriously.
"Ahem. Grace, listen carefully. My swordsmanship isn't something just anyone can learn. You may only pass it down to your siblings and descendants."
If it were me, I'd just tell her the truth. He wasn't explaining—he was ordering. Yet Grace responded without hesitation, her voice full of emotion.
"The Sword God… called my name…! I, Grace Somart, accept your divine command. I will pass your teachings only to the direct descendants of the Somart family."
She agreed instantly, without the slightest objection. I really didn't understand how just being called by name could move her that much.
The old man god finally decided to leave.
"Good. I'm going now."
"Bye."
"Please take care!"
Then he emerged from the Goddess of Fate's statue and left. And as it turned out, he really did look exactly like an old man—no twist at all.
After that, Grace finished her meal, cleaned everything up, and I took her to the hot spring inn to bathe, letting her enjoy a long-overdue sense of refreshment.
"Ahh—this feels so good!!!"
Even from a Japanese-style room on the first floor, some distance away from the baths, I could clearly hear Grace's voice—like someone celebrating liberation after a war.
When she finally came out, her skin looked smooth, her face radiant, completely refreshed and satisfied. I had her take a short nap before we left the dungeon.