The garden was quiet.
Not the cold silence of the Goddess of Time's palace, where even the air seemed afraid to move. This silence was different—gentler, older. The wind moved slowly through tall golden trees whose leaves shimmered like fragments of sunlight. A narrow stream curved through the garden, its clear water reflecting a sky that seemed deeper than the heavens Arin had seen before.
At the center of the garden sat the former sovereign.
Solmireth rested calmly at a small stone table beneath a flowering tree, a cup of tea in one hand while the other lazily turned an apple. The scene looked so ordinary that it almost felt absurd.
Arin would have never believed that the man sitting so casually in a garden had once ruled all of heaven.
Caelum began walking toward him.
Arin quickly followed.
As they reached a respectful distance, Caelum stopped and bowed deeply.
Arin copied him instantly.
"My lord," Caelum spoke with calm precision, "as commanded by the Goddess of Time, I have brought the human."
For a moment, Solmireth did not respond.
He simply looked at Arin.
The former sovereign's eyes were calm—ancient, almost. They held no hostility, no judgment… only quiet observation.
The silence stretched.
Arin suddenly felt very aware of his heartbeat.
Then Solmireth finally spoke.
"Human… do you remember me?"
Arin straightened slightly and answered with the polite composure he had painfully learned during his time in the divine realm.
"Yes, my lord. How could I ever forget? When I first arrived here by accident, you were the one who calmed the situation and helped settle the confusion. I am truly grateful for your kindness."
Solmireth slowly ran a hand through his long silver beard.
"Oh my…" he said thoughtfully.
"How impressive."
Arin blinked.
Solmireth's lips curved slightly.
"You have become quite skilled at speaking like a proper court official."
Then his eyes narrowed with faint amusement.
"But I do wonder…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Who was that human who complained that I was unfair for sending him to my daughter?"
Arin froze.
Completely.
His brain stopped.
His soul nearly left his body.
He knew exactly what Solmireth was referring to.
Today.
When he had muttered that the old man had "sent him to the Goddess of Time like it was some kind of punishment."
Arin's throat went dry.
He had thought only the Goddess of Time could hear things like that.
Apparently he had been very wrong.
"A-ah… about that, my lord—"
Before Arin could finish, Solmireth suddenly laughed.
It was a calm, warm laugh.
"Relax."
He waved his hand casually.
"I am not like my daughter."
Arin stayed very still.
Solmireth smiled lightly.
"I will not erase you."
Arin slowly exhaled.
Then, after a moment, he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Ah… thank you, my lord…"
He paused.
"I think."
Solmireth chuckled again.
"Come now," he said, gesturing toward the empty seats beside the table. "Standing there like statues will only make the tea taste worse."
Arin blinked.
Sit?
Here?
With him?
Before Arin could even process the idea, Caelum straightened.
"My lord," Caelum said respectfully, "if I may, I would prefer to remain standing."
Solmireth waved his hand again.
"As you wish."
Arin hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching the table.
Every step felt strange.
A human sitting with an Elder God.
If someone told him that would happen a few weeks ago, he would have laughed.
Or fainted.
Probably both.
He finally sat down across from Solmireth, trying very hard to keep his posture straight.
Solmireth casually took a bite of the apple in his hand.
Then he pushed the fruit bowl slightly toward Arin.
"Would you like one?"
Arin immediately shook his head.
"No, no! I'm fine!"
The reaction came so quickly it almost sounded like panic.
Solmireth paused mid-bite.
Then he smiled slightly.
"Very well."
He continued eating as if nothing strange had happened.
After a moment, Solmireth rested his elbow on the table and looked at Arin again.
"So tell me, human."
His voice was calm.
"Why did you ask my daughter for such an unusual wish?"
Arin stiffened slightly.
The wish.
He hesitated.
Solmireth noticed immediately.
"Do not worry," he said calmly.
"You are under my protection here."
He leaned back slightly.
"Even if my daughter appeared this moment, she would not harm you while you are my guest."
Arin blinked.
That… was strangely reassuring.
He rubbed the back of his head.
"Well… if I'm being honest…"
Solmireth leaned forward slightly, curiosity appearing in his eyes.
"Yes?"
Arin smiled awkwardly.
"It was random."
Silence.
Solmireth blinked.
Once.
Twice.
His expression slowly shifted from curiosity to confusion.
"…Random?"
Arin quickly raised his hands.
"Let me explain!"
He leaned back slightly in his seat.
"It's just… I didn't even think I would actually get a wish."
He scratched his head again.
"Everything happened so suddenly. I didn't have time to think about something meaningful or important."
Solmireth listened quietly.
Arin continued.
"And during the tournament, I saw couples everywhere. You know… people cheering for each other, supporting each other."
He shrugged.
"So I just wondered if I had a soulmate too."
He sighed.
"And before I could stop myself… the words just came out."
Solmireth stared at him for a moment.
Then he slowly leaned back in his chair.
"…Ah."
He sighed.
A long sigh.
"I see."
He rubbed his forehead slightly.
"So it was simply random."
Arin gave a small apologetic smile.
"…Yes."
Solmireth looked mildly disappointed.
"To think I had expected something profound."
Arin hesitated.
Then he tried to salvage the situation.
"Well… I mean…"
He leaned forward slightly.
"If it makes it any better… I thought that maybe when I eventually return to the place where I belong… if I really do have a soulmate…"
His voice softened slightly.
"…maybe I could live a happy life with them."
Solmireth stared at him.
Then he waved his hand dismissively.
"Yes, yes."
"Forget it."
His tone sounded slightly bored now.
Arin blinked.
That… did not work.
For a moment, silence returned.
Then Arin spoke again.
"But… why did you ask?"
Solmireth raised an eyebrow.
Arin tilted his head slightly.
"I mean… why were you curious about my reason?"
Solmireth slowly folded his arms.
"Well…"
He spoke casually.
"I had hoped you might have a meaningful answer."
Arin waited.
Solmireth continued.
"You see, I planned to use your reasoning to provoke my daughter."
Arin blinked.
"…Provoke?"
Solmireth nodded.
"Yes."
"If your wish had come from deep loneliness or longing for love, I could have told her…"
He raised his finger slightly.
"Even a human dreams of love and companionship."
He sighed.
"Yet you do not."
Arin stared at him.
Solmireth leaned back again.
"I hoped it might encourage her to finally consider marriage."
Arin's mouth moved faster than his brain.
"So… you've never asked the Goddess of Time about marriage?"
Behind him, Caelum almost stopped breathing.
His expression remained perfectly calm.
But inside his mind—
Absolute chaos.
This human is suicidal.
He is discussing the love life of the Goddess of Time.
With her father.
Caelum resisted the urge to physically drag Arin away.
Solmireth, however, answered calmly.
"Oh, I have asked."
He took another bite of his apple.
"Many times."
Arin leaned forward slightly.
"Really?"
Solmireth nodded.
"In the past, I even brought several marriage proposals to her."
Arin's eyes widened.
"And?"
Solmireth shrugged.
"She refused them all."
"That's not surprising," Arin muttered.
Solmireth continued.
"Sometimes I approached potential suitors myself."
He chuckled quietly.
"But the moment they learned who the bride would be…"
He paused.
"They fled."
Arin blinked.
Solmireth leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand.
"Even the bravest gods would rather face the God of War than confess love to the Goddess of Time."
Arin slowly nodded.
"…Yeah."
That sounded accurate.
Solmireth sighed again.
"One day I finally asked her directly when she intended to marry."
He paused.
"And do you know what she told me?"
Arin shook his head.
Solmireth smiled faintly.
"She said she would only marry if she fell in love."
Arin blinked.
That answer sounded… surprisingly normal.
But Solmireth slowly shook his head.
"I doubt that will ever happen."
Arin tilted his head.
"Why?"
Solmireth looked up at the golden leaves drifting through the air.
"Because no one dares approach her."
He smiled faintly.
"And my daughter has never once shown interest in approaching anyone herself."
The garden fell quiet again.
Behind Arin, Caelum remained perfectly still.
But inside his mind, he could only think one thing.
This conversation would kill the human if the Goddess of Time ever heard it.
Arin, however, simply sat there—completely unaware of how dangerous this discussion truly was.