They are having various discussions while playing chess.
“Checkmate.”
As I moved the knight, Fiana made a frustrated face, uttering a groan that was unbecoming of a goddess.
“Really, I can’t beat you at all.”
“Even so, you’ve come to win 3 out of 10 times now.”
At first, Fiana couldn’t beat me at all.
However, her chess skills improved remarkably, and now many moments make me feel nervous.
“A goddess who’s supposed to be omniscient and omnipotent would be appalled… really.”
Although Fiana regained her form, her magical power is now no different from that of a mere human.
Fiana, a little over a hundred years ago, gave up being a goddess… no, she discarded her omniscience and omnipotence.
And she gave her powers to the people of this world, wishing for their development and peace through their own strength.
…Whether that was right or wrong isn’t easily decided.
I don’t believe that ignorance is bliss.
To know nothing means not knowing unhappiness nor happiness.
Therefore, for the people of this world… I think, perhaps it was a good thing.
However, it caused trouble for another world… my world.
“Well, shall we make some tea?”
“Yes. …Being able to enjoy the tea you brew is one of the good things that came of regaining my form.”
Fiana began resetting the chess pieces to their original positions with a gentle smile on her face.
…It seems she wants to play another game.
I have plenty of time to kill anyway. I might as well keep her company.
“I wonder if Maito has managed to return home.”
Suddenly curious, I spilled it, and Fiana, while boldly moving the queen, grinned and showed a smile.
“She should be able to return home. That one.”
Fiana had no doubt.
Perhaps it’s because she’s peering into Maito’s inside through what she calls “sharing.”
“That’s right. …I just hope nothing gets in the way of their return.”
“Yes, about that… I’ve been thinking. Will you listen, Domitrius?”
Fiana stopped looking at the board and looked into my eyes.
“I’ll listen.”
“Good. …First, the ‘Void Sphere.’ It’s already concluded that turning into a monster when it’s erased is the issue.”
It was, indeed, something related to their world… the world where I was from.
Erasing the “Void Sphere,” which serves as a pathway for magical power, would have led to the collapse of my world.
To resist that, the will of my world probably turned the “Void Sphere” into a monster.
That’s what I heard from Maito.
“So, then. …Similarly, wouldn’t it be perfectly natural for this world to try to prevent beings from another world, who serve as a source of magical power, from returning, so as not to collapse itself?”
“In other words, the monsters that appeared when Maito and the others tried to return are the will of this world.”
…In other words, the world has a will of its own.
“Well, that’s the gist of it. …Now, what to do about a world having a will of its own? Does it mean I must babysit this world?”
“It’s the world you created. Take care of it. I’ll help with whatever I can.”
“Thanks. But who would have thought I’d end up dealing with this world in such a manner?”
Perhaps this world still needs Fiana’s power.
Even without being omniscient and omnipotent anymore, she is the goddess who created this world… the mother of this world.
“However, it seems everyone but Maito has returned home. So, does that mean they’ve defeated the manifestation of this world’s will? Is the will of this world alright?”
“Yes, I’ve scolded it.”
Fiana waved her hand in the air and opened a dimensional gate.
Then, from it, a dragon of mysterious colors, small enough to fit in one’s hand, appeared.
“And over here too.”
And then, opening another dimensional gate with her other hand, a faceless girl-like being of equally mysterious colors appeared.
“I told them to get along.”
The dragon immediately cuddled up to the girl.
Seeing the girl play with the dragon with her whole body, they actually seem to be getting along… probably.
“What’s this?”
“Well, you could say it’s for world peace.”
“Go play,” Fiana said to the two (?), and they ran outside.
“It’s better to have friends, I thought.”
“…Your magical power is about the same as a human’s now, isn’t it?”
“What, even if the output is human-like, the technique is divine, no?”
Fiana laughed and tilted her cup.
“Oh?”
Suddenly, Fiana looked up into the air and burst into laughter.
“She did it. That guy has left this world.”
“Maito?”
Fiana, looking genuinely pleased, laughed heartily before mercilessly taking my queen.
…Though I let her take it.
“What kind of path would it be to go through that route from this world?”
With the knight moving to take the queen, the situation turned to my advantage.
Fiana is probably not unaware of that.
“I don’t know what happens after leaving this world. …But, if it’s her, I feel like she’d return to her original world through ‘herself.'”
“‘Herself’?”
“Every being lives in two worlds. The first world is outside of oneself, and the second is inside, within oneself. And in a sense, the inner world, that is, the world within oneself, is connected to all worlds.”
…Unfortunately, even after living for about 3000 years, there are parts of the discussion about worlds I can’t keep up with.
Fiana had explained it to me before, but for her, it was like “being asked why birds can fly,” and ultimately, it wasn’t an explanation I could properly understand.
“One could easily catch a glimpse of another world if they wish. One’s own world connects to all others. Though few can leap over it, Maito, for one, would surely traverse worlds without needing a key or anything of the sort.”
Fiana carefully moved a piece and signaled it was my turn.
“She can do that, can she?”
I took the rook, prompting Fiana’s turn.
It seems Fiana has fallen neatly into my strategy.
“You could do it too, couldn’t you?”
“I’ve never tried it.”
That’s a lie.
In the past, I’ve sought ways to return to my original world several times.
And I nearly succeeded, too.
“Don’t you miss your original world?”
“Everything has changed since those days.”
After 3000 years, any longing for the original world feels almost nonexistent.
Besides, the most important thing to me is in this world. There’s no way I can go back.
That’s why I’ve chosen to stay in this world of my own volition.
“…I see. Well, checkmate.”
…Looking at the board upon Fiana’s voice, it indeed was.
“…For my part, I’d be troubled if you went back. It’d be lonely without my chess partner.”
“After all the time you left me alone, that’s rich.”
Fiana laughed heartily and tilted her cup… only to realize it was already empty.
“Let me brew some more. Really, what a goddess you are.”
“Don’t underestimate omniscience and omnipotence, alright?”
Thinking I’d make her regret it in the next game, I stood up to brew the tea.
