For them, this decision was made with a readiness to face death. They knew the other side had reasons to harm them and anticipated that outcome.

“So, from this moment, we are part of the Vida faction. We look forward to working with you.”

Yet, Vandalieu readily accepted her—the “Goddess of the Holy Spear,” Elk—and the others. They are the gods who had bestowed their divine blessings on the heroic candidates who remained in Orbaume.

“Then, shall we discuss the content of the divine messages to be sent to Hendricksen and the others, as well as the church officials, the changes in doctrine, the renovation of the churches, and so on–?”

“Wait, are you sure this is alright? We came prepared to make binding agreements, take oaths, and formalize various commitments.”, said Elk, confused.

“It’s fine.”, Vandalieu nodded immediately.

Vandalieu’s immediate response, delivered with a nod despite his grotesque form towering over them, left Elk and the others bewildered.

“Vida and the others instructed me to welcome any gods from Alda’s forces who seek to change allegiance or surrender.”

To be exact, Vida had asked him to avoid destroying them, but Vandalieu chose a softer explanation as the situation seemed to be unfolding peacefully.

He didn’t want to face potential difficulties maintaining and managing the world if too many gods were eliminated without cause. It only made sense not to destroy gods when there was no reason to.

“Besides, I don’t devour gods and human souls because I want to. It’s one of the means available to me to defeat my enemies. And I don’t consider you to be enemies. …Strictly speaking, I probably should think of you as enemies.”

Elk and the others had chosen and nurtured Hendricksen and the other heroic candidates as forces to fight against Vandalieu. This alone would be sufficient to judge them as having hostile intentions, but they hadn’t directly harmed him. In fact, Hendricksen and the others fought to protect Orbaume under Miriam’s command.

Moreover, Elk and the others hadn’t directly declared hostility against Vandalieu like Yupeon, the “God of Ice,” who had interfered with Vandalieu’s goals. They also hadn’t engaged in direct combat and killing like Brateo, the “Giant of Roaring Thunder,” or Madrosa, the “Great Sea Dragon God.”

Vandalieu knew Elk and the others were part of Alda’s faction. They were former believers of Alda and his subordinate gods who had become deities after death—essentially, they had supported the persecution of Vida’s followers and new races since their mortal lives.

However, if he were to judge enemies based on this criterion, all gods of Alda’s forces would end up being enemies regardless of whether they surrendered or not. That wasn’t his intention.

“So, while I’m sure you have your thoughts, and the gods of the Vida faction might find it difficult to immediately accept you as comrades, please earn their trust through your future actions. Of course, having accepted you, I will cooperate to that end.”, Vandalieu said offering his support.

They might feel uneasy about not being asked for compensation or terms, but that was for them to overcome. Vandalieu would merely offer his support—his cooperation in their efforts.

“However, I’m not completely trusting you either, so I can’t disclose future plans and such. Just as believing in a god doesn’t mean all of their believers are worthy of trust, trusting someone doesn’t necessarily mean you can trust the god they worship.”

There were kind people among Alda’s believers, just as there were Vida followers who discriminated against new races. Hendricksen and his group were trustworthy, but that didn’t mean Vandalieu could extend that trust to Elk and the others just because they were worshipped by people he trusted.

Understanding Vandalieu’s logic but finding his acceptance too generous, Elk spoke up:

“I understand. However, if we do nothing and rely solely on your kindness, it will take hundreds of millions or billions of years to gain the trust of the gods of the Vida faction. Therefore, we would normally want to exchange a contract and give our oath a tangible form and binding force, but that’s impossible. So, I will entrust you with this spear.”

Saying this, much to Vandalieu’s astonishment, Elk held out her holy spear—a symbol of herself—and offered it to him.

“I shall entrust this staff.”

“I shall entrust this pen.”

“I shall entrust this divine ox.”

“I shall entrust these seedlings and rice seeds.”

Following Elk’s lead, the other gods who were revered by the heroic candidates began presenting their treasured symbols and divine artifacts.

“I appreciate your sentiment, but please hold on for a moment.”

Vandalieu found himself in a dilemma. He was currently in the divine realm, separated from his physical body, and wasn’t sure if he could return carrying these divine artifacts. Even if he managed to return, he’d be at a loss for where to store such a vast collection. They weren’t just items like spears, staffs, and pens—there were even living (?) things like the divine ox, seedlings, and rice seeds. Mismanaging these entrusted items would be disastrous.

So, Vandalieu wanted to resolve this with a contract, as Elk had initially mentioned.

“…I’m sorry, but I’d prefer to settle this with a contract if possible. Could you please explain why a contract isn’t possible and what we should do instead?”, Vandalieu admitted his ignorance about divine contracts.

Elk and the other gods expressed surprise at this, but their surprise didn’t end there.

“Well, it’s natural that I, a human, wouldn’t know about contracts exchanged between gods.”, Vandalieu added, acknowledging his lack of divine knowledge.

However, when Vandalieu responded to their surprised looks with this explanation, Elk and the others appeared even more astonished.

(They don’t have to be that surprised just because I’m so uneducated. I guess it’s natural for them to think I know a lot about gods, given that I’ve met with Vida and Zuruwarn many times, my mother was an incarnation of Vida, and I’m in an environment where opportunities to gain knowledge are everywhere. In reality, I’m new to this realm. I only recently learned about reincarnation, for example.)

“Peria, could you explain this?” Vandalieu asked, addressing Peria, the “Goddess of Water and Knowledge,” who was attending this meeting as an observer of the negotiations.

“Of course. Contracts between gods are essentially promises made by those who lack physical forms and were traditionally overseen by Alda. You see, Alda was once known as the ‘God of Light and Law,’” she began.

Peria explained that these divine contracts were enforced under Alda’s authority. Gods would make their vows in his presence, and if a promise was broken, Alda would sense the violation and mete out punishment using his divine authority, known as the “Stake of Law.” This made him well-suited to manage such agreements.

“I get it now—that explains why it isn’t possible anymore,” Vandalieu said.

In this current era, where the Vida faction and Alda’s forces were at odds, making contracts in Alda’s presence was no longer possible.

“But I’d be in a bit of a bind if you suddenly handed over your divine artifacts to me. Would it be alright if I left them with Vida instead? Beyond that, one compromise I can suggest is for you to take on roles that are currently missing within the Vida faction.”

“I have no objections to that. And if there’s a role that needs filling, I’m willing to take on whatever is necessary,” Elk said, accepting the idea as part of earning trust and making amends for past actions.

“Then, please be the guardian deity of magical girls.”, Vandalieu proposed.

“I would be honored to acc—wait, what did you just say?” Elk blinked, stunned.

“The guardian deity of magical girls. You know, like how Miriam and Kalinia transformed?”

One issue in the Vida faction was the lack of gods presiding over magical girls who wield transformation equipment developed by Vandalieu.

For warriors, there are gods who preside over various aspects of warriors, such as the “God of Warriors,” “God of Swordsmen,” “God of Magic Swords,” and so on. There are also gods who preside over jobs derived from warriors, such as the “God of Knights” and “God of Soldiers.”

Of course, even if such gods didn’t exist, warrior-type jobs wouldn’t disappear, nor would anything happen to existing warriors.

Then why are various gods presiding over warriors necessary? It’s because the worshipping believers demand it.

It was only natural for aspiring warriors to pray to a “God of Warriors” for luck and success. But having just one god wasn’t enough to satisfy the variety within their ranks. Over time, different kinds of warriors emerged—those who favored axes or spears over swords, those who charged headfirst into battle versus those who defended allies with large shields, and even those who mixed martial prowess with magic.

Warriors who stood out for their charisma, their courage to protect the vulnerable even in the worst circumstances, or their grace and dignity on the battlefield needed gods that reflected their unique qualities.

In other words, the diversity of gods reflects the diversity of warriors.

Magical girls were now growing in both number and variety. They had long been popular in the Demon Empire of Vidal and were gaining fame in Orbaume, especially as Darcia, the “incarnation of Vida,” and Miriam, the “Heroic Princess,” held this job. Though Miriam technically never acquired magic skills to qualify as a true magical girl, that was beside the point.

Furthermore, in this world, there is no preconceived notion of “what a magical girl should be like.” The only condition is using transformation equipment.

This meant anyone, whether an emperor’s mother, a Ghoul grandmother, or even a 2-meter-tall zombie princess, could be a magical girl if they used such equipment.

Whether they fought with magic, sang, danced, combined martial arts, or relied solely on physical combat, they were all considered [Magical Girls].

The transformation equipment itself came in many forms, capable of becoming magical mediums or transforming into physical weapons like spears, swords, or axes.

It was only a matter of time before magical girls gained the same diversity as traditional warriors and mages. In fact, branches of the Mages’ Guild throughout the Orbaume Kingdom were already reporting confusion. “This isn’t like existing mages,” they said, “so we’re at a loss when people come to us asking, ‘How do I become a magical girl?’” It was becoming clear that magical girls would not be categorized as a mere sub-branch of mages.

However, the gods presiding over magical girls remain sparse.

First, since her incarnation Darcia is a magical girl, it’s natural that Vida, the “Goddess of Life and Love,” is worshipped as a goddess of magical girls. Next, Ricklent, the “Magic God of Time and Magic” who is genderless or both genders, is also worshipped as a guardian deity of magical girls.

Additionally, Peria, the “Goddess of Water and Knowledge,” Botin, the “Mother Goddess of the Earth and Craftsmanship” (due to the advanced technology involved in creating transformation equipment), Merebeveil, the “Heroic God of Scylla” and “Evil God of Slime and Tentacles,” and Zerzoregia, the “Goddess of the Dark Night,” are worshipped as deities associated with magical girls, thanks to influential believers of theirs holding [Magical Girl] jobs.

This also applies to Diana, the “Moon Giant,” who recently obtained transformation equipment.

And Vandalieu, the creator of the transformation equipment necessary to become a [Magical Girl], is actually treated as a god-like figure for [Magical Girls]. According to Kanako, he’s recognized more as a fairy-like something that grants transformation items rather than a god itself.

In fact, if you consult with a Demon King Familiar within the sphere of influence of the Demon Empire of Vidal saying “I want to become a magical girl,” it will help you, so this perception is not unfounded.

However, among human societies, there are few figures considered gods of [Magical Girls]. This is partly because many deities famous within the Demon Empire of Vidal are not widely worshipped in the Orbaume Kingdom or are only recognized in limited areas.

“If we wait for a [Magical Girl] to naturally ascend and become a deity, it could take thousands of years. That’s why we’re actively recruiting gods for this role,” Vandalieu explained, leaving Elk momentarily speechless. When she didn’t respond after a pause, he continued.

“Of course, I’m not saying you have to do it. As a human, I can’t possibly understand all the circumstances of gods. Besides, even if there aren’t many gods of magical girls, it’s not a major issue. I just mentioned it on a whim, so don’t read too much into it.”

When Vandalieu said this, for some reason the other gods watching Elk also looked surprised. Vandalieu interpreted this as surprise at his attempt to withdraw the proposal he had made to Elk.

As former gods of the Alda faction, they likely harbored a deeply negative view of him. Reflecting on this, Vandalieu inwardly sighed, realizing that future interpersonal—or rather, inter-divine—relationships and communication would probably prove challenging.

“N-no, such an important role, I h-humbly accept—”, Elk stammered.

Having recovered from her paralysis, she was about to vow to take on the role of guardian deity of magical girls with a sense of tragic determination.

“Wait, Elk! You need not bear this burden alone!”

“We too wish to take on that role!”

The other gods worshipped by the hero candidates quickly voiced their support.

(I see. Of course there would be a burden in taking on a new role. It was thoughtless of me to ask only Elk to do it.), Vandalieu reflected thus.

“Ah! Everyone…”, Elk turned around with an emotional expression, gazing at the other gods.

Would these gods, once worshipped by the hero candidates who remained in Orbaume, now assume the unexpected mantle of guardian deities for magical girls?

“Ah~ I know it might be presumptuous of me as an observer to interject, but may I say something?”, Peria interjected before this could become reality.

“Of course.”, Vandalieu said.

“Thank you. Vandalieu, in this era where gods cannot easily descend to Earth, there’s a proper order to follow when gaining a new divine attribute—a role that a god didn’t originally possess. In the case of becoming a god of magical girls, rather than Elk approaching Hendricksen and other believers saying ‘I’ve become the god of magical girls,’ it’s less of a burden if the worshippers began believing, ‘Elk is also a god of magical girls’ and pray to her as such.”

The authority of gods is determined by the prayers of their believers. Yes, gods are beings that change according to the humans who worship them.

When Elk was a mortal, she was a hero who carried a holy spear and became famous for her martial prowess and beauty. After death, she ascended to the position of a god, worshipped as a heroic god and goddess of spearmanship.

Now, she is also worshipped as a guardian deity of women involved in battle and a goddess of princess knights, reflecting her legacy as a female knight.

Even on “Earth,” in Japan, there were gods who began as deities of fruit and later came to be known as gods of sweets. The principle is much the same.

It might seem complicated, but it’s actually easier for gods to take on new divine roles when the believers themselves initiate the change. When a god tries to take on a new divine attribute voluntarily, it’s like undergoing a full-body reconstructive surgery. The strain can be so great that even their personality might shift.

Take Merebeveil, formerly the “Evil God of Slime and Tentacles,” for instance. She managed to transform into the “Heroic God of Scylla,” who are her own children, and endured only extreme pain. However, if she had tried to become something unrelated, like the “Heroic God of the Human Race,” she might have lost consciousness for tens of thousands of years, and when she finally woke up, she could have been an entirely different entity or become too weak to remain a god.

In contrast, when a god is granted a new role through the prayers and recognition of their believers, it’s like receiving a new set of clothes, accessories or weapons. The essence of the god remains unchanged, and they virtually suffer no burden.

Peria had every reason to step in and stop Elk from taking on the burden alone.

“In the current Orbaume Kingdom, the perception of magical girls leans more towards ‘bards who use magic while dancing and singing’ rather than ‘a type of magician,’” Peria explained. “This view is especially strong in the duchies outside Orbaume, where people have seen you in action. For Elk, who doesn’t embody those qualities, directly taking on the divine role of a guardian deity of magical girls would be a significant burden.”

“I didn’t expect Kanako and the others’ concerts to backfire like this…”, Vandalieu muttered, realizing what Peria meant. The nationwide tours meant to spread guidance quickly had indeed raised awareness of magical girls. However, it had also created an explosion of people who only knew them from the stage shows.

“I understand. We’ll take a steady approach after all. For now, let’s focus on Hendricksen—” Vandalieu began, only to be abruptly interrupted.

“Wait! You’re not planning to turn Hendricksen into a magical girl, are you?!” Elk exclaimed.

“No, I intend to give him transformation equipment, but I’m considering a type that changes into armor, similar to Simon’s or Natania’s,” Vandalieu explained.

“Oh, th-thank you for your consideration,” Elk replied, nodding with genuine relief.

Vandalieu had never intended to outfit Hendricksen—a handsome young nobleman of aristocratic grace, close to Miriam and the others—in a fluffy, frilly costume.

The plan was to have Hendricksen, one of Elk’s most powerful followers, use transformation equipment to potentially grant Elk the new divine attribute as his guardian.

“Now, shall we get back to drafting the contents of the divine messages for Hendricksen and the church officials, revising the doctrines, and planning the renovation of the churches?” Vandalieu suggested.

Switching from the Alda faction to the Vida faction would mean that the statues and reliefs dedicated to Alda’s gods in the churches would need to be replaced with those of Vida’s deities. Revising the doctrine and sending divine messages to the clergy would also be necessary.

While Vandalieu, who can talk directly to the gods like this, could personally deliver Elk and the others’ messages, that approach would only work in the Demon Empire of Vidal. Doing the same in Orbaume might undermine the authority of the clergy, leading to unnecessary resentment.

Separate meetings had to be held with the other gods to address their specific doctrines and the locations of their main churches. Vandalieu, with his many tentacles and extra arms complete with eyes and mouths, managed to handle these simultaneous meetings efficiently.

“Well then, that’s the plan. Outside of the Farzon Duchy, there aren’t many strong Alda supporters left, so I don’t think your churches will face organized attacks. Still, stay vigilant,” Vandalieu advised. “Also, I believe we should stop referring to Hendricksen and the others as ‘hero candidates.’”

“Why is that?” Elk asked.

“Because they fought alongside us to protect Orbaume from Guduranis and his minions. They’ve earned the title of heroes, not just candidates… Well then…” With those parting words, Vandalieu vanished, leaving Elk’s divine realm.

“…He really is someone who can sway not just people, but gods as well,” Elk murmured.

As a side note, what surprised Elk and the others the most was realizing Vandalieu was serious when he said he was human.

<<<< ++++ >>>>

While navigating the underground passage of Talosheim’s royal castle, Vandalieu’s Main-Body-Type Demon King Familiar sensed that his main body had returned from Elk’s divine realm.

“As expected, my thoughts and sensations become dulled while my main body is in the divine realm.” the familiar murmured.

Because most of Vandalieu’s soul was pulled to the divine realm, Vandalieu’s demon king familiars experienced a load on their thoughts and sensations during that time. Though it was only a temporary effect and not a serious issue at the moment, it could become a problem during intense battles that required significant amounts of mana.

“To solve this, maybe I need more bodies… no, since it’s a soul issue, increasing the number of main bodies wouldn’t make sense.” the familiar murmured.

“Is something on your mind?” a cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts.

He looked up to see Bokor, a young man with a broad smile, standing upside down on the ceiling. Behind him were Yukijoro, a pale-skinned beauty, and Amemiya Mei, affectionately called Mei-kun, also walking on the ceiling.

“No, just talking to myself. Don’t mind me, Bokor.”

The scene might look like something straight out of a horror movie, but Bokor wasn’t a ghost. He was someone who had been experimented on by Rokudou Hijiri in “Origin.” The ceiling walk was part of Mei and her companions’ training in [No-Attribute Magic] and [Magic Control].

“Van~, I’m getting better at ceiling walking! Banda praised me, too!” Mei called out with a proud smile.

“Your magic control has really improved,” Vandalieu’s familiar responded.

The reason why Mei and the others are crawling or walking on the ceiling is for training in [No-Attribute Magic] and [Magic Control].

Mei and the others are acting as if they’re walking on the ceiling by supporting their own body weight with [Telekinesis] and maintaining balance. This challenging training requires precise control: applying too much force hinders movement, while too little causes a fall.

“Yes, this way, you won’t end up with sloppy mana control like me.”

T/N: The author used a Japanese expression here: Donburi kanjou (丼勘定) means ‘sloppy accounting’ or ‘careless budgeting.’ Translating litterally ends up looking weird so I took some liberty here. I’m guessing he’s trying to say that he has sloppy mana control due to his ridiculous mana quantity.

Just in case, Banda was stationed beneath them to catch anyone who might fall.

“Hiroshi and Gabriel are knocked out from magic overuse. Ulrika… well, she lost control, fell, and fainted.” Banda reported. “You probably know this since you’re me, but I caught her before she hit the floor, so she’s not injured. It seems she fainted from the fear of falling.”

“No, until just a moment ago, my main body was in the divine realm, so it seems my connection with you had weakened. I remember now. It seems that creating you, Banda, was indeed the right decision.” Vandalieu’s familiar confirmed.

Unlike demon king familiars or clones, Banda is a specially made clone created by tearing off a part of Vandalieu’s soul. In exchange for the main body’s magic power decreasing by one hundred million, Banda stays fully operational without being affected by Vandalieu’s main body, despite being his clone.

Unlike the demon king familiars who experience a load on their thoughts and sensations while Vandalieu’s soul is invited to the divine realm, Banda can act without experiencing any issues.

“Hehe!” Mei beams with joy from her perch on the ceiling, basking in the praise about Banda.

The Main-Body-Type Demon King Familiar and Banda gazed up at her, a warm feeling washing over them.

“I hope Ulrika doesn’t develop a fear of heights,” Vandalieu’s familiar said. “By the way, aren’t you going into the workshop?”

“We refrained because a graduation ceremony is in progress,” Bokor replied. “I thought it was still too early in terms of emotional education.”

“Ah… right, I forgot,” Vandalieu’s familiar said as his shared memories with other demon king familiars started syncing properly again. The strain while his main body was in the divine realm had been more significant than he initially realized.

Though the disruption had only lasted a short while, it was clear that addressing this issue was crucial before it led to larger complications.

<<<< ++++ >>>>

Meanwhile, in the workshop, the event that Bokor had referred to as a graduation ceremony was underway.

“Congratulations, gentlemen,” Luciliano said, sporting his well-groomed mustache and a proud smile as he addressed a group of former criminal test subjects.

“Today, you graduate from being mere experimental subjects—guinea pigs, if you will. Your contributions have significantly advanced my research and, more importantly, Master’s ambitions! Without a doubt, this marks a monumental contribution to the Demon Empire of Vidal.”

With a flourish, Luciliano handed a stack of documents to one of the former test subjects. On the top sheet, in bold letters, were the words “Human Rights.”

“This is what you’ve been waiting for!” he announced.