Si-Woo and Park Seung-Hyun, aka Moderation, were fellow streamers of Evangeline and practically her friends, yet didn't actually know each other that well in the beginning.
One was a famous professional gamer, while the other was a streamer to his core. Their bond had only grown stronger once Si-Woo retired and started living a carefree life as a full-time streamer. The fact that they clicked surprisingly well also played a big role in them becoming close.
Thus, although they spoke formally to each other in public, they were quite comfortable with one another in private.
“Seung-Hyun, you were totally on fire during your stream today.”
“You're full of it! You're the one who makes way more money, you punk.”
“I blame it on the suspiciously high-maintenance hobbies you have.”
“Enough of that. You should treat Eva and I to dinner soon! Let's grease our guts with some good food.”
“Ah. But if Eva tags along, I’m gonna go broke...”
“If you're short on the funds, I'll cover the rest. Let's just pour some booze into our stomachs today.”
Moderation was an art streamer, and Si-Woo was a variety streamer, so they rarely streamed together.
Still, maybe because everyone knew they were close friends, there were always plenty of little birds carrying news back and forth between their communities.
After their streams ended, Moderation and Si-Woo would occasionally meet up to drink.
While nothing was better than sitting in front of their favorite convenience store and chatting over drinks, watching the stars from the rooftop of the house Moderation was staying at also felt pretty good.
“The food’s decent. Give me your glass.”
“Oh my! Thank you, my good sir.”
“My ass kekeke.”
The two chuckled and clinked their soju glasses.
“Damn! That really hits the spot. So, how's streaming been treating you? Honestly, I've been doing this for a long time, and all kinds of crazy stuff still happens all the time. Just the other day, some group mass reported me, and ugh.”
“I don't know about that, it’s not really my experience. What kind of problems would a variety streamer have? Getting ripped apart for doing well back in my pro days was way worse.”
“Fair enough.”
They were chatting casually.
Si-Woo, who was slurping the fish cake broth, said with a complicated expression, “I think it’s time I get married soon.”
“Already? Isn't it too early?”
“Actually, while one of the reasons I retired was due to some physical issues, another was that I wanted to settle down. As you know, I’ve lived like a maniac obsessed with work for many years.”
“They say marriage is the end, though.”
“Hey, hey, hey! A girl from the second-string team of my old gaming org just retired, you know.”
“Hmm?”
“Apparently, someone knocked her up and she had to do a shotgun wedding. The coach was furious at first. Then after the kids were born, she'd occasionally stop by with them to say hi. He'd just laugh helplessly and hand them some candy. At least, that's what I heard. Of course, she was naturally cheerful to begin with.”
There wasn't much point in staying angry at someone who had already retired, and seeing her happily raising a family made the man’s anger fade away.
“Well, there was some talk about a lack of professionalism and all that. But, to me, the sight of the mother holding her son like that looked genuinely beautiful.”
“Hey, I've gotta ask you something.” Moderation emptied his soju glass and gave a knowing look. “Be honest with me. Are you into married women?”
Si-Woo was immediately flustered. “Wha... What the hell, are you crazy?!”
“Honestly, you were close with Illyna, too. Even though you were just game partners, didn't you act exceptionally close with her? If I were Eva’s dad, I wouldn't have liked it much, you know?”
“Hey, don't even joke about that! It's true she's beautiful and charming, but I don’t have any feelings for Illyna.”
Moderation smirked. “Be real with me.”
“I said I don’t!!”
“Then the married woman thing...”
“I’m afraid someone will hear us! Okay, my type is an older woman, someone who can comfort me.”
Moderation felt a shiver down his spine. “This guy's dangerous...”
“What's so dangerous, you punk?! Did I ever try anything sus or what?”
Moderation shook his head, speechless.
Si-Woo teased, “Yeah, well, I guess everyone has different tastes. If I like older women in their 30’s, you can like younger women in their tweens.”
“TWEENS?! I'd never cross the line to kids, asshole! College students in their 20’s are my type. Besides, aren't ideal types and preferences a matter of personal freedom?”
“That's true, but...”
Moderation insisted, “But younger women have that fresh, innocent charm, you know? Isn't that nice too?”
“Oh man, you’re still young, so you wouldn’t know. The elegance of a mature woman is truly a grace from the heavens.”
Moderation burst out laughing, rolling on the floor. “Ahahaha! You’re crazy man, seriously. Kehehe.”
“Do you have any other preferences?”
“Hmm. I don't know. Maybe someone I can quietly watch a movie with on the weekend while resting my head on their lap. Oh, and someone who's a good listener.” Si-Woo, who was talking, suddenly realized that the one who had asked the last question was someone else, and was startled.
He'd only talk about such things with his close friend Park Seung-Hyun! If others heard, it’d be too embarrassing.
A girl approached the stiff Si-Woo and Moderation. “Hm. Hmm. Interesting. Give me a drink, too.”
It was Willow. She was Davey O'Rowane's eldest daughter, a real goddess, even if people simply mistook it for a concept she was pulling off for a stream persona.
Face completely pale, Si-Woo put on an awkward smile. “W-Willow?”
She sat down on the flat bench they were on and reached for the soju bottle Moderation was holding.
Moderation instantly snatched the bottle away from her, shouting, “Hey! Don't you dare drink alcohol. Drink after you turn into an adult, you punk.”
She just pouted and tapped the air, pulling a can of pop out of a rift.
Thud! Hisss!!
Willow gulped it down and looked at the two of them. As if to represent her feelings, the fluttering fabric of her winged dress moved more than usual.
“So... Willow? What brings you here...?”
“That video that leaked from Eva’s stream.”
The two were startled.
She continued, “I came to repay you. I don’t care about it too much, but that guy’s probably in a state of shock for awhile, one way or another.”
Willow sighed. “Thanks to you two, the video didn’t spread too widely. So, I want to do something for you. Think wisely, because opportunities like this don't come often.”
Si-Woo emptied his soju glass and waved his hand dismissively, insisting, “It's fine, it's fine. That was nothing. It’s just what friends do.”
“No, it's not.” Willow stood up. “I must repay you...”
“It’s fine. Though, I have to say, your audacity is pretty funny.”
“I can even grant the wish to make you rich,” she offered.
They didn't believe her. “Don't talk nonsense. Anyone can tell that something like that isn't easily possible.”
“You look down on a Saint Miracle too much. It's possible, as long as the right conditions are met.”
The real reason she was so insistent was that Neltarid might mock her if she backed down.
Willow, who had stood up, snapped her fingers. The two men felt as if the space around them was changing.
It wasn’t just a feeling. Si-Woo and Park Seung-Hyun stared blankly as everything around them changed except for the bench they were sitting on, and they soon realized they had been transported to a different space.
One of them hesitantly asked, “W-Willow? Where are we?”
“Welcome to the sanctuary in the main headquarters of the Church of Neltarid.”
Cats made of light descended gently from the sky before taking on the form of angels.
* * *
The two, having been unexpectedly invited from a building rooftop to the most sacred domain of the Church of Neltarid, stared at Willow with dumbfounded expressions.
“Hey... Willow? We don't need anything like that, so could you send us back soon?” one of them asked, overwhelmed.
“Yeah. It's honestly too much.”
The one who answered was someone else. A boy appeared with a white flash of light and said, “No, I cannot.”
He was someone Moderation and Si-Woo had seen before.
“Ah!”
They instinctively crouched down from the immense influence he emanated.
“Please don't. You're here as my guests.” As Neltarid smiled benevolently and gestured, a table and chairs materialized from the air. He offered, “Would you like to have a seat?”
“Uh. Ummmm. Yes?”
Si-Woo and Seung-Hyun sat down hesitantly and quickly exchanged glances.
A real, bona fide god. They were meeting with Neltarid, the God of Earth. They were facing that very being face to face!
Honestly, remembering the boy they saw in the video made them doubt if he was truly a god, yet looking at him before them, he felt so sacred that the videos definitely couldn't be trusted.
“Mr. Park Si-Woo, Mr. Park Seung-Hyun,” Neltarid called with a bow.
“J-just speak informally, please.”
“No, I'm still a young god. Unlike my predecessor, I still have much to learn.”
“Even so...”
“At least with you, acquaintances of Davey O'Rowane, I don't want to speak informally. More than anything, since you speak informally to Senior Willow, it would be difficult for me if you spoke formally,” he commented in a calm voice.
The two were now painfully aware of how stressful a conversation with a god could be. He was treating them politely, but it only felt suffocating.
“You two, treat him comfortably like just another dude. Neltarid, put away your pressure.”
“Understood.”
As soon as Neltarid retracted his aura, Si-Woo and Seung-Hyun took a deep breath.
“Hmph.”
“My apologies for the imposition.”
“Uh. But what are we here for?”
“I believe Senior has already told you,” Neltarid said, then cleared his throat. “I don't know if I have the qualifications as a god to be helped by living beings of the lower realm, but personally, I want to repay you.”
Si-Woo raised a hand and cautiously asked, “Ummmm. Wouldn't that be favoritism?”
Yet, Neltarid shook his head. “No. After all, it's true that you provided me great help. Would you like me to bestow you with a stigmata?”
Having a set of stigmata was, in itself, a symbol of favoritism.
Hearing Neltarid's suggestion, Si-Woo shivered and shook his head. “No, I'm fine!”
“Very well. Anyway, Senior,” Neltarid began. “Si-Woo said he wanted to get married.”
“Marriage? It's the most sacred and blessed thing permitted by the Primordial Goddess. Marriage is a precious and meaningful thing, regardless of species.”
Neltarid then met eyes with Si-Woo. “Then, do you wish to meet the person you want to marry?”
Si-Woo was overwhelmed by their favor. “Ummm. You really don't have to go that far...”
“I want to grant a wish of your choice. If you don't want that, then you may ask for another.”
At that moment, Moderation cautiously asked, “Uuuh. My apologies for intervening, but may I ask a question?”
Neltarid gestured for him to go ahead.
“I'm just a humble being of the lower realm, so I don't know what you, a god, are thinking. But what would you do if a foolish mortal asked for an unreasonable wish?”
Neltarid briefly flinched, and Willow averted her gaze. At the same time, the quick-witted Moderation understood the situation.
‘They brought us here without thinking about the consequences.’
He wondered if they were truly lofty gods who maintained the world, but he quickly realized that their current appearance was different from their divine form.
“Your soul is pure and transparent. Although I see a somewhat... lewd side to you, I trust you,” Neltarid delicately informed him.
Moderation felt like he’d been seen right through. He blushed and quickly lowered his head without a word.
“A god's promise is inviolable. Since I offered to grant a wish, I will grant anything. But still, there's one thing you must realize.”
“What is it?”
“One must bear the responsibility for their wish. That's an absolute, unchanging law. Even if I were to try to take the burden, you still must bear responsibility.”
It meant the two gods could fulfill anything, but the two mortals shouldn't wish for something they couldn't handle.
Neltarid congratulated himself internally, thinking it was a spectacular control measure. Willow immediately gave him a look.
‘What a despicable...’
However, Neltarid was desperate. Even though Willow had provoked him, he was the God of Tranquility who had to maintain neutrality. A little favoritism was possible, but crossing the line would be a problem.
Moderation softly meraked, “But it's a bit strange. I thought a god's apostles or angels would come out to act as representatives.”
Their expressions hardened. There seemed to be some circumstances.
“T-that's... My apostles... Ahem.”
“It seems the apostles and saintesses were deeply hurt emotionally, and this is an unofficial meeting,” Si-Woo correctly determined. “You're meeting us directly.”
Park Seung-Hyun nodded as if he understood, although he didn't know the details. He declared, “I'll go later. Can you help Si-Woo first?”
Hearing that, Si-Woo fell into deep thought.
“If it's difficult to think, you could stay at the church here for a while...” Neltarid offered.
Si-Woo lifted his head. “No. I don’t want to miss this opportunity.”
“Please, go ahead. You, the one who earned favor from a god.”
Si-Woo finally steeled his resolve enough to say, “I want to get married.”
“I see. However, while it's possible to change someone's feelings arbitrarily, karma will definitely follow. And also, her husband and other family will likely be resentful of you.”
Si-Woo screamed, “I won’t be laying hands on a married woman, geez!!!”
“I see. But frankly, the ideal type in your soul, as seen by me... is clearly a woman who is already taken.”
“I said stop it!” he said, panting. After calming down, he cleared his throat. “Sure. You said it’s a wish, right? Then I’ll list my ideal types. Grant them exactly as I say.”
His anger flared, but Neltarid and Willow didn't look surprised.
“Now the truth is coming out.”
They just smiled.
“You already seem to know everything, so I’ll tell the truth. I do indeed like mature women. Someone who's elegant, unlike those fresh bamboo sprouts, and who can comfort me. It's hard to explain, but that's how I like women. Older or younger is fine.”
“Hmm. The world is wide, and simply connecting the thread shouldn't be too difficult. Anything else?”
“It'd be nice if she's pretty. Since I’m being greedy, it'd be even better if she has a good figure. I have plenty of money, so I can provide for her without your help. It seems to be someone who will never look at another with affectionate eyes, only at me, and who meshes well with me. I’m not asking you to change her perception, though. I’ll try to win her heart fairly. What I want is the opportunity and guaranteed support.”
“Hmm?”
“My wish is marriage. So please help me connect with my future wife as much as possible. Unfortunately, I’m a total novice at that stuff.”
He was brazen, but Neltarid liked that about him.
Willow and Neltarid looked at each other after hearing his conditions. They turned to a quick discussion over spiritual power.
[What are you gonna do?]
[Perception change would be a big problem, but those conditions he added actually make it super easy. I need to look into the Tionis side, so I'll handle the groundwork for this one. You go grant Moderation’s wish.]
Neltarid nodded. After hearing his wish, Neltarid felt his faith in humanity strengthen.
He could’ve asked to make him the richest person in the world. Even if he had demanded three thousand concubines, they'd have to grant it somehow.
Of course, if he had truly made such a wish, it would’ve been a headache, but Neltarid didn't see Si-Woo as the type of person to make such a wish.
“Now, Mr. Park Seung-Hyun. Your wish...”
“An android.”
“...Huh?” Neltarid momentarily blanked.
“I'd like it to be a true to form life-size android. It should be able to talk with me; think and have emotions on its own; look exactly like a human; and have a customizable appearance. It should be soft and squishy, not too hard. It'd be great if it also liked drawing, like me. Some nerds wish for things like this, you know. And since my housekeeping is pretty disastrous, an android that can help with that would be even better.”
They could hardly believe it. “That's just a personal maid...”
“No, it’s an android? I’m a little awkward dealing with people directly, but an android will be different.”
He was firm.
“Why don't you just ask for someone who will serve you for life? And what's with changing the appearance?”
“Ah, that's different. And for the appearance, how should I say it...? It'll most likely be the one and only android I get in my life, so always having the same look would be a shame. I want to have a repository of various appearances, whether it's the android's preference or mine. Oh, and it'd be nice if it were favorable to me. Do you know that one bio-golem at Eva’s place that can change its form freely? Make me something like that.”
Dirro's form changed very freely. However, Dirro wasn't the type to have human emotions or speak well, as it was fundamentally impossible.
Moderation was quite the king of greed. He was completely different from Si-Woo’s heartfelt traditional request.
Seeing him smile playfully, daring them to try and grant it, was infuriating.
Willow seemed to have caught on, and she stuck out her tongue playfully at Neltarid.
Just like that, Neltarid lost his faith in humanity.
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