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The young adult woman breathed the air in a dramatically loud way, hoping to catch someone else’s attention. To her distress, the underage girl did not move her eyes from the book in her hands. She sat by the girl’s side, sighing once again. Unfortunately, for her, she was still ignored. Without choice, she performed a sigh once again, lying over the girl’s lap and blocking her eyes from the book.
“Liebeskhilfe! I’m trying to read here!” said the young goddess to the woman on her lap.
“Oh, please. I would not need to use such methods if you had given me your attention when I called you.” The adult one said. “I was thinking… maybe we should give Myne some help…” Her eyes gleamed with mischief.
“You know we should not intervene. She must experience the mortal realm—” The girl said more to herself than the goddess. At this point, Liebeskhilfe’s chair felt her full weight once more.
“She needs to fully explore the mortal realm to accurately assess the mortals and blah, blah, blah. The girl was on a two-year jureve. Do you think we have the luxury of standing still when our enemy is moving?”
Mestionora paused. Her grandmother’s subordinate voiced out everything that was in her mind, but she kept quiet. There were so many times when she wanted to intervene, even if it was only by making small moves. They had lost contact with humans for so long; who would know if they would treat their judge correctly? If she were born in an extremely good or bad environment, her judgment could also be skewed.
“What do you really want?” The girl asked, eyebrow raised. No way one of heaven’s greatest pranksters would have a plan without a prank. Or a plan to do something other than a prank, even if she cared about Myne as the rest.
“See… Little one was blessed with divine-level beauty… There would be so many marriage prospects… but those fools will not realize it because she looks like a child.” Liebeskhilfe started. She noticed Mestionora’s twitching eyebrow, but did not comment on the girl’s possessiveness. “She will have her Divine Protection Ceremony soon, right? So… I was thinking of giving her a hand when she goes to the garden.”
“What do you have in mind for me?”
“Ho, ho, ho. I might work under your grandmother, but that does not mean I’m averse to Greifenchan’s domain…” She smiled deviously. “I was reading a few notes on the Earth Realm, and I discovered something interesting. A genre of books where humans are teleported to a book and must go through a certain… objective before returning to their lives. I need your help to create a simulation weave and to pause the real weave. I want to send Myne to my Virtual Reality Weave and a prospective partner of my choosing.”
Mestionora sighed deeply, finally understanding why the Goddess of Binding came to her. No one else in the heavens could borrow authority from the other deities over their domains. It would be far easier to convince Mestionora than all other gods and goddesses.
“I know you want to do something for her, but you are sticking with your family’s decision. You will help me with my fun, and you will also be able to give her some substantial help. Even if her memories from here are locked, I’m sure you will be pleased to have your little sister close once again.”
‘At least I could give her a healthy body and her own colors…’ She reasoned in silence as she had yet to tell the gods about what Quinta did. Mestionora just said it was interference from their enemy, or perhaps her mortal body had some problem they were unaware of. It was the first time a deity lived in the mortal realm using Mynerva’s method.
“Very well, but what do you have in mind for the fake world?”
“I was thinking of something between Yurgenschmidt and the Earth Realm. It should have fewer rules, making it easier for her.” And for me. That last part was not said out loud by the Goddess of Binding, however.
Mestionora did not reply; the Goddess of Wisdom merely supported her chin on her hands as her thoughts went elsewhere.
Myne could have a healthier body. But the mana clumps… Quinta did removed the rest before moving out.
What if she felt alone in the Virtual Weave? But it’s better than not helping at all! At least she would know that if she needed anything, she should just ask them.
It was not a bad idea. Liebeskhilfe could control the Virtual Weave after her grandparents took her for a scolding.
“We would need to be quick. Are you sure the others would not notice if we prepared or started something? We might not have time to take their threads to a Virtual Weave.” Mestinora pointed out, silently conveying she was on board with the idea.
“Hehehehe,” Liebeskhilfe laughed, “I got Verbergen to help us. He will conceal everything!” The fact that she also enlisted help from heaven’s second greatest prankster did gave the young goddess some solace.
“Liebeskhilfe…” Mestionora’s eyes shone with a mischievous energy, “Are you dating Verbergen? I do remember she said something about it. You are a prankster, but you are always found soon. He is the god of concealment, yet he cannot conceal his attempts to court many women, which are consistently rejected by all of them. It’s somewhat disheartening, especially considering his domain. I remember she once said If you two were married, you could prank together and be concealed under his cloak,” she offered the woman a teasing smile, “my, my, my, how very romantic.”
“He— I— We— You—” The Goddess of Binding seemed slightly shy about it, “there is nothing to do with that!”
‘But the rose tinge on your cheeks says otherwise…’ Mestionora smirked inwardly as she analyzed her guest's reactions.
“Anyway!” The adult woman diverged her gaze, “What do you think?”
“Liebeskhilfe, the Mortal Realm is weak right now. Grandfather and Grandmother decreed we should keep our distance as much as possible, otherwise Myne might not have time left.”
“Mestionora, dear. You might be the Goddess of Wisdom, but you are still naive.” A deceptively sweet smile graced her lips. “Helping her in a fake world is not technically intervening.”
The young goddess's widened golden eyes watched the adult deity before her with newfound respect.
“Now I understand why Dregarnuhr, Sterrat, and Wentuchte always said I should stay away from you…” One needed more than just courage to create a divine-level prank.
“It’s just a little loophole, dear. Divine rules are made to be creatively interpreted.” She chuckled. “Are you in?”
“I’m more than in!”
And from there, two gremlins, one wise, one binding, started to scheme.