It was hard to get bored with watching Muriel when she behaved like that, but, at this rate, the conversation won’t proceed.
So Iris decided to restrain her and get to solving the problem.
「Eclipse. Let’s match our timing. One, two…..」
「Ei!」
The sisters cooperated as they put a blanket around the ecstatic Muriel.
Immediately after–.
「Waaaa, what is this?! Everything suddenly went dark! 」
Muriel struggled beneath the blanket.
Utilizing this, they wrapped the blanket around her, tied it up with a string made of magical power, and threw the roll on the bed.
「Punini」
Punigami rejoiced at being liberated from Muriel.
「Oh!? What are you planning to do!?」
Muriel, who stuck out her feet and head from the sides, recognized that she was bound and wiggled like a caterpillar.
「Even though you brought this up, you didn’t get to the main part after all this time, so I tried binding you for the time being」
「For the time being」
「I understand……..wait, it was you who brought this up! This Mistress has been here since a long time ago」
Muriel struggled intensely as she screamed.
But even faced with such violent struggles, the string didn’t show any signs of breaking.
Iris and Eclipse could easily throw this blanket off, though.
For someone calling herself the Guardian Deity, she was far too weak.
「Tell me about that in more detail. I understand that you aren’t a human, but for you to be the Guardian Deity…….」
「If Big Sister Iris isn’t afraid of you then you definitely aren’t human」
「E-Eclipse, you don’t need to mention the embarra.s.sing parts!」
「Eeeh. Big Sister Iris is so cute」
「Punipuni」
Being teased by your little sister, how miserable, Punigami said in frustration.
「You are going to hear everything in detail! This Mistress was born about three hundred years ago. In other words, when this land was only in the early stages of its development –」
Spoke Muriel in a serious tone.
In the past, this land, while it wasn’t a wilderness, had a shortage of rains and the soil was unsuitable for cultivation.
And Muriel was a being “manifested” from the prayers of the resident of the Silverlight Barony.
Muriel responded to the prayers as she created rains, diverted storms, and made the soil fertile.
「However, on a certain day, out of nowhere, This Mistress lost her divine powers……….because of that, this land wasn’t able to provide for the people and they left……..eventually, This Mistress couldn’t maintain her corporeal form and, with time, even her consciousness dimmed…….oyoyo」
Muriel burst into tears as she told her story.
「Good girl, good girl」Eclipse patted such a Guardian Deity.
Eclipse was one such good girl.
「Hahah…..that’s why we couldn’t find you with our detection magic」
「That’s right. However! Because you settled in this church and let out gigantic amounts of magical power, This Mistress managed to regain her consciousness and restore a fraction of her power」
「Hee…….so you were the cause behind all those earthquakes? 」
「Earthquakes? What are you talking about? This Mistress squeezed out all of her power to just shake this bed. This Mistress didn’t have the power to cause an earthquake! However, were you scared so much to mistake it for an earthquake? Fufufu, how was it, were you scared? Perhaps, you were a few earthquakes away from leaving this place……….how regrettable. You caught This Mistress」
Who would’ve thought?
Iris and Eclipse both thought it was an earthquake, but it was only their bed shaking.
Those living below the hill had no way to know.
「Why did you shake the bed? Don’t be a bully」
Eclipse poked at Muriel’s cheeks as she muttered so.
「I-It’s not bullying! This church belongs to This Mistress, the Guardian Deity is This Mistress. But when I regained my consciousness…….Iris is worshipped as the Guardian Deity, the altar was replaced with a bed……uu……..it’s horrible……….」
「Hahah, I see. In other words, you want to drive us out to become the Guardian Deity once again」
「Of course! This Mistress won’t be able to manifest herself unless someone worships her! 」
「You materialized through my magical power, though?」
「Oh? Oh! Indeed! Y-You’re amazing! 」
「You’re welcome. So there is no more need to drive us out, right? 」
「Muu……However, This Mistress in the true Guardian Deity. No matter how outstanding…….aren’t you a demon, Iris?!」
「That might be true……but everyone just worships me on their own……」
「How enviable. This Mistress wants to be worshipped too」
Muriel let out a miserable voice as she rolled all over the bed.
「Big Sister Iris. Let’s do something. She’s too pitiful」
「Let’s see…….we can’t really make people worship her by ourselves, perhaps it’s better to consult with Sheryl…..」
Just as Iris thought that, the Lord, Sheryl, coincidentally came to the church.
「Good morning! It’s morning, please wake up…….wait, Iris-sama is awake even before I came to wake her up?!」[1]
Seeing Iris’ face, Sheryl faltered, went outside, and looked at the sky.
「Ah, yes. Properly in the morning. There is a little something that required me to wake up in the morning」
「Haa, is that so……..that being said, even though you are awake in the morning, you aren’t even drowsy…….」
「Sheryl. I’m not oversleeping because I’m tired. I’m sleeping because I want to. That’s why waking up in the morning is not a big deal」
「A puny human like myself can’t possibly fathom your sense of values……..」
Sheryl muttered with a slightly dull expression.
She was definitely restraining herself from saying「this sloth」out loud.
Iris herself was aware of being a sloth, so she decided not to think too deeply about it.
However, no matter who and what thought as such, she had no intentions to quit being a NEET.
「By the way. Who could that person that keeps rolling on the bed be? 」
When Sheryl looked on top of the bed, Muriel, hearing herself becoming the topic of the conversation, wiggled in joy.
「You are the current lord, right? It’s great that the Silverlight bloodline still continues. Now then, worship This Mistress like you ancestor did! 」
「Eh…….what’s wrong with this person? Immediately asking to worship when we’ve just met…….」
Sheryl retreated with a pale face.
It wasn’t hard to understand.
Muriel’s speech and manners were that of a weirdo unless you were aware of the circ.u.mstances.
No, even Iris, who knew the circ.u.mstances, couldn’t see her as anything but a weirdo, as for Sheryl, she probably wanted to run away right this moment.
「Did you know? Long long time ago, Muriel was the Guardian Deity of this land」
「The Guardian Deity of a long long time ago? What do you mean? 」
「Oh, so you’ve listened. Three hundred years ago –」
And Muriel repeated her story once again.
Having heard this, Sheryl sat on the floor and bowed towards Muriel.
「For me to not recognize the Guardian Deity, who watch over this land from my ancestor’s generation……I was incredibly rude. Please forgive my conduct」
「Umu. You are quite devoted. Since This Mistress wasn’t angry in the first place, you can raise your head. While at it, This Mistress will appreciate if you remove this blanket」
「Understood. Ei, Ei…….I can’t get it off! 」
「Ah, this blanket is bound by my magical power, it’s impossible for Sheryl」
「Iris-sama, please unbind her! Muriel-sama could be said to be Iris-sama’s senior! 」
「I don’t know about any seniors……but I guess I have no reason to keep her restrained anymore」
When Iris undid the magical string, Muriel rolled out of the blanket as it unwinded.
And for some reason, she sat on top of Punigami.
「Punini?」
「This Mistress likes it here. It’s quite comfortable」
「Puni」
Punigami wasn’t against being praised, so 「then you can sit for a while」he said.
「Anyway, Sheryl. Muriel wants to be worshipped by everyone in the village, do something」
「I see. Then let’s introduce her to everyone! The more Guardian Deities there are the better it should be! Iris-sama, together with Eclipse-chan and Muriel-sama are invincible! 」
「Sounds sketchy………but, perhaps, there might be some sense to it」
「Am I a Guardian Deity too?」
Eclipse tilted her head in wonder.
「That’s right. Since you are Iris-sama’s little sister, it’s a matter of course. In the first place, Eclipse-chan’s cuteness is G.o.d-cla.s.s. You being a Guardian Deity is decided! 」
「So that’s how it is. Then I’ll be a Guardian Deity so give me chocolate」
「Yes」
Sheryl took out chocolate from a pocket on her skirt and handed it over to Eclipse.
「Waai」
Munch munch.
Eclipse’s adorable face was graced with an even more adorable smile.
「Wait a minute. Having three Guardian Deities is still pa.s.sable. However, there is a need to decide for is the greatest! 」
「Eh, who cares about that」
「Munch munch. Since I’m the little sister, Big Sister Iris is superior. Chocolate is tasty」
「In that case, Iris. It’s a showdown! 」
Muriel pointed at Iris with her finger.
What a bother, she thought, before deciding to display her strong side, or there was a chance she won’t return Punigami.
For the sake of good night’s sleep, Iris decided to accept the duel.
ReferencesOh, horror. ↩