[—My son. Seek your brother, the great god of the earth.]
The more he mulled over those words, the more they plunged Cairens into fury, while simultaneously filling him with strange anticipation.
Seianes. The great god of the earth.
He was both the starting point of his misfortune and tragedy, and the guardian of that child he wanted to meet again.
A figure hateful yet unable to be hated. Humans praised him as the great god of the earth, but Cairens knew well how selfish an existence he was.
Unable to properly control his own power, he had driven people into a corner, yet because his child Abrisius was in danger, he had cruelly meted out punishment.
‘How absurd.’
Leaving Henelion’s Temple, he briefly sneered at that incident.
That day, Seianes had pulled Cairens out of the tragedy. But it wasn’t out of goodwill toward Cairens—it was simply because he was his brother and would be beneficial to them.
“Can I really meet that child again?”
In this disgusting situation, the one thing he could purely be most happy about.
He had wanted to meet that child again someday. He had vaguely thought that since he bore a hero’s destiny, he would meet that child again, but now that it was really happening, indescribable complex emotions surged through him.
My first friend.
But quite some time had passed, and now that even he himself had changed so much, he doubted whether Abrisius would still be the same child he knew. Perhaps he had changed to become arrogant like the other gods.
“Still, I want to meet you one more time. No matter how you’ve changed.”
Nevertheless, because he was the benefactor who had saved his life, because he was the friend who had saved him, he wanted to meet him. Even if he had changed, he wanted to confirm with his own eyes how he had been doing.
Because he was his one and only friend whom he had never once forgotten.
* * *
“Caw caw!”
—Abrisius, how long are you going to stay like that, you lazy bum! What did I tell you? Hurry up and steal Seianes’s lips!
From the leisurely morning, Lily had been noisily spinning around Abrisius’s side, chattering away. Abrisius, who had been quietly listening to her story, soon waved his hands dismissively as if annoyed.
“Lily, stop it.”
—Stop what? If you like him, a man should make the first move. Who wouldn’t like a pretty thing like you?
“Seianes likes me.”
—That kind of liking and this are completely different. I’m telling you to be proactive!
The crow Lily was now habitually pecking at Abrisius’s head.
Thirteen years ago, after first meeting in former Atlante, Lily had found her way to where Abrisius was, and the two had been building their connection until now.
From what he remembered, it didn’t seem like they had parted on particularly good terms. But with how she had helped him get to the prison where Cairens was confined, Lily seemed to have taken a liking to him.
He didn’t know the reason why, but since there was no particular reason to reject that goodwill, he would often play with her when Seianes wasn’t around.
Whether Lily didn’t particularly like Seianes or not, she would disappear when he was present, but when he wasn’t, she would approach like this, play with him like an older sister, and generously offer advice.
“Caw! Caw!”
—But I don’t understand why you like Seianes. He doesn’t even look that great to me, and his personality is just—he only pretends to be mature, you don’t know how childish he actually is, do you?
“Are crows’ aesthetic standards originally peculiar? If Seianes isn’t great, then who is?”
—Hmm…… Siomopess? No, Lyutios is definitely better than him. He has a fantastic beauty that can only be seen in dreams.
“Sure.”
The sight of her listing and praising the names of gods he didn’t even know. She had subtly acted pompous, saying she wasn’t an ordinary crow, yet her actions were hapless.
Still, as she said, she really wasn’t an ordinary crow—she had lived long. She didn’t seem to age, and above all, she was incredibly healthy. Perhaps she really was a spiritual creature blessed by the gods.
—If you want, I could introduce you.
“No thanks. If you’re going to keep talking like that, go away.”
Grumbling, Abrisius got up from his seat. Lily, who had perched on his shoulder as if waiting, rubbed her head against his cheek.
“Caw……”
—Just be proactive instead of being prickly. There’s no reason for him to refuse you.
“I grew up in his hands. It would be hard for him to see me as a romantic interest overnight.”
Stretching once more, Abrisius looked up at the sky. The dazzling sunlight was shining brilliantly, brightly illuminating the earth. For some reason, it felt like only good things would happen.
Having rested enough, Abrisius now moved his steps in the direction where Seianes had disappeared in order to find him.
“I’m going to help Seianes, so you can go ahead.”
—Hmph, fine. Do well on your own.
At Abrisius’s words, Lily took off from his shoulder without hesitation and flew up.
Watching the fluttering crow disappear into the distance, Abrisius headed back toward Seianes.
And he saw a familiar figure in the distance.
“Seianes!”
Delighted, Abrisius called out his name first.
Around him, wildflowers were positioned here and there, and Seianes, who had been quietly bending down in the center watching the nameless flowers, turned around sharply.
“You’re only getting up now? Lazy bum?”
His golden hair, holding the sunlight slanting to one side, was fluttering gently along with the flower petals in the direction of the wind.
Pure and beautiful. No, it was such a feeling that something hot was rising from one side of his chest, to the point where it was difficult to express with the word beautiful.
“Really, how long are you going to act so childish?”
Even while reproaching Abrisius’s still childlike attitude, the smile lingering on his expression didn’t disappear.
“What did I do? You’re the one who raised me like this, Seianes.”
“Yes, I raised you wrong.”
Grumbling, Abrisius approached and naturally nestled into Seianes’s arms. The lingering scent of the wildflowers he had just been looking at subtly pierced his nose.
Seianes stroked the round head of Abrisius, who had docilely nestled in his arms.
It was newly striking that the baby who had been only palm-sized had now grown to the same eye level as him.
He was both proud that he had grown this much and regretful that he seemed to have grown too quickly.
He gently pulled away Abrisius, who was burying his face in his chest like a child. The black eyes that had been closed in his arms slowly opened and looked up at Seianes.
Now fully grown with no trace of youthfulness left, he still retained the habits of his childhood intact like this.
“……”
Wordlessly, he placed his fingertips on Abrisius’s cheek. Still a soft touch. The way he naturally rubbed his cheek against his hand was unmistakably acting spoiled.
Then and now, Abrisius was still young.
“A guest will be coming later, Abrisius.”
Unlike other temples, Seianes’s temple didn’t even have proper priests. Except for those assigned once a year, his temple was a place maintained solely by Seianes’s power.
But a guest? Abrisius tilted his head with curiosity taking the lead.
“A guest?”
