CHAPTER 90

Elric looked a little surprised.

He hadn't expected them to see Mephisto.

'Is this the second time?'

The first one, Speckles, was currently fulfilling its duty as the horse for the carriage.

But no one else had sensed Mephisto in the meantime.

Not even Augustine and Herman, who had the keenest senses.

Yet, the God of Daffodils openly showed her displeasure toward Mephisto.

It was hard to believe that the fairy who had been laughing and flitting around among them just a moment ago was the same one.

It seemed they had quite the bad history together.

『Ho! Who is this? A familiar face. Was it Pumpkin Flower?』

[Not Pumpkin Flower! Pumpkins bloom in summer!]

『Ah, sorry. It was a Pasque Flower.』

[No! Pasque Flowers bloom in spring!]

『Then Gardenia? You're so ugly, it's confusing.』

[I'm not ugly! Older sister said I was pretty!]

『Hmph! A human gave you some lip service and you believed it? And you call yourself a god?』

[Eek!]

As Mephisto hurled insults, the God of Daffodils got angrier and busier, kicking at the air in a fit.

'...Was Mephi always this good at arguing?'

When they first met, it didn't seem like this.

Elric somehow felt it might be his fault, but he pretended not to notice.

He was just worried about how the others would react, as they couldn't see Mephisto.

To them, it would look like the God of Daffodils was pointing and yelling at empty air.

And sure enough...

"Hmm? Why is the God of Daffodils acting like that?"

"Looks like she can see something."

"Is there a god we can't see?"

The group members looked around, wondering if there might be another flower god nearby.

Vel sniffed around here and there, but when he couldn't sense anything, he tilted his head in confusion.

"Strange. There's definitely nothing here."

"The God of Daffodils tends to be erratic and enjoys playing alone. So, she is probably role-playing by herself right now. She had an invisible friend named Sebastian, and it seems she is fighting with him again."

With the Landscaper's added explanation, the group members finally understood and nodded in agreement.

They had to look at the God of Daffodils with sympathetic eyes.

They had thought the god was a bit unusual from the first time they met.

It seemed the god didn't have any friends.

Sensing their pitying gazes, the God of Daffodils snapped her head around and yelled out.

[Not acting!]

"It seems that's exactly what's happening."

[No, it's not!]

"It is."

[Ugh! It's true this time! Handsome human! Tell them!]

The God of Daffodils, fuming for a while, looked at Elric.

Handsome human.

Elric's lips curled up into a smirk.

"Are you talking about me?"

[Yes! You! You're the most handsome one here! Tell them! I'm not a liar!]

"Of course. How could Lady Daffo be a liar? It's right next to her. Looks like a half-chewed dog bone. Isn't that right?"

[Yes! Yes! Half-chewed dog bone! I love that expression!]

The God of Daffodils laughed heartily, clutching her stomach as she looked at Mephisto's increasingly contorted face.

『For the great Mephisto to be mocked by a mere servant of the Ark. How humiliating and infuriating.』

[And what do you gain from winning against a god who looks so young?]

『Hmph! Instead of hanging out with a half-chewed dog bone, why don't you keep company with a cute little fairy instead?』

Elric was slightly baffled by Mephisto's sulking but couldn't be bothered to respond anymore.

'A god who recognizes Mephisto.'

Elric found it hard to determine whether this was beneficial or detrimental.

'I don't want to incur the wrath of the gods or have them view me with suspicion.'

While he pondered briefly about what to do, he noticed yellow pollen on the God of Daffodils's wings and reached out to brush it off.

[Oh?]

The God of Daffodils stopped laughing and was momentarily startled, but her face soon turned a deep red at the gentle touch.

As Elric tilted his head, wondering what was going on with her, someone explained,

"Though Lady Daffo seems playful, she is actually quite shy. She's blushing out of embarrassment right now."

[No!]

With the curt explanation from the Landscaper, the God of Daffodils blushed all the way to her wings and flew off into the sky.

The Landscaper, still unperturbed, nodded calmly.

"It seems she is very embarrassed."

[No, I'm not!]

The shout from the God of Daffodils echoed loudly from above, but the Landscaper seemed entirely unfazed, as if this happened all the time.

"Although you have only met one god, you are considered invited to the temple. However, before we proceed, I must ask the purpose of your visit that we couldn't discuss earlier. What brings you to this temple?"

All eyes turned to Elric.

Knowing this moment would come, Elric swallowed dryly and took out the ice crystal he had been keeping safe.

Whoosh!

The ice crystal emitted a cold light and floated gently in the air.

"I am here to deliver this to the God of Camellias."

* * *

The Landscaper informed the gods of Elric's purpose and went into the temple to arrange an audience, asking them to wait for a moment. Meanwhile, Elric and others were assigned rooms behind the temple to rest.

"Hmm."

Because the temple was not accepting visitors, Elric was able to have a private room to himself, allowing for some rare alone time.

Of course, it was hard to truly be alone with Mephisto around.

『What's bothering you?』

"The temple's atmosphere is quite different from what I imagined."

『What did you expect it to be like?』

"How should I put it, a bit more vibrant and colorful? Like a paradise out of a fairy tale. Maybe it's because it's a rest period with the General Winter blowing?"

As Elric muttered regretfully, Mephisto scoffed loudly.

『That's not it.』

"Huh? What do you mean?"

『At least 100 years.』

"...?"

『That's how long it's been since flowers have bloomed here.』

"...!"

A completely unexpected revelation.

Elric's eyes widened in surprise.

『I could tell as we were approaching. Maybe a few flowers have bloomed sporadically, but their so-called 'winter' or 'rest period' has lasted at least that long. Maybe even longer.』

"But King Velence said the temple was closed because of the General Winter."

『Did you hear how long this General Winter has been blowing?』

"…Ah."

『That strange phenomenon covering the Black Snowfield. It didn't exist in the era when I was active. Such things never stop and then suddenly become severe again. They may weaken and then intensify, but they don't cease entirely.』

"So, you're saying that 'winter' came to the Black Snowfield quite a long time ago?"

『As I said, I didn't see anything like this General Winter during my time. The Black Snowfield did exist at that time, but it wasn't this grim. It must have been the General Winter that made it this way.』

Mephisto chuckled lightly.

『The Ark was created to prepare for the destruction brought by the Demon God, yet it is powerless in the face of this 'winter.' It's utterly absurd!』

'Maybe the reason the Temple of Flowers became only a tale or legend, no longer widely known, is because the temple's power has weakened…'

The temple's reputation is likely a measure of its ability to gather faith.

'The God of Daffodils also seemed too insignificant to be called a 'god.''

As far as Elric knew, a "divine status" wasn't easily granted.

One must accumulate substantial karma, transcend the limitations of their soul, imprint their presence deeply upon the world, and receive faith from followers to achieve that status.

Even the Golden Lion, regarded as the greatest in the continent, was said to have barely reached the level of a demigod. The significance of being a "god" was not a trivial matter.

However, the God of Daffodils, despite being a minor flower god, seemed more like a mere fairy rather than a true god due to her lack of presence.

However, if the previous speculation was correct, the low presence of the God of Daffodils made sense.

"Then, what do you think is the reason why the General Winter has become so severe recently?"

『I have no idea. It could just be a cyclical change, as the locals believe. But if it isn't…』

Mephisto's eyes gleamed darkly.

『It could be someone's doing.』

"Hm."

『Isn't that strange creature, the Blood Wolf King, starting to act up again? It's not a far-fetched guess.』

"I agree."

『Maybe it's connected to your family's scheme or something. Everything seems too coincidental. It's as if everything is falling into place just as you appeared. Your cunning ancestors might have planned something.』

It was true; understanding what his ancestors were thinking was always difficult.

Elric nodded quietly, but then his expression became curious.

"By the way, why are you being so cooperative all of a sudden?"

『Hmph! I just don't like any of this.』

Mephisto didn't explain his cooperative attitude any further.

But Elric felt he might understand.

The God of Daffodils recognized Mephisto, and the Temple of Flowers originated from the Ark he knew.

Everything had descended from his era.

For someone forcibly separated from the time he once lived in, such memories were crucial. He probably didn't want to see those memories getting destroyed.

'...Wait? Thinking like this, he's like an ancient fossil?'

Elric stared at Mephisto with a curious look on his face.

Mephisto frowned, wondering what this guy was up to now.

Just then—

Knock, knock!

There was a knock at the door.

Recognizing the familiar presence, Elric opened the door wide.

Outside stood the Landscaper, looking at him with a serious expression. She had even taken off the hood she usually wore.

"The gods wish to meet with Elric Melvinger privately."

Elric's eyes lit up.

No other companions.

That meant he had been summoned alone.

"Is it related to the God of Camellias?"

"I am merely someone who ensures the gods have a comfortable place to stay and occasionally conveys their messages. I do not know, nor need to know, what the gods are thinking or what business they have."

"Yes, I understand. Let's go then."

Elric followed the Landscaper out of the guest room and back toward the temple.

Perhaps it was because of what Mephisto had said earlier, but Elric couldn't help noticing the desolate-looking mounds and plains that seemed closer to wastelands. The dried brown grass looked as if it would crumble at a touch.

The temple, adorned with ornate flower statues, was stark and empty inside.

Corridors and hallways, which should have inspired awe and admiration from visitors and devotees, felt eerily desolate. There was no scent of flowers anywhere.

As they reached the center—

A majestic sight greeted them, with hundreds of petal seats arranged in a spiral beneath an arching roof. This grand spectacle should have been filled with the gods' presence, but only a few were seated.

Four? No, maybe five?

Including the God of Daffodils, who sat in a corner with a flushed face, there were barely that many.

The problem was that the others, like the God of Daffodils, seemed to have an equally weak presence. They looked as though they were flowers about to wither.

'As I thought.'

Elric felt that his and Mephisto's earlier suspicions were likely correct.

The General Winter.

That seemed to be the clear problem.

[Who are you?]

[Why have you come?]

[Why are you looking for Camellia?]

[Why are you trying to give crystal to Camellia?]

The other flower gods, apart from the God of Daffodils, bombarded Elric with questions from all around, leaving him bewildered. However, he felt he knew what to say.

So, he lifted his head and met the eyes of each flower god scattered among the empty seats.

Clivia,

Begonia,

Cineraria,

Kalanchoe,

And... Daffodil.

The problem was that the Camellia was not seen there.

'Where did she go?'

He took out the ice crystal while receiving several looks at the same time, such as orange, blue, yellow, and red.

Hwaaa!

"I am Elric Melvinger."

[Melvinger!]

[Our friend!]

[A friend is here! And! How many years has it been? Has it been a thousand years?]

[You idiot. He came here 40 years ago.]

[Oh, that's right.]

[But why did you come?]

[That's right. Why did you come? Are you here to keep your promise?]

Is it because they are happy to see Elric?

There seemed to be a faint scent of flowers coming from somewhere.

Elric was curious about what "promise" meant, but he postponed that question for a moment and brought up the main point.

"As conveyed through Landscaper, my ancestor spoke of delivering this to the God of Camellias. Could you perhaps tell me where the God of Camellias can be found?"

If this was relayed, a new arrangement would commence.

However, the moment the scent of the flowers disappeared completely, a cool air settled in.

[Camellia isn't here.]

Gloom spread out.

Elric's eyes widened.

"What do you mean...?"

[There's no Camellia.]

[Camellia has withered.]

[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]