Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1998: Scattered essence (2)

Previously on Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure...

Shota followed King Lune into the depths of the castle, dismissing his guards as they reached a pair of mysteriously lustrous doors made of an unfamiliar material. The king halted there, stating he could go no further and that the ancestor awaited inside, leaving Shota to enter alone. The door slammed shut behind him in a brightly lit chamber with no visible light source, where a stand held a sword emanating faint traces of divine energy, as if from a deceased god. A voice from the sword declared, "You’re finally here," prompting it to glow and coalesce its energy into a small ball.

Today had thrown plenty of shocks my way, yet this particular one topped them all in sheer astonishment.

Truth be told, it was far from anything I'd anticipated encountering.

That tiny orb of energy carried distinct traits that hinted at its true nature, though it strained belief to accept what those traits implied.

Should those traits hold true, accepting this entity's identity became even tougher.

Simply put, it lacked the majestic presence one might anticipate from such a being.

"I notice that look in your eyes. You're not holding back on considering this old bird's emotions at all."

Hearing those words brought an embarrassed expression to my face, so I cleared my throat to steady myself before replying, "Well, you can understand why I'm reacting this way. It's simply tough to wrap my head around you being like this."

"Ha, ha, I get it, no hard feelings, but it's quite the tale. Care to hear this old bird out?"

Even without the prompt, I would've inquired about it anyway. Thus, I nodded without a second thought.

"To start, I must tell you that the god I served has passed away."

"Huh..." My voice carried a stunned edge upon hearing that.

I'd suspected as much before, but confirmation straight from this god's envoy hit differently.

The death of a god...now that was a bombshell of a truth.

Yet it shed light on why the gods pushed so hard against the forces of Destruction. It went beyond mere obligation; their very existence hung in the balance.

I'd assumed something like this might be true, but without proof that gods could perish, it remained speculation.

Regardless, this knowledge wouldn't halt my battle against the forces of Destruction or alter my actions. My fight stemmed from the desire to safeguard those dear to me.

Learning this changed nothing in that regard.

"My sympathies. I wonder if this occurred lately or if..." My words faded there.

The little energy sphere let out a light laugh before responding, "No need to fret, it happened ages ago. Right back when the God of Destruction was initially sealed away."

I nodded gradually while processing those details.

The revelation didn't shock me much, given how gravely the gods had treated the God of Destruction issue. It stood to reason that such an event unfolded long ago.

"So, do you still count as a god's messenger?" I posed the question cautiously.

"The label of god's messenger lingers even after the god I served is gone, thanks to the lingering blessing of their power. Only when that power fades do I forfeit the title."

Those words plunged me into contemplation, packed as they were with implications.

The crucial detail lay in that final clause about forfeiting the title.

Rephrased, it suggested this god's messenger teetered on the edge of losing their status. In time, all their power would ebb away completely.

"What have you been expending your power on?" I inquired after a prolonged pause.

With yet another chuckle, the god's messenger replied, "Hasn't it become clear? You've pieced it together already, so do I really need to spell it out?"

A bitter smile tugged at my mouth, but truly, no explicit confirmation was required since I'd already surmised the truth.

It explained the prosperity blessing this kingdom.

The god's messenger went on, "I've spread my essence throughout this realm, and that's what keeps it thriving."

"But why go to such lengths?" The question slipped out as I absorbed this.

A sigh escaped the god's messenger before they explained, "It stems from the pact I struck with this kingdom's founder. He was my chosen partner, the one I vowed to protect this land for. That's why I've dispersed my essence far and wide here."

"Even so, this shouldn't force you to fade away just for fulfilling that. Can't you replenish yourself somehow?"

After all, such resilience defined the essence of this mythical creature.

One glance at its telltale marks confirmed beyond doubt that this god's messenger embodied a phoenix.

Phoenixes possessed the ability to endlessly regenerate through fresh flames. Hence, it defied logic for this envoy to deplete their power in this manner.

Not even with divine power waning.

"You can't fathom the immense energy required to bestow blessings on this territory—far beyond what an old bird like me can sustain."

"Then, if you ceased the blessings, couldn't you regain your strength?"

"Maybe so, but that's not the path we'll take."

My eyebrows furrowed at those words, yet I held back from pressing the god's messenger to reconsider. The resolute edge in their tone made it clear.

Even if I spoke up, they wouldn't heed me anyway.

Therefore, I simply asked, "What did you wish to discuss with me?"