Scooping up the crystal-clear water of the Tunguska River, Shiomi washed the dust from his hands and face.
"No toxicity. It's safe."
He shook the water from his fingers and turned back to Morgan and the others.
From the moment they entered this domain to the moment they reached the riverbank, at least two hours had passed.
They had barely had time to get their bearings before they were forced into battle with the dependents here, the ones that automatically attacked anything they judged hostile. It was only after Nikitich led them to Taigong Wang that they finally had a chance to sit down, catch their breath, and reset their pace.
Now that he had tested the water and confirmed it was harmless, Shiomi told them they could use it without worry.
Not that any of them were so finicky that they needed to wash their hands and faces after only a couple of hours.
If anything, Shiomi's behavior made them notice something subtle.
"My husband is still dwelling on what Taigong Wang said," Morgan remarked. "But since it's a fact there's no room to doubt, he's setting it aside for now and trying to accept it little by little."
That was why he had bothered with such a pointless "toxicity test" in the first place.
"Anyone would," Shiomi said, lowering his eyes with a faint, self-deprecating smile. "But don't worry. I'm not resentful, and I'm not dissatisfied."
"Good." Artoria nodded once. "To be honest, if Tenkei couldn't process it and went out of control… the three of us might not be able to stop you."
She meant what had happened back at Kumano Hot Springs.
If Shiomi truly lost control now, it would likely be far more dangerous, far more terrifying, than before. A god in full collapse.
"You're making jokes like that now?" Shiomi cupped Artoria's face and kneaded it playfully, grinning as he teased her. "Spending too long around someone like me really does rub off. Even the serious King of Knights starts dropping awkward jokes."
"At least I find it delightful," Morgan said.
"Hm?" Shiomi turned to her, puzzled.
"My earlier hunches and guesses were right," Morgan said, sitting on a dead tree stump with her hands resting atop the knee she had drawn up. "My husband and I were both born for a certain mission. In that sense, we really are made for each other. No one understands that better than I—"
"Wait. If you're putting it like that, then I'm also the Child of the Red Dragon," Artoria protested in a muffled voice.
Because Shiomi was still holding her cheeks and she had no intention of breaking free, her tone came out oddly cute.
"That's true. And you're the Goddess of the Holy Lance, so you do have an edge," Scáthach said, hands clasped behind her back as she admired the scenery by the water.
They had finished speaking with Taigong Wang, and before heading out to subdue Beast, they needed a short rest.
Taigong Wang and Nikitich remained upstream, while Shiomi and the others moved a short distance downstream.
From here, the riverside vegetation blocked their view of those two. They could only sense their Mana signatures and presence.
That was why they could relax a little and joke around.
"Master's stirring the pot again," Shiomi muttered.
"After all, I have nothing in common with my beloved disciple. We're only so inseparable because I taught him a few tricks," Morgan said with a shrug, teasing Scáthach in a brisk, almost casual tone. "At times like this, all I can do is play the outsider and offer something that sounds objective."
"But I was my disciple's first woman, and I'm the one who taught him how to treat women," Scáthach said bluntly.
"Stop!" Shiomi cut them off at once.
If they let this topic run, he would be the one paying for it in the end.
Even gods had things they feared. This was the most immediate proof.
His reaction made them laugh, and Shiomi had the distinct feeling that they were teaming up to toy with him again.
To be fair, it wasn't just a feeling.
It had happened so many times he was starting to lose track.
"Looking back, whether Lucifer rebelled out of duty or out of personal motive is impossible to say," Morgan added, returning to a thought she had not voiced earlier.
"Maybe he simply followed his own convictions and wanted nothing more than to deny divine order completely," Shiomi said. "Either way, Lucifer is gone now. There's no way to know the answer."
"Then what do you think now that you know all of this?" Artoria asked, taking Shiomi's hand after he finally let go of her face. "Your birth, your growth, and then stepping onto the seat of a god. All of it was arranged by many gods. Perhaps all they wanted was for you to protect the human world."
"And yet," Scáthach continued, picking up Artoria's thread, "my beloved disciple has already, without realizing it, gained the power to change the world. Even if we stop what they call the Rewriting of Human Order, the world may still be fated to perish someday."
"At the very least, I can't just look away," Shiomi said, shaking his head.
What started this crisis, and what it was meant to accomplish.
Only by untangling those answers could he find a clearer road forward.
"Isn't that enough?" Morgan lowered her eyes. "My husband could show mercy and offer salvation even to the fairies he despised the most. So how could you not do the same for this world you care about?"
"That's not… Back in Britain, I was just—"
"Just caring about me." Morgan waved it off, her eyes filled with a gentle smile. "I've heard that answer countless times. I've seen it proven just as many. I no longer have any lingering attachment or regret. So…"
She lifted a finger and pressed it lightly to her lips.
"My husband must have no regrets either. If, in the end, the only ones you can save are the few of us—"
Morgan shook her head.
"I wouldn't mind. If the world perishes and we remain, I could stay by your side and serve as gravekeeper for what's left."
Her gaze softened further.
"But you would regret it forever."
Shiomi fell silent.
In their eyes, he saw the same unwavering support.
Any words of thanks he might have spoken suddenly felt unnecessary.
"…Sigh. At a moment like this, Skadi, Touko, and Marie really should be here too," Shiomi said at last, hands on his hips, deliberately putting on a troubled expression.
Scáthach responded by smacking him lightly on the backside without warning.
"You're the one who arranged it this way for safety. And Nikitich is coming. She's probably here to ask when we're moving out."
As soon as Scáthach pointed it out, the others sensed it as well.
Moments later, Nikitich pushed aside the dense brush and stepped out.
"Taigong Wang asked me to check whether you've decided when to depart. You might not feel it, but just maintaining his manifestation is already taxing for him."
"Figures." Shiomi nodded. "Then please tell Taigong Wang that we'll rejoin him in ten minutes and set out for the core region."