Though Sonoko and Ran didn't know much about Hercule Poirot was, they understood from Morpheus's words that he truly didn't need Shinichi as a follower.
Thus, if Ran became his follower, she'd eventually face two choices.
One: beg Morpheus to make Shinichi a follower too.
Two: voluntarily abandon her status as a follower.
It sounded like two choices, but there was really only one.
Since Morpheus had no intention of accepting Shinichi, Ran would inevitably have to give up being a follower in the future.
Even the densest person would realize that being a god's follower wasn't something you could join or leave on a whim.
Did she think a god was desperate for her as a follower?
For a moment, Sonoko didn't know how to resolve this.
Now she truly understood what it meant to be powerless to help.
Ran was torn, unsure whether to become Morpheus's follower.
"Enough. Let's end this here, Ran. You're not suited to be my follower. That's final."
Seeing her indecision, Morpheus cut off her hopes decisively.
Ran was startled, realizing her hesitation had annoyed him, leading to her outright rejection.
She gave a bitter smile, stood, and bowed to Morpheus. "I'm sorry, Lord Morpheus, for causing you trouble."
With that, she turned and left.
Having been rejected, she couldn't bring herself to stay.
"Ran!"
Sonoko watched her best friend's retreating figure with concern but didn't follow. Instead, she remained seated, unmoving.
Morpheus was mildly surprised. "I thought you'd leave with Ran."
"I'm not stupid," Sonoko said. "If Lord Morpheus is willing to accept me as a follower, leaving now would be throwing away this chance. Besides, only by gaining your favor and obtaining supernatural power can I protect Ran from the Trinity's threat."
"So, I'm not going anywhere."
Morpheus gave her an approving look. "Not bad for the second daughter of the Suzuki conglomerate. You see further than most."
Despite her flirtatious demeanor, Sonoko was a product of elite education, aware of the importance of seizing opportunities and not letting emotions squander them.
Sonoko grinned. "Lord Morpheus, please, make me your follower."
"Fine."
Morpheus didn't dislike Sonoko. Making her a follower wasn't a bad idea.
She might prove useful someday.
He shared a portion of his Light Power with her, marking her as his follower.
He also introduced her to the Follower Platform and explained about magic.
Without hesitation, Sonoko logged into the Follower Platform and began learning magic.
Defensive magic, teleportation magic, healing magic.
She also studied hypnosis and manipulation magic.
To protect her best friend, Sonoko put in serious effort, spending nearly six months on the platform mastering these spells before logging out.
In the real world, only a second had passed when Sonoko opened her eyes, a glint of wisdom in her gaze.
In that brief moment, she'd transformed from an ordinary person into a competent mage.
Though not on par with devils, the power Morpheus granted her was enough to defeat most low and mid-class devils.
At that moment, Sonoko fully grasped how fortunate she was to be Morpheus's follower.
Yet her best friend had missed this opportunity due to a moment's hesitation.
"Ran, Ran, you don't know what you've missed," She murmured to herself.
"I hope you and that deduction maniac Shinichi really end up together."
"Otherwise, you might regret this forever."
After a few internal grumbles, Sonoko refocused and said cautiously, "Lord Morpheus, I have a request. I'd like to form a faction. What do you think?"
Morpheus gave a half-smile. "Why form a faction? You don't strike me as the ambitious type."
Sonoko hesitated, then opted for honesty. "Sorry, Lord Morpheus, but I'm doing this for Ran."
"While learning magic on the Follower Platform, I met other followers."
"They told me that if I formed a faction, I could request aid from you—like Gourmet Cells, Blacklight Serum, or passing learned magic to Ran."
"So, I got excited. I want to build a faction to help Ran and better serve you."
Morpheus said lightly, "You're right. I don't stop my followers from building factions, and I do provide some assistance."
"If you want to form one, I'll allow it."
Sonoko was overjoyed. This was it—when all seemed lost, a new path opened.
Though Ran had missed a massive opportunity due to her hesitation, Sonoko could make up for it through her efforts.
It wouldn't compare to being Morpheus's follower, but it could at least keep Ran safe.
Maybe even Shinichi too.
Ran, Ran, you owe me big time, she thought. I'm going all out for you.
After some discussion, Sonoko left the Cat's Eye Café with a few vials of Blacklight Serum, beaming with excitement.
With these, Ran and Shinichi's safety was assured.
Their lifespans would be extended too.
It was a win-win.
This deepened Sonoko's gratitude toward Morpheus, fully realizing how blessed she was to be his follower.
Throughout history, kings and emperors chased immortality, yet it was within her reach.
Comparing herself to them, Sonoko genuinely admired Morpheus's generosity.
She resolved to earnestly build a powerful faction to serve Lord Morpheus.
Previously, she'd had no interest in inheriting the Suzuki conglomerate, leaving it to her older sister.
But now, it was time to claim her share of the inheritance to better serve her Lord.
***
Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well and staying healthy. I want to let you know that right now I'm working on one of the best fanfics you might ever read.
If you're curious about this fanfic, don't hesitate to check it out.
[Mangaka? Nah, I'm Voice Actor!]
Synopsis:
I was a corporate slave with a normal outlook on life, values, and romance.
My worldview shattered after I get isekai'd, and through a twist of fate, I went with the flow, unexpectedly accepting my new reality in the role closest to the anime world... that's right, I became a voice actor.
---
Yes, just as you read, it's true that this fanfic will tell the story of a main character who enters the world of voice acting in Japan. This fanfic will portray the life of voice actors behind the Japanese anime and games you've been listening to all this time, spiced up with a bit of romance for those of you who enjoy it.
So if you're curious, don't hesitate to read it and show your support.