The Whale and the Shrimp (5)
"Ugh..."
Carla winced and lowered her head while talking to Pielott.
"What, what's wrong?" Pielott asked, startled by Carla's sudden pain.
Carla didn't answer, just took a few ragged breaths. "Ah, it's nothing. I must be tired. I have a bit of a headache."
"You looked like you were in a lot of pain. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes, of course. Compared to what you've been through, Pielott, this is nothing."
"You shouldn't downplay your pain just because someone else is hurting."
At Pielott's words, Carla chuckled. "You're right."
Raising her head again, she said, "Get some rest now. You've done enough, Pielott."
"No, I should get up now." Pielott tried to rise from the bed.
Carla placed her hands on his shoulders, gently pushing him back down. "You shouldn't. In your current condition, you'll only hinder Frondier."
"But... I have to tell Frondier about Satan."
The Satan Pielott saw in his dream. It was too vivid to be just a dream. He saw Satan's face clearly, a face he had never seen before.
It wasn't an ordinary dream. Satan had said something important. It seemed he was trying to become the Devil King.
Carla nodded. "I'll tell him. I'll tell Frondier everything. So please, rest."
"But I was the one who saw him... To convey it properly...!"
"Pielott." Carla's eyes met Pielott's, her gaze serious.
"Don't be hasty."
"Ah..."
"Frondier and the others will be fine. I understand what you want to tell them. I'll tell Frondier everything, so don't worry."
Only then did Pielott relax his body, giving up on trying to get up. He knew he was in no condition to fight. His body was pierced by arrows and had even absorbed Mana from another world. Recovery was his top priority.
"...Alright. I'll leave it to you, Carla."
"Don't worry." Carla smiled softly and stood up. After confirming that Pielott was lying comfortably in bed, she left the room.
Walking down the hallway, she glanced around.
'There are no crows, but I can't be sure when I might be caught.'
Carla, or rather, Athena, who was possessing Carla's body, thought to herself.
'This possession is probably my last. If I run into Frondier now, it's truly over.'
For Athena, using Carla's body was not difficult. Whether it was divine power or a curse, what a God bestowed upon a human stemmed from the same source. Since she had already bestowed divine power upon Carla once, possessing her was not a difficult task.
The problem was what came after the possession.
The target of the possession had no memory of the time they were possessed. Just like Sale, who was possessed by Odin.
So, if Athena possessed Carla and then returned her body after a while, Carla would feel like that period had been cut out. That sense of incongruity would be impossible to ignore.
'Therefore, there were two conditions for me to possess Carla.'
Either make it so Carla wouldn't notice the possession, or create a situation where she couldn't ask Frondier for help even if she did notice.
The first method was surprisingly not that difficult.
She just had to move while Carla was asleep. Possess her body while she slept, move around, and then return the body before she woke up. She might feel a little physically tired, but she wouldn't be able to tell she had been possessed.
Athena used this method to convey information about Frondier and his party to Charon.
'Frondier notices the moment a God or a Devil manifests in a human. I don't know how.'
The purple haze that was originally only visible to players. Frondier could see that purple haze even in this world.
'But it seems he can't tell if a God is inhabiting a body or not, as long as they're not manifesting.'
So even if Athena possessed Carla again, as long as she didn't manifest, Frondier wouldn't notice.
Conversely, if she did manifest, she would definitely be caught, so she needed a time when Frondier wasn't around.
That's why now, while Carla and Frondier were separated for their respective purposes, was the perfect opportunity for Athena.
'Sorry, Frondier. But I have things to do.'
Athena left the hospital.
Carla herself was a skilled mage, having been the Headmistress of Atlas. She had plenty of Mana, and Athena was able to lift her body into the air with ease.
"A war between Gods and Devils... I'm not interested in such a grand, pointless spectacle, but..."
She turned, facing the direction of the capital.
"...I won't stand idly by while Hera and Aphrodite are being impersonated in the capital."
For a God, maintaining their dignity was paramount.
Hera and Aphrodite were undoubtedly Goddesses on par with Athena. If the Devils continued to impersonate them, Athena's own dignity would be diminished. Gods with close relationships influenced each other.
Currently, Hera and Aphrodite had both bestowed their divine power upon humans, but both of them were on the Falind continent. In other words, they were unable to exert their power here.
Athena had no choice but to step in.
'Besides... this disturbance in the capital, it feels strangely off, even for a God.'
A Devil impersonating Hera, a Devil impersonating Aphrodite.
Both of them were instigating conflict between humans over something as trivial as 'beauty'.
This incongruity was felt even by Athena, who was supposed to be uninvolved.
It felt like something had started wrong.
"...Well, it'll all be over once I deliver divine punishment."
Athena, in Carla's body, headed for the capital.
She had no intention of showing mercy or forgiveness to the Devils who dared to impersonate Gods.
She would eliminate them the moment she saw them.
Even if it meant triggering a war. Even if countless lives were lost as a result.
A God's priorities were as clear as a Devil's.
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Who cares about those bitches, just stay put, Athena
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