Varian's smile froze and the memory of that brief, brief moment flashed in his mind.
"So you saw him." Aphosis pursed his lips.
Varian nodded stiffly, his hands trembling without him even realizing. When he opened his mouth, his voice was shaking too. "Is he really not a god already?"
"He's the closest to being one." Aphosis sighed under his breath. "Truth be told, neither me nor any ruler knows enough about that being.
The God Emperor had a difficult past but it's nothing unique. But his ascent after reaching the divine ranks seems like a myth.
We haven't ever truly fought him. No, it should be said that he has never bothered to truly fight us.
Unlike the princes who run the Empire and want to expand, the Jai Empire never cared. His actions give off the impression that he's content with the status quo."
Varian's shoulders drooped. The more he learned about that man, the more he didn't know what to expect.
Uncharacteristic of him, Aphosis kept talking. "Rather than saying he's content with the status quo, the reality closer to truth might be that he can conquer the Alliance whenever he wants but deems it useless in comparison to his goal."
"He's saving the universe from breaking apart in God's Eye. He can't be…evil, right?"
"Things like evil and good are useless at this level. Having a powerful being who could reign over you and squash you to death is something no powerhouse would like to see.
And even though his actions so far have been net positive for the universe, we simply do not know if they're the end in themselves or a mean to something else."
"…" Varian nodded blankly.
"And even if you do not wish to fight, he'll come for you simply because you'll pose a threat to his ambitions. If you win this fight, that is."
"I see." Varian waved his hand and turned around. "Thanks for your help. I'll clean up some mess before contacting you."
Aphosis vanished, just like that.
"…"
Varian didn't leave immediately but asked with his thoughts.
'Logos?'
[He truly left. And he did not leave any power to spy on you or this world.]
"Haaa~" Sighing in relief, Varian teleported to Sarah to check on her condition.
The backlash was unexpected. Thankfully, it wasn't severe.
"This much is nothing…but I'll need some rest." Sarah's blue eyes looked at him with guilt and she lowered her head. "I can't activate Hortus for a day at least. Sorr—ehh?."
Varian hugged her tight and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you so much for your help so far. And don't feel any guilt. You did your best! Without you, I would have never stood a chance!"
Sarah still blamed herself but the hug was so comforting that she couldn't help but wrap her arms around his waist. "After this battle, I want us to live a normal life for sometime. No worries about some powerful enemy, no anxiety about bad future, no tension about tomorrow."
"A honeymoon?" Varian chuckled. "It's a bit too late to ask for that, don't you think?"
Sarah raised a brow and then looked at him with pitiful eyes. "Please~"
"…"
"Var, please~"
Varian knew she was just acting but he couldn't bear to see her like that.
"Okay, okay. Now stop it, my heart is already melting."
"Heh." Sarah smirked victoriously but her expression quickly collapsed as Varian was pulled by Isadora into a hug.
She placed his head on her chest and rubbed his hair with a loving expression. "Husband, don't be swayed by those blue eyes. How about we practice together after the battle? I can guide you in the divine paths and let you make even quicker progress."
"Hey! Isa, I have decided. Varian and I are going to an academy. We never went together unlike Sarah. Don't pull him into seclusion again!" Sia manifested infront of them and protested strongly.
"…I want to grow up with him. A bit of life manipulation and we can start out as 10 year olds." Enigma muttered quietly.
Sia gave her a look and Enigma shrugged. "I was envious, okay."
"Hey, hey, hey! Let go of my brother already! He can't breathe in all that fat!" Primula who appeared with Aurora ran up to Isadora and tried to pull them away.
Isadora looked down at the little girl with a smirk, causing a chill to run down Primula's spine.
Varian tried to get out of the hug when his little sister appeared. But the princess used her divine power and pressed his face further.
"You wouldn't know brat, your brother likes this fat a lot." The princess chuckled in pride.
Primula turned to Aurora for confirmation.
"I-um, I mean…" Miss Calamity felt like crying as she didn't know what to say. With a desperate expression, she turned to the three.
Sarah was glaring at Isadora with arms crossed and ignored her. Enigma was looking at Varian and looked engrossed in her thoughts, a blush on her cheeks due to imagining something.
Only Sia caught her glance and turned to Primula. "Don't listen to her. Too much fat in your body stops your brain from working properly.
You know, Isa used to fight your brother for his things not too long ago. And she wanted us to leave your brother. In short, Isa behaved like an idiot for months due to that fat."
"Ohhhh~" Primula nodded, learning an important lesson for the day.
"…Sia, one day, I hope you'll stop being jealous of me. And Enigma. Oh, and Sarah too. You're the youngest here anyway." Isadora said with a generous expression.
"Mff, mmm, mhhh!" Varian's muffled sounds attracted everyone's focus.
"Let him go already!" Sarah pulled him away with her powers and after what felt like an eternity, Varian could see the light again.
Without wasting a second, he grabbed Primula's hand. "Let's deal with the affairs of the empire."
Like an adventurer fleeing from a monster, he ran away.
In a second, they landed in the garden of the summer palace.
"B-Brother, why are you sweating?"
"Ahahaha, it's from practice, haha."
"Brother, but why are we running away?"
"Running? Who's running? This is called a strategic retreat. Once I get strong enough, then I'll make her cr—ahem! Ahem! Anyway, can you turn into your teenage self now?"
"But I don't want to." Primula shook her head with moist eyes.
"Why?"
"You want me to grow up because I'm useless now, right? You hate me." The little girl started crying.
Varian bent down to match her eye level and patted her head. "It doesn't matter if you're young or old, you're the same to me."
"Really?"
"Promise." Varian extended his pinky and Primula swiftly locked it with hers.
"Brother, you can't break the promise or you'll turn into a donkey. Hehehe~" Primula giggled.
Then patting his head just like he did to her, she said in an altered voice, trying to match his tone. "It doesn't matter if you're a man or a donkey, you're the same to me."
Varian pulled the cheeks of the cheeky girl. "You little brat!"
"I ans naath lettel!" "Speak english!"
Primula broke away from his grip and rubbed her cheeks. "I am not little! I can grow up, hmph!"
A light enveloped the little girl and the teenage Primula appeared in front of Varian for the second time.
With all her memories so far intact, the teenage Primula lowered her head, wishing to bury herself right then and there.
"B-Brother…"