Chapter 114: Great Being.

"Oh! I see everyone’s coming—it’s the first time this has happened since the very first time..." (?)

A woman’s voice spoke to the countless screens in front of her.

Each screen showed only a multitude of people of all races.

Those gathered here were the leaders, world powers, and representatives from all over the world.

With only ten kingdoms in existence, one would normally assume there were only ten representatives, but there were around fifty screens, and determining who was the current ruler of the ten kingdoms seemed impossible, since none appeared to be inferior or superior to the others.

It was a meeting that the world’s major powers held every five years, but this time it had to be moved up, and, as the woman presiding over it mentioned, it was the first time all the members were present.

"...I suppose things are finally becoming clear, aren’t they?... Miss Asmoday? May I ask you a preliminary question?" (◽)

One of those present, whose face was filled with anxiety, spoke

"Oh! Go ahead." (Asmoday)

The woman named Asmoday replied casually.

"I’m not sure if I’m getting ahead of myself here, but even though you asked us to calm things down and deny the prophecy, everything settled down with unusual ease, and now it even seems as if that event never happened. I’d like to know if you intervened." (◽)

"That’s correct! I’ll talk about that later, but it’s true that I did intervene." (Asmoday)

"I see. Now it all makes more sense, but if you intervened, that means it was something really serious... don’t tell me it’s actually t-that..." (◽)

"Haha~! What’s the matter, Paloma? Are you afraid it might be the prophecy?" (🔺)

"If it’s not that big of a deal, what’s there to be afraid of?" (🔻)

At that moment, interrupting the conversation, two voices rang out from different screens.

Both seemed to share a certain complicity that was obvious, but the person who had spoken earlier didn’t respond—instead, another person did, one with an even older voice.

"Haaah~. This is what happens when a generation that didn’t live through the Age of the Gods takes control. For starters, you don’t understand how rude it is to interrupt Ms. Asmoday’s conversation. And second, you can’t even begin to understand how horrible it would be if that age were to return."(⬜)

"I agree. You undeniably earned your place here by being stronger than your predecessors, but, to put it bluntly, you’re still ignorant youths." (🟩)

Another equally elderly voice echoed, supporting the first.

"What did you say, old man? Who are you calling an ignorant youngster? I’ve been ruling for over a hundred years." (🔺)

"Yes, just a hundred years. It really is a shame that you killed your predecessor. You really don’t understand anything... Luckily, not everyone is like that. Isn’t that right, little golden one?" (🟩)

"Please elder , don’t call me that. I’m already a mother myself. I’d be ashamed if my daughter ever heard that nickname." (🟡)

More and more voices began to speak. This latest one sounded younger and more polite than the third elderly voice that had appeared.

"Haha! You Old Green you know, it was so easy to raise my daughter. She was always such a good girl. Hmm, though my granddaughter is a bit rebellious. I wonder where she got that from?" (🟨)

Another voice, even more youthful and energetic, joined in, though this one seemed to be speaking on equal terms with the elderly voice.

"Who else but you? Do you remember how many civilizations you destroyed all by yourself? It’s a miracle the little golden one turned out sensible. Besides, I think you should stop calling me Old Green . I recently found out, from my grandson, that it has another meaning among the younger generations of our nation." (🟩)

"Huh? What’s wrong with ’ Old Green ’? I’ve never heard anything about that." (🟨)

"Ugh! I still can’t get used to the language unification. Anyway, maybe in your nation it means nothing more than a color, but in mine it does. So I want you to stop calling me that." (🟩)

"I’ve been calling you ’ Old Green ’ for millennia. I’m not going to change that now. Although I could call you ’bald old man.’ You know, I’ve always wondered—if you’re a nature elemental, can’t you make something like grass or something grow to cover that shiny bald spot? Or rather, why do you like to look like an old man? You could easily look young and have hair again." (🟨)

"Ahem... I want to look like a grandfather to my grandchildren. I really can’t do the same thing you do. You look younger than the little golden one." (🟩)

"But this is my default appearance when I use polymorphosis. As a primordial dragon, do you know how long I can live?" (🟨)

"No." (🟩)

"Neither do I. But this is my true form. I’m not going to make myself look older just because I have grandchildren. What you’re doing is the weird part." (🟨)

"Phew, I almost was late... Hmm, from what I can see, if those two are calm, that means the situation isn’t so bad." (🟦)

"Oh, Old Blue! You’re alive? I heard there were a few problems in the Sea Kingdom. I thought the same thing had happened to you as to Old Red." (🟨)

"Ugh... You really should stop calling us by colors... Although mine isn’t as bad as Old Green’s. Haha! You know, I learned the elemental language before the unification, and all I ever hear Golden say is ’perverted old man’ over and over again. Haha!" (🟦)

"Oh! So that was the problem. Well, whatever. Old Green, old pervert—they both mean the same thing." (🟨)

"Gnn! Just you wait. I’ll use all my influence to make sure that in the Dragon Nation, the term ’Old Gold’ is used for wayward old women like you." (🟩)

"Hey! Who are you calling an old woman! I’m in the prime of my life, and besides, you can try all you want—in my nation, everything related to the word ’gold’ and the color gold is associated with power and the imperial family. Ahaha! The only thing you’ll achieve is losing even more hair from frustration." (🟨)

"Tsk! You’ve taken your obsession with colors to that extreme." (🟩)

"Hmm, esteemed elders! I don’t mean to interrupt, but could you please explain the purpose of this meeting and what the recent incident meant? I thought that’s what this meeting was about." (🟣)

"Oh, you must be the representative from that republican kingdom or whatever it’s called. Is it true that you change leaders every four years?" (🟩)

"Yes." (🟣)

"Oh, how strange. How on earth can that even work?" (🟩)

"Tsk, it doesn’t work. That whole ’republic’ thing is just a facade. It only works because the silver old and the B-" (🟨)

"Enough of this! We’ll never get anywhere if you two senile old men keep arguing about nonsense..." (⬛)

"Huh? You Old Black guy! Who are you calling an senile? You’re from our generation too! In fact, you’re even older—you’re the senile one!" (🟨)

"It really annoys me to talk to you. And don’t call me that. Ahem... Ms. Asmoday, you called us here—why don’t you get this started? We’re all here now, aren’t we?" (⬛)

"Fufufu, I’m sorry about that. The truth is, I noticed everyone had already arrived, but I thought it would be a good idea for some of you to catch up. But okay, it’s true we can’t keep putting this off. All right, I’ll begin." (Asmoday)

Miss Asmoday, who was looking at the screens, spoke again in her soft voice.

She exuded a sense of calm and tranquility that soothed everyone’s emotions—which was significant, considering that none of them were physically present and they were the world’s most powerful leaders.

But, paying no heed to this, she continued speaking.

"Some of you already know this, but I’ll make it clear for everyone. The earthquake that occurred a few days ago does not mean that this era has come to an end." (Asmoday)

The woman spoke calmly and slowly, and several of those listening sighed deeply.

Others seemed to have questions, but no one interrupted the woman now that she had the floor, and she continued.

"But it’s not all good news. The earthquake was caused by a fracture in the barrier of the world, left behind by the Great Being." (Asmoday)

As she spoke, these facts caused the atmosphere—which had relaxed during the first part of her speech—to grow tense once more.

But the woman continued calmly and said something that eased the tension again.

"But there’s no need to worry. The barrier was repaired immediately, and its integrity was confirmed by me; and, as planned, it will continue to function for another fifty to one hundred years... But..." (Asmoday)

The woman continued unhurriedly, even though her words once again heightened the tension.

"The problem is the cause of that event. During that brief period when the barrier was breached, three foreign beings entered this world." (Asmoday)

The revelation of this fact left several of those present deep in thought. Some saw it as something bad, others as something interesting, and still others with a certain fear.

Even with all those emotions present, she continued her explanation.

"The first one was the one who opened the barrier. The method is unknown, but their intrusion seemed to be something natural. The second took advantage of the opening and entered. The third seemed to want to do the same, but the world barrier was already regenerating and violently rejected them. Even so, although not completely, part of that being managed to get in, and the likelihood that it is a god is high." (Asmoday)

"Can I ask a question?" (🟨)

"You may ask, little golden one. Oh, though that’s what they call your daughter now... Hmm, what should I call you now?" (Asmoday)

"Hmm... Well, only you can call me that, so it’s fine if you keep using it. My question is: what do you mean by ’natural entrance’? As far as I know, the barrier can only be broken if all ten fragments of the mask are gathered... besides that, is the location of these three entities known?" (🟨)

"Hmm... That’s the problem. It seems the mask isn’t the only way—it appears there was another way, so to speak, another key. That’s why I said it happened naturally. And as for the three beings, that’s what I was getting at. I did my best, but I couldn’t find the first two. One seemed to blend into the world; the other simply vanished or concealed its presence using a powerful method. And the last one is located in the center of the central continent." (Asmoday)

"The central continent—that cursed place full of corruption and corrupt beings..." (🟩)

"Yes. This last one caused the earthquake, and, as I said, it’s possible that it’s a god. Even if it’s only a part of him, he managed to take root in this world, likely using corruption to stabilize the fragment of himself that managed to slip through." (Asmoday)

"I see. Setting aside the first two, whom even you cannot locate, this last one seems more problematic—and even more so because of his location." (⬛)

"Yes, that’s why we’re having this meeting. It wasn’t just to clarify the incident; it was to issue a warning. Perhaps the next great era of conflict hasn’t arrived yet, but it seems we’ve entered a transitional era. This brief peace has ended... I only hope that the Great Smiling Being will protect us." (Asmoday)

With that, among the many screens, one appeared showing a person whose contours seemed to change constantly.

Neither their gender nor their race was clear. The only thing that remained constant was that their face was covered by a white mask with a smiling expression.

Everyone present looked at the image again, each with a different reaction, and after that, a meeting began to discuss what to do next.

Asmoday, on the other hand, kept staring at the image for a little longer.

Then she looked up at the ceiling, but it was obvious that her mystical purple eyes were looking beyond it.

In her mind, there was only one question.

’Mother, what are you doing?’