Chapter 537 (1): I’ve Been Upholding Justice My Whole Life. What’s Wrong With Enjoying Life a Little?

After some time, the four goddesses opened their eyes simultaneously and sensed the newly emerged Authority. They turned to Wayne in disbelief.

They had thought he was messing around, but he actually produced results.

Do you have any more ideas? Keep going!

“Stop looking at me. I didn’t do anything. Everything fell into place so smoothly because things were supposed to go that way.” Wayne stroked his chin. “Seeing how easily the integration went made me think of something. Is it possible that was the Divine Realm Elian was trying to create when She started the Life Alliance?”

“What if it is?” Siluk said. In Her rare good mood, She joked with Wayne. “You’re the Goddess of Nature now. You’ve taken everything from her. Other than to provoke her, there’s no reason to ponder her ideal Divine Realm.”

“Correction: I’m a human male and the God of Nature. Don’t misgender me. Also, the question matters.”

“How so?” Ines asked distractedly.

Just like Her, the other goddesses were eager to find a private place to test their new power and confirm how powerful they had become.

“If Elian has always had the plan and had foreseen this possibility when She created the Life Alliance, could I assume that just like Elohim, She had something like the Bible as Her reference?” Wayne looked at the goddesses in turn and posed a daring speculation. “In fact, Elian might have come from outside the box, too.”

Ines froze. The other goddesses’ attention snapped back to the meeting as well. Wayne’s speculation was far-fetched, but not impossible.

Thinking back, Elian’s journey to godhood had been the smoothest. She had great foresight and saw three moves ahead, like She had received a script in advance. For example, She had prophesied that Elohim would be a formidable enemy they could only defeat by working together.

“I’m not just throwing spaghetti and seeing what sticks. The fact that Elian has become the Horseman of Death bothers me. Perhaps She knew about the Four Horsemen and the fact that Elohim was the mastermind, and, since it’s wise to join those you cannot defeat, She sought out Elohim and volunteered to be the Horseman of Death.”

“Elian abandoned you,” Wayne continued. “She knew the truth, but wouldn’t work with you. She’s close to Elohim. I’m guessing that they both came from outside the box. Whoever won the War of Faiths would be able to foresee the Final Judgment!”

The goddesses frowned in consideration. That led them to the original question about where their evolution led—ancient gods.

“Do you mean that Elohim and Elian have been competing to become ancient gods, but since Elohim had advanced much further, Elian surrendered and became Elohim’s assistant for survival?” Ines’s brows furrowed. That wasn’t the Elian She knew. Elian wasn’t someone who would be this servile.

The other goddesses agreed. They knew the kind of goddess Elian was. To put it bluntly, the woman was used to being dominant. She would not and could not lower Her pride for anyone.

“That I don’t know.” Wayne shook his head. “Perhaps Elian has Her own plan. Perhaps She’s going to backstab Elohim the moment He becomes an ancient god to take everything from him and ascend in His stead.”

The goddesses brooded. If Wayne was right, wouldn’t they, as former members of the Life Alliance, have all played into Elian’s hand?

They gnashed their teeth, thinking about how they had counted the money for Elian after She sold them out.

“Wait!” Kaleb raised Her hand, pointing at Seleucia. “I think I’ve seen this face somewhere, during the War of Faiths. But... aren’t you dead?”

“She’s Seleucia,” Siluk said. “The former Goddess of Sky.”

Kaleb nodded in remembrance. “When the new Divine Realm formed, Storm and Thunder were added to the world and gave rise to the concept of the Sky, even moving the top levels of our Divine Realms over... Is she stronger than we are?”

What gives you, a fallen demigod and a failure, the right to be the one to integrate us? x4

The four goddesses were all displeased, Ines especially.

While Wayne hadn’t specified it, everyone knew that the new Divine Realm belonged to Wayne. They were all working for him. Seleucia should get a regular parachute and be appointed a low-level manager. How could She become a second-in-command with a golden parachute?

This is absurd! Ines thought. I’m the woman supporting Wayne from behind. I was the one who plotted and strategized for his company.

“You are the bosslady, Ines.” Wayne smiled, easily placating Her with a few choice words. He gave Her a pointed look to invite Her to a tryst in the small hours. Then he told the other goddesses, “I told you, everything fell into place on its own. It is what it is. The Sky is a broad concept that can incorporate the Sun and the Moonlight. It is the world’s choice to restrain Nature and Death, not an intentional decision on my end.”

He patted Seleucia on the shoulder, telling Her to say a few words.

Cocking Her head, Seleucia turned to look at Ines’s prideful face and huffed, “Boss, this woman isn’t good enough for you. Her heart is completely black.”

Bam!

Ines slammed the table and shot up to Her feet. “What are you saying, wench? Do you want Wayne to fire you?”

“Why are you so angry, Ines?” Aztimor played the mediator. “She’s not wrong.”

“Hear, hear.” Kaleb nodded vehemently.

Siluk shrugged, expressing the same discontent with Ines. Due to the opposition between light and darkness, She would never support Darkness as the boss lady.

(ノへ￣、)

Why are you suddenly arguing? How am I going to develop the new Divine Realm with you vermin?

Wayne had decided. Later, he would have God beat up the King of Gods so that He could enslave all the goddesses and make them slaves in Heaven.

It was quite a spectacle to have the five goddesses hurl insults at each other. Wayne grabbed his chair and pulled back wordlessly to the audience seat, watching them argue with his arms crossed.

Soon, the goddesses noticed the tension in the air. The bossman had a dark look on his face. He must be angry.

The haughty goddesses quickly reined in their temper and gracefully sat back down, putting on a look that said, “Everyone here is a wench aside from me.”

Oh, Kaleb and Siluk were also exceptions. The true besties who had been through life and death together were saying that they were the only exceptions.

“Are you done?” Wayne asked. “If not, I can wait another five minutes.”

Thanks to the establishment of the new Divine Realm, he had become the unequivocal leader with imposing authority. He made the goddesses sit down and listen to him.

“You, especially, provoked the whole room as soon as you opened your mouth.” He knocked Seleucia on the head. “I didn’t put you here as a catfish so that you could incite conflicts.”

He wasn’t worried about making Her dumb. She had been an idiot to begin with.

The casual intimacy irritated Ines. The bosslady started formulating a plan to kick the eyesore out of the company. After some time, She concluded that pillow talk was the most tried-and-true solution. She planned to make the move after the Final Judgment.

That wouldn’t do now. Seleucia had Her worth and could generate revenue for the company.

Aztimor was even more irate. She could see how much Wayne favored Seleucia—he was fond of Her. Aztimor was also a vassal of his, but She had never received such treatment.

“This is the first day after the company’s establishment, so I’ll get to the point. Our primary goal is the Final Judgment. After that, you may do whatever you want, so keep your temper under control before the day comes. Even if it’s pretending, pretend that you’re close. Understand?”

“...” x5

“Oh my. I can’t believe my temper!” Wayne breathed out heated breaths and pointed at Siluk. “You, stand up. You’re going to stay on your feet during the meeting today as punishment.”

“...”

Siluk’s eyes widened. Seleucia had provoked them, and Ines and Aztimor were the prickly ones. She, on the other hand, had said nothing and stayed out of the argument. Why was She the one being punished? Just because She was easy to bully?

She scanned the room and realized the reason. Ines, Seleucia, and Aztimor were involved with Wayne, and Kaleb had been trying to get involved with him. Siluk was the only one who refused to pay the sex tax.

Was this a warning?

(?_?)

Siluk would rather not stay in this damn company!

Rising to Her feet with a huff, She stood while the meeting progressed.

She could not resign. Wherever Kaleb was, She would be. And She would never pay the sex tax. Today, She would go through the meeting on Her feet.

He was just giving Her a hard time and forcing Her into small shoes. She had small feet. She could do that easily[1].

There was only one Londan, but Londan was everywhere. Wayne rubbed at his throbbing temple and told himself that he only had to endure a little longer. Once the Final Judgment concluded, the vermin were welcome to do whatever they wanted. Then he would go around collecting sex tax with his chief sex tax officer, Mona. He had a bright, happy future to look forward to.

“I’m tired, so I’ll just say two more things,” Wayne said. “I have not received the Divine Realm’s buff. The Divine Realm was built upon the foundation of the pale ocean, but due to my lack of a clear position, I haven’t received any bonus.”

“Why do you not have a position, Boss?” Seleucia asked like the loyal subject She was.

“To be frank, it’s because of my principles. If I corrupt all of you and reshape you, I’ll have a clear meaning and position.” Wayne turned to the uncorrupted goddesses, Ines, Kaleb, and Siluk. “Don’t worry,” he said gently. “I’m not forcing you to make a decision, only telling you that the Divine Realm and all of you can be even stronger. The choice is in your hands. I won’t force anyone, not even Siluk.”

“...”

The last part was unnecessary. Siluk fancied Herself the most honest employee in this company, while Ines was the biggest troublemaker.

Ines stared at the pale bracelet on Her wrist, conflicted. She did want Wayne to be stronger, but once She became his vassal, the relationship between them would change. That She could not accept.

“Oh, why isn’t the bracelet responding?” Kaleb asked in surprise.

Siluk looked over in horror. She had never met anyone who would volunteer to be corrupted like that. Idiot, don’t you know what it means to give someone the power to determine your survival?

Ines glared at Kaleb. Her trust in Wayne made Ines seem like a spouse with ulterior motives, as if She had married Wayne for his wealth rather than love and romance.

That would be unfair. When She married Wayne, She had offered the Divine Realm of Darkness as dowry. Before that, when they were going to become lovers, Wayne hadn’t even had anything.

“You’re too reckless,” Wayne said. “That’s why the bracelet didn’t react. Be rational.”

“My rationality tells me that it’s time to be reckless.”

“...”

Whoa, you’re a real genius!

Wayne was stunned. Although Kaleb was an idiot, She often made shocking remarks that made it seem like great wisdom was hiding underneath the skin of a fool. It reminded him of Vera, who went around playing dumb.

Is the Goddess of Sun a more powerful Vera?

No, impossible!

Wayne shot the idea down as soon as it occurred to him. He was keen enough to see who was an idiot and who was a smart one. Kaleb actually followed Her instinct on everything. It was just that Her instinct was ridiculously accurate.

“Think it through before doing anything. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to reverse the corruption in the future, so there may be no turning back.”

He waved at them. He had made his case. The meeting concluded here. The goddesses should test their new Authority and resume their search through the grey spaces in the Astral Plane.

Siluk was the first to leave, dragging a discontented Kaleb with Her. Seleucia, following Wayne’s order, returned to the sky to study Her Authority. She had been defeated in the War of Faiths, but this time, She would secure victory for Wayne. Aztimor glanced at Wayne before taking Her leave, inviting him to a tryst in the small hours tonight.

Ines was the only one who had not left. She went up to Wayne and sat down on his lap, meeting his gaze. “If I become your vassal, would I still be your wife?”

“The marriage will remain in effect.” Wayne took Her hand and rubbed the ring. “My beloved. Ines. Promise... You’ve fallen into my trap, and you will never crawl out.”

Ines sighed. “I know you aren’t going to betray me, but... I want to be the most special one to you. Once I become your vassal, my mindset will change, and I won’t be able to treat you as I’ve always done. Our relationship will change, too.”

She opened up Her thoughts and welcomed the corruption of the bracelet.

It didn’t work!

“What?” Ines groused. “I was just going to be reckless. If you stop me now, I’m going to regret it when I calm down.”

“No rush.” Wayne raised his eyebrow. “Master the Authority of the Divine Realm first. We still have a lot of time. Keep the trick up your sleeve. Perhaps you can give Elohim and Elian a surprise later.”

“We don’t have time. You’re lying to me again...”

Ines rested Her head on Wayne’s shoulder, closing Her eyes.

1. Putting someone in small shoes is a Mandarin expression that means giving someone a hard time. ☜