After taking Sanjouno Haruhime as his personal shrine maiden, Tian’el began asking the little fox about her experiences during this period, in order to confirm whether they matched the plot he knew from before.
“This humble girl was born in the Far East.” Feeling the sense of belonging deep within her soul—tightly connected to her god—Haruhime’s entire being relaxed with comfort.
“My family is an ancient and noble house.
I have no mother.
My father is an official who serves Amaterasu…” Haruhime explained that she had always lived within the grand estate, knowing nothing of the outside world, spending her days learning the etiquette and deportment expected of nobility.
Although such a pampered life was somewhat lonely, she still had a few friends, and her days were free from want.
At this point, the fox-girl’s expression suddenly turned sorrowful.
“Just two days ago, for some reason, I overslept and, in a daze, ate an important item belonging to my father’s honored guest…
an offering meant for Amaterasu…
and so I was cast out of the house…” According to Haruhime, in recent days a certain pallum official had been visiting the estate frequently, occasionally even staying the night.
She had paid it little attention at first.
But the morning before last, upon waking, she found her mouth covered in crumbs—the source of which turned out to be the precious offering prepared for the deity.
“It must have been that Haruhime was hungry and went to secretly eat every night…” The fox-girl covered her face with both hands and began sobbing softly.
What followed was only natural— Her father, who served Amaterasu, flew into a furious rage and intended to severely punish her.
Only because the pallum guest interceded with kind words did the girl manage to keep her life, though she was expelled from the household as a result.
Hearing this, deep within the little fox’s consciousness, Tian’el frowned.
Knowing the original story, he was well aware that Haruhime had in fact been framed by that pallum.
Coveting the girl’s beauty, he had carefully devised such a scheme.
After his plan succeeded, he had intended to abduct her.
Yet along the way they encountered an attack by demi-humans.
Faced with the monsters, he had not hesitated to abandon the burden, using her as bait while he fled for his own life.
If events had followed the original trajectory, that band of thieves would have intervened before the girl was killed by monsters, and then sold her to the Ishtar Familia in Orario.
Fortunately, all of that had already been changed.
It would not happen again.
“A pallum?
Truly a despicable little creature.” Tian’el immediately transmitted the truth of the matter into the girl’s mind.
Sanjouno Haruhime looked startled, yet she did not doubt him in the slightest— Her Lord God was omniscient and omnipotent.
How could he possibly deceive her?
“So…
it was that guest…” The girl’s fingers clenched the hem of her clothes until they turned pale.
Tears pooled in her eyes, yet she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
Only when Tian’el’s divine will manifested into tangible form and gently stroked the little fox’s ears did the grievance of being misunderstood, the anger of being plotted against, and the despair of abandonment burst forth like a breached dam.
“Why would he treat me like this…
I even thought he was a good person…” Her voice was softer than a mosquito’s buzz, trembling at the end.
Having never before experienced the malice of human hearts, the girl perhaps could not comprehend that such vicious people truly existed in this world.
“There is no need to dwell on such things.
You did nothing wrong.
The one who deserves to die is that pallum vermin.” Tian’el’s voice was cold.
“Watch carefully.
He will pay the appropriate price.” Feeling her god’s concern, Haruhime rubbed her eyes.
Between her fingers, her reddened eyes were revealed.
“I’m sorry…
Haruhime has caused trouble for Lord God…” Tian’el’s divine will rippled slightly as he spoke matter-of-factly, “Once you have entered my service, you shall not suffer even the slightest grievance again.” “Wuu~” The tip of the little fox’s tail swayed lightly.
A soft blush surfaced in her emerald eyes.
“Am I truly worthy…?” Perhaps meeting Lord God today was fate’s arrangement?
With that thought, much of the anger and sorrow in her heart from being framed and abandoned dissipated.
Tian’el chuckled.
His shrine maiden was truly too kind—after being harmed to such an extent, she was still thanking so-called fate.
Relief and fury rose simultaneously.
He no longer hesitated.
His divine will surged outward like a tidal wave, sweeping across dozens of miles in an instant!
Invisible ripples pierced through dense forests, mountains, and streams, illuminating every inch of space within his perception.
“Found you!” In but a moment, the pallum hiding inside an abandoned wooden hut was seized.
“N-No!
I—” The pallum, who suddenly felt heaven and earth invert, trembled like a leaf.
His voice was filled with terror and confusion.
But before he could understand what was happening, intense pain seeped from within, permeating his entire body and drawing out a series of miserable screams.
“Ahhh!!!” At first he shrieked and struggled.
Then his skin began to crack.
Coarse brown hair grew wildly.
His mouth and nose twisted and deformed.
His limbs transformed into thick beastly hooves…
In the span of two or three breaths, he had completely turned into an upright half-beast—boar-headed, human-bodied.
“Roar?!” Listening to the monster’s terrified howl, Tian’el let out a cold laugh.
Countless thorns burst forth from within its body, piercing muscle, entwining bone, causing agony beyond endurance—yet it would swiftly recover, only for the torment to repeat again and again until the end of its lifespan.
“You shall take the form of a beast, lose your wisdom, and eternally suffer the heart-devouring agony of thorns!” Such a curse could truly be called a fate worse than death.
Yet Tian’el did not consider it excessive.
After all, to let such scum—who framed and attempted to abduct an eleven-year-old girl—die easily would be letting him off too lightly.
If even a noble young lady like Sanjouno Haruhime could fall victim to his scheme, then before this, how many innocent families had he already destroyed?
The fox-girl stared blankly at everything, her slender body trembling faintly.
“Lord God…
has bestowed such a severe punishment upon him…” “Being overly soft-hearted will not do,” the phantom figure clad in dark robes and crowned in gold appeared behind Haruhime, gently pinching her fox ears.
“If one repays resentment with virtue, how then does one repay virtue?
Punishing evil and promoting good must go hand in hand to achieve the greatest effect.
Neither can be lacking.” Tian’el understood clearly that he had always been a person whose love and hatred were distinct.
He had merely lacked the strength to act according to his heart in the past.
Now that he had become the Celestial Emperor, his authority capable of shaking the mortal world—if he still had to endure and ignore the things that disgusted him, then would his transmigration not have been in vain?
“Daring to lay hands on my little shrine maiden—such a fool, not only in this life but even in the next, and the next after that, shall only be fit to reincarnate as pigs and dogs, and only then have a chance to atone for his sins!” Whoosh.
Haruhime’s ears flushed crimson in an instant, the heat traveling all the way to the base of her tail.
“Lord Tian’el,” she covered her cheeks with both hands, yet could not hide the soft murmur slipping through her fingers.
“Haruhime…
is so happy…” If this continued, she would surely become a spoiled, bad child.
Tian’el merely shook his head with a faint laugh.
His gaze swept across the surrounding forest, which appeared especially shadowed beneath the moonlight.
His divine will once again took control of the girl’s body.
“This place is not suitable for a long stay.
We must find somewhere to rest.” Controlling the fox-girl’s body, her slender fingers traced a faint golden arc through the air, slicing forward with a crisp rip, as though cutting paper.
In an instant, the sound of hammering from a smithy and the clamor of a tavern drifted from the other side, accompanied by the sweet aroma of roasted food.
That was the unique bustle of a city-state.
If the Celestial Emperor wished to preside over the Three Realms, he naturally had to possess authority over space itself.
Otherwise, how could he project his will from the heavens into the mortal world and the netherworld?
Thus, with a single step, Tian’el brought the little fox to the nearest town settlement beyond the forest.
“First, find an inn and wash yourself.
You have spent the entire day running through the wilderness and encountered both monsters and thieves.
What you need most now is a bath and proper sleep.” After speaking, the god withdrew his control over the girl’s body.
Haruhime lowered her head, clutching the torn hem of her dress that had been scratched by thorns.
She said in embarrassment, “I’m sorry for letting Lord Tian’el see Haruhime in such a dirty state.” “It is nothing,” the divine voice sounded directly within her mind.
“Go bathe and change at once.
Do not catch a chill.” Though such a thing was unlikely.
When Tian’el had first descended, he had already used the Crimson Pearl Immortal Grass to specially strengthen her physique.
In terms of raw strength alone, the girl could absolutely overwhelm most high-level adventurers in this world.
“I-I understand…” Sanjouno Haruhime’s fox ears twitched abruptly, as though she had thought of something.
Her tail tip curled into a fluffy ball from embarrassment.
“Lord Tian’el…
would you…
like to join me…” It was common knowledge that a shrine maiden’s duties included ritual purification to serve her deity.
Not to mention that her Lord God’s consciousness still resided within her soul.
“Such bold thoughts for someone so young.” An invisible hand manifested and flicked her lightly on the forehead.
“Take care of yourself first.” He deliberately drew out his tone, as though teasing a small animal.
“I have no interest in a little fox’s tail.
When you grow nine of them, then we may discuss adult matters.” “Wuu~ In two more years I’ll already be of marriageable age.
I’m not that small…
So Lord Tian’el prefers nine tails.
I will work hard…” Blushing, Haruhime muttered her rebuttal softly, yet obediently stepped into the nearby inn.
As for the currency required in this world—naturally, the dignified Celestial Emperor would not take anything without payment.
Instead, he used materials that had dropped from the monsters he previously slew to cover the lodging fee.
After Haruhime entered the guest room’s bath, Tian’el’s divine will expanded throughout the town’s key locations, gathering information about this world from well-informed passersby.
By this method, he quickly confirmed the current point in time—it was five years before the beginning of the main Danmachi storyline— Bell Cranel was still living in the countryside with Zeus.
The blue-ribbon Hestia had yet to descend to the lower world.
Orario was at the tail end of its Dark Age, with the Loki Familia and Freya Familia competing as twin kings.
The most eye-catching event of this period was likely the righteous Astraea Familia falling into a trap set by the Evilus faction, suffering near-total annihilation, with only the lone survivor Ryuu Lion remaining.
Judging from the rumors circulating through the town, that continent-shaking incident had occurred not long ago.
However, this did not concern Tian’el much.
Perhaps in the future he might intervene.
But at present, his most important objective was to resolve the destruction crisis of the Vast Expanse as soon as possible, then find a way to consolidate the authority of heaven and earth, establish order, and complete the unification of the Three Realms.
“As expected, I still need to capture a lone god first and determine exactly what sort of beings they are!”