“This is bad, correct?” Akona asked. “Your apostle is in trouble.”

Goddess Akona sat inside the crescent-moon hammock. She had succumbed to the temptation and formed her own humanoid figure. Her person followed generic beauty, as if to compete with Shiela’s appearance. Luscious and sparkling purple hair, a slim figure with exaggerated shapes in the areas most arousing. Her gown was even less creative, the design directly stolen from Queen Xastur’s tailor. And to make sure the dress qualified as a Goddess’s outfit, Akona added a sparkling glimmer to the fabric and called it a job well done.

“I am reluctant to admit, but you are correct,” Shiela said. “It is impressive how many incorrect decisions Cillian has convinced himself into.”

“You intended for him to use the system, correct?” Akona asked. “To train his magic under your assistance, so he could defeat the evil mage. He has barely leveled up in the slightest.”

“No, I spent all my effort developing the system to be used as decoration,” Shiela said. “It would be mighty foolish for a Goddess’s apostle to actually use the powers provided.”

“Was that what the humans call sarcasm?”

“Congratulations,” Shiela said. “You have figured me out.”

Akona formed a hateful grimace, then sighed. She likely intended to express simple disapproval, though Shiela forgave the incorrect use of human expressions.

“My argument is victorious,” Akona said. “Your actions were a mistake. You and your apostle should disengage, and you are to find a real purpose as opposed to pestering established worlds.”

“You seem just as eager to watch the situation, despite your complaints,” Shiela said.

“My powers are taken by the upkeep of a full moon,” Akona said. “Unlike you, I am not what the humans would call a jobless Goddess. I am entirely free to spend my excess energy on observation.”

“My efforts are preoccupied with saving your ecosystem from destruction,” Shiela said. “Do not belittle me yet. You should know, through your observations, that my worries for this world are entirely valid.”

Akona expressed agreeable worry, forgetting her human expressions. “This evil mage… He is indeed on a path to abuse our magic for far more than Carillia intended.”

“Which is why the concept of omniscient magic is nearly always a bad idea,” Shiela said.

“If magic is not given to the humans’ disposal, nuclear reactions and beyond are always available for invention,” Akona said. “Magic is an ideal tool for distracting the creatures. Your apostle’s homeland is a fitting example of a disaster on the other end.”

“Magic is only a distraction for as long as the consequences of magic itself aren’t disastrous,” Shiela said. “Carillia himself might be in danger.”

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Akona failed to disagree. They could both see it. The mage who called himself Azetoth (and whom Akona referred to as the “evil mage”) was on his way to discover a fatal flaw in the design of Carillia’s magic. Shiela’s apostle had little time to put a stop to this all. If Cillian made more poor decisions, he could instead expedite collapse.

“What does the apostle require?” Akona asked. “You are the one who planned his journey. What is it that he needs to achieve?”

“I did not plan his journey in the slightest,” Shiela said. “Fate is not an element of journeys I condone forcing on apostles. I simply gave him overtuned tools to deal with the issue at hand. However, seeing as my apostle is not using my magic at all, the future of your world is difficult to predict.”

“That was a lie,” Akona said. “You planned his journey as thoroughly as any Goddess. Tied with fate or not, you knew with all clarity that a pampered Earthling would be traumatized by the experience you offered. You also know exactly what Cillian requires to defeat the evil mage.”

“First and foremost, he must use the tools available,” Shiela said. “Without the assistance of my magic, he will never learn the intricacies of Carillia’s magic. Never. He will succumb to what you call the Corruption long before his inexperienced teacher has the slightest hope of teaching him honest weaving. A cruel fate will befall him if he refuses more of my assistance.”

“The Corruption was created to incentivize responsible use of magic,” Akona said. “A goal in which we have mostly succeeded. You cannot claim this is a cruel system. Your apostle suffers entirely because of your trickery.”

“I did not expect him to fear my system like such,” Shiela said with a genuine sigh. This was a mistake on her part; she could admit as much. Although, mistakes were often the most interesting to observe.

Akona stared at Shiela’s figure. “There is one more issue you are not addressing. That is, your apostle might be entirely right.”

“On which one of his deductions?” Shiela asked.

“His friends,” Akona said. “The adventurer group will not accept his overtuned powers. His noble teacher will see herself betrayed, deeming her student as a possible threat. Your apostle cannot simply reveal his powers, not when you blocked him from the natural explanation of revealing his identity as an apostle. His friends will be far too dumbfounded by his abilities.”

Shiela rested her chin on her hand. “Cannot is an understatement. Depending on the context of when he reveals his abilities, his friends will likely deem him a witch and imprison him if nothing else. I was hoping the Gorthorn would take his side in trusting the weirdness of his abilities, but she, too, has disappeared.”

“You say this with such solemnity?”

“As I mentioned, I did not expect my apostle to make so many poor decisions.”

Akona blinked, expressing the purest bafflement towards Shiela’s decisions. “What you are saying is that your apostle has thoroughly lost.”

“He has lost the upper hand,” Shiela said. “However, he has not lost yet. Cillian is a man of clever solutions. I place my trust in his ingenious nature.”

Akona frowned. “I do not believe this proclamation could possibly be honest.”

Shiela grinned. “We will see. And we will watch. There is nothing more enthralling than to play with the worlds of slumbering Gods, don’t you agree?”

The Moon sent her usual waves of disapproving emotions, the frown on her human face deepening still. Yet despite their arguments, both Goddesses were caught red-handed in observation a minute later, staring intently at the fate of a certain horse wagon approaching the human city of Arkber.

From the western capital city of Vulusen, the flying figure of a teacher followed at a dangerously quick pace.