----------Ivy’s POV----------
These days have been the best couple of days I have had in a long time. Everything is starting to revert back to normal. My followers have calmed down, fewer people are asking to follow me, and the Church of Misfortune seems to have calmed down. Furthermore, I have yet to hear another word about a certain army.
Everything had just been so peaceful lately, so I have had plenty of time to practice. In fact, it seems that Malum and Gekido have determined that practice is fun too! They had said something about strength being key, and I’m starting to think that they are just now worrying about their future health. Don’t worry guys! As long as we keep exercising it will be fine!
[Malum] “Ivy-sama, we are here today as well!”
[Gekido] “Please instruct us!”
[Me] “See? That’s the right attitude!”
I set up a sound barrier and force field around the area we will be practicing. I can’t let innocents get hurt nor can I bother the neighbors with loud noises. I do some warm up stretches and encourage the boys to do so as well.
[Me] “Aright then, are you guys ready for the gravity field?”
[Boys] “Yes!”
[Me] “Here we go!”
I set up a gravity field about five times less than what I usually set it on. It turns out both Malum and Gekido are really weak, Gekido worse than Malum. Who would have known?
[Me] “Let’s start the warm up! Start with one hundred pushups!”
[Boys] “Yes, Ivy-sama!!!”
Around the thirty-ish pushup, I see Gekido’s arms give out, and Malum’s arms are trembling. Both of them are soaked in sweat and are breathing really heavily. I continue to do pushups, and see Malum give out on pushup 67. Quickly finishing up, I stand and give the both of them some towels and water that I had brought with me.
[Me] “You guys still can’t manage to do one hundred yet. Perhaps I should lower the gravity field a little more…?”
[Boys] “Please don’t, Ivy-sama! We will do our best! We have seen how strong you truly are, and wish to reach your level of expertise!!!”
Well… while I may be strong due to certain Gods and their blessings, it’s not that hard to do one hundred pushups, you know? On earth, we had many people who could manage this…. All I did was add a very low-leveled gravity field…
[Me] “You guys need to work harder or else you will never be fit.”
If you are fit, then you are healthy. Well, that and the addition to eating healthy. We need to take things one at a time, starting with their fitness.
As I look at them, they nod seriously and begin the curl-ups. When I first told them about the exercise, the acted all amazed. Now, though, they seem to be used to it. Not that they could do many anyway. Wow… they are really taking these exercises seriously. No, I mean it looks like their lives are on the line in they don’t do their best…
Are they alright? Should I ask them? But… the look in their eyes shows the utmost determination. I can’t risk stopping that determination… Should I support them? But overdoing it is back too…
Maybe I should just warn them a little…
[Me] “Hey… don’t overdo it, okay? If you overdo it then the effects could be detrimental.”
[Gekido] “I understand, Ivy-sama!”
[Malum] “I will do as you say, Ivy-sama!”
That’s better. Still, when did Malum teach Gekido to call me Ivy-sama? I am younger than them, so I think it’s fine if they call me without the ‘-sama’. I gave up on convincing Malum to stop calling me that, because whenever I tried he would call me Goddess Ivy-sama. Why did the ‘-sama’ stay? Ahh… I think I’m stressing myself out too much again.
Quickly finishing up the warm-up, I leave the boys to rest up while I summon some Beings of Misfortune. I never let the boys practice against them because the summoned beings are too strong for them. I can only make my summons so weak…
After practicing both magic and swordplay, I sit on the grass. I release all my fields (sound, barrier, and gravity), and watch as the two boys walk over to me.
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[Gekido] “You did well today too, Ivy-sama.”
[Malum] “You were amazing! Great job, Ivy-sama!”
[Me] “Thank you. You two did better today!”
[Gekido] “Thank you for your kind words, Ivy-sama.”
[Me] “No problem!”
I get up and brush off the remaining dirt off my pants. Walking inside the house, I spot my mom cooking dinner. I’m glad she is home today. Yesterday, which was Monday, she had disappeared for some reason. Now that I think about it, Malum and Gekido disappeared as well yesterday.
[Mom] “Oh! Ivy, you were here! So, have you decided what you would like for your birthday?”
[Me] “Yeah! I would like a younger sibling! Though… I don’t mind if they are adopted…”
I always wanted a sibling. In my past life, I never got one because my parents said they were fine with just me. With their luck, my mother never got pregnant, and so I never got a sibling. In this life, I want to experience what a younger sibling is like.
As soon as I told Mom what I wanted, I noticed her eye gleam for a moment. Is this going to be alright? Now that I think about it, Mom has always been a little crazy about me… perhaps she will be just as crazy about my (possible) new sibling… forgive me young one.
---------- Gekido’s POV ----------
*a little earlier*
[Me] “Malum, come. We will be late to our training if you take any longer.”
Malum rises from his little council meeting with his previous council and follows me. We are extremely lucky. Ivy-sama has decided to train us so that we may properly serve her. Although both Malum and I are strong, we are nowhere near her level. With Malum being only a low-level god and me being the sin of wrath, it is only natural that there are some beings stronger than us. Despite this, Ivy-sama is in another rank than us. She is, doubtfully, the strongest being on Aredia and possibly the heavens.
Before we began practicing, Ivy-sama put up some barriers and caused the air around us to become much heavier. If I had to estimate, it was about one hundred times the pressure than normally. I barely managed to do any ‘pushups’, while Malum somehow did a little more than double what I accomplished. Showoff.
When Malum’s arms finally gave out, we watched Ivy-sama finish up all one hundred pushups. While we were resting, Ivy-sama looked at us seriously.
[Ivy-sama] “You guys need to work harder or else you will never be fit.”
What?! She has a point… If Malum and I can’t even do what she considers a ‘warm-up’, then we will never be fit to be a part of her army. Now that Malum is a General of the Army of Misfortune, and I am the strategist of that army, we need to do our best! Malum and I shared a nod and began doing our best so that we may stay serving Ivy-sama.
It was only when Ivy-sama mentioned not overdoing it that we realized we were still looking at the situation wrongly. We cannot afford to have our bodies give out while confronting the army, or else, how Ivy-sama put it, the consequences would be detrimental. Right! I will be careful while doing my best!
---------- Carla’s POV ----------
I am cooking dinner when I notice my daughter standing behind me. When I ask for what she wants, she mentions a younger sibling. How could she know?! I had made sure to hide it, yet she still knew I was pregnant. I was due to give birth in five days, but no one could really tell due to my devil ancestry.
Female devils, thankfully, do not show anything when they pregnant. The only way we could know that we were pregnant is a skill all female devils have called ‘Pregnancy’. It will allow the she-devil to know how long until the baby is born and how to care for your body before giving birth. Thanks to Ivy, my level was already level two, but now it is level three. The higher the level, the more detailed information, and smoother the pregnancy.
The fact that Ivy, somehow, knew that I was pregnant goes to show how just how amazing she is. I am so excited for this baby, because this child will grow up to be their sister’s most trusted general. I will make sure to train them well…
As for Ivy’s birthday, I will formally announce I am pregnant. Though, I can’t keep her too long. It was pre-decided that Ivy will be officially joining the devil royal family on her ninth birthday. I’m so proud of my little Goddess!
After dinner, I headed to my room and looked over the notes I gained at yesterday’s meeting. The most important part of our plan was to move everything underground so that no one will discover it. We are, after all, supposed to portray a normal village and not a village that will start a war.
I was chosen to be the leader of the underground operations, with only Ivy being above me. Malum was chosen to be in charge of the underground operations in this village. James, my son, was chosen to be in charge of the underground operations in Starlight Academy. Princess Belle was chosen to be in charge of our capital. We have other people in charge of other villages and areas across the globe… though we only take up 15% of Aredia right now. We need to expand…
---------- Ryan’s POV ----------
My sister has been acting strangely recently. She has been talking about being in charge of a ‘divine’ mission and is constantly out for long periods of time. Whenever the royal guards would try to follow her, she would disappear. Recently we got her to allow the guards to stay with her, but when the guards came back, they were all extremely loyal to the Church of Misfortune and refused to tell anyone where they went with Belle.
It has been so long since I last saw the beauty, and I keep her teddy bear with me at all times. In fact, while I am still doing my paperwork my father assigned me, the teddy bear is on my lap. Ah! I seem to have been unconsciously petting it again! I need to pay more attention to my paperwork!
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
[Me] “Yes?”
[Alan] “I’m coming in.”
Alan shoved the door open with enough force to send wind over to where I was working. Normally, he is very polite in public, but in reality, he had a completely different personality. Thankfully, or unthankfully in my case, he seems to only let his true personality out when with me. I guess my luck isn’t omnipotent.
[Me] “Oh! Hey!”
[Alan] “Pfft… you are still carrying that stupid teddy bear?”
[Me] “Oh course! It is my treasure!”
[Alan] “No, I’m pretty sure that is just a normal teddy bear. BUT, I came prepared to see if it is anything special, just for you, your highness.”
[Me] “Come on! You know I hate being called that!”
[Alan] “That’s what makes it fun.”
[Me] “You’re so mean…”
[Alan] “Are you ready?”
[Me] “Sure, sure…”
Alan brings out an analyzing stone from behind his back. He then activates the stone and we watch as the results hover above the teddy bear.
***** Goddess Ivy’s Teddy Bear
This is a teddy bear once belonging to Goddess Ivy before being stolen. This is a relic looked for by the Church of Misfortune, and if the thief is caught, they will become blacklisted and killed.*****
[Alan] “OF ALL THINGS FOR YOU TO HAVE!!!!”
[Me] “Oh, so she was a goddess after all.”
[Alan] “Do you not understand the gravity of the situation?! This is a belonging to a GODDESS and is looked for by a church!”
[Me] “Hmm… I will have to be more careful….”
[Alan] “Give me the teddy bear.”
[Me] “Why?”
[Alan] “I happen to have a fireplace that burns quite quickly…”
[Me] “What?! NO!!! This is my treasure! Mine.”
[Alan] “Fine. Suit yourself; just don’t go crying to me if the church catches you.”
[Me] “Fine…”
---------- Third Person’s POV ----------
[Poseidon] “Bwahahahaha!!! Oh, this is too funny!!!”
[Zeus] “Hahaha… indeed it is. She not only has a minor god following her but several devils and a sin as well!”
[Poseidon] “And all he, my bad, she wanted was a normal life!!!”
[Zeus] “And you, Kat, are not innocent in this either! Making him a her! Truly cruel!”
[Kat] “He would not have been cute as a boy… but as a girl… Fufufufufu”
[Poseidon] “Although… Zeus, are you not mad about the whole church incident?”
[Zeus] “I’m fine. It’s only one church in one village, what harm could that do? Besides, it is just too funny seeing people worship the poor fellow!”
[Poseidon] “Your right there!!! And you, Kat. Are you not mad about the people calling her cuter than you?”
[Kat] “No, why would I be mad? I created a masterpiece that can be cuddled and hugged and… she is just too cute!!!!! OH MY GOSH, I MUST DRESS HER UP IN A CUTE DRESS, PUT HER IN DEVIL FORM, AND CUDDLE HER!!!”
[Zeus] “Kat, you’re getting creepy again…”
[Kat] “FUFUFUFUFUFUFU!!!!”
[Zeus] “…”
[Poseidon] “Let’s just ignore Kat. Now, about Ivy…”