"Wait… what does it even taste like again? Ah—no, hold on, I don't think I've ever eaten one. Then why did I dissect it in the first place?"
Hel stared at the wings on the back of the angelic young lady in front of her, her thoughts drifting far and wide. She didn't really listen to what the Lord of Holy Light was saying at all.
At that moment, the Lord of Holy Light above her gave a soft cough, pulling Hel's attention back.
"My child, you are the agent I have chosen—the Saintess born to save this world. I hope you will carry my will and bring change to this world.
"You have seen it yourself: the power of the old nobility grows day by day. They exploit the people and trample the law. Calling them the greatest obstacle to the progress of human civilization would not be wrong.
"Famine, plague, war, and death—behind every one of these disasters, their shadows can be found. Yet for the sake of profit, they not only refuse to make amends for the calamities they caused, but instead plunder wealth even more recklessly.
"If this continues, the faith of the people will be invaded by fallen evil gods, and human civilization itself will face its end.
"Time is running out, my child.
"Fortunately, a group of insightful individuals has realized this and has begun a movement against the old nobility. However, their ideology is too chaotic, and their membership far too disordered. They lack a unified belief and a resolute leader.
"If nothing changes, all that awaits them is the fate of moths flying into a flame…"
Hearing this, two terms suddenly popped into Hel's mind.
'The emerging nobility… and the old nobility.'
'So the "insightful individuals" she's talking about are the emerging nobles? Helping a bunch of capitalists seize power? Why should I?
"Once they kick off a wave of capitalism, they'll simply replace the old ruling class with the power of capital—giving themselves even more authority to exploit ordinary laborers for their own benefit.
"That's insane. I literally died from 996 overtime at my desk. How could I possibly help capitalists?
"Unless… I'm the capitalist.
"…Wait."
At that thought, Hel jolted awake, suddenly realizing something.
She seemed to already be dead.
So… where was this place?
And why did her body look so small?
Wasn't she supposed to be a one-meter-eighty burly man? Why was she now only tall enough to be staring straight at the angels' chests?
Thinking this, Hel lowered her head and looked at her hands. Those soft, delicate hands were nothing like what an adult male should have.
They looked far more like a little girl's.
A little girl?
In an instant, the memories her mind had subconsciously sealed away were released. Her sixth-tier mental strength allowed her to immediately grasp her situation.
'Right. I've already become Hel. So… this is a dream?'
As Hel thought this, she once again looked toward the lofty throne. After seeing what truly sat upon it, the corner of her mouth curved into a faint smile.
At this moment, the "Lord of Holy Light" still hadn't noticed the change in Hel. With a stern yet youthful face, she continued speaking gently:
"And you, my child—you are the guide I have chosen for those lost lambs. You will carry my will, guide them, help them overthrow this rotten empire, and allow the will of freedom to return to the lands of the Ymir Empire."
"The will of freedom?" Hel echoed.
"Yes, my child," the "Lord of Holy Light" nodded firmly.
But from Hel's perspective, the being seated upon the throne was nothing like a gentle, mature goddess.
Instead, she was a white-haired, twin-tailed loli, barely one meter forty tall.
She wore the same white robe as the angels, along with a pair of Bohemian-style strapped sandals. Yet her painfully flat figure utterly failed to fill out the robe, making her look even smaller in contrast.
What set her apart from an ordinary white-haired loli was the golden vertical-eye sigil carved into her forehead, and her eyes—entirely pitch-black, devoid of any whites.
'A strange loli,' Hel thought.
'But that's still not a reason for you to barge into my dream whenever you please. Saving the world? Helping the emerging nobility overthrow the old one?
"That abacus is practically smashing me in the face. So tell me—what faction would someone so eager to recruit people for the emerging nobles come from?
"Wow. Such a mystery.'
Hel stomped the ground.
In an instant, she appeared beside the throne.
Reaching out, she grabbed the still-pretending "Lord of Holy Light" by the collar and lifted her entire petite body into the air.
Caught completely off guard, the "Lord of Holy Light" froze for a moment—then began kicking Hel's calves furiously with her small, pale feet.
"Let go of me! You idiot! This is blasphemy against a goddess!"
That mature, elegant voice was gone. In its place was the frightened, high-pitched voice of a loli who'd just been pinned down.
Which, frankly, wasn't far from the truth.
Hel smiled, casually swatting away the angels who rushed forward to rescue their master. Then she plopped herself down onto the throne.
The "Lord of Holy Light" was laid sideways across Hel's lap.
Her body was completely restrained by Hel's mental power. All she could do was blink her eyes, which seemed to be spewing flames of rage.
Feeling the overwhelming mental suppression, the loli gradually calmed down. She stared coldly at Hel and gritted her teeth.
"Mortal, you are desecrating a god."
"Desecrating a god? That's quite the accusation—assuming you're actually a god to begin with."
Hel propped her chin on one hand, gazing curiously into the "Lord of Holy Light's" icy eyes.
"So. Tell me—who are you, where are you from, and why did you approach me?"
"I am a messenger of the Lord of Holy Light, an apostle sent to guide you along your destined path—"
Before the loli could finish—
Smack.
Hel's palm landed squarely on the part of her with the most flesh.
"Then I'll ask again," Hel said calmly.
"Who are you, where are you from, and what is your purpose?"
This time, Hel didn't even wait for an answer before her hand came down again.
After several rounds, the "Lord of Holy Light" was looking at Hel through teary eyes.
The coldness in her gaze was gone, replaced by pure, pitiful distress.
She parted her soft lips, speaking timidly:
"Leflina… I already told you. I am the guide meant to lead you toward your destined future.
"Even if I had not appeared today, your future would still follow that predetermined path. I merely came to help you."