The morning light of the mortal world slowly faded, giving way to a golden glow.
In the divine plane, where time flowed similarly to that of mortals, a figure stretched lazily upon her throne.
"Yawwwnnnn… I'm so sleepy…"
Sigillaria had just awakened.
Seated on a golden throne, she stared into infinity with a blank, drowsy gaze. The goddess wore a pale pink silk robe of the finest weave, and at her divine feet rested two slippers of the same color. Each one had tiny embroidered eyes and a pair of sewn-on ears. They looked like little bunnies.
A gentle breeze drifted through the room, lifting the embroidered curtains woven from ethereal fabric.
Behind her, a sound—
The door opened.
"Good morning, Divine Sigillaria!"
It was the divine assistant, entering the room with a small silver tray. Upon it lay refined porcelain with a regal air.
"Good morning, Muryel. Come in."
The intern approached the goddess and set the tray on the crystal table beside her.
"I shall serve your tea at once, Supreme Goddess."
The girl began pouring the contents of the teapot into a small cup.
"Mhmm… How's the world today?"
"The weather is fair, my divine…"
Once the tea was served, the girl bowed and stepped aside.
The goddess lifted the cup to her lips—pale, glossy, flawless. She took a sip.
"What blend is this?"
Still bowed, Muryel replied:
"Imperial Gyokuro, Supreme Goddess. The one grown in the shadow of the second sun."
The goddess sipped again, savoring its sweet and mysterious taste, like a thought one dares not speak aloud.
"Do we have any milk?"
Muryel's face twitched, barely containing herself.
A spasm. A jolt. A vein on her forehead. Her fists tightened in a shiver of restraint.
"M–Milk… for Gyokuro…?"
She whispered it like she were uttering a cosmic crime.
The goddess shrugged.
"It was just a question, no need to get all worked up."
Still bowed, the intern collapsed forward slightly, sighing and mumbling with tired resignation.
The goddess finished sipping her tea without paying any attention to the assistant's complaints.
Muryel straightened up again, adjusting her glasses in an attempt to regain her composure.
"How is the girl?"
The goddess turned to look at her.
"Girl? Which girl?"
Muryel raised a fist, the large vein on her forehead beginning to throb—her expression downright demonic.
"The girl from the Guild!"
Sigillaria blinked at her assistant's bizarre expression, puzzled.
"It is impossible that you've already forgotten that, Supreme Goddess!"
Muryel had snapped. She screamed and flailed in a fit of pure exasperation.
Being the assistant of a void deity could be truly exhausting at times, you know?
Sigillaria turned away again, her enchanting gaze drifting into the emptiness.
"Girl… Guild…"
Suddenly, realization struck.
"Oooh… You mean little Violet!"
The goddess finally shook off the lethargy of sleep.
"Oh, forgive me, Muryel. You're absolutely right. I'm so forgetful!"
She covered her mouth with one hand to hide a soft, elegant divine chuckle.
"Finally…"
Muryel exhaled, relieved. At last, the goddess remembered.
"Well then, let's see…"
Sigillaria turned, her long golden hair shifting with the breeze.
A sprinkling of stardust drifted from her locks.
With a simple gesture of her hand, a magical screen materialized before her—
a window through which the goddess could observe events unfolding in the world below.
After a brief humming sound, the screen connected.
Muryel stepped closer, standing behind the goddess.
An image appeared.
A purple-haired girl seemed to be hugging someone.
Intrigued, Muryel leaned in to watch the scene displayed upon the divine monitor.
"Is that… a dog-girl?"
"Oh, how adorable!!" The goddess watched the scene, visibly moved.
"Her name should be… Mela! And that is Violet, our chosen one. I see Nainai is there as well."
The screen showed Violet stepping away from the dog-girl to join the dwarf inside a building.
"She looks so tired… Are you certain she's alright, Divine Sigillaria?"
"Yes, you're right…" The goddess frowned, worried.
"…I wonder what happened to her."
The scene ended with the young chosen one collapsing onto her bed—
and the goddess's expression darkened, becoming solemn and grave.
"It doesn't look like they've made much progress…"
Muryel watched her goddess, noticing the worry clouding her expression.
"Do you intend to intervene, Supreme Goddess?"
Sigillaria sighed.
"Intervene?" The goddess paused to think.
"We have already done more than we were permitted to. Unfortunately… we cannot do anything else."
The assistant nodded, stepping closer to reassure her, letting out a quiet sigh of her own.
Their faces ended up quite close—almost pressed together—as they observed the scene unfolding on the divine magical screen.
The goddess reached out toward it, brushing her fingers against Violet's tiny image, as though trying to stroke her gently.
"Don't give up, my little sugar drop… We're all counting on you."