True Magician

Chapter 84

Belnargo.

On one of the streets of the city, sitting on a bench near a lonely fountain, Hardy and I were feeding the local equivalent of pigeons, while Giselle and a few other priestesses stood aside and watched silently.

A small flock of birds had already gathered in front of us, pecking bread crumbs from the ground and the goddess's hands while there wasn't a soul in the neighborhood besides our group. All because Giselle and the priestesses had made the decision to clear the surrounding area of people, thus blocking the entrance to the area. And they were so persistent in their zeal that there was no one not just around, but within a whole kilometer radius.

The weather was, frankly, perfect for walking or sitting outdoors. The light of the afternoon sun did not scorch my skin or blind my eyes, but warmed me pleasantly. The wind that was blowing through the city, located in a rocky area, was blowing, but not freezing. And the murmuring of the water in the fountain and the voices of the birds seemed to soothe.

While the goddess was busy with the birds, I did nothing and didn't know where to start. Hardy, how shall I put it, represented what I expected. At least at first glance.

Carefree and bored.

You could tell that from her actions around me. Otherwise, she wouldn't have intervened, much less shown up in person. I had essentially become her new "toy" which awakened her intrigue. As-is, the world of Itami doesn't practice magic, sort of, but is standard by all existing standards, barring technological advancement and age.

It's worth mentioning that Hardy is now using the body of one of the priestesses. I can't say I'm not surprised, but the state of the body worries me a bit.

As it turns out, materializing a god in this world is almost identical to the Nasuverse. A god can do it, but he needs a vessel, a medium, that can withstand the divine power without falling apart. After all, it's like nuclear energy, which corrodes everything if there's no suitable container or shielding.

And as I understand it, the perfect medium for Hardy either hasn't been found yet or doesn't exist. Kind of like Rin or Sakura for Ishtar and Parvati, respectively. Right now, the young girl's body that Hardy is using is slowly deteriorating. And by my estimation, it'll last for an hour or so. While I feel sorry for the girl for giving her life away like that for essentially nothing, it was her own conscious choice. I'm not Emiya after all, even if his ideology is partially correct.

- "So, will you answer my question, Romani?" The goddess inquired without turning her head in my direction, "Now all the rules of decorum have been observed."

- "I've already answered it..." I started and wondered how to address her. After all, she is a goddess.

- "Hardy. I don't see a problem with calling me by my first name," she said calmly, "And that's not what I was asking."

- "Human."

- "Hmm..." Hardy mumbled thoughtfully, "You don't trust me... Oh, well. Why did you come to me, Romani?"

- "Honestly, I just wanted to meet you and get to know you personally," I said with a shrug, to which Hardy herself hardly reacted, except for a surprised look. But her priestesses, with Giselle at the head, were seething, but didn't say a word. "I've heard a lot of things about you, and opinions have ranged from genuine praise to undisguised contempt."

- "You're pretty cocky to say that to my face, eh, Romani?" Hardy giggled, and then she took a break from feeding the birds to sit down on the bench, and then looked at me, "Nothing much."

As soon as the last word was out of my mouth, Hardy's face went cold and divinity flashed in all directions from her body for a moment, then it quickly went back down. Of course, this had a bad effect on the medium, as a trickle of blood came out of her nose and ear each.