Entropy's Servant

Chapter 10 - Gnome's Request

Hello everyone, Astaroth here. Lady Entropy once told me that humans and other animals are fundamentally different from Monsters. Apparently, at one point in time, the Goddesses found the world desolate, so they took a small part of their power, called it 'magic', and infused it into the world. The life born of this magic later became Monsters, and as such, Monsters are inherently magical, whereas the life born of nature became animals, plants and, eventually, humans. As a result of this, humans aren't innately born with the ability to use magic, and need to be given this gift by a Goddess.

"Oh my, if it isn't Lady Gnome", I said, eyeing the newcomer who had burst through a Godly Realm's wall without respect for privacy. Ignoring the tiny kick I felt at the back of my shin, I continued: "So then, Lady Gnome has a request for us? Whatever might that be?"

"... Gnome", Lady Entropy said, finally getting out from behind me. "... What do you, need?", she asked, looking down at Lady Gnome who, even compared to Lady Entropy, looked like a young child.

"It's the Heroes, the Heroes!", Lady Gnome shouted in response, looking at us both with a pleading look in her eyes. "The Heroes are targetedly hunting and bullying my adorable little Goblins! And my High Goblins, too! Just a bit more and they'll find the village!"

"Plea, please wait a, a moment, Miss, Miss Goddess of, of Earth", Evyna said, looking at Lady Gnome with a strange look on her face. "Aren't, aren't Goblins as a, as a whole cu, cursed by, by the Goddess of Earth?"

"... What're you on about? That's only natural, isn't it? After all, they're my cute little Goblins! Wait, in the first place, Lady Entropy, Sir Astaroth, who is this?", Lady Gnome responded.

"This is Evyna, Lady Gnome", I answered, "she's a new ally." I then turned to Evyna: "It is indeed true that Goblins and the like are cursed by Lady Gnome- but in truth, being cursed and being blessed do not differ much. You know about the different origins of Monsters and other life, yes?"

"Mon, Monsters come from, from Magic while, while other li, life comes from, from nature, right?"

"Exactly. It is because of this fundamental difference that the difference in terms exists. A Goddess implanting a human or an animal with a part of her power- in such a small amount it can be called 'Magic'- is, in a sense, that Goddess granting them power, which is why we call it a 'blessing'. On the other hand, doing that to a Monster will grant it power, but the Monster's core- made of Magic itself- will be influenced and dyed in that Goddess's element, and in weaker Monsters, their core itself may be eroded, completely replaced with the Goddess's Magic. This is why it is called a 'curse'. As a result, it's highly uncommon a Goddess would infuse weaker Monsters with her power- Lady Gnome is the only one who does such."

"Ha-ha! I'm amazing, aren't I?", Lady Gnome asked, puffing out her chest with a proud expression on her face as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I, I don't, don't quite think, that that w, was a compliment, though...", Evyna whispered under her breath before speaking in a normal tone of voice: "Th, then, is there no, no risk to, to the Mon, the Monsters when you, when you do it, Miss, Miss Goddess of Earth?"

"Naturally! After all, I have great control over my power!", Lady Gnome shouted in response, her expression growing ever prouder as she puffed up her chest more and more, hands still on her hips.

"... That's just, because you, have, the least power, of all the, Goddesses, though", Lady Entropy said, her toneless, matter-of-fact voice somehow adding to the severity of the statement as her emotionless, piercing gaze rested upon Lady Gnome. She did not seem concerned about the implied insult in her words, however.

"So, the Heroes are targeting Lady Gnome's Goblins, are they?", I asked, half attempting to defuse the situation and half attempting to hurry Lady Gnome along. "Do you think this is under orders of Lady Luciel?"