Returning to her homeland after the ship party hosted by Kaito, Laguna bid farewell to her companions before heading back to her house, which was a few distance away from the Royal Palace.

Although the Royal Palace had rooms for Laguna…… their King, she found more comfort in the house when she could do as she pleased, not caring about being King.

As Laguna approached the small house by the seaside, she stopped short with a serious expression.

[……No, let’s do some training before hitting the sack……]

Muttering this, Laguna moved towards the sea, but the scenery around her suddenly changed.

[Wha!? W- What in the world…… The sea? No…… an enormous river?]

Laguna found herself standing on water. She wasn’t using magic to create a foothold or anything; she was simply floating above the flowing water.

Initially thinking she was on the sea, she quickly realized it was a huge river. Just then, an unfamiliar voice reached her ears.

[Oh dear, I must have startled you. Good gracious, given the somewhat complicated circumstances, I created this special space to have a little chat, but it must be quite the surprise. Tahaa~~ Sorry for not notifying you beforehand!]

[……Y- You are……?]

Turning towards the voice, Laguna saw a woman with bluish white hair, a face as expressionless as a mask, speaking in an apologetic tone.

However, as a seasoned warrior, Laguna immediately understood. The being before her was overwhelmingly more powerful than her…… almost as if she was a God……

[It’s understandable to be confused. You can call me…… Errr, let’s just go with my name here…… Just call me Jane Doe. Well, just think of me as a trivial wandering God or something along those lines.]

[Ah, y- yes. I’m Laguna Dia Hydra. So, Jane-sama, what business do you have with me?]

[Ahh, rather than business, it’s more like I’m here to apologize…… Considering how some people watch videos at double speed these days, I’ll keep the explanation concise. I’ll transmit the information directly to your mind. It might be a bit startling, but don’t worry, it’s not dangerous~~ There we go.]

[ ! ? ]

In an instant, information flowed into Laguna’s mind, and she understood why the god named Jane had appeared before her.

[……I- I see, Jane-sama followed me to attend Kaito’s party….. and mentioned to Kaito that you were accompanying the Hydra King……]

[That’s right. Since I used your position without permission, I came to apologize and offer something in return. Oh, don’t mind the honorifics with me. I’m not a God of this world, just a wandering Stray God, so no need to be formal.]

[T- Thank you for your consideration…… However, a reward?]

[Yes, since this world belongs to Shallow Vernal and I have limitations on what I can do freely, I can’t claim I can do anything, but I can grant most requests…… Tahaa~~ I’m an Omnipotent God after all.]

Despite Jane’s unchanged expression and cheerful voice, Laguna had a bewildered expression on her face.

After all, while she spoke of it as if it were no big deal, the being before her was a God on the same level as World Creators, comparable with Shallow Vernal and Eden…… Just the idea of being in the presence of such a being was overwhelming for Laguna, and being offered a gift by someone so powerful left her at a loss for what to ask.

[Can’t think of anything right away? Then, if you don’t mind, could I take a look into your memories? That way, I can come up with an appropriate gift……]

[Eh? Ah, yes. I don’t mind at all but…… w- well, errr, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect such a question, so I’m a little flustered. I thought you’d just look at my memories without asking……]

[Unn? No, well, I could look at your memories without you noticing, but you wouldn’t like that, right? W- Well, I did already take a peek at your memories when I first started following you to learn about anything related to Kaito-sama, so I guess it’s too late to do this now. Tahaa~~ I really am sorry.]

[P- Please raise your head! I’m far inferior, so I have no right to oppose anything Jane-sama does!]

[No, no, that isn’t true, okay? Just because someone is superior doesn’t mean they can be disrespectful to those inferior to them. It’s something I learned from the one I respect: those in higher positions naturally have more room to be considerate, so it’s the superior who should be more thoughtful. Tahaa~~ Sorry for the lecture!]

[………………Ahh, errr…… It’s the first time I’ve spoken with a sensible World Creator before, so I’m kinda bewildered……]

Laguna murmured with an indescribable expression as Jane, who naturally bowed her head to someone inferior and considered her feelings, spoke.

After all, the World Creators Laguna knew were Shallow Vernal and Eden, and neither were beings who would show consideration to someone like Laguna.

(W- What a reasonable God…… Ah, no, this won’t do. Thinking that way is disrespectful to Shallow Vernal-sama and Eden-sama. For the time being, let’s calm ourselves……)

As Laguna’s thoughts swirled in confusion, Jane quietly waited for Laguna to calm down without rushing her.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [Coming all the way to apologize for having used you, creating a space to meet to avoid any commotion, bowing her head in apology for peeking into your memories without permission, asking for consent before looking into your memories again, and being considerate even to someone inferior…… This must be the result of the Absolute’s teachings. Seeing how she’s so different from Shiro and Makina, it’s no wonder she’s bewildered.]