The first time I met Oko was during one of my grandfather’s religious ceremonies when I was a child.

While my grandfather recited the prayer, the congregation remained silent, bowing their heads in reverence.

Facing them was Oko, wearing a smile that seemed both radiant and somehow uncomfortable as she watched over the crowd.

After losing my father—whom my grandfather never spoke of—he encountered Oko. Witnessing her abilities, he declared her a deity and devoted himself to worshiping her.

Oko, as it turned out, couldn’t directly interfere in the human world. She explained it to me once in complex terms: she could observe what was happening but could not change it without violating universal laws.

At first, I didn’t understand what was so special about that. But her true capabilities were revealed when dealing with other divine beings. Unlike the human world, which operates as a natural ecosystem, divine beings represent specific concepts and don’t function as natural entities.

Oko monitored their actions, regulated their behavior, and could even erase a deity with a mere gesture if necessary. My grandfather likened it to witnessing miracles and built his faith around her.

As a child, none of that mattered much to me. To me, Oko was just a beautiful older sister. I’d always tease her, saying things like:

"If you think I’m so cute, why don’t you marry me?"

At first, Oko would just laugh, treating it as the joke it was. But as time passed, things shifted.

"So, Observer," my grandfather asked once, "what do you plan to do with my grandson?"

"I think a singularity will occur soon, one that will allow peace without Raydan’s presence. Would it be alright if I took him away then?"

"Do as you wish," my grandfather replied casually.

What the hell? Hearing them talk about something so absurdly serious left me dumbfounded.

If I had to name the people I was most comfortable around in this empire, it would undoubtedly be Oko, my grandfather, and the restaurant owner. Oko, having spent the most time with me, ranked at the top of that list.

Her happiness made me happy, but was this feeling what I thought it was? I wasn’t sure.

"Where do my opinions factor into this?" I asked.

"Don’t you want to live with me?" Oko replied.

"You’re really giving me an all-or-nothing choice here, aren’t you? You know that’s manipulative, right?"

"Relax. I’ll make sure you can see your grandfather and the restaurant owner at least twice a week."

She said it so smoothly, as if it were a casual negotiation.

"I still have so much I want to do."

"That’s fine. I can wait. I have all the time in the world."

Her unwavering determination left me speechless. And the fact that she could wait forever didn’t help.

"You’re so much older than me, and yet…."

"What’s that, Raydan?" Oko’s voice sharpened, and a dark aura began rising behind her.

My grandfather bolted from his seat, leaving me alone with Oko at the table.

What the hell? Aren’t grandfathers supposed to help their grandsons when they’re in danger? I should boycott errands for a week.

"Uh, um… so…."

"So?"

"I’m just deeply honored that you care for me so much, Oko."

It was the usual pattern, and as always, Oko froze when I said things like that.

Gotcha. Time to press my advantage.

"You know," I continued, "there’s no one across all races as beautiful as you, Oko. Not only are you gorgeous, but your personality is amazing too…!"

"S-stop! You’re trying to dodge again with those sweet words!"

Success.

Today’s Raydan Tantan had survived the Observer.

Despite her feigned annoyance, Oko’s expression betrayed her happiness. It seemed even deities had honest bodies.

"Isn’t it nice to leave things on a good note?" I teased.

"…Just wait until later."

"Ha, but even later, I’ll still be with—"

Before I could deliver the final blow, a light flickered beside me. It began forming into a familiar shape, and I immediately tensed.

Ah, here we go again. This never ended well.

If I moved quickly, I might escape before the figure fully materialized. I reached for my chair to push myself up.

But something was off.

The process was faster than usual, and before I could react, the lower half of the figure was already fully formed.

"Argh!"

"…Don’t run," came the monotone voice.

Soft arms embraced me, and the figure began nuzzling my cheek with their own.

I was used to this by now, so it didn’t bother me much. But if Oko saw this, she’d be furious. That’s why I tried to avoid it.

And, of course, Oko’s face turned red with anger as she yelled at the deity holding me.

"Afta! I told you not to treat Raydan like that!"

"Hugging isn’t mistreatment," Afta replied in her usual flat tone.

"Raydan doesn’t like it!"

"Do you dislike it?"

Afta’s cat-like eyes blinked as she looked at me.

Uh… well… Afta was beautiful too, so… do I completely hate it?

"I’m not sure," I said hesitantly.

"There you go."

"Raydan!"

Crap. I meant to dodge the question, but my honesty had landed me in trouble.

"H-hey!"

Before Oko could truly lose it, I managed to pry Afta off. She pouted, looking at Oko.

"You’re so selfish, Oko. You want him all to yourself."

"…Ugh. That’s not it! Raydan feels uncomfortable when you do it!"

"But seeing Raydan makes me want to hug him."

"Can’t you hold back?"

"I wouldn’t feel this way if you hadn’t liked him first…."

"Enough! I get it, so stop!"

Oko never seemed to win arguments against Afta. Somehow, despite being the one causing trouble, Afta’s confidence left Oko flustered and unable to respond.

Still, the two of them were the closest of friends. Their powers were even connected—Oko observed, and Afta recorded what she saw.

Not that I bothered trying to understand divine concepts. Just thinking about them gave me a headache.

"So, why are you here, Afta?" I asked.

"…Oko, there’s work to be done again," Afta replied.

"Now? Really?"

"Yes."

Oko’s displeasure was evident. Her tasks usually involved dealing with foreign deities attempting nonsensical logic to invade the empire. When Afta got involved, the target was usually stronger.

"…I just wanted to spend time with Raydan after his rough day."

"Finish it quickly, then come back," Afta suggested simply.

Oko’s fist met Afta’s shoulder with a dull thud.

"Ow."

"You say that like it’s so easy! You’re not the one doing it!"

"Don’t worry. I’ll borrow Raydan and return him in pristine condition."

"Don’t say weird things!"

As Oko’s fist flew again, Afta ran to me, tears forming in her eyes.

"Oko’s being mean, Raydan."

"…Haha."

I understood Oko’s frustration. After worrying about me all day, she barely had any time with me before getting called away.

"…Fine. Let’s go. I’ll protect Raydan’s country," Oko said, standing up.

She approached me, her face slightly red as she avoided my gaze.

"…Aren’t you going to give me something before I go?"

Sigh.

She always pulled these unfair little moves. But how could I say no?

I pulled her into a tight hug.

This was probably what she wanted.

"Hmph."

"Take care. I’ll be waiting here."

I held her a bit longer, gently rocking her before letting go. Her face was bright red, and she seemed recharged.

"I’ll be back!" she declared, vanishing in an instant.

Watching her leave, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad. Seeing her tirelessly help others without expecting anything in return always weighed on me.

That was why I stayed with the Knight Order—to create a better world where I could spend peaceful days with Oko, my grandfather, and the restaurant owner.

And we were so close. The divine beings had mostly integrated with humans, and outside threats rarely reached the empire now.

"Raydan, what should we do now?" Afta asked.

"Hmm, good question."

"If nothing, we could hug."

"…Let’s think about it a bit more."

It was peaceful.

Almost too peaceful, as though everything was going too perfectly.

And as history has shown, when things go too well, something inevitably goes wrong.

I only noticed then how eerily quiet it had become outside. It didn’t make sense for the afternoon to be this still.

Cautiously, I stepped outside, Afta following behind me.

What I saw left me speechless.

In the direction of the palace, the Knight Commander of Lintpia stood holding a child who looked no older than ten, shouting to the gathered citizens.

"The Empress has murdered the Emperor! From this moment, she is stripped of her title, and all divine beings are declared traitors!"