In this world where the average inhabitant was a weapon of war, humanity was undoubtedly a weak race.
Not being creations of the gods, humans possessed no affinity for spirits. In this era of monsters, it would be a miracle if they weren't at a disadvantage.
Therefore, humans chose to hide.
The human settlement was located deep within a snow-sealed forest, in a concealed cave at the foot of sharply jutting, rocky mountains. From the outside, it looked no different from a common beast's den.
However, venturing inside, one would see mostly rotten pillars from which several old oil lamps were hung. By the dim, orange glow, people could proceed through tunnels excavated deeper into the cave to find the true home of humanity.
The individual, whose current state of existence was peculiar—unsure if he was a god, a God-Slayer, a Herrscher, or a human—had, after some thought, naturally chosen to come to the human settlement and take up residence.
There was no need for false pretenses, no need to pretend to be a refugee who had fled a home destroyed by magical beasts.
He simply demonstrated his basic normal attack—cleaving a hundred-meter-long ravine with a single sword swing—and a human named Riku accepted Li Zihan.
The weak human race could not refuse the demands of any being stronger than them, because refusal could very well lead to utter annihilation.
---o---
"I'm telling you, it was incredibly dangerous just now when I was surrounded by the Flügel."
After arranging a room to his liking, the man who had wiped out the entire Flügel force with practically no injuries sat on a sofa, an expression of a narrow escape on his face.
"The power of those Heaven's Strikes, they were basically nuclear bombs! And not those little toys like 'Little Boy' or 'Fat Man,' I'm talking the big ones."
"To have over twelve hundred of them come crashing down at once, I was almost scared to death."
Facing him, the girl named Ling listened to his vivid and dramatic account with a look of utter disdain.
"Spit it out. How many strands of your hair were broken?"
"Hah? How many strands of hair?"
As if he'd just heard the most ridiculous thing, the youth who had, in fact, cleared the encounter flawlessly, looked indignant.
"Hey, hey, hey, the Flügel are the number six ranked super-race! If all of them mobilized, even a God-Spirit would be typing 'gg' amidst laughter and cheers."
"Stop spouting nonsense. If there were any real danger, you wouldn't be here making such a fuss."
Ling, who had probably known Li Zihan longer than any of the other girls, glanced towards the small kitchen where another girl was holding a cookbook.
That girl, under the guidance of her guardian spirit, was meticulously adjusting the proportions of her seasonings, trying to prepare the perfect dinner for her lover. The sight of her careful expression and the faint happiness that radiated from her face was, for some reason, a little irritating to Ling's eyes.
"If there were even a shred of danger, you would have found a way to send that girl away first, and then considered whether to fight or retreat."
Unsure of her own state of mind, the girl named Ling's voice was a bit testy.
"Oh my, you saw through that?"
The youth, who did indeed have a habit of sending his girls away before a major battle, looked at the girl who had spoken the truth with some surprise.
"Right, you are my best mate, after all."
Before long, Li Zihan also smiled, a smile that looked incredibly punchable in Ling's eyes.
Old mate?
Old mate my foot!
"Anyone could see that."
Ling, who desperately wanted to land a combination of punches on the face of the guy calling her his "mate," snorted coldly.
"You don't mind adventure yourself, and you even like dragging others into your adventures, but you absolutely hate letting people you're close to adventure with you."
"Well, that's only natural, isn't it?"
The youth, whose every adventure dragged in a whole mess of people and sent the situation into chaos, shrugged and said.
Adventures are fun, but if you have to lose something during one, then it's not so wonderful anymore.
As a renowned practitioner of double standards, Li Zihan, while enjoying adventure, had no intention of paying any price for it. Thus, when faced with a true crisis, he would naturally have his own girls leave while he stayed behind to decide whether to fight or flee based on the situation.
"Seele is still here, which makes it obvious you were in basically no danger."
Ling vaguely remembered that when a certain someone went to find trouble with the Flügel, he still had time to use a feather from the Feathers of Passage like a telephone to tell Seele to watch the weather and not catch a cold. For some reason, the roots of her teeth began to itch.
The message she had received was, "Drink more hot water."
Drink more hot water... Drink more hot water...
Drink more hot water, you big idiot!
This guy had to be provoking her on purpose.
Ling, who was more or less aware of her feelings for this person, looked at the scoundrel and felt an inexplicable urge to bite him on the face. She was beginning to understand why Durandal's previous method of confession had been domestic violence.
This bastard was really asking for a beating.
"But speaking of which, after you dealt with those Flügel, what do you plan to do with them?"
Ms. Ling, who was well aware that a certain someone was teasing her, shot him a glare and then asked about another matter.
The Flügel were the kin of the strongest god, Artosh. The handling of the defeated Flügel was a matter that clearly required careful consideration.
"Lock them in the basement and keep them as plush balls, how about that?" the youth said lightly, as if it were nothing, suggesting a method that made the corners of both Ling's eyes and mouth twitch.
"Creating a Flügel Paradise also seems like a good idea."
"What on earth are you thinking?"
As if possessed by a certain disgrace to the nobles of the Box Garden, Ling produced a paper fan from nowhere and smacked the youth soundly on the head with it.
"Is there a problem?"
After getting hit on the head, the man who had already decided to offer the entire stock of Flügel as a favor, looked at the obviously angry girl, his gaze shifting slightly.
Then, he put on a look of righteous indignation.
"I want to try a love that requires no responsibility."
A love that requires no responsibility?
Hearing this, a cross-popping vein appeared on Ling's forehead.
Without a moment's hesitation, she once again raised the paper fan and brought it down hard on the youth.
"If you want to sleep with women, just say it!"
"Why don't you just go find a fleeting affair that costs eight hundred yuan for the hotel room!"
"I was just kidding."
The youth twisted his body nimbly, dodging Ling's attack. He looked at the girl, who was clearly furious because of her jealousy, and smiled.
"I certainly wouldn't risk your wrath by fooling around."