There was a single dagger here.
The masterpiece forged by the one-eyed goddess at the request of the goddess of the hearth.
A god-forged dagger made from a god's blood and hair.
A weapon that responded to the one blessed by a goddess, changing its function according to the wielder's achievements, a weapon that grew together with its master.
Created by a smith who had reached the divine realm, it had spent an entire lifetime with its owner and grown alongside him. In a way, it was fair to call it his very first companion.
A half-divine partner who had shared his master's joys and sorrows, never leaving his side in any moment. A companion present at his master's beginning and end.
And the weapon that had carried the most of its master's joys and sorrows.
It had swept away countless monsters alongside him, overcome tens of thousands of hardships, and fulfilled its role until the very last moment as a loyal retainer.
Though its end had ultimately been broken, it had always remained by its master's side, sharing every hardship and every joy.
Even after everything else had vanished.
That was why its master had never discarded it. Even if it was broken and could no longer fulfill its value, simply having it there gave him strength.
Even after obtaining a new lightning sword, the dagger remained with its master until the end, despite being unnecessary.
Even after crossing back through time.
And yet, there was one thing here that no one knew.
The boy's sin. The day he killed a goddess.
The fragment of hope that had dwelled there that day brought the story of the gods to a close and said farewell to the boy.
But the vanished hope still remained there.
Even the smallest manipulation, even a single shimmer of interference—it was surely something that existed.
And then, on the day its master set out on an adventure once more.
On the day he drew it anew and faced hardship head-on.
The fragment of hope that had been there vanished as it was swallowed by moonlight together with the holy flame.
Where had the vanished hope gone?
Only the moon would know.
"Would you not become my retainer?"
Late at night, I had gone to the god's residence after being summoned by Fels.
Even in the dead of night, the deep, resonant voice made tension feel stronger than fatigue.
"...You really are the same as ever."
The face of a familiar presence I had not seen in a very long time stirred up memories rather than tension.
This place, this atmosphere, these people.
They were all so nostalgic, so dearly missed, that every time I saw them I was swept up in feelings I should not have had.
This isn't good. I keep getting shaken.
I steadied my wavering heart. Things I should not do kept flickering through my mind.
In the end, no matter what, I would still—
"...May I ask the reason?"
"Because I saw your potential."
A brief answer came to my question.
Truthfully, I was not all that curious. I had already experienced this once, and it was, in the first place, the situation I wanted most.
If this was the past, where would be the easiest place for me to belong?
I thought about it for a moment, but the answer came quickly.
To be Lord Ouranos's retainer. That was the cleanest and most certain option.
No matter which Familia I joined, it was obvious that my personal information would be thoroughly investigated. In the end, it was nearly impossible for me to belong to any Familia.
Even if it were possible, I had no intention of receiving a Falna, so it would all be meaningless anyway.
I would have to use the Guild rather than a Familia, but I had no means of doing that. Right now, the process was being handled with the help of Ganesha Familia, but even that was not ideal.
In my own era, the name of Ganesha was enough to serve as a guarantee, but in this age, that name carried a little less weight.
That was probably because two Familias said to be the strongest in history were standing firmly in the way. Still, I remained grateful that they had been helping me without complaint until now.
But since I had decided to act in earnest, change was necessary. What Ganesha Familia was helping with was the disposal of magic stones. In other words, only money matters.
That was enough for now, but if things went wrong, it could become a major obstacle.
I needed an identity. An identity that would allow me to act freely here.
And the god best positioned to create that identity was standing right in front of me.
Lord Ouranos's retainer. At present, the only one who fit that role was Fels.
It was easy to forget when you were on friendly terms, but Fels's existence was one of Orario's most closely guarded secrets. That was partly because of Fels's item, but Lord Ouranos's behind-the-scenes support must have played a major role as well.
In other words, this situation was exactly what I needed to solve my problem.
"I wish for peace between the Xenos and humans."
There was a strong conviction in Lord Ouranos's voice, and yet also the resignation of someone who knew just how impossible that dream was.
"But even Zeus could not accept that thought."
This was news to me. So Grandpa had been against the Xenos, huh.
I had thought the Grandpa I knew was very open-minded, the type with a broad way of thinking, so I assumed he would have supported them.
...The Xenos are all beautiful too, so that makes it even more surprising.
That was why it caught me off guard. Grandpa had been negative toward the Xenos.
"Was Lord Zeus that opposed to them?"
Since I was a little interested, I asked.
Lord Ouranos let out a small sigh before answering.
"It was more than opposition."
It was a rejection that went beyond refusal, even beyond acknowledging them at all.
What Lord Ouranos described sounded like a hopeless response just to hear about it.
If someone slapped your hand away, you could keep reaching out until they took it, but if they ignored the hand you offered, there was truly no way forward.
Whether it was acceptance or rejection, it only worked because contact had been made in the first place. They say indifference is more frightening than hatred, and this was exactly that.
"Zeus's influence is unmatched even within Orario."
No matter how much power the Guild held, it was still lacking when faced with Zeus Familia, which possessed direct military force.
In fact, even in the original timeline, the Guild only feared lower-ranked Familias. When it came to Loki Familia or Freya Familia, it was the Guild that was the one left flustered.
It was probably even worse at this time, not better. If Zeus Familia had turned into an enemy...
"..."
Suddenly, the image of a certain man I had fought not long ago came to mind.
Yeah, if Zeus Familia had existed in my time... Evilus and Enyo probably would have had to keep their mouths shut and live quietly.
What a waste. That would have been a chance to live off the fat of the land for my entire life. This is why the Black Dragon is such a problem.
"And then I found you."
There was more than one meaning in Lord Ouranos's words.
Not just that he had seen me, but also the convictions and beliefs within me, and something beyond that.
It must have been a meaning that contained all of it.
"Would you not become the bridge that connects humanity and them?"
"..."
It was an offer not even worth hesitating over.
I had already prepared myself for this. Accepting it was surely the right thing to do.
But... it was true that I had a little reason to hesitate.
Unlike in the past, the reason for my hesitation was naturally the situation itself.
"I don't even have a proper identity... would that really be possible?"
There were plenty of other reasons, but this was the biggest one.
I had suddenly appeared in this era, and I was an undeniable anomaly.
Could a person like me, no matter how much I called for peace with the Xenos, really make any difference?
At best, I would be lucky if no one threw stones at me for being some suspicious bastard poisoning Orario.
"That is not a problem."
"Pardon?"
Unexpectedly, Lord Ouranos did not seem concerned about that part.
That's strange. By my thinking, that should be a problem.
"You have ties to Zeus, do you not?"
"...!"
At those words, it felt as though my heart dropped straight through the floor.
What did that mean... No way, but surely not...
Did he figure out that I came from the future...?
"Zeus has spoken of you quite a lot."
"Ah."
So that was it. I'd gotten nervous for nothing.
Come to think of it, if the god of the strongest Familia in the current age had a direct line to Lord Ouranos, that would not be strange at all. If anything, it was only natural.
"If you are helping, then even Zeus will surely not be able to ignore it."
Well, that I wasn't so sure about... If it were Grandpa, maybe, but if it were Lord Zeus, honestly, I had no confidence in that.
Still... there was no need to say that and make things awkward. Lord Ouranos must have considered that much already.
"If you say so... I can't promise confidence, but I will do my best."
"Mm. I am grateful for your decision. We will continue to do our part as well, so do not burden yourself too much."
As expected of Lord Ouranos. A man with tremendous responsibility.
By the way, effort, huh... what kind of effort was he making?
Something that would tempt Grandpa...
...Surely not a honey trap, right?
"From today onward, I appoint you as my retainer. I will inform the Guild, so feel free to make use of that status from now on."
"I will also prepare a new identity for you. Is there anything you desire?"
At the word "name," I could not help but flinch.
The name I was using now was a false one. To cast off that falsehood and use my real name at this opportunity...
"...My name is Vesta. As for the rest, I leave it to you."
"...Yes, understood."
I hesitated for a moment, but in the end my choice did not change.
No matter what happened while I was here, I would carry the name Vesta and live with it.
That was my atonement, and the punishment I imposed on myself.