Became the Academy Romantic Phantom Thief

317 – The crossroads between humans and gods

It is said that cases of humans or demigods accomplishing great feats and being reborn as gods are rare, but not non-existent.

There were quite a few such cases, especially in the distant times of ancient mythology.

The most representative example is Hercules, who is called the hero god.

And now the same opportunity has come to me.

Of course, I did not achieve the feat of saving the world like a mythical hero.

Rather the opposite. My uncertainty destroyed the order of the world by shattering solid fate.

The moment the wheel of fate breaks, no one will know the future of the world.

To put it bluntly, tomorrow morning we may face a meaningless ending in which the entire universe suddenly disappears.

For the gods, there is no situation more terrifying than that.

No matter how immortal and transcendent he may be, God is ultimately like a piece on a chessboard that flows according to the providence of fate.

If the chessboard itself falls over, even the gods can do nothing.

Because that was one of the rules that made up this world.

But even so, it was impossible to eliminate me, the culprit.

First of all, the problem was that I had the ability to be uncertain rather than an ordinary human being.

The variable of uncertainty is like a circulatory device that allows the water of fate to continue to flow cleanly without stagnating.

Therefore, it cannot be removed carelessly. It may have been a different matter, but the only thing that can influence my treatment regarding fate is the authority of the Goddess of Fate, the manager of the Wheel.

She tolerated my actions through the due process of trial.

From that moment on, other gods have no choice but to follow even if they do not like the results.

The gods never interfere with each other in their respective areas.

Like the previous content, this is also a chessboard rule that must be followed.

As a result, the gods, who could neither eliminate my existence nor directly destroy fate like me, thought about it together and came up with the next best solution.

“···That’s how I become a god?”

We moved from our seats and went back to the association and had a discussion among the three of us.

“What difference does it make if I become a god?”

Eldina nodded her head and answered my question.

“The world will definitely become more stable. “Even if the action and result are the same, the change in causality varies greatly depending on who the target is.”

To put it simply, it makes no sense to attribute the current result to a single human being, so it would be much better to make it the result of a newly born god.

“Is it possible to become a god so easily in the first place?”

This time, Eterna explained for me.

“I don’t think it was decided that easily. In order to be reborn as a god, you must above all accomplish feats worthy of praise from humans.”

“···I don’t remember accomplishing such feats.”

“Notoriety is also fame. “It may not have been a bad intention, but the notoriety you have built so far is enough to make people tremble and worship you.”

I’m sure she didn’t mean anything in a particularly bad way, but the fact that she brought it up so casually made her feel even more odd.

Are you saying I have gained enough notoriety to be worshiped as a god?

No, of course, whenever I saw the followers of the Phantom Thieves fanatically worshiping me underground every day, I felt like I had become the god of a pseudo-religion.

In fact, I guessed that the notoriety he accumulated as a phantom thief, but also as Dr. Franken and a forger in order to defy fate, would be formidable.

“More than anything, what greater achievement could there be than to directly break the fate that even gods have no choice but to follow? “That alone is already enough to qualify him for promotion to god.”

The two sisters seemed already confident that I would accept the sun god’s offer.

It is not unreasonable to think so.

I thought this was the best ending in the original plan I had.

“Every god has his own unique area of control. Just as I control time and you control night and lies. Likewise, if Raven becomes a god, she will have a jurisdiction.”

They smiled brightly and started talking about what area I should rule over.

“Wouldn’t the God of Phantom Thieves be good too?”

“It’s not too common. You have to be in charge of popular elements so that people will worship you a lot. “Luck would be best.”

“Everyone has already occupied a spot in such a good area. “My sister is at the center of such evil forces.”

“If anyone hears it, they’ll think it’s not you. “Isn’t time the most fraudulent area?”

If someone who doesn’t know the details looks at them from the side, they will just look like ordinary older sisters and younger brothers fighting over a trivial topic. Who would look at that and think they are great sister goddesses?

“Hmm. Of course, a harem scene would be the best.”

“···Sister. “It’s low quality.”

“Raven. What do you think?”

When the right to speak was handed over to me, I stopped thinking and slowly opened my mouth.

“Do I really have to become a god?”

They both looked at me blankly with bewildered faces, as if they had never imagined such a reaction.

Then, belatedly, Eldina asked back with a serious expression.

“You don’t like being a god?”

Eterna spoke immediately as if taking over.

“Of course, I understand that you may feel resistance to quitting human life. But if you miss this opportunity, you may never be able to be reborn as a god again. “You can live on earth as a human just like Goddess of Fate did, so you will never lose anything by becoming a god!”

It seemed like they wanted to make me a god at all costs.

It is worth it. No matter how much I break fate, as long as I am human, eventually life will come to an end and one day I will have to say goodbye.

But if I accept this offer and become a god, I won’t have to experience such sadness.

As gods, we can live happily ever after without dying.

“It’s not that I don’t particularly like it or don’t like it.”

“Then?”

“I guess I’m just trying my best to think about it.”

Eterna frowned slightly, perhaps because she had difficulty understanding my answer.

On the other hand, Eldina quietly nodded her head and put a calm smile on her lips, as if she knew my feelings at least a little.

“No matter which life you choose, I will always be by your side.”

“Of course I will too…! “I won’t let her sister have it all to herself!”

She spoke a bit out of the blue, but after meeting again for the first time in a while, I felt like she had become much more childish and foolish than before.

She must have been so hungry for affection because she lived alone for such a long time without seeing anyone.

Perhaps she was being condescending in the past, and her current appearance may be much closer to Eterna’s true intentions.

I thought to myself while smiling at that sight.

She may not necessarily need to be a god.

Why am I so happy even in these insignificant moments?

I think it’s because it’s the happiness I finally caught after a difficult ordeal.

Happiness does not last forever.

You don’t know when it will suddenly end, and you don’t know when it will come back.

Happiness will not come if you just wait.

Because you can only barely grasp it if you stretch out your hand with all your might, happiness is imbued with an incomparably noble value.

It didn’t feel bad to end up enjoying the happiness I had achieved as a human being.

Of course, I also really like the happy ending of becoming a god after working hard and living happily ever after.

No matter which one you choose, this story will definitely have a happy ending.

All I have to do is weigh the two worlds and see which way I lean.

That is the weight that my heart is drawn to. There is no right answer as to which world is right.

There is only choice.

If you do your best to consider and choose, you will definitely not regret it.

“······.”

They waited calmly until I opened my mouth.

After so long, a conclusion was finally formed in my mind.

“You two, please wait here. “I will meet the sun god.”

Eldina answered with a grin.

“Take care.”

And Eterna spoke with tears in her eyes.

“We must not forget…”

“What are you talking about? If anyone hears it, they will think we are breaking up forever. “I will go and come right back.”

Even after saying that, Eterna continued to sniffle for a while.

In the end, there was a short delay as I patted her head and comforted her.

Anyway, after leaving the two sisters at the association, I crossed the gate alone and returned to the Pure White Temple.

The sun god was standing leisurely there, looking the same as before.

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting so long.”

“Heh heh. Nope. For us, this is worse than the blink of an eye. So did you come up with an answer?”

Instead of answering that question, I asked something I had been curious about before.

“Before that, I want to ask you one question. Why did you want to return the land to the age of myth?”

The Count of Monte Cristo was an ardent fanatic. He was a madman who did not hesitate to stage a coup or terror in order to destroy the era of humans and revive ancient myths.

But when I actually met the sun god, he seemed like an ordinary, kind old man.

There was no sign of any particular hostility or disgust towards humans. If there was such a thing in the first place, he wouldn’t have tried to make me, a human, into a god just like him.

“It was not my will, but the count’s will.”

“Yes? But you are the one who gave him strength.”

“God is not a perfect being. He is just a high-dimensional being who creates and rules the land. In the end, we cannot escape the fundamental laws that make up the world. “God has a duty to repay those who worship him.”

In the end, I realized that even God is not as perfect as I thought.

So, I am finally confident that my choice was not wrong.

“Is that the end of the question?”

“Yes. “It’s enough now.”

“Then I will ask you again. A human who has broken fate. Will you accept God’s name?”

I answered him immediately.