Over the past ten years, the Fool Church had gradually begun to suppress other religions around the world and encroach upon their territories.
The center of this expansion was Tingen City, which officially began construction nine years ago.
Built upon the foundation of an intriguing and eerie tale titled Lord of Mysteries, this city developed a unique cultural identity.
At the same time, using Tingen as its hub, the complex religious structure of the Fool Church began to spread across the globe.
Just like with other religions, the story of Lord of Mysteries essentially became the Fool Church's promotional material.
It not only attracted fans of the story, but also a wave of curious, open-minded newcomers to this novel faith.
On the surface, that was all it appeared to be. But behind the scenes, things were far from ordinary.
Those truly drawn in by the Lord of Mysteries story did end up joining the Fool Church. While some were former members of other religions where joining another church was strictly forbidden, most came in simply to follow the trend.
It was only after joining that these new believers realized something profound.
Gods truly existed.
And just as real were the blessings bestowed by those gods.
Most of the new members, upon learning this, were left in a daze, struggling to breathe, thinking they were hearing things.
But after witnessing the true descent of a divine blessing, every one of them understood.
Lord of Mysteries was not just a story. It was the sacred scripture of an unknown deity.
It recorded the journey of one who rose from humanity to godhood.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
The bell atop the most famous cathedral in Tingen rang out, echoing across the entire city.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and dusk spread a sheer veil over the sky. Lights lit up across the city, flickering like stars against the night.
Tingen was divided by a river running through it, splitting the city into different districts:
The Industrial Zone, the Commoners' District, the Slums, and the Wealthy District.
The industrial and slum areas were almost indistinguishable. Between the commoners and the rich was a single stretch of church grounds.
At this moment, one particular villa in the Wealthy District was bustling with activity.
Ever since Tingen had been established, many founding families who helped build the city had moved into this area.
Names like Fujiwara, Sanzenin, Shinomiya, and Suzuki—families heavily involved in the city's creation—had all settled here.
In the past, Tokyo had been the undisputed heart of Japan. But now, the nation's center of influence had clearly shifted to Tingen.
"Ran, you really need to rest more," said Eri Kisaki, shaking her head at her daughter who was still pacing back and forth around the house.
Her gaze slowly fell to the rounded curve of her daughter's belly.
Ten years had passed. Her daughter was now at the age to become a mother.
Touching her still-youthful face, Eri felt a wave of complicated emotions.
"I'm fine, Mom."
Ran still had the same youthful appearance she had back in high school, but she now carried the grace and presence of a mature mother.
"Shiho already checked me. The baby's completely healthy and stable. Ever since it started developing and gaining awareness, it's been well-behaved. Such a considerate little one."
Her hand gently rested on her belly. Ran could feel a small hand pressing against her from the inside.
"The baby's responding to me."
Watching her daughter, Eri saw a reflection of herself from decades ago when she had been pregnant. She couldn't help but sigh.
After all, her daughter wasn't like ordinary people.
Unlike most girls who took the path of Transcendents, her daughter had chosen a different route entirely. Because of this, Eri had no idea what her unborn granddaughter might grow up to become.
"So, where is that irresponsible father?"
"You mean... Ren?"
At the mention of his name, the baby in Ran's belly stirred with clear emotion. She gently patted her stomach to calm it.
"Sweetie, it's not that Daddy doesn't love you. He's just very busy in another world. He's working hard to help develop a different world right now. It's like... Daddy's on a long business trip."
The baby, still feeling a bit emotional, gradually calmed down.
Due to her father's divine nature, the unborn child had already developed self-awareness.
Even though she had yet to be born, she already had a clear sense of the world.
However, children are often the most emotionally attached to their parents.
So, even while inside her mother, the baby did her best not to cause trouble.
Yet that early awareness also brought loneliness, especially because it had been so long since she'd last sensed her father.
"Been three months now, hasn't it?"
"I know changing a world takes time, but... still, it would be nice if he could spend a bit more time with you both. Especially while you're pregnant."
Eri let out a small sigh, glancing again at her daughter's belly with mixed feelings.
"And as for the rest of you, it's surprising. You all got married right after high school, yet out of everyone, you're the only one who got pregnant. The odds of that are lower than I expected."
There was only one father, but seventeen mothers. Yet Ran was the only one expecting.
To be honest, Eri thought it would be more normal for a few others to get pregnant too. But despite no one taking precautions, none of the others had conceived.
"Ren said that, as a god, it's incredibly difficult to conceive a child the normal way. And he didn't want to force it through stripping away supernatural traits, so... everything had to happen naturally."
Ran chuckled softly.
"Sonoko still gets jealous of me. I remember she clung to Ren for days back then."
Eri rolled her eyes.
"You're a grown woman. You should watch what you say. Don't go spilling everything out loud."
Suddenly, the baby inside stirred again.
A familiar scent wafted in from behind, and Ran froze for a moment. Her face softened. She turned around and immediately moved into the arms of the person who had appeared.
"Welcome home, Ren."
"I'm back."
(The End.)
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And that's the end. Honestly, I was shocked trying to find the "next" button. There are so many plot points left untouched, but I think the author probably got tired or something because the plot points for the last 50-100 chapters have been a little slow and maybe stale. Anyway, I am grateful he did write an ending and didn't abandon it, even if it's a bit unsatisfactory.
Sorry about this, guys. As I always do, I have somewhat of a replacement, "Crossover: Becoming Japan's Prime Minister?"
You can find it in my profile. Please check it out and let me know whether I should continue it or not. Thanks.