---o---
Finding the trail of the Chaldeas personnel was, in fact, a remarkably simple task.
It was known that Gilgamesh had established a great barrier around Uruk that would repel anything attempting to enter the city using magecraft.
Guda, her accessory, and her accessory's accessory would be flung off course and dropped into the ruined city of Babylon.
(I'm not writing about Male Guda, not because I have anything against male characters, but because I feel that Male Guda would make the atmosphere of this book tense and overly gay.)
All one had to do was use the power of erosion to knock out the demonic beasts in the ruins of Babylon, turn them into familiars and scouts, and finding the people who fell from the sky would be as easy as eating and drinking.
The young man, who possessed the core of the Herrscher of Erosion and could turn all the demonic beasts in the vicinity of Babylon into his own Honkai-Beasts with a single ultimate ability, naturally chose to...
Drag Ling—who had been sulking in his core ever since being one-shot by his 'Feathers of Erosion' during their battle for dominion over a certain familiar—out and put her to work.
"So in the end, you're just using me as a gopher to place wards for you!!"
The Herrscher of Erosion, whose familiar—Luna Kindred—had been stolen, screamed in fury at the bastard who was currently preparing afternoon tea.
"Ling-chan, you can see for yourself. Right now, I'm preparing afternoon tea for Bronya and the little princess. After this, I still have to trim the flowers in the temple, get started on dinner, and prepare some pastries for a late-night chat with a certain very cute goddess."
This not-so-short speech entered the ears of Ling, who had just been kicked out of the erosion core, and made the corners of her mouth twitch.
In that single sentence, she had heard him mention three different women.
"On top of that, that useless goddess keeps pestering me for some reason. Dealing with her is also a huge pain."
The Time Management Master, who was so scummy that only the finest dregs remained, said this with complete nonchalance.
"I'm a very busy man. As my other half, so to speak, can't you be a little more considerate and help me deal with the Chaldea people?"
"...Are you saying that your 'very busy schedule' is just revolving around a bunch of women?"
Vaguely recalling that this bastard was supposed to be on a critical mission to save the Human Order, Ling felt a tightness in her chest.
The safety of the world rests on the shoulders of this libertine?
It wouldn't be surprising if the world just exploded in the next second!!
"Men conquer the world, and women conquer men. As a loser captivated by the charm of beautiful girls, I see no problem with revolving around them."
The young man said this while brewing tea.
"Hey, hey, hey! By your logic, you're a conqueror to the world, so shouldn't the world revolve around you?"
Ling demanded, as if exasperated to the point of laughter.
"Not quite."
"After all, I'm not at the point where I can crush the world."
The young man, whose combat power was still limited to the planetary level, shrugged.
"But, as long as I keep growing, it shouldn't be too difficult to make one or two worlds revolve around me and proceed according to my desires."
Rejecting developments he dislikes, making the world move according to his own wishes...
Ling fell silent.
She had just realized that this man was actually a chuunibyou.
And a super chuunibyou at that, one who wanted the world to revolve around him.
"Speaking of which, are you really not going to help me go beat up Kingu, capture Guda, and then take down that Conscienceless Merlin?"
As if it were nothing, Li Zihan raised the mission's difficulty by several levels.
"Help you my ass!"
Ling, whose Authority was erosion and who was not at all suited for direct combat, nearly jumped out of her skin.
He wants me to fight the Chains of Heaven and a British Sword Saint?
Is he trying to get me killed?!
"Alright, alright, since you're not willing to go, we'll just go together later."
The young man, who had been hoping Ling would free up some of his time so he could get cozy with Bronya or have a heart-to-heart with the little princess, sighed.
The flow of time began to change.
Innate Time Control: King Crimson.
The afternoon tea, which should have taken a long time to prepare, suddenly appeared, the time of its creation having been erased.
"Fuck, you were just messing with me, weren't you!"
Ling's eyes widened as she suddenly realized the man could have finished the refreshments with ease.
"Don't sweat the details."
The man, who was just trying to be lazy, stretched.
Then, he cheerfully picked up a tray of afternoon tea and thrust it at Ling, also known as Higokumaru.
"What is this..."
Ling was a bit stunned, not understanding why he was handing her a tray of afternoon tea.
Then, her entire body went on high alert.
What is this guy—who is a complete failure in the relationship department aside from being very responsible—trying to do?
Is he making a move on me?
Ling, who had always felt this man was like an eroge protagonist, tensed her delicate face.
If that was the case, she would rather just hide in the Herrscher core and play dead. Being a background character who never appears is better than being treated like an eroge heroine and getting [bleeped]!
"Take this to Bronya."
The young man, who had some interest in Ling but not nearly as much as he had in Kiana, picked up another tray of afternoon tea under the dumbfounded gaze of the subpar Herrscher and knocked on Kiana's door.
Then, the little princess of the Kaslana house opened the door, her expression cold.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was just thinking of inviting the little princess for some tea, and then perhaps a walk outside to relax."
The young man, holding a tray of exquisite afternoon tea, said cheerfully.
"..."
"You can leave the tea. The... walk is unnecessary."
The girl named Kiana was silent for a moment before giving her reply.
"Are you sure you don't want to go out and take a look?"
The young man smiled faintly.
"Is it really a good idea to always stay in your comfort zone and not engage with the outside world?"
"..."
The girl, who had spent her entire life in a laboratory, unable to go outside, remained silent.
After a long pause, she spoke.
"This... is fine."
Yes, staying in a familiar place, near the few people she knew, was fine.
In this world where everyone was a stranger, the only place she knew was this temple, and the few people she had a nodding acquaintance with were here.
Staying here was fine.
Looking at the girl, whose psychological issues seemed rather severe, the young man sighed.
Although a girl with psychological flaws was easier to conquer, and once conquered, would become a loyal puppy-dog out of fear of losing that dependence and affection...
This personality flaw should have been a good thing for him.
But he didn't feel happy about it.
To Kiana's shock and panic, the young man's hand shot out and grabbed her arm.
"Wh-what are you doing?!"
The girl, completely baffled as to why the man who had always been so gentle with her was suddenly being forceful, sounded utterly panicked.
"I'm taking you out to see it—a world that isn't wonderful, but isn't bad either."
The young man's voice was resolute.