"So, Master, is it true? Are you my father?"
Having stated her reasons, Percher's eyes sparkled, her expression a mixture of apprehension and anticipation.
It wasn't that she coveted the status of being God's daughter; she had simply subconsciously cast herself in a Cinderella or Ugly Duckling narrative.
Otherwise, she truly couldn't understand why Su Mo would have chosen her.
Seeing her expression, Su Mo reached out and patted Percher's head. "That's a good guess."
Then, under the girl's incredulous and joyful gaze, his tone shifted as he pinched her cheek. "But don't guess again."
He wasn't sure why, but whether it was Homura Akemi or Percher, they both seemed to favor this kind of relationship-building. It's not like I have some kind of 'Innate Father Physique.' Why does everyone want to be my daughter?
Hearing this, the expression on Percher's face froze as she realized she had been getting ahead of herself.
"Aww~"
Thinking of her confident demeanor just a moment ago, she let out a cry of anguish as her cheeks burned hot enough to produce steam.
Seeing her embarrassment, Lamia leaned in and, mimicking Su Mo, gently stroked the girl's hair to soothe her. "It's okay, it doesn't matter if you guessed wrong. In private, Lord Su Mo won't refuse that title. My Royal Sister and I can vouch for that—Ouch!"
Her sentence was cut short by a karate chop from Su Mo.
"Ow~" The vampire loli clutched her head, her eyes welling with tears as she looked at Su Mo pitifully, seemingly about to throw a tantrum.
"Don't say lewd things in front of a child." Su Mo mercilessly delivered another chop to the vampire princess. Lamia did, at times, like to coax Leticia into using all sorts of titles, but it was clearly not something to be said out loud.
"Oh, I understand," Lamia said, naturally not defying Su Mo's command. She nodded immediately.
This left Percher looking utterly confused. "Lewd things? What does that mean?"
After clearing up the confusion and misunderstanding with Percher, Su Mo successfully recruited the spotted loli into his team. Then, as planned, he leaped across time, arriving in the 21st century.
"Is this the future, six or seven hundred years from now?"
Gazing at the towering skyscrapers before her, Percher's eyes widened, unable to believe what she was seeing and hearing. "Are you sure this isn't the Little Garden the Master mentioned, or the abode of some other gods in the celestial realm?"
To Percher, born in the Middle Ages, if humanity's standard of living six or seven hundred years ago wasn't much different from her own time, then it should be about the same six or seven hundred years later.
The future she could imagine had, at most, a few more carriages, a bit more food, and slightly prettier castles. She could never have imagined such a world-altering transformation.
Any person from the Middle Ages, even the most lavishly living royalty, would mistake modern society for a paradise from mythology.
The mythical-looking skyscrapers and the endless streams of cars were far more alluring than the promised land flowing with milk and honey.
"Of course not," Lamia shook her head. "In fact, if you saw the residences of the celestial gods, you might not be so shocked. I feel like the aesthetic of the god-groups is more in line with the imagination of pre-modern humans. It's the aesthetic of modern humanity that has completely broken free from the old shackles, which is more interesting."
As someone who had seen the abodes of the gods with her own eyes, her words were very persuasive.
"Is that so?" Percher subconsciously looked at Su Mo. Although she didn't think Lamia needed to lie about such a trivial matter, it wasn't as if she hadn't done it before. In comparison, Su Mo was still more trustworthy.
"Indeed," Su Mo nodded. "Innate gods and buddhas are merely manifestations of human wishes and cannot surpass the wishes themselves. In contrast, humanity is more likely to surpass its own imagination."
Compared to the development of human technology, civilization, and ethics, the old myths often had a comical feel, like an emperor using a golden hoe.
"Oh." Percher nodded, still a bit dazed. Though she didn't fully understand, this was indeed a place where humans lived. "Then, Master, where are we going next?"
This new era had no need for outdated vehicles like carriages, and in the bustling city, Percher felt a bit out of place. Fortunately, having Su Mo and the others by her side made her feel very secure.
"Next, we're going to the Holy Cross Welfare Institute."
Before Su Mo could answer, Leticia, who was standing by respectfully, spoke with a serious expression. "According to what Canary said before, while we were in the Middle Ages meeting with Percher, they would produce results before the modern historical transition."
Out of guilt, Canary, Shiroyasha, and the others were too embarrassed to meet this victim alongside Su Mo, so when Su Mo set out, they decided to split up. Percher was left to Su Mo, while the others were entrusted to Canary's group.
Now that Su Mo had successfully returned with Percher, it was time to rendezvous with Canary and the others and inspect their results.
At this point, Leticia looked up at Su Mo, hesitated for a moment, and confirmed again, "Lord Su Mo, are you sure we don't need to inform Canary and the others to come and greet us? And not Lord Shiroyasha and Lady Halloween Queen either?"
If they had been notified beforehand, they wouldn't have appeared in this world so quietly. Knowing Shiroyasha and the Halloween Queen, they would probably have mobilized the grandest of ceremonies to welcome Su Mo.
"No need." Su Mo shook his head. With his personality, he naturally didn't care for such formalities.
Of course, the most important reason was—
"I've checked the river of time. they've been here for at least a dozen years. If they haven't been slacking off, they should be able to stand up to inspection. It's a good chance to see the fruits of their labor."
Since it was a surprise inspection, they couldn't alert the enemy.
Seeing Su Mo's interested look, Leticia closed her mouth and began to pray for Canary and the others. I hope those idiots haven't forgotten Su Mo's mission, and that their work can stand up to scrutiny.
"Holy Cross Welfare Institute... Ah, here it is!"
After getting a smartphone from this world, Aihara Enju excitedly searched for the location and found it on the map.
It was located right in the center of the Tokyo area, at the site of the Japanese Imperial Palace, right next to the famous Budokan.
Online, people were buzzing about the Imperial Palace being occupied.
Some thought it was purely a commercial transaction, that the Holy Cross Welfare Institute, backed by the Roman Curia, had simply offered too much money for Japan to refuse.
Others believed it was because the Holy Cross Welfare Institute had deep roots in North America, leaving Japan with no choice but to comply.
But regardless of the reason, no one could deny the special status and importance of this welfare institute. There were even security checkpoints set up a kilometer away, prohibiting ordinary people from approaching.
But today, this place, which few could visit, welcomed new guests. Or rather, it welcomed its master.
"...Is this... a zoo?"
In truth, there was no need for Enju to look up the map, nor for Su Mo to use his omniscient authority. The moment he arrived in this world, Su Mo had already located the Holy Cross Welfare Institute.
For a god, names were very important. By naming it "Holy Cross," Canary had firmly tied the place to the Christian faith, making it a powerful locator for Su Mo. Even the Vatican of this world could not compare.
And upon arriving at the so-called Holy Cross Welfare Institute, the first thing they came across was an incredibly vast ecological park.
All sorts of plants and animals were growing in various ways within the park. They had even dug out a giant ecological tank underground, like an aquarium, raising all kinds of marine life.
Aside from asexual organisms, everything else was in male-female pairs. Including various bacteria and fungi, almost every form of life that existed on Earth was being raised here.
Noticing this special structure and hearing Enju's exclamation, Percher glanced at the only creatures that were rampant everywhere—doves—and shook her head. "I don't know what a zoo is, but this place feels a lot like Noah's Ark from the myths."
According to the Old Testament, before God prepared to destroy the world with a great flood, Noah saved all life in pairs on the ark, protecting the spark of life.
Although she didn't know what this place was for, Percher had a vague sense of déjà vu, like she was seeing Noah's Ark.
"A clever observation." Su Mo gave Percher an approving look and continued to lead the group forward. "Preserving the gene pool of all life is no simple task. Live preservation is undoubtedly the most difficult. It seems Canary and the others have not been idle during this time."
Hearing this evaluation, Leticia felt a great sense of relief. It seemed her earlier worries had been for nothing.
Right, even if Shiroyasha is unreliable and Canary has her moments, the Halloween Queen still has a good sense of the bigger picture. Plus, Algol and Sun Wukong also stayed behind in the modern era. With so many capable figures, how could they possibly fail to complete the simple task Su Mo assigned them and spend all their time scheming against each other? It's simply impossible!