Immediately, Luca's grin faded, replaced by a look of curiosity and tension. He leaned forward slightly, wanting to hear what she had to say.
The Goddess took a slow breath.
"First, regarding the separation of the races."
She gazed directly into his eyes, her expression calm but solemn.
"I honestly thought you'd figure it out yourself eventually. I didn't think it needed to be explained."
"But I see now that your questions are fair ones—about whether you should bring them back together, or protect them separately, or try to reconcile them. So I'll give you a clear answer."
She leaned forward slightly and said with finality,
"Ignore them. Completely. Do not treat the male members of the demi-human races as part of your concern."
Luca frowned, confused. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"
"The male members..." She explained. "...have betrayed their kind. Every single one of them. They abandoned their people and allied themselves with the humans."
"They have shifted their allegiance from the demi-human faith to the human goddesses. Because of that, they are no longer protected under our divine laws."
"They are no longer considered demi-humans—they are, for all intents and purposes, humans now."
She looked him directly in the eyes.
"Which means you don't have to worry about them. You don't have to save them, protect them, or even acknowledge them...They're lost causes."
Luca scratched his cheek awkwardly, giving her a strained smile.
"That's… uh, kind of harsh, don't you think? I mean, maybe it's just a misunderstanding? Maybe something went wrong and they split apart for a reason."
"Wouldn't it be better to try and bring them back together? Reconcile them or something? I don't mind putting in some extra work for that."
But the goddess immediately shook her head.
"No. It's not that simple, Luca. They didn't leave because of misunderstandings. They left because of their own selfish desires."
"They wanted power, status, and luxury. Things that humans offered them in exchange for betrayal. And they took it without hesitation."
She sighed deeply, her tone turning colder.
"The goddesses above who watch over the demi-human races also have no sympathy left for them. Many of the male leaders mistreated their female kin, enslaved them, or used them for their own benefit."
"Their betrayal was not just political, it was moral. It was spiritual. So their separation from the females is not a tragedy...it's divine justice."
Luca blinked, taken aback.
"So, you're saying I shouldn't even try to make peace with them?"
"Yes." She said firmly. "Do not waste your time trying to reconcile what's already broken beyond repair. Even if you tried, both sides have already moved on."
"The males have pledged themselves to the human goddesses, while the females have no intention of taking time back....There's no turning back now."
Luca leaned back with a sigh. "Alright, fine. I'll focus on the female races then. If that's how it is."
He paused, then frowned slightly.
"But what if the male demi-humans try to attack? You said I'm supposed to protect demi-humans, right? So I can't really kill them, since technically they used to be demi-humans, right?"
The goddess chuckled softly.
"You're overthinking it. The moment they shifted sides, they stopped being our concern. They are humans now—nothing more, nothing less."
"So if they ever attack, you are free to defend yourself and kill them. You can treat them exactly like any other human enemy."
"Ah, I see." He said, nodding slowly. "That's…convenient."
"However..." She continued, raising a finger. "There are still some complications. The right to kill or spare those who once belonged to the demi-human races doesn't rest entirely in your hands."
"It depends on the vows the leaders of each race made during your summoning."
Luca blinked. "Vows?"
"Yes." She said. "Each matriarch gave a set of sacred permissions when the summoning ritual was performed—rules that define what you're allowed to do."
"Some races gave you complete freedom to act as you wish toward their male counterparts—you can kill them without question. But others have stricter conditions."
She gestured slightly with her hand, conjuring a faint image of the elven crest in the air.
"For example, the elves—the race you're dealing with right now. Their Grand Matriarch specified that you can only kill male elves if their Matriarch grants permission. You can't act on your own."
"It's tied to how and why their race split, and there are deep internal reasons behind it."
Luca scratched his chin, processing the information. "So it's different for every race?"
"Exactly." She confirmed. "Each race has its own rules and its own history. Some will give you freedom, others will restrict you. But at the end of the day, one thing is always constant."
Her expression a little solemn, her tone carrying quiet gravity.
"Your top priority is the female members of the demi-human races. Protect them. Guide them. Do whatever it takes to help them survive and flourish. That is the duty of the hero of the demi-humans."
Luca exhaled slowly and gave a half-smile.
"Protect the women, huh? Guess that's something I can handle."
But just then, Luca suddenly froze mid-thought.
His cheerful expression fell as a look of realization crossed his face.
"Wait…hold on a second."
He said slowly, lifting his hand like he was stopping an invisible conversation.
"There's a huge problem with all this!"
The Goddess of Space tilted her head, surprised by his sudden outburst. "A problem?"
"Yes!" Luca said, his voice rising as panic and logic started wrestling inside him. "If I completely ignore the male members of the demi-human races like you saidand just focus on the females, then…"
"...what happens to reproduction?"
The goddess blinked, caught off guard, while he continued rapidly, pacing in circles.
"Think about it! If all the males are gone or ignored, then who are the female demi-humans supposed to, uh—"
He coughed, not expecting to talk about population statistics with a goddess.
"—have babies with? The population will just keep dropping! They can't reproduce on their own, right?"
"So what's the plan here? Let the entire demi-human race go extinct because they ran out of men?!"
The goddess opened her mouth to speak, but he wasn't done.
"And don't tell me you plan on using humans for that." He said quickly, crossing his arms. "That's not happening."
"The demi-humans would never accept something that disgusting! And I sure as hell won't either."
"There's no way I'm letting all those poor women be forced into something they don't want just because the heavens can't figure out a biology problem!"
He pointed at her accusingly.
"So? What's your big plan for this, huh? How are we supposed to deal with this whole reproduction crisis? Because right now, that's looking like the biggest issue of all!"
For the first time since their meeting began, the Goddess of Space—who'd been calm, radiant, and all-knowing up to this point—actually looked nervous.
Her celestial composure cracked. She shifted awkwardly, glancing to the side as though hoping the topic would vanish on its own.
"Ah…well…that's…an excellent question…"
Luca squinted suspiciously.
"Oh no. Don't you dare 'excellent question' me. You know something, don't you?"
The goddess exhaled slowly, clearly trying to regain her composure.
"As you said..." She began carefully. "...since the male demi-humans are to be completely ignored, they won't be of any use in this matter. And as for using human males…" She grimaced. "…that's impossible."
"Not only would it be morally wrong. But the offspring of such unions would have diluted bloodlines. Their traits would weaken over generations until the demi-human heritage disappears entirely."
"So no, that's not an option either."
"Right." Luca said impatiently. "So what is the option?"
The goddess hesitated again, fidgeting slightly, her face taking on a faint blush. For a being who could casually bend space itself, she suddenly looked like a teenager caught in an embarrassing conversation.
"Well…" She said softly. "there is… one option."
Luca's brows rose.
"And that would be?"
Her face turned slightly pink as she hesitated again. She looked anywhere but at him, stammering as she spoke.
"T-That…issue…will be handled…by you."
"By me?" Luca asked, while having a dangerous feeling about where this was going.
"Yes, you." The goddess pointed a finger directly at him and declared. "You will be the one responsible for…repopulating the demi-human races. In other words…"
She hesitated only a fraction before delivering the final blow.
"You are to impregnate every single female demi-human on the continent."
"And you shall become the Father of the Entire Nation!"