Chapter 751: Upper-Rank Divine Power, The Sage's Story

"Ah~"

In the evening, Bell arrived at Hearth Manor as instructed, and Broly, using the technique he had already used to open Qi Sense for others, gave this little brother he had met after arriving in this world a set of Qi-pushing methods, after which a strange sound came from his mouth.

"Eh, Bell, why are you making that kind of strange sound too?"

Broly looked at the white-haired boy with some puzzlement; he should have only been doing normal Qi pushing, and shouldn't have mixed in any finger-pressure fist techniques targeting the human senses.

"Sorry, Broly-san, the feeling of you pressing on my chest feels a bit like the feeling when I'm in contact with Miss Anna, so I couldn't help it..."

The boy's face was a bit red, and he hurriedly explained.

"Oh my, contact, what kind of contact?"

Hestia asked with interest.

"Just, holding hands..."

"And then?"

"That's it."

Hestia: "..."

She thought there would be some astonishing revelation, but it was just this.

"Bell, a faster heartbeat when Qi is stimulated is normal, you mustn't mistake a faster heartbeat for your heart being moved by Broly-san!"

"Ah, I wouldn't mistake it, Miss Lili, I only have respect for Broly-san, I don't have any thoughts of developing an extraordinarily difficult, abnormal romance!"

"Right, Bell, do you have plans tonight?"

"No, why?"

"If you don't have plans, how about staying and eating dinner together?"

Broly asked, his hand coming down from the white-haired boy's chest.

"Uh, this, would that be too much of a disturbance?"

Bell looked at the living room of Hearth Manor, filled with beautiful women, and couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.

Broly-san was considerate of him, and he didn't want to act like some Magic Stone Lamp here.

"It's no disturbance, just eating a meal, don't forget, you're also a member of Hestia Familia."

"Then, I'll respectfully accept instead of declining."

One more person was eating at the dinner table tonight.

However, the food didn't need to be replenished; Broly would just eat a few fewer bites.

And tonight's dishes centered on Katsuo.

The fish was bought in the evening market this afternoon after returning to the Familia this side, and was very fresh.

"Eh, no fried fish pieces?"

When the food was served, Tiona asked with surprise.

"Fried in oil, we ate enough of that last night and this noon, I felt eating more would be a bit greasy, so I didn't make it."

Hestia explained, and introduced the grilled fish before the Amazon girl: "Actually, the charcoal-grilled way tastes good too."

"Eh, it really does."

Tiona picked some up and ate a bite, and her eyes brightened.

"I feel this isn't a matter of cooking method, but a matter of craftsmanship."

Lefiya also tasted a bite and said.

"Hestia-sama's cooking skill is very good, not inferior to Miya-mama who has cooked for many years."

Ryu drank a mouthful of fish soup and gave her evaluation seriously.

"Mhm."

Ais, having already finished a bowl of fish soup, gave proof with actual action.

"Ah, how could I be as amazing as a professional chef..."

Hestia said modestly, but her mouth was almost crooked from smiling; in the Lower World one indeed cannot use Divine Power freely, but Divine Authority can still be used a little, just like the Beauty Goddess usually carries a charm ability, and her Hearth Fire Goddess also has a similar cooking ability blessing.

Of course, the matter of previously not knowing how to use the furnace, blowing up someone else's shop, and nearly burning down a whole street, winning the title of 【North Great Street Natural Disaster】, was completely an accident.

The development and changes of Lower World furnaces were too fast; she, who had just descended, was still stuck in the firewood stove era, and couldn't adapt to the Magic Stone furnace.

But now that she's adapted, she can naturally use her Divine Authority to make delicious food.

"How is it, Broly, delicious?"

"Delicious."

"Then how about I cook for you from now on?"

Hestia looked at the Saiyan boy, her eyes showing expectation.

"Hestia-sama, do you mean you want to stop commissioning Xier to cook for you?"

At the side, Ryu had to ask.

"Ugh..."

After being reminded, Hestia remembered that this side's Familia's three meals a day were outsourced.

"Ah, I'm quite busy every day, if I have to cook after returning home it would be quite tiring."

She hurriedly said.

Of course, if she could make delicious things for her own child and make Broly happy, actually being tired, Hestia felt it was nothing.

However, the important thing is, the three meals outsourcing was to give Broly the opportunity for a legitimate reason to intersect with that cook girl.

"Then, Hestia-sama, may I ask you to give me a personal kitchen when you have leisure in the future?"

"Eh?"

"Is that not allowed?"

"No, of course it's fine."

The Loli Goddess who had proactively given up on cooking was pulled back before her mood could sink, by the Saiyan boy's request for a personal kitchen.

A personal kitchen, after all, meant that her own culinary skill was being treated by this kid Broly as more powerful than that Quest Board girl.

As fellow Encounter Targets of Broly, yet standing on a higher level, Hestia only felt her mood was very good.

Even the fish soup she drank into her mouth seemed several degrees more delicious.

"Lady Hestia……"

"Broly, do you have some other request? Whatever the request, I can agree to it for you~"

Hestia immediately looked over and gave her enthusiastic reply.

"I want to consult on a question."

"What question?"

"A question concerning resurrection."

"Eh?!"

Everyone at the dining table looked over.

"Lady Hestia, are you able to resurrect someone who has already passed away?"

Broly didn't beat around the bush, asking directly.

And this question made the thoughts of everyone present differ.

Bell thought of his deceased grandfather, Ais thought of her parents, Tiona thought of those roommates she had personally killed because of Dun Country's cruel policies, and Liu thought of her past companions.

And even Lefiya, who had no tragedy in her life until now, and Lili, who had no deceased person she cared about at all, were very concerned about this question.

"Broly, is there some important person who has left this world?"

Hestia asked in a heavy voice, for only a child who has lost someone important would possibly seek the miracle of resurrection.

"No, there isn't."

However, just when Hestia had prepared to comfort the boy, Broly instead shook his head and gave a denying answer.

"Eh, then why did you ask this question?"

"Liu, can I tell Lady Hestia about your friend Adi's matter?"

The Tavern Elf Miss was stunned for a moment, then realized.

This boy asked this question because of her.

Complex emotions surged in Liu's heart, and there was no doubt that a part of it was being moved.

"Mm."

She nodded, and Broly then told the things he heard this morning.

Upon learning it wasn't the boy who lost an important person, but the Tavern Elf who lost an important person, Hestia secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.

Merely facing Liu's somewhat hopeful gaze on the surface, she gently shook her head: "Very regrettable, I cannot resurrect a child who has already passed away."

Liu: "……"

Although she had already predicted she would get an unsatisfactory answer, upon receiving Hestia's clear denial, Liu still couldn't help feeling a wave of disappointment.

"Lady Hestia, is it that you cannot, or that no god can?"

However, Broly didn't give up, but continued to pursue the question.

"It's that I cannot. Within my Divine Authority, there is no authority to resurrect others."

Hestia spoke the truth.

"Put that way, there are other gods who can achieve resurrecting others?!"

Liu asked somewhat excitedly.

"There are."

Hestia gave an affirmative answer.

"Then……"

"However, gods who possess Resurrection Authority will not resurrect children who have already passed away in the Lower World."

Not waiting for Liu to pursue the question, Hestia spoke again.

"Ah, why is that?"

"Because Divine Power. Between gods there is a customary rule, unable to arbitrarily use Divine Power in the Lower World.

And even gods who possess Resurrection Authority, wanting to realize resurrection of a child who has already passed away in the Lower World, unless it is resurrection before the deceased child's soul has yet to return to the Heavenly Realm.

Otherwise, wanting to cross realms and call back the deceased's soul from the Underworld, one must necessarily use one's own Divine Power.

And the result of using Divine Power, I think you should also be clear on."

"God's Repatriation."

Ais spoke the answer for Liu.

"Correct. Using Divine Power without permission, a god who has come to the Lower World will be forcefully repatriated back to the Heavenly Realm.

Unless a god with Resurrection Authority is willing to pay the price of themselves being sent back to the Heavenly Realm, only then is it possible to complete resurrection of the deceased in the Lower World.

But this is basically an impossible thing. Miss Liu, what do you think the death of a Lower World child is in the eyes of gods?"

"It is something that would also make gods who value the deceased child feel sad and grieved……"

"Indeed, but more so, those deceased children in our view are merely souls returning to the Heavenly Realm, going to a place named 【Underworld】, to properly sleep a long, long sleep.

As Lower World time passes and lives cycle, the souls in the Underworld will also, on some future day, return to the Lower World again, once again possessing body and life.

Although, for you children that is more like a brand new individual with the same soul, in us gods' view, the child who once again possesses life has merely lost all past memories, once again embarking on a journey named 【Life】.

So, for gods, one only needs to wait, and the Lower World's deceased children will in future time reappear with a brand new life form.

Although, during the days the children are gone, we may feel loneliness, but we will not insist too strongly."

"Of course, I can also understand your wish to see that important person again, but things that cannot be realized simply cannot be realized."

"However, perhaps I can have Broly use transformation magic to turn into the person you want to see, to make up a little for your longing for your past friend."

Hestia's words of comfort made Liu fall somewhat silent.

"Thank you, but, I think, let's just forget it..."

Although the substitute proposal was not bad, Liu still restrained herself.

【If Aqua Master could come over to this side and use Resurrection Jutsu, would she be sent back, or would the resurrection simply fail to succeed?】

Broly thought to himself, then pursued the question again: "Lady Hestia, regarding the use of divine power, can't you be flexible just this once?"

Aqua Master's Heaven also had explicit regulations forbidding the casual resurrection of mortals, but in actual practice, Aqua showed her Saiyan student what is called the flexible bottom line of a god's actual operations: 【As long as I'm not discovered, then I haven't violated any rules...】

"Uh, the use of divine power in the Lower World is theoretically flexible, because this rule itself was jointly established by the Major Gods, with the Gods' agreement."

"But conversely, if you want the use of divine power to be allowed flexibility, you'd need the Major Gods to agree, and the vast majority of the Gods not to complain."

"And to achieve that, honestly, gathering to watch the fun is fine, that might still have exceptions, but resurrecting a deceased child..."

Hestia didn't finish her words, but Liu already understood; this kind of thing is difficult, difficult to the point of being basically impossible to realize.

Otherwise, back when they learned of Alicia and the others' deaths, our own Main God Lady Astraea couldn't possibly have worn such a sorrowful expression.

Hmm, it's not that the gods of the Reverse World lack empathy, it's just that if every family in the Lower World who lost someone came requesting mercy and resurrection, and all were granted, the Lower World would have long since fallen into chaos, probably turning into a situation similar to the Dungeon.

"And, due to different gods having different thoughts, Good Gods might generously agree to the use of divine power for resurrecting deceased children."

"Then, couldn't Evil Gods also say they want to kill a herd of people to see the children of the Lower World's sorrowful expressions, thereby obtaining permission to use divine power and wantonly slaughter in the Lower World?"

"Extending from this, the Lower World would soon become like the Heavens of old, with Gods acting recklessly, each doing whatever they please."

"And the Lower World is more fragile than the Heavens; it would probably soon be utterly destroyed under the Gods' reckless actions, reduced to a Wasteland."

"Alright then."

Broly understood; if he wanted Aqua Master to come help in the future, he'd have to do it secretly, without alerting the local gods who are comparatively more principled.

"Speaking of which, about resurrection, I actually heard a story from my grandpa before."

Just at this moment, the village youth Bell suddenly spoke up.

"What story?"

Everyone looked toward the youth.

"A story about an ancient Mage researching life magic, seems like it was over eight hundred years ago, a powerful nation in the Western Region of the Continent produced a super magic genius, who attempted to touch the realm of Gods and explore the mysteries of life..."

"Eh, Bell, the story you're talking about isn't the story of the Great Sage Dio Orpheus, is it?"

Tiona asked in surprise.

"Ah, yes, that's the story, Miss Tiona, you know it too?"

Bell nodded, then looked over with some surprise.

"Because part of the other party's name sounds a bit similar to my name, I took a slight look, and in the story, that Sage researched the Philosopher's Stone that could grant immortality, but was regarded by the other party's God as an offense against themselves, so the story's outcome: the Philosopher's Stone was smashed by the God, and even the Sage who created the Philosopher's Stone suffered persecution."

"Eh? Persecution? Then Miss Tiona, the ending of the story you read is actually not quite the same as the one I heard."

"Ah, then what's yours?"

"The Philosopher's Stone was indeed destroyed, but the Sage only suffered expulsion, and in the subsequent time, the other party still achieved making themselves immortal; although the specific method wasn't told in my grandpa's story, he did mention the matter of Resurrection Magic..."

【In the process of pursuing eternal life, Sage Dio Orpheus researched magic to resurrect the dead; although that magic has not successfully resurrected any life to this day, it is also recognized by some Gods as a technique that surpasses human wisdom and reaches the realm of Gods...】

Bell repeated the original words of the story content his grandpa told him in his childhood; Hestia didn't seem to believe it much after hearing it.

Especially after asking Bell who his grandpa was, and learning from the white-haired youth that he was merely an old Farmer knowledgeable about fairy tales and such, the Loli Goddess felt the Sage's story was even more unreliable.

Of course, she didn't ruin the mood; when Broly looked over and asked if a person using Resurrection Magic would be acknowledged, she gave an affirmative answer: "The Gods only restrict the use of divine power in the Lower World, not the act of resurrection itself."

"If it is a person realizing the miracle of resurrection, probably no God would intervene to stop it; on the contrary, Gods wanting to gather and watch the child realize the miracle should be many."

Getting Hestia's definite answer, the question then became: "Where do we get the Sage's Resurrection Magic?"

"Uh, don't look at me, my grandpa's stories from before didn't mention this kind of thing."

Bell hurriedly waved his hand after everyone looked over.

"Don't look at me either, before hearing Bell's story today, I didn't know the Sage's story actually had this kind of sequel."

Tiona also hurriedly shook her head after receiving everyone's gaze.

"Over eight hundred years, the Sage's nation from the story can't even be found in reality anymore; archaeology is an impossible task."

Lefiya, once a School District student, had also heard of the Sage's nation, except that nation had already perished over six hundred years ago.

As for the God who backed that nation, they most likely were defeated in the Lower World and sent back to the Heavens by an Enemy Force's God.

"Although I don't think Resurrection Magic is real, but perhaps, Miss Liu, you can go investigate at the Guild's Library."

Liu: "..."

She, a bounty criminal, going to the Guild to investigate, right?

"I can help with this, just need to ask Miss Eina."

Broly proactively took on the investigation task.

"Broly, thank you."

Then, he received the Tavern Elf's gratitude.

【At the end of the pursuit of Resurrection Magic, one will probably obtain an answer that makes one feel disappointed.

But working hard together to do one thing is the process of creating shared memories.

And the feelings established during that period will leave indelible traces in each other's hearts...】

Looking at the two, Hestia thought in her heart.

(Chapter End)