Becoming an Accidental God in a New World

'This is so awkward. Should I say something? No wait—! The duchess looks like she is doing something important. I should not disturb her… or should I?'

I looked over my book and at the outside scenery that was rapidly changing as the carriage moved.

But even that was not enough to calm me down. And the reason behind all this? It was simple—boredom.

We had been travelling for a whole day and had taken a few stops to refresh ourselves. I had also let Fenrir out to take a walk around and stretch his legs.

Other than necessary conversations, we had not spoken about anything.

It was getting to a point where this silence felt stiffening and caused me to want to yell out loud. But I kept myself in check, even if every bone in my body wanted to shout.

Luckily for me, the duchess's carriage used magic, so it took us almost no time to reach our destination.

The temple city of Atticus was right in front of us, and the large white dome with a crown on top was visible from even far away.

It was a magnificent sight, especially when you could see it just as you exited the temple and entered the farmlands. The people were already out and about, and there were no city walls or fences to protect this place.

"Atticus is a magnificent place where peace and order are maintained through the power of faith. It is also one of the most secure and powerful places in this territory. That's why they are desperate to do anything to keep the situation here under wraps."

The duchess finally spoke, and I felt startled for a second.

'Huh—! What is the duchess talking about… ah, yes, the prophecy and the candidates.'

"Do you know, when a new noble family head takes their place, the first thing they do is take care of anything that would threaten their position. Even people on the smallest scale do that. But we are talking about a whole nation's worth of power here. The consequences of any decision made will be impactful."

The duchess was still speaking, but I had stopped following her halfway. By that I meant that I understood what she wanted to say, but I had no idea why she wanted to say it now.

So I sat quiet and closed my book to pay her attention. It was the least I could do to show her I was listening.

"Humans tend to want peace, but it is not in their nature to be peaceful. In the end, they are all trying to survive."

I told the duchess, and she gave me a look I could not place.

"Perhaps you are right. After all, there is no black and white in nature. We're all shades of grey going through life."

The duchess told me as we neared the dome and the city.

Many workers tilling the fields looked at our carriage before quickly returning to work.

"Master, I have no idea what you and the Fae talked about, but if you need me to bite someone, tell me. I will make sure they bleed properly and don't recover soon."

Fenrir told me, flashing his sharp teeth as he said it.

I just patted the puppy's head to force his mouth closed. I did not want the duchess to take offense.

"Don't worry about it. I will tell you when I need your help."

I whispered to Fenrir, and the puppy looked happy.

The duchess turned her face to look outside as well, but she seemed just a bit… disappointed. Perhaps she expected me to do everything on my own without any external help.

And I would have loved to prove her right—except I knew myself well enough to know what I had no power to do.

The carriage soon came to a stop in front of the giant dome I had seen from afar, and up close it was even more magnificent to look at. The white stood out from everywhere.

"Duchess Isabella Lilly and her… esteemed guest. It is an honor to welcome you to our holy city. Please, make yourself at home and do not feel shy."

The priest dressed in white came out to greet us as soon as we exited the carriage. Luckily, I already had Fenrir back in his bag, so he was not seen.

But I could still see the look of curiosity and excitement being sent my way by the priest.

The duchess stepped in front of me to hide me from the other person's view, but that did nothing to lower the man's curiosity.

If anything, the priest looked even more interested in me than before.

"We are here as Cardinal Joshua's special guests. It would be in your best interest to take us to our rooms now."

The duchess told the priest, and he gave her a wide smile in return.

"Of course, duchess. Cardinal Joshua told us that the reason you are here is extremely important. How can we let such an important person as you become disappointed in us?"

The priest knew how to flatter well. From his tone to the way he looked, it all seemed sincere.

But it was not easy to fool me in this regard, and I noticed the guard the priest put up in front of the duchess.

"Please, follow me."

The priest turned around, but I had the feeling he was still keeping an eye on me and the duchess.

Duchess Isabella straightened her back, and her posture drew all attention to her. She walked behind the priest, and I followed them both slowly.

Our luggage would be carried later by the servants, but I chose to carry Fenrir myself. We crossed a lot of large passages, and I had a feeling we were taking the scenic route on purpose.

Finally, after almost twenty minutes of walking across the dome, we reached a set of rooms and the man showed me to my room first before he took the duchess away.

I settled down and let Fenrir out to allow the puppy to stretch its legs as well.

"Ugh, finally, freedom. This room smells weird… can I run in the garden instead?"

Fenrir asked as he walked toward the glass door that showed the outside garden.

I opened the door and Fenrir went out. The garden had a private fence that blocked anyone in another room from being able to look in, and it felt safe to walk out.

As Fenrir enjoyed himself stretching his legs, I heard a knock on my door and went to open it.

Standing on the other side of the door was Duchess Isabella, and her expression looked serious.

Somehow, that made me feel nervous as well, and I invited her inside the room.

"Duchess, is something the matter? Please, come inside so we can talk."

I told her, but the duchess shook her head.

"I am afraid we won't have time for a long talk. You should also freshen up and change before someone comes to fetch us for dinner. But I am here to warn you, shopkeeper. You need to be careful of the temple. They are not as nice as they look on the surface."