[Imperial Privilege EX]
Even skills that are inherently unattainable can be temporarily acquired based on personal conviction.
A skill perfectly suited to Nero, who embodies a fervent amalgamation of passions.
Relevant abilities include Riding, Swordsmanship, Artistry, Charisma, and Military Tactics.
When at A-Rank or higher, it even grants burdens related to the physical form (such as Divinity).
Indeed! Even Divinity can be acquired by Nero through the [Imperial Privilege EX] skill!
"That's impossible!"
Aqua lunged forward, clutching Nero's shoulders, her face a mask of disbelief.
Kazuma, being an ordinary human, sensed nothing unusual. At most, Nero merely seemed more radiant to him. However, Aqua, as a goddess, could distinctly feel it.
"This is... divine energy? Not just holy energy, but actual divinity?! And yet... there's no divine authority attached... And it's far weaker than a true deity's presence. How did you manage this?"
Nero, pleased with Aqua's shocked reaction, let out a smug hum of satisfaction.
"Hmph! Surprised, aren't you? This is the privilege exclusive to an Emperor—my privilege! I am the one and only Emperor in heaven and earth! Everything within my domain falls under my rule! In other words, even deities must submit to my authority. Naturally, I can also claim Divinity."
Aqua instinctively wanted to retort with "That's impossible," but the radiant divine energy emanating from Nero left her speechless, her mouth agape.
In this world, there seemed to be no such concept as demigods or divine progeny; only the gods of the heavens possessed Divinity.
Through [Imperial Privilege EX], Nero's Divinity could, at most, reach an A-Rank level—akin to the demigod hero Heracles. It was far from true godhood, and she lacked divine authority. Yet this world had no concept of demigods to bridge that gap.
"Ah, I almost got carried away and forgot my true purpose."
Nero nearly lost sight of her objective: to inquire about the dungeon's situation from Kazuma and Aqua.
"From what I see, I may have misjudged you two... My apologies. Especially you, Aqua. It seems you are capable of doing something commendable once in a while. Purifying the lich Keele was well done. I may have to revise my opinion of you."
Looking at Aqua, Nero couldn't help but think of Barbatos, the wind god of another realm who shirked responsibilities.
When first encountering Venti, or Barbatos, many must have thought of him as a worthless drunkard or a mischievous sprite, just as she now regarded Aqua.
Until... in the legendary quest "If You Find Yourself Lost in a Windless Land," perceptions changed completely.
Having played Genshin Impact extensively, Nero had rarely been as moved by a story as she was by that quest.
Only after experiencing it could one understand why Barbatos was beloved and trusted by the people of Mondstadt, who began every greeting with "May the Anemo Archon protect you."
When Venti softly uttered, "May I entrust the soul of my old friend to you?" it perfectly encapsulated the demeanor of a god who cherished humanity.
"If you find yourself lost in a windless land, I shall play a song of the heavens for you." That line, too, was deeply poetic.
Nero never expected that Aqua, a goddess who rarely showed any reliability, could also exhibit such divine qualities.
But she seemed to have forgotten one crucial detail.
Aqua's personality was one where praise led to pride, and pride inevitably led to causing trouble for others.
"Of course! I worked really hard back then, you know? I'm super amazing! If Kazuma didn't have me, he wouldn't have known what to do! Back in that dungeon, to purify that lich, this goddess painstakingly created a magic circle! I bet it's still there, warding off all the evil things even now!"
Hands on her hips, Aqua puffed out her chest in triumph, oblivious to the astonished expressions on Kazuma and Nero's faces.
"Why do you always have to go and do unnecessary things, you idiot—?!"
"Why are you yelling at me—?!"
---
After calming down the alarmed onlookers drawn by their shouting, Nero reassured everyone that nothing was amiss and that she could handle it herself.
Returning to Kazuma and Aqua, Nero glanced at Aqua, who sat sobbing in a corner with a wooden sign around her neck that read, in crooked writing, "I'm a fool." Then she turned her gaze to Kazuma, crouched nearby with his face buried in his hands as if too embarrassed to be seen.
Nero couldn't suppress a chuckle.
Walking over to Kazuma, she patted his shoulder.
"As it turns out, my suspicions weren't entirely unfounded."
"...Fine, Aqua does have a habit of doing unnecessary things," Kazuma admitted with a pained expression, meeting Nero's eyes. "But she only left a magic circle that repels monsters. How could that possibly be related to these mysterious creatures suddenly appearing?"
"Well, that would settle it..."
"But I've also heard some other interesting tidbits recently."
Kazuma froze as a sense of foreboding crept over him.
Leaning in close, Nero whispered into his ear.
"I've heard that the number of monsters around the dungeon has increased strangely. Villages have been attacked, and adventurers exploring near the dungeon have been ambushed by swarms of monsters..."
Kazuma swallowed hard, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.
"Moreover, some adventurers claim that many of these monsters appear to be native to the dungeon—almost as if something has driven them out."
Glancing at Kazuma's pale face, drenched in cold sweat, Nero gently patted his shoulder again, flashing a mischievous smile that could rival the Celestial Star God Ahaha's infamous grin.
"Now then, Mr. Kazuma... Surely you wouldn't want the overworked investigators—or the adventurers injured by these monsters—to learn about Aqua's magic circle in the dungeon, would you?"
Nero acknowledged that threatening others wasn't ideal, but she had her reasons.
She had learned from investigators about the peculiar creatures that had appeared: small, doll-like beings wearing eerie masks.
The more she heard about these creatures—particularly their tendency to cling to people and explode—the more familiar they seemed.
This was likely the work of a certain demon duke.
The reason for threatening Kazuma was to ensure Aqua accompanied her.
Though Aqua was a magnet for trouble, she was still a goddess. Against a demon duke, she could prove invaluable.
Unfortunately, Chris was nowhere to be found in Axel. If given a choice, Nero would have preferred taking Chris along. But with her unavailable, Aqua would have to do.
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T/N: Yeah that was an amazing story quest