Gossip: The Gods During Punishment

In his large mansion, the Highest and Supreme God of All Creation Demiurge was currently immersing himself in his greatest enjoyment these days: otherworld sake and snacks.

“Are they really reflecting?” He wondered aloud, before lightly waving an arm, causing a half-transparent window to open up in front of him. It displayed the Goddess of Wind, Ninrir, who was currently under house arrest.

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

In the home of the Goddess of Wind, Ninrir——...

As if fresh from a mourning vigil, a depressed atmosphere filled the place.

“*Sigh*...... Otherworld sweets............” Ninrir muttered while laying on her bed. Unlike before, she looked clearly wilted.

Finally, her connection with Mukohda had been revealed to the God of All Creation, and she had received a harsh scolding and punishment from him. On top of having all her offerings from Mukohda confiscated, she had been placed under house arrest for a month. The punishment was heavy. Of course, during that time she was forbidden from contacting him.

“Cake...... Pudding...... Dorayaki......”

All the different sweets she’d tasted up until now. They all floated up one by one in her mind.

“I sure want some dorayaki...... *Gulp*”

Having thought of her favorite, dorayaki, Ninrir couldn’t stop the saliva from building up in her mouth.

“One month...... I know he’s the God of All Creation, but this is just cruel...”

She was cut off from the other world’s sweets for an entire month. It was basically torture to Ninrir, since she could no longer be satisfied with the world’s honey or dried fruits after having tasted the sweets from that world.

“One month is too long......”

One week into the month-long house arrest proclaimed by the God of All Creation, Ninrir’s heart was already about to break.

“*Sigh~*...... Why didn’t I save any of my sweets? If I had even a little left this would have been......”

Even though Ninrir had been getting so many sweets from Mukohda, she never saved any of them. Instead, she simply ate them all.

“I’m such an idiot......”

Along with past regrets, a proverbial demon began to whisper into her ear: “Why not sneak an oracle to ask him for some sweets?”

“Nonono, I can’t, I can’t! If the Creator God found out, I wouldn’t get let off with just a month!”

Ninrir’s inner demon spoke up once again: “Then he just doesn’t have to find out.”

“As if he wouldn’t!! He’s the God of All Creation! Whew~... Calm down, Ninrir. And get rid of these evil thoughts. If I don’t, something bad will happen...... If I’m not careful, I might never be able to taste otherworld sweets again, let alone having to endure a month without them!”

Ninrir shivered at the very idea and erased the demon in her heart.

“It’s hard, but I have no choice but to withstand it......”

Clinging on to the light at the end of the tunnel which was the end of her house arrest, Ninrir clenched down on the desires in her heart.

“My, Ninrir really does lack perseverance. Well, she did manage it, so I suppose I shall let it go.”

While enjoying otherworld sake and snacks, Demiurge muttered, “This stuff from the other world is delicious, isn’t it? It’s not like I don’t understand how Ninrir feels.”

“Well, if she didn’t abide by what I said, she really would be unable to taste otherworld sweets ever again. Ho! Ho! Ho! Now then, let’s look at Kisharle next.”

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

In the residence of the goddess of earth, Kisharle——...

Kisharle’s home was filled with a tense atmosphere. Kisharle, who was in her own room, was pacing in front of her bed, seemingly irritated.

“One month, a whole month......”

Kisharle was racking her brains over how to get through her house arrest. Now that she’d already started using beauty products from the other world, she could no longer even imagine life without them.

“I’m good on shampoo and hair treatment.”

Armed with Mukohda’s advice, Kisharle had stocked up reserves of two kinds of shampoo and hair treatment so she could use whichever she fancied. Right now, she still had about half a bottle left of each.

“I still have half of each, and one bottle each of shampoo and hair treatment I haven’t touched yet, so I’m fine on that.”

Within reach, Kisharle had a set of shampoo and hair treatment she hadn’t touched yet.

“I also have enough body soap. If worst comes to worst, I can just use bar soap, too.”

Kisharle stocked two kinds of body soap so she could change if she liked, also under Mukohda’s advice. She had about a third left of one bottle, and the other one had just been opened. And as Kisharle said, even if she ran out of body soap, she still had three bars of soap, so she still had quite a bit of leeway on that front.

“The problem is maintaining my face. And that’s the most important thing......”

The otherworld skincare products had changed Kisharle’s skin to such a degree that it was almost unrecognizable. It was smooth and supple, and perfectly taut, just like a hard-boiled egg. Thanks to the power of otherworld skincare products, Kisharle had obtained skin that any woman would be jealous of.

“As for the beauty lotion, facial lotion, and cream I’m using right now... They all work really well, and they’re perfect for my skin, so I don’t want to run out, but......”

For the beauty products that Kisharle was currently using, her beauty lotion was still over half full, but her facial lotion and cream were getting low.

“I don’t even have one left of this facial lotion and cream!!”

Back then, she’d assumed she’d have plenty of time to restock, so she was only considering asking for more the next time.

“Also, there’s the cream that I’ve wanted for a while now...... That one’s got to be really good. If I had that, my skin would become even prettier......”

Kisharle thought back to the night cream that had been confiscated by the God of All Creation.

“At any rate, if I run out, it’ll all be over. Before that, I’ll have to make do somehow with just the facial lotion and cream I got before...... It feels worse than the one I’m using now, but that can’t be helped. I just need to get through this.”

Kisharle still had cheap facial lotion and cream that she’d gotten before, so it seemed she was going to be using those.

“If, just if, those run out............ NOOOOOO!! I don’t want to even think about that! As if I could ever go back to using olive oil like before! Facial lotion! Beauty lotion! Cream! I used that trifecta to obtain a perfect skin that anyone would be jealous of! This skin! My precious skin......!”

It looked like Kisharle was really dependent on the other world’s beauty products.

“*Huff*... *Huff*... *Huff*...... I can’t think about running out. No matter what, I’m going to get through this month. Once I manage that, my skin will be safe. Let’s do this, Kisharle!”

Kisharle pumped herself up.

“......... I suppose even goddesses are women. A woman’s attachment to beauty sure is scary...” Demiurge muttered sagely.

“Well, if she’s that attached to beauty, that just means this is a good punishment for her. Ho! Ho! Ho! Let’s see Agni next.”

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

In the residence of the Goddess of Fire, Agni——...

Agni’s home was filled with tension. She was pacing around her place with heavy footsteps, as if she was trying to hold down her irritation.

“I want beer............”

Unable to consume her beloved beverage, Agni was frustrated. She did have some alcohol to drink... However, it was merely ale from this world, which she had been imbibing before she had known about the beer from Mukohda’s world.

“Lukewarm ale’s no good. It’s gotta be that ice-cold beer...”

Imagining the taste of an ice-cold brew and the feeling of it going down her throat, Agni reflexively gulped.

“Fuuuuck! An entire month............”

Agni drooped her shoulders in depression at the thought that she wouldn’t be able to taste that wondrous beer for an entire month.

“That Creator God is so cruel... Telling me to not drink that for an entire month...”

Beer after a good sweaty workout. Beer after a bath. Beer with dinner. They were all great things.

“NNUOOAAAGGGHHH! I WANT BEEEEER!!!!”

Agni had been drinking beer as much as she wanted every day from the stockpile she got from Mukohda. Now, she couldn’t even have a single drop. But her thirst for beer hadn’t gone away.

“It sucks, but there’s nothing I can do about it, huh? It’s not like I can defy the God of All Creation’s sentence.”

With the truth hitting home, Agni once again drooped her shoulders in defeat.

“Why didn’t I save any......? Even though I had quite a lot of beer............”

Agni used to have quite the stockpile of beer from all of the cases she had received. Nevertheless, she had already gone through all of it.

“Even though it’s only natural since it’s so good, I should have left just a little......”

That was completely true.

“Now that it’s come to this, there’s nothing for it. I’ll just have to make do with ale for a month, huh?”

Even though she knew that, Agni still couldn’t shake her thirst for beer.

“Alcohol from the other world is really good, after all,” Demiurge said, taking his glass of sake and downing it.

“Yep, it’s good.”

Next, he tossed some of his favorite snack, kantsuma, into his mouth.

“Ho! Ho! Ho! This punishment was perfect for Agni, who’s hooked on that otherworld beer... ‘lager,’ was it? Let’s see, next is Rusalka. How’s she doing?”

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

In the home of the Goddess of Water, Rusalka——...

This place alone was peaceful, as usual.

“......Let’s have some ice cream.”

Rusalka retrieved her favorite cup of vanilla ice cream from the Item Box exclusive to gods. Recently, she’d been enjoying these after dinner.

“Heheh......”

She scooped up the snow-like white ice cream with a spoon and took a mouthful. The cold ice cream quietly melted in her mouth; the strong taste and thick consistency of milk spread. The flavor was perfect - sweet without being cloying, with a fragrance of vanilla that tickled her nose.

“This really is delicious.”

Rusalka slowly enjoyed her vanilla ice cream.

“That was good.”

She placed the empty ice cream cup on the table.

“Mm, I want a little more......” Rusalka muttered, before reaching into her Item Box and taking out an individually wrapped baumkuchen. She broke open the wrapping and started munching on the pastry.

“This is good, too.”

Rusalka fully enjoyed the moist, sweet treat.

“So satisfying. I will eat more tomorrow,” she said, smiling as she remembered all the sweets she still had in her Item Box.

She wasn’t concerned at all about a month’s house arrest.

“I’m so great for saving up,” Rusalka praised herself.

Rusalka hadn’t blindly consumed all the sweets that Mukohda had given her like Ninrir had. Instead, she’d preserved them in her Item Box and enjoyed them little by little. Thanks to that, if she paced herself, she’d just barely be able to enjoy her snacks for a whole month.

“This is a secret from everyone. Especially Ninrir — she can never, ever find out.”

It was only natural for Rusalka to think that. If Ninrir were to ever find out there were sweets from the other world around, she’d probably come charging in. No, she definitely would. If that happened, even the snacks that Rusalka had so painstakingly rationed to last a whole month would be gone in an instant thanks to Ninrir.

“I won’t give any to Ninrir. They were given to me, so I will enjoy them,” Rusalka said, moving on to joyfully plan out what to eat tomorrow, remembering everything she still had in her Item Box.

“Even though they like the same things, she’s really different from Ninrir, isn’t she? Rusalka’s young, but she’s the most responsible of all of them. Her punishment isn’t really a punishment now, but......”

Demiurge wondered what he should do.

“Everything she got before is hers, after all. I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Rusalka was unexpectedly cunning.

“Next is Hephaestos.”

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

In the God of Blacksmithing, Hephaestos’ house——...

Usually, the place would be echoing with Hephaestos’ loud voice, but right now all was quiet.

*Clang*

Hephaestos placed an empty wooden cup on a table.

“*Burp*...... *Sigh*~”

After downing some lukewarm ale, Hephaestos heaved a deep sigh.

“Now that I’ve tasted whiskey, ale just isn’t strong enough...”

Hephaestos’ love of alcohol was unrivaled. Even though he couldn’t enjoy whiskey for a month because of the house arrest, he couldn’t ever consider not drinking altogether. Although he did settle for the ale, Hephaestos was far from satisfied with it when measured against otherworld whiskey, for which there was truly no comparison.

“House arrest for a month, huh............? We weren’t trying to stretch that otherworlder that far, though...” Hephaestos said to himself, but it wasn’t true.

Demiurge, as he watched on, wanted the man to realize how berserk he had gotten over alcohol. More than anything, the liquor-loving duo had no idea when it came to choosing whiskey, so they always took up the most time with Mukohda.

“So I won’t be able to taste whiskey for a while, huh? This is hard......”

Hephaestos was completely hooked on whiskey. One of the big draws of whiskey was that each had its own unique fragrance and flavor, despite the alcohol being so strong.

“It would have been better if I’d saved a little, but that would be impossible to ask of us...”

These days, the biggest source of enjoyment for Hephaestos was drinking the night away with the War God Vahagn, who loved alcohol just as much as Hephaestos did. Together, they’d talk about and review the quality of each bottle as they drank them down. Both of them were unmatched in their love of alcohol, and they both had the same tastes, as they thought that whiskey was the best otherworld drink. When they had good booze to drink, they never ran out of topics to discuss.

“All that discussion over whiskey was so fun............ Oh yeah, I wonder how that 12-year whiskey the God of All Creation took tasted?”

Hephaestos thought back to the world’s best whiskey that both he and Vahagn had enjoyed so many times. Said 12-year whiskey was more expensive than the one they usually had. And given that it commanded such a price, that probably meant that it tasted that much better.

*Gulp*

Imagining that taste, Hephaestos couldn’t help but salivate.

“*Sigh* I want whiskey so bad.”He thought, but of course there was no whiskey left.

“I’m bored of ale too. Oh well, I guess I’ll have some mead......”

Hephaestos poured some mead into a glass and drank it.

“......Sweet... and weak.”

Both ale and mead were what Hephaestos had before he learned of whiskey. However, now that he’d learned the taste of the sublime alcohol that was whiskey, ale was almost just water, and he could only think of mead as far too sweet for its strength.

“It would be so nice to have some whiskey soon......”

“Hephaestos, I know that you and Vahagn pour an inordinate amount of passion into alcohol. I don’t believe you two will be able to stay quiet now that you’ve gotten to know alcohol from the other world, though.”

Alcohol from the other world was delicious. If one liked alcohol, they would understand Hephaestos’ feelings. However......

“But I can see you taking up too much of Mukohda’s time because you’re so enamored with alcohol. It’d be nice if you’d reflect on that, but... The last one’s Vahagn, the duo’s other half, huh?”

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

In the War God Vahagn’s residence——...

A displeased voice echoed throughout the halls of Vahagn’s home, which used to be quiet.

“Fuck! This booze is too sweet!!”

Vahagn cursed his now-empty glass of mead, scowling in displeasure. After getting tired of drinking so much ale, he had switched over to mead.

“It’s gotta be whiskey...... There’s nothing better.”

Vahagn, like Hephaestos, was unable to be satisfied now that he’d tasted whiskey from the other world.

“A whole month, huh......? It’s not like I’m trying to go against the God of All Creation, but I think a whole month of house arrest is too much...”

Vahagn was more than a little unsatisfied at having to sit through an entire month of house arrest.

“I mean, we didn’t ask that much out of him. We even gave him blessings. Also, we put some pretty rare skills on him too.”

Although that was true, whether or not Mukohda actually wanted all that was a different matter.

“Well, if that’s what the God of All Creation says it’s not like I can do anything about it, so I just have to get through this month somehow, but... A whole month............”

And in the meanwhile, he’d be absolutely unable to drink any whiskey.

“I want whiskey......”

It was a strong drink unlike anything else Vahagn had had up until then, and each bottle had its own unique flavor and fragrance. He was entranced by the fact that it changed so much depending on where it was brewed and by who. To the alcohol loving Vahagn, whiskey had shown him an entirely new world.

“I really want to spend all night drinking with that Blacksmithing God again. That was so fun......”

Vahagn thought back to the days spent drinking with Hephaestos. Conversations about whiskey flowed like a river, and they would argue about what to order next. That had been unexpectedly fun.

“Ahhh, dammit. We were supposed to be drinking that 12-year world’s best whiskey and talking about it too—! That one’s gotta be delicious. I mean, it’s just a better version of the one we’re always drinking.”

Vahagn thought of the 12-year version of the world’s best whiskey that the God of All Creation had confiscated from him.

“I wonder how it tastes...”

Even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to drink it, Vahagn couldn’t stop his imagination.

“Aaaaaggghh! I want to drink whiskeyyyy!” Vahagn shouted from the bottom of his heart.

“Vahagn, I know you’ve been occupying all of Mukohda’s time right along with Hephaestos.”

Demiurge could tell that he was quite enamored with whiskey from the other world.

“I really can feel their tenacity when it comes to loving alcohol. It’d be nice if they can reflect on that during this month and calm down, though.”

Demiurge took a swig of the sake he had on hand, letting out a sigh of relief.

“It looks like they’re all feeling the month-long punishment, at least a little. It seems as though getting them to give up on things from the other world isn’t going to be an option, though. Well, I’ll need to talk to Mukohda about that, won’t I? He’s a pretty nice guy, so he probably won’t completely cut off relations with us gods. It doesn’t look like he’s planning anything like that, either. Although we can’t keep doing things at once a week like before, though. At any rate, I should talk to Mukohda about that once these fools’ punishments are up.”