God stood by the window, watching them before the fireplace, while Shade carefully examined Lady Gerd's mother. She should have been Thirteenth Order by now, and she looked even younger than the middle-aged Lady Gerd.
Not everyone was qualified to make requests of a god, nor was everyone qualified to gamble with one. Though she was not a demigod, her methods and talent were terrifyingly formidable. Given time, she might well have advanced to demigodhood.
Shade even felt that if she could make that terrifying kingdom more real, she might become a demigod through it. Lady Gerd's understanding of her mother did not seem complete. This was a far more terrifying witch than the one she had described.
"Before the story begins, let's chat a little. I saw coins bearing your portrait in the story. Why is your title Queen rather than Emperor?"
Shade bent his right arm over the armrest of the chair. The witch with peach-pink hair replied:
"Because I have not yet touched the power of the demigod level. The title of Emperor is reserved for my future self. But the Queen in the story is merely a projection with my personality and power. I have never entered it directly. After all, if the creator of the world joined the game, the story would become less interesting.
"I use the mirror in my hand to control a shadow identical to myself. She will certainly appear in the story you are about to tell."
Shade asked again:
"Then how am I supposed to tell the story? Do I need to enter your kingdom as well?"
"No, you don't."
The enormous storybook on the round table between them opened. The ink written across its pages leaped upward, soaring into the air before forming an overhead view of a vast