Looking at Vol's smile, Owen Hart fell into bewilderment.
At a loss, he looked around and saw his father, whose expression was bitter yet somewhat relieved; his grandfather, sitting there dejectedly and silently stroking the holy tome he never let leave his side; the elders and relatives of the family; and the other high-ranking members of the Church of the Scholar God.
"...What is going on?" he could not help asking.
"It's complicated if I explain it in detail. Simply put, I inherited the divine office of the previous Scholar God." The robed old man who called himself Vol, the God of Knowledge and Culture, said with a smile, "I did not wish to take advantage of someone's misfortune, but the divine office of 'Scholar' could not remain vacant forever. And I had indeed been working toward this all along, so I took over that divine office—of course, I am not the Scholar God now. Or rather, I am not merely the Scholar God."
Owen Hart was silent for a while before asking, "Then what about His Majesty?"
Vol shook his head. "For a very, very long time to come, you will not be able to see Him again. Perhaps only after I step into powerful divine power will I have enough ability to resurrect Him as my subordinate god... But that is destined to be a very, very distant matter. It may take centuries, perhaps even millennia. Even legendary mages may not live to witness that day."
Only then did Owen understand where the expressions on his elders' faces came from. After thinking for a while, he asked, "Then do You want us to believe in and serve You, just as we once believed in and served His Majesty?"
"I am not forcing anything." Vol shook his head. "You