Chapter 67

Just as she reached the bedside and was wondering where to sleep, Tiamat turned around, grabbed Ereshkigal's wrist, and then pulled her into her arms amidst the girl's small gasp. The Goddess of the Underworld almost suffocated in Tiamat's enormous heart.

After a while, Tiamat loosened her grip slightly, then stroked Lan Ze's head and Ereshkigal's head, letting out a satisfied "Aaa" sound. She then closed her eyes slightly, seemingly intending to take a short nap.

"How is it?" Lan Ze asked tentatively, looking at Ereshkigal.

With her eyes slightly closed, Ereshkigal was still savoring the scent of her "mother." After a long while, she couldn't help but let out a happy breath.

"Mmm... it's so nice," she whispered.

How long has it been since I've felt this way?

It seems like this has never happened since the beginning of its existence, right?

This feeling of being surrounded by warmth...

As Ereshkigal felt Tiamat's warmth and the soft touch on her cheek, she slowly opened her eyes.

She suddenly paused, looked at Lan Ze who was so close to her, and blinked.

Lan Ze stared at her intently, his gaze making the Goddess of the Underworld feel a little shy.

"W-What are you doing?!" Ereshkigal let out a small sob, her fair face flushed slightly, and her eyes shimmered shyly.

Why does this atmosphere give me a "I can do this now" feeling...? Lan Ze thought to himself, looking up at Tiamat, then glancing at the blonde girl in bed.

It's a pity there's no system in reality, otherwise the system would probably be popping up a mission like "kiss the Goddess of the Underworld" right now... Lan Ze thought for no reason.

"Have you been sleeping with your mother all this time?" Ereshkigal asked softly.

She felt the atmosphere between the two was a bit too strange; it didn't quite seem like love, but it also didn't seem like family affection.

This subtle atmosphere left the Goddess of the Underworld somewhat bewildered.

Of course, if she knew the term "motherly love turning sour," she probably wouldn't be so confused.

Lan Ze shook his head. "How could that be... how could we possibly sleep together every day?"

Ereshkigal immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems they haven't progressed to that point yet... Well, after all, she's her mother. How could a human possibly have any intimate relationship with the Creation Mother Goddess? This was just a chance encounter.

After thinking this to herself, Ereshkigal felt a lot more relaxed.

"Let's sleep together every two days then..." Lan Ze silently added to himself, watching the girl's relieved expression.

Ever since that day when he had a close relationship with Tiamat, Lan Ze has been exploited every now and then... It's fortunate that Tiamat can replenish his magic power, otherwise, even a god probably couldn't withstand it if it happened every few days.

On another note... even Ereshkigal's breasts seem a little bigger than the big loli's... Lan Ze suddenly noticed this small detail.

"W-What's wrong? Why are you staring at me?" Ereshkigal asked, her voice slightly tense.

Although she always tried to maintain the "aloof" image of the Goddess of the Underworld, it was difficult for her to remain calm under Lan Ze's intense gaze, to the point that her eyes became Gilgamesh.

"Fine,"

Lan Ze glanced at Tiamat, making sure she was asleep, then quietly looked away and gazed at Ereshkigal, saying softly, "I'm finally relieved to see you."

Ereshkigal blinked. "Huh?"

Lan Ze sighed softly, "Ever since you quit the game, I've been searching for you everywhere, but I've never been able to find you. Even so, I've never given up."

He gazed into Ereshkigal's bright and innocent eyes and said, "Now that I've seen you, I can finally get a good night's sleep."

"... Have you been looking for me all this time?"

Ereshkigal's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the boy's handsome face and the genuine emotion in his dark eyes, which moved her even more.

Lan Ze nodded slightly. "After I logged out of the game that day, I immediately logged back in, but the scene was no longer in Uruk. I wanted to find you, but I didn't know where to start."

That's actually the truth. Lan Ze did want to go find Ereshkigal, but once he entered the game, he was in Britain and had no way to contact Ereshkigal.

But unexpectedly, this goddess came to me today.

Thinking of this, Lan Ze felt a little emotional, and he suddenly asked, "How did you find me?"

Ereshkigal rested her head on Tiamat's softness, looked up, and then said, "After arriving in Tokyo, I've been expanding my territory, trying to extend the Underworld throughout Tokyo. After that, I sensed the direction of your Spirit Origin, and then I expanded my territory along that direction."

"I never expected you to be in the room with Mother..." Her voice suddenly faded until it was completely inaudible.

Looking at Ereshkigal's shy face, Lan Ze mustered his courage, gently took her soft and slightly cool little hand, and whispered, "You can stay here from now on. I'll talk to the landlady."

Ereshkigal was slightly taken aback. She looked up at Lan Ze, and under the boy's earnest gaze, she lowered her head slightly and softly hummed in agreement.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became exceptionally ambiguous. After gazing at each other for a long while, Ereshkigal completely lost her usual arrogant demeanor, shyly lowering her head as if she wanted to bury her head in the sand like an ostrich.

She felt the warmth from Lan Ze's hand and the warmth from her mother behind her. The two different joys combined, giving Ereshkigal an unprecedented sense of happiness.

She lifted her moist eyes and found that Lan Ze was still staring at her, his gaze focused and clear, as if his eyes were completely drawn to her.

Ereshkigal pursed her thin, delicate lips slightly, feeling inexplicably nervous.

She gently closed her eyes, as if wanting to sleep, but then she slightly raised her face, as if waiting for something.

Lan Ze's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously glanced at Tiamat. The woman had long, flowing blue hair and was muttering strange "Aaa" in her sleep.

His gaze fell once again on Ereshkigal's flawless face, and he hesitated, wondering if he could do something.

Just then, a soft sound of a door opening gently echoed in the quiet room, instantly shattering the sweet atmosphere that had just been there.

Then, in the next moment, the door was gently pushed open.

"Lan Ze-- "

Sajyou Manaka stood at the doorway, pushed it open, and called out, but her gaze immediately froze on the three people in the bed.

Sajyou Manaka stared blankly at the scene in the room. After a brief moment of stunned silence, the shopping bag in her hand fell to the ground.

Then, the magic in the room was subtly mobilized, and it seemed to cheer and rejoice, as if it was an honor to be used by the Princess of the Root.

Ereshkigal clearly noticed this as well. She poked her head out from under the covers, hesitated for a moment when she saw the girl at the door, and asked, "Who is this child?"

Lan Ze's heart skipped a beat. He quickly pressed Ereshkigal's head back into the blankets, looked up at Sajyou Manaka, and smiled, "Aika, I was just about to tell you something. Let me introduce you to a friend I met in Uruk— "

"The Goddess of the Underworld, right?" Sajyou Manaka expressionlessly.

Ereshkigal struggled in bed for a while, finally managing to break free from Lan Ze's grasp. She poked her head out, her eyes filled with suspicion as she peered at the girl with short, light blonde hair in front of her. "Who is this person?"

"This is the landlord here, Sajyou Manaka," Lan Ze introduced.

"I never agreed to let another person live here, did I, Lan Ze- kun?" Sajyou Manaka smiled slightly.

"Besides--"

Sajyou Manaka suddenly raised her eyelids, a hint of anger flashing in her emerald eyes.

"Get out of bed first!"

The next moment, a sound like fireworks exploded in the room, and then everything in the room seemed to lose gravity and float in mid-air. Lan Ze, Ereshkigal, and even Tiamat were all suspended in mid-air.

Tiamat was still asleep after all the commotion, but she felt a little uncomfortable, so she reached out and grabbed around, finally touching Lan Ze to check his texture.

After confirming that it was indeed her child, she wrapped her arms around Lan Ze's neck, gently rubbed her cheek against him, and then fell back into a deep sleep.

Seeing this, Sajyou Manaka's anger finally reached its limit, and the next moment, a crisp and melodious snap of her fingers rang out.

In the living room.

Ereshkigal held a glass of water, took a small sip to moisten her lips, and kept glancing back at the room at the end of the corridor. Then she looked at the Creation Mother Goddess beside her and said with some worry, "Is something wrong with Lan Ze?"

Earlier, during Sajyou Manaka's magical outburst, Lan Ze's room was left in a mess. Tiamat was woken up and made an "Aaa" sound, clearly showing her morning grumpiness.

Fortunately, there was Magic Barrier in the room, and Tiamat didn't shout too loudly, so she didn't cause any disturbance to the residents of Tokyo.

Even so, the shockwave left everyone in the room feeling dizzy.

At that moment, Ereshkigal was at a loss and tried her best to comfort the mother. Then, after seeing Lan Ze's signal, she coaxed Tiamat into the living room.

Tiamat's morning grumpiness had clearly subsided; she held a glass of water in both hands, her eyes calm, as if nothing had happened in the room.

"Mother... should we sneak off to take a look?" Ereshkigal asked with some concern.

Based on Sajyou Manaka's behavior in the room, Ereshkigal had already recognized the power contained within the girl's small body, and began to worry about whether Lan Ze would be bullied by Aika.

"If I explain to Ms. Sajo that Lan Ze and I aren't in that kind of relationship, she should be able to calm down a bit, right?" she continued.

Tiamat turned to look at Ereshkigal, who had a worried expression on her face, gently patted her head, and whispered, "It's alright."

He'll handle it.

Hearing Tiamat's gentle voice, Ereshkigal's previously anxious heart finally began to relax.

"Since Mother has said so, then it should be fine, right..." she murmured to herself.

Although she said this, she was still somewhat worried, her eyes fixed on the tightly closed door not far away, silently praying for Lan Ze.

At this moment, in the now chaotic room, Sajyou Manaka clearly realized that she had been a bit too impulsive. Just a moment ago, she was the omnipotent Princess of the Root, but now she was like a little girl who had made a mistake, her fingers gently pinching the hem of her skirt, her head lowered, her face full of apology, and she glanced at Lan Ze somewhat uneasily.

He stared blankly at his room, lost in thought.

"Feel sorry--"

Sajyou Manaka looked up, about to apologize, when she saw Lan Ze turn to look at her, seemingly lost in thought, and say:

"I shouldn't have to pay for the damaged things, right?"

"..."

After a brief silence, Sajyou Manaka breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, he looked up at Lan Ze and sneered, "This is your room, and now that it's ruined like this, of course you have to pay for it."

Lan Ze was slightly taken aback. "But you're the one who made it like this—"

"But this is your room," Sajyou Manaka said matter-of-factly. "Besides, did you see me destroy anything in the room just now?"

Lan Ze: "..."

In fact, apart from snapping her fingers, Sajyou Manaka did nothing else.

As she said this, she glanced at Lan Ze a couple more times with some unease. Seeing that he didn't seem displeased, she breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Who exactly is that Goddess of the Underworld to you?" Sajyou Manaka suddenly asked.

Lan Ze hesitated for a moment, then said, "We're just ordinary friends."

"May I ask you, why would a regular friend sleep in your bed?"

"She just wanted to feel a mother's love, so my mother just carried her into my bed... but I didn't lay a hand on her," Lan Ze said sincerely.

Sajyou Manaka clearly didn't believe it.

"I'm not interested in flat-chested women," Lan Ze said.

Sajyou Manaka nodded as if suddenly realizing something, immediately believing Lan Ze's words.

Then, she suddenly paused, and muttered to herself in annoyance, "I've been trying so hard to make my breasts grow..."

"But that takes time."

Her eyes were filled with sadness and sorrow as she continued, "If you get married before I grow up, I'll destroy the world."

Lan Ze paused slightly, then gently patted Sajyou Manaka's head, comforting her, "It's okay if you don't grow up. There are plenty of flat-chested people in this world, look at Ereshkigal, isn't she? Sometimes being flat-chested is a kind of charm."

"But you don't like flat chests!" Sajyou Manaka suddenly raised her eyes, her gaze filled with sadness.

"I do dislike flat chests, but if it's Aika, I wouldn't mind." Lan Ze gently stroked the little girl's head. "I'll wait for you to grow up."

The little girl was slightly taken aback, looked up at Lan Ze, and gradually softened under his sincere gaze.

She pressed her forehead against Lan Ze's chest, nuzzling gently like a little rabbit, her breath soft and fragrant as she whispered Lan Ze's name.

As Lan Ze stroked Sajyou Manaka's hair, inhaling the faint fragrance emanating from the little girl's short hair, he suddenly asked softly, "By the way, did that Goddess of the Underworld want to stay at our house too? Is that alright?"

Sajyou Manaka gave a soft "hmm," then suddenly realized something was wrong and looked up at Lan Ze.

"... What did you just say?"

Lan Ze coughed lightly. "Miss Ereshkigal also wants to stay at our house, what do you think?"