Crossover: The Problem Human of [Arcadia]

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Dancing in front of the executioner's pyre—yeah, that was a pretty spot-on metaphor for Ryo's current situation.

His actions—observing parallel worlds and introducing their variables into Little Garden—were stirring up all kinds of ripple effects. And for the Cross religion god group that wanted to lock in humanity's doomsday, force the other deities into submission, and build a new Little Garden under their control... well, Ryo's interference was basically flipping their game board mid-play.

If they ever figured out he was behind it all, it wouldn't be surprising if a whole angelic army descended just to "purify" him.

Ryo chuckled lightly. "So basically, you think the Greek gods are the ones pulling the strings behind the scenes?"

Scathach crumpled up the empty mochi box and tossed it into a nearby trash can. "I'd say they're... suspicious at most."

"In the outside world, Greek mythology is pretty much outdated," she went on. "Most of their major domains were taken over by the Cross religion. So if anyone holds a serious grudge, it's them."

"But inside Little Garden, the Greek pantheon is still strong—maybe too strong. They've thrown shame to the wind just to maintain power, letting most of the Twelve Olympians keep their four-digit-tier strength through loopholes."

She paused and gave Ryo a sly look. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the Cross religion gods already suspected them. But just when things could've gotten interesting, Poseidon—being his usual 'reckless' self—went and picked a fight with Taoism. Even worse, he attacked the Lord of the White Night of the 'Thousand Eyes.' Now they're supposedly on the brink of war."

A mock-wink from Scathach. Full of sarcasm.

Ryo raised an eyebrow. War between the Greek gods and Taoism? Not a chance.

If anything, Taoism and Buddhism were the biggest beneficiaries of the recent historical shift—caused by him, no less. The Greek gods came in a solid third. Why would the top three winners suddenly turn on each other? If anything, this all smelled like a performance staged for the Cross religion's benefit.

And Poseidon's so-called "failed" attempt to reach triple-digit status? Please. That guy had been stuck at the upper four-digit level for centuries. If he could've broken through, he would've done it ages ago. Waiting until now to make a scene? That had to be calculated.

Ryo could almost see the smug grin on Poseidon's face—like a con artist setting a trap and waiting for the sucker to step in. If the Cross religion took the bait and started demanding accountability, Taoism and the Greek gods would probably "suddenly" stop fighting and turn on them instead.

He imagined the two pantheons already celebrating together in some temple, sharing drinks and laughing about who'd been the real genius behind this brilliant scheme.

And honestly, what better excuse is there for high-level diplomatic contact than the looming threat of war?

Ryo smirked. "So what, your Queen figured she was a bit late to the party and sent you to play messenger?"

Probably right. The Cross gods couldn't pin anything on Taoism or Greece, so maybe they'd started posturing toward the Queen Halloween. She must be getting pretty annoyed with their antics.

He didn't know exactly why they'd angered her, but it wouldn't be surprising if she were now eyeing a potential alliance with Taoism and Greece.

And when Ryo recalled how Alpha and Buddha had targeted him during his mission in the Demon Slayer world, cutting off all his "possibility" variables... maybe it wasn't a crackdown after all. Maybe it was a delay tactic—buying time.

Everyone assumed this whole upheaval was caused by some unknown god group dissatisfied with the status quo—someone secretly trying to steer humanity off its doomsday course.

But then the main beneficiaries, like Buddhism and [Thousand Eyes], turned around and "erased" the one responsible?

That didn't add up.

Unless... "erased" was just a cover.

Ryo's eyes narrowed. A fake death, total name erasure—it would leave the Cross religion gods with no target to strike back at. No suspect, no preparations. And when the heat died down, Alpha or Buddha could just revive him, and boom—everything was set in stone.

It was a brilliant move. Diabolical, even.

Ryo couldn't help but grin. "You guys at the top sure love your mind games."

"Well, we've had a lot of time to get good at them," Scathach laughed, then clicked her tongue. "The Greeks are being especially cautious, though. Even when I showed up personally as the Queen's attendant, they turned me away."

So that was it. She hadn't just popped by for a chat—she'd been trying to bait Athena into showing herself. Establish contact, make some deals.

But the Greeks had shut the door in her face. Why?

Ryo tilted his head, grinning. "So let me guess—you came to me hoping I could pass a message to [Thousand Eyes] instead? The Queen's actually open to working with Shiroyasha, the Lord of the White Night?"

Scathach gave him a long, unreadable look. "Do you really think the Queen Halloween and Lady Shiroyasha are mortal enemies?"

Ryo's expression tightened slightly, but he didn't answer.

Officially, he was a subordinate god under Shiroyasha. But in reality, their relationship was more... friendly. Almost like an older sister and younger brother. So he didn't actually know much about the Queen's past with her.

Scathach, clearly catching on, raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You've come this far without leaning on Shiroyasha even once?"

She gave him a slow once-over, then nodded, half-impressed. "Canaria really picked a hell of an heir."

Canaria—former strategist of Arcadia, and a disciple of the Queen Halloween. Her relationship with the Queen was just as deep as Scathach's. Maybe deeper.

Which meant, by extension, Ryo also had a kind of indirect "family connection" with the Queen Halloween. No wonder Scathach was cutting him so much slack.

If anyone else had said they wanted to be the Queen's equal, they'd probably be dead by now. But if it was one of their own talented assistants... well, then it was just admirable ambition.

That's just how it worked. Status shapes perspective.

Scathach stood up, clapping Ryo on the shoulder. "Keep learning how things work at the top. Figure out where you stand—and make sure you don't get caught in the crossfire."

"If you really want your community to grow stronger, to even push into the triple digits someday, it's going to take more than guts. If you hit a wall... consider reaching out to Avalon in the South Area."

Then she muttered with a sigh, "And for heaven's sake, don't be like that thick-headed rabbit who thinks asking for help is the same as giving up."

Oof. That was a direct hit on Black Rabbit.

Ryo immediately got the picture. The Queen had probably sent someone to recruit Black Rabbit—and she turned them down flat.

Not because she was dumb, but... Ryo got it.

When your family used to be rich and powerful, and suddenly you're broke, would you go begging your wealthy relatives for help?

Pride wouldn't let her.

Black Rabbit didn't mind humiliating herself, but she couldn't drag Arcadia's name through the mud. Not until she literally couldn't feed the kids anymore would she consider reaching out.

Ryo gave a helpless shrug and laughed. "Don't worry—whether you guys help or not, I'm not the type to give up easily."

Scathach chuckled as she turned to leave. But after a few steps, she paused, her tone suddenly playful. "Oh, one more thing. Shiroyasha and the Queen Halloween may argue constantly, but every now and then, they like to toss us at each other—to see if we'll settle things peacefully."

Ryo raised a brow. "So what, we'll be running into each other more often?"

"You could say that."

And with that, she vanished into the crowd.

Ryo stared blankly for a moment. Then he casually popped the last mochi into his mouth and muttered to himself: "Well, at least now I know where the line is. That's something."

The fallout from his world-observing escapades seemed to be stabilizing. If nothing else went wrong, he could start prepping for the next world soon.

That thought made his eyes light up.

He pulled open the forum tab.

[Forum upgrade: complete!]

Ryo raised an eyebrow, then broke into a grin.

"Well, would you look at that... Not bad at all."

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