Author's note: Hey, sorry for the lack of updates recently. I'll also be busy for the next week or so, but after that I hope to upload a bit more regularly, both for this story and my other one.

One quick note: To more clearly distinguish it, whenever characters are speaking in Japanese from now on, it'll be shown using「these single brackets」. There'll also be another type of brackets, 『these double brackets』. These mean something different, which should become clear once you read this chapter.

And finally, a huge thanks to uranophane for a fantastic art of this arc's main antagonist, Greek Eris/Discordia! You can see it as the current cover art, and as a full-res on his pixiv.

Now, time for the chapter!

Entry #X,XXX,XXX

So. Bored.

There's nothing to do here. At first, I was excited to finally wake up after so many years and find a worldwide community of nations ripe for war, but then I find out those humans had built literal world-ending weapons.

Like, what the hell are you guys thinking!? Why would you even make something like that!? There's no point in conflict if the only result is total extinction!

Because of that, I haven't been able to do anything fun. At first, I tried to entertain myself by watching those two superpower nations try to play 4-D chess with each other, but even that grew old.

And the worst part is that I had just missed the two greatest wars in this planet's history! I woke up just years after the second one, and because of the aforementioned extinction bombs, conflicts of that scale likely won't happen again. Such shitty luck… did Harmonia slip me that necklace of hers or something?

By the way, the reason I woke up after over a thousand years is cause some modern humans made a new cult worshiping me. Or, at least, that was what I thought, but on closer look I can't really tell if they're seriously worshiping me or if it's all some sort of satiric act. Probably a bit of both. Well, either way, it was enough to revive me, so I shouldn't complain.

Honestly, I'm tired of this world. The strongest human factions are at an impasse and magic here is all but gone now. And most of the deities I used to know aren't around anymore.

I just wish there was a way out of here.

Pax threw open the door and walked into the study. Sirius was seated at the desk, his head in his hands, muttering about something, and Hideki was standing uneasily nearby, not really sure what to do.

The Japanese hero turned around at Pax's entrance, but Sirius didn't react at all.

"… then, that means… at the hot spring… can I even be a groom now…"

Pax slammed her hands on the desk, causing the young noble to jump.

"Got news."

"O-Oh, you're back. Did you find… her?"

Pax shifted uneasily.

"… sort of."

"… so, you couldn't catch her?"

Crunch

Pax glanced around the room suddenly, then shook her head.

Sirius sighed.

"Well h-…she is a Thief with a divine relic, so don't blame yourself."

Hideki stepped forward.

"So, were we right? Was the messiah of this world's Eris being corrupted by the Greek Eris?"

"… sort of."

He tilted his head.

"What do you mean, 'sort of?'"

"… Chris taken over by discord goddess herself."

Hideki's jaw dropped.

"… come again?"

Crunch

Pax looked around the room again.

"Anyone else hear that?"

"Hey hey, don't change the subject! You said Chris was possessed by the Greek Eris? The goddess of discord herself is here!? How are we supposed to stop a goddess!?"

Sirius seemed troubled as well.

"Surely our Eris-sama won't let that vagrant goddess do as she wants… right?"

What they've said so far isn't wrong, per say, but it isn't completely correct, either.

Crunch

Pax slammed the desk again.

"Okay, definitely heard something! That crunching noise!"

All three of them starting looking around the room now, but they didn't see anything else in the study.

Well, of course they wouldn't. I'm using both the ring and my Lurk skill, so even standing right next to them I'm undetectable.

The crunching sound is from the apple I'm eating. Apples in this world taste even better than those from Earth. On the other hand, they also tend to try and fly out of your hand, so it's a trade-off.

I told Pax earlier that I had a full itinerary, but that was a lie.

I don't even have any plans yet.

It's too early for that, after all. The more complex and drawn-out a plan is, the more fragile it becomes, so I like to keep it simple. Find the point of weakness, and give a small nudge; that's all it really takes.

And so I'm currently listening in on their strategy meeting. I guess I should put the apple away for now. It was fun to tease them, but it would be bothersome if they actually suspected I was here.

『No, keep eating. It would be great if they found you.』

And then there's her.

The young "goddess of fortune" brat who shares my name, and whose vessel I hijacked.

For some unknown reason, a link was created between us recently, and since she was distracted, I was able to slip in and slowly take over.

I've managed to lock her away in my subconscious for the time being, keeping her from using her divine powers on me… but unfortunately, I haven't been able to get her to shut up.

『Tough luck. If you don't like listening to me then get out of my body』

No way. This is the first fun I've had in millennia.

『When I get out of here, I'll put you away for another ten thousand years you jerk.』

Sure you will.

After determining that the crunching noise had stopped, they returned to their conversation.

Pax sighed.

"If Eris wanted stop this, would have already done something. She must not paying attention."

Well, it'd be more accurate to say she's indisposed at the moment.

『Oh screw you.』

Hideki held his head in his hands.

"T-That's it then, we're screwed. When humans fight gods, the humans always lose! Dammit, I should've just gone to heaven! Why did I come to this forsaken place!? Why do I have the worst luck–"

Slap

「Stop crying. You said you were a hero from Japan, so why don't you act like one? I don't know about you, but I'm not going to roll over and let this Chris-stealing bitch have her way.」

「B-But–」

「No buts. My father always told me that the people of his homeland were proud and courageous. Are you going to tell me he was lying?」

Pax's scolding seemed to calm his nerves a bit.

Ah, I just love that look of determination in her eyes. You have reliable friends, brat.

『Yeah, and they're gonna catch you, just you wait.』

Well, I don't know about that, but I can at least tell I won't be bored.

「… sorry, you're right. Crying never solved anything.」

"Hm? What language are you two speaking?"

"Ah, sorry, Sirius-san. That was the language of my homeland."

When I came here, I taught myself the languages of this world, but Japanese is an Earth language, and one I've never had reason to learn before. Fortunately for me, though, I could understand it since the brat goddess learned it from the manga and games she borrowed from her senpai.

『Stop using me as a translator.』

Hey, it's not like I have a choice. We can't hide our thoughts from each other in this state.

『Good point. Guess the only solution is for you to get out, huh?』

Sheesh. All I did was possess her and imprison her in her own body, I don't understand why she's so touchy.

"Now let me finish report. Called herself Discordia. Hair changed gold, and eyes changed green. Had very dangerous aura."

"Discordia? She's using her Roman name? That's odd…"

Because a certain someone threatened to scream non-stop in my head if I tried to call myself Eris, even though I've technically had the name longer.

『(Whistling nonchalantly)』

Sirius let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, that actually makes things easier. Since she looks different, we can put out a capture bounty for her without tarnishing Chris's reputation. And the fact that she's not calling herself Eris will help us avoid misunderstandings."

Hideki seemed confused.

"Capture bounty? Would anyone even be able to capture her?"

Sirius smiled.

"It doesn't matter. Even if she can't be caught, making her a wanted person will restrict her movements and help us keep tabs on her activity."

Oh, clever. I mean, I can stay invisible indefinitely, but not being able to interact with people will cut down on my options.

"Of course, that's just to slow her down. We still need to find a way to stop her completely. If we could somehow break Discordia's hold over Chris…"

"Could ask Eris Church. Probably know more about gods."

"Good idea, Pax. You and Hideki go meet with them. I'll submit the bounty to the local Adventurer's Guild and the town guard. We'll stop this troublemaker and save our friend."

"Yes!"

"Well, I'm more of an acquaintance, really, but I'll do my best anyway!"

With that, Pax and Hideki took their leave.

… I guess I have to follow, huh? I'd rather avoid the church, but I need to keep my advantage in terms of intel.

『Come to think of it, I haven't visited the Eris church in the capital yet. It'd be nice to see how they're doing.』

No one asked you.

With a small sigh, I turned to go after the pair of black-haired adventurers.

The Eris Church was located near the center of the city, as befitting of the kingdom's official religion. I followed Pax and Hideki through the busy streets, and after some time we arrived at a bustling scene.

I never had any temples of own back in Greece, but I remember seeing other gods' temples, and the scene before me was a stark contrast to those solemn places. Worshipers were cheerfully chatting with each other and with the priests as they went inside for a sermon, and out front there was one brown-haired priestess collecting donations for charity near the entrance. More than just a place of worship, it felt like a gathering place for a community.

While looking at this harmonious scene, my destructive urges well up. Maybe I should throw some rocks at the windows and blame it on Pax and Hideki.

『Don't. You. Dare.』

Oh, come on, it's just a little property damage. Compared to some of my other pranks it's practically harmless–

Crash

Ah, looks like someone beat me to the punch.

『…why…』

"Haha! Aqua rules, Eris drools!"

A young brown-haired boy dressed in blue robes was standing a few meters behind us, taunting the Eris worshippers. He looked like he had just entered his teens.

"Oi, Allo! You little shit! You looking for a beating!?"

The priestess holding the donation bucket dropped it on the ground and bolted towards the troublemaker as she said some unexpectedly vulgar words.

"Gonna have to catch me first! Sacred Enhance Speed!"

A soft light enveloped him, and he prepared to run–

"Paralyze!"

Pax flicked her wand into her hand and nailed him with a paralysis spell, and he promptly fell over.

"Wha- hey, no fair! That's cheating… ah."

His voice trailed off as the priestess stood over him, veins bulging on her forehead.

I couldn't help but wince at the impact of her fist on his head. His eyes glazed over as he fell unconscious from the blow.

The priestess then turned to Pax, who flinched slightly, and bowed. Now that she's closer, I got a better look at her. She looked to be 15 or 16, with her hair in a single braid going down her back.

"Thank you very much for your assistance. I'm Artis, devoted servant of Eris. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Uwah, her speech pattern did a complete 180. I wonder if all Eris cultists are two-faced like that.

『Hey, don't insult my followers! They're all good kids!』

Yeah, yeah.

Pax was a bit speechless after witnessing Artis's sudden attitude shift, but quickly recovered her wits.

"Nice meet you too, I am Pax, and this Hideki… er, will he be okay?"

She pointed to the knocked-out troublemaker.

Artis glanced at him.

"Who, Allo? Don't worry, this blockhead is tougher than he looks. He'll be up again before the end of the day. Of course, he'll be waking up in a jail cell."

"I-I see… oh, right, is head priest around?"

Artis tilted her head.

"I'm afraid not. She's been in Accelia for the last few days."

『Oh yeah, the head priest that got that mob off my back.』

You got mobbed by your own followers? I thought you said they were good kids.

『… it was a misunderstanding. A-And it was only because they were too enthusiastic in their devotion…』

Pax seemed uncertain of what to do now. She was really betting on the head priest's assistance.

Hideki saw her hesitation, and cleared his throat.

"Um, it doesn't have to be the head priest, right? It's not like we're looking for top secret info or anything. Are there any other priests we can talk to right now?"

"You mean right this second? That might be tricky, since we have a big sermon about to start… ah, if you want, you can talk with me while I take this guy to the police station."

As she said that, she effortlessly heaved the limp Axis cultist onto her shoulder. Jeez, priests in this world are insane.

『If she's a higher levelled priest, or maybe even an Archpriest, then having enough strength to lift a single person wouldn't be unusual at all.』

Thank you for the info, Erispedia.

『Wha– I was just thinking to myself, stop listening in!』

Again, not like I have a choice.

Pax seemed to like the suggestion.

"Okay, we walk and talk then."

Nice, I get to get away from that church.

『Why do you hate my church so much? I think it's a lovely building.』

No reason.

『… you're hiding something.』

I'm doing no such thing.

"Eh? Possessed by a goddess?"

"Just hypothetical. If person possessed, how would free them?"

Artis looked perplexed.

"I mean, even hypothetically, that question doesn't make sense."

"Eh? Why not?"

"Because gods can't possess humans."

"What?" x2

The two adventurers stopped in their tracks. Artis turned back.

"… why do you two seem so confused?"

"Er, are you sure that it's impossible? Like there's no situation at all in which a goddess can possess someone?"

"Pretty sure. The more sinister ones might be able to use a corpse as a vessel, but not a living person. Gods can't just overwrite a soul like that."

They fell into thought at that.

『… crap, this is bad, I might get found out as a non-human at this rate.』

Well, it's your own fault for playing around like you did.

『Hey, I wasn't "playing around!" I have an important job of cleaning up relics!』

You say that, but there could've been other ways to do that, no? Such as issuing a divine commandment to collect them, or getting an angel to run collection duty.

『That…』

Admit it, you only came down here yourself because you were bored. You tell yourself you're happy with your job, but the truth is you yearn for freedom and adventure.

『…』

Come on, don't be so ashamed. Hermes and Apollo were much the same. You should just be more honest with yourself.

『… I don't want to hear life advice from a body-snatching prankster.』

Fine, suit yourself.

"Jeez, nee-chan, you shouldn't lie to people like that."

"Eh?"x2

That Allo kid slung over Artis's shoulder seemed to have woken up. Pax's paralysis is apparently still in effect, though, as he was unable to move.

Pax happened to notice his choice of words.

"Wait, 'nee-chan?'"

Artis sighed.

"Yeah, that's right. This bothersome Axis cultist is my little brother."

An Eris cult older sister and an Axis cult younger brother? What an odd pair.

"That said, what the hell do you mean by calling me a liar!?"

Her rough tone of speaking is back. Seems like it's exclusively reserved for him.

Allo smirked.

"You said gods can't overwrite souls, but that's not true. If some believers associate them strongly with a human or another god, they can end up fusing together, although that's not something the god themselves can usually control."

"Oh… right, there was a thing like that."

『Wait, so the reason you were able to take me over is because–』

Yeah, someone who knew about both of us got some funny ideas. The only thing I'm guilty of is being an opportunist, alright?

"… eh? He is actually correct? Sorry, but heard Axis cultists were… um…"

"Stupid? They are. Joining gives you a massive intelligence debuff. This guy just happened to have intelligence to spare before he joined. It really is a waste."

"You call it a waste; I call it enlightenment!"

"Shaddap!"

Pax fell into thought.

"Chris was called Eris messiah, so maybe close enough? … wait."

She turned to the young man standing next to her.

"Hideki… when first met, you asked if Eris was discord goddess. You are only person ask that."

"Well, yes… wait, then… are you saying this is my fault!?"

"This started same day you appeared, so adds up."

"Oh, come on, how is that fair!? I got told I was going to be a hero but now apparently I've screwed things up just by coming here!?"

Ah, seems like we've found our culprit.

『Well, it's not like he did it on purpose or anything.』

"Stop fussing. You didn't do on purpose. Let us focus how to fix now."

Artis looked over her should at the two.

"I'm getting the feeling your question wasn't so hypothetical after all."

"Hey, nee-chan, what was their question? I was still out cold at that point so I missed it."

"It's none of your damn business. Look, we're at the police station now, so just get in your cell and don't cause any more problems for a bit, okay? Just a moment, you two, I'll be right back."

"You'll bring me dinner, right, nee-chan? The jail's food kinda sucks."

"That sounds like not my problem."

The priestess carried the still-paralyzed boy into the station, leaving the two adventurers behind. Damn, that paralysis spell really lasts a while, huh?

Pax turned to Hideki.

「–––––––––––––.」

「–––––––––?」

「––––––. ––––––––!」

… huh? I can't understand them.

『That's cause I'm not listening to them, so you can't use me as a Japanese translator anymore.』

Damn, gonna need to call in the warranty on my Erispedia.

『Joke all you want, but I'm not going to let you do as you please. And neither are my friends.』

The door to the station opened, and Eris's friends turned as Artis came back out.

"Sorry for the wait, you two. Now, was there anything else you wanted to ask?"

Pax seemed to waver for a moment, but in the next moment she steeled her resolve.

"Need help to defeat goddess."

I smiled.

Hey, as long as you guys don't bore me, I won't have any complaints.

Now, bring it on!

Footnote: That modern worship mentioned in Discordia's journal is a real thing! Called Discordianism, it was founded in 1963 as a parody religion, and features the Greek goddess Eris as its principal deity.