Upon hearing Miketsu mention his agreement with the Deity, Chin Hane's eyes flickered once, and he merely nodded without further comment.

Miketsu, sensing Chin Hane's nod, naturally did not bring up the agreement between the Deity and Chin Hane again. Instead, she conversed with him on related topics.

"Speaking of which, in this mere span of a hundred years, humanity's pursuit of culinary delights has undergone earth-shattering changes. I still recall that a century ago, the dishes and soups of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni were still quite crude." Miketsu's divine duties encompassed food, and even her name was associated with it, so naturally, when this topic arose, the Deity was filled with enthusiasm.

Beside them, Enmusubi no Kami, who had been quietly eating sweets, also joined the conversation: "Indeed! A hundred years ago, desserts weren't nearly as delicious. I remember, apart from mizushingen mochi, there were only tricolored dango or daifuku, and the fillings were limited to red bean. It's truly astonishing to think that in just a century, humanity has become completely different!"

"The changes in human life are truly evolving with each passing day. Not to mention a century ago, even compared to twenty or ten years prior, human existence differs greatly from today." Chin Hane fully agreed with this point, and as a human himself, he felt even more deeply about these matters.

Perhaps this topic piqued Chin Hane's interest, or perhaps he hoped to gain insights from the deities' perspective on humanity's current development. Chin Hane eagerly spoke of the cutting-edge technological advancements in human society today: "Ten or twenty years ago, humanity's primary mediums for acquiring information were newspapers and television. But now, the development of the internet allows events occurring anywhere in the world to be disseminated globally within 24 hours. And with the spread of information, the clash of human ideologies has sparked numerous brilliant fireworks, giving rise to many wondrous ideas that would astonish even deities."

"Humanity truly might be a race with infinite possibilities, but as they develop, their faith in deities grows increasingly faint." Speaking thus, Miketsu could not help but glance at Enmusubi no Kami, sighing before continuing: "Deities like myself are easily sustained; with sufficient believers, we can always maintain our existence, and I do not particularly rely on faith. However, for some weaker deities, they can no longer even sustain their own existence. If not for the protection of powerful deities, they might simply dissipate."

"The same holds true for the Yokai. How many people in Ashihara no Nakatsukuni today still believe that Yokai truly exist? The Hundred Demons' Night Parade that once graced Kyoto is now nowhere to be seen. Those Yokai are merely entries in forgotten scrolls."

Mentioning the Hundred Demons' Night Parade that once flourished in Kyoto, Miketsu could not help but sigh. When Yokai once rampaged across this world, they posed a threat to humanity, which caused great headaches for the deities of that era. But as humans gradually grew stronger and Yokai became weaker and scarcer, the deities could not help but feel sorrow for their demise, experiencing a sense of sorrow akin to "a fox mourning the death of a rabbit."

During the years when the Hundred Demons' Night Parade was still prevalent in Kyoto, Miketsu had also participated. At that time, she was merely an ordinary deity, absolutely not akin to her current status, almost on par with the Three Noble Children.

Yet, for Miketsu at that time, there was far more joy and freedom. Every day, she meticulously observed each believer who came to pray, carefully discerning their pleas to respond, protecting her followers, and simultaneously garnering faith.

Watching faith accumulate or diminish minute by minute each day, the joy and vexation brought by these changes were precious memories, even for a deity.

Why does Miketsu now increasingly prefer slumber? On one hand, the acquisition of faith has reached a limit; for her, these things are no longer important. Responding to believers has become more of a pastime, long devoid of the previous anxieties of gain and loss.

On the other hand, the higher her divine position, the more diluted her own emotions have become. Nothing can now sway a being as noble as Miketsu.

Perhaps conspiring with Chin Hane to ascend to a higher position is the matter that has most concerned and occupied Miketsu in these past thousand years.

"This is the End of Dharma Age, an era where the light of humanity replaces the grace of the gods!" Yet, in response to Miketsu's lament, Chin Hane merely smiled: "Deities, in their efforts to maintain their exalted status, often feign mystery. Consequently, as humanity grows increasingly independent and self-reliant, and divine responses become fewer, deities have lost the inherent reverence humanity once held for them."

"On the contrary, I believe there should be a mutual reliance between deities and believers. Deities assist believers, and believers revere deities; the two should form a symbiotic cycle, rather than deities being high above and believers humble as dust." Jonochi Hiromi, listening to Chin Hane and Miketsu converse, suddenly expressed her feelings for some unknown reason.

Hearing Jonochi Hiromi's words, Miketsu looked at her with a hint of surprise, then chuckled softly and spoke: "Although the relationship between deities and believers is indeed as you describe, for a deity, the more they are revered by believers, the harder it is to maintain their original aspirations. Furthermore, since you have already touched the threshold of becoming a deity, and your husband is a Demigod, I trust you must know that deities, during the process of being worshipped by believers, will gradually be assimilated by that faith. Do you understand what this means?"

Miketsu's words immediately rendered Jonochi Hiromi speechless. Miketsu's meaning was very simple: it wasn't that deities themselves desired to be high above, but rather that believers perceived them as such.

Faith assimilates deities; the more Power of Faith they absorb, the more they transform into the image worshipped by their believers.

Yamada Shinnosuke, listening to the conversation among the three, was utterly astonished. This kind of information was not something he typically had access to, which prompted him to immediately focus all his attention, eager to learn more.

Although he was currently eons away from becoming a deity, perhaps one day this information would prove useful? Who knew, his opportunity for further advancement might lie within these very insights.

Chin Hane noticed Yamada Shinnosuke's subtle movements and chuckled softly: "Mr. Yamada, if you aspire to become a deity, it would be best to first ponder what kind of deity you wish to be. Although most deities forget their initial intention for deification, it is precisely this original aspiration that shapes who a deity becomes."

Chin Hane's words left Yamada Shinnosuke somewhat bewildered, but he steadfastly committed the sentence to memory.

Just as Chin Hane was about to discuss other topics with Miketsu, the chef from earlier pushed a small cart, delivering four portions of prepared sweets.

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