190. Let’s Refresh... Wait, Where Am I?

“Ugh... Why is this part always so hard?” I grumbled, having woken up early, hot, and bothered once again.

Every morning for the last few weeks, I’d woken up to find myself lying in a pool of sweat—not because of the weather or anything but because my Newer Power apparently came with its own internal heating system. Unfortunately, I didn’t exactly know why it was producing heat, which meant I couldn’t do much to prevent it. It didn’t seem to be dangerous or anything as far as I could tell, but the discomfort was enough to drag me out of sleep.

Well, on the bright side... At least I can wake up without any help from the One Eyes now.

I just couldn’t muster up the energy to take the next step of actually getting up.

Ugh... Come on, me! This is a parallel world, after all—getting too complacent could be fatal... Theoretically, anyway. This place doesn’t really fit the brief in that sense. Oh well. Either way, I need to get up! So I’ll— Nah... Still can’t be bothered.

“Seriously, what’s wrong with me?”

I still had to finish cleaning up the mess the three idiots had left for me, and I knew it was probably a case of the sooner the better, given that their “messes” were actually more like “gross and dangerous curses.”

But between that stupid bone mountain, the angels, and the constant cave-ins, maybe I’m just a little worn out...? No—that’s not what’s getting me down, is it?

I’d just figured it out. My lethargy wasn’t the result of physical fatigue, but fury. I was furious at the idiot apprentices and the supposedly omniscient gaggle of gods who’d let them screw around down here without even batting an all-seeing eye.

And obviously I’ve got no one to vent to, so all that anger’s just simmering away inside me... Yeah, that’d take a toll on anyone, right? That must be why I’m so exhausted these days... Yep, self-analysis complete.

“I mean, seems pretty plausible, right? Maybe?”

Ugh... Okay, enough of this. It’s time for a mental makeover! I need to find something else to focus on for now—something completely different. What, though? It’ll just annoy me more to waste my energy on something pointless. Hmm... Well, first things first—I need to get up.

With renewed motivation, I finally forced myself out of bed, into a fresh change of clothes, and down to the dining room for breakfast, where I was cheerfully greeted by Kuhi and Usa.

“Good morning!”

“Good morning!”

So cute! Just seeing them puts a pep in my step— Wait a minute! I sound like an old man! I’m... I’m not an old man already, am I? How old is “old” anyway? Um... Nah, I think I’m still safe. Probably.

“Er...” Kuhi said. Both of the kids were looking at me worriedly.

Crap, they probably just think I’m ignoring them.

“Good morning!” I hurriedly replied, and their faces lit up.

Phew.

“Oh, right! I was gonna visit a beastkin village! Also, I wanted to see if I could find some animals...”

Perfect. I can take my mind off things, and it won’t be a waste of time either. Great idea, me.

Er, why are they looking at me like that? Oh yeah, I guess me going from “good morning” to unprompted rambling might have confused them a little...

I laughed awkwardly. “Er, nothing to worry about... I was just deciding on my plans for the day.”

Okay, I think they understood. They’re such smart kids.

Breakfast was promptly served courtesy of the One Eyes, and as always, it was a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. The spreads they laid out every morning looked like a breakfast buffet at a five-star hotel, apart from the unfortunate lack of eggs and milk. Today’s options were freshly baked bread, salad, fruit, juice, and bacon. The bacon was a recent addition to the menu, and to be honest, the sudden appearance of the perfectly fried strips several days ago had caught me off guard. The One Eyes had kindly agreed to let me have a peek in their kitchen, which was when I’d discovered the existence of their new smoker.

I still have no idea how they figured out how to build a smoker. Heck, I don’t even know where they learned about bacon. So strange...

After breakfast, I stuck my head in to check on the angels, who were happily playing their usual game of “shoot deadly beams of light at the monster stone target.”

I’m a little worried about those monster stones. They can’t be indestructible, can they? Hmm... I should charge up some more stones tonight for the One Eyes, so they can swap them out if they need to. I mean, it’d be pretty bad if one of the stones ended up shattering all over the babies.

“I’m a little worried about the whole walking thing too...”

The angels looked like they were about one and two years old, and according to my minimal experience with babies, I was pretty sure at least the older one should’ve been able to walk. However, both of them just kinda lay there. The most movement I’d seen from either of them was a bit of rolling around. I’d never even seen them try to pull themselves upright using the crib bars the way babies usually did. The One Eyes carried them from place to place, either in their arms or in harnesses on their backs.

I’m starting to get pretty worried about their development... Like, do angels even have the same milestones human babies do? Although since these babies were actually adult angels before the whole “surprise de-aging” thing, I’m not sure normal milestones would really apply here anyway—even if I did know what those milestones were...

Sighing, I lightly stroked each angel’s hair a few times, earning me faintly contented expressions and a brief moment of respite from their projectiles in return.

At least it seems like they always stop playing once they realize I’m nearby... Maybe baby angels are a little more advanced for their age?

Well, I should probably get going. I wonder where Koa and Chai are?

The last time I’d encountered a group of beastkin, I’d been accompanied by Fluffy and Light Blue (aka, two of the dragons) which, unsurprisingly, hadn’t resulted in a particularly welcoming impression.

Yeah, most of them fainted... Well, hopefully it’ll go better this time with those two as my wingmen... Wait, wingmen? Hmm... Is it weird that I think about them like they’re human sometimes? Well, Koa was the first person—no, creature—I met, so I guess I do feel closest to her. And then Chai’s her husband—no, her mate—so I feel pretty close to him too... Oh well. It’s not like there’s anyone here to judge me.

I headed back through the living room and out onto the deck, taking a moment to savor the refreshing morning breeze.

It’ll be summer again soon enough... I shuddered, remembering the unbearable heat of the previous year. I think I’ll spend this summer vacationing up on Marshmallow’s mountain.

“Koa, Chai! Over here!” The happy couple had been frolicking around with their pups in the clearing but quickly ran over as soon as I called. Despite the deadly spells flying all over the place, I still refused to think of the daily disaster zone as anything but fun, friendly frolicking. As soon as I’d called out to Koa and Chai, their kids had collectively breathed an audible sigh of relief, so it had clearly been a particularly boisterous frolicking session.

Definitely still just frolicking though. Yep... Why do I feel like I’m being watched— Oh.

I chose to ignore the fact that said puppies were also now looking at me like I’d just pulled them from a burning building. Koa, realizing where I was looking, glanced back at her many pups.

Er, did they all just flinch? Nah... Must have been my imagination.

“Sorry to bother you. I want to go explore outside of the forest. Will you take me?” I asked, following the question with a series of gestures. First, I patted Koa on the back, then pointed at myself, and finally, at the sky. I’d performed this particular mime show many times before, and Koa, being as smart as she was, knew exactly what I was asking her. She responded by rubbing her nose against my shoulder, which was her way of showing agreement, and a short growl from Chai indicated he was willing to come too.

Great, so it’s the three of us today! It’s a good thing Koa and Chai are always happy to work together. It’s nice when you see a couple getting along so well.

To my surprise, I soon found myself flanked by several of their offspring.

Huh? You guys want to come too? Sorry, but not today. I don’t want to scare anyone again.

I pointed to Koa and Chai and nodded, before pointing at the pups while shaking my head, earning me a chorus of heartbreakingly forlorn whines in response.

Un... Well, the more the merrier, I guess?

“All right, I guess we’re all going!” I said, rewarding me with a few much happier growls from the four pups. All that was left was for me to clamber up onto Koa’s back and loop my arms around her neck, and then we were off. Like always, the sudden ascent made me tighten my grip just a little bit more.

“I’ll never get used to this, will I?”

Thankfully a few minutes in the air was usually all it took for me to adjust. Soon enough, my muscles slackened enough for me to free Koa from a slightly constrictive choke hold and have a look around. Chai was soaring beside us, and I assumed the pups were probably following behind. I tapped Koa on the side of her neck a few times, and she immediately responded to the familiar signal by halting suddenly and hovering in place.

“Now, which way was it again? Over there, I think...” I said, pointing toward (what I hoped was) the general direction of the kingdom those apprentices had caused so much trouble for, before immediately looping my arms around Koa’s neck once again. I’d already experienced the unfortunate consequences of giving Koa directions without ensuring I was ready to go, and I never wanted to repeat the resulting freefall, which had easily been at least a hundred times more terrifying than any rollercoaster I’d ever gone on. I was pretty sure Koa wasn’t particularly fond of the memory either, because ever since, she’d waited until she was satisfied I was properly “strapped in” before taking off once again.

At first, the flight was rather enjoyable. The weather still wasn’t too hot, and the breeze was pleasant. The enjoyable part of the flight didn’t last long, unfortunately. The more I’d gotten used to flying with Koa, the faster she’d started going. These days, I only got to enjoy a few minutes at cruising speed before she turned up the metaphorical throttle, leaving me desperately struggling to maintain my grip for the remainder of the flight. On the plus side, the breakneck speed did mean it only took us a few hours to reach the edge of the forest.

I feel like she just kept getting faster and faster the whole time, though... Oh well. It means we got here pretty quickly, at least.

“Slow down, Koa. Slow down,” I called out, tapping the center of her neck a few times to signal the same. Below us, fields stretched out in every direction as far as the eye could see. It was a pretty impressive example of agricultural achievement.

It would be a lot more impressive if the fields weren’t empty, though... Like, really empty. I don’t see even a single weed any— Hang on, why are they empty at this time of year?

It was strange now that I thought about it. Spring was the perfect time for planting vegetables, and it was nearly summer. The fields back home (which were under the strict control of the Farm Brigade) were already bursting with row after row of vibrant green seedlings.

“Weird. I wonder if something happened?”

As I continued to stare at the barren expanse below, I began to sense something—mana—coming from the fields themselves. I tried a quick magical scan.

“Seriously, what’s going on here? That’s a crazy amount of mana to dump into empty fields... Maybe they’re trialing something?”

It’s all just dirt, though. If they were experimenting, wouldn’t there still be some seedlings or something? Also, surely they wouldn’t devote this much farmland to a single experiment.

Oh, maybe it came from the forest? There’s a lot of mana in the rivers, after all... Nah, I only just knocked down the wall those idiot apprentices put up. There’s no way this much mana could’ve leaked outsince then.

Hey, there’s a human down there! And next to him, there’s another— Hang on, that’s a beastkin! Huh. Er... Am I in the wrong place?

I inspected the newcomers a little more carefully. The first had no tail, and standard, hairless ears, and looked very much human. The second had a tail and very hairy ears, and was definitely a beastkin.

So we’ve got a human and a beastkin. Also they seem...friendly? Yeah. They’re not acting like they hate each other... This doesn’t match up with what the hermit god told me at all. He said the beastkin were enslaved after those idiots started meddling in this kingdom. It hasn’t been that long since I accidentally helped kick off some kind of rebellion here, so there’s no way they should be acting so chummy already, right? So... Did I take a wrong turn somewhere? Where the hell am I?! I was sure this was the right direction for the stupid dead tyrant’s kingdom...

Oh, they’re pointing at me. Guess I’ve been spotted. They look a little flustered... I wonder why? Hmm... Crap! Am I an illegal immigrant?! It’s a crime to sneak into another country without permission, right?! Well, it was back home, anyway. The laws might be different here. Hmm... Well, what do I do now?

I peered down again. Unfortunately, they were now alternating between pointing at me and shouting animatedly.

I wonder how law enforcement works here? Come to think of it, those beastkin I saw last time with the swords—they were all wearing some kinda uniform, right? Wait, is it still called a uniform when it’s armor? I don’t know... Anyway, they were giving off soldier vibes. Or knights maybe?

“Maybe I should flee... Oh, but that might give the wrong impression. I just wanted to make friends...”

Oh, what if I remove the mana from their fields first? Yeah, that’ll help me leave a good impression! They can’t grow anything like this, and it’s such a giant patch of farmland that they might even be struggling for food right now. Yep, I’ll fix their fields up, and hopefully they’ll forgive this little illegal immigration incident!

I’d brought some monster stones just in case, luckily. A quick spell had the stone glowing as it began absorbing the unwanted mana from the fields below. As soon as one area was clear, I urged Koa forward, and the process continued.

Wait a minute, where the hell do these fields end?!

“They just keep going forever!”

This is going to take a while... There go my plans for the day.

191. Villages, Towns, and...Average Heights?

Well, I can’t feel any mana today... Phew. I would’ve been pretty annoyed if I came back to find the fields overflowing again—which they very well might have been, considering I didn’t actually know what was causing the mana deluge in the first place. I probably should have done a test patch first... Oh well.

I was currently hovering over the vast fields once again. I’d spent the entirety of the previous day cleaning up all the excess mana, so I’d decided to take part in another instance of illegal immigration. I knew very little about this world—especially the parts beyond the forest—and since I couldn’t communicate with anyone, the only way to learn was via observation. Once I’d realized that, I’d gotten over the whole sneaking-into-kingdoms thing pretty quickly. I’d never learn anything if I spent all my time worrying about stuff like laws and crimes. And therefore, I’d decided to simply waltz right into any kingdoms I came across. The fact that I couldn’t even ask forgiveness did bother me a little, but unless I wanted to settle for a life entirely within the forest’s borders, there was no way around it.

Yep! Not sweating the small stuff makes for a better life!

That being the case, I’d been boldly violating airspace restrictions since early morning. If doing so ultimately led to trouble, I’d just rely on my future self to deal with it. My future self would ideally be a lot more knowledgeable on the ways of this world and therefore able to handle it.

Hopefully...

Well, there’s no point worrying about it now anyway! I’ve got other plans for today... I’m finally going to figure out whether beastkin and animals are the same thing! No idea how I’m gonna figure it out, though... I came here all fired up and ready to learn, but where the hell do I even start?

Unfortunately, a great deal of thinking had gotten me nowhere.

Hmm... Well, I’m tired of looking at empty fields, so I guess I’ll just head into town and start there. Maybe I’ll have a flash of inspiration.

I’d already spotted a small cluster of houses in the distance, which I assumed was a town or something similar enough.

It doesn’t look very large as far as towns go... I’m still pretty far away, though. I’ll get a closer look.

Using a mixture of gestures and simple words, I directed Koa toward the suspected town, and we began to move. I was both excited and nervous. I’d seen a few scattered settlements since leaving the forest, but they’d been little more than dilapidated clusters of two or three farmhouses around the fields. This was the first town I’d come across in my new world.

Chai had also come along on today’s expedition, and Charu and Chata (members of Team Ai) rounded out the group. I still couldn’t tell any of the kids apart, but thankfully I could at least distinguish between the first generation of canines.

I think. I’m pretty sure you guys are Charu and Chata...right?

“Oh, wow...” The people working in the fields all lowered their heads as soon as they noticed me flying overhead.

I wonder if they’re thanking me for getting rid of all the unnecessary mana? Makes me feel kinda warm and fuzzy...

Going at Koa’s speed, it didn’t take long at all for us to arrive at the town, which turned out to be more of a village (to me, at least). There were even fewer houses than I’d anticipated.

Huh. This isn’t really what I thought the world outside of the forest would be like at all. I know it’s a parallel world and all, but for some reason, I was still imagining it would be at least slightly more similar to Japan... I thought those other houses around the fields were neglected settlements or something, but all these houses look exactly the same. I guess mud walls and thatched roofs are just the standard design here. It’s giving feudal Japan vibes... It’s not quite the same, but it’s not too far off either. Huh. I wonder if a bigger town would look different or if they’re all like this?

I moved on to an aerial tour of the village. There were about fifty houses in total, the majority of which were single-story bungalows; I only saw two buildings with a second story. I also spotted a few wells.

Hang on, why bother digging wells when they could just conjure water with magic? Weird...

Oh, they’re using horse-drawn carts instead of cars! Come to think of it, I haven’t seen a single car since I got here... I guess they don’t exist in this world? Wow. I don’t know why I’m surprised, but still—wow.

Er... Hold on. That’s not a horse. Horses don’t have six legs or three eyes. What the hell is it? A monster? Nah, monsters are aggressive. If it’s pulling a cart, it must be an animal...right? Great, now I’m scared of the animals here too!

Okay, calm down— Crap, I’ve been spotted.

Someone had emerged from one of the houses, noticed me, and promptly froze.

Whoops. Sorry, random villager. I feel kinda bad...

“Koa, let’s keep going.”

I’ll try to find a proper town instead of terrorizing any more of these villagers. Also, I don’t know if that was a monster or an animal, but either way I’m scared. Are all the creatures in this world just generally terrifying? The monsters we eat back home are all giant and creepy too—crap, maybe they aren’t even monsters at all!

We’d barely moved when the random villager started shouting at an earsplitting volume.

Ah! What the—? There’s no need for that now, is there?! Wait, I’m the one who showed up out of nowhere and terrified them. I can’t really complain about getting scared in return.

We next came across another village not far from the first. Apparently, I hadn’t chosen a very highly developed area for my first foray into the world at large. There were a few more houses in the second village, though, as well as a larger building close to the village’s center.

It looks kinda different than all the other buildings... I wonder what it is? The entrance is huge too. Maybe a meeting hall or something? Oh, I guess it could be a church as well. Those three idiots were worshipped by the king, and there’s gods and all, so the concept of religion definitely exists here.

I got shouted at again, much to my dismay.

I’m not gonna hurt you or anything! I come in peace! If only I could tell them that... Oh well. Off to the next stop, I guess.

“Sorry, Koa. Let’s go a little farther, okay? Er... That way!” I’d just spotted a mass of buildings in the distance, most of which looked to be quite a lot larger than the bungalows I’d seen so far.

Finally, a town! I think. Or at least a more developed village. Let’s go!

“Hmm... Well, I guess you’d call this a town? A small town...”

The town was bigger than the two villages (obviously). Some of the buildings seemed to be shops, and I thought I could see a few street vendors as well. And there were people—lots of people. I’d only seen humans in the two previous villages, but here, humans and beastkin both wandered the streets in approximately equal measure. Well, as far as I could tell, anyway. Wanting to avoid being spotted a third time, I was maintaining a much greater distance than before. It was working—I hadn’t been screamed at yet—but it was making it hard to see much of what was going on down below.

I wish I had a telescope or something...

In terms of architecture, the buildings in the town weren’t all that different from those I’d seen in the villages, with mud walls and thatched roofs being the predominant style. Many of the buildings were two-story rather than single-story, but that was the only notable difference. It seemed like civilization wasn’t quite as developed in this world compared to my last one. I also spotted a few wells dotted around the place, usually in a clearing adjacent to several of the houses. I’d assumed everyone could conjure water like I did, but clearly it wasn’t the status quo in this world.

Wait, something’s a little weird about all of this... Oh right! The beastkin were slaves until recently. How come they’re acting so normal already? The hermit god said they’d been freed, but I have no idea what happened next.

“Koa, can you take me a little closer?” I asked, gesturing the same request as clearly as I could. Thankfully, Koa understood me perfectly, and we descended just enough for me to be able to see some of the beastkin’s faces more clearly. They didn’t look sad or even remotely displeased. They were actually smiling and laughing.

Good. The beastkin suffered a lot on account of those stupid apprentices, so I’m glad they’ve found happiness now. And these guys are all definitely adults, right? They look pretty much the same as humans, apart from the ears and tails. They’re just bigger versions of Kuhi and Usa. So I guess beastkin don’t grow up into animals? Or—

Great. More yelling.

I’d been spotted again, and this time, there were a whole bunch of people (for simplicity’s sake, I’d already decided the term “people” applied to beastkin as well as humans) were shouting at me.

“This is bad... Koa, let’s go,” I urged, pointing in a random direction. Koa didn’t respond immediately though, instead looking around for a second or two first before doing as I’d requested.

Er, what was up with that? Did something catch her interest?

“Oh, over there! Koa, over there!” Something had caught my interest—something moving. More accurately, it was a lot of somethings moving. And if my suspicions were correct...

“Hell yeah! I was right!”

I’d found what seemed to be a farm—but not just any farm. No, as far as I could tell, I’d come across a livestock farm, populated by a massive herd of... Well, I had no idea what they were. The creatures were about the same size as cows, with long, floppy ears and short, stout legs. They definitely couldn’t be described as cute, as far as animals went, but the way they ran—thundering along with small, heavy steps—was oddly endearing.

After making sure no one was nearby, I asked Koa to bring us down. In the time it took me to dismount, the creatures had already drawn uncomfortably near.

Oh, they’re a lot bigger than I thought they were... Why is everything in this world so unnecessarily big?! The beastkin I just saw were all huge as well— Wait, so were the humans! Am I... Am I shorter than average in this world? Damn...

All of my previous encounters with adult beastkin had been from quite a distance, so I hadn’t really grasped just how tall they were before my brief town trip earlier. Honestly, I was kind of in shock.

I mean, I’m nearly 180 centimeters tall—that’s above average for a Japanese man, you know?! This is crazy...

Okay, gotta focus. I need to figure out whether this animal is a shape-shifted beastkin or not, once and for all! Er... So how do I do that anyway? I could just ask it, I guess... No, I can’t speak their language! Er...

“Koa, let’s go home.”

Today’s findings: This world isn’t as developed as Japan. There’s no cars. And either the animals are huge, or I’m tiny. Hmm... Yeah, let’s go with huge animals.

192. Two Meters...?! Also, Bathing Is the Best!

I took the opportunity to covertly study Kuhi and Usa while we ate dinner.

They’re small now, but I guess that’s only because they’re still children. They’re gonna become bigger than me by the time they grow up. Maybe even before they grow up... I don’t like it. I mean, of course I want them to grow up to be big and strong and healthy and all of that—I just don’t like the idea of them being so much bigger and stronger than me...

Before coming home, I’d given in to my intrusive thoughts and had made a quick detour to confirm my suspicions about average heights in this world—a decision I was now regretting immensely.

“Why is everyone here so sturdily built?!”

I cringed as I remembered exactly how I’d gone about confirming my suspicions. I’d enlisted the aid of what appeared to be a group of ordinary civilians traveling along one of the roads between the villages. For some reason though, I’d decided to do so by suddenly dropping out of the sky astride Koa, scaring them half to death. Up close, they were even bigger than I’d estimated previously.

Our eyes were about level, sure, but that was with me using Koa as a booster seat—and some of them were still looking down on me...

On average, the startled civilians were about two meters tall, give or take a few centimeters—a good deal taller than me, in other words. Although I was still reeling from the shock of my sudden shortness, I’d done my best to compare the beastkin and human members of the group. Overall, the beastkin tended to be more muscular, although one or two were rather lean. All of them were taller than the humans, though. Some of the humans—both male and female—were pretty muscular too, though the women less so than the men. Both genders were equal in their absolute dwarfing of me, however. There weren’t any female beastkin, but even without physical evidence it was pretty safe to assume they’d tower over me too.

Well, maybe some species of beastkin are shorter? I can always hope... Plus, if this is the average height here, then there’s gotta be some shorter-than-average people around too! They’d probably still be taller than me anyway, though. Yeah, I shouldn’t get my hopes up too much.

I cringed again, remembering their wide eyes and the way they’d awkwardly frozen while I completed my hurried inspection.

I probably shouldn’t have done it like that, but I had no choice! I really needed to know!

Despite the language barrier, I’d still apologized wholeheartedly once I was finished and trusted the sentiment would speak for itself, which made me feel a little better. I still wasn’t over it though. Out of everything I’d learned since I’d been yanked into this world, today’s discovery had hit me the hardest.

The list of complaints I want to raise with those three idiot apprentices could fill several volumes, but this tops them all! Why the hell is everyone here at least two meters tall?! Even being told I wasn’t a human anymore didn’t shock me this much! Maybe that’s because the hermit god just slipped that little tidbit in with a whole bunch of other revelations, though... Nope, this is still the most shocking! I mean, I’m probably shorter than nearly every woman in this world! Come to think of it, I was shorter than my sisters until I started high school too... I was so worried about it I started stretching every day to try and grow taller. Hey, maybe I should start doing that again! All those painful stretches... Nah. I don’t think it helped anyway.

I sighed.

“Okay?” Kuhi asked, and I realized both he and Usa were staring at me concernedly.

Now I’ve made them worry about me. Some adult I am. Seriously, who cares about height or muscles anyway? That stuff’s not important. Nope... You hear me, you stupid shithead apprentices?! I don’t care!

“Yeah, I’m okay. Thank you.”

Wait, where’s my food? Did I eat my entire meal without even realizing? Muscle memory sure is crazy... Come on, I gotta pull myself together. It’s just height— No, there’s no such thing as “just height.” Worrying about your height is only natural!

All right, I’m gonna take a nice, long, relaxing bath and get this out of my head.

“Usa, Kuhi! It’s bath time! And then sleep...”

“Yay, bath!”

“Bath, bath, bath!”

Hearing their excited voices lightened my mood somewhat. We quickly helped the One Eyes clean up before heading to the bathroom, with Light Blue and Ball of Yarn following behind (thankfully in their shrunken forms).

The dragons can just change their size whenever they want... I’m jealous.

“You guys really like baths, don’t you?”

I hadn’t really expected the dragons to enjoy bathing, but all of them (with the exception of Marshmallow) had taken to it pretty quickly, especially Light Blue and Ball of Yarn. At first, the concept had seemed to confuse them. Fluffy had been the first to join in after spotting me enjoying a soak in the tub, but at that point, the bathroom had still been on its first iteration, modeled after a small Japanese public bathhouse. Naturally, the addition of a three-meter-long dragon had made everything feel somewhat cramped. After the other dragons had started joining in, I’d hurriedly begun remodeling—and now, after three successive renovations, we’d ended up with a fairly large tub. All of the dragons could now comfortably fit inside (albeit in shrunken form) with room to spare. The new and improved bathtub featured a deeper section where the dragons could soak, and a shallow step for me and the kids to sit on and relax. The dragon zone was about three meters deep, which we’d decided upon together after much trial and error.

I wonder if three meters is their default shrunken size or something? They’re usually about that big whenever they come into the house too... I’m lucky it’s so easy to renovate this place.

Before getting in, I cast a quick cleaning spell over myself and the two kids. The dragons, who preferred to perform their own magic, did the same for themselves. After splashing some of the hot water on myself to acclimatize to the temperature, I lowered myself into the tub with a blissful sigh.

Realistically, bathing wasn’t necessary in this world thanks to the existence of magic. After my spell earlier, I was already perfectly clean.

I guess it’s because I’m Japanese, but yeah... I don’t think I could live in a world without soaking.

Kuhi and Usa had clearly grown pretty fond of bathing too. There was no longer any trace of the scared children I’d first met; both of them seemed right at home as they stretched out on the submerged step with contented smiles.

I felt a light nudge to the back of my head and turned to find myself face-to-face with Light Blue, who was holding a dripping cloth in its mouth. I took the cloth, wrung it out slightly, and placed it on the dragon’s forehead, receiving a satisfied smile for my efforts. Drifting over to the deeper end, Light Blue sank into the water, rested its head on the edge of the tub, and closed its eyes peacefully.

I kept a stack of the small cloths and a bucket of magically cooled water near the tub, as per Japanese bathhouse custom. After the dragons had started joining us on a regular basis, I’d half-jokingly placed one of the cloths on Light Blue’s head, even though I was pretty sure the dragon wasn’t at much risk of becoming lightheaded from the heat. Surprisingly, Light Blue now fetched one of the cloths and encouraged me (aka, prodded me until I gave in) to drape it over its forehead each and every time we bathed. I thought it was absolutely adorable—almost as adorable as the noises both Light Blue and Ball of Wool were making now, which to me sounded more like cat purrs than anything remotely draconic.

They’re really enjoying this...

I stretched out underneath the water too, feeling the fatigue of the day dissipate like the rising steam.

Yep, perfect temperature... Bathing is the best.

193. The New King (3)

— From the Perspective of a Former Commander —

“So they retrieved them safely, then?”

“Yeah. When the knights found them, they were all just sitting there trembling for some reason. Funnily enough, it wasn’t particularly hard to load them up into a carriage when they were already too scared to move,” Mizerost replied.

I frowned. What could have caused them such fear?

There was a knock on the door, which swung open before I could react as Gujee rushed into the room, looking flustered. “Is it true, Commander? Did they find them?”

“It’s true,” Mizerost replied. “Ahse is safe, and they found a few other beastkin with him too.”

Gujee let out an audible sigh of relief, and some of the tension I’d been carrying ever since he learned Ahse was missing finally loosened. To him, Ahse was more than a friend—he was Gujee’s savior.

“Thank you... Thank you,” Gujee murmured.

Ahse was a feline-type beastkin who’d shared a pen with Gujee during their time as slaves. After Mizerost started assisting me with my plan to overthrow the king, Gujee had introduced him to Ahse with the hopes that together, the two of them could convince Ahse to become a coconspirator. Unsurprisingly, Ahse had been wary at first, but gradually he’d come to trust us. His contributions had perhaps been most important of all, for Ahse had a special talent. He could read someone’s character almost instantly—just a few minutes of conversation was enough. Of course, his talent didn’t allow him to know every secret a man kept, but he could always tell friend from foe. With his assistance, we were able to find true allies when we needed them most.

However, the day before the previous king died, he’d gone missing. Magic was the reason for his disappearance. Unbeknownst to me—and possibly even to Ahse himself for most of his life, or so Gujee suspected—Ahse was capable of using magic. Furthermore, his aptitude was for mind-control magic, one of the rarest types.

His abilities were discovered after one of the guards had tried to kill Gujee. Rumors had been circulating around the castle that anyone who laid a hand on a slave would incur the wrath of the forest, and some idiotic guard had decided to verify the truth of those rumors by attempting to slaughter Gujee. Ahse had reflexively used his magic to save his friend, and ultimately took over the minds of not just the perpetrator but also every guard in the vicinity. His spell had lasted two days, but unfortunately when the spell had faded, the memories of their entrancement didn’t. He was forcibly dragged before the mages, who examined him (albeit cautiously so, lest he take control of their minds in the same manner). It was a brief investigation, but that was all it took for them to determine that Ahse’s magic was indeed of an incredibly rare variety. With all the unrest in the castle at the time, the investigation ended with Ahse being locked away in isolation until his fate could be determined. Somehow, though, news of his powers had reached the ears of a certain noble. We hadn’t learned that until recently, however. The day prior to the king’s death, Ahse had gone missing, but it’d hadn’t been until earlier this week we’d discovered who had taken him, and to where.

“Where is he now?” Gujee asked.

“The mages are talking to him. We need to know what they’ve been forcing him to do.”

Why did they need Ahse’s magic—and what have they done with it while we were hunting them down?

“I see... Of course,” Gujee replied. “And what of the other beastkin they found? Who were they?”

“Hostages, as far as we can tell,” Mizerost answered, his tone icy. “So that Ahse would do whatever he was told.”

“How awful... Do we know anything more about their captors’ motives yet?”

“If we don’t already, we will soon enough. I’ve asked Vice Commander Visloge to lead the interrogation, and Ritri is helping him,” Mizerost said flatly.

He’d chosen well. Visloge—the vice commander of the Second Knights Brigade—was the talk of the castle these days after he’d fallen head over heels for a beastkin woman. Ritri had surprised us even more, however. He’d taken a beastkin woman as his wife, and he’d done so during the previous king’s reign. He’d hidden it well, of course, but now that the beastkin were free, he’d announced their relationship—and furthermore, the existence of their children—with fierce pride. According to rumor, he was quite the devoted husband and a doting father.

“Surely the Second Brigade has more than enough to be dealing with right now?” I asked curiously.

Mizerost shrugged. “They actually said it would be a nice break from their other duties.”

I tilted my head. “They are interrogating them, right?”

“I believe so, yes... Among other things, potentially.”

Well, as long as they find out what we need to know, I should probably just leave it in their hands...

“Very well. Gujee, feel free to join them if you wish. I’m sure you have things you’d like to ask of them too.”

“Er... I’ll refrain, Your Majesty.” Gujee frowned. “What will become of Ahse? His magic...”

I knew exactly what he wanted to say. Indeed, we couldn’t simply turn Ahse loose to fend for himself; even if we hid every trace of his abilities, there was always the risk something would slip through the cracks. If he was targeted once more, we might not be able to save him a second time—and if he refused to cooperate with his future captors, he’d likely be killed.

“Magic...” I repeated. “I can’t deny that it solves problems, but sometimes I think it causes just as many.”

A large percentage of the population could use everyday magic, but that was limited to things like conjuring a single cup of water or sparking an ember or two. A few of the more talented civilians could maybe conjure two cups of water instead of one, but with minimal exceptions, that was the extent of their abilities. Almost no one could cast offensive magic. Every so often, a child would be born with an abundance of magical power—rare prodigies who could learn those fearsome and formidable spells. However, simply possessing such abundant power didn’t necessarily make them great mages. They still had to learn to control and refine their powers before they were able to cast anything more impressive than an everyday spell.

But Ahse was different. He was a true prodigy, the kind only born once every few decades. He could wield his powers without needing to learn said control. His slave seal had likely suppressed his true capabilities until Gujee’s life was in danger. The slave seals were a terrible thing, but they had at least allowed Ahse to escape crueler exploitation than what he had already suffered. His talent was a unique one, one that many would go to great lengths to get their hands on.

“Though I’m loath to do so, we’ll have to ask him to join the ranks of our mages... I can’t see any other way to guarantee his safety,” I said.

In a sense, joining the mages was merely a different form of captivity. Ahse had been an indispensable help to me, and in a perfect world, I’d want nothing more than to grant him his freedom. But this wasn’t a perfect world, and the safety of my people needed to take precedence over my personal feelings. Ahse’s powers could not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. As a mage he would face some restrictions in his day-to-day life, but he’d still retain some measure of freedom.

“I suppose you’re right, Your Majesty,” Gujee replied. As chancellor, he surely understood such measures were needed. Of course, the position would benefit Ahse in some ways too. Empras had a responsibility to protect its mages and to do so openly. Ahse would be safe.

There was another knock on the door. “Excuse me, Your Majesty. It’s Arleja. May I come in?”

Arleja was the mage who’d been charged with speaking to Ahse, which I assumed meant their conversation was over. “Of course.”

Arleja had been my first ally among the mages and was now my Archmage. After shutting the door behind him, he turned to me with a terrifyingly insincere smile, causing me to quickly look away.

He’s still angry...

The reason for his anger was his appointment to the position of Archmage. When I’d asked him to take the role, he’d flatly refused. Unfortunately, I didn’t really have many other options and had ultimately reached out to his wife and enlisted her help in persuading him to accept the offer. It had worked, but even now—several months later—his anger hadn’t subsided one bit.

“Isn’t it about time you forgave him, Arleja?” Mizerost asked in an exasperated tone, shaking his head. I only just managed to stop myself from nodding in agreement, which would undoubtedly only make him angrier.

“Ahse’s told me as much as he can for now,” Arleja said, ignoring Mizerost entirely. “The other beastkin too.”

“Good work. And their captors? Do we know the extent of their actions?”

“That will take a little more time, I’m afraid. First, we need to locate the victims...” He trailed off.

“Of course,” I replied. “Incidentally... Did you manage to find out what it was that made them all so scared in the first place?” I’d been puzzling over it ever since Mizerost had explained how suspiciously easy it had been to capture the perpetrators.

“I did—though I still can hardly believe it, Your Majesty. It seems that the Forest Lord and the beast monarchs saved them...”

“What?!” I blurted out. Gujee and Mizerost joined me with matching outbursts of disbelief. Arleja raised his eyebrows, looking smug.

“The Forest Lord and the monarchs? I can’t... No, but they’d have no reason to lie...” Mizerost muttered under his breath, clearly still trying to get his head around the unexpected information. His obvious flustering actually made me feel somewhat calmer, strangely enough.

The Forest Lord... That was what I’d heard most of Empras—and Entall too—was now calling the god of the forest. “What happened?”

“Ahse and the others were being moved from one location to another when the Forest Lord descended from the sky astride the Fenrir monarch and stopped them in their tracks.”

“What?! So close?! What did he look like?! I only got to see him from a distance—”

“Oh, be quiet, Mizerost!” I said, cutting him off before his questioning of Arleja could turn into another interrogation. “What happened next, Arleja?”

“Not much, apparently. The Forest Lord examined them all quite closely for a while, said something no one could understand, then he just flew off once again. Ahse said the moment he disappeared from sight, everyone—captors and captives alike—simply collapsed where they stood from the tension of it all.”

He examined them? What was he looking for?

“And as for his appearance,” Arleja continued, “he was apparently very slender and short. Ahse mistook him for a child at first, in fact.”

“A child? How short was he?” Mizerost muttered, the question directed more to himself than to anyone else.

“Indeed... Is Ahse sure he was an adult?” asked Gujee, his bewilderment evident in his tone.

Arleja shrugged. “He believes so. The Forest Lord’s mannerisms were those of an adult—it was merely his form that was childlike. In any case, we don’t even know if gods follow the same definition of age as mortals.”

True, true... It’s just, I always thought a god would be more rugged and powerful looking, not small and slender enough to be mistaken for a child... They truly are mysterious beings. And to think Ahse got to see the Forest Lord so close...

I was jealous—very, very jealous.

194. New Year, Same River... Everything’s Too Big Here!

I stretched out, pressing as much of my body as I could against the amoeba’s cool, gelatinous surface as we bobbed slowly down the river. This summer, like the one before, was looking to be largely spent swimming—

Wait, I’m not actually swimming though, am I? I’m just...floating? Riding? No, that’s not quite right either...

Well, technicalities aside, this summer was going to be spent taking it easy, preferably within the water’s cool embrace.

“Ah... This is paradise.”

I’d sunk into a fit of depression after learning the shocking reality of this world, but after a few days, I’d given up on being sad.

Not until after I seriously considered using magic to make myself taller, though... I shuddered. It’s kinda terrifying, the stuff people will come up with when they’re desperate. I’m glad I came to my senses before it was too late.

It was at that point I’d remembered a saying—something along the lines of “it’s important to know when to quit”—and had promptly decided to stop being depressed about my height (or lack thereof). Sure, it had taken five or so days to actually get over my funk, but now it was all in the past.

It was hot. Just like last year, it was like the moment the thought “summer’s coming” had crossed my mind, the heat had surged like the inside of an industrial oven. Going off last year, the temperatures would keep climbing for about a week before stabilizing. I had no idea whether the same would actually be true this year, though. It was only my second summer in this world, and a sample size of “one” wasn’t the most trustworthy evidence.

I can’t believe it’s only my second summer here, honestly... So much stuff happened last year that it feels like I’ve been here much longer. It’s barely been over a year since I met Koa and her pack too. That was in spring, right? Come to think of it, I never really bothered to figure out the calendar here... When I got dropped into this world, it was early spring in Japan too, right? Yeah, the days were still kinda cold but getting warmer. Seasons-wise this place is pretty similar to Japan, I think. Summer, fall, winter, spring. They’re all over the place in terms of length, though. Like, going off the temperature—not that I have anything else to go off—spring is really long. Summer’s over pretty quickly, which is a good thing, because it’s hot as hell. Fall’s probably the shortest season, but winter’s pretty long as well—

Splash.

I looked around for the source of the noise, and saw Nea and Raki—members of Team Ai—surfacing nearby. The two dogs were good swimmers. Really good, in fact. I hadn’t known dogs could dive underwater like they could. Slightly downstream, Usa and Kuhi were attempting something that resembled swimming. The two beastkin kids had apparently never swum before, and it had caused a bit of a fuss the first time they’d seen me dive into the river. They’d assumed I had fallen in and was in the process of drowning, and it had taken quite a while to calm them down. I’d eventually managed to reassure them that entering the river wasn’t an instant death sentence (and, on the contrary, was actually quite refreshing) after which they’d started joining me, although they were clearly still very nervous. It seemed like they couldn’t stand putting their faces underneath the water at all, so they swam in a way that kept their heads above the surface—which, depending on how you saw it, often looked a lot like they were drowning.

At the moment, Nea and Raki clearly did think it looked like that, thus their heroic dive into the river. Once they were satisfied that Usa and Kuhi were not, in fact, drowning, the two canines backed off just slightly, treading water nearby while keeping a close eye on the splashing kids. They’d obviously taken it upon themselves to assume the role of lifeguards, for which I was very grateful. I felt a lot less worried about letting the two kids join me with Nea and Raki keeping an eye on them.

The amoeba and I continued to float lazily down the river.

So hot...

Wanting to avoid a repeat of last year, I was making sure to stay properly hydrated this time around. Last summer, I’d accidentally overlooked the dangers of dehydration, and in a hazy, half-conscious state of mind, ended up casting some kind of spell. Well, I was pretty sure I’d cast a spell anyway. I’d never been able to figure out what the hypothetical spell had actually done, so the whole thing might have simply been a hallucination.

Er... Why are Raki and Nea pulling the kids up from under the water? Did they start drowning or something while I was daydreaming? Oh, and now another amoeba has popped up out of nowhere and put all four of them on its back... Was the amoeba a lifeguard too? Also, what the hell actually just happened?

“Are you guys okay?”

“I’m eggs horsted...”

“Yeah, I’m eggs horsted too...”

Um... I think they’re trying to say “exhausted”? Yeah, they haven’t quite got the hang of that one yet... Nea and Raki look really relieved. I guess it did look like they were drowning. Wait, were they drowning? Nah, probably not... I should probably give them some proper swimming lessons, just in case. How do you teach someone to swim? I think I started off by learning how to kick... I had a kickboard too. Okay, how am I gonna make these kids some kickboards? I could just use wooden planks, right? Nah... They’d be way too heavy. Maybe if I used magic to make the wood a little less wood-like... Yeah, that could work! It just needs to float, and not absorb the water... I’ll give it a go tonight.

A few minutes later, a small group of One Eyes appeared next to the river, carrying a few trays laden with refreshments. Apparently, it was time for our regular dose of rehydration. My trusty amoeba noticed the One Eyes too and changed course to take us over to the riverbank.

Yep, this place is like a well-oiled machine... If anything, it feels like I’m somehow getting more and more redundant with each passing day... Yep, that’s me! Absolutely redundant!

“Thanks, One Eyes. Usa, Kuhi, come have something to drink!” I called out, taking a cup for each of them from the One Eyes and passing it over.

“Thank you.”

“Thanks!”

There were also two deep bowls of cool water, which I placed on the ground for Nea and Raki. The One Eyes had thought of everything, just like always.

I cast a curious eye back at my amoeba-slash-flotation device while I worked my way through a few cups of the lightly fruit-infused water. The amoeba, apparently noticing, returned my stare by moving its eyes onto its back. It turned out that the amoebas could move their eyes around at will, which I assumed was one of the benefits of having a gelatinous body. The first time I’d witnessed it happening, I hadn’t shouted or screamed—but that was mostly because I was underwater, having immediately fallen off the amoeba in terror. I hadn’t even started screaming after the same amoeba had retrieved me from the depths.

It was scary, though... I’m glad I got used to it pretty quickly. Oh, but I’m not sure Kuhi and Usa have seen it before...

I glanced at the kids nervously, but although they were staring at the amoeba, it was with curiosity, not horror.

They’re not scared? Heck, they’re not even surprised... Oh, I guess they’ve probably grown up seeing these amoebas everywhere, or at least knowing about them. Seeing a giant blob of jelly with movable eyes is probably no big deal. No, wait—if it was no big deal, they wouldn’t be staring like that, would they? Hmm... Oh well. As long as they’re not upset, I guess it doesn’t really matter.

I handed the cup back to the One Eyes with my thanks, and the amoeba and I took off down the river once more. The second amoeba, still carrying Usa and Kuhi (and their canine lifeguards) followed close behind. I stretched out comfortably and closed my eyes.

“The sound of water always makes me sleepy...” I murmured, thinking aloud.

“Yeah, sleepy...” Kuhi agreed, turning onto his side with a yawn. Usa was lying beside him, letting her fingers lazily drift through the water. I closed my eyes again, until a few minutes later, when a sudden jolt vibrated through the amoeba underneath me. I opened my eyes to find myself joined by Raki. I tilted my head in confusion as he promptly stretched out beside me and began to doze.

“Er...”

I looked over at the other amoeba. With Kuhi, Usa, and Nea now stretched out atop it, it seemed like the second amoeba was at capacity—

“Wait, did they kick you off?”

Raki let out a miserable whine in response.

Poor boy...

Trying not to laugh, I gave him a few pats, which seemed to more or less cheer him up.

The somewhat oppressive heat suddenly lifted as we entered the shade of the orchard section of the lazy river. Like most of the crops under the Farm Brigade’s control, the trees were far too mature to believe they’d only been planted a year ago. In this case, though, the trees had simply been transplanted from elsewhere in the forest, so while the orchard was only a year old, the trees were probably much, much older.

Harvesting is gonna be an ordeal this year.

The trees were heavily laden with fruit—significantly more so than the previous year, if my memory wasn’t failing me. The first round of harvesting was already underway too. Or, more accurately, it was already done. They’d clearly started and finished it while I was otherwise occupied.

I didn’t even notice... Sorry I’m so useless, everyone.

One thing I had noticed was the growth speed and the size of the various fruits and vegetables our forest farm produced. As far as I could tell, everything seemed to be growing faster than the previous year, and all the crops they’d harvested so far were larger too, with some nearly doubling in size. Our family was bigger this year, so I was pretty thankful for the faster growth cycles, since it didn’t seem to have had an impact on taste or anything. The increased size of the crops was another matter, though. I was currently floating past a tree laden with fruit fairly similar to tangerines that were nearly ripe enough to harvest. The problem was that said tangerine-like fruit also happened to be the size of my head.

No, some of them are actually larger than my head...

Like the tangerines they resembled, these fruits needed to be peeled prior to consumption. I’d managed just fine the year before, but all of my attempts to peel any of the first harvest this year had ended in dismal failure. The peel was simply too thick and robust to penetrate, and I’d ultimately ended up covered in sweat and hungry. The One Eyes had started peeling them for me after that disaster.

I could peel them myself if they were just a little smaller... Probably.

“Yep, everything’s just a little too big in this world!”

Oh well. Complaining about it isn’t gonna change anything. Besides, the orchard’s nice and shady, the breeze is cool, and I’m feeling pretty good... I think I’ll take a nap.

195. Flying, Flapping, and Multiplying Messes...

Standing on the deck, I slowly looked around, completing my usual inspection of the adjacent clearing.

Yep, no changes here! Except for... Yeah.

I blinked a few times, and looked again.

Yeah, that’s a floating angel baby.

A few meters away from the wooden deck (and uncomfortably close to where the younger spiders were currently conducting combat training) Momo, one of the baby angels, was currently floating around about three meters off the ground. There was a string looped around Momo’s waist, the other end of which was held firm by a One Eye’s.

“It’s flying an angel like a kite...” I muttered unthinkingly, too shocked to suppress the thought.

I don’t know about this... It feels kinda wrong on so many levels.

I continued to watch as Momo flapped its stubby little arms and soared from side to side—though in reality, its movements were a lot slower and clunkier than the word “soaring” implied. A sudden gust of wind pushed the airborne baby closer to the training area, at which point the One Eye gently pulled on the string, redirecting Momo to a slightly safer stretch of airspace.

Oh, so that’s why there’s a string... Still just looks like it’s flying a kite, though.

I couldn’t see Momo’s face from my current vantage point, but I could hear the angel laughing and clapping its hands. As far as I could tell, it seemed to be enjoying the experience.

I feel like you’re meant to take babies for walks in strollers though, not on leashes like a dog... Oh well. Momo seems happy, so I might as well let the two of them be.

“Wait—there were two babies, weren’t there?”

Whoops. Okay, where’s baby number two?

I soon spotted the second baby angel—Sumire—off to one side, held by another One Eye. Apparently, the second (and presumably younger, based on its size) angel couldn’t fly yet. It was flapping its arms, but to no avail; it remained securely within the One Eye’s grasp.

“They can’t even walk, and they’re already flying... Well, one of them’s flying, anyway. Maybe angels just don’t walk?”

I mean, I’ve only ever seen them fly... Not that I’ve ever seen an angel before coming here. But in the paintings they were always flying, even the babies. Yeah, there was that one painting with all the baby angels descending from the heavens—I think it was in some famous church or something? Or... Yeah, this is pointless. My questionable memories aren’t gonna help me here.

I made my way down into the clearing and over to Sumire just as it started fussing, presumably out of frustration. “Hey, One Eye. Thanks for taking care of the baby,” I said, receiving a slight bow from the clay doll in response. Sumire began to wail, flapping its chubby little arms in vain. “Come on, there’s no point getting upset,” I continued, trying to sound reassuring. “You’ll be able to fly when you’re a little older, okay?”

Probably.

Sumire stopped crying, but it did continue to fuss, and I gently stroked its hair a few times in an attempt to soothe it. As soon as I did so, the baby angel jerked, looking around for the source of the touch—which it found pretty quickly of course. Sumire reached out with one tiny hand, and when I held out my finger, it grabbed it tightly.

So cute—

Crackle.

“Ow! What the heck was that...?”

The moment Sumire had grabbed me, a bolt of something like static electricity had shot through my finger and down my arm.

Crap, that would have scared Sumire too...

Surprisingly, however, the baby angel seemed fine; it was just staring at me.

Guess it didn’t get shocked. Phew. That was random. I wonder what caused it? I always thought static electricity was more of a winter problem.

My finger was still throbbing, and Sumire’s grip was surprisingly strong. Since I didn’t want to yank myself out of its grasp, there was nothing to do but wait until it got bored. After a minute or two, it released my finger with another dissatisfied gurgle.

Huh.

A quick inspection of my finger revealed no visible wounds, burns, or any other changes.

I guess it actually was just static electricity... Weird. Well, no wounds, no problem! And Sumire didn’t seem to get zapped at all, so that’s a relief.

I gave Sumire’s hair another gentle ruffle and heard a delighted laugh. Unfortunately, it hadn’t come from Sumire, but from somewhere overhead. I looked up to discover that Momo had flown (or rather, had been allowed to fly) over to join us.

Oh. I didn’t notice it from the deck, but Momo’s wings have grown quite a bit, haven’t they? That must be why Momo can fly now...

Momo flapped its wings—and its chubby little arms—even harder.

So cute... I mean, it does look a little like it’s drowning in midair, but still... Yep, definitely cute.

About five minutes had passed since I’d first noticed the flying angel, and Momo—apparently tired from the effort—slowly descended into the One Eye’s arms. Sumire was still sulking. With Momo’s touchdown, morning playtime seemed to be over for the baby angels, and the One Eyes quickly returned inside with their charges.

Angels sure are mysterious. I mean, who would have guessed that their wings would grow before the rest of them? Speaking of growing, it would be awesome if they suddenly turned into adults overnight. Then I would have someone to talk to... Yeah, somehow I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Oh well. As long as they grow up healthy and strong, I guess it doesn’t matter how long it takes them... Yeah. All right, enough distractions.

It was time for me to get back to cleaning up the rest of the messes those three idiots had left behind. I’d taken a break for the past few days, over the course of which I’d thankfully more or less recovered from the shock of realizing that I was very much below average height in this world. At this point, I was more shocked at how much it had depressed me rather than the actual realization itself, but just like angels, emotions could be a mysterious and inexplicable thing. Now that I was more stable, however, it was time to get back to business.

So there’s still eight more of those Higher Power spots I need to deal with... Er, where exactly were they again? Hmm... Nope, can’t remember. I’m gonna have to scan the place again. But first—

“Pause,” I said, casting a spell to temporarily stop the vacuum-cleaner-based flying monster stones (or vacuum stones, as I’d decided to refer to them as for simplicity’s sake) from absorbing the Higher Power from throughout the forest. The vacuum stones were simply way too efficient, which was great most of the time, but did mean I couldn’t figure out where I was meant to be looking while they were active.

Last time, I’m pretty sure it took about an hour before I could detect the Higher Power hot spots, so I guess I’ll have to wait for a bit first. Hmm... Oh, maybe I should go check on the spongestone? Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.

I made my way over to the spongestone, ducking to avoid several of the returning vacuum stones along the way. My route took me alongside the fields, which, as always, were in perfect condition.

That’s the Farm Brigade for you... Even the weeds are all neatly trimmed and watered. I guess they use them for something? Waste not, want not or whatever...

I’d once heard that vegetables tasted better when they were grown with care, and since arriving in this world, it had become pretty obvious that was true. All of the vegetables I ate courtesy of the Farm Brigade were exceptionally delicious, and it was hard to think of a way for any more care to have gone into their work.

Actually, I also remember my dad telling me about how different soils will affect the taste of vegetables too. The soil here must be top of the line.

I soon arrived at the spongestone, which—unsurprisingly—was slightly bigger than it had been the last time I saw it. Slightly bigger was fine by me, though, because at least it hadn’t doubled in size again like it had after absorbing a whole pentagram’s worth of Higher Power. At the time, it had taken me a while to reassure myself that it wasn’t about to explode. It had also started shaking, which hadn’t helped. I’d compressed the spongestone into a smaller, less volatile form after the harrowing incident, but it was still getting bigger (albeit at a much less worrying rate) as the monster stones dropped off more and more Higher Power. Picking up the spongestone, I inspected it for cracks or other signs of damage.

“Nope, nothing to worry about here. I may as well extract the Higher Power while I’m at it, I guess.”

I sent a tendril of mana into the spongestone and compacted the Higher Power inside into a small, translucent marble (basically a smaller version of the spongestone itself) and extracted it from the stone. This was the third Higher Power marble I’d made. The first—which I’d made to alleviate my anxiety after destroying the second pentagram only for the spongestone to swell in size once more—had been the largest of the three, whereas this one was a little on the smaller side. The marbles were rather beautiful, but I didn’t really have much use for highly concentrated Higher Power at the moment, so I’d chucked them into a drawer for the time being.

Maybe if the god who’s meant to be running this place ever shows up, I can get him or her to deal with them for me...

Having already walked from the deck to the spongestone, I decided to complete a full circuit of the house. The Farm Brigade also took care of any necessary landscaping and maintenance around the mountain, so everything was neat and tidy. All of the clay dolls I’d created were incredibly capable, but the One Eyes and the Farm Brigade both took that to a whole new level. It was somewhat unsettling, in a way. I’d created them, and yet it seemed as though they were somehow evolving.

It’s almost like they’re actually alive... Well, that’s a full lap of the house, so it’s probably safe to assume that it’s been an hour by now. Lemme get scanning.

“Activate Magic Scanner.”

An image of the forest appeared in my mind. It wasn’t a particularly detailed overview, given that the forest was massive, but it was still easy enough to spot the glowing Higher Power hot spots.

Let’s see, one, two, three... Nine. Wait, what? Er, let’s start again. One, two... Yep, there’s nine of them. One more than last time. What the hell?!

I checked my counting several more times, but unless there was something very wrong with my brain, there were definitely nine of the stupid glowing spots.

Did I miscount the first time?! No, I definitely triple-checked back then too... Yeah, I’m sure there were eight spots left. Which means... There’s a new one.

“Well, that’s annoying... Guess I better get started.”

Okay, lemme look for the closest hot spot— Wait, maybe I should be starting with the brightest one first? Some of them were giving off a weird flicker last time too... Oh, cool. There were five of the flickering ones before, but now there’s only three. They must have been the spots at the center of the pentagrams. Hmm... I feel like one of these three spots is a lot brighter than last time, and the flickering’s gotten a lot worse too... I guess I should start there.

I zoomed in on my mental map, looking for some kind of landmark I could use to make the real-life section of the search a bit easier. Most of the forest looked exactly the same, which tended to make my investigations a little tricky.

“Hang on... It’s right beside the volcano, isn’t it?”

Volcanoes are pretty easy to spot as far as landmarks go... They’re also pretty hot, unfortunately. Well, it’s not like I have much choice. Guess it’s time for some full-body defensive magic!

196. Evolution and...Eggs?

So how exactly does full-body, volcano-proof defensive magic work, anyway? Volcanoes, volcanoes... They’re hot, right? Yeah, because of all the magma and stuff. So I just need to, er... Oh, I just need to make myself heatproof! Yeah, that sounds about right.

“Okay, for now, let’s go with... Um, Complete Heat Protection,” I cast, visualizing myself walking through a lake of lava without harm. Obviously, the mental image was just for the sake of the spell; I had no intention of actually taking a stroll through lava. Even the thought was making me sweat.

Will that be enough? Yeah, I assume so. All right, I should probably get going. The volcano is at least an hour’s run from here.

“Seeyew!”

“See you layder!”

I waved goodbye to Usa and Kuhi and started toward the forest. The Farm Brigade paused in their work to see me off with little waves of their own, as did their ant and spider helpers. The field amoebas wobbled in my direction, which I assumed was their attempt at waving. It was a strangely heartwarming experience.

Hey, one of the bigger spiders is flying over the fields! It’s still weird that some of the spiders have wings...

I’d noticed Spider Boss’s wings a long time ago, but I’d written it off as a one-off evolutionary quirk or something. Clearly, I’d been wrong. Quite a few of the eldest batch of spiders had wings now—excessively large wings, in my personal opinion.

I mean, I’m pretty sure spiders aren’t meant to have wings in the first place, much less giant ones that seem to appear overnight... Come to think of it, some of the ants are randomly mutating too. Maybe I should be a little more worried about this whole “overnight evolution” thing? Everyone still seems happy and healthy, so it’s probably not too much of a problem... But when organisms evolve, it’s out of necessity, right? But that would mean that there’s something about living here with me that’s making them evolve—and if that’s the case, then all of these random mutations are my fault. I can’t think of a single reason that life here with me would require spiders to fly, though... Hmm. I’ll make sure I’m keeping a close eye on them for now, and see if anything else changes.

I jogged a few hundred meters into the forest before glancing around to confirm who was accompanying me for the day.

Okay, so we’ve got Spider Boss, five of the bigger spider kids, and five of the bigger ant kids— Wait, what the hell?

I’d just noticed the wickedly sharp (and weirdly massive) sicklelike claws one of said ants now possessed.

Another new mutation... Seriously, why would it even need those? What’s the evolutionary necessity here? I really don’t think life with me is that dangerous... Maybe they’re for cutting down trees or something?

The ant, noticing me staring at it intently, reared up and brandished its new claws a few times in a way that almost seemed like it was showing off.

Yeah, yeah, they’re very impressive... Probably unnecessary, but impressive...

I made a mental note to follow the ant around at some point in the near future to see if I could figure out what it could possibly be using the deadly looking claws for, and returned to the matter at hand.

Okay, focus. I’ll get these guys nice and heatproof too for starters.

“Complete Heat Protection.”

A faint light wrapped itself around each of my volunteer bodyguards before fading just as quickly, which hopefully meant my spell had worked. Spider Boss seemed to be inspecting itself curiously, but after a minute or so passed without any signs of unease or displeasure, I decided everything had gone fine.

“Back to it, then.”

I took off again, sprinting through the forest like a salaryman running for the last train home.

Running this fast sure does feel great... It’s definitely one of the best things about coming to this world. This has got to be faster than humanly possible, right? Like, humanly possible back on Earth. If I was still back there, I would have definitely broken the world record by now. I’d be famous! Here, though...

I glanced around. Just as I’d expected, my creepy-crawly cortege was keeping up with ease. Some of them had already overtaken me, in fact.

Isn’t it kinda weird for them to be able to move so quickly? Especially Spider Boss, considering how massive it is... You’d think leaping from branch to branch would slow it down a little more, but nope. Speedy spider.

The ants, who kept to the ground, were just as fast, and slightly terrifyingly so. They didn’t seem particularly worried about the frequent obstacles in their path, leaping over the tree stumps and fallen branches at breakneck speeds. An occasional crashing noise every now and then indicated the trees they’d simply knocked over with their outrageous momentum.

Well, that’s terrifying.Hang on, I should probably check on the sickle-clawed ant... Those deadly weapons must be getting in the way, and I’d hate to accidentally leave it behind—

Said ant overtook me mid-thought, its deadly sharp sicklelike claws tightly folded against its body.

Of course they’re collapsible. That’s convenient. And it’s knocking down trees without even using them... There goes my hypothesis.

“I think we’re in the right place.”

About an hour later, we arrived at our destination. Well, I was relatively sure it was our destination, anyway. We were definitely beside the volcano, but like most volcanoes, this one was pretty large, and without GPS, there was no way to guarantee we were on the right side of it. I compared my mental map with our surroundings a few times, cross-referencing random fallen trees and jagged outcrops with what I saw around me, and confirmed we were indeed in the right place. The real search began now, though. Assuming this hot spot followed the same pattern as the last two, I now needed to locate another of the caves those apprentices seemed to favor—but this time, I’d come prepared. I’d remembered to bring a vacuum stone with me, which hopefully meant I’d be able to locate the cave entrance much faster.

I fished the stone out of my pocket and hit it with a “Resume,” and it immediately started glowing once more. It floated into the air, hovering above my palm for a few seconds at most before zooming toward—and then into—the steep, rugged crag of the adjacent volcano.

Er... That was unexpected.

A moment later, the crag gleamed faintly, and the vacuum stone shot back out of what still appeared to be solid rock.

It’s probably safe to assume that magic’s involved here.

I caught the vacuum stone in one hand and cast another Pause on it before tucking it safely back in my pocket.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this...” I muttered to myself, reluctantly pressing my hand against the rock. It was unpleasantly warm, and even more unpleasantly, it was somehow squishy. I yelped, yanking my hand away in disgust.

“Gross...” Steeling myself, I touched my palm to the rock once again. Unfortunately (though not surprisingly) it was still warm and squishy.

Something that looks like hard rock should not feel like that. It’s really grossing me out...

If the vacuum stone could go through it, I assumed I’d be able to do so too. Taking a deep breath, I somehow managed to work up the courage to push my hand into the crag.

“Gross. Super gross. What the hell is wrong with this place?”

There were few sensations worse than sticking your hand into something warm, squishy, and possibly dangerous. My instincts were screaming at me to run away (and they very nearly won) but I knew that I had to get rid of the hot spots before they multiplied even more. With great difficulty, I forced myself to reach even deeper into the rock, and I was rewarded with the sensation of my hand breaking through something unseen.

It feels like it’s hollow inside, now I’m past the gross barrier... Hang on. I... I could’ve just used magic to look inside, couldn’t I? I could have tried, at least...

“Yeah, I’m an idiot.”

I pulled my arm out of the crag and examined it closely. To my relief, it looked entirely normal—no gory injuries, no strange markings.

Phew. I mean, imagine if it was covered in blood or something? I would have cried.

Okay, let’s take this from the top. It looks like rock, but it sure as hell doesn’t feel like rock... So what is it, then?

I placed my palm on the rock once more, this time careful to not push it inside, and attempted to channel my mana into it. It didn’t work. Any mana I directed into the crag seemed to bounce right off. I then decided to try using my Newer Power (a variant of Higher Power I’d inadvertently created) instead. Drawing upon the separate reservoir of the mysterious silver energy inside me, I sent tendrils of Newer Power flowing into the rock to much greater success.

This stuff is pretty handy. Okay, so what now?

“Let’s start by seeing what’s going on inside...” I murmured, conjuring up an image of the crag becoming see-through and channeling my Newer Power to cast the spell. “Transparency.”

A soft light enveloped the rock for a moment or two before fading away. As the light vanished, so did the browns and grays of the exposed crag, fading away into nothing at all. A passageway now stood before me, the entrance of which was wrapped in a shimmering, barely visible barrier of some description.

“Oh, come on... Seriously?”

The caves I’d found the angels in had both been relatively clean and tidy, free of dust, dirt, and any other grime you’d usually expect to find in a cave. This cave, however, was different. Even from out here, it seemed dark, gloomy, and entirely ominous, like something lurking in the shadows was about to jump out at me at any second.

Just like a scene from a horror movie...

I shook my head, hastily dismissing the thought before my imagination could run even wilder. I really couldn’t handle horror movies.

“And I really, really don’t want to go in there...”

It was, undeniably, the creepiest passageway I’d ever seen, and it just reeked of danger of the “Surprise! Terrifying monster!” variety.

Guess I shouldn’t have expected anything else really, given that those three idiots were involved... Oh well. It’s not like I have much choice anyway.

“Let’s do this I guess!” With that, I took my first step into the horror-themed passageway. It wasn’t noticeably humid or anything, yet the air felt heavy and oppressive. It was also very dark.

“Oh, right. I can fix that, at least.”

Hopefully some light will make this place feel a little less sinister.

A few spells later, the passageway was noticeably brighter, and marginally less intimidating.

Phew... That’s a little better.

“All right, off we go!”

Spider Boss immediately took the lead, and I was more than happy to follow in its many footsteps. We’d only been walking for a few minutes when the passage came to a sudden end, leaving us standing in front of a door. As far as doors went, it was rather conspicuous—not because it was in a cave (I was used to that by this point) but because it was incredibly extravagant. It was also extremely clean, despite the grime and dust that was thick on the ground around us, which weirdly made it seem even more creepy.

Yep, there’s definitely something waiting for me on the other side.

“Seriously, what’s the point of these random beautifully carved doors anyway...? It’s like those idiots were trying to be conspicuous...”

Well, it worked, I’ll give them that. Okay, let’s open this bad boy, or try to anyway... Obviously it’s gonna be locked, or touching it’s gonna trigger some kind of trap—

The door swung open with a creak.

You’re kidding me. I was kinda hoping it wouldn’t open... Oh well.

I pushed the door wide open and took in the scene before me.

“What the...?”

So I guess we’re moving from coffins to eggs? At least we’re sticking with the transparent theme, I guess... I kinda wish I couldn’t see inside the egg, though. I mean, a dog with three heads? Wait, I feel like I’ve read about a three-headed dog before... It’s gotta be a pretty famous creature if even I’ve heard of it, ha ha. I can’t remember where I read about it, though. Hmm... Oh, I should probably check if it’s alive first.

I warily approached the transparent egg, but the creature inside didn’t react. It looked a little too still to just be asleep.

Maybe it is dead...?

I touched the egg hesitantly and felt warmth beneath my fingertips.

If it’s warm, that probably means it’s alive... Great. Okay, what do I do now?

197. Threats and...Thanks?

Maybe I can just turn around, go home, and pretend I never saw it...? Nah, I think that would come back to bite me somehow. Still, this is kinda messed up. I mean, a transparent egg with a three-headed dog inside was not what I meant when I said I wanted to find eggs.

Taking a step back, I inspected the egg—and the contents thereof—a little more closely.

Okay, so it’s definitely a three-headed dog. Actually, does that make it three dogs? No, I think it’s still just one... Also, normal dogs don’t have three heads, so I’m pretty sure this is a monster. A three-headed, monstrous dog—yeah, that’s definitely ringing a bell. Maybe one of my sister’s fantasy manga rants? Hmm... Nope, can’t remember a thing. Also, is it just me or is this dog kinda ugly?

A sudden noise snapped me back to reality. It sounded like something clattering or like hard rocks clanking together.

What is that?

The noise got louder. I turned around slowly and discovered that it wasn’t the cave collapsing or a deadly trap. It was Spider Boss gnashing its fangs. The other spiders were joining in too. It was something I’d witnessed once or twice before, so unfortunately, I knew what it meant—it was a warning.

“Wait, what’s wrong?! Is something coming?”

I’d immediately locked up with fear, as usual.

Yep, I’m terrified. And... Great.

The ants had now joined in with their own squeaky take on “threatening noises.”

Scary. Way too scary. Okay, time to run away— Nope, they’re in the way of the exit. I’m trapped.

“I gotta calm down. Focus! I feel like that’s been my catchphrase ever since I got here...” I sighed. “Okay, let’s take a second to assess the situation.”

Let’s see. I’ve got a bunch of ants and spiders snarling at me... No, not at me. Behind me? Oh, the egg. Okay, now I get it. It’s the egg that’s got them all worked up.

“Come on, don’t scare me like that! I almost thought you were about to attack me... I nearly fainted, you know?”

If these guys ever turn on me, I’m done for. I’d have no chance in hell of escaping.

Relief flooded my body at the realization that I wasn’t about to become critter food, and I slumped to the ground, leaning against the rocky shelf on which the egg rested. The gnashing immediately got louder.

Oh, come on— No, wait. Yeah, that was my bad.

I dragged myself along the ground to put some distance between myself and the apparently unpopular egg.

What’s everyone got against this egg, though?

“Is it dangerous or something?”

The dog inside wasn’t even moving, but everyone was acting like it was about to leap out and swallow me whole.

If you ignore the fact that it’s kinda ugly and has a few extra heads, it just looks like a normal dog... A puppy, actually. So it’s some kind of puppy dog monster? It’s gotta be a monster, because normal dogs don’t hatch from eggs—

Okay, the gnashing’s gotta stop. I know it’s not directed at me, but it’s still really distracting.

It possibly wasn’t the smartest decision, given that I didn’t know why they were so worked up, but I was going to have to somehow convince Spider Boss and the others to calm down before the sound of grating fangs drove me crazy.

“Whoa there, Spider Boss. Everything’s fine, okay?”

Huh? Did I just—? Yeah, I just tried calming down a giant spider like it was a rowdy horse... Oh well. It seems to be working.

“It’s okay, Spider Boss. Look, the egg hasn’t even hatched yet, see? It can’t hurt us... Well, probably not,” I continued. For once, I was grateful that the animals couldn’t understand what I was saying, because even I could admit that it was a pretty pathetic attempt at reassurance. I just couldn’t think of anything else to say, and obviously, I didn’t know if we were actually safe or not. Thankfully, it somehow worked. Spider Boss stopped gnashing its fangs together and was now watching me intently.

“See? Nothing to worry about for now—and if anything happens, we can just figure out as we go. How does that sound?” I asked, looking into one of Spider Boss’s eyes, which was the best I could do when it came to making eye contact with the giant arachnid. Spider Boss tilted its head in response.

Ha ha, it’s just so weird to see a spider do that... Nope, can’t let myself get distracted. Okay, reassurance, reassurance... Nope, no good. Nothing’s coming to mind.

Spider Boss continued to watch me intently, but to my relief, it remained quiet. Once Spider Boss had stopped making a ruckus, the other creatures quickly fell silent too.

That’s better. Now I can actually hear myself think.

“Now I just have to figure out what I’m gonna do about this egg...”

If Spider Boss’s reaction was anything to go off, the three-headed monster was clearly dangerous—and therefore, it was probably for the best if said monster stayed asleep.

No, asleep’s not quite the right word... Unhatched? Yeah, unhatched. So maybe I should just go home and pretend I never saw it? Um... Nah, that’s probably just as risky. It might just randomly hatch one day and I’d have no idea. I guess I kinda need to take it home with me.

“Those stupid apprentices... If you’re gonna leave random junk behind, at least put a sign on it or something so I know what the hell it is!”

And I’d bet they haven’t left any clues...

I scanned the surrounding chamber. It was smaller than the previous caves, with no desks or cages bearing ominous notes to aid in my investigation. There was a small chest, though.

“Okay, maybe they did leave a clue!”

There was only a simple clasp keeping the lid in place, so I opened the chest with ease. It was filled with bones.

“Oh, not aga— Wait, no. These aren’t human, are they? For once...” I muttered, shuddering as I remembered the previous pile of bones and the curse it had held. Thankfully, these bones weren’t human.

They’re still bones, though. Stupid apprentice bastards with their stupid obsession with bones!

I gently picked up the topmost bone—a skull—for closer inspection. It looked animal (or maybe monster) in origin, but the shape was very different to the heads of the dog behind me, so I was pretty sure it hadn’t come from the same breed of creature.

It kinda looks like that horse skeleton I saw in that documentary... Horses don’t have horns though, and this skull does. Er... Do I have to take these back home too now? Probably... I wish I hadn’t looked for clues.

“Ugh, my head hurts. I’ll just take everything for now, and deal with it later.”

I can’t carry the egg and the chest though. The egg’s more important, I think... Oh, maybe Spider Boss can carry the chest?

I waved at Spider Boss, and pointed to the chest at my feet. “Could you carry this home for me?”

Spider Boss didn’t respond.

Well, I’m not sure what I thought was gonna happen... Okay, how am I gonna do this?

I picked up the chest and placed it directly in front of Spider Boss. I then bowed my head—one of the gestures my animal friends had picked up on—to signal that I was making a request. Spider Boss simply continued to stare at me, its many eyes unblinking.

I don’t think it understood...

Thankfully, a few seconds later, Spider Boss picked up the chest with two of its legs and somehow nestled it securely upon its back.

“I did it! I communicated!” I cried, instinctively striking a victory pose. Communicating with the many creatures I’d befriended was never easy, so managing it on the first try felt incredibly satisfying. I thanked Spider Boss, earning me a nod in return. I was pretty sure it was a nod, anyway. Lifting the egg with both hands, I immediately discovered it was a lot heavier than I’d expected. It slipped a little in my grasp, prompting one of the ants to rear up in alarm.

Yeah, I’m gonna need to be very careful not to drop it...

“It’s fine! Nothing to worry about...probably,” I called out, wrapping both arms around the egg and hugging it to my chest. “We’re not gonna be able to run home, though. Let’s go for a nice, slow walk, okay?”

We set off at a gentle pace.

Well, it seems like the egg is fine to be moved... It’s not suddenly hatching or anything, and it’s still perfectly warm. Come to think of it, the coffins were both booby-trapped, but nothing happened when I picked up the egg. Maybe it wasn’t as important to the idiots as the angels were? The barrier didn’t try to murder me either, and the cave itself was pretty dirty... But maybe that was just their attempt at camouflaging it? So maybe the egg is important... Yeah, I’ve got no idea. No point wasting any more time thinking about it either. I’m just gonna count my blessings, like how the cave didn’t collapse on me.

Not sure where I’m gonna put this egg though. In my room? Nope, no way. What if it hatches while I’m asleep? No thanks. I’ll leave it in the living room... Or maybe outside on the deck would be better?

“Whoa!” I jumped, startled by one of the spiders. We’d barely emerged from the cave when it ran up to me, clicking its fangs together in a way that was only slightly less intimidating than before.

I don’t think it’s trying to warn me this time...? It’s not happy, though. Er... Okay, it’s obviously trying to tell me something, but what?

I peered at the spider curiously. Unfortunately, curious stares did little when it came to communication (though all of my problems would be solved if that was the case) so I still had no idea what the spider wanted. The spider, seeming oddly frustrated, took a few more steps toward me and quickly snatched the egg from my arms.

“Wait, what?”

Before I could move, the spider had affixed the egg to its back with a few thick strands of web.

Oh, you’re one of the web-spinning spiders, huh? I still think it’s weird that only some of you can make webs, to be honest... Hang on, are you gonna carry it home for me? Seriously? After making such a fuss before?

“Er, are you sure that’s okay?” I asked, receiving a series of clicks in response. I was relatively certain they all understood the word “okay” by now, considering how often I said it, so it was probably safe to assume that the clicking noises had been an affirmative response in spider language.

Yeah, let’s go with that.

“Thank you,” I said, patting the spider gently.

I wonder if it was worried about me dropping it? I mean, it’s not like that’s an unlikely outcome...

The spider clicked its fangs together once more.

Wait, I feel like the sound was different this time...? Nah, probably just my imagination.

I watched as the spider began swaying from side to side, seemingly making sure that the egg was securely attached. After a short series of various swaying motions, it looked at me and nodded. Apparently, we were good to go.

“All right, let’s head home.”

Spider Boss immediately took off at a sprint, using two of its middle legs to keep the chest in place in an impressive display of flexibility. I took off after it. Clearly, there wasn’t going to be any need for the return journey to be a nice, slow one, for which I was very grateful; it turned out that listening to gnashing fangs and worrying about potential threats was actually a fairly exhausting ordeal, and I wanted nothing more than to get home and rest.

Still, an egg? Really? I wonder if there’s any more of these out there... I mean, eggs are better than cursed bone mountains, but I’d prefer not to have to deal with either. Ugh. Cleaning up after those three idiots is gonna be the death of me.

198. Enough with the Threats! Also, Is That Really Necessary...?

“I’m home...”

Man, I’m beat. The cave itself wasn’t too bad this time, but dealing with Spider Boss and the others was exhausting...

Oh, it’s the dragons. Hey, guys— Um, why did you all stop moving all of a sudden?

“Is some—? Argh!” I yelped as Ball of Wool suddenly shot a jet of fire into the air. I could feel the heat even from a good few meters away.

Scary! What the hell was that about?! Oh, it’s looking at the egg. That makes sense. Spider Boss wasn’t happy to see it either. Still, I’m not a fan of this “surprise flamethrower” thing. I think I preferred the fangs, actually... What’s everyone’s problem with this three-headed dog? Hmm... I’ll work that out later. I need to calm these dragons down before I get roasted.

“Don’t worry, everyone. It’s probably okay,” I called out gently, only for the dragons to turn their intense gazes on me instead of the egg.

Scary. Really scary... Okay, I can do this.

“It’s gonna be fine, I think. Definitely fine. Probably.”

I’m so glad they can’t actually understand me, because if they did, they’d think I was an idiot. I’ve never been so happy that no one here speaks my language... I guess it does come in handy sometimes.

The egg was quickly untied and placed carefully on the ground, and I approached it cautiously. The run back hadn’t been particularly gentle, but the dog inside didn’t seem to have moved or otherwise been aware of its relocation. It actually looked dead, but I was pretty sure I could see its chest moving.

Isn’t having three heads and only one body kinda inconvenient? Like, what if all three heads want to go in different directions? That would be a real hassle.

I kept myself busy with pointless musings for another couple of minutes, pointedly ignoring the uneasy tension in the air. I wasn’t quite ready to face the dragons and their threatening glares—or worse, their flares—just yet.

“Like, I know it’s not me they’re mad at, but it’s still not good for my heart. I’ve definitely lost a few years off my life today...”

I surreptitiously glanced at the dragons, who had converged around Spider Boss.

It’s weird that they all seem to be able to communicate with one another even though they’re different species. So those noises they’re making... Is it like animal language or something? No, I don’t think so, somehow... How are they communicating, though? If I could just figure that out, maybe I could join in!

I sighed.

Although...I’m pretty sure I know what they’re saying right now anyway. “We told him it was trouble, but did he listen? No, he went ahead and brought back another useless, dangerous piece of junk!” Yeah...even imagining it makes me want to cry.

Wait, is the egg moving?! Oh, it’s just the One Eyes moving it. Never mind. Phew... I was about to panic. Right, I should probably start thinking about what I’m gonna do if it does hatch.

First angels, and now an ugly, three-headed, doglike monster everyone seems to hate...

“I’m starting to think the hermit god was lying when he said he inspected this world.”

Like, how could he have missed both the angels and the weird, ugly dog? Surely he’s all-seeing or something, right? But maybe... No, I don’t want to think about that just yet. No more thinking. He definitely overlooked them, and that’s that. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt... For a little while longer, at least.

I felt a tug on my arm and snapped back to reality where a One Eye was pulling on my sleeve.

“What’s up?” I asked, to no response.

The One Eye let go of my sleeve and started toddling toward the house, stopped halfway, and looked back at me. Clearly I was meant to be following. After confirming I’d understood, the One Eye continued on its way, with me in relatively close pursuit.

“What’s going on now?”

I followed the One Eye into the house. By the time we’d reached the living room, I’d amassed a decent parade of followers, including Koa, Chai, Ai, Ball of Wool, and Fluffy—the latter two thankfully in shrunken form.

Okay, this entourage is a little excessive.

We entered the living room and found Momo and Sumire happily playing in their cribs. The angels’ favorite toys were the monster stone contraptions the One Eyes had hung above their cribs, and their favorite game was firing powerful beams of light at said monster stone targets.

Honestly I thought babies would get sick of playing the same game over and over again by this point, but not these two. Although, they used to keep at it for hours, but these days they give up after an hour or so... I guess they are getting sick of it after all? Maybe I should make them some new toys... Nah, I’ll leave it to the One Eyes.

For once, I had my own job to do: figuring out what I was going to do about the egg. I started by looking around for the egg in question and quickly found it sitting on the dining room table. The One Eyes had placed it on top of layer upon layer of cloth, presumably to prevent it from rolling. Approaching the table, I touched the egg cautiously. It was still faintly warm, just as it had been when I’d first touched it back in the cave.

If it’s warm, that means the dog’s gotta be alive, I think. Okay, so what now? I wonder if it’s like Spider Boss’s and Shuri’s eggs and will only hatch if I dump a whole bunch of mana into it? It might not even want mana, actually—if those idiots were involved, it might want Higher Power instead. Hmm...

With my palm still resting on the egg, I reached out and tried to get a feel for the power—if any—that was inside.

Well, it’s not good old-fashioned mana, that’s for sure. It doesn’t feel like Higher Power either. I’ve got no idea what this is actually. I... I don’t think I like it, though. It’s giving me the chills... I don’t feel so good.

I pulled away. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths. My hand was tingling uncomfortably, and after a few more precautionary relaxing breaths, I forced myself to open my eyes and examine it, only to find my palm was covered in—

“Burns...?”

Countless small burns covered the surface of my palm. Well that explains the tingling, I guess... Did the weird power cause these? That’s kinda unsettling.

“Maybe I should just put it back in the cave.” Getting wounded as the result of a simple magic check was a first for me. And honestly, I wasn’t a fan of the experience.

I didn’t even know that was possible! I’m really out of my depth here. Okay, first things first—I should probably heal myself.

“Heal.”

A soft light wrapped itself around my hand and the burns soon faded as did the unpleasant tingling sensation. I sighed with relief since I hadn’t been entirely sure my mana-based healing spell would work on the burns. If it hadn’t, I’d already be on my way back to the cave; there was no way I’d keep a dangerous egg lying around where my friends could accidentally touch it if I wasn’t at least able to heal their wounds.

I was still staring at my palm when Koa rubbed her face against my shoulder. She looked worried, as did Chai, who was standing beside her.

“I’m okay. See? The burns have already healed. No need to worry,” I said, showing them my uninjured palm and giving each of them a few pats for good measure. The spell had healed my wounds, but their resulting joyful expressions healed my soul. Today had been particularly exhausting in the spiritual and mental sense.

At that moment, an assortment of One Eyes and Three Eyes entered the room, all carrying thin strips of timber in their little arms.

Oh, are they gonna build something? Cool. Er...what, exactly?

I watched in confusion as they cleared an area immediately beside Momo’s and Sumire’s cribs, and within minutes, a third, much smaller crib was standing beside the other two.

“Surely that’s not for the three-headed dog, is it...? Is it?”

I suppose it could be a good thing to have a nice safe place to leave the egg... It is just an egg, though. Also, doesn’t an egg in a crib feel like something you’d see at an abstract art show, or is that just me? Oh well. They’ve pretty much finished building it already, so egg in a crib it is.

For some reason, the new, arguably unnecessary bed was also currently being crowned with another of the One Eyes’s spinning monster stone toy-slash-decorations (I still couldn’t remember what they were called, but we’d definitely had them back in Japan too).

Okay, that’s definitely unnecessary. Unless... Maybe it’s not actually a toy at all? Have I been wrong this whole time? I don’t know what else it would be, though...

I looked at the new spinning thingamabob curiously. Unlike the ones the angels played with, which had been made using clear stones, the One Eye’s newest creation instead featured all the colors of the monster-stone rainbow.

I can’t think of a reason for them to use different stones if it is just a toy...

“But I also can’t think of anything else it could be either. Can’t speak to anyone, can’t understand anything... Yep, same as always!”

It doesn’t look like any of the clay dolls are scared of the egg, though, even with Ball of Wool and Fluffy still acting like it’s a live bomb. Well, I’m the one who made the dolls, so I guess they probably don’t know what it is either, just like me—and, after all, I don’t usually bother getting scared of stuff I don’t understand.

“Looks like it’s done.”

The One Eyes had just finished putting the final touches on the new crib, including the addition of pillows and a blanket, both of which I thought were also unnecessary. The One Eyes seemed proud of their work, though, and I didn’t see any harm in letting them be. They’d clearly already taken it upon themselves to add “egg minding” to their list of chores.

“Oh yeah, I was trying to figure out what kind of magic the egg had!”

I completely forgot what I was doing. Oops. So it wasn’t mana or Higher Power, and it obviously wasn’t Newer Power either. Which means... Yeah, I’ve got no clue what it was. For now, let’s call it, er... Egg Power? Sure, it’s not the most imaginative name, but it’s not too bad. Feels a little trivial for a power that can burn you just from touching it, though... Yeah, maybe not.

“Seriously, I had no idea how many types of magical power there were. A normal life in Japan doesn’t prepare you for this kind of thing at all.”

Would I have wanted to know? Nope, not in the slightest. Even if someone had tried to explain it to me, I would have just told them it was unnecessary.

I sighed.

Man, I’m exhausted... Life here’s been really draining recently—mostly because of those idiot apprentices and all the crap they left behind. It wouldn’t be so bad if I had any idea why they hid all this stuff in the first place. And there’s still, what, eight hot spots to go? Ugh... Maybe I should just run away.

199. Power Overload... Special Training.

I jolted awake, feeling like every inch of my body was on fire. I was accustomed to the sensation by now, considering it happened on a daily basis. However, I wasn’t sure if that familiarity was necessarily a good thing.

“I feel like it’s actually getting more intense too...”

An uneasy chill ran down my spine, cutting through the searing heat. I had a sneaking suspicion as to what the sensation actually was: a magical power overload. According to the hermit god, the only reason I’d managed to survive until now was because I was constantly discharging mana—casting an occasional highly demanding (and usually inadvertently cast) spell here and there—which kept my internal magical power reserves from reaching critical levels. The hermit god had also said my body had already adjusted to possessing what was allegedly an unthinkable amount of mana, and therefore, I was supposedly no longer at risk of spontaneous combustion. Based on recent events, however, I could no longer take the god at his word.

As far as I could tell, the problem was that I hadn’t needed to cast any particularly demanding spells in a while, which meant my mana was probably nearing the point of magical overload. I might’ve been able to simply vent the excess mana somehow, but that hypothesis posed its own set of problems. For one, I wasn’t sure how much mana I actually needed to get rid of. There was also a chance that dumping a ton of miscellaneous mana into the world would have an unintended (and probably harmful) impact on the environment. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been able to come up with an alternative hypothesis either as of yet.

Oh well. The heat fades pretty quickly after I wake up, so I think I’m still safe for the time being. Besides, it might not even be a magical overload or whatever anyway. I’ll just keep an eye on things for a little longer...

I sighed.

I should probably start preparing myself for the worst, though, just in case. But enough about that! Time to distract myself. Let’s see, what’s the plan for today? I need to...

I sighed again.

Right, I’ve still got plenty of Higher Power hot spots to clean up... I hate this. Maybe I can just stay in bed? Honestly, I kinda wish someone would bring those apprentices back here so I could give them a piece of my mind. I’m definitely gonna give the hermit god one next time he shows up. It’s a shame humans don’t need to hibernate, otherwise I could just go into hibernation for the winter and hope this all blows over by the time I wake up... Well, it’s summer right now anyway. Damn. Wait, what the hell am I thinking? I’m usually not this stupid...

“Well, avoiding annoying chores by thinking about pointless crap instead is basically human nature!” I declared, in another classic example of pointless crap.

I sighed for a third time.

All right, I can’t run away or hibernate, so there’s no use avoiding it any longer. I’ve just got to get out there and do my best! If I can... No, I have to.

“Stop being so freaking negative!”

Yeah, I’m talking to myself! So what?! Stop being such a wimp, me!

“Yeah! Toughen up, get out there, and do it!”

Ew, that was embarrassing. I looked around surreptitiously, but thankfully, my room was deserted.

Phew.

I finally managed to drag myself out of bed and down to the combined living/dining room for breakfast. The first thing I noticed upon entering was the two conspicuous baby angels flying back and forth. The two angels were chasing each other in circles around the room.

“See, I told you you’d be able to fly soon enough, Sumire— Hang on, you shouldn’t be flying in here! It’s dangerous!”

What the hell are they up to? Playing tag or something? Wait, one of them’s holding something... Is that bread?

“Since when did you guys start eating proper food?”

And why are you fighting over a single bread roll?

I glanced at the dining table, which bore, among other things, a tray piled high with freshly baked bread rolls.

Mmm, bread... Hang on. Why are they fighting over one roll when there’s a whole tray of them here? Maybe the bread Momo’s holding is different to these?

I decided that the best thing to do was to survey the situation for a while longer. And therefore, I did nothing. A minute or so later, a One Eye emerged from the kitchen clutching another single roll, which Sumire immediately made a beeline for. Roll safely acquired, Sumire returned to its crib.

“No idea what that was all about,” I said to myself, approaching the cribs. The sight of a baby angel gnawing on a bread roll was weirdly soothing.

So cute... Oh, there’s something inside the bread roll. It looks kind of like honey? The color’s just about right and it definitely smells like honey. Huh. I haven’t seen any bees around here... Oh, there’s nectar in some of the flowers, though, and nectar’s basically unprocessed honey or something. I guess the angels have a sweet tooth. Makes sense.

“Good morning! Breakfast!”

I turned around at Usa’s greeting and smiled, quickly making my way back over to the dining table to join her and Kuhi for breakfast. By the time we’d taken our seats, the One Eyes were already placing steaming bowls of soup in front of us. Today’s soup was filled with chunks of smoked meat, accompanied by a salad with a citrusy dressing. Both were delicious, as was always true of the One Eyes’s cooking. The bread rolls actually turned out to be something similar to red bean buns. These were a new addition to the cooking rotation but were no less delicious than any of their other baked goods.

Whoops, I forgot to check on the egg. I’m guessing it’s still in bed? I glanced toward the cribs. Can’t see it from here... Oh well. I’ll check after breakfast.

“Wow, these rolls are amazing!”

Oh, the weather’s not as hot today. I wonder if we’re past the worst of the summer now? I feel like it took longer last year.

“Thanks for the food!”

“Yeah, thanks for the food!”

As always, the two beastkin kids helped me clean up after breakfast. I was still trying to do some things myself, rather than leaving everything in the One Eyes’s very capable hands. I didn’t always get a lot of opportunities to do so, but cleaning up after breakfast was one of the few chores I hadn’t yet been banned from.

“Okay, let’s have a look at this egg.”

Hopefully it’s still asleep— I mean, unhatched.

I headed back to the crib corner of the living room, where I promptly got distracted by the angels. Momo had fallen sound asleep as soon as it had finished eating, whereas Sumire hadn’t quite managed the same. The smaller angel had apparently fallen asleep mid-bite based on the bread roll still hanging out of its mouth.

Wore yourself out, eh?

I reached in to take the bread roll before it became a choking hazard, only for Sumire’s eyes to snap open. Glaring at me, the baby angel began chewing once more.

You really like bread, huh? Oh well. I’m sure the One Eyes are keeping an eye on you.

“Plus, you’re just too cute.”

Hang on, I’m meant to be checking on the egg! Forcing myself to focus, I turned my gaze to the egg—only to find it looking back.

Wait, what?

Flustered, I blinked a few times, but nothing changed. One of the dog’s three heads had its eyes open, and it was looking right at me.

“Huh. I guess it’s awake? I don’t think the terms ‘awake’ and ‘asleep’ really apply to things in eggs, though... Can it actually see me?” I moved my hand up and down awkwardly, and the dog’s eyes followed the motion. “Looks like it...”

Well, the egg is transparent after all, so I guess that kinda makes sense. Er, so does this mean it’s about to hatch? Crap.

Fortunately, the dog closed its eyes again before I could work myself into too much of a panic.

Okay, I’m just going to assume everything’s fine. Phew. If that thing hatched right now, I would absolutely freak out, no doubt about it. You’re perfect as you are, okay, egg? And if you’re going to hatch anyway, just do me a favor and wait a little longer. At least let me finish dealing with the rest of these hot spots first, okay?

“Yep, just keep being a good egg and stay asleep...please,” I said, patting the egg a few times for the sake of it. I thought I felt the egg shake as I did so, but I quickly brushed the thought away. Eggs didn’t shake.

Also, that dog was even uglier with its eyes open. Maybe it’ll be a little cuter by the time it hatches? Hmm... Yeah, probably shouldn’t get my hopes up. It’s just the thin, upturned eyes... Oh, and the way its mouths kinda look like open wounds... Poor dog really lost in the genetic lottery. Plus the bright red pupils were pretty gross too. Also, for something that hasn’t even been born yet, it sure had a pretty intimidating stare. I wasn’t a fan of that either.

Okay, enough egg talk. I should go check on the animals. They’re probably all outside by now... Huh. Looks like the dragons have reserved the clearing for themselves today. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen the dragons training before. Why the change of heart?

“Also, this is terrifying.”

It’s just like that classic monster battle movie... Those monsters didn’t have magic though, so actually, this is even scarier. Like, those monsters weren’t shooting out pillars of fire or giant ice spears, or summoning lightning out of thin air, or... Okay, I can’t see what’s going on anymore.

A sudden blizzard rendered further observation impossible, but based on the sounds alone, the dragons’ training session was only getting more and more intense.

Yep, there’s no way I’m ever getting on their bad side. They’ve always been nice to me, but I can’t let myself take that for granted. I hope they’re keeping things under control... The ants and spiders get injured sometimes during their training, and those sessions are a lot calmer than this one. I mean, isn’t getting hit by a stray bolt of lightning usually kinda fatal?

Oh, good. The snow storm is over.

The view gradually cleared, revealing an assortment of seemingly unharmed dragons, much to my relief. A few seconds later, I sensed the barrier around the clearing vanishing, which hopefully meant the training session was over.

Hang on a minute, who put the barrier up in the first place? One of the dragons? I didn’t know they could make barriers... Impressive.

Looking around, I discovered that nearly all of the other animals had been watching the dragons too. Clearly, none of them had been brave (or foolish) enough to even attempt to join in. I then spotted Koa and Spider Boss huddled together, and I sensed mana fluctuations that indicated a recent spell. Possibly, they’d been the ones who’d cast the barrier.

After shrinking to a (marginally) more reasonable size—about three meters in length—the dragons flew toward the deck. However, their usually graceful movements looked decidedly less so at the moment.

“Are you guys okay?” I asked, earning myself a round of firm nods in response. Like most of the other creatures, the dragons had picked up on the meaning of “okay,” and since they’d nodded, there probably wasn’t any reason to worry.

Okay, now it’s really time to focus.

There were eight Higher Power hot spots left, four of which were quite a distance from the house. The mountain we lived in was basically right in the middle of the forest, while four of the remaining hot spots were on the forest’s outskirts. To make matters worse, they weren’t clustered together either; instead they formed an almost perfect square—something I’d quickly noticed after dealing with the first connect-the-hot-spots pentagram. At this point, it was probably safe to assume that the square was hiding something too.

Something nudged my arm.

“Wha— Oh, Chai. Hey, boy,” I said, scratching him behind the ear. His big eyes were filled with concern; I’d probably been too deep in thought to notice his first few nudges.

“I’m okay, Chai. Thanks for checking on me.” I moved from scratches to pats, which he responded to enthusiastically—a little too enthusiastically. He pushed himself into my palm with considerable force, and I had to brace my legs just to keep from falling over. Patting the animals had become basically a full body workout at times. I was glad they enjoyed it, but it was a lot more challenging than it looked.

I need to wrap this up before he sends me flying.

“Chai, I’ve got more work to do today. Will you come with me?” I asked. Chai let out a short, sharp bark in response, and pulled away from me to circle around the nearby Koa.

Aw, he’s still completely smitten.

“Okay, let’s start with the closest hot spot.”

I’d spent some time last night reviewing the remaining hot spots and had already narrowed down the location of the closest problem area: just beyond the lake with the mysterious floating island.

Please let it not have cursed bone mountains, angels, or eggs, I prayed. Recent events had made me somewhat reluctant to trust in the gods of this world though, so instead I prayed to the sacred tree that had been enshrined near my old house in Japan. The towering camphor tree had been said to be more than 2,600 years old, and people had come from all over Japan to worship it.

Yep, I feel like it’s a lot more reliable than the gods here somehow... I guess it’s a little farther away, but I’ve just gotta have faith my prayers will reach it.

200. Another Day, Another...Playdate?

“Cool, so you’ve just gone and increased in number and in size... And just to top it off, you’re now glowing for some reason. Yep, I give up on trying to understand this place.”

Like, where would I even start? I’m already at my limit trying to clean up after those idiot apprentices, so it would be really, really nice if everything else in this world could stop trying to push me over the edge.

I’d just arrived at the lake, but to my surprise, the floating island was now a floating archipelago; three gravity-defying landmasses now hung in the sky above the lake.

Of course islands can multiply here... How many more are gonna appear out of thin air? Is the whole sky gonna be covered in islands eventually? I guess anything’s possible when your world was made by the three biggest idiots in existence...

That wasn’t the worst of it either. No matter how I looked at it, the original island was definitely much bigger than when I’d first come across it—and it was also glowing with a faint green light.

Yeah, there’s too much going on up there for me to deal with right now. Besides, Koa and Chai don’t seem worried or anything, and the only magic I can sense from up there is coming from the amoebas.

“I can just pretend I didn’t see anything for now, right? Cool. Let’s keep moving.”

Like, I can’t say I’m not a little concerned, but I’ve got enough on my plate as it is. The hot spots are my priority right now. Sacred camphor tree, please don’t let me come across any more ridiculous surprises like this... I’m begging you.

Without giving the three floating islands another glance, I started off again, heading toward what I hoped was the Higher Power hot spot. Given that the forest (like most forests) was mostly made up of trees, it wasn’t particularly easy to determine which cluster of generic vegetation was the one I was looking for. Digging a monster stone out of my pocket, I cast a rather unimaginative, “Locate Higher Power.” With the usual dim glow, the stone rose from my palm and circled around us a few times, before zipping off into the trees at high speed. I immediately gave chase, but it was too fast.

“Slowly!”

My desperation must have gotten through, because the stone slowed down, if only slightly. I still had to push myself to keep up.

I’ve really gotta remember to be more specific when casting spells... Like remembering to set the speed dial to “walking pace,” for instance.

Thankfully, the monster stone came to a complete stop before I lost sight of it for good, though it had been a very close call. I realized I was gasping for breath for what I was pretty sure was the first time since arriving in this world. Once my heart rate had slowed down to a more sustainable pace, I took a look around, and quickly spotted...

A statue?

The stone statue was carved in the likeness of a person, and a rather handsome person at that.

Who the hell is that? One of the three idiots, maybe? I never saw what they looked like—I only heard their stupid voices.

“If it is one of them, I’m gonna smash it to pieces,” I muttered to myself, pressing my palm against the cool stone. Exactly as I’d predicted, the Higher Power rippling through the statue was identical to that of the idiots’ other unwanted presents.

Why bother making a statue of yourself, though? Maybe there’s something I’m missing here... Hang on! I read about something like this in a novel once, right? Yeah, the characters pushed the statue, and a secret staircase opened up leading underground...

“Okay, let’s see if you move.” I gave the statue a firm shove and received absolutely zero response.

Well that was disappointing. Maybe I should just destroy it? Transporting it back to the house feels like an unnecessary hassle, and I don’t want some random statue hanging around anyway.

I looked at the statue again. It was undeniably a work of art, but the more I looked at it, the more I felt like the figure’s expression was one of disdain.

“Yeah, I’m gonna smash it.”

Just looking at it is pissing me off.Okay, Higher Power statue—one Newer Power bullet coming right up!

Picturing the stupid statue turning into gravel, I yelled, “Shatter!” A ball of concentrated Newer Power shot out of my palm and hit the figure directly in its stony chest.

Nothing happened.

Huh?

Crack.

Oh, it cracked a little, at least—

Crack, crack, crack.

The initially tiny fissure in the stone grew larger and larger, and the sound of splintering stone loudly echoed through the forest—a little too loudly.

I mean, the statue’s only like three meters tall—is it really necessary for it to break so noisily? Unless... Unless destroying it triggered some kind of trap or something...? Crap, I didn’t think about that.

“I might have screwed up here.”

I should’ve looked around a little more before trying to shatter it... Oh well. It’s a little too late for that now.

In front of me the statue was continuing its dramatic breakdown. However, nothing else appeared to be happening.

“Er... Yeah, it looks like everything’s fine. Just a loud statue, I guess.”

At long last, the statue crumbled into hundreds of pieces. As the last piercing crack faded, the familiar sounds of the forest became audible once more, with the rustling of the trees, the waters streaming in the river, and the cries of distant animals swelling to fill the silence. Notably, there wasn’t any ominous rumbling or anything to indicate that I’d accidentally triggered another of the idiots’ traps.

Huh. So it really was just a statue after all, then? I guess the Higher Power reading I got from here was pretty weak compared to some of the other hot spots... I still feel like something’s about to happen though.

Refusing to be lulled into a false sense of security, I remained alert, warily scanning my surroundings. However, nothing came. Unbelievably, it seemed like I was actually safe. Of course, after everything that had happened so far, I wasn’t disappointed by the lack of danger. At the same time though, it just didn’t feel right to not be running for my life at this point.

Come on, I’ve gotta pull myself together. I’m glad nothing happened, right? Right. This is a good thing.

Cautiously approaching the wreckage of the statue, I took a closer look around but still couldn’t spot anything even vaguely sinister.

Yep, nothing here. Everything’s absolutely fine... I guess that’s it, then. Yeah, I can work with this— Huh? Something feels different... Yeah, there’s another kind of magic here. Weird. It feels familiar too...

Koa and Chai suddenly growled, scaring me half to death. I was starting to notice a theme with the behavior of my animal escorts on these hot spot cleanup excursions. I knew there was no reason to be scared—they weren’t growling at me, after all—but I couldn’t help but feel unnerved.

They’re... They’re not growling at me, right...?

I glanced to my side with some trepidation. To my relief, both canines were indeed staring at the wreckage.

Phew.

Ah. Yeah, I remember now. It’s the same power I felt when I touched the egg yesterday. That explains why Koa and Chai are so grumpy too. Jeez... If I’d noticed a bit sooner, I could have avoided nearly crapping my pants. Also, does that mean there’s another egg buried under there? Ugh...

I crouched down somewhat reluctantly and began sifting through the rubble.

“This? It’s not an egg, at least...” I muttered.

I’d just unearthed a lustrous black stone about the size of my palm. It reminded me of a monster stone, though it admittedly did look a little different. Steeling myself, I plucked the stone from the wreckage—and again, nothing happened.

Huh.

Koa let out a short, confused growl and tilted her head, apparently just as surprised as I was by the discovery.

Ha ha, she sounds so cute when she’s surprised... Gets me every time.

“Okay, what am I gonna do with this?”

It’s definitely related to the egg somehow. So those dogs— Wait, dogs? Dog? Is it one dog or three? Hmm... I’m getting off track again. Let’s go with... Yeah, one dog. That seems plausible. Anyway, the dog did seem kinda sickly, didn’t it? So maybe I can use the power in this stone to help it out... I already went to all the trouble of bringing it home, so it feels kinda wrong to not help if I can. But if I do give it this power, there’s a good chance it’ll hatch. Hmm. Honestly, I am kinda curious... But at the same time, Spider Boss did not seem happy at all, so I dunno... Well, I’m the one who brought it home, so that makes me responsible for its well-being. I guess you’re coming with me, random stone!

Wait... Does that mean I’m done for the day? That was surprisingly painless—

“Argh!”

No sooner had I let my guard down than I felt something smash into me from behind—hard. I hit the ground with a thud, my face slamming into a tree root jutting out of the soil. Unsurprisingly, it hurt like hell, and for a good minute I could do little but clutch my face and groan. Koa and Chai paced around me in circles, clearly worried.

I appreciate it and all, but I’d love it if you could give me some space...just until my head stops ringing, at least... Ow. Man, it’s been ages since I’ve taken a fall like that. Can’t say I was missing the experience either... I’m kinda pissed off, actually.

“Thanks, guys. I’m okay.”

Remembering at last that I could cast healing magic, I muttered a quick spell and sighed with relief as the pain evaporated. When I pulled my hands away from my face, they were covered in blood.

Must’ve hit my nose or something.

“Clean... Ah, that’s better.”

What the hell just happened? Something ran into me... Huh. An amoeba... No, not an amoeba? Wait, what is that thing?

I blinked a few times, but as always, it didn’t alter the sight in front of me one bit. The creature definitely had a lot in common with the amoebas I’d come to know, but it wasn’t completely the same either. It was still transparent, but instead of the usual blob-like shape, this one actually resembled a sea angel—if sea angels were three meters tall and could survive on land (or rather, above land; the creature was hovering slightly off the ground, using its somewhat chubby wings to stay airborne).

Sea angels are a lot cuter when they’re small... Also, what’s the deal with everything floating today? First the islands, now this thing...

“Er... So, are you an amoeba or not?”

The creature didn’t answer, so I decided to start with an experimental touch. It felt like the amoebas, which was to say that it felt like konjac jelly.

Is it weird if I find their texture kinda satisfying? Er... Let’s think about that later. So what the hell is going on here? Have the amoebas started evolving too or something? I’m not sure you’d even be able to call this evolution, though...

At that point, the suspected amoeba melted into clear, viscous sludge.

“Aah!”

Crap, that scared me! What the hell is going on here?

I forced myself to glance at the liquefied amoeba.

It’s still moving, so at least it’s not dead. That can’t be healthy for it though, right? I forced another peek.

“What the...?”

The amoeba was no longer a puddle but a spider. It wasn’t just any spider either. It was Spider Boss, and it was a pretty good re-creation too, albeit a transparent one. The replicated Spider Boss jumped around a few times before coming to a stop right in front of me.

“Are you... Are you trying to play with me?”

I’ve been too busy cleaning up after the idiots to play with the amoebas lately, now that I think about it... Is this just your way of asking for a playdate?

The amoeba tilted Spider Boss’s head at me curiously, confirming my suspicions.

Yeah, yeah, you’re adorable and all, but I’d love it if you came up with another method for asking to play... Literally any other method. I thought you’d turned evil or something...

“I’m gonna have nightmares tonight, aren’t I?”

201. Aaaah! A Hellhound...?

“Aaaah! Slow down, slow down! Whoa! Too high! This is too high!”

After dealing with my chores (in today’s case, the recovery of a mysterious black stone) in record time, I’d found myself with some rare emotional capacity to spare and thus had given in and gone to play with the amoeba.

It had not been a good decision.

Riding one of the amoebas took even more courage than riding, say, Koa. The amoebas were transparent, which meant I could see everything going on underneath me—not a problem when I was floating atop one in the river, but somewhat (okay, very) disconcerting now that my amoeba chauffeur had taken to the skies. Whenever I accidentally looked down, it felt like I’d been flung out of an aeroplane without a parachute. The amoeba had kindly made a jellylike handle for me to hang onto, but unfortunately, jelly wasn’t a particularly reassuring construction material.

At first, the amoeba had flown nice and slowly, and everything had been fine. Then Koa and Chai had started flying around us in circles, and the amoeba, either amused or affronted by this, had decided to up the ante. By the time I’d realized what was happening, it was already too late. Somehow we’d ended up in a weird game of tag, and the amoeba and I were apparently it. Koa and Chai were flying at breakneck speed, and the amoeba (and me by extension) was going all out trying to catch them. We were only getting faster too. I clutched my gelatinous handle like a lifeline, but I could still feel myself slipping down the amoeba’s body with each surge in speed. I couldn’t do much but wait for the amoeba to get bored, though.

“I’m gonna fall! I don’t want to die!” I yelled, the pathetic wail echoing in my eardrums. Two of Ai’s puppies (who’d also accompanied us today) howled in the distance—which unfortunately seemed to be their way of cheering the canine competitors on, because Koa and Chai sped up even more, as did the amoeba.

I’m pretty shocked to find out that amoebas can move this quickly... I just wish I hadn’t found out like this!

“I... Urgh...”

In reality, our game of tag hadn’t been going on for all that long. Ten minutes at most had passed since we’d taken to the skies. To me, though, it felt like an eternity.

“I really thought...I was gonna die...”

Eventually, however, it came to an end. As soon as we touched down, I slid off the amoeba and crumpled to the ground. It had taken a lot of effort to stay mounted throughout our flight, and my whole body was screaming with pain as a result.

My poor muscles... I pushed myself too hard today. Hang on, why did I come here anyway? I can’t think straight... Oh, right. I was dealing with another of those stupid hot spots. And since that wrapped up early, I agreed to play with the amoeba, and then this happened... Those idiot apprentices! This is all their fault! “Oh, just a statue today?” Yeah right! Go to hell!

“Wasn’t there maybe a more gentle game we could have played?” I grumbled to myself. “Also, I can’t move my limbs.”

A few minutes passed before I regained the ability to stand. My legs were okay, if a little sore, but my arm muscles still burned with pain from clinging to the amoeba with all my might.

Ugh, and I’ve got pins and needles too. This is— Oh, I forgot. Again.

I sighed. “Why does it always take me so long to remember that I can use magic? Heal.”

The pain vanished in an instant.

Magic’s the best... Okay, I’m going home. I need my bed.

“Nope, no way. No more rides today. Playtime’s over, okay? Please... Mercy, please...”

It was hard to read the amoebas’ facial expressions—they didn’t really have faces—but I’d spent enough time with the blobs by this point to give me a vague idea as to what they were feeling. For instance, the amoeba in front of me now was getting more and more miserable each time I refused its offer of another joyride.

Sorry, but no. It’s not happening. I can’t... Oh, stop looking at me like that! I’m not gonna give in!

“Just... Just go slowly, okay? Really slowly.”

What the hell, me?! I gave in so easily! I just couldn’t say no to those eyes... Well, can’t go back on my word now. Here goes nothing!

Thankfully, the return journey was a leisurely one. I suspected that the amoeba and my canine companions had felt a little remorseful after seeing me flop to the ground after our last flight. It wasn’t until the house came into view that I started breathing easily, though. My healing spell had done wonders for my physical pain and exhaustion, but mentally, I was still on death’s door.

I mean, who would’ve thought a simple playdate would turn into a matter of life-and-death? It’s like everything here’s been set to hard mode...

I made my way inside and headed to the living room to check on the egg, mysterious black stone in hand. Oddly enough, Flying Lizard was already there, dozing beside the egg’s crib. The dragon looked up as I approached, and I waved.

“Grrrr.”

Wait, dragons can growl?! I’ve never heard you growl before... Oh, except for when you’re trying to be all intimidating. You’ve never responded to any of my greetings with a growl before though!

“So you can growl, huh?”

“Grr.”

Cool! Weird, but cool. Ha ha, a dragon just growled in response to my wave... This place sure is crazy sometimes.

“Welcome home!”

“Come well home!”

I heard Usa’s and Kuhi’s voices coming from behind and turned to find them entering the room, hands still caked in dirt. They’d clearly been helping the Farm Brigade while I was out. Kuhi was really getting the hang of Japanese, but Usa still tripped over the words from time to time, which I found adorable.

“Hey, you two! Been working hard?”

“Working hard” wasn’t in their vocabulary yet, so unsurprisingly, my question was met with quizzical looks. They understood enough to know I wasn’t scolding them or anything at least, based on their subsequent cheerful (albeit puzzled) smiles.

Okay, let’s take a look at this egg, I thought, approaching the newest crib. I couldn’t see any obvious differences since my previous visit, apart from all three heads being asleep this time. Flying Lizard’s head shot up as I dug around in my bag, eyes narrowing as it spotted the black stone.

They all really don’t like the vibes this power gives off...

“What is it, though? We’ve already got normal magic and godly power. What else is there?”

Well, dragons were always associated with gods and stuff back in Japan. So if the dragons are holy or whatever, and they don’t like this new power... Does that mean it’s something unholy? Like... I dunno, demonic power? Ha ha, no way. I mean, really? Demons? Seems kinda far-fetched... Although I have already met a god, so I guess it’s not too implausible to think there’s also some demons running around the place too...

I looked at the three-headed dog again.

Is this seriously a demon dog? A hellhound or whatever they call them? It looks so small and sickly, though... But say it is a hellhound—if I use this stone and it ends up hatching, am I just gonna have a dragon-hellhound deathmatch on my hands? No thanks. I know I’m kinda responsible for the doggy or whatever, but the dragons come first. But on the other hand, it might not even be a hellhound. Ugh, this is hard... Yeah, I can’t just ignore it when it looks so weak and helpless. If something does happen, I’ll deal with it then!

Okay, so I’ll take the stone, and... Er, what do I do next? Mysterious black stone, check. Three-headed potential hellhound, check. Power coming from both feels identical, check. So all I need to do is move the power from the stone to the egg. Easy! Dunno how, though. Heck, I don’t even know if a power transfusion is even possible in the first place.

“Why didn’t I think about this at any point before now? Seriously, what’s wrong with me?”

Huh? I feel like the stone just got a little warmer. Hmm. It doesn’t look any different, but yeah, it’s definitely getting warmer. Weird. Maybe it’s because it’s near the egg? What happens if I move it closer?

I gently placed the stone inside the crib and waited, but nothing happened.

Guess I was wro— Whoa!

As I’d reached in to retrieve the stone, a beam of something black and shadowy shot out of the stone and into the egg.

“Did that seriously just work? And without any unpleasant consequences? See, I knew not thinking about things was the right choice!”

I watched the egg closely for a few minutes, but both it and the dog within remained unchanged. Flying Lizard was glaring at it suspiciously, but that wasn’t anything new.

“Don’t worry, everything’s fine. See? No changes,” I said reassuringly, rolling the stone over in my hands. The warmth I’d felt earlier had faded, as had any trace of the unfamiliar power. As far as I could tell, I really had performed a power transfusion.

And without anything bad happening! Awesome!

Oh, wait. Yeah, the egg has turned a little less transparent, hasn’t it...? Well, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. I can still see the puppy just fine!

Right now, for instance, I could clearly see that one of the heads was once again awake. I waved, but as our gazes met, a chill ran down my spine—one I couldn’t convince myself was due to the nonexistent cold. It was fear.

I felt this before too... I think it might actually be a hellhound.

“This is still fine, right?”

Probably not, but I think it’s a little too late to change my mind now. Plus, I’m pretty sure it’s not glaring at me anywhere near as much as it was last time. Yep, definitely not just wishful thinking on my part. Probably. I hope.

The dog eventually shut its eyes once more, thus ending our uneasy staring contest. Fear aside, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was still pretty sickly.

There were three more hot spots with similar readings to the one I went to this morning, weren’t there? I better hit them all as soon as I can, I thought, looking at the egg.

The same head had opened its eyes each time. The other two heads hadn’t shown any signs of awakening, and one of the two actually looked like it was struggling to breathe, its little nostrils flaring wildly in an irregular rhythm. I’d noticed it struggling from the moment I’d found the egg, but I hadn’t known how to help it or if helping it was even the right thing to do. I wasn’t sure if additional power transfusions would help either (presuming I even managed to locate more donor stones in the first place), but I couldn’t stand back and watch the puppy suffer, hellhound or not.

“I’ll find you some more of that power, okay? So just hold on for a little longer.”

Hey, it wagged its tail! Dunno if it heard me or if it’s just feeling a little better, or heck, if it was just a coincidence, but I’ll take it.

“Grrr?” Flying Lizard remarked, the throaty grumble ending in a slight inflection. Glancing over, I saw the deep furrows in the dragon’s forehead.

First you start growling, and now you’re frowning too? I gotta admit, it’s a weird look for a dragon... Adorable, though.

“It’s all gonna be fine, Flying Lizard.”

Yep! I mean, it was wagging its tail! A demonic dog wouldn’t do that, now would it? That’s what I’m sticking with anyway! Sure, it’s still a little ugly... Okay, it’s really damn ugly, but that reaction was cute!

I didn’t sleep well that night. My dreams were dark and evil. I was dark and evil.

This is all that amoeba’s fault.

202. Flying Lizard, the Earth Dragon (2)

— From the Perspective of a Dragon Mistaken for a Lizard —

I peered at the chrysalis once more and saw the Cerberus pup inside was still sleeping. It was weak but less so than it had been earlier in the day. The nether tear—a jewel brimming with demonic energy—that Master had used on the chrysalis had clearly done the creature some good.

I still can’t believe it. For a gatekeeper of the demon realm to be in ours... It’s unnerving, even if it is just a pup.

When I’d first laid eyes on the beast, I’d reacted on instinct, shifting into a defensive stance before I realized. Though the creature before me was young, the Cerberi were formidable adversaries, possessing similar power to us dragons. I would be a fool to let my guard down.

Even if Master does seem strangely calm around it...

There was something strange about the chrysalis itself too. A peculiar manner of spell had been cast upon it, but I had yet to figure out exactly what the spell’s purpose was. My attempts to examine the chrysalis more closely had failed, my own powers repelled by some unknown force—to my great annoyance.

“Is all well?” Ball of Wool asked uneasily.

“I think so. Master transferred the power of a nether tear to the creature, and it seems to be doing somewhat better. Its condition is still precarious, though.”

“Aren’t you worried, Flying Lizard?” Ball of Wool pressed. “About there being a denizen of the demon realm in our home?”

“If Master believes we are safe, then we must be,” I replied. I had only just witnessed the Cerberus wagging its tail in Master’s presence. A demonic creature showing favor to a being with power akin to that of the gods... Such a thing was unthinkable, and yet it had happened. Our Master possessed a strange charm, compelling enough to entrance even myself and my fellow dragons. It wasn’t too implausible to believe it could captivate a demonkin too.

“First angels, now a gatekeeper of the demon realm... What in the world were those malefactors trying to do here?” Ball of Wool muttered, sounding disgusted.

I started to agree, only to pause as a sudden thought filled my mind. “A child of the celestial realm, and a child of the demon realm...”

I winced. Ngh... I’ll never get used to that feeling.

As a preventative measure of sorts, dragons were born with immense knowledge—so that we wouldn’t inadvertently destroy the world on a whim. We held great power, and while we used it to defend the world and its residents from threats, we could use it for devastation just as easily. If a dragon in the earliest stages of its existence were to be exploited by some wicked being, the world wouldn’t stand a chance. In order to prevent such a thing from occurring, we dragons were gifted with a vast range of knowledge from birth to help us recognize any attempts to mislead us. However, since the explanation for our innate knowledge also formed part of that initial influx, it was entirely possible we had merely been misled in a different way.

My knowledge lay dormant most of the time but when triggered by a certain thought or situation, the necessary details would pierce my mind and run amok until I managed to grasp them. It was a particularly unpleasant sensation.

“Are you okay?” Ball of Wool asked suspiciously. “You’re making a strange face.”

“I’m fine. Although”—I paused for a moment—“a child of the celestial realm and a child of the demon realm... Does that bring anything to mind?”

Ball of Wool tilted its head, obviously confused. After a moment or two, however, I saw my kin’s face twist with discomfort as the knowledge penetrated its mind. “Oh, good grief... Was it ‘Offer the blood of a child of the celestial realm and of a child of the demon realm’?”

I nodded. From somewhere within the vast expanse of my inner wisdom, one particular phrase leaped into my mind: Offer the blood of a child of the celestial realm and of a child of the demon realm to the setting stone, and untold power shall be yours. I had a child of the celestial realm—two of them, in fact—in front of me right now, along with a child of the demon realm. However, I had no knowledge as to what “the setting stone” actually was.

Why bother only granting us half the information we need? Humph.

“But it’s as though something is missing...” Ball of Wool mused, clearly having had the same thought.

“The setting stone,” I replied.

Ball of Wool nodded. “Don’t you find it strange? I’ve never experienced anything like it before, having information missing... Perhaps this setting stone is dangerous—too dangerous for even us dragons to know of it?”

“You’re probably right. No matter how many times I think ‘setting stone,’ absolutely nothing comes to mind...” I frowned. “But when I think about powerful or dangerous stones, something does—just faintly, but it’s there. It’s a legend of some kind, about a stone crafted by the high gods.”

“Wait, let me think,” Ball of Wool replied, face screwing up in concentration. “Yes, I think I found it too... A stone born from the combined power of scores of high gods... A stone in possession of its own volition.”

“That’s the one. But I know nothing else about it. What it was called, how it looked, how big it was—nothing.”

“Likewise. I can’t even recall what kind of power it was said to possess.”

Something feels wrong about this... If the stone is really so dangerous, why not omit all information about it? Otherwise, why not grant us just a little more information so we’d actually understand why it’s dangerous? Either way, there’s little point in giving us incomplete knowledge, unless... Unless it’s purposefully incomplete. But why? Hmm... Oh, brooding over it is pointless.

“I give up. I’m getting a headache,” Ball of Wool grumbled. “So what do you think the purpose of that odd spell on the chrysalis is?”

“I have no idea. But when Master visited earlier, he murmured something over it, and I felt the spell’s power fade.”

“Really?”

“Really. If only I could understand what he said...” I replied, frowning in annoyance. I was able to make out the sounds of Master’s words, but I’d yet to gain any understanding of their meaning—apart from our names, of course, but that was a much simpler matter. After he’d murmured the unintelligible words, gentle light had streamed from within him to envelope the chrysalis in a warm, almost sacred glow. It had been a most beautiful sight.

“Should we get the rest of Master’s subjects to begin searching the forest?”

“For the setting stone, you mean?”

“Correct... It won’t be an easy search though, seeing as we have no idea what it looks like.”

“True, true. Well, we’ll ask them to report back about any suspicious stones and proceed from there.”

“Agreed. But what if the setting stone isn’t in the forest? Should we search beyond the borders too?”

“Probably... I’m not sure how we should go about it, though. I suspect it would cause a great deal of trouble if you or I were to be seen soaring across the lands.”

“I suspect you’re right.” The people of this world knew of our existence and recognized the dragons as monarchs of the forest. If we were spotted patrolling the skies, it would most definitely cause a stir. Koa frequently came back from her outings with Master bearing tales of chaos and commotion. Master, for his part, didn’t seem particularly bothered by the constant furor—as far as Koa could see, at least.

“Perhaps we could utilize Ai and his kin,” suggested Ball of Wool.

The Garm? Hmm... That could work. They’d still garner some attention but much less than a Fenrir or a dragon would.

“Master will worry if we send the Garm beyond the forest by themselves, I think,” I replied. While the Garm weren’t anywhere near as powerful as any of the monarchs, they were still a force to be reckoned with. However, Master clearly thought Ai and his kin were weak—though I couldn’t imagine why—and often worried about their safety whenever they ventured into the forest, much less beyond its borders.

Although he did put layer upon layer of protective wards on us dragons too come to think of it... Maybe he’s just the anxious type?

“You’re right, Master is unusually nervous when it comes to the Garm...” Ball of Wool acknowledged. “But I’m not sure it’s a good idea to send some of the Fenrir or the Dire Wolves with them either...”

With a monarch as their leader, the rest of the Fenrir were also thought of with much reverence among this world’s residents, and while the Dire Wolves didn’t belong to the forest’s royalty, their reputation as fearsome warriors meant they were just as well known. An appearance from either would assuredly cause quite a scene.

“Besides, wouldn’t the Garm attract attention even on their own?” Ball of Wool continued.

Probably... After all, the Garm are fearsome warriors too. If they pass by a human or beastkin village, they’ll still scare the residents half to death. What to do...?

“Wait,” Ball of Wool hissed, eyeing the chrysalis. “We’re being watched.”

A quick glance revealed one of the Cerberus pup’s three heads was awake. It seemed only one of the heads could open its eyes, at least at this point. An occasional twitch was the only movement I’d witnessed from the other two, and even then only faintly. I watched the creature curiously for a moment until the awakened head suddenly jerked and our gazes met. For a while, we simply stared at each other, but then—

“Argh!” I winced as a vision was forcefully driven into my mind, my consciousness dominated by the image of an enormous stone.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Ball of Wool asked, flustered. It seemed I’d been the only one to receive the vision.

“I’m fine. It was the demonkin—it sent me a vision,” I replied, peering at the chrysalis once more. All three of the pup’s heads were now asleep.

“What kind of vision?”

“A stone—an enormous stone.”

“The setting stone?”

“I don’t know. The vision was all it sent... I think just sending that must have exhausted it. It’s gone back to sleep, see?”

Ball of Wool turned to examine the pup, then nodded.

“I can channel it to you now if you’d like,” I continued.

“Right, of course.”

I focused on the image I’d just received and magically relayed it to Ball of Wool. The vision seemed to arrive without issue based on how my kin was shaking its head in a reflexive attempt to fend off the odd sensation.

“It’s definitely not small, is it?” Ball of Wool eventually said.

I grunted in agreement. The vision had given us some indication as to the stone’s appearance, but we still knew nothing about its potency. There was also now another question: Why had the pup sent me the vision in the first place?

“Perhaps the stone poses a threat...” I mused. Ball of Wool didn’t reply, merely frowning in confusion.

For a child of the demon realm to willingly share knowledge with a divine beast... Why would it do such a thing? To warn us of danger? But why would it attempt to help us, their fated enemies?

I gazed at the chrysalis warily, but the Cerberus pup seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep. Sending the vision must have used up a great deal of the scarce power it had only just attained.

I don’t think it will awaken again, not for a while...unless Master returns with another nether tear. Speaking of which—why did a nether tear fall in our world in the first place?

“The more I think about this world, the less I understand about it,” I said with a sigh. Ball of Wool, who appeared to be deep in thought, simply nodded.

203. Stones, Statues, and...Surplus.

I’d been running around in the forest since the crack of dawn—not because of a sudden burst of athletic motivation or anything but because the egg-dog-thing’s condition was worsening. It had definitely looked a little healthier after yesterday’s power transfusion, but when I’d checked on it this morning, the poor puppy had been visibly exhausted—lifeless even. Seeing it like that had filled me with a strong sense of urgency, and thus, I’d been running around on my weird statue hunt ever since.

From my previous scans of the forest, I’d identified three more hot spots giving off similar vibes to where I’d found (and destroyed) the statue the previous day. Of course, there was no guarantee the three remaining hot spots would also prove to be statues, and even if they were, it didn’t mean I’d find more of the weird black power stones after committing the necessary vandalism. There was only one way to find out, though. Unfortunately, when I’d pulled up the scan to verify the exact location of the hot spots, I’d nearly fainted.

Why the hell do they all have to be so far apart?! There’s no way I’m gonna be able to hit all of these in one day... No, I gotta pull myself together. Just think of the dog, all sad and sickly in its little, weirdly transparent egg... I have to help it!

“Yeah! Let’s do this! Even if it is gonna take ages...”

It wasn’t just the distance I was worried about, though. Even if I did find the stones I was looking for, there was a genuine chance it still wouldn’t be enough power to save the suspected hellhound. The first power transfusion had only seemed to help a little, and there were potentially just three stones left at most. If they weren’t enough... Well, I didn’t know what I was going to do.

“One step at a time. First I look for the stones, and if that doesn’t work, then I’ll figure out my next move.”

Okay, let’s see what’s inside statue number two for starters.

My eyes were fixed on the monster stone as it zipped through the trees ahead. I’d cast a Higher Power and stone statue Location spell on it, but I wasn’t entirely sure it had worked—until now, that was. The monster stone came to a rest in front of another of the statues.

“Well, that’s a positive start.”

I dunno how I feel about these random statues all over the forest, though. They’re just kinda creepy—and honestly, the fact that they’re so pristine doesn’t actually make them any less creepy. Like, shouldn’t a statue in a forest be a lot more damaged? You know, kinda weathered, discolored, and covered in vines? It definitely shouldn’t look like it’s just rolled off the conveyor belt at the statue factory.

“Yeah, I don’t like it one bit. Oh, hang on. This one’s posed differently.”

The figure from the first statue had been looking upward with both arms raised to the sky. This one, on the other hand, only had the right arm raised with its left hand placed upon its chest. It wasn’t looking upward either but directly forward, its carved features devoid of any emotion.

Ugh, that’s kinda scary. It would probably be scarier if it was grinning or something though, to be fair.

“Shatter!”

Thankfully, I wasn’t here to look at creepy statues. I was here to break them. I’d never had much of an appreciation for the arts, but even if I did, I still wouldn’t want to look at these statues for a second longer than I needed to.

Just like the day before, the sound of shattering stone echoed around me as I watched the figure turn to rubble.

I’m pretty sure watching art get destroyed shouldn’t feel so relaxing... Have I turned into a terrible person? Nah, I don’t think so—I mean, it’s not like I was all that good a person in the first place, ha ha. Okay, focus. Gotta find this stone and keep moving.

“Stone, stone...”

I sifted through the remains of the statue, searching with my hands and my mana for any sign of the power-packed stone. I didn’t expect the search to take too long, given that the black stone I’d found yesterday had contrasted starkly against the rubble, which was more, well, stone-colored. It took me slightly longer than I’d expected to find this stone, however, because it turned out I’d been searching for the wrong color.

Okay, I guess they’re not all gonna be black, then.

The stone I’d unearthed was a vivid crimson color, brilliant and bewitching—so much so that when I looked at it more closely, I felt the eerie sense that I was on the verge of being swallowed whole by it. I quickly looked away.

Phew.

“It feels more potent than yesterday’s stone,” I said to no one in particular, turning the stone over in my hands. The power within it was almost as vibrant as the stone itself.

Hopefully more power means a more successful recovery for the puppy...

“Stone number one for the day acquired! All right, everyone, let’s keep this going!” I called out, earning me slightly concerned looks from Light Blue and Team Ai, my entourage for the day. The journey to the next hot spot would take slightly longer than it had to reach the first—a thought that filled me with some dread, but I somehow convinced myself to keep pushing forward.

I’m so glad I got a whole lot stronger when I got yanked into this world... I don’t want to think about how long this would take otherwise.

I reactivated the statue-scanning monster stone and waited as it circled around the area for a minute or so before coming to a halt in midair. The next moment, it shot off at a tremendous speed, and I rushed to follow it. The forest (like most forests) didn’t feature particularly flat or obstacle-free terrain, and it took a surprising amount of concentration to keep up with the monster stone while avoiding fallen trees and sudden craters. I cast a Heal spell at regular intervals to alleviate any fatigue and thereby maintain the necessary speed until eventually, we emerged into a small clearing.

“Woo-hoo! Statue number three!”

This time, the figure was raising its left arm with its right hand placed upon its chest, and its face, while just as expressionless as the previous statue, was instead angled downward.

There’s gotta be something to these poses... Eh, I still don’t care. Time to bust this bust.

“Shatter!”

To be honest, the possibility of the varying poses holding some deeper meaning did concern me a little, but I had more important things to devote my attention to at the moment—and since I couldn’t spare the brain cells to try to figure it out, there was no point wasting any time worrying about it either. Therefore, I chose immediate and unreserved destruction.

“I feel like the last statue sounded completely different when it was breaking...”

Or is it just quieter? It’s not echoing at all this time. Is this some kinda vague omen or something?

I looked around nervously, but couldn’t find any immediate signs of danger. All the while, the statue continued to slowly shatter.

I don’t think anything’s coming... Maybe it’s just because the statues were in different places? Yeah, the acoustics must not be as good in this part of the forest. That must be it.

“Now let’s see about this stone,” I muttered as I began sifting through the rubble.

Gotta keep my eyes peeled. It could be another color this time.

I searched and searched but to no avail.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Seriously? There’s seriously no stone this time?”

It was only after relocating most of the rubble that I finally felt the faint but familiar buzz of power. Clinging to the almost indiscernible sensation like a lifeline, I shifted a few more chunks of the former statue.

“Found it. But it’s... Yeah.” I frowned.

The third stone was much, much smaller than the previous two, and I could barely feel any power within it.

Damn it... I sighed. Oh well. I came here prepared for disappointment, right? And hey, at least there was a stone to find. That makes two for two. I just hope the third stone will be more powerful—and that it exists in the first place.

“Please let me find a really, really powerful stone,” I said, once again directing my request to my old friend, the sacred camphor tree. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”

But the last hot spot’s even farther away... Ugh, more running.

“I guess you’re fine, Light Blue, seeing as how you can fly and all. But Team Ai, are you guys still okay to keep going?”

Light Blue could fly even without using its wings, so I assumed there was some magic involved, meaning muscle pain probably wasn’t much of a problem. My canine companions had been running basically without pause since we’d set out, though, so I decided to give them a quick check for signs of exhaustion.

Well that’s weird. Why the hell does it seem like they’re less tired than I am? I’ve cast Heal more times today than I can count... Must be just my imagination.

“Or maybe I’m just worse than everyone else in every single way. Oh well! Statue number four, here we come!”

I set the monster stone loose once more and began the next leg of my marathon. I cast Heal more and more frequently, but the more I cast it, the less effective it became. Before long, it had almost entirely stopped working on my feet.

Three hot spots in one day was definitely a bad idea, but what else could I do? Poor little puppy...

“Come on, feet. Just a little farther, okay?! Heal!”

The aching faded slightly, but my feet still felt as heavy as lead.

Yeah, my spells are definitely a lot less effective than they were this morning. But this is the final stretch! If magic doesn’t work, I just need to rely on good ol’ grit!

Look at Light Blue, drifting like a cloud, not a care in the world... I wish I could just hitch a ride.

I sighed quietly. Though I’d avoided thinking about it until now, my Newer Power had been churning within me all day. The accompanying heat, which usually faded soon after I woke up, was still running high. That wasn’t the problem, though. Annoying as it was, I could handle a few extra degrees. The problem was, those few extra degrees became what felt like a few hundred extra degrees whenever I got too close to power other than my own—like that belonging to my friends, for instance.

I’d noticed it as soon as I’d entered the living room that morning and been surrounded by Koa and her pack. It felt like I’d walked into a furnace. Panicking, I’d rushed outside to cast Barrier after Barrier on myself. I’d managed to ward off the impending magical overload so far, but it seemed like I was just about at my limit—and until I could figure out a way to vent my excess power, I wasn’t going to let myself get too close to any of the others. It was why I was trudging along down here instead of kicking back for an easy ride atop Light Blue.

Yeah... It’s about time I started thinking about this seriously. Pretty sure there aren’t gonna be any gods showing up to help at this point.

A much bigger sigh escaped me.

I’ll do what I can to help the hellhound, and then it’s time to come up with a plan—before I end up hurting any of my friends.

204. Eggs and...Oversights.

What felt like an eternity later, we finally arrived at the third statue of the day. It was a really, really long journey. My Heal spell no longer provided any relief, and my legs and feet were screaming with pain.

I still have to go all the way back home too...

“What do you call this feeling? Despair? Yeah, that’s it.”

Ignoring the crushing sense of despair for the time being, I turned my attention to destruction.

Stupid statue... What, you don’t want to be demolished? Shoulda thought about that before deciding to take up residence all the way out here then! You’re only getting what you deserve!

“Shatter!”

Oops, I forgot to take a proper look at the pose first... Eh, it’s still mostly in one piece. So it’s got both hands clasped in front of it—praying, maybe? And the expressi— Aah! Ugh, stupid statue jump-scaring me with its stupid expression. I thought it was gonna be as indifferent as the rest of ’em, but those eyes... I don’t even know what’s so unnerving about them, but yeah, super creepy. Ugh. No way it’s praying with an expression like that. Maybe... Oh, gross—don’t tell me it’s casting a curse or something? Those idiots were behind this, so it’s definitely possible.

First there was the Magic Eye or whatever it was called, then the bone mountain, and now a mid-curse statue... There was something seriously wrong with those apprentices. I already said I’ve dealt with enough curses to last a lifetime, okay?!

The fourth of the apprentices’ art projects continued to crumble before my eyes. When the last chunk of rubble had finally settled, I forced my reluctant feet to move and began the usual search.

I hope this one’s more powerful than the last...

Thankfully, I didn’t have to dig through too much of the wreckage before I found my target, another black stone this time. I could sense some power contained within it, but the color itself made me recoil slightly. The first stone had been black too, but it had been a lustrous, somewhat pretty black. This stone, on the other hand, was a deep black—the kind of black that felt more like an absence of color than a color itself. Looking at it felt like peering into a bottomless abyss (or so I imagined anyway).

“You know, I never thought the day would come where I’d consider a damn stone to be repulsive...”

I pushed past my slight (okay, intense) hesitation and picked up the stone, sighing with relief when nothing happened.

There is some power in here... Not much, though. This is the right stone, isn’t it? Yeah, I’m pretty sure it is...

“This is it, right?” I asked, waving the stone in Light Blue’s direction. The dragon, who was already maintaining a noticeable distance, retreated another few meters.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Great. I can go home now, right? Yeah, I’m done for today.

According to my rough calculations, returning to the mountain from here would mean traveling another half of the distance I’d already covered.

Only half? That’s nothing! I can do that, no problem.

Sometimes, lying to yourself was the best option.

“I can do it!”

I just wanna get home as quickly as I can to help the poor little puppy... No, I don’t just want to. I have to.

Ignoring the way my legs and feet screamed in protest, I started to run—and nearly immediately called a time out.

“This is, without a doubt, the worst pain I’ve felt in my entire life.”

My Heal spells aren’t doing a thing anymore, but I’ve only been using mana. What if I try healing myself with Newer Power instead? It could be risky, though...

Closing my eyes, I analyzed the power within myself. The worrying heat had actually faded quite a bit en route to the final statue, and the Newer Power itself felt a lot less turbulent—enough to let me draw upon it, at least. However, I was worried that drawing upon it would simply kick off another round of agitation.

It’s not like I have many other options, though... Guess there’s only one way to find out.

I dispelled the Barrier I’d cast within myself to prevent me from accidentally drawing upon Newer Power and very carefully focused on what was probably a highly volatile form of magical fuel.

“Heal.”

All the pain and exhaustion vanished in an instant. I felt better than I had all day, and though I was itching to resume the journey home, I forced myself to remain still until I’d performed another self-analysis. My temperature had definitely gone up a few degrees, but thankfully it quickly began to drop again.

Phew.

“Great. Let’s head home,” I said, pushing off into a run.

Huh? My legs feel weird. They don’t hurt or anything, but... I don’t know how to describe it. They feel weird, but it’s kinda a good weird? I don’t really know... Hang on, I’m running really fast! Wow. I definitely wasn’t this fast before. I guess it’s a side effect of the Newer Power spell? I wish all unintended consequences were this helpful. I’ll get home much sooner this way! Lucky me!

After scanning for upcoming obstructions, I risked a glance up at the sky. The sun was beginning to sink behind the treetops, which meant I’d basically been running all day—but thanks to Newer Power, I didn’t feel tired at all now.

I kinda wish I knew what this power was exactly. It’s not mana or Higher Power, and it’s not whatever weird power the dog has either...

The mountain came into view a surprisingly short time later. As we entered the final stretch, I risked another few glances to examine Light Blue and Team Ai, who were keeping pace on either side. Neither the dragon nor the dogs looked remotely tired, despite me selfishly dragging them along on today’s extremely lengthy excursion.

“Y’all are just too damn tough.”

Unlike me, knocking back Heal spells like my life depended on it... Like, it’s pretty reasonable for a literal dragon to possess otherworldly strength or whatever... I just didn’t expect a bunch of random dogs to be just as tough, y’know? Parallel worlds are weird.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the heavily renovated mountain we called home. We passed the Farm Brigade along the way, who appeared to be getting ready for the upcoming harvest. Fields of vibrant green stretched out as far as the eye could see.

It’ll be another bumper harvest this year. Maybe they’ll let me help for once? After I deal with my current problems, of course.

Entering the house, I went straight to the living room. Flying Lizard was still sitting right beside the egg’s crib, apparently having not moved since I’d left that morning. In fact, I was pretty sure the dragon hadn’t let the egg out of its sight at all since I’d returned with it.

Flying Lizard seems a lot less nervous now, at least. That’s a relief. When the egg first appeared, it was watching the egg like it was a ticking bomb or something...

I approached the crib and carefully placed the three stones beside the egg. Going by yesterday’s trial, all I had to do now was wait for the power transfusion to take place. It didn’t take long for the process to start, and one after another, the stones transferred their power into the egg. The red stone was the first, with the egg immediately absorbing the red beam of power it emitted. The process repeated with the next stone, though the strand of light it produced was barely visible. The final stone I’d found was also the last to transfer its power, which came in the form of a black, inexplicably nauseating beam.

“Please let this be enough...”

Because I have no idea what I’m gonna do otherwise.

Anxiety rippled through me as I watched for any sign of a change, and I didn’t have to wait long. After the first transfusion yesterday, the transparent egg had gone slightly cloudy. The same thing was happening now, as the formerly crystal clear shell became more and more opaque, almost like frosted glass.

“Nothing to worry about, though, right? Yeah, I think— Oh, give me a break.”

The egg suddenly started changing color, and within seconds had turned pitch-black.

“It might still be nothing to worry about, though... Probably not, but I’m allowed to hope.”

Just like I’m allowed to hope that it’s not a demon egg, despite growing evidence to the contrary.

I’d caught a glimpse of the suspected hellhound just before the egg had turned entirely opaque, and I was pretty sure it had looked slightly less gaunt and breathless. Unfortunately I couldn’t see it at all now, so I had no way of knowing whether that was simply my wishful thinking.

“Oh well. I’ve just gotta hope for the best. I hope you’re feeling better, weird three-headed dog.”

Better than me, at least.

I was exhausted—not physically, thanks to the Newer Power-based Heal spell, but mentally. Gratefully accepting a cup of freshly brewed tea from Kuhi, I headed onto the deck for what I felt was a well-deserved rest. The warm tea was soothing as was the view—a wide stretch of orange sky that vanished behind the distant treeline.

I sighed.

Yeah, now I’ve really gotta start thinking about the future. I can’t keep waiting around forever for a god to show up.

“Honestly, I don’t think anyone’s even watching this place anymore.”

Six months had now passed since the hermit god had dropped by to explain exactly what I’d gotten myself into. I’d been marking the days on a piece of wood, so there was no mistaking it. Six months and three days had passed without any sign of the hermit god—or any god for that matter.

The hermit god’s info dump had been pretty overwhelming for me, which I thought was pretty reasonable given the circumstances. The stuff he’d told me defied the common sense I’d spent my entire lifetime carefully cultivating. I’d done little but sit there and nod while frantically trying to process the deluge of inordinately illogical information, which meant I hadn’t noticed some of the more questionable revelations until much later. For instance, he’d explained that the realmseeds—something the gods used to make new worlds—were stored in a place only apprentice gods could enter. It hadn’t occurred to me at the time, but now I was suspicious.

Why would something so important be stored in a place only apprentice gods could enter? Wouldn’t it make more sense to store them in a place apprentices couldn’t just waltz into? Sure, it could’ve just been a slip of the tongue... But it also could have been because the gods wanted a realmseed to be stolen.

Then there was the bit about needing to find a god to oversee this world. I didn’t have an issue with the concept itself, but the way he’d said it made me wary. My impression of gods was that they were meant to watch over us for protection or perhaps function as some sort of spiritual guide. There was just something about the way he’d phrased it that had made me feel like their definition of “overseeing” was closer to “observation,” like we mortals were simply animals in a zoo. And heck, maybe to the gods that was basically all we were—but the thought still made me uncomfortable.

It wasn’t just during the hermit god’s lecture that I’d overlooked things either. I’d missed something pretty important on my very first day here, during the failed hero-summoning spell. The apprentices had kicked up enough of a fuss to capture the hermit god’s attention, and he’d shouted at them for “daring to cast a summoning spell.” He’d known exactly what they’d been trying to do—which meant he also should’ve realized there was a very decent chance they’d already managed to summon some poor suckers. At the very least he should have checked. But no one had thought to search for me, not at the time of the spell or at any point thereafter. The three apprentices had noticed my presence, but a supposedly all-knowing god hadn’t. It didn’t make any sense.

I’d started feeling uncertain about a month after the hermit god’s appearance. I wasn’t quite sure what had sparked it, but I’d suddenly realized that a bunch of what he’d told me just didn’t add up. I’d reviewed everything I could remember from our brief meeting and ended up feeling even more suspicious. I could no longer tell whether the hermit god was friend or foe—and if it was the latter, I was doomed.

Accordingly, I’d spent the next few months pretending I simply hadn’t realized I probably now had a literal god as an enemy. I might have just been overthinking things, after all—and even if I wasn’t, I still wanted a bit of time to recover from my worldview being shattered. The hermit god had also said that a new god would be chosen to watch over this world, and if that role did come in a more observational form like I now suspected, there was a chance I was already being watched. Feigning ignorance was the best way to avoid catching the attention of my theoretical spectator. There wasn’t much point keeping too close an eye on someone who knew absolutely nothing, after all—and honestly, I’d still been holding out hope that the hermit god could be trusted.

However, as more time passed and I started reflecting on our encounter more carefully, there was one particular moment I kept returning to—the moment when he’d told me, “By all rights, you should be dead.” Specifically, it was the look he’d had when he said it. When I thought about it later, I’d realized he hadn’t looked surprised. He’d looked disappointed. In hindsight it was odd I’d missed it, but with everything I was trying to process at the time, I figured I could cut myself some slack. I couldn’t keep ignoring the truth forever, though. Upon realizing just how disappointed the hermit god had been, I’d had little choice but to assume he was definitely not my friend.

It was around then that Koa had suddenly attacked me as a result of mind manipulation by forces unseen. With a lot of help from the others I’d been able to stop her, but I knew I’d been lucky. If I hadn’t managed to stop her in time, it probably would have been a bloodbath. I’d spent a lot of time watching my friends play-fighting in the clearing, so I knew exactly how violent they could become. If they all went into it no-holds-barred, there probably wouldn’t be a world left by the time they were done. Thankfully things hadn’t ended in an apocalypse, but though I’d come out of the incident relatively unscathed, I’d also come out of it with another unnerving suspicion: It wasn’t that the hermit god simply didn’t care about this world. It was that he wanted it gone.

Finally, there was all the crap those apprentices had left behind. I could no longer believe the hermit god had genuinely failed to notice it all when he’d supposedly investigated this world. The apprentices were many things—idiots and bastards among them—but they also weren’t entirely clueless. They’d known how to create a world, for one thing, as well as how to corrupt the dragons’ power for their own purposes—and they were only apprentice gods. I found it hard to believe a fully licensed god would be dumber than an apprentice. He certainly should have been observant enough to notice a couple of literal angels and a three-headed dog. Plus, when it came to gods, the hermit god seemed to be on the “more important” end of the scale. He’d mentioned being involved in the process of selecting a new god to watch over this world—not something they’d let any old god do in my opinion.

I was sure of it now. The hermit god hadn’t overlooked anything—not accidentally anyway. He’d wanted those curses to activate. He’d welcomed this world’s destruction.

I didn’t know much about gods or how powerful they were, but I did know one thing: I wasn’t going to let this world go down without a fight. And so, if I was potentially going to war against a god, the first thing I’d needed was a more accurate understanding of my own capabilities. Was I as powerful as the hermit god had said, or had that been just another lie? I’d also needed to figure out exactly what I could—or couldn’t—do with the powers I had. In order to avoid attracting the attention of my potential omnipresent voyeurs, I’d had to be careful about my experiments, using my various powers for arguably everyday things to test out my full potential.

In the end, I was relatively sure the hermit god hadn’t been lying when he’d said I possessed an exorbitant amount of mana. I had no idea whether or not a mana-powered attack would have any effect on a god, though. My Newer Power seemed to be stronger, but it came with its own set of problems. I had to be very careful when using it, or else I risked losing control entirely.

“Although not using it seems to be just as risky...”

Sooner or later, a god—probably the hermit god—would visit this world to figure out why it hadn’t been destroyed yet. Of that, I was pretty damn certain. I might not be able to do much when that time came, but hopefully I’d at least be able to talk to them—provided they didn’t immediately kill me.

I just hope they come soon, before my Newer Power overflows entirely.

205. Rules, Restrictions, and...Unpleasant Revelations.

All I wanted was to spend my days living peacefully with my friends, but my rampaging internal power systems had rendered that all but impossible.

“I need to protect everyone, but what does that even mean? What do I need to do?”

Unfortunately, I wasn’t particularly smart, especially when it came to critical thinking. In fact, most of my problem-solving methods were just ideas I’d stolen from my mom:

When a problem arises, don’t do anything at first.

Know who your friends are and also who your enemies are.

No matter the situation, do what you can to buy yourself more time.

Try to remember everything you’re told, even if it seems unimportant.

Make sure you know exactly what it is you want most of all.

When you can’t act immediately, become an ignorant fool; do not think but simply watch—and by doing so, learn.

Do not make unnecessary enemies.

When you must act, you must first ensure you fully understand your limits and prepare your escape route should things go poorly. Running away is not the same as failing.

Those had been my family’s rules. Growing up, I’d heard them time and time again and had internalized them before I’d even entered school. They’d come in handy too—mostly in regards to work, but according to my older sister, they could be applied to one’s love life as well.

I never saw much benefit from them in my relationships, though...

In experimenting with both my mana and my Newer Power, my primary goal had been to determine what each could and couldn’t do. Mana was a pretty handy form of magical energy. It could be used for both attacking and defending as well as for powering virtually permanent Barriers, healing injuries, and alleviating fatigue. However, I couldn’t use it to fly. I yearned to soar through the skies like Koa and the others, but no matter how I phrased the spell, my attempts had all ended in failure. Weirdly, I’d still felt the mana being used up; it just hadn’t resulted in flight. As far as I could tell, the mana had simply scattered to the wind. My attempts with Newer Power hadn’t been any more fruitful, to my dismay.

“It’s like there’s something preventing me from casting certain spells...”

Teleportation (of myself, of course) had been similarly impossible. I was sure my visualization had been perfect—I’d lifted it straight from a famous anime—but just like with flying, any attempts had only resulted in my power being used up.

And speaking of restrictions... It’s the same with language, I thought, glancing at Kuhi and Usa.

The two beastkin kids spoke what I could only assume was the local language fluently, but only with each other. I couldn’t understand a word of it, which was why I’d guiltily started teaching them Japanese. It wasn’t like I hadn’t tried. I spent hours listening to their conversations hoping to at least get used to the sounds, even if I didn’t understand any of the words.

One of my high school friends had been ecstatic when he’d finally developed an ear for English after a few months living in an English-speaking country. But almost eight months had passed since I’d met Usa and Kuhi, and I still couldn’t even distinguish one sound from the next when they were speaking. It just went in one ear and out the other. I’d actually been quite annoyed at one point and had spent a solid week exclusively and intently focusing on their conversations but to no avail.

At this point, I was almost certain that something was actively interfering with my attempts to learn their language. I assumed the restriction was something that had been put in place to prevent humans and beastkin from interacting—but if so, it wasn’t a particularly well-thought-out plan. After all, I’d built a great relationship with Kuhi and Usa without understanding their language. Well, at least I thought we had a good relationship. From their perspective, hanging out with me was probably out of necessity rather than choice.

The same thing applied to Koa and the other animals. Based on my observations, it seemed as though all of the creatures could understand Kuhi and Usa, though the same wasn’t true in reverse as far as I could tell. Then there were the clay dolls. I was convinced they were able to understand both the beastkin and the animals—not completely, but to a decent extent. I was the only one languishing in linguistic limbo. I wasn’t really sure why, though.

If someone—probably the hermit god, or one of the apprentices—had wanted me to be a loner, surely they would have also prevented me from meeting Koa in the first place. It was possible that my language block was a post-summoning addition, but even then, if isolation was their goal, it still would’ve made more sense for the mysterious meddler to also prevent me from making any more friends—which they clearly hadn’t because I’d continued adding to my menagerie without any problems. Honestly, if it was an attempt at alienation, it was a very half-hearted one.

“So, broadly speaking, I’m being prevented from reciprocal communication and from using magic that would let me travel long distances—like leaving this world, for instance.”

But even if I could leave this world, where do they think I’d go? Back to Japan? I have no idea how I’d even begin to go about cross-world travel anyway. What a useless restriction... Well, at least I’ve figured out what’s going on. I’m not just crap at languages!

If I was somehow able to convey my current situation to the dragons—who as the “divine beasts” apparently fulfilled a rather important role in this world—I’d possibly be able to get their help in coming up with a solution. But it definitely wasn’t the kind of thing I’d be able to explain via gestures. I could barely convey even simple concepts as it was. Even if I miraculously did manage to explain my situation, there wasn’t any guarantee they’d be able to reply in any remotely comprehensible way. Plus, without knowing exactly how the restrictions placed on me worked, I couldn’t risk revealing my suspicions to any of my friends. There was a definite risk that telling them could prove fatal, and I wasn’t going to let myself put them in any more danger than they already were.

“I’m not sure anyone’s coming at this point, though...” I sighed. “I don’t have much time.”

My mana’s fine, but my Newer Power’s gonna blow before long. I’ve got too much of it stockpiled already, but every time I use it, it just gets more volatile. It’s almost like—

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

I didn’t want to think about the theory that had just crossed my mind for even a second longer, but I had no choice. It made perfect sense. I was a ticking time bomb in a world I couldn’t escape from, and had no way to warn my friends of the danger. If you wanted to torture someone who’d told you, “I’d just like to live peacefully with my friends,” it’d be hard to think of a better way than this.

“He’s going to use me to destroy this world. All my friends will die because of me.”

Anger flared up inside me. Pain rippled through my hands where they’d curled into fists, and when I glanced down, I saw I’d dug my nails hard enough into my palms to draw blood. If I was right, then the hermit god was truly a monster. I couldn’t be entirely certain I was right, though. As plausible as my theory seemed, I still couldn’t let myself jump to conclusions—not until I had some actual evidence, at least. It wasn’t time to act yet. I had to stay calm and come up with a plan.

But if I am right, I’m not going to let that happen. I’ll protect my friends, no matter what it costs me.

I let out a long, heavy sigh, but unfortunately, I didn’t feel much better at the end of it.

A warm wind suddenly swept over me, bringing me back to my senses. I lifted my gaze for the first time in what felt like hours to find myself face-to-face with Flying Lizard.

“What’s up?” I asked, somewhat shocked by the dragon’s unexpected appearance. Flying Lizard was always noticeably calmer than the other dragons, and I personally thought of it as something like the peacekeeper or the father figure of the draconic group. Basically, among the dragons, Flying Lizard was the one least likely to pop up out of nowhere and stare me down, which was exactly what it was doing now.

Is something wrong?

I returned the dragon’s stare with only minimal reluctance—and then suddenly I wasn’t looking at Flying Lizard anymore but at something else entirely.

What the—?

I blinked several times out of reflex, and just like that it was gone—but when I looked at Flying Lizard again, the image began to take shape once more.

Okay, what the hell is going on here? Is... Is Flying Lizard showing me this? Like telepathic communication or something? Ugh, I can’t tell what I’m meant to be seeing here! There’s too much noise! It’s getting clearer, though... What is it? Some kinda massive stone? But why the hell does it have a shimenawa around it? I mean, c’mon—a sacred rope? Really?! I’m pretty sure Shinto’s not the local religion here! Seriously, spotting a shimenawa was not on my bingo card for this world... So I’m guessing it’s gotta be a pretty important stone, right?

Trying to get a closer look at the image, I leaned forward only for the stone to vanish entirely. All I could see now was an unusually stiff Flying Lizard, who seemed to be inspecting itself nervously.

Crap! Did showing me the random stone trigger some kind of backlash?!

“Are you okay?”

Flying Lizard responded with one of its new throaty growls and jerked its head in my direction—a clear request for pats, which I was more than happy to give. The dragon’s eyes narrowed in pleasure as I brushed my fingers along its scaly brow.

Huh? I’m sensing a lot less power than usual...

All of the dragons possessed an insane amount of mana, and touching them usually felt kind of like touching an electric fence. Right now, I could barely feel anything coming from Flying Lizard. It wasn’t the same feeling I got when the dragons had recently depleted their mana either. It didn’t feel like Flying Lizard’s mana glass was half full but like half of the glass had been cut off and removed entirely.

Wait—did showing me that image do this? Because of the restrictions? That stone must be pretty freaking important if showing it to me cost Flying Lizard half of its power... If this really was a punishment for communicating with me, then there’s no way I can ask them for help. What if all of them had their mana stolen? I’d be leaving them defenseless.

“So trying to save myself would mean sacrificing my friends, huh? Ha ha... That’s just messed up.”

What’s so special about that huge rock, though? Sure, it looked pretty fancy with that rope around it, but are they seriously so desperate to hide it that they stole half of Flying Lizard’s power as punishment?

“Although, now that I think about it... That shimenawa looked exactly like the one around the sacred camphor tree near my old house.”

And when I was trying to come up with a way to counter the Magic Eye, that was the shimenawa I used for my visualization too... Is all of this connected somehow? No way...

“Well, connected or not, there’s definitely something important about that stone.”

206. Mizerost, Commander of the Fourth Knights Brigade (3)

I knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for an answer, paying no attention to the exasperated expressions of my subordinates.

“Still hard at work I see,” I said by way of greeting. “Any progress to report?”

I’d directed the question to the Entallian mage Amagahl, who ignored me entirely. The Empran mages working alongside him smiled awkwardly, already familiar with Amagahl’s ways. I’d been dropping by to visit him every day for weeks now and had been ignored on nearly every occasion, so I hadn’t expected anything different today. As always, I’d timed my visit to coincide with what most people would consider a reasonable time to stop working. My goal wasn’t only to check on his progress but also to remind him to rest—or to attempt to remind him anyway.

“Amagahl, it’s about time to wrap things up for today, don’t you think?” I suggested. As usual, I received nothing in return, and so I changed tack slightly.

“Are you hungry, Amagahl? Let’s grab something to eat.”

Nothing.

“Surely you need to sleep by now, Amagahl. Hmm?”

Nothing.

“Amagahl, let’s... Okay, enough of this.”

Giving up, I lunged forward and snatched whatever the mage was holding out of his grip.

“What are you doing?!” Amagahl raged, suddenly alert. “Who—? Oh, not you again, Mizerost!”

“Yes, me again,” I replied flatly. “No more working today, Amagahl. Not that there’s much of ‘today’ left at this point.”

Come on, let’s wrap it up.

“I’m nearly at a good point to stop...” Amagahl finally muttered, looking away.

“Not a chance. Last time you told me that, you were here well into the morning. I got a real tongue-lashing from His Majesty because of you,” I said firmly. I’d been fooled by Amagahl’s definition of “nearly” more than once during the first few days of his stay in Empras.

“They didn’t treat me like this back in Entall, you know!” Amagahl grumbled.

I simply shrugged. “If you say so.”

In reality, I’d already received a letter advising me of his usual “treatment” from one of Amagahl’s assistants back in Entall, which had read: During his research, Mage Amagahl needs to be treated as you would a very small child. If he refuses to stop working at a reasonable time, confiscating the toy he’s playing with tends to work quite well. Therefore, I knew his treatment in Empras wasn’t any worse than it had been in Entall, despite his claims to the contrary.

“I’m warning you, Mizerost,” Amagahl sneered, crudely attempting to make himself sound more threatening. “No one’s ever forced me to finish my work before I decide I’m finished, and you won’t succeed either.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Right! Let’s get this all packed away. We’re going to be late for dinner. Come on and get those hands moving, Amagahl.” Without waiting for a response, I started tidying up the scattered papers strewn over the table. I’d played along with his little routine enough times by now to know what came next: after a dramatic sigh, Amagahl would start packing up without another word of complaint.

Amagahl sighed dramatically and started helping me pack up without another word of complaint, exactly as I’d expected. The Empran mages had already begun tidying their own desks about halfway through our conversation.

He can be annoying at times, but he’s a pretty interesting guy... As long as you can get him away from his work.

Over a month had passed since the Entallian envoy had visited Empras and (with his permission) had left Amagahl, one of their best mages, behind to assist us in researching the Magestone. He’d been dedicated to his work ever since, but unfortunately we weren’t any closer to figuring out a solution to our problems. However, a few days ago he’d reported that the Magestone’s attempts to drain the mana of all who approached it had weakened significantly. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, though... That, he couldn’t say.

We finished tidying up in short order and set off toward the dining hall. Along the way, I asked him the same question as always. “Did you notice any changes today?”

“Hmm?” he replied. “Oh, that’s right! I did notice something.”

It was a far cry from the rote “no, nothing” I’d expected to hear. I wasn’t very hopeful that the “something” he’d noticed meant anything good, though.

“What was it?” I pressed after a slight pause, having taken a moment to prepare for the worst.

“One of the cracks has vanished. It’s repaired itself.”

“What? Shouldn’t that be impossible? Didn’t we cast all those wards around it to stop it from amassing the mana it would need to repair itself?”

“The wards are still firmly in place,” Amagahl replied. “And yet, it repaired itself regardless.”

“That can’t...”

But how? Where did it get the mana from? It couldn’t have drained it from the mages... Amagahl almost never takes his eyes off the Magestone. He’d notice it right away.

“I shouldn’t need to say this, but we’ve all been keeping our distance from the stone—myself included,” Amagahl added.

“I know. I trust you, Amagahl. We all do.”

“It happened a few hours ago. I suddenly felt a surge of strange power. It didn’t come from the Magestone itself, though, but from the mysterious rope around it,” he explained. “When the surge had faded, the crack was gone.”

The rope...

Our scholars were poring over every single report, document, and ancient tome we’d been able to get our hands on, but they’d yet to find any mention of the rope. We had no idea why it had appeared or what purpose it was meant to serve.

Maybe it somehow collected the mana and transferred it to the Magestone— Wait... He didn’t say mana, did he?

“Er, this strange power you mentioned...”

“I know not what it was,” Amagahl replied. “It was not mana, though. I am certain of it.”

I sighed.

Great. Another mystery to add to the list. What other kinds of power are there, though? Higher Power, like the gods supposedly wield? Well, whatever it was, our wards clearly did nothing to block it. Is there anything we can do?

“However...” Amagahl continued. “The power, whatever it truly was...” he trailed off.

“Yes?” I urged.

“I didn’t sense any hostility in it.”

No hostility...?

I must have looked very confused indeed, based on Amagahl’s exasperated sigh. “That is to say... Oh, I’m not sure how to explain it.” He paused again for a moment, frowning. “How do I put this...? It somehow felt kind.”

Kind? Now I really have no idea what he’s talking about.

Amagahl groaned. “For now, I don’t believe there’s much need to fear the power, nor the being it possibly came from. I didn’t get the impression they were our enemy.”

But if they’re trying to repair the Magestone, how could they be anything but an enemy?

“And as for the stone itself...” Amagahl shook his head. “No, never mind. I don’t truly understand it myself yet.”

Not a chance I would, then. Gunmilze isn’t going to be happy about this though. One more problem to add to the hundreds he’s already dealing with...

Amagahl glanced in my direction. “If I sense this new power again... I intend to try to engage with it.”

“What?!”

I’m sure we made you swear a vow that you wouldn’t do anything dangerous! Our relationship with Entall is precarious enough as it is. If anything happens to you while you’re under our protection...

“Entall won’t hold you responsible should anything happen,” he continued, as though reading my thoughts. “I have a letter attesting to the same.”

“A letter? Surely you don’t think I’m foolish enough to believe you’ve already written to and received a response all the way from Entall?” I asked doubtfully.

He nodded. “You see, the king of Entall understands my disposition quite well, Mizerost. He wrote soon after being made aware of my remaining here, stating I was free to do as I saw fit—and that he wouldn’t blame Empras should I die as a result of my research here.”

“Please don’t say such ominous things, Amagahl.”

“Sorry, sorry. Oh, doesn’t the soup smell delicious? I must say, you Emprans really know how to cook.”

We’d just arrived at the dining hall. The server on duty began dishing up our meals the moment we’d walked in, and before long, we were each carrying a rather generous tray of food. It did smell delicious. Amagahl hadn’t been wrong about Empran food, especially when it came from the castle’s dining hall.

After thanking the server and grabbing a spoon from the large box nearby, we searched for two seats. It wasn’t a particularly difficult hunt, given the hour; not many people willingly chose to dine at midnight, after all. A handful of the castle’s night-shift workers could be seen here and there enjoying their evening meal, but compared to earlier in the day, the dining hall was practically deserted.

“Don’t do anything dangerous, Amagahl.”

“It’ll be fine. I told you before, Mizerost. I sensed no hostility from that power.”

He did say that... But I can’t rely on his senses. It still feels too dangerous.I should stop him... But what if he could learn something by doing so? If there’s even a small chance, then— No. It’s not worth the risk.

Amagahl smiled. “Oh, don’t worry so much. I’ll withdraw the second I sense any danger. I’ve still got so much to learn after all—I can’t afford to die just yet.”

I sighed. “Fine. But I’m going to hold you to that, Amagahl. If you feel like you’re in danger, pull back immediately. And if possible, the next time you feel the power surge, send someone to find me before you start messing with it.”

“I’ll do what I can.”

Yeah... He’s not planning to send for me in the slightest. Probably too worried I’ll try to stop him... I’ll have a chat with the other mages.

207. Keep Calm and...Don’t Run Away!

By now, waking to the searing fever had become routine. It had grown hotter again today—enough to wake me several times throughout the night as well, which was a first. It spiked again as soon as I awoke, but quickly (and thankfully) began to lower.

I’m still okay... I’ve still got a bit of time.

Wait, there was something— Right, I feel like I heard a voice just before I woke up. Weird.

I sat up and looked around, but I was alone in my room.

Must’ve been my imagination.

“Ugh, it’s so hoooooot...”

I didn’t know what would happen when the Newer Power amassing inside me finally did go past the point of no return, so as a precautionary measure, I’d wrapped myself in what was by now probably hundreds of Barriers. There was a good chance they’d do very little to help when the time came, but it was better than nothing.

A few more minutes passed, and my fever receded enough to let me consider the idea of getting out of bed. I stretched out my arms. “Aah...”

[“...”]

“Huh?” I definitely just heard something. But... Yep, still no one here. Quick magic scan for caution’s sake... Nothing. Really weird.

[“...”]

Yeah, there it is again. It’s too quiet to make out what it is though.

I strained my ears and waited for a few minutes, but the sound didn’t repeat.

Might be a side effect of impending Newer Power overload or something, I guess? Or I’m just losing my mind. Either way, I’ll try to keep an ear out for it.

Twisting slightly, I reached to the top of the headboard behind me. The tattered notepad I grabbed had been shoved in the bottom of the bag I’d been carrying when I was flung into this world. After remembering its existence, I’d written out my suspicions on the truth of my new world in as much detail as I could.

Rereading those notes once more, I let out a heavy sigh. Now that I’d had some time to reflect on my theories, I’d started doubting how many of them were actually true. The hermit god’s words and actions had been inconsistent, but there were contradictions in some of my deductions too. The part about my Newer Power being the catalyst for the world’s destruction, though... I just couldn’t convince myself I wasn’t right about that part, at least—and I was pretty damn good at convincing myself to believe pretty much anything. Still, I knew that when people—especially me—were already anxious, they tended to assume the worst. I’d come up with some pretty plausible (albeit negative) theories, but now I needed to revisit my work with a clearer, calmer mind. However...

“So... How the hell was I planning to do this step, exactly?” I asked myself, frowning at the bullet point which said, “Gather information from all sides of the story.”

It’s kinda hard to gather information when playing charades is the height of my communication skills... Besides, how am I even meant to find out stuff about those gods anyway? Or the apprentices, for that matter. Yep, completely impossible. Did I have a plan when I wrote this down yesterday, or did I just decide the plan was tomorrow’s problem? Seriously...

I flipped to the next page, which simply said, “Heroes.”

Right, that was the last thing I thought of before I went to sleep. What was it the hermit god said? The reason I’m so powerful is because I absorbed the strength that should have gone to several individual heroes? Heroes, huh... I wonder if the restriction preventing me from leaving this world is actually something that gets placed on every one of these so-called heroes. Makes sense, when I think about it.

Like, you get yanked here without consent and someone chucks you a sword and tells you to go out and murder people or demons or whatever just to save some random villagers you’ve never met? Sure, they’ll tell you you’re saving the world, blah, blah, blah, but it’s still pretty damn ethically questionable if you ask me. I’d tell ’em no thanks. I have zero interest in finding out how it feels to kill someone with my own two hands. So what would I do? I’d try to run away, obviously—which is why they made it impossible for heroes to fly or teleport.

It’s a pretty nasty trick, but I wouldn’t put it past them. I mean, they’re already kidnapping a complete stranger and forcing them into a career as a murderous hero, so why not chuck a little imprisonment in there for good measure? Yeah, I might be wrong... But I also might be right on the money with this one.

Okay, that’s heroes done and dusted for now. So I’ll go back to thinking about the gods, I guess...

I’d overlooked something fundamental when it came to the gods—or rather, when it came to what separated god from man. For someone who’d been advised that they were no longer human I still possessed a lot of human traits. And with no evidence to the contrary, I had no reason to believe that my lifespan had been extended with my promotion to not-humanity. As a human, I’d live for approximately eighty years. The average lifespan of a god, on the other hand, was presumably all eternity. I’d been waiting six months for a god to show up. Six months was a long time for me, but to a god it had probably passed in the blink of an eye. My perspectives on time and even on what it meant to live were definitely very different from a god’s, so I couldn’t expect a god’s mind to work the same way mine did.

I’d overlooked something else too. The apprentices—being half-baked gods themselves—obviously knew the gods very well, whereas I didn’t. The hermit god had determined this world was safe despite it actually being riddled with problems. That highly questionable decision of his was one of the main reasons I’d concluded the hermit god wasn’t on my side. Thinking about it more critically though, it was definitely possible that by exploiting their intimate knowledge of the gods, the apprentices had somehow managed to disguise the stuff they’d left behind and thus allowed it to escape the hermit god’s notice. But if that was the case, it just took me back to the original question: Was the hermit god my friend or my foe?

I chuckled weakly. “Guess I just can’t help but want to believe in the gods, huh?”

I could feel the Newer Power growing more unstable with each passing day, and I was terrified. If I couldn’t figure out a solution soon, I was going to end up killing all of my friends. I’d probably be able to come up with some semblance of a plan eventually, but I could also admit that I was pretty biased as to what I’d choose to protect if the need to make a choice arose. What I wanted more than anything right now was allies I could actually speak to—allies who’d tell me to pull my head out if my selfish desires overtook my moral obligations. Truthfully, that was why—despite everything he’d probably done—I still kept trying to find a reason to trust the hermit god: He was the only being I’d really been able to communicate with since arriving in this world.

In the end, the hermit god’s alignment wasn’t the most pressing issue right now though. I was.

“Yeah, I feel like I’m running out of time. Gotta come up with a plan... Come on, think!”

Nope. Seriously, when has that ever worked? Okay, let’s just try to calm down a little. The first thing I need here is a little dash of rule number three: No matter the situation, do everything you can to buy yourself more time. I might not be able to completely remove the risk of going boom, but if I can figure out a way to take my Newer Power from “approaching overload” to “idly contemplating overload” it’ll buy me a bit of time. The most obvious solution would be to simply use some of it, but what can I use it for? I can’t cast anything too demanding, because that’s only going to send the rest of it into overdrive. But if I don’t get rid of most of it, I’m gonna go into overdrive... Why do both options have to lead to overdrive?!

“Well, I’m just gonna have to look for a third option then, won’t I?”

Yep, moping around in bed’s not going to get me anywhere. Rule number five: Make sure you know exactly what it is you want most of all. What do I want?

“I want to not die and to live a happy life surrounded by my friends.”

There was no point trying to act cool by saying something like, “I want to protect everyone from harm!” I just didn’t want to die—that was the plain and simple truth of it. Besides, as long as I was still alive, my friends would be safe too. Therefore my priority right now was finding a way to ensure my continued existence. The problem of the hermit god’s true alignment could wait. I’d probably find out the truth sooner or later without any effort on my own part anyway.

I should probably at least consider what I’m gonna do if he does turn out to be my enemy, though... I thought, glancing back at my notepad. Not that this is gonna be much help.

Frankly speaking, my thoughts regarding the hermit god were all over the place. I’d gone back and forth on his friend-or-foe status too many times to count, and that was just during the last few days. Yesterday, I’d convinced myself he was up to no good, but today I was once again trying to make excuses for his arguably ungodly behavior.

“Honestly, I never really thought of myself as being quite this wishy-washy...”

Was I always like this? I feel like I used to be a lot more cautious when it came to the important decisions, instead of bouncing between my options like a tennis ball. I wanna say I could take at least some initiative when push came to shove though... I want to say that, but I can’t. People’s personalities don’t change that easily. Yeah, I’m just overthinking things again.

“Good morning.”

“Wha— Oh, it’s you, Usa. Good morning. Sorry. I’m late for breakfast, aren’t I?” I replied apologetically. Apparently I’d been brooding for longer than I’d realized.

Can’t believe I left the kids waiting on me... I’m such a pathetic excuse for an adult.

By this point, my Newer Power fever had abated to the point that I wasn’t scared of spontaneously combusting mid-breakfast, so after getting dressed and chucking on a few extra Barriers for caution’s sake, I headed down to the dining room with Usa. When we walked in, I immediately spotted Momo and Sumire locked in another of their desperate bread-based struggles. Though I was accustomed to the daily phenomenon by now, I still wasn’t entirely used to the expressions they wore during the battle, which definitely couldn’t be described as angelic.

“Good morning!”

“Good morning, Kuhi. Sorry for the hold up.”

Kuhi looked puzzled for a moment, but then shook his head as though to say, It’s okay. I’d probably confused him with the “hold up” thing, but he understood the apology part well enough.

Flap, flap, flap, flap.

Apparently, our breakfast was to be accompanied by the sound of two baby angels flying back and forth overhead, one of whom—Momo—seemed determined to consume the entire contents of the basket of bread clutched in one of its tiny hands. Sumire, of course, was attempting to claim the basket for itself.

I’m not sure you should be flying and eating at the same time... Maybe I should stop them? Hmm... Oh, yay! Here comes breakfast.

A few One Eyes had just emerged from the adjoining kitchen with our meals in hand, distracting me from the ongoing air combat above. “Thanks, One Eyes,” I said. One of the One Eyes paused beside me and glanced up at Momo and Sumire. The next moment, it vanished.

“What the f—!”

Panicking, I looked up at the angels only to find a visibly dumbfounded Momo, basket in hand, staring at an equally dumbfounded Sumire, who was currently being restrained by a floating clay doll.

Am I seeing things, or did the One Eye just teleport?! Because it sure as hell looked that way!

I glanced at Flying Lizard, who was sitting in the corner of the room, still dedicated to its self-appointed role as the egg’s babysitter. The dragon was staring at the One Eye with what I was pretty sure was a mixture of shock and suspicion.

Yeah, I think I might’ve been right.

“Well, I already knew they could cast magic... Maybe clay dolls make for really good mages or something? Or they could be sorcerers too, I guess.”

What’s the difference between a mage and a sorcerer any— Okay, my bread just got stolen right out of my hand. Great. Yeah... We should probably stop watching before we end up as active participants in the bread wars.

“Usa, Kuhi, let’s eat.”

“Is okay?” Usa asked, looking up worriedly.

I nodded. “Yeah, it’s okay. The One Eyes have it covered.”

“Yay, breakfast!” Kuhi cried, rushing to his seat and looking at us with blatant impatience.

It was really easy to see the differences in their personalities at times like this. Kuhi was pretty good at not getting roped into things, and tended to prioritize food above all else. Usa was always kind and found it difficult to turn a blind eye when others were in trouble. Nea and Raki—their constant attendants—seemed to understand the kids’ personalities well enough to keep them out of danger, for which I was very grateful.

“Everyone here is really smart, huh? Not that I’m jealous or anything...”

Also, I can’t believe the One Eyes can literally teleport now... They grow up so fast.

208. Speed and...Reading?

“How much worse is this gonna get...?”

My fevers weren’t limited to the mornings anymore. They were starting to occur more and more frequently throughout the day as well. My condition was worsening on a daily basis—not too drastically so, but the decline was definitely constant. I urgently needed to figure out a safe way to vent my Newer Power. However, there was something else I needed to do first.

Four of the apprentices’ problematic Higher Power hot spots remained, and I had no idea how much danger they posed. There wasn’t much point preventing the world’s destruction at my hand only for it to immediately fall to ruin at theirs. After a cursory analysis of the various challenges I faced, I quickly decided to resolve my Higher Power problems first. Hopefully I’d be able to knock out the four remaining hot spots as quickly as I had the statues, leaving me free to tackle my imminent detonation.

My plan for the day was to cover as much ground as I could before my legs gave out. The first port of call on my hot-spot tour turned out to be a cave. It had the usual Barrier across the entrance, but I shattered it without any difficulty and headed straight in, making a beeline for the innermost chamber without paying much attention to my surroundings. My short search rewarded me with a somewhat luminous stone. It gave off a decent glow, but the lighting in the chamber was still definitely on the moodier side. I couldn’t sense much power coming from the stone either. Though slightly disappointed, I pocketed the stone anyway and made for the exit while keeping my guard up in case of retaliatory curses. To my surprise, nothing of the sort came, and I was safely free of the gloomy cave in no time at all.

Maybe this was like a backup hot spot or something? Or maybe they didn’t quite finish it?

The second hot spot of the day was another cave, virtually identical to the first.

Hopefully this one’s just as problem free...

It was not. After shattering the entrance Barrier, I headed along the long, unremarkable passageway for close to an hour with no end in sight. If I hadn’t known the cave housed one of the hot spots, I would have turned around a long time prior.

“I’m so bored...” I grumbled under my breath, pausing to look back in the direction of the entrance, which by now had completely vanished.

No point turning back now, though... Ugh.

About thirty minutes later, I let out a cry of relief as my monotonous surroundings finally began to change. The passageway came to an abrupt end as a door came into sight on the innermost wall. I was so overjoyed to see it that I nearly whipped out a victory dance, but luckily I caught myself in time.

“Huh. This door doesn’t have all the carvings, though. That’s kinda weird.”

Before me lay a simple set of double doors—a stark contrast to all of the cave doors I’d seen until now with their redundantly elaborate carvings and gaudy jewels. Shrugging, I tried the handle, which twisted without a hint of resistance. There wasn’t even a barrier in place. Swallowing my apprehensions, I pushed onward, only to find...

“Nothing’s here? Seriously?”

A quick spell illuminated my surroundings, but I still couldn’t see anything other than generic rock. I did a full lap of the cavern, knocking on the walls and scanning the ground for any secret levers that would reveal the cave’s secrets but found nothing. My mana-powered and Newer-Powered scans revealed just as little.

“You mean I walked all this way for nothing? All that time and energy wasted, and I don’t even get a sparkly pebble or something?”

It’s probably my fault for assuming every hot spot would have something in it, but still... Seriously? Nothing at all? Zip, zilch, nada? Why did the longest cave have to be the one with the booby prize?

My shoulders sank with what I personally thought was reasonable despondency, earning me a worried sniff from Koa.

“I’m okay, girl. Don’t worry about me,” I said with as much positivity as I could muster. “Let’s head to the next place.”

I mean, really, nothing is probably the best outcome I could’ve hoped for. It’s a hell of a lot better than bone mountains or eggs or coffins. Yep, gotta look on the bright side! Now I’ve just gotta head back down the passageway... The long, long passageway...

I sighed.

Well, at least I don’t have to worry about payback curses, since I didn’t take anything this time. Probably. Yeah, I’ll just take it at a run.

“Off we go, guys,” I said, pointing back the way we’d come. I was joined by Koa and Chai today, along with a few of whom I assumed were Kurou’s pups—though since a lot of the younger wolves looked exactly the same, there was a good chance my assumption was wrong. Fluffy rounded out my entourage for the day. As always, my bodyguards seemed alert and ready to rush to my defense at a moment’s notice. I took off running, increasing my pace after I’d confirmed everyone was following. The return journey took much less time, but no sooner had the light at the end of the tunnel entered my sight than I heard an ominous rumble coming from behind us.

“Huh?” I stopped short and spun around, only to spot a cloud of dust rapidly approaching from the innermost end of the passageway.

“RUN! Wall!” After checking to make sure the wall I’d visualized had appeared as intended, I followed my own advice and broke into a sprint. Koa and the others increased their own pace too, having realized there was rapidly approaching danger.

That’s just plain evil! If you’re still gonna put the stupid traps in then you should’ve at least left me something for my trouble, you bastards!

We didn’t stop running until we were well clear of the exit, then I watched warily as the entrance crumbled before I remembered to make sure everyone else had actually made it out first. To my relief, a panicked scan of my surroundings revealed everyone was safe.

Phew. Stupid apprentices... I didn’t even take anything this time, so what’s the deal with the cave-in?! Feels kinda unreasonable if you ask me!

“Cave-ins should only be allowed when I also get something out of it. This is just unfair.”

I took a moment to run through some improvised breathing exercises in an attempt to calm my nerves (and restore my patience) before setting off in the direction of the third hot spot. It was already getting dark. On top of today’s hot spots being spread out throughout the forest, I’d spent quite a lot of time inside the second cave (and for no reward for that matter). At this point, I probably only had about two hours until nightfall.

Guess the next hot spot’s gonna have to be the last one for today.

“All right, off we go!”

I glanced around as we ran. Both Fluffy and the assorted canines seemed to be in top form despite our earlier sprint through the cave. All of the creatures were excellent athletes. I was definitely the weakest (aka, the slowest) link in our group, and I suspected if they ran as fast as they were actually able to, I’d be left in the dust within seconds. The monster stone we were following was just as impressive in speed, but also had a remarkable talent for tracking. If not for the stone, these tours would take significantly longer.

After running for quite a while, the stone came to a sudden stop in midair. We’d arrived at our destination.

“Pause.” The stone fell to the ground, and when I scooped it up, I could feel it radiating a faint warmth.

I must’ve put a little too much Newer Power into the Location spell this time...

For obvious reasons, I always tried to be very careful when using Newer Power, but it was somewhat trickier to control compared to plain old mana.

Monster stones seem like they’re gonna be a great target to practice on, though, and without much risk either. I’ll keep at it and see if I can get this Newer Power of mine under control.

I had other things to focus on at the moment, though. We’d just arrived at the third hot spot of the day—well, supposedly. I couldn’t see any of the usual hot spot identifiers: no strange statues, no creepy caves, nothing.

Guess this one’s better hidden, just for a bit of variety...? Idiots.

“Detect.”

I’d searched the previous cave manually at first and had only belatedly realized just how dangerous a decision that had been. This time, I conducted my initial search magically, letting my Newer Power flow out of me just a little bit and using it to scan for traces of Higher Power. I’d visualized something like transparent tentacles when creating the spell—a pretty unpleasant mental image but one that had seemingly worked. My feelers soon picked up on something that was both invisible and dripping with Higher Power.

No time to spare, so I’ll just use a little bit of brute force, knock out hot spot number three, and then it’s time to head home!

“Shatter!”

The air around me shook, and a crashing sound echoed through the forest as the unseen Barrier collapsed. A flicker of movement to my right drew my attention to Koa and the others, who’d flinched in response to the unexpected commotion.

Crap, I did it again...

“Sorry, everyone. It’s okay, though—nothing to worry about.”

My collective comrades looked confused for a moment, but as the dust cleared to reveal the entrance to the cave, they quickly realized what I’d done and returned to their usual states of enviable composure.

I’ve got to remember to warn them next time. Yeah, I say that every time, but next time I’ll actually remember. Hopefully.

“Also, another cave? Really?”

If it’s another ridiculously long situation like last time, I’m gonna be really pissed off... Guess there’s only one way to find out.

“Let’s take a look, yeah?”

I noticed it as soon as we’d entered the passageway.

The air feels different here... Or maybe it’s the atmosphere? Either way, something’s different about this one.

We advanced with appropriate caution and soon arrived at another set of double doors, thankfully located significantly closer than within the previous cave.

“No over-the-top decorations on this set either...”

Does this mean I’m not gonna find anything in this cave too? Ugh... Okay, I’ll try the handle, and— Great. No resistance, no Barriers. I’m getting serious déjà vu here. Yep, preparing myself for disappointment...

As I swung the door open, a sudden flash of light illuminated the room. As I’d already resigned myself to the idea of another empty cavern, the unexpected lightshow caught me by surprise. I froze, waiting for the swift release of death. When the swift release of death didn’t arrive, I peeked through clenched eyelids to confirm that the light was just that—light—rather than a surprise attack.

With a sigh that was more like a whimper, I forced myself through the open door and into the chamber where I promptly froze in shock once more. The walls were lined with shelf after shelf of books. A fancy desk and matching chair sat in the center of the chamber, with the desk covered in messy stacks of paper.

“Er, so is this like a study or...?”

I’d been prepared to find nothing, not someone’s private office. Still reeling from the discovery, I stumbled over to one of the shelves and pulled out a book at random.

“Yep, can’t read it. Don’t know what I was expecting really.”

The letters weren’t from any language I recognized, and looked more like fat, wriggling worms than distinct, separate characters. The papers on the desk were written in the same alphabet. I systematically made my way along the shelves and through all the papers, but unfortunately, there wasn’t a single Japanese character to be seen. Next, I looked through all the desk drawers, feeling oddly guilty about it as I did.

There’s just something wrong about going through someone’s stuff, even if they are an evil wannabe god.

“Huh. Another book?”

The last drawer revealed a single, seemingly ancient book. I could feel the power radiating from it as soon as I picked it up. It was Higher Power—but it didn’t feel like the usual Higher Power traces left behind by the apprentices.

“It’s safe to open it, right? Like, it’s not gonna go boom or something?”

I don’t think that’s a thing that actually happens... It’s never happened to me before, at least. Yeah, I’m just overthinking things. I’ll open it... Why do I feel so uneasy about it now? Stupid brain, overthinking things and making me nervous for no reason. Okay, here we go.

“And...done!”

Fwoosh.

“Um... Aw, crap.”

A rush of power had burst from the book as soon as I’d opened it. I’d managed to use my own magic to push the power back into the pages, but apparently I’d pushed a little too hard. The book was burning before my eyes—well, more accurately, it had already turned to ash within seconds.

It’s really hard to control my magic with any real accuracy... I sighed. Oh well. I hope it wasn’t an important book.

209. Somewhere Above...

— A Conversation Between A God and Her Assistant —

“Do I have to do everything around here? Good grief...” I muttered, reaching for the next report. The detailed reports (of which there were many) each revealed yet another calamity requiring holy intervention. I read the newest report—and promptly threw it aside.

Each one is even more irritating than the last... Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.

“Excuse me, Lord,” came a voice from outside the room.

I groaned. “No. Don’t come in. Don’t leave any more reports. Just go away.”

“Your demands are heard, Lord. Unfortunately, I shall not be meeting any of them.”

“You’re utterly vexing, you know that?”

“Yes, I do. Anyway, regarding the recent appearance of those dozens of lost souls... I’ve finally identified from whence they came.”

“You did?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“An unnamed, previously unknown world.”

“What?”

He sighed. “I said, an un—”

“I heard you the first time,” I said, interrupting him.

“Then don’t ask me to repeat myself, Lord,” my assistant replied flatly.

This guy’s so stiff. And serious—he’s just too serious. How did I end up with him as an assistant again?

“The others begged me to take the role. They couldn’t work with you.”

“Don’t you know better than to read a god’s mind without permission?” I sniffed.

“I didn’t need to read your mind, Lord. It was written all over your face. And I asked you to stop throwing the reports everywhere, did I not?”

I groaned again. “I think it’s time for a break...”

“No, it’s quite clearly still time for work, Lord.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

An unknown world, huh... Who’s been causing trouble down there? Wait, weren’t there some apprentices who got banished recently? Come to think of it, I never heard exactly what they did... And their punishment was handed down unusually quickly too.

Speaking of punishment, I also never heard anything about what happened to their master. How strange. If they did something serious enough to warrant banishment, surely their master should’ve also faced discipline for the lack of oversight.

“Here,” my assistant said, dropping another sheaf of paper on my desk with an ominous thunk.

Another report... Surely he could just give me a summary?

“If I just gave you a verbal summary, you’d simply say I never told you anything when I came to check on your progress. I need proof of having given you the information, Lord.”

“How dare you? I would never—”

“History would disagree, Lord.”

“Oh, bother.” Still grumbling under my breath, I reluctantly flipped through the report.

This...

I huffed.

“Please remain calm, Lord. We don’t need another unprecedented catastrophe.”

“I know that. I am remaining calm.”

How foolish... So that’s why their master made sure those apprentices were swiftly punished? In hope that I wouldn’t learn of their crimes? To think I wouldn’t notice... The nerve of them, whoever they might be.

“And this human the report spoke of—is he another of my flock?”

“Yes. It seems he was dragged into their schemes inadvertently. His current form is precisely as the report describes.”

“The dozens who returned from that world—you said they needed more time, correct?”

“Yes, Lord,” my assistant replied. “However, I have faith they will be able to reincarnate once their vitality has returned.”

“I see.” I continued scanning through the lengthy report, until one particular line caught my attention. The human who’d sent the missing lambs back to my flock—it seemed there was actually a chance he was “no longer human.”

“Do we no longer teach the apprentices not to meddle around with the very fabric of mortal existence?” I scoffed, tossing the report back onto the desk with mildly more gentleness.

“At a brief glance, it might seem as though all is well within that world now.”

“At a brief glance, you’d be right. But this...” I sighed. “I’ve never seen anything more dreadful in all my millennia.”

I could feel the anger rising within me, a molten, roiling rage, and immediately began to force it back down. It was not the time for vengeance. If I were to lose control now, dozens of stars—dozens of worlds—would blink out of existence as a result. At times, having such immense power was incredibly inconvenient, for it came hand in hand with an immense need to keep one’s godly emotions in check.

I picked up the report again. A short time ago, dozens of lost souls had suddenly appeared within our heavenly realm, their spiritual essence nearly depleted. We soon identified them as members of my own flock, mortal children who’d abruptly vanished from one of the worlds under my care. Such a thing should not have been possible. I’d started hunting for them the moment they’d gone missing but had found no trace of the mortals. It was a failure on my part. Not only had they disappeared from right under my nose, but I, their assigned shepherd, couldn’t even find my missing sheep. I’d been watching over too many worlds at the time and stretched my all-seeing sight too thin, but it was a poor excuse. I’d failed them.

But then, those children had suddenly reappeared—not within their original world but within our realm, and with their spiritual essence so utterly diminished that I feared they were on the verge of vanishing from existence entirely. I wanted to touch their souls immediately, to probe the innermost fibers of their being and thereby learn of what had occurred, but I couldn’t. Souls wounded so deeply were fragile things, and could shatter completely even under the gentlest touch. I had no choice but to wait for their spiritual essence to replenish, and so, I’d waited. It had taken an unexpectedly long time—though in the grand scheme of things, it was no more than a fleeting moment—but apparently, my assistant had finally been able to peruse their memories without harming the children further. Those memories had formed the basis for the report I currently held, their experiences recounted in horrific detail.

“Have you pinpointed the exact location of this world?”

“Almost. We’re in the process of cross-referencing all the memories as we speak.”

“Inform me as soon as it’s done. I need to pay this world a visit.”

“Of course, Lord. However, I must ask that you try to control your anger. You wouldn’t want to make a bad impression.”

“I’ll try.”

My child... Is he still safe?

“What of the gods who were inevitably aware of such a blasphemous act? And the apprentices, where are they now?”

Such a crime should have resulted in the extinction of those apprentices, not merely their banishment. But an extinction order requires the signature of a higher god. Their master wanted to escape almighty notice... Come to think of it, one of those apprentices—he was one of his favorite students, was he not? Surely this isn’t his doing...?

“I will tell you as soon as we know, Lord.”

“Be quick about it. I worry for my child.”

The human (or possibly former human, if the report wasn’t mistaken) who’d returned those lambs unto my flock was himself another of my beloved children. If he was in trouble, it was my higher duty to assist in any way I could.

“Will you make the others aware of this?” my assistant asked hesitantly.

“I believe I must. I will reveal everything to my fellow gods. Perhaps this will finally convince them that the very act of summoning heroes is one of cruelty, not salvation.”

Most of the gods thought of heroes as a fundamental element of existence. They merely sat and watched as the summoned children suffered, as though spectating the “sports” some worlds seemed to enjoy. I thought otherwise. Hopefully, this crime—as terrible as it was—would allow me to prove to the other gods that the act of summoning a hero was a malevolent one, and that the “reward” it offered was nothing more than an eternal curse.

“Identify any god who was aware of this atrocity, regardless if they participated or not,” I continued. I’ll bring them all to reckoning.

My assistant sighed. “Just try to exercise some restraint, Lord.”

I scoffed. “Yes, yes, you have my word.”

“You’ll forgive me for saying this, but ‘your word’ isn’t something I’ve found to be particularly trustworthy at times like this,” he replied, eyeing me suspiciously.

“Really? And here I thought my words carried a certain weight,” I retorted.

He sighed again. “They do, of course... And yet at the same time, they don’t.”

How disrespectful.

I glanced down at the report again. The child of mine held a very strange power. But as to what manner of power, exactly? That, I could not begin to guess. The truth would have to wait until after the numerous problems he faced had been resolved, however. At this moment, his safety was my highest priority.

210. Fluffy, the Water Dragon (3)

— From the Perspective of a Lake-Dwelling Water Dragon —

“How did today’s expedition go?” someone asked, and I turned to see Flying Lizard. As usual, my kin was keeping a close eye on the Cerberus pup, though its gaze was less distrustful these days than it had been immediately following the egg’s arrival.

“I witnessed Master fail for the first time,” I replied.

“Master failed?” Flying Lizard replied incredulously.

“Indeed, though I can scarcely believe it myself. I think he simply misjudged his true strength.”

“Misjudged his strength, eh? That’s unexpected,” came another voice, this one more amused. It belonged to Light Blue, the wind dragon, who’d apparently just joined us. As always, I was caught off guard by its sudden appearance. Light Blue’s presence was as fleeting as the wind itself—and just as hard to grasp.

“I’m surprised you find it so amusing, considering such mistakes are seemingly your specialty,” I replied. Light Blue scowled in response.

“It must have been a stroke of bad luck for Master to make such an error,” Flying Lizard mused. “His control is usually impeccable.”

Flying Lizard was right. Master’s level of control was almost unfeasible to me and my fellow dragons. None among us could even dream to perform such delicate magic.

“I’m working on it,” Light Blue muttered grumpily. “My control might still be lacking now, but it is getting better with practice.”

I blinked in surprise. Though I’d heard it with my own two ears, it was still hard to believe that Light Blue would speak so willingly of something as commonplace as practice. After all, we were dragons; practice and training were not things that came naturally to supposedly divine beasts like ourselves. I couldn’t stop myself from sniffing in amusement, much to Light Blue’s annoyance.

“It’s not as though you’re the picture of control yourself, Fluffy,” it said scornfully.

“True, true... I make for a far better picture than you, though,” I replied.

“Only because you’re basically ancient!”

“We’re almost the same age!”

Forty or fifty years is nothing. Flighty fool.

“You two are more alike than you’d think,” Flying Lizard drawled to my great irritation, as it prompted Light Blue to glance my way with a snicker.

“I’ve never nearly destroyed a field because I lost control, have I?” I snapped back.

“That was—” Light Blue started to reply, but I cut in.

“Nor have I crouched behind Flying Lizard like some common rodent while hiding from the golems after such an incident,” I continued. Light Blue’s only response was a frustrated groan.

Ha! That’s what you get for monopolizing Master’s time a few days ago!

“What led to Master’s loss of control?” Flying Lizard asked, as though to bring an end to our bickering. Light Blue opened its mouth to say something, but thought better of it upon seeing the earth dragon’s expression. I averted my own eyes too. Among the dragons, Flying Lizard maintained a markedly greater sense of composure, and we all knew better than to test it—especially at times like this, when Flying Lizard’s gentle smile didn’t begin to reach its ancient eyes. Not wanting to incur the earth dragon’s wrath once more, I swallowed the numerous other insults I’d prepared.

I don’t think I could survive a repeat of the last time we invoked its anger... I shuddered. Even the memory was painful.

“It was a book—one left behind by those apprentices. It had been warded quite thoroughly,” I explained.

“Was it any different to their usual wards?” Light Blue asked.

I thought back on the incident. “I’m not sure to be honest. It didn’t feel any different.”

I hadn’t noticed anything particularly troubling about the book, nor the cave—at least, nothing more troubling than I’d come to expect from something those apprentices were behind. However, given that the book was ultimately another of their creations, I wouldn’t be too surprised to learn that the deceptively simple ward had hidden some manner of nasty trap.

“What became of the book?” Flying Lizard pressed.

“It turned to ash in seconds. It was an admirable display of power,” I answered.

“That’s our Master for you...” Light Blue responded, clearly impressed. I felt much the same. It had been quite moving to witness our Master tearing through the toughest of wards in the blink of an eye, as though it wasn’t even remotely difficult.

“This book, was it just a normal one? A journal, or something of that nature?”

“No, not quite. I believe it was a grimoire. I felt the arcane essence contained within it,” I replied.

“A grimoire...?” Flying Lizard replied, before immediately grimacing. “I see... I’ll never get used to that feeling. It seems strange that accessing our knowledge should feel so unpleasant.”

“I’ve tried everything to make it less painful, but nothing’s worked,” Light Blue agreed with a sigh before closing its eyes, presumably to contemplate the newly unearthed knowledge. Flying Lizard did the same.

Grimoires were books imbued with immeasurable power, bearing instructions for the creation of powerful ritual circles and other forbidden arts which demanded a blood sacrifice upon their pages. The words within would not appear unless the grimoire detected the presence of a being of suitable power.

I wonder what manner of knowledge that grimoire contained...

“What of Master’s condition? Did you learn anything new?”

I shook my head. “Not in the slightest. His wards are simply too thick for me to penetrate.”

“I see...” Flying Lizard sounded disappointed.

A few days prior, we’d all woken up to discover that Master had placed countless new wards upon himself, much to our confusion. We still had no idea why he’d suddenly felt the need to ward himself so intensely. Since we were unable to communicate with him directly, my fellow dragons and I had been taking turns to accompany him on his daily expeditions with the hope of discovering an explanation. However, we’d yet to come across even the slightest hint, and today’s adventures had been just as unfruitful.

“What of your endeavor, Flying Lizard? Any promising signs?” I asked. Flying Lizard looked down, shaking its head sadly.

Nothing on that end either, then...

Flying Lizard was intently searching for a means by which we could communicate with Master properly. It suspected the key lay within the immense knowledge we divine beasts possessed, but it had yet to come across the thought that would unlock said information, if it did exist in the first place.

“I still don’t understand why our decipher spells don’t work, though...” Light Blue muttered. “Every other spell we cast on him works perfectly well.”

I nodded. It was an understandable grievance, and one I shared. Flying Lizard had once healed Master’s wounds without any difficulty, and the other dragons and I had all cast wards upon him at one point or another. We could use our magic on Master—except when it came to decipher spells, it seemed.

“I suspect someone is preventing the spell from having an effect,” Flying Lizard said.

“What? Who would do such a thing? Who could do such a thing? And even if they could, why bother?” Light Blue rattled off, utterly bewildered by Flying Lizard’s suggestion.

I tilted my head, similarly confused. Who would gain anything from preventing our interaction now?

“Besides, now that those apprentices are gone, the only higher being who knows about this place is the old god who came here, right? I don’t think he’s behind this,” Light Blue continued.

“It can’t be just him, Light Blue,” I replied. “There obviously would’ve been a council of gods involved with punishing those apprentices, so they’d also have learned of this world’s existence.”

“Oh, right...” Light Blue replied, looking somewhat annoyed.

“Speaking of that god...” Flying Lizard mused. “Don’t you think his explanation of godhood felt a little dreamy?”

“Dreamy?” I repeated, frowning. I don’t remember anything dreamy about it...

Flying Lizard chuckled. “Perhaps idealistic is a better word.”

Ah, I see. Well, I suppose some of his opinions on what a god should be were somewhat rigid... I don’t think there’s anything wrong with holding on to one’s ideals, though.

“There’s nothing wrong with it in theory,” Flying Lizard replied when I shared the thought. “However, refusing to look beyond the constraints of one’s ideals often leads to tragedy.”

This time, Light Blue and I both frowned.

“I see I’ve confused you,” Flying Lizard said with a wry snort.

“Sorry, but yes, you have,” I replied. Light Blue nodded in agreement.

“It is a good thing to have ideals, and to work toward them,” the earth dragon explained gently. “However, if your ideals are too inflexible, you risk becoming unable to accept the existence of those whose ideals differ from your own.”

I see... That makes sense.

“What do you think might happen in such a case?” Flying Lizard continued, looking at each of us in turn.

“I don’t understand...” I replied.

“Me neither. I mean, the gods have laws, right? They couldn’t just kill someone, even if they didn’t agree with their opinions,” Light Blue added.

Exactly. The gods are forbidden from killing their subjects. Our knowledge tells us as much. But I feel like I’m missing something...

“You’re correct,” Flying Lizard acknowledged. “But say, for example, that one of your subjects faced certain death without your help. If you turned a blind eye and they died, would it be regarded as you having killed them?”

Light Blue and I joined one another in equally stunned silence.

I don’t... But that would mean... They’re simply watching and waiting for us to die?

“So I suspect.” Flying Lizard’s voice was heavy with sadness.

Just because Master doesn’t fit their ideals? It doesn’t make any sense. Gods shouldn’t act like this.

“It’s still merely a theory at this point, remember.”

True, we don’t have any proof. But I can’t shake the feeling that Flying Lizard is right...

“It would explain why our decipher spells haven’t been effective,” Light Blue murmured.

I nodded. Master’s power was unfathomable. No challenge, no matter how great, would pose any real threat to him—provided he knew of the challenge, that was. Without being able to communicate with Master, we couldn’t warn him of the threat. The reality of the situation we faced wasn’t something that could be conveyed through images either, even if we were willing to sacrifice the mana we now knew such an act demanded.

“No, this is a matter of words—and as long as we remain unable to speak with Master, we cannot allow ourselves to hope,” Flying Lizard concluded bleakly.

No. I won’t die for the sake of someone else’s ideals, and I won’t forgive anyone who seeks to kill Master either—even if they are a god.

211. Uncharacteristic Initiative...and the Final Problem.

Yeah... No matter how I think about it, there’s something weird going on here.

I knew my personality like the back of my hand—which made sense, really, considering it was just as much a part of me as my hands were. As pathetic as it felt to admit it, there was no denying that I was a massive coward. Like most good cowards, when faced with making a decision—no matter how insignificant said decision might have been—I’d always followed a strict process of finding out everything I could before making a choice. Spontaneity didn’t come into my decision-making in the slightest, and my lack of it had made me the butt of many jokes. Everyone I’d known back in Japan would have described me as indecisive, and I couldn’t really blame them for it. Unfortunately, my need to analyze every decision was hindered by the fact that I wasn’t particularly intelligent. I’d long given up on any idea of improving either facet of my being. Cowardice came as naturally as breathing to me, and I simply hated studying, so my IQ was pretty much a mathematical constant at this point.

However, the aspects of my personality I’d thought of as innate didn’t seem quite as inflexible when I reflected on the things I’d done since arriving in this world. If anything, my personality and my actions were entirely incongruous.

Seriously, where the hell did all this initiative and discernment come from? Like yesterday with the book—why did I go and open it without taking the time to examine it first? I never would’ve done anything that reckless back in Japan, but now look at me, opening books without a care in the world... The weirdest part of all is that I still feel like I made the right choice—turning it to ash I mean, not opening it in the first place. The old me would’ve been a nervous wreck right about now.

“It was me who decided to open it, right?”

Like, I’m not being manipulated by some shadowy mastermind or anything? I really don’t think so. I don’t have any proof, but yeah, somehow I’m one hundred percent sure that was all me. Why did I do it, though?

I sighed.

Just another mystery to add to the perpetually growing list, I guess... I feel like there’s gotta be some kinda promotion on unwanted problems right now. It would be great if they could come as a combo deal with some solutions, just saying...

“Maybe it’s nothing to worry about?” I wondered aloud, my voice dripping with unwarranted hopefulness.

I mean, my new personality hasn’t caused any harm so far, so why waste any time worrying about it? And when I think about it, the old me would’ve been useless here. I’d be curled up in a ball of fear and indecision on a near hourly basis. Not a very good survival strategy in a place like this. So basically, the new me is a good me—even if it is still a bit weird—and therefore, it’s absolutely fine to just stop thinking about it.

“Weird? Yes. Kinda creepy? Also yes. Beneficial? Definitely yes. Conclusion: No need for concern.”

It’s settled—nothing to worry about. Right? Right. Probably.

“Ugh... This stupid fever’s making my brain go all funny.”

[“...”]

Oh, great. Mysterious noises again, same as yesterday. What the hell are they?

[“... ...”]

I strained my ears, but couldn’t make out the words—if there were even any to begin with—no matter how hard I tried. Oddly, it felt like the noises were coming from somewhere closer than the day before.

[“... ... ...me?”]

Wait, I definitely heard something that time!

“Could you repeat that?!” I half asked, half shouted, straining my ears once more. Unfortunately, my request seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Aw, I think I scared them off. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything?

“Oh well. I’m sure I heard a real sound this time. Yep, definitely wasn’t just my mind playing tricks on me.”

That sound... It was a voice, right? And it sounded like it was asking a question. Hmm... Yeah, that’s nowhere near enough information to go off of. I’m just gonna put this one on the back burner until tomorrow and hope for a slightly longer clue.

“Besides, I’ve got enough to focus on today.”

After today, I’ll be done with those apprentices and their stupid junk once and for all. Okay, maybe there’s a chance more of their crap might pop up in the future, but I’ll be done with it for now, and hopefully once and for all. I can finally start dealing with some of my other countless problems.

“Starting with figuring out a way to safely vent some of this Newer Power...”

Still don’t know where I’m gonna begin to figure that out, but that’s tomorrow’s problem! The thought of tomorrow is getting less and less appealing, for some reason... Ugh.

“Nope! Can’t let myself think about the future! Take each day as it comes, or whatever!” I took a few deep breaths to clear my head. As far as today’s version of me was concerned, the only thing I had to worry about was the single remaining hot spot. With a few final encouraging thoughts to send me on my way, I headed down to the first floor for breakfast.

“Good morning,” Usa and Kuhi said in unison as I entered the room.

“Good morning, you two. It’s a bit cloudy out there today, isn’t it?”

“Clowny?” Usa replied, and I couldn’t help but laugh, her small error doing a great deal to improve my sinking mood.

“Cloudy. It’s cloudy,” I repeated, pointing through the adjacent window. Usa repeated the word under her breath while gazing up at the sky. Kuhi, on the other hand, was instead gazing wistfully at the food on display, apparently hungrier for breakfast than knowledge.

“Let’s eat, Usa,” I encouraged her gently. “We need to eat it while it’s hot, remember? The One Eyes worked really hard to make it for us.”

We took our seats. I glanced around, taking in the usual breakfast scenery. Flying Lizard was sprawled out asleep beside the egg, while the two angels were ecstatically shoving bread into their faces.

Those two really like their carbs, huh?

After breakfast I allowed myself a short breather on the deck, using the time to double-check the location of the final hot spot. Today’s journey would be the farthest of them all by a good margin, meaning I was unfortunately in for yet another long-distance marathon through forest terrain.

“All right, can’t put it off for much longer. Time to go— Huh? Oh, you’re coming today, Marshmallow? And, let’s see... Hey, Kurou and friends. Thanks for volunteering.”

Come to think of it, for someone who couldn’t set a paw outside of a snowy environment before, Marshmallow sure has been spending a lot of time in the sun recently. That’s fine, right? Just evolution or something? It gives Marshmallow more freedom, so yeah, I think it’s fine.

“We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today, but I believe in you! Try your hardest!” I said cheerfully. Marshmallow tilted its head in confusion, but I didn’t bother to rephrase the statement for clarity, mostly because the attempt at encouragement was actually self-directed. Digging out my handy monster stone, I focused intently on the image in my head.

“Locate.”

With the usual flash of soft light, the monster stone took off into the forest—

Shit! I wanted to revise the spell to make it slower! I thought, staring blankly at the rapidly shrinking stone. I guess this is where I’m meant to “try my hardest...” Ugh.

“Okay, we gotta go.”

I took off after the stone in close pursuit (well, as close as I could manage at this point) but unfortunately, it already had too much of a lead. Before I realized it, the stone had vanished from sight entirely.

Oh, god dammit! I’m definitely gonna remember to revise it next time, do you hear me?! Definitely!

At long last, the monster stone (which I’d needed to rely on mana-based scans to track) came to a complete stop. It only took me a few minutes to reach it—a little longer than it would usually take me to cover the same distance, but I’d been running at full speed for several hours, and I was the very definition of exhausted.

“Heal.”

Oh yeah, that’s the stuff... Ah, much better.

The monster stone had stopped in front of another kind of stone and a much, much larger one at that.

This is the stone Flying Lizard showed me, isn’t it? If not, they must be twins.

“Stop. And thanks—you did great,” I said, promptly failing to catch the monster stone as it plummeted to the ground. I awkwardly scooped it up and brushed off the dirt before pocketing it once more. The monster stones were helpful in many ways, but I’d relied on them even more than usual throughout this round of Higher Power cleanup. If not for them, I’d probably still be searching for statues.

“What the hell is this thing...?” I murmured to myself, craning my neck to look up at the giant stone. “And why can I feel so much power...?”

Higher Power exuded from the huge stone in tangible waves. For some reason, the apprentices had made no attempt to disguise their work here—and I didn’t like it one bit.

212. Rapid Attacks and...Really Slow Absorption.

I tilted my head, looking up at the stone—which, at somewhere between three to four meters tall, was actually more of a monolith. In a first for one of the apprentices’ creations, I couldn’t detect any barriers nearby. I briefly wondered if I’d taken a wrong turn, but while I couldn’t feel any barriers, what I could sense was the daunting reserve of Higher Power the stone contained.

Yep, definitely the right place. So... What’s the deal with the hunk of rock? Oh, maybe they were gonna use it to make another statue?

“Not that it matters to me either way! Boulder, you’re getting broken.”

And then I’ll finally be done. Okay, no problem. Just gotta picture it shattering into a thousand pieces, just like always. Visualize, aim, load with Newer Power, and...

“Shatter!”

Light poured from my hand and enveloped the stone in a soft glow—and then faded away without a trace.

“Er... What?”

My Newer Power disappeared as soon as the light did... Did this stupid stone absorb it or something? No, I can’t jump to conclusions. I’ll just give it some time... Okay, that’s enough time. So that didn’t work. Should I give it one more go just in case? Nah... I’ve got a feeling it’s just gonna end the same way.

I pressed my fingers against the stone. Contrary to my expectations, the smooth surface was quite warm.

Huh. I was never great at science, but I’m pretty sure most stones don’t produce their own heat...

I glanced upward. The trees merged to form a thick canopy overhead, and only a few thin rays of sunlight managed to pierce through the leaves. Whatever the source of the stone’s heat was, it clearly wasn’t the sun.

“So does that mean it is producing its own heat? Hang on—it’s not alive, is it? Ugh, a living stone... Creepy. Very creepy,” I muttered, taking a few steps back.

Newer Power didn’t work, so I might as well give mana a go. Let’s take this from the top. Visualize, aim, load with mana and...

“Shatter!”

An immense surge of mana cascaded out of me, and the next moment, my body felt like it was on fire.

Oh no. I think I’m in trouble.

I frantically tried to stop the flow, but it was too late. The mana I’d unleashed hurtled forward like an invisible wrecking ball and smashed into the giant stone.

“Urgh... Huh? How come I’m floating? Oh, Marshmallow’s giving me a ride... Um, what happened?”

For some reason, I’d awoken to find myself aboard Marshmallow as the dragon circled above the treetops.

I don’t remember boarding this flight...

I glanced down. Something beneath the trees caught my eye, and I squinted, trying to see it clearly.

What is—? Oh. Oh. The weird, giant stone... That’s right. It reacted as soon as my spell touched it. It lit up like a candle and I went flying. It was like a bomb went off... And that’s all I remember. Marshmallow must’ve saved me.

“Thanks, Marshmallow,” I said. Marshmallow twisted its head around to inspect me with one critical eye before letting out a throaty growl.

Huh. So you can growl too, just like Flying Lizard... I’m still learning new things about you guys every day.

The stone’s counterattack was crazy, though. Who knew stones were such formidable warriors? I think it was just wind, but that was dangerous—and it might not react the same way next time either. There’s no point preparing to counter a shock wave only for it to hit me with a tsunami or something... Aw, look at me thinking about things now instead of, you know, before launching my attack in the first place. I sighed. This new personality of mine is great most of the time, but it’s also a little too reckless.

“Okay, it’s time for take two—which is gonna start off with a proper look at this stone.”

A few gestures later Marshmallow was taking us back down, and I took the opportunity to check on the other members of today’s expedition team.

Everyone’s okay... Phew. I’m not sure I could live with myself if one of them got badly hurt because of me.

The canines might not have been injured, but they were very clearly worried. After we landed, I went around doling out plenty of pats to give them all a little boost of reassurance. It took a little longer than I’d expected, but eventually everyone seemed to calm down enough for me to move on. Making my way back over to the stone, I repeated my earlier experiment, brushing my fingers against the rock lightly. It was still warm. In fact, it actually felt warmer now than it had the first time.

Maybe it’s kinda like a chemical reaction, but for magic? Like, trying to send me flying into next week also produces heat? Hmm... Yeah, I don’t care. The only thing I need to be pondering right now is a way to turn this stone into dust. Although it might also be helpful to know what the point of this stupid stone is, I guess... Okay, two things to ponder. How do I even start though? I mean, I never conducted any surveys before smashing any of their other little projects. I guess I could try scanning the stone directly? Yeah, I’ll start there—and not just because I can’t think of any other ideas.

“Here goes nothing.”

After a few deep breaths to help me focus, I pictured a single, thin strand of Newer Power flowing out of the tip of my finger and into the stone, but I braced myself for another violent reaction. Thankfully, nothing came. I very carefully directed the strand deeper into the monolith, remaining tensed and ready in case of attack.

I guess it might be able to tell the difference between an attack and a perfectly standard magic probe... Nope, no more theorizing. I just need to focus on reaching the center— Wait, that’s weird. The stone is only around two meters wide, right? Surely I should’ve hit the center by now. It just feels so...deep. It’s like I’ve barely scratched the surface...

“Seriously, what’s going on here?”

A quick scan of the strand of Newer Power revealed it was already somewhere around four meters long, per my rough estimations—long enough that it should have already gone through the center of the stone and out the other side. Of course, I couldn’t even see the strand with my own eyes (much less measure it with any real accuracy) so I couldn’t be completely sure as to its length. What I was sure about, though, was that there was definitely something strange going on. My Newer Power continued to worm its way deeper and deeper into the stone.

Do I just keep going until something—Ah.

A strange sensation brushed against the end of the strand, and I paused in my penetration of the stone in favor of some cursory observation.

“Is my mind playing tricks on me again...? No, not this time. I’m sure I felt something...”

Steeling myself, I sent a tremor down the strand to move it just slightly and immediately felt an identical sensation rippling back toward me. It hadn’t been my imagination.

Okay, that’s the center located. Sweet. I’m not getting any “sudden counterattack” vibes from it either—double sweet. At this point, it’s probably safe to assume I’m not gonna get magically launched into oblivion as long as I don’t attack first, right? Cool. So... What comes next again? I suppose getting a better read on this huge condensed brick of power in here is probably a good place to start.

Er, let’s see... Well, it’s definitely Higher Power, for one thing. But... Huh. Not all of it belongs to those idiot apprentices—at least, I think it doesn’t. Higher Power mostly all feels the same to me, so I might be wrong... But if I’m right, it might mean there’s a fourth idiot involved here, or heck, maybe even a god. Definitely something to keep in mind.

All right, what am I gonna do about this Higher Power brick? Seriously, it’s like they put their power through a damn trash compactor... Shattering it was a no-go, and I’m nearly one hundred percent certain any other attacks I try will be just as ineffective. And dangerous. Definitely dangerous.

“So if I can’t attack it, then I need to weaken it. But how... Oh! Absorbing it should work!”

Yeah! I’ll just sneakily suck all the Higher Power out! It won’t destroy the stone itself, but it’ll only be as dangerous as the next random boulder once I’m done with it! Plus, absorption and attacking are completely different things, so I won’t have to deal with any counterattacks either. They... They are different, right? Yeah, absolutely. Cool.

Nodding to myself, I dug around in my pocket for the ever-reliable monster stone. It hadn’t led me astray so far, and I knew I could count on it now.

Now I just have to figure out how to get the power from that stone into this one... Hang on, can’t I just use the strand? Yeah, that’s probably gonna be the easiest way. A little splash of imagination is all I need to go from strand to straw, and boom: instant absorption.

The image I conjured up was as strange as it was simple—simple in that it was merely a monster stone using an incredibly long straw to suck up Higher Power like water, and strange for exactly the same reason. When it came to unusual solutions like this, the simpler my visualizations were, the likelier it was that the spell would actually work. In my mind, the compacted Higher Power became a wobbling bag of water, steadily decreasing in volume as the monster stone drank its fill. I didn’t dwell on things like how so much liquid was meant to fit inside the tiny stone or other problems of a similarly realistic nature. I just focused on the image I could create: stone, straw, suck, and problem solved.

“Absorb.”

The monster stone lit up with a faint and familiar glow. Unfortunately, the massive stone immediately did the same, though its glow was less “faint and familiar” and more “blinding and terrifying.”

Crap, it probably thinks I’m getting ready for another attack... What’s it gonna be this time? Another blast, or something else?

I dropped into a marginally protective crouch in preparation for the possible strike, and saw Marshmallow and the canines do the same. We waited like that for a good while, but to my immeasurable relief, the blast never came. Nothing came.

Both stones are still glowing, but nothing else has changed— Oh, hang on. There’s something connecting them. What is that? It kinda looks like a bit of string... Wait, seriously? They’re glowing because the spell’s actually working? Holy crap... I actually did it.

I started to reach for the stone, but quickly stopped myself as a vague sense of apprehension washed over me.

I feel like it’s somehow a bad idea to interfere with a live spell... No, not somehow. It’s definitely a bad idea. Well, no harm done, luckily for me.

My spell was working as far as I could tell. However, I was starting to doubt whether one little monster stone was going to be able to absorb so much power—and even if it could manage it, I wasn’t keen on waiting around to find out how long it would take. Luckily, I’d come prepared. A few minutes later, I’d managed to extract my backup supply of monster stones from the recesses of my infinitely spacious bag. There were about ten in total, thoughtfully prepared and packed by the One Eyes.

I’m so glad I didn’t forget my bag today... Okay, this should make things go a little faster. Although... I eyed the stringlike tether connecting the two stones critically.

“Why’d I have to make it so damn thin?!”

Like, I know why—it’s because I didn’t change it from “thin, unobtrusive probe” to “jumbo suction straw” when I cast the spell. I meant to, but I forgot. And now I’ve got a monster stone trying to suck up a motherlode of Higher Power, using what’s basically a long version of one of those flimsy straws you’d find on a juice box. Perfect.

“I’m starting to think I might be here forever...”

213. That Took Ages... Er, “Master”?

“I’m finally free...”

The last trace of Higher Power had just faded from the monolith. Monster stones lay scattered around it like flies around a bug zapper, and off to one side, a mountain of monsters—or more specifically, their carcasses—loomed. I’d run out of monster stones quite early in the process and had subsequently needed to rely on locally sourced options courtesy of my animal companions. Of course, extracting the stones had also left me with an excessive supply of carcasses, and while Marshmallow and the canines kept returning to the mountain to snack, they still hadn’t made much of a dent.

The patches of sky visible through the leafy canopy were beginning to lighten now. I had no idea what the exact time was (to be completely honest, I still hadn’t figured out how time worked in this world) but despite being temporally challenged, I could still tell that it was dawn.

That took a long time... Way too long. Stupid stony son of a—

I’d attempted to replace the thin straw with a thicker one at one point, my desperation to get home overpowering my fear of tampering with an active spell. As I’d expected, the attempt had backfired dramatically. My hand was still aching despite several courses of Healing spells, and I’d immediately vowed to never even think about revising a spell midcast ever again.

Wait a minute... Couldn’t I have just canceled the spell, adjusted the straw, and cast it again...?

I sighed.

It would’ve been really helpful if I’d thought of that sooner. Ha ha ha... I’m such an idiot. Anyway, moving on—I wonder how many monster stones it ended up taking?

I walked around the monolith, scooping up the scattered stones.

“Okay, let’s see. One, two... Forty-seven, forty-eight. Forty-eight, huh? Wow.”

And we only had ten to start... I glanced at the mountain of carcasses again, blinking in shock as I realized it had somehow become more of a monstrous molehill over the past few minutes. There were now only about eight carcasses left, give or take a few limbs—including the one Kurou was still gnawing on nearby.

I know Marshmallow’s big and all, but that’s still a pretty impressive effort. Horrifying but impressive. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve seen these guys eat raw meat. It does make the wolves seem a lot more, well, wolflike... The bloody fangs are a bit too much for me though. But then again, Marshmallow doesn’t have fangs, and watching it eat is even more terrifying. I still can’t believe it just swallows them whole...

I shuddered at the memory. Fear had rendered me frozen when the first carcass had disappeared down Marshmallow’s gaping maw, and it had taken a good few minutes before I’d been able to move again.

“Well, we’re done here. Let’s head home.”

That’s it! I’m finished cleaning up after those inconsiderate idiots! Now I can finally focus on some of my own problems! Ugh, I’m so tired...

I raised my arms over my head, stretching out my back in a way that was both painful and pleasurable. Before we left, I magically moved the remaining carcasses into my bottomless bag and performed a final check of the area.

“No problems here. Goodbye, creepy giant stone,” I said, turning in the direction of home—but as soon as I did, a wave of uneasiness washed over me. I spun back around, but couldn’t see anything to explain the uncomfortable feeling. It was the same scenery I’d been looking at for nearly a full day: a lonely monolith standing starkly in the center of a small clearing.

“Er... No problems here, right? Just like I said? Great.”

No visible problems, at least... Something feels off, though.

Another scan of my surroundings revealed nothing new, just the same random stone plonked in the middle of the otherwise picturesque forest.

“It’s the stone, I think?” I’ve demolished everything else those apprentices left, so the idea of leaving this one in pristine condition just feels kinda wrong. I’ve been able to destroy other things after draining them, so maybe this will work now?

I held out my hand. “Shatter!”

A crack appeared, and then another. I could feel the tug on my mana as the cracks continued to appear, spreading across the monolith like webs. Uneven chunks of stone began to cover the ground. Finally, a thunderous cracking sound shook the clearing, and the monolith was no more.

Okay, perfect—drained and destroyed, just like the rest of them. Now we’re actually done here. It’s just...

“Oh, come on. I turned the stone into gravel, so why do I still feel so uneasy?”

Well, I guess I still haven’t done my usual rummage through the rubble...

Grumbling under my breath, I took a few steps toward the former monolith—

“Whoa!”

—and yelped as the pile suddenly blazed with a blinding glow. The next moment, wind began to whip around me, seemingly originating from the rubble itself. I dropped into a crouch, shielding my head with my hands.

What the...? All the Higher Power was gone, so how is this even happening? Mana?! Did I ever scan the stone for mana?! Lemme just— Nope, no mana there. Which means... Screw it, I have no idea what this means. What the hell is going on here?!

The wind soon lessened to a light breeze, and the glow faded along with it. I lowered my arms and warily opened my eyes.

“It’s gone...?”

The large pile of rubble was nowhere to be seen. A quick scan of my surroundings revealed scattered branches and leaves, but no chunks of stone, which meant the wind wasn’t responsible for the clean up.

“So where the heck did it go then?”

I tried a wide-range magical scan next, but to no avail. All trace of the monolith had vanished. “Yep, definitely gone. Not even a single pebble,” I said with a frown, terminating my Location spell.

What am I meant to do now...? Not like there’s much I can do, seeing as how I don’t know where it went. Oh well. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

“It just feels a little anticlimactic, y’know?”

I feel like a good scream would cheer me up... Nah, better not. It would just make everyone worry.

I sighed. “Let’s just head home.”

It’s not like staying here will change anything. What’s done is done, and I did the best I could even if things didn’t go exactly as planned.

I just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep, but unfortunately, home was still several hours of sprinting away. I nearly cried when the mountain finally came into sight.

I’m so tired... There’s no way I can get anything done today. Yeah, I’m just gonna catch up on some sleep and start on my Newer Power problem tomorrow.

“I’m home...” I said feebly as I stumbled through the front door.

“Welcome home!” Usa and Kuhi replied in unison, greeting me with identical smiles.

Okay, now I feel like I’m home. Thanks, kids. Oh, Koa and Chai are here too. I feel just a little bit more relaxed whenever I see the two of you together... Well, you’re always together, so I guess I always feel a little bit more relaxed? Hmm...

Breakfast was ready, judging by the delicious aroma drifting down the hallway. Usa and Kuhi looked in the direction of the dining room then back at me with obvious impatience. I felt a twist of guilt when I realized they’d been waiting for me. I’d tried to tell them they were allowed to eat as soon as the food was ready—especially when I wasn’t at home—but with no success, thanks to the limits of gesture-based communication. I still needed to come up with a more effective way to communicate with the beastkin kids, but that was a problem for the future (and hopefully defused) version of me.

I made it through breakfast and a soothing cup of tea before reaching my limit and heading up to bed. I wasn’t doing too bad in the physical sense; the mysterious changes my body had undergone after I’d arrived here meant I could usually pull a few back-to-back all-nighters without much difficulty. But as always, the mental exhaustion was doing a real number on me, and I was ready to drop—so I did. Collapsing on my bed, I waited for the sweet embrace of sleep.

It didn’t come.

I just can’t fall asleep while the stupid stone’s still taking up space in my stupid mind... The other bit of Higher Power I could feel, the bit that didn’t come from those apprentices—I think that’s what was making me feel so uneasy. Actually, that was my first time sensing Higher Power that wasn’t of the idiot apprentice variety, wasn’t it? It wasn’t giving off particularly powerful or dangerous vibes, at least... But it still could be proof that there’s someone else helping the apprentices, right? But it could’ve come from literally anywhere else too, I guess... Ugh.

“All I want is a simple answer, just once... That’s all I’m asking for...”

I yawned. So sleepy... Finally.

[“Can you hear me? Helloooo?”]

Oh, for the love of— I was so close to being asleep!

“Er, yeah, I can hear you... Who are you, exactly?” I replied warily. The disembodied voice sounded rather cheerful, but that didn’t mean they weren’t an enemy.

[“You can hear me! So the sealing spell did fail—that explains why it glowed.”]

Why what glowed? And what’s a sealing spell? I’m so confused... Wait, are they talking about the rubble? But that would mean they were there...

“Are you here now?” I asked, sitting up and scanning the room.

[“Not in the sense you’re thinking of, no. But at the same time, I’m closer to you than anyone else.”]

I don’t get it.

“I don’t get it.”

[“I was crafted by your hand, Master. Your will is my command. I will follow any order you give.”]

Master? Orders? Er... What the hell is going on here?

214. Can This Wait? I’m Sleepy... Hang On, I’m Listening.

Oh, I only just noticed they’re speaking Japanese. It’s been ages since I’ve heard it spoken... It feels kinda nostalgic.

[“Can you still hear me, Master?”]

I can just play deaf and pretend this whole thing never happened, right? The thought’s pretty damn tempting...

[“Master? Helloooo, Master? Are you still there?”]

Okay, they’re way too cheerful, and I’m way too tired for this.

“Yep, still here.”

[“Oh, there you are. Excellent.”]

“Sure, whatever you say. Can we just circle back to the bit where you said I made you? I don’t remember making anything like...well, whatever you are.”

[“Ah, yes. I can see why you might be confused. To put it simply, my current form is the result of me availing myself of one of your creations.”]

Simply, my ass... So basically, I didn’t make you. You just went and made yourself, and I wasn’t involved in the slightest.

“Haaaah...”

Man, I just can’t stop yawning...

[“But it was when you sent me power that I truly became your servant. You are my one and only master.”]

Power?

“I don’t remember sending anyone any power.”

[“But you did, Master. There is no mistaking it. My consciousness was taken from me and sealed away so that others could use my power for their own gain—but you set me free.”]

I’m getting some serious déjà vu here... Oh, right. It’s basically the same thing the apprentices did to the dragons, which probably means—

“Those idiots again?”

Ha ha, my head feels all weird and heavy... Maybe I can take a sneaky micro-nap...?

[“You returned the power that they stole and used.”]

Can you even return used power? Well, even if you can, I sure as hell don’t remember ever doing it— Oh, except for all those counter-curses I cast. Yeah, I definitely remember thinking something along the lines of “send this junk back to wherever it came from” when I came up with that one. And since nothing bad happened, I just kept using it. I can’t believe it actually worked.

[“More and more of my power returned to me over time until eventually I was able to break through their seal.”]

Um, good for you? I guess? But, more importantly, who or what the hell am I talking to right now? Another dragon maybe? They’ve got a lot in common, like, er, stolen powers and sealed consciousnesses... Yeah, none of that’s really dragon-specific, is it?

“I have a question.”

[“Of course! You can ask me anything, Master!”]

Okay, now I wanna ask why you’re so damn happy...

“Are you a dragon?”

[“I could become a dragon if that is your desire, Master. However, my power is not great enough to do so right away, so it will take some time.”]

Wait, dragons are something you can become? I thought a dragon was a creature, not a career option... Not that I want to become one or anything! Although they are pretty cool... Hmm. Surely one more dragon wouldn’t make much difference...

“Hang on, what the hell am I thinking? Seriously...”

My brain feels like mush.

“So, what are—?” I paused, trying and failing to stifle a yawn. “Sorry. What are you right now, then?”

[“What am I? I’m a stone of course, adorned with the—shimenawa, I believe you called it? Yes, the shimenawa you envisioned for me.”]

A shimenawa? I feel like I’ve seen one of those recently... Oh, in the vision Flying Lizard sent me! Yeah, I was really surprised to see a shimenawa here, since— Hang on, did they just say I envisioned that shimenawa? Hmm... No, not ringing any bells.

[“Is something wrong?”]

“Nope, everything’s fine.”

Okay, so if shimenawa are meant to stop evil spirits from escaping, then, er... Oh, maybe I visualized one while I was casting a counter-curse, just for a little bit of extra security or whatever? I mean, it sounds like something I’d do... Can’t actually remember doing it, though.

Also, does this mean I’m literally talking to a stone right now? The same one Flying Lizard showed me? That’s kinda crazy. Well, I might not be able to communicate with any of my friends, but at least I can talk to stones now... Woo-hoo.

[“Master, what would you like me to do?”]

What would I like you to do? I don’t even know what the hell I should be doing here!

“Ah, right. Let me think— Oh, wait a minute! I haven’t even asked your name yet!”

Yep, I’ll just change the topic and buy myself some time...

[“I don’t have one, Master.”]

“Really? That’s kinda inconvenient.”

[“You can give me one, if it pleases you.”]

Me? Well, I do like coming up with names... I’m not very good at it, but I still like it. Plus, it feels like the right thing to do. I mean, I can’t just address them as Stone or something every time we talk. I’d feel mean. Okay, I’ll do it! So I want something stone-based—or maybe something to do with the shimenawa? Hmm... “Shime” means bind, and “nawa” means...

“Rope?”

Nope, scratch that. Terrible idea. I might as well call them String.

[“Thank you, Master. My name is now Rope.”]

Damn it. I said it out loud again, didn’t I?

“Er, I was actually talking about something el—”

[“I, Rope, am in your service from this day forth and forevermore.”]

Welp, I sure screwed that one up. I’m just so tired... I was already tired, and this is making it so much worse...

[“What would you like me to do, Master?”]

And we’re right back to the original topic. Great.

“Ah, right. Well... You could help me protect this world, maybe?”

Yep, that sounds reasonable—and my brain isn’t working right now, so it’s also the best I can do. Besides, it sounds like Rope’s pretty powerful. If I do end up going into meltdown mode, maybe they’ll be able to keep everyone safe...?

“Yeah, let’s go with that! Wow... I can’t believe I actually had a good idea.”

If this works—if this world and everyone in it won’t die just because I’ve gone out with a bang—then I’d die happily. Okay, probably not happily, but indifferently at least. Like, I’m not gonna give up on finding a solution, but now I have a contingency plan if worst comes to worst.

[“You’d like me to protect this world?”]

“Yeah, I’d like— No, I need you to protect this world, Rope,” I replied firmly, not bothering to explain that it was probably going to be me it needed protecting from.

[“Of course, Master! I will protect this world at all costs!”]

“Thanks. I’m counting on you.”

Like, really counting on you. Keep them all safe, no matter what it takes.

[“Your will is my command, Master. This world shall come to no harm.”]

Phew... I feel a lot better now.

[“However, I still lack the power to properly become this world’s protector, Master. If it’s at all possible...”]

I just need to give you some more power, right? That’s fine. I’m trying to off-load as much as I can at the moment anyway.

“Yeah, no problem. I’m not really sure how to send power, though...”

[“I believe you only need to visualize the power moving to me and then simply cast a spell—a teleportation spell should suffice.”]

Same as moving anything else around, then. The only problem is the visualization bit. Gotta make sure the power ends up going to the right place. What did Rope look like again? The image Flying Lizard showed me was pretty blurry. Hopefully this works.Okay, picturing Rope now... Such a stupid name. Who put me in charge of naming again? Seriously... If anyone here actually understood what the names I came up with meant, I’d be the laughingstock of the world.

Wait, I was in the middle of doing something... Oh, the power transfusion. Okay, so I need to visualize sending a bunch of my power over to Rope. No point being stingy, especially if they’re gonna help me protect this place. Yeah, I’ll send everything over—my mana, my Newer Power, all of it. Okay, that feels good... I think I’ve got it now.

“Teleport!”

[“Aah!”]

I dropped to my knees as my power drained away, leaving me instantly weak. A simple “Um...” was all I managed before everything turned black.

“Aaaaaaah... Wow, I haven’t slept that well in ages.”

It’s nice not having to deal with my inbuilt heating system for once. Can you get third-degree burns on the inside of your body? Because I sure felt like I was getting them. Not today, though. I wonder why?

I performed a quick scan on myself.

“Huh. That’s weird.”

Where did all my power go? I’m sure there was a lot more of it in here yesterday. Now there’s barely any. Did something happen overnight...?

Oh, now I remember! There was a talking stone with a shimenawa... Ugh. Rope. I named them Rope. I sent Rope a bunch of power... Probably way too much, now that I think about it. I hope Rope’s all right. I was so tired that I couldn’t really control the spell properly.

“Rope? Can you hear me?” I called out. There was no answer.

Crap, I hope I didn’t accidentally break the stone or something... No, I’m sure it’s fine. It was only Teleport after all. Rope’s probably just resting. I’ll just make sure to keep an ear out.

What did we even talk about last night? I feel like I’m forgetting something important... Nope, can’t remember a thing. Well, apart from the bit where I gave them almost all of my power. Oh, and I think there was something about me being the one who created that random shimenawa in the first place? I don’t remember doing that. Hmm... Wait, how were Rope and I even communicating? Telepathy? Hopefully I can figure out how that works, because I desperately need a recap of our conversation.

Okay! Bit of a weird night all in all, but I’m ready to start my day. So I need to find a way to safely vent my pow— Nope, never mind. Everything’s fine now. My mana and my Newer Power are both nice and stable. So that means...problem solved? Well, problem postponed, at least. It’s probably not a permanent solution, but it’s bought me some time.

Ha ha, I can’t believe I didn’t notice anything last night... I’m so oblivious sometimes. I basically got handed a new lease on life and immediately fell asleep. I kinda wish I’d savored the moment a little bit more... Oh well. Can’t undo what’s already been done!

215. Consternation and Conversations...

“Ah...”

I was outside, enjoying a cup of tea on the deck after lunch. Two days had passed since my conversation with Rope, and I hadn’t heard a peep from them since.

Maybe my power reserve dropped below the “telepathy capable” level or something? I’m a little worried...

“My bad.”

I should’ve found out where Rope lives before dropping the call. Wait, Rope’s a stone, so maybe “lives” isn’t the right word. Er... “is placed,” I guess? Anyway, that’s not important right now—and since I don’t know where to find Rope, I’ve got no choice but to sit around and wait for them to call. Ugh...

“I feel like I’m forgetting something.”

Oh, right! Rope was on the other end of my counter-curses, so they’re probably the “magestone” the hermit god told me about! Which means they’re probably somewhere in that stupid magestone-worshipping kingdom... And I think the magestone was being used by that stupid king to power his stupid spells, so he probably kept Rope nearby. What about now, though? The king’s dead, so he’s not casting any spells. His replacement—whoever it is—hopefully wasn’t stupid enough to leave something as powerful as a “magestone” just lying around... Unless the replacement king also wanted to use the power? But I feel like Rope would’ve mentioned something as important as that.

Okay, this isn’t getting me anywhere. I need more information. Ugh, why couldn’t Rope have reached out on literally any other night? It’s not my fault my brain was too fuzzy to ask the important questions!

“Oh well. Not much I can do about it now.”

I just hope everything’s all right. I did send over a lot of power. Hopefully not too much for Rope to handle...

Also, I really need to get a better handle on my new disposition before I get into serious trouble. I know it’s good to be spontaneous sometimes or whatever, but blindly accepting everything a disembodied voice tells me without batting an eye feels a little more like stupidity than spontaneity. The old me would’ve freaked out and thought it was a ghost... Nah, who am I kidding? The old me would’ve passed out thinking it was a ghost. No supernatural surprises for me, thanks! No ghosts, no ghouls, nothing that goes bump in the night... Wow, I really was pathetic. Like, depressingly so... Oh well. I still can’t believe I managed to hold a conversation with Rope where my contribution wasn’t just nonstop screaming. This new personality is amazing... Incredibly dangerous, but amazing. It’s sure as hell not mine, though.

I sighed. The recently discovered, recklessly inclined aspects of my personality were completely incompatible with everything I knew about myself. As strange as it was though, I didn’t actually feel too uneasy about my newly acquired impulsive side. It felt more and more like a natural part of me with each passing day—and that in itself was really damn creepy.

At this rate, I don’t have long before my “true self” gets swallowed up by my “new self” entirely... Ugh, gross.

“It just gets scarier the more I think about it.”

When did I first notice the whole personality transplant thing? I think it was... Huh? I can’t remember at all. That’s weird. I feel like it wasn’t too long ago... Was it around the same time I found Momo and Sumire? No, pretty sure it was a little more recently. Maybe when I found the egg? That’s not ringing any bells either, though... Something weird is going on here. My half-decent memory was basically the only thing I had going for me, so why the hell isn’t it working now?

“Oh, don’t tell me someone’s messing with my mind now...”

Nah, probably not. Who would go to all the trouble of messing around in my mind just to make me forget when I’d noticed? Seems like a massive waste of time if you ask me. I must’ve just forgotten.

I shook my head. “No, something doesn’t feel right about that either...”

Times like this called for thinking about things from another perspective—at least according to a random TV show I once saw.

Okay, so what would be a different perspective here? Oh! If I can’t remember when I realized, what about why? What made me realize something iffy was going on? Hmm... Looking back on it now, everything is ringing alarm bells. I’ve always been a certified scaredy-cat, but at some point I started acting without thinking. The old me never would’ve shattered an ominous statue without spending several sleepless nights contemplating every possible consequence first.

“So did I suddenly realize I was acting really weird, or...?”

No, I’m sure something triggered it—I just can’t remember what it was. Okay, I’m getting annoyed now. What’s up with my memory?

Frowning, I tried to recall some other recent events—but before I could, a sudden darkness yanked me out of reminiscing and into reality. I leaped to my feet and rushed down into the clearing, where Spider Boss, Shuri, and many of the other creatures stood frozen, looking uncharacteristically panicked. I nervously glanced up at the sky. The sun had almost vanished, with only a thin ring of light visible around the edges of what was now a pitch-black circle.

“What the hell is going on? A lunar eclipse? No, wait—a solar eclipse? Which one is it again?! Forget it, that’s not important right now! Besides... This isn’t an eclipse, is it...?”

I heard shouting from the direction of the fields, and when I squinted, I could faintly make out Usa and Kuhi sprinting toward me. Within seconds, the two beastkin were clinging to my waist, trembling.

“It’s gonna be okay,” I said calmly, ruffling their hair in an attempt to reassure them. I was about to suggest we all go inside when a tremendous boom sounded high overhead, like the sky itself had split in two. I moved on instinct, pulling them both close as I sank into a crouch, eyes fixed on the sky. Random flashes of light materialized out of nowhere like fireworks, each one followed by another earsplitting explosion. The flashes intensified and multiplied until the entire sky seemed to burn, and I had to look away. The explosions grew louder still.

I hope everyone else is okay...

It felt like an eternity had passed by the time the noises ceased, and it felt like just as long passed before the light faded enough for me to open my eyes once more. Looking around, I could vaguely make out Shuri and the others moving around the clearing, while some blurry shapes overhead seemed to be the dragons surveying the area from above. The sun had returned to its normal, blinding brightness.

“Are you guys okay? No... Of course you’re not okay,” I said gently, pulling Usa and Kuhi in closer. Usa was still trembling, her shoulders jumping with each violent sob. Tears streamed down Kuhi’s cheeks. “Everything’s gonna be fine though, okay? We’re safe.”

“Really?” Usa replied, her voice cracking.

“Really. Look—nothing’s changed. See? There’s nothing to worry about,” I said with a smile.

Please don’t let another round of fireworks start right now. She’ll never trust me again.

“I guess...” she replied, still sounding unsure.

“Usa, everything’s fine! Besides, if anything does happen, Master will protect us!” Kuhi added confidently.

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Kuhi,” Usa agreed. She’d stopped crying now, and I could see a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

I scratched them both behind their ears a few more times for good measure, and sent the pair inside once I was sure they were both okay. They both looked a little nervous at the thought of leaving my side, but thankfully, Team Ai immediately rushed over to accompany them.

“Take care of them for me, Ai.”

“Of course, Master,” Ai replied. Two of the others—Nea and Raki, I was pretty sure—nodded too. After seeing them off, I made my way over to the center of the clearing, where the other creatures had assembled. Koa moved aside to make room for me as I approached.

“Does anyone know what just happened?” I asked.

“No, Master,” Koa answered, glancing up at the sky. “No one here has experienced something like this before.”

Fluffy landed beside her with an oddly delicate thump. “There’s nothing similar anywhere in our knowledge either.”

Their knowledge...? Right, the dragons have some weird shared database or something. Nothing in there, huh?

“I see...”

So we’re clueless, basically. Well, whatever happened, I hope it’s not gonna cause too many problems...

“Marshmallow and Ball of Wool are investigating the forest from above as we speak, but is there anything in particular they should be looking for, Master?” Fluffy asked, and I frowned. Without knowing exactly what had just happened, it was hard to know what they needed to keep an eye out for.

“Let’s see... I’m not sure, to be honest. For now, just ask them to look for anything that wasn’t there this morning.”

Knowing my luck, it’s probably those apprentices again... Oh, but if it is them, I should be able to find some evidence of Higher Power.

“Detect.”

My spell swept through the forest, searching for any trace of Higher Power. Weirdly, the sensation was much smoother than usual, like my mana was gently brushing each leaf and pebble as it danced past.

It’s never felt like this before... Or maybe it has? I can’t really tell... Well, never mind. I’ve got more important things to focus on right now.

“I can’t feel any Higher Power within the forest’s boundaries,” I explained.

So does that mean the apprentices aren’t behind this for once?

“What shall we do, Master?” Fluffy asked.

“We’ll stick with the same plan for now. Ask Marshmallow and Ball of Wool to keep their eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary,” I replied.

There’s always a chance they figured out how to hide their Higher Power somehow.

“Understood. I’ll inform them at once,” Fluffy answered.

“And stay safe!” I added as the dragon took flight.

If anything new has popped up somewhere, those guys will find it before long.

“We’ll search the forest from the ground, Master,” Spider Boss said. It dashed off without waiting for my reply, and the other spiders followed.

“Just be careful!”

“We’ll do the same, Master,” Shuri added. Like the spiders, the ants didn’t bother waiting for my reply before taking off in the opposite direction to Spider Boss.

“If something feels dangerous, run away! Don’t do anything risky!” I called out after them, receiving a few waves in response.

Honestly...

I sighed. “I thought all our problems were over now... Did I miss something?”

A flash of movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I glanced toward the fields to find that the Farm Brigade had split into two squads—one to patrol the perimeter while the other continued tending to the crops.

Their reaction speed is seriously amazing.

“Everything okay over there?” I called out.

[“Nothing to report.”]

I frowned. The clay doll had relayed its reply directly into my mind, just like they always did. But for some reason, it felt different today—wrong, somehow. I couldn’t figure out why, though.

“Seriously, what’s the matter with me today?”

Why do I feel so weird? Sure, there was the whole thing with the sun, but everything else is business as usual, right? Right...?

“There’s nothing weird about all of this, is there?” I asked the Farm Brigade doll.

[“Er... I don’t think so,”] it replied, its little head tilted in confusion.

Nah, something’s definitely wrong here. I just can’t figure out what...

I looked around uneasily. My gaze quickly landed on Koa and Chai, both of whom gave a short growl of acknowledgment when they noticed me.

“Hang on— Speaking! That’s it! We were just speaking!”

How the hell did it take me so long to realize that?!

216. Mizerost, Commander of the Fourth Knights Brigade (4)

“What?”

My subordinate sighed. “As I said, Mage Amagahl hasn’t slept in three days, Commander. Please do something about it before he works himself to death.”

I could feel a headache coming on. I’d personally escorted Amagahl to his chambers every night, but foolishly, I hadn’t even considered the possibility of him sneaking out as soon as I left. His work ethic was astounding—admirable, even—but that didn’t mean I could allow his midnight wanderings to continue.

Ten days had passed since we’d first observed the most recent change in the Magestone’s behavior: It now shone at random intervals, each time accompanied by a strange, almost inaudible noise. I’d been present for the phenomenon several times myself, as had most of the Empran mages. Amagahl, however, had coincidentally been absent on each and every occasion—something that was as unlucky for him as it was for me, given the trouble it was causing. I’d overlooked the first few all-nighters he’d spent watching the Magestone, but eventually I’d had to order him to get some rest (despite his endless protests) out of concern for his health.

I mean, the man’s over seventy years old! He needs proper rest, even if beastkin are stronger. And now I find out he’s been sneaking around behind my back...No wonder he looked so pale today, the fool.

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I’ll sort it out.”

I sank into my chair the moment the door closed behind him, sighing heavily. “It’s just one problem after another these days...”

I need to deal with Amagahl before he drops dead... How, though? The man won’t listen to reason. Do I need to sit beside his bed all night?

I shuddered. “Anything but that.”

Hoping a walk would inspire me—or at least lift my mood—I left my office behind. The tense atmosphere that had hung so thick in the castle’s hallways had faded in recent weeks, as Empras’s relationships with the other kingdoms nearby had improved. Rumors of the assistance we’d received from the Forest Lord had spread across the lands, and our neighbors now regarded us with a slightly kinder eye.

If not for those rumors, we’d probably be at war by now...

The threat of famine was now little more than a distant worry, which had also done wonders for morale. The Forest Lord had removed the excess mana from our soil, and our fields were now fertile once more, with our crops kept well-watered by the countless rivers now flowing out of the forest. Reports indicated that the upcoming harvest would be more plentiful than we’d seen in decades.

“And we owe it all to the forest...” I sighed. “Maybe one day they’ll stop rejecting my proposals, and I’ll actually be able to meet the Forest Lord and the monarchs...”

Just one little reconnaissance mission! That’s all I’m asking for! Maybe I should plead my case to Gunmilze directly... No, that won’t work unless I can catch him alone, and Gujee never leaves his side these days. I could definitely win Gunmilze over, but Gujee will never agree, the stubborn bastard.

And speaking of stubborn bastards... My inspirational walk ended abruptly when I realized I was standing before the entrance to the Magestone chamber. Amagahl... I need to convince him somehow, but he won’t listen to a word I say. Maybe I could tie him up? Nah, he’d probably just escape within seconds.

I’d received explicit permission from Entall allowing the use of ropes and other such restraints on Amagahl. Apparently, it was one of the more common methods they employed when dealing with the temperamental mage. I’d questioned the Entallian knight at the time just to be sure, but he’d only repeated himself with a terrifying smile.

What the hell could Amagahl have done for them to come up with the idea of restraining him like a rampaging monster... Never mind. I think I answered my own question.

Also, what’s going on in there? I hear shouting...

I quickly went inside. “Did something else happen?”

“Ah, Commander—the Magestone, it glowed again,” one of my men answered. “And Mage Amagahl, he’s...” he trailed off awkwardly, and I looked around for the man in question.

Ah.

“Leave it to me,” I said, fighting to hide my reluctance. In reality, my instincts were screaming at me to stay as far away from the mage as possible. Unfortunately, dealing with him was my responsibility—a responsibility I couldn’t shirk, despite the fact that he was currently rubbing his cheek against the Magestone with a sickening grin.

“I’m seeing things. Just my mind playing tricks on me... Right, it’s just an illusion...” I muttered to myself, though based on their awkward smiles, some of the mages nearby had clearly also heard my poor attempt at self-assurance.

Well, at least he got to see it shining for himself.

The gleam seemed brighter this time, though the accompanying noise was still just as unintelligible. The sound reached me easily, but it was warped and distant, like something heard while submerged underwater.

“Mage Amagahl, I think it would be best if you stepped away from the Magestone. You seem a little too excited...”

“Oh, don’t speak such nonsense, Mizerost! Excited?! Of course I’m excited! Just look at it! This Magestone, the very one that was used to wage war on the forest, it, it... Oh, just look!”

Of course, I could understand his excitement (to an extent, at least) even if I didn’t share it. The Empran Magestone had been an instrument of the darkest kinds of magic for centuries, but the brilliant light it shone with now was undeniably pure in nature. The sheer kindness it emitted was so tangible, even I could feel it. Legend spoke of a rare variety of magestones capable of miraculous acts of healing and of salvation from the most hopeless of situations. Those magestones had been known by many names through history, but most common among them was “the guardian stones.”

“I am looking, Amagahl... Unfortunately...” I sighed. “At least tell me you’ve figured out what the sound is.”

To my great relief, Amagahl stopped nuzzling the stone at my question, stepping back to inspect it with a look of deep concentration. The near instant shift in focus was impressive, even to me. Vague feelings of admiration toward the mage welled up within me, but I quickly forced them back down. After his ridiculous behavior just moments prior, it would take more than a mild display of self-control for me to let myself regard Amagahl with anything remotely approaching respect.

“I have not. However, I have sent for someone who I believe might be able to assist.”

Huh? Who?

My confusion must have been evident on my face, because one of the adjacent mages immediately chimed in. “He sent for Ahse, Commander.”

Ahse?

Ahse—Gujee’s friend and a former slave—possessed a rare type of magic. Because of his abilities, Gunmilze had reluctantly appointed Ahse as one of our mages. Gunmilze’s reluctance was not born from distaste or fear toward the beastkin but from a desire to avoid forcing the man into a different kind of captivity mere weeks after he’d escaped the first. He’d had little choice, however. It was the safest decision for both Ahse and Empras.

What could Ahse possibly do here, though?

“Excuse me,” came a voice from the doorway.

“Ah, Ahse! That was quick,” Amagahl replied, all but sprinting toward the newcomer. It was hard to believe he was over seventy years old most of the time, but even more so at times like this, when challenged with a new mystery about his beloved magestones.

“Wah! Er, I mean, of course. Is... Is there something I can assist you with...?” Ahse asked, smoothly recovering from his initial involuntary scream. I couldn’t fault him for it either. Amagahl’s serious expression was terrifying enough from a distance; having him sprint toward you while wearing it would tear a scream from even the bravest man.

“Yes, there is! Please, listen! You can hear it, correct? That sound?” Amagahl replied with ferocious enthusiasm.

“Um... Ah, yes. I can hear it...”

I don’t understand... What could Ahse know that Amagahl doesn’t?

“Oh!” Ahse cried, and I jumped. “It’s almost the same sound—the same thing I heard when the Forest Lord saved me...”

What?!

“I knew it!” Amagahl shouted gleefully.

What do you mean, you knew it?!

I frowned in confusion. “Amagahl... Start explaining, right now.”

However, no sooner had Amagahl opened his mouth to respond than the Magestone started shining even brighter, sparkling like sunlight on the water’s surface. Brilliant light flooded every corner of the room, and my eyes snapped shut as tears began to pour. Even with them closed, a world of radiant white was all I could see. It wasn’t the first time I’d experienced sudden and inescapable blindness. Absent this time, however, was the crushing fear that had accompanied the phenomenon each time it had occurred during the previous king’s reign.

“Amazing, simply amazing...” Amagahl said, his trembling voice seeming to echo through the room.

The fact that he can react to a situation like this with “amazing” is pretty damn amazing in itself... What a strange, strange man.

Eventually, the world beyond my eyelids began to darken, and I slowly opened my eyes, blinking until some semblance of regularity returned to my vision.

What just happened?

“Ah! The Magestone!” My eyes flew to the Magestone at Amagahl’s shriek, then widened in shock. Jagged chunks of the stone were tumbling to the ground in quick succession. For a moment I thought the stone itself would disintegrate within seconds, but then realized only the stone’s surface was crumbling, like the shell of an egg. After the last few fragments had clattered to the floor, I found myself looking at a slightly smaller Magestone, faintly blue in color and completely unblemished, without a crack or chip to be seen.

“It’s repaired itself... And the Magestone, it...?”

“Magnificent! You witnessed it all yourselves! My friends, you surely agree that this is most intriguing. Who knows when another such transformation might occur? I must keep observing it all day!”

Like hell you will!

“Amagahl...” I said, the warning clear in my tone. “It seems you didn’t get much sleep last night, hmm? Nor the night before, nor the one before that...”

Amagahl froze for a moment before he replied. “I... I slept perfectly well, Commander. You escorted me to my chambers yourself, did you not?” He stared at me, eyes brimming with a mixture of innocence and excitement.

Obviously, he was lying. However, I also knew Amagahl quite well by now, which meant I also knew there was no reasoning with him when he had that look in his eyes. Once he’d set his mind on something, the man was as stubborn as solid stone, and there was nothing I could do to convince him otherwise. I’d already tried and failed too many times to count.

I sighed. “Fine. You can remain here, but you still need to sleep. If anything happens, the others can wake you right away. Do you understand?”

“Surely you don’t expect me to sleep when—”

I cut him off. “Or would you rather I wrote to Entall and asked them to send a doctor for you?”

Amagahl let out a strained squeak. “Ah, no need! Yes, I shall sleep here. Excellent idea, Mizerost. Please wake me the moment anything occurs! Good night, everyone!”

Honestly...

“Threaten to send for his doctor” had been one of the strategies Amagahl’s assistant had advised me of in his letter, but I hadn’t expected it to be particularly effective until I’d employed it for the first time. His assistant had also recommended actually sending for the mysterious doctor, but I’d held off on doing so thus far. I didn’t know who this doctor of his was, but I wasn’t particularly sure I wanted to find out—not when Amagahl reacted with such fear at the mere mention of him.

Well, he’s sleeping now... Or pretending to, at the very least. I’m definitely going to need to keep an eye on him all night, though... I sighed. Can’t someone else babysit him for a few days? I guess not, considering every man I tried to send in my place came back crying within the hour... Yeah, definitely not.

217. What’s Going On Here?! ...You Did This?!

“What do you mean, Master?” Koa asked. Both she and Chai looked deeply confused.

Weird. This is very, very weird. Why aren’t they panicking like me? Maybe they haven’t realized yet? I guess it did take me a while to notice...

“Er, don’t you guys think it’s strange that we’re even having this conversation right now?” I asked, trying to jog their memories. At this point, we’d spent nearly two years locked in the endless struggle of attempting to express ourselves. There was no way they could have simply accepted our sudden loquacity without batting an eye.

“This conversation?” Koa repeated slowly. “No, I can’t say I do... What’s wrong, Master?”

Seriously? Not even a little bit?

“This is the first time we’ve been able to speak to each other properly, right...?” I continued, feeling more and more confused by the second.

“Of course it isn’t the first time we’ve spoken. Have you forgotten? Master, are you unwell?”

It... It isn’t?

“Chai? What about you...?”

“It’s just as Koa said, Master. We’ve spoken many times.” He paused. “Something isn’t right here. A manipulation spell perhaps, or something similar...”

They look so worried... There’s no way they’re lying, but what’s the alternative? Is there something wrong with my memory? Nah, that can’t be it. It’s not like I could’ve forgotten two years’ worth of conversations. So I guess that leaves us with the mind-control option...?

“No, I don’t think so.”

Okay, I gotta stay calm. Panicking’s not gonna get me anywhere. Deep breath. Relaxing thoughts, relaxing thoughts... That’s a little better. So if this isn’t the first time we’ve spoken, when was?

“Koa, do you remember when we had our first conversation?”

“Our first one? It was when we met, of course. I shouted at you from behind, remember?”

The day I got dumped here? She did sneak up on me, but she didn’t shout at me. She growled, and I nearly peed myself. So we’re remembering the same encounter two different ways...? Something very weird is going on here.

“Master?”

Master? Oh right, they’ve been calling me that the whole time. I guess that’s their name for me? Ha ha, I can’t believe it took me so long to notice. Although it doesn’t actually feel wrong, now that I think about it—almost like I’m used to it or something... Which is weird, because I’m pretty sure I’d remember having a nickname like Master of all things.

A chill ran down my spine.

What the hell is going on here?

“Master, are you okay? You’re very pale.”

Calm down. Calm down.

“I’m okay. Sorry. Just got a little mixed up, I think.”

Everyone else seems to think us conversing is perfectly normal, so maybe someone has tampered with my memories... Who, though? And why? And— Ugh, my head... Yeah, I think it’s time to move on for now.

“So, anyway... Any idea what happened with the sun earlier?”

From my perspective, I’d gained the ability to communicate immediately following the unexpected fireworks show. The timing was hard to ignore.

If those fireworks were packed full of mind-control chemicals, it would explain why everyone else now thinks this is normal. Or maybe it is normal, and I’m the only one who got brainwashed... Or maybe there’s no brainwashing going on here at all, and there’s a completely different explanation?

“I’ve never seen anything like it before. I’m sorry, Master,” Koa replied apologetically.

She sounds so sad...

“Don’t worry about it! You didn’t do anything wrong, okay?” I said firmly, reaching out to scratch her behind the ear. “Chai, have you noticed any of the others acting strangely since it happened?”

“Acting strangely?”

“Yeah, like maybe they seem confused? Or upset?”

“Not that I noticed, no. I checked on everyone as soon as the commotion died down, and they all seemed fine—a little shaken of course, but not worryingly so.”

“I see... What about injuries? Did anyone get hurt?”

“No, Master. Thankfully, no one was harmed.”

My shoulders sank as a mixture of relief and frustration washed over me. Obviously, I was glad to learn everyone was safe and untroubled, but it also meant I was the only one among my rather large family who felt like something was off.

It’s really just me... I thought, clenching my fist to suppress the urge to scream in frustration.

“That’s great to hear, Chai. Thank you.”

So no one knows what the hell those fireworks were, and either I’ve been brainwashed or everyone else has... Is this all another of those apprentices’ idiotic schemes? Hmm... Oh, how the hell am I meant to know?! Screw it. This is pointless. I can’t think clearly like this.

I forced myself to breathe, again and again, desperately trying to stop myself from trembling. I couldn’t let my friends see me fall to pieces when they were already so worried.

“Master, Usa and Kuhi have settled down. They seem to be doing well,” Ai said, returning from the direction of the house.

“Thanks, Ai. I knew I could count on you,” I replied, thanking him with both words and a hearty dose of pats.

Stay calm. I don’t need to think about it—not yet.

“Of course you can, Master. I’d do anything for you,” Ai replied, eyes closed in apparent bliss.

I smiled. “I know. I still want to say thank you, though.”

I was happy. As weird and upsetting as the whole thing was, I’d still gained the ability to communicate with my beloved friends—or that was how it felt to me at least, even if everyone else seemed to think we’d spent the past two years chatting up a storm.

Once Ai was satisfied, I put a little distance between myself and the canines and performed another forest-wide scan, searching for the slightest hint of anything unusual. Like the first, my second search produced a complete lack of results, to which the canines responded with obvious relief when I reported back. There wasn’t much to do now but wait for the dragons, spiders, and ants to return, hopefully bearing an explanation of some kind—and so, I dragged myself upstairs to my room and collapsed on the bed, utterly drained.

I just don’t understand... Why would someone tamper with my memories? What’s the point? That random fireworks display definitely had something to do with it, but even if that explains how it happened, it doesn’t explain why. As soon as all the explosions died down, I could communicate with everyone—and I didn’t even notice it at first. It just felt normal... The same way the others still seem to feel about it.

I shuddered. “Whatever’s going on here, I really don’t like it.”

Okay, so this whole thing started when the sun went dark, and then there were a lot of flashes and explosions. Wait... There was something else too... Power. I could feel some kind of power. It wasn’t Higher Power though, was it? And it wasn’t mana either. It felt familiar though, kind of like... Oh. Like my power. Like Newer Power.

I placed my hand on my chest, gently reaching toward the power somewhere within.

“Yep, that’s basically what it felt like.”

So is there someone else with the same power as me in this world? Or maybe one of those idiot apprentices went—

[“MASTEEEEER! I’m back! Also, I’ve seized control of this world!”]

“What the—?! Rope?! You nearly scared the sh— Hang on, what did you just say?”

Ow... Telepathy works long-distance, you know! You don’t need to shout! My poor ears... Also, I feel like you just said something ridiculously terrifying... Oh well. I was feeling pretty gloomy before you showed up, and it’s not like terrified is much worse than gloomy.

[“I seized control of this world, Master! With the power you gave me, it wasn’t hard at all! I can’t thank you enough.”]

Oh yeah, that happened. I was a little worried I might have overdone it, but I guess Rope’s fine. Phew.

[“Master, can you hear me?”]

Right, they said something about using that power for... What was it again? Seizing control of the world?

“Ha ha, as if. Never! It’s preposterous, simply preposterous.”

[“Master, are you okay? You’re speaking rather oddly.”]

Of course I’m not okay! How could I be okay after you’ve just shown up spewing absolute nonsense?! Ugh... I seriously don’t wanna get involved with this, but somehow I feel like that’s not really an option... Okay, so Rope’s seized control of this world. Cool. Um... What does that mean, exactly? They control everything that happens here?

“Wait, seriously?”

I can’t think of any reason they’d be lying, but still... It’s just hard to believe. Hang on, does that mean Rope might know what the deal was with those fireworks earlier?!

“Rope, a few hours ago, the sky went dark and then there were all these flashes and sounds...”

[“Oh, right! I used the power you gave me to get rid of any unnecessary burdens placed upon this world, but I didn’t realize it would cause such a show! I did it because it seemed like you wanted to be able to speak with your companions... Did I do something wrong?”]

I took a deep breath. “So basically, the fireworks weren’t the culprit... You were!”

[“The culprit?”] Rope repeated innocently.

The reason the power felt familiar is because it was my power. And they did it just so I could chat to my friends...? I guess you can do whatever you want when you’ve seized control of the whole damn world...

I laughed weakly. “Ha... That was definitely not the explanation I was expecting.”

[“Master, are you sure you’re not unwell? You seem very tired. Did something happen?”]

Tired? Yep, sure am. I’m exhausted. Right, they said something about getting rid of “any” unnecessary burdens placed upon this world... I feel like I should probably find out a little more about what else thatincluded, but I don’t have it in me right now. Just let me give my poor heart a little break first...

218. Not Quite Godly... Definitely Scary.

[“Did I do something wrong, Master?”] Rope asked, sounding worried, probably because I’d just slid off the bed and onto the floor in a puddle of defeat. I felt a little bad about worrying the sentient stone, but I didn’t have the energy to reassure them either. Today’s events had left me emotionally impaired. Obviously, I was overjoyed at finally being able to talk with my friends, but I wasn’t sure the trade-off—having a completely different set of memories than they did—was worth it.

“I was so scared...”

Not being able to trust my own memories had been terrifying, and repeatedly going back and forth between conviction and doubt had nearly driven me crazy. If not for the new confident and reckless personality I’d acquired at some point, I probably would have lost my mind.

Though I suppose having two personalities is already crazy enough in itself...

[“Master, I feel as though I might have overstepped...”]

“No, it’s fine. I can actually communicate with everyone now, and that’s the important thing.”

Especially if—or most likely when—we get a repeat of something like what happened today. It’s gonna be so much easier to deal with all the unpredictable crap that pops up here now we can all communicate properly.

“Thanks, Rope.”

[“Not at all, Master. I just wanted to repay some of the generosity you’ve shown me,”] the disembodied voice replied, sounding relieved.

“I do have one question, though—why did you make my memories different from everyone else’s? I got a little confused, to be honest...”

Okay, very confused.

[“Huh? Your memories? Sorry, Master, but I’m not sure what you’re talking about...”]

Wait, what?

“Well, my... No, hang on. It’s like everyone else... Oh, how do I explain this? Okay, so everyone else seems to think we’ve been able to talk to each other right from the very start, but from my perspective, we only started talking today. Why do I remember things differently?”

[“I’m not sure, Master. I am not capable of magic as intricate as that of which you speak. I simply cast an ongoing conversion spell to allow you to communicate freely with anyone you deem necessary.”]

Seriously? That’s it? Just a universal conversion spell? Huh... It seems a little crude, but it’s working well enough, I guess. I’m not sure using me as the basis was the smartest decision, though... Oh well. It’ll probably be fine.

“So you didn’t mess around in my memories then? Hmm... Rope, are you sure that was the only spell you cast?”

[“Yes, Master... Oh, but I did try to cast it in a way that wouldn’t cause any unease among the targets, now that you mention it.”]

Wouldn’t cause any unease? I wonder if that’s why, then... I mean, suddenly being able to communicate would probably surprise them just as much as it did me—once I finally realized—but surely it wouldn’t upset them that much, right? Not enough for it to be worth changing two years’ worth of memories. Yeah, they’d get over the shock before long... Oh well. I shouldn’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth, I suppose.

Still, that doesn’t explain why my memories reverted all of a sudden. And if it wasn’t Rope... No, wait a minute. Rope’s power used to be mine, right? That might have something to do with all of this... So Rope’s spell changed everyone’s memories, including mine—that’s why I didn’t realize how weird it was right away. But because they cast the spell using my power, it must have deactivated itself or something pretty quickly. I guess it would make sense for magic to have some kinda fail-safe system. Otherwise you’d be screwed if you accidentally cast a permanent spell on yourself instead of your target...

I sighed. I could speculate to my heart’s desire, but in the end, I was just making stuff up. The only thing I knew for certain was that Rope was responsible for today’s spontaneous fireworks. Everything else was still a mystery, no matter how plausible my theories seemed.

[“Master, what would you like me to do next?”]

Next? What do you mean, next? And why the hell are you asking me?

“I’m not sure there’s gonna be a ‘next,’ to be honest... Also, you said you seized control or whatever, but what exactly does that mean? Like, I’m guessing you’re in charge around here now, but can you do whatever you want, or is it more of an honorary position?”

[“I’m not quite sure what you mean, Master, but essentially, I have assumed responsibility for this entire world.”]

This entire world, huh? Wait... Isn’t that kinda a massive deal?

“So are you... Are you like a god or something now?”

[“Hmm... No, not quite. It’s a little different to godhood, I believe.”]

Really? Because being in control of a whole-ass world sure sounds like godhood to me...

[“You asked me to help you protect this world, Master,”] Rope continued. [“In order to protect it more effectively, I thought it best to assume the position which would allow me the most control over it.”]

So just because I asked for your help, you decided to go and what, usurp the gods?

“But isn’t that something the gods are meant to do?” I asked for caution’s sake.

[“Perhaps... Yet I faced no resistance, so I’m not quite sure,”] Rope replied, a clear note of uncertainty in their voice.

Didn’t think to check first? Although, I guess there isn’t actually a god looking after this world right now, at least as far as I know. It’s a bit hard to ask “Hey, can I take over this world?” when no one’s running it in the first place... Ugh, this is starting to give me a headache.

[“Master? Your orders?”]

My orders? I don’t even— Hang on... When I said I wanted to protect this world, Rope decided to seize control of it. I wonder...

“Rope, if I said this world was no longer necessary to me, what would you do?”

[“I would destroy it, of course. I might control this world, but you are its center, Master. Therefore, if you no longer required it, I would remove it from existence.”]

I shuddered. Scary. That’s scary. Yep, I definitely need to watch what I say whenever I’m talking to Rope. One slip of the tongue and boom, no more world.

“Okay. For now, I just need you to watch over this world.”

[“Watch over it?”] Rope repeated.

I nodded. It was a somewhat perfunctory choice but also undeniably the safest one. “That’s right—kind of like a bodyguard. If anyone else tries to interfere with this world, it’s your job to stop them.”

“Ah, of course. This world is still at great risk, after all. Your will is my command, Master. I shall watch over this world.”

Er, did they just say this world was still at great risk? Ugh... Yeah, I know I should probably ask what the hell they meant, even if it does feel like the definition of asking for trouble... Although really, I guess the trouble’s gonna come either way. The only difference is whether it’ll be a surprise visit or not. Fine, I’ll ask! See?! I’m not entirely pathetic!

[“Of course, becoming this world’s bodyguard will require some preparation. I shall bid you farewell for today, Master.”]

Huh?

“Wait a minute!” I shouted, but I was too late. Rope had already returned to—

Oh, come on! What the hell is wrong with me?! I forgot to ask where they lived again!

“What a day...” I muttered, clawing my way back onto my bed.

Seriously, there should be a limit to how much stuff can happen in one day, because that was completely unreasonable.

“Also, the way Rope spoke was a bit weird, now that I think about it... Sometimes they sounded like they walked straight out of a history book, but sometimes they sounded modern instead. And one moment their voice was feminine, the next it was very masculine... Oh well. None of that’s particularly important, is it? Considering, well, literally everything else that happened today.”

Besides, as stressful as today was, I still came out of it alive—and with the ability to communicate. That’s the most important thing. Plus I managed to figure out that Rope was behind it, so that’s one less thing to stress about already.

“I mean, I can finally have actual conversations... Wow. It’s only just sinking in, but seriously—this is incredible.”

I was almost certain Rope’s newly acquired hegemony would result in more problems in the near future, but I could brood over those problems tomorrow. Today, I just wanted to let myself enjoy the unique happiness that came with gaining the ability to talk to my animal friends after two years with basically only my own thoughts for company.

I laughed to myself. “Still, I can’t believe I forgot to ask again.”

Next time Rope comes for a chat, I’m definitely asking for their address first thing. Come to think of it, Rope’s just a giant, shimenawa-wrapped stone, right? So they probably can’t move... Maybe I should Teleport them here? Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.

“I mean, they’re a stone, but they’re a stone who’s now in control of this world. I feel like that’s not something you leave lying around for anyone to find.”

Especially one who keeps asking me for orders... Having a stone in charge of this place is scary enough, but a stone who keeps going on about my will being their command or whatever is even scarier. Particularly since Rope seems perfectly happy to go ahead and do whatever they think I want without actually running it by me first... I really wish a god would show up. I don’t even care if they’ve got it out for me at this point. Nope, I don’t care who it is—just send me any god to watch over this place, and I’ll tell Rope to hand over the reins before one of my idle thoughts dooms us all. I got lucky this time, but who knows what they’ll decide I want next?

“Crap!” I jolted upright. “What else have I been wishing for recently?!”

Communication was the thing I wanted most, but it’s definitely not the only thing I’ve been grumbling about for the past two years... Oh, what’s wrong with me?! Why can’t I remember anything?!

“Eggs? I definitely remember wishing for eggs.”

Yeah, I spend a lot of time thinking about eggs... I might ask Rope about the possibility next time. I could finally make—

Yeah, there’s definitely something wrong with me. Come on, think! No, not about eggs! I... Ugh, it’s no good. I can’t remember wishing for anything other than eggs.

I collapsed back onto my pillow. Unfortunately, the word “intentional” couldn’t be used to describe my thoughts. The word “impulsive” could, however. I spent far too many of my waking hours just idly wishing for whatever came to mind, and remembering those wishes now was basically out of the question.

The next time I speak to Rope, I’ll ask them to check with me before they do anything... And I’ll ask them where they live. Yep. Just gotta remember those two things.

I yawned.

So tired... I know I should probably go tell everyone about Rope first so they can stop worrying, but I just need a little nap first...

Despite my crushing exhaustion, I was still happy. For what I’d gained in return, a little lethargy was a small price to pay.

There’s so much I want to ask them—I don’t even know where to begin. Oh, after I explain about Rope, of course...

219. Somewhere Above (2)

— A Conversation Between A God and Her Assistant —

I looked down at the new report warily. While I was pleased to learn that they’d pinpointed the unapproved world’s location, other aspects of the report—particularly the detailed sketch of a ritual circle on the first page—were less comforting.

I’d hoped I’d never lay eyes on one of these again...

“We’ve yet to determine the exact purpose of the circle, Lord, but—”

I cut him off. “There’s no need. It’s used to awaken the setting stone.”

“The setting stone...? Oh, of course. What was it again? ‘Offer the blood of a child of the celestial realm and of a child of the demon realm to the setting stone, and untold power shall be yours?’”

Huh? What’s he going on about?

“Is that what they’re saying about the setting stone these days?” I asked suspiciously.

“Indeed, Lord. Is that not the case?”

I shook my head. “The original saying is quite different. ‘Offer the blood of heaven and hell and awaken the setting stone, and thereby end eternal life.’”

Created by gods who’d grown weary of eternal existence, the setting stone was the only means by which a god could die—or be killed.

How in the heavens did “ending eternal life” become “gaining untold power?” Being able to kill a god could be thought of as “untold power,” I suppose... It’s certainly not within the realm of Higher Power or standard magic, but it’s not really “untold” either, is it?

“That is quite different from the legend I learned,” my assistant replied.

“Indeed.”

The setting stone... I frowned.

Creation of a setting stone had been attempted on four occasions, only one of which had been successful. The three failed stones had been sealed away in the depths of our realm, their location known to only a few, whereas the fourth—and the only functional—stone was kept under the strict supervision of the high gods. At least, it was supposed to be. The report in my hand told a different story. There would be little point drawing a ritual circle to awaken the stone without first having secured it, which I could only assume meant the setting stone had been removed from the celestial realm. However, access to the stone was heavily restricted. The apprentices had received help from not just any deity—they’d been assisted by a high god.

This is becoming very bothersome.

“But why did the gods desire to create such a thing, Lord?”

“To some, immortality can become a curse—a curse from which death is the only salvation,” I replied with a sigh. “The process of creating one takes several millennia, but to those who’ve grown weary of it, several millennia is nothing compared to eternal existence.”

In reality, it was a fairly reasonable time frame. After all, it would be very inconvenient if a weapon powerful enough to kill a god could be manufactured with relative ease. It was precisely because the stones were so powerful that even the failed attempts had to be sealed away, rather than shattered; a tiny fragment of even a nonfunctional setting stone could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

“But the apprentices could not have awakened the stone—not with their power.”

My assistant frowned. “Isn’t offering the blood enough to awaken it?”

“It’s not quite that simple. The setting stone itself must be—” I paused suddenly. “Someone’s coming.”

I identified the approaching presence immediately. But surely there are thousands of other things he should be doing... What possible reason could he have to visit me now?

I’d barely finished the thought by the time he knocked on the door.

“Come in,” I said, my tone only slightly cold. The next moment, the door swung open. Centuries had passed since I’d last had the displeasure of seeing his face, though it obviously hadn’t changed much during that time. In fact, the only real difference was the exhaustion etched across his face.

Not that I expected anything else from someone who’s strayed so far from the path...

“Deme,” I said, nodding curtly. “It’s been a while.”

“Indeed, Aion,” he replied with his usual smirk, an unpleasantly vivid reminder of the time we’d shared as fellow (or perhaps more accurately, rival) apprentices.

“It seems you’ve been acting quite foolishly of late. I never would have thought it of you,” I continued dryly.

Deme’s smirk vanished in an instant, his eyes widening in shock.

Honestly... Did he think I wouldn’t realize what was going on? I don’t remember him being such an idiot...

It took another moment for him to respond. “You don’t have the right to look down on me,” he snapped.

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m not looking down on you. I was just worried you might have lost your mind... Well, not quite worried. Shocked, I suppose.”

He glared at me furiously, but didn’t reply.

I can’t believe I used to consider him my rival.

“You’re pathetic.”

“I didn’t know, okay?! I didn’t know about that world!” he spluttered angrily. He was a pale imitation of the being I’d once known—the most talented among our cohort and a figure of both envy and admiration.

Time has changed you greatly.

“But you learned of it, correct? What did you do then?” I pressed.

“You can’t—”

“We both watch over many worlds, Deme, so I understand that things sometimes happen without our knowledge. But the problem is not that you failed to notice what those apprentices of yours were up to—it’s what you did after coming to learn of it. I’ll ask you one more time—what did you do then?”

Clearly my tone had offended him, because I felt his Higher Power surge wildly as I finished speaking. His behavior, as irresponsible as it was, only made me sigh. Losing control of one’s power was bad enough, but to do so in a space as confined as the one we stood in was beyond reckless. Shaking my head, I conjured a ward around the two of us to prevent unnecessary damage.

“I wanted to fix things. I tried to fix things. But...”

Fix things? You didn’t try to fix things, you worthless wretch.

“Trapping an innocent soul and attempting to trigger a magical eruption powerful enough to erase an entire world before any of the other gods found out—that’s your idea of fixing things?” I snapped, every word sharp as a blade.

Still nothing to say?

“Oh, wait—that wasn’t quite right, was it? No, your idea of fixing things was to trick that human and the divine beasts into thinking they were safe, then come back here and pretend you’d never noticed a thing. No, all you had to do was bide your time and wait for them all to kill each other—right?”

“That’s not...”

Do you know how it felt when I discovered your disgusting scheme?! Do you know how much pain you put me through, you bastard?!

“Or perhaps you’re referring to the half-assed ward your apprentices threw together to try to hide that world? Using your Higher Power to complete it—is that what you meant by fixing things?”

“But how did you...?”

Why the surprise? Did you really think a high god like me couldn’t see through your pathetic attempt at camouflage, if I so desired?

“And speaking of those apprentices—they actually managed to steal the setting stone! It’s unbelievable, right?! Personally, I don’t think they would’ve been able to do it alone. I would have been very interested to ask them about it, but for some reason they were sentenced before any substantial investigation could be carried out. Don’t you think that’s strange? It’s almost as though someone wanted to silence them—”

“You’re wrong! Their punishment was decided fairly!”

So this is how far you’ve fallen...

“Fairly?” I repeated. “Our rules are very clear, Deme: A master cannot be involved in deciding upon the punishment for their own wayward apprentice. Don’t tell me you forgot? Because if so... Well, perhaps retirement is the right path for you.”

“That’s enough, Aion!” he snarled, but I paid him no mind.

I cannot stand to see you sink any lower, friend...

“What? Am I wrong? And please stop throwing around your Higher Power. It’s incredibly irritating.”

Do you think you can subdue me like some lowly assistant? We cannot control our fellow high gods, you fool. I can scarcely believe I once considered you my equal... I’m disappointed, Deme. Truly.

I sighed. “Who helped them steal the setting stone, Deme? Was it you?”

Deme’s face flushed with anger. “I already told you it wasn’t!”

“Yes, of course. And you’ve proven yourself so trustworthy...” I replied coolly.

“You—” he started, but I cut him off again.

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter regardless. The human’s already ruined all of your plans and shattered your ward—not to mention that he’s also somehow relieved us of our control over that realm.” The short, sharp laugh I let out seemed to be the final straw for Deme. In an instant, the room was filled with the angry, blinding glow of his power.

So undisciplined. Has he no respect for the sanctity of my workspace? Throwing about his power so wildly... You’ve lost yourself, Deme.

“Away,” I murmured. The seething energy immediately vanished without a trace, to Deme’s obvious shock.

I frowned. This pocket of our realm belonged to me; I could use my power freely here, even to interfere with that of another high god—something Deme should have known.

But perhaps he really has lost his mind, for that to have shocked him...

I glanced at my desk, where the latest report still sat. Deme had definitely tried to use the human to bring about that world’s demise. Specifically, he’d tried to do so by tampering with the apprentices’ remaining contrivances. Each one the human interacted with had aggravated his power, forcing him closer and closer to the point of no return. As loathsome as their creations were, I couldn’t deny that Deme’s apprentices had been exceptionally talented. Their work had been nearly flawless. The ward designed to hide their world from unwanted attention had been their only failure. Deme had merely completed what they’d started by using his own power to finish off their design, thereby keeping the world hidden. All that was left for him to do was wait; the human would take care of the rest.

That was how it should have happened, anyway.

What Deme hadn’t predicted was that the human wouldn’t obediently go along with his plan—that he would be capable of suppressing the gifts bestowed upon all heroes. Heroes were given great powers upon their summoning to give them a fighting chance, but something else was also concealed among those gifts—a caveat of sorts, to prevent them from questioning the will of the gods. Somehow, the human had found a way to circumvent that heavenly proviso. I wasn’t quite sure how he’d done it.

Perhaps it was because the summoning spell had failed or possibly because he hadn’t been one of the intended targets. But regardless of how he’d done it, the key point was that he had. He’d questioned the will of the gods (and one god in particular) and he’d found it wanting. He’d shattered a high god’s ward, and obviously, he’d avoided going up in a ball of magical flame. Deme wouldn’t have thought it possible.

“How did you find out?” Deme asked sulkily after a few moments.

“With the assistance of the god of time,” I replied. The god in question could manipulate time freely—well, to a certain extent. Provided certain conditions were met, they were able to recall any event that had occurred in the history of the cosmos, though the future, as always, remained a mystery.

“But they...” Deme trailed off almost as quickly as he’d begun, his face pale.

One minute you’re as red as a dying sun, the next you’re as white as a cloud... What a whirlwind, I thought, shaking my head as I turned away from Deme. Picking up the report, I flipped to the last page.

A strong ward has been established around the world in question, preventing any further inspection from on high. However, it appears as though control of the world has been transferred to an unknown entity. Furthermore, the god of time no longer has any influence over the realm.

I sighed heavily. It had only been a few days since I’d received the previous report, but clearly something significant had happened during that time.

I missed my chance again...

220. Somewhere Above (3)

— A Conversation Between Aion and Deme —

“Well, if you didn’t help them, who did? Or do I need to discover that for myself as well? Because I can do so quite easily, Deme.”

Deme was looking down at the floor in obvious despondency. He clearly hadn’t predicted the god of time’s involvement. Among his many oversights, this one was somewhat understandable. Although the god who ruled over time was a fellow high god, their duties were remarkably different from ours and required them to report directly to the Creator.

When he finally replied, it was in a voice barely louder than a whisper. “Tantaus.”

Tantaus... Yes, he watches over a world not far from this one, now that I think about it. And if I remember correctly...

“He caused quite a fuss a few decades ago, didn’t he?”

The world in question wasn’t harmed, nor were any of his charges, and thus he’d escaped serious punishment. He wouldn’t get off so easily this time, however. Because of him, a world and its inhabitants had suffered greatly, and to make matters worse, he’d corrupted three of our already limited number of apprentices to do it. He’d even violated the sanctity of a number of divine beasts, according to the reports. The punishment awaiting him would be of the utmost severity.

“Regardless, he is of little concern to me. I want to know why you broke our rules, Deme,” I pressed. The other high gods could deal with Tantaus.

Deme finally met my gaze, and I returned his stare in silence, waiting for his response. Suddenly, the corners of his mouth curved up into a wry grin. There was a flash of light that faded as quickly as it had appeared, and then I found myself looking at Deme once more, albeit in a different form.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this,” I murmured, studying the changes. Gone was the elderly man with long white hair and a beard to match, replaced by a younger man of slender build with short (albeit still white) hair.

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve worn this,” Deme replied with a shrug, vaguely gesturing at himself.

I couldn’t quite remember when it had happened, but at some point over the eons, Deme had adopted the appearance of a timeworn man and had even adjusted his speech to match. I could still remember how surprised I’d been the first time I’d encountered him in his new form. However, I could understand why he’d done so. Gods did not age in the physical sense, so changing our appearance was the only way for us to experience some small semblance of the corporeal passage of time. I’d done the same once, curious to know what aging felt like. The experience had left me feeling so hollow that I’d never repeated it.

Deme sighed. “When I first discovered what those apprentices were up to, they’d already cast the hero-summoning spell. Obviously the spell failed, but they’d managed to drag five mortals into it before it did. Four of them returned to their previous realms, but the last mortal vanished right before my eyes.”

And somehow he’s still alive down there.

“I started looking for him right away, but then I discovered he’d already received the gifts. And once I realized that...”

I scoffed. Gifts...? More like shackles. The so-called gifts Deme spoke of were the presents from the gods, which allowed (or forced, in my opinion) a mere mortal to become a hero. The recipient had no choice in the matter, after all.

“Well, I assumed he was already dead at that point. The spell failed too early on in the process... He hadn’t been reshaped yet, Aion. He didn’t have the capacity to absorb the gifts—and even if by some miracle he did absorb them, the sheer power would kill him within minutes. I thought it was too late.”

In their natural form, mortals weren’t capable of enduring the immense surge of power that accommodated the gifts. Therefore, candidates chosen by a hero-summoning spell had their bodies remolded to allow them to withstand the otherwise fatal surge. But if Deme spoke the truth, and the mortal had received the gifts in his original, pitifully weak form, then a swift death was indeed the likeliest outcome.

So how did he survive...?

Somehow, the mortal had absorbed the gifts—and not just one set of gifts, but four. He’d accepted everything prepared for the intended heroes, and had lived to tell the tale. Even an apprentice would have struggled to tolerate such overwhelming power, and yet, an unchanged mortal had done so.

Of course, merely accepting the gifts was only the first part of the battle. Once absorbed, the gifts delivered continuously increasing power unto their recipient. However, the mortal had found opportunities to release—and thereby calm—his swelling power with such perfect timing that had I not known better, I would have thought it a miracle. Those inconceivably fortunate opportunities explained his continued existence, but one thing still puzzled me: How had he been able to absorb the gifts in the first place? The answer still eluded me, despite the efforts of my assistants.

“That’s why I stopped searching.”

“I see,” I replied coldly.

The Deme I once knew never would have given up so easily.

“So you can imagine my surprise,” Deme continued. “I was making my rounds, checking on how the apprentices were progressing with their assigned tasks, when I came across a brand new world inhabited by none other than the mortal I’d assumed long dead.”

He chuckled and shook his head, seemingly reliving the memory. Despite reassuming his younger form, his eyes still carried a weariness reminiscent of a mortal man who’d lived too long.

“I don’t know why I did it, but I turned my back on him, Aion. You know what happened next. Everything I did... It was all to stop others from finding him and to prevent them from discovering how foolish I’d been.”

But to destroy an entire world, just to hide your mistake... I don’t believe you.

“Is that everything?” I asked quietly.

“It is,” he replied after a pause.

“You’re lying.”

For a moment, he said nothing—and then, he snorted. “We’ve known each other too long... You’re right. I couldn’t care less about others finding out.”

“Deme... What are you saying?”

“Don’t you feel the same, Aion? Aren’t you sick of existing? Worlds, mortals... I don’t feel any love for them anymore. I can’t feel it.”

I couldn’t say I didn’t understand the feelings he spoke of. Eternity was a very long time, after all. Now and then, I caught myself thinking I’d lived long enough and that continuing on was pointless. However, unlike Deme, my love for the worlds under my protection and the flocks they bore hadn’t vanished entirely.

“I spent as long as I could avoiding those feelings. Adopting an older form helped. But when I found that mortal again...” He paused, his brow twisting in fury. “I’ve never felt such intense hatred before, Aion. He’d done nothing to me, but when I saw the way he was looking at me with such pathetic relief in his eyes... I hated him. I wanted to punish him—to make him feel the pain of being trapped in a prison from which there was no escape.”

You truly are broken, Deme...

As one would expect of an immortal being, death did not come naturally to gods. Though those with finite lifespans would probably find the concept appealing—enviable, even—in reality, it was a curse. By its very definition, eternity never ended, and chasing an unreachable finish line was more grueling than words could convey.

We didn’t attain true immortality until completing our apprenticeships and being reborn as gods, never again to experience the fear of age or sickness. At first, perpetuity had delighted me. I’d secured my own place within the cosmos, and the path before me was clear. The joy I’d felt upon being given my first world was indescribable, and I’d spent many eons in utter contentment, my sole focus finding new ways to improve the lives of those under my care.

But eternity wore on, and the path ahead of me, once crystal clear, began to fade. I lost sight of my purpose as a god. I tried to remember the joy I’d once felt, but when I looked back the past seemed far too distant, and I began to doubt even my own memories. I’d lived too long. Time had not ravaged my body, but existence had worn down my heart.

“Fighting, always fighting... Why won’t they stop, Aion?” Deme hissed, hatred still clouding his expression.

I shrugged. “Who knows?”

“I tried everything to guide them, to show them how they could live together peacefully, but do they listen? No! They just keep betraying each other, killing each other—their own kind! What the hell is wrong with them?!”

As gods, most of our infinite time was spent observing the children in our care. All manner of mortals could be found across the worlds, but some—humans, beastkin, dwarves, elves, and chimera among them—required stricter observation than others. We demanded no reward for the love we showed them and did not punish them if they strayed from the path we’d guided them toward, as disappointing though it sometimes was. What truly pained us, however, was the violence. Time and time again, we could do nothing but watch as they killed each other simply because of differences in appearance or opinion. Some violence, such as the so-called food chain, was a necessary part of mortal life, but the atrocities we were repeatedly forced to witness were not committed out of necessity. The mortals seemed to have endless excuses for their bloodlust, but in all my years I’d yet to encounter one that made any sense. They found meaning in their conflicts, but we found only suffering. In order to bring an end to the conflict for the good of that world, it fell to us to choose which side to favor, and by doing so, which to turn our backs on. Such decisions had brought me great despair during the earlier years of my immortality. At least, I assumed they had. The memories, though faint, were still painful despite the millennia that had passed, so I’d probably felt far worse at the time.

“It isn’t my place to say, Deme. However, we must love and care for all our children—even the most troublesome ones.”

“I did love them...” Deme replied, fixing me with a piercing stare. “But that was a long time ago now. Do you truly still care for them, Aion?”

“I do.”

“Really... I’m almost jealous,” he said softly. “And that child... You say he still lives?”

The one you left for dead?

“He does—and quite comfortably, in fact. He managed to seize control of that world a few days ago, as far as we can tell. A powerful ward now shields the whole star from external observation.”

Deme’s brow furrowed in what seemed to be confusion, as though I’d said something unexpected.

Deme... What else have you done?

“That’s strange. I thought I corrected everything perfectly...” he muttered.

Corrected? What did he correct?I thought my understanding of that world was almost comprehensive, thanks to the god of time... So what did I miss? Does this have something to do with the ward?

“What are you talking about?”

Deme shrugged. “Oh, it wasn’t anything too drastic—I just tinkered with the gifts a little, to make sure he got the full benefit from them.”

You— How could you? He was barely enduring them as it was!

“You sicken me.”

“My apologies,” he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

But if Deme strengthened the gifts, how did the mortal survive? Unless his meddling actually weakened them instead... But would such a thing even be possible?

A weary sigh escaped me. “I have no use for your apologies. Do you know anything about the setting stone? I can only assume it is somewhere on that world already.”

“Oh, that? I wouldn’t worry about it too much, Aion.”

“And why is that, exactly?” I asked, suspicious.

We’re talking about the only weapon that could kill a god here, and you think I shouldn’t be worried?

“Because that setting stone is one of the failures. It’s just a rock—a powerful one, sure, but still a rock.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded. “I guess not even Tantaus could just waltz out of here with the real setting stone. He must have decided to take one of the failures instead.”

Well, that’s one small relief, I suppose... But while it might not be capable of killing gods, it’s still incredibly powerful—and if that power falls into the wrong hands, the damage won’t be limited to just that world. The surrounding realms will surely suffer too.

“Be that as it may, I still see cause for concern,” I snapped.

Deme smirked. “I suppose you’re right. Well, this has been lovely, but I think I’ll be off.”

“Oh, is that what you think? No, Deme. You’re coming with me.”

“What?”

“You and I are going to pay the mortal a visit, and you’re going to apologize to him.”

Deme’s eyes widened slightly, but after a moment he simply nodded, his smirk giving way to a sad smile. In some ways, it felt as though I was looking at my future self. I still loved my children, but that love was already a shadow of the passionate adoration it had once been.

How much longer do I have, I wonder...?

221. Two Days...?! And Two Visitors...?

“Aaaaah... Huh? What the...?”

My back was stiff, like I’d slept in the same position for far too long—which was odd, because I’d only gone to take a quick nap.

[“Your Lordship, you’re awake! Oh, what a relief!”] someone called out, their voice echoing inside my mind rather than my ears.

Ah! Still not used to that... Er, who’s calling?

[“Your Lordship...?”]

First it was “Master,” now it’s “Your Lordship”? Ha ha... This is getting way too weird. Maybe it’s not too late to go back to sleep? Nah, I’d probably regret it—my back hurts enough as it is. How long was I out?

I reluctantly opened my eyes with a sigh, followed seconds later by a shriek as I noticed the giant eye looming just inches from my face.

Oh, it’s just a One Eye... Phew.

“Good morning,” I said, my voice a little higher than usual. “Did you come to wake me up? Sorry for the hassle...”

[“It is no hassle at all, Your Lordship—merely a relief! You have not opened your eyes these past two days. We were about to hold a council to discuss your condition, but you have returned to us!”] the One Eye (who it seemed was responsible for the slightly quirky voice inside my head) replied cheerfully.

I sat up with a wince and looked around the room, spotting another pair of One Eyes near the door, one of whom promptly departed.

So I was out for two whole days, huh? That would explain why I feel so stiff—

“Wait a damn second! Two days?!”

[“Yes. Your Lordship. We tried everything to rouse you, but you did not stir. We were most worried,”] the closest One Eye replied, tilting its head in concern.

I mirrored the motion, albeit for a different reason. I’d never thought of the One Eyes as particularly expressive creatures, mostly because their faces were made of (theoretically inanimate) clay. However, the one I was speaking to now was apparently capable of what seemed to be the full range of expressions.

Guess they upgraded themselves again while I was out... Wait, is it upgrading or evolving? Hmm... Nope, no idea. It’s pretty impressive either— Hang on, now’s not the time for being impressed! Two days?! I slept for two whole days?! What the hell happened?!

“Great. Another puzzle to solve. Just what I needed.”

This world is in desperate need of a realignment when it comes to problems and solutions, because right now I’m getting handed one hundred percent of the former and none of the later. It’s completely unbalanced. Heck, forget solving them—I can’t even bring myself to think about them. It’s easier to just pretend nothing’s wrong...

I sighed.

Seriously, my attitude’s been all over the place ever since I got dumped here. Sometimes it feels like I’m a completely different person, but the rest of the time it doesn’t feel strange at all. It’s hard to remember which parts are the old me and which are the new...

[“Your Lordship...?”]

“Oh, sorry! Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

At least, I hope I am.

I shook my head in a half-hearted attempt to clear it and took stock of the situation. While unintended, my extended nap had left me feeling better rested than I had in weeks. That was one good thing at least. Then there was my ongoing personality crisis, which I promptly decided to deal with later out of consideration for my already overwhelmed brain.

And speaking of overwhelmed brains... I thought, glancing at the One Eye. Now that I’d had some time to reflect on the experience, I’d realized that having another voice inside my head was actually really unsettling.

Maybe I could somehow give the One Eyes the ability to speak out loud? Wait, not just the One Eyes—all the clay dolls. So we’ve got the One Eyes, the Three Eyes, the Gremlins, and the Farm Brigade. Okay, now I just need to give them voices...

“Crap. I have no idea how vocal cords work... Never mind, I’ll just work around it.”

Yep, all I’ve gotta do is imagine them speaking. I don’t need to understand it as long as it works, right?

“Er, let the clay dolls speak Aloud,” I said, causing the One Eye beside me to glow faintly for a few seconds.

Did it work...?

“Did you do something just now, Your Lordship?”

It did work! Hell yeah!

“Yeah, I just wanted to give you the ability to speak out loud, instead of inside my head... Seems like it worked pretty well,” I replied.

“Thank you, Your Lordship,” it replied, its singular eye blinking in what I chose to assume was surprise.

Aah... Yep, hearing voices in my ears feels a lot better than hearing them in my head. I’m not too keen on this whole “lordship” thing, though. I’ll ask everyone to start using my name instead.

Unfortunately, the One Eye continued speaking before I could make my request. “Usa and Kuhi are most worried about you, Your Lordship. They barely slept a wink between them last night, and we’ve not been able to convince them to break their fast either. They’ve been pacing around the living room since early morning.”

Okay, I feel like that definitely takes priority. I’ll deal with the weird nicknames later.

“Thanks for letting me know. Er... It is still morning, right?” I asked for caution’s sake, squinting at the bright light pouring through the window.

“Indeed, Your Lordship.”

“Great. I’ll head down and see them now, so maybe you could start getting breakfast ready? Once they see I’m okay, it shouldn’t be too hard to get them to eat something.”

“Of course! Leave it to me, Your Lordship!” the One Eye replied.

Wow. That’s a lot of enthusiasm...

“Um, thanks...?”

After the two remaining One Eyes left the room as fast as their little legs could carry them, I began getting changed, wincing with each movement. Muscles I didn’t even know I had screamed at me in protest, and when I thought about the several flights of stairs between me and the dining room, I decided to pause for a bit of light stretching.

“Come to think of it, I probably could’ve just used a healing spell...” I muttered to myself after a few torturous minutes. “Yeah... Oh well.”

I still can’t believe I slept for two days. I haven’t done that since I was a teenager! I wonder what made me crash so hard...

“Good morning, you two. Sorry I made you worry.”

“Maaasteeeer...!”

Crap, they’re crying. I’m hopeless with crying kids...

“Are you feeling okay, Master?” A frowning Koa asked.

“Yeah, I’m completely fine. I guess I was just a little sleep-deprived.”

“I see...” she replied, seemingly unconvinced. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much else I could do to reassure her—not when I still had no idea what had actually triggered my brief foray into hibernation.

“I’m okay, Koa. I promise.”

She paused for a moment, but finally relaxed. “Well, if you’re sure...”

Sorry, girl. I’d explain it if I could, I thought, glancing around. Rather than the usual scenery, the windows on the doors leading to the deck showed the worried expressions of many of the other creatures.

“Thanks for worrying about me, but I’m okay now,” I called out, breathing a quiet sigh of relief as their expressions began to lighten. None of them looked entirely convinced of my alleged recovery, but I’d done all I could.

I know you all want a proper explanation, but you know what? So do I...

“Breakfast is ready, Your Lordship.”

“Oh, thanks. Usa, Kuhi, let’s eat. You must be pretty hungry, right?”

Even if I’m not, weirdly enough... Like, I haven’t eaten for two days. Maybe sleeping doesn’t burn any calories? Hmm...

“It spoke...” mumbled a wide-eyed Usa, staring at the One Eye in shock.

“Oh yeah, I gave them voices. I thought it would make things easier,” I explained, earning me suspicious looks from not only Usa but everyone else in the vicinity too.

Did I say something weird?

“Your meals will become cold, everyone,” the One Eye gently prompted.

“Right, food! Come on, you two. Let’s dig in while it’s still hot.”

Thankfully, the beastkin kids required no further encouragement. We all took our regular seats, and after the usual “itadakimasu!” it was time to eat. I started with a bite of warm, fluffy bread. Despite my lack of hunger, I could still appreciate the sheer deliciousness of the One Eye’s cooking.

Seriously, they’re way too good at cooking... Implausibly good, actually. Like, how can they make such delicious food when they don’t even have taste buds?!

Neither my suspicions nor my lack of hunger could deter me from enjoying the spread. The ominous gust of wind that came through the window a few minutes later did give me pause, however.

“What the...?” I frowned, trying to identify the power that had accompanied the breeze. I couldn’t place it, though. It didn’t belong to any of my friends, but it still felt familiar, somehow.

“Your Lordship, it seems you have visitors,” one of the One Eyes said, staring fixedly at the doors leading outside.

“I have what?” I jumped to my feet and rushed to the window.

What the—?! Who the hell are those guys? I never get visitors! Especially ones that don’t have fangs or claws!

Sure enough, there were two figures standing in the clearing. The first, a young man with short white hair, looked strangely familiar, while the other one, a woman with long blue hair, didn’t look familiar at all.

Pretty sure I’d remember meeting either of these guys though... I wonder if that’s her natural hair color?

I made my way outside and toward the visitors almost automatically. It wasn’t until there were only a few meters separating us that my mind caught up and I froze.

Higher Power... That’s what this is. Which means these guys are gods. Hang on... Why does the dude’s power feel exactly like that old hermit’s? Weird... Maybe the hermit is his dad or something?

“Sorry to drop in on you like this, but we need to talk,” said the woman.

You want to talk? That makes two of us. Shame I can’t trust a word you say, though.

“There’s no need to be so cautious... Though I can’t say I blame you, considering everything you’ve gone through,” the woman continued.

“So you know what I’ve had to deal with?” I asked warily.

“Yes, I do. I’ve been studying your world with the god of time’s assistance— Oh, the god of time can manipulate chronology, which allowed me to view past events,” she explained, clearly having noticed my bewilderment.

There’s a god who can manipulate time? That’s kinda scary... Not much scarier than a god who can abduct people from their worlds and dump them in another one though, I suppose...

“Sure, whatever. Who’s the dude next to you? Any weird old hermits in your family tree? Because your power is giving me some serious déjà vu...”

I just need to learn as much as I can as fast as I can, because otherwise I don’t stand a chance. Although I probably don’t stand one anyway, considering they’re literally gods...

“Master, is everything okay?” Flying Lizard asked, landing beside me with surprising gentleness. I immediately felt calmer, the dragon’s presence doing wonders for my frazzled nerves.

“Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Flying Lizard. Any chance you know who they are?” I asked, nodding at our unexpected guests.

“I do not, unfortunately. However, their power suggests both are high gods.”

Wait, you can figure that out from just their power? Seems handy. I’ll have to get someone to teach me how...

“Flying...Lizard?” the woman repeated slowly, her previously placid expression giving way to a deep frown.

Oh... I’m screwed now, aren’t I? Shit.

For the past two years, I’d been the sole Japanese speaker among my new family, which meant it hadn’t mattered that I’d inadvertently given many of them somewhat questionable names. Everyone had seemed pretty content until now, but I wasn’t sure that contentment would continue after they found out exactly what their names meant.

But it’s not like I wanted to call them Flying Lizard or Light Blue or whatever! I tried to give them cooler names! It’s not my fault they refused to change them! Okay, I just need to change the topic before she says another word... Crap, I can’t think of anything! Oh wait—the gods. Duh.

“So are you related to the hermit who came here before or not?” I quickly asked.

“No, I’m not related to him,” the man replied.

Wait, really?! You look just like him though, give or take a few decades... And your power is a perfect match too—

“I am him.”

“Oh, I guess that explains it, then— Hang on! You’re the hermit?!” I spluttered.

He’s messing with me, right?! People can’t just become young again whenever they want! Oh, I guess gods might be able to? That’s kinda cool. I wish I could do that... Nah, he’s definitely just messing with me.

“I’m telling the truth, whether you choose to believe it or not. This is my true form,” the man continued.

Fine, I believe you! Just give me a second to calm down over here, would ya?! Calm, calm... Okay, so the hermit isn’t actually an old man. I can deal with that. I feel like the hermit spoke pretty differently too, though... Oh, forget it.

“Yeah, whatever you say. I have more important things to ask right now.”

Like did you actually miss seeing all the crap those apprentices left for me, or did you just choose to leave it for me to deal with? You wanted me dead, didn’t you?!

Crap, I gotta calm down. My mana’s all over the place. I’m not gonna get any answers by exploding. Okay, thinking nice, soothing thoughts... I just need to start simple.

“Why are you here?” I asked, somehow managing to maintain a relatively emotionless tone. It was a simple question but one I hoped would answer the most important question of all.

Friend or foe—which are you?

222. Gods Are the Worst... Their Gifts? Just As Bad.

“Well, I brought Deme—that’s this idiot—so he could get down on his knees and apologize to you. I also wanted to speak with you myself,” the woman replied, jabbing her chin in the man’s direction.

Er... Yeah, pretty sure I’m hearing things, I thought, tilting my head. I was having a lot of trouble believing the woman in front of me—a literal god—had just said what I thought she had.

I mean, she looks like a respectable young woman—well apart from the blue hair, but as far as I know blue could be a natural hair color for gods. Gods aren’t meant to go around calling people idiots and forcing them to get down on their knees! I’m honestly shocked... Hang on, I’ve got other things to focus on right now.

“Um, why does he need to apologize?”

“For trying to use you to erase this world from existence.”

Oh... So the “make me go boom” theory was the right one, huh? So this is the guy who was trying to force me to kill all my friends...

My power flared up for an instant, seething and vengeful, but I managed to force it back down. I still had too much I needed to ask.

“Was he helping the apprentices the whole time?”

“No,” the woman replied. “His interference only began after he learned you were still alive.”

Still alive? Which means he thought I was dead until that point... So he knew I got yanked into the spell, and he left me for dead. Then when he realized I wasn’t dead, he tried to turn me into a human bomb.

“I see...” I shrugged. “An apology isn’t necessary, though.”

Because there’s no way I’m gonna forgive him—especially not when he’s being forced to apologize.

“Why? Because he’s a god?” the woman asked curiously.

“Huh? What the hell are you talking about? That’s got nothing to do with it,” I answered crankily.

What a stupid question...

“You really did suppress the gifts, then...”

“Gifts?”

What, like presents? I don’t remember receiving anything... Oh, apart from my new personality, I guess. But is that really what the gods think—?

The sight of the white-haired man suddenly dropping to his knees gave me pause.

“Sorry,” he muttered flatly.

Pretty sure I just said it wasn’t necessary... Seriously, there’s something wrong with this guy—er, this god. Apologizing on your hands and knees? Give me a break.

“I don’t need your apology.”

The man blinked. “Why?”

“Because I’m not going to forgive you. You tried to make me kill my friends. That’s not something I can ever forgive.”

The man half shrugged, half nodded. “I understand. I am sorry for not finding this world sooner, though. Things wouldn’t have gotten so messy if I’d been a little more observant.”

Finding this world? So maybe it was hidden somehow... Those apprentices might’ve been idiots, but I guess they weren’t careless.

“Deme, he already said he won’t forgive you, so you may as well stop groveling now. You’re just embarrassing yourself at this point,” the woman said dismissively, shaking her head as though remonstrating a child rather than a fully grown god.

She really isn’t pulling any punches. Guess you can’t judge a book by its cover. Or a god by their, er... Well, whatever they have.

“Never mind him. What did you mean by gifts?” I asked hesitantly, already sensing I wouldn’t like the answer, but also knowing I couldn’t ignore it.

“I will explain. But first...”—she paused for a second, fixing me with a heavy stare—“...let me express my gratitude to you. And if you’ll allow it, my apology.”

“Huh?”

Gratitude? Apology? Sounds annoying... Well, she hasn’t done anything to me yet—as far as I know, at least—so I guess I should hear her out.

“What for, exactly?”

The woman nodded. “You see, I am the custodian of the realm in which you once resided. My name is Aion. I want to apologize for not being able to protect you from being caught up in that summoning spell and to thank you for rescuing the souls trapped within this world and returning them to me.”

So she’s the boss of Earth, basically...? That’s cool, I guess. But I don’t really need her apology either. Sure, it would have saved me a lot of trouble if she’d managed to hit the kill switch on their summoning spell or whatever, but she’s not the one to blame—the apprentices are.

“Thank you, er... Do I just call you Aion, or is there some sort of title...? Anyway, thanks, but you don’t need to apologize. You weren’t involved—those apprentices were behind everything, right?”

“Unfortunately, there’s a little more to it than that.”

What do you mean? I saw it for myself! Well, they were all disembodied voices, so I guess I heard it for myself... It was definitely those three idiots, though!

“They were certainly involved, but there was also another... A god was manipulating them.”

I see, I see... Yep, it’s official: Gods are the worst.

“In a way, they were victims too... It doesn’t excuse everything they did of course, but I imagine their punishment shall be revised somewhat once the truth comes out.”

“But why the hell would a god do something like that anyway? It’s just plain stupid, if you ask me.”

“Because he was bored,” Aion answered simply. “We gods have plenty of time on our hands—sometimes too much. Every now and then a god will grow so tired of the tedium they’ll do anything to feel excitement again.”

“Because you live for so long or something? Is that what you mean?”

“In a sense. It’s not because our lifespans are extensive but because they never end,” she replied, a flicker of sadness crossing her face.

“That must be horrible,” I said, shuddering at the thought. I wasn’t desperate for death or anything, but the alternative—eternal boredom—was definitely even less enticing.

“You may not want my apology, but at least let me offer my thanks. I have been searching for those children ever since they vanished. Thank you for returning them to me,” Aion said. The next moment, I found myself being bowed to by a god.

For a deity, she’s really... What’s the word? Unpretentious?

“I’ll accept your thanks. I’m not all that good at magic, so I wasn’t sure I’d actually sent them back successfully... I’m glad they arrived safely,” I replied, cringing slightly. While I couldn’t quite remember the specifics of the image I’d come up with, I had a vague feeling it had been one of my more absurd creations.

Yeah... I’m surprised they even made it out of the room, to be honest.

“I appreciate it. Now, let me explain the gifts. However, this may take a while.”

“Well, how about we sit down? There’s no point standing around getting sore feet.”

“Yes, let’s sit. Thank you. Oh, and let me know if Deme’s presence is bothering you. I can make him disappear if you’d like.”

Disappear...? Er, like kill him?

“Hey!” Deme protested.

Aion shot him a look of clear disdain. “What? You’re hardly in a position to complain.”

I shook my head. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I don’t really care either way.” I had no intention of forgiving Deme, but I didn’t exactly want him dead either. I simply no longer cared about him in the slightest. He could sit right next to me or on the other side of the universe for all I cared.

“Well, if you say so,” Aion replied indifferently, before turning to Deme. “You heard him. Sit down and stay quiet.”

I led the way to the deck, where a small flock of One Eyes bearing trays of drinks and snacks descended upon us as soon as we took our seats. As always, seeing them bustle around helped lift my mood a little.

“Now, the gifts,” Aion began. “They are given to all heroes upon their— No, before I go any further, there’s something I’d like to check... Do you remember your name?”

Huh? What kinda stupid question is that?

“Of course I do. I’m...”

Um... Wait, what was my name again? Crap. I actually forgot my name! I had that thing for a good few decades... Surely I haven’t forgotten it, have I? Right...?

“As I thought,” Aion continued. “It’s been erased.”

“What? Nah, that’s impossible. I’m... I’m...” I trailed off, my mind reeling.

“Akira Tennou.”

Akira Tennou... Tennou... Tennou? Oh, that’s right! “Tenn” is written with the kanji for “heaven,” and “ou” uses the kanji for “king,” I think... And Akira... Yeah, that’s my name. My little sister used to call me Aki, didn’t she? Akira Tennou... I can’t believe I forgot.

“That was one of the gifts, you see.”

What, forgetting my name? That’s a terrible gift!

“Do you understand what a hero-summoning spell entails at all?”

I think so? If all those light novels Hana used to ramble on about got it right, then yeah, I guess I have some idea.

“Basically you get abducted from your own world and someone tells you to go off and kill the demon king or whoever to save humanity, right?”

That was the general vibe I got from all her infodumps, at least. I still remember thinking how far-fetched it all seemed... Ha.

Aion nodded. “Broadly speaking, yes, that’s correct.”

“I never realized it could actually happen, to be honest,” I added with a sigh. Becoming a hero, slaying the villain... Those fantasies were only exciting because they were fantasies, happening to made-up people in a made-up world. But actually being dumped into one of those stories? That wasn’t exciting. It was terrifying.

She laughed. “I can see why you wouldn’t. Personally, I’m opposed to the whole concept.”

Huh. So not all gods think alike then? Just like humans... It’s kinda weird to think about.

“Taking random children— Oh, not necessarily actual children. It’s just how we refer to the mortals under our care,” she explained, seeing my horrified expression. “But to take normal people from the only life they’ve ever known, drop them into a strange world, and tell them to run off and defeat an unthinkably powerful foe... Do you think most people would survive?”

“No freaking way.”

“Precisely. Hero-summoning spells would be pointless. The more compassionate specimens among your kind might convince themselves to take up the sword, but taking a life is not so easily done. Mortals’ hearts are fragile things, and the remorse is too great for most to bear. Therefore gifts are given to all new heroes. The gifts change them and thereby make them powerful enough to survive both their quest and the resulting guilt.”

How much needs to get changed before you could kill someone without feeling even a little bit bad about it, though...? Nope, I’m too scared to ask.

“The gifts change their very nature,” Aion continued, paying no heed to my (admittedly internal) hesitation. “To put it simply, they become more dauntless and righteous. To put it more accurately, however, the gifts dull the innate reluctance to take another’s life and numb their awareness so they don’t question what they’re doing in those critical moments. A changed hero also begins to find there is no greater pleasure than carrying out the ‘justice’ they’ve been tasked with delivering.”

So I was right again—my personality crisis wasn’t my fault. That’s actually a huge relief... These so-called gifts are still definitely the worst presents I’ve ever received, though.

“The changes are physical too. A hero’s stamina and reflexes are improved, as is the speed at which they recover from injuries. They become immune to most illnesses, and their mental prowess is boosted as well, among various other improvements.”

There’s more?! Jeez... Well, I’m not too upset about the stamina and reflexes to be honest, because the old me wouldn’t have lasted a year, let alone two... But I still don’t like these gifts!

“They also grow less careful about the consequences of their choices, and spotting contradictions—especially concerning their quest—becomes almost impossible. Their luck and intuition is enhanced to counteract those lapses in judgment.”

This is...

“In order to sever any lingering attachment to their former worlds, they are made to forget their names. Their memories of their families are usually altered or erased too.”

...definitely not...

“Instead, they find themselves overwhelmed with affection for their fellow heroes and their new world—and with hatred toward their new foes.”

...what gifts are supposed to be! Since when did giving someone a full makeover become an acceptable gift?! You dump our old personalities in the trash, and we’re just meant to say thanks?! This is a joke!

“So basically, our old personalities get ripped out, and with no say in it, we’re turned into perfect little soldiers,” I summarized, not bothering to hide my disdain.

“Yes. Without the gifts, mortals could never make the transition from their former lives of safety to become heroes capable of facing...the demon king, I believe you called him?”

“Wait, the demon king actually exists? I thought...” I shook my head. “Never mind. Why can’t the gods do something about him instead of getting mortals to do it?”

I mean, surely it can’t be any harder than summoning heroes.

“He does exist, though we know him by another name,” Aion replied. “And as for why we cannot fight him... We created him, Akira. The gods gave him life in the hope of putting an end to our children’s eternal conflicts.”

What the hell?! Stupid gods and their stupid ideas... Hang on! Earlier, didn’t she say I suppressed the gifts?! I didn’t suppress anything! My personality still got completely scrambled!

“But didn’t you say I suppressed the gifts?” I asked suspiciously.

“I did, though it perhaps wasn’t the most appropriate choice of words. Your case is a curious one... It seems as though you are able to utilize only the gifts you deem necessary while ignoring the rest. Take your name, for example. You remembered it at first, correct? And while you did forget it at some point, you remember it again now. No other hero would be able to do such a thing.”

Seriously? I’ve been choosing which gifts to use? But that means I’ve been putting myself through a personality crisis the whole damn time! Ugh... Yeah, I guess I can see why I would have thought “new Akira” was necessary though. Old Akira wouldn’t have stood a chance.

I frowned. “I can deal with forgetting my name, but what about my family? I still remember them, but are those memories even real? You said they could get altered...”

“You never forgot their names, did you?” Aion replied. “Don’t worry, child. Your memories of them are real.”

Not much I can do but believe her, I guess...

I sighed. The mess I’d been dragged into was a lot more complicated than I’d realized—and it had already been pretty damn complicated. Part of me still thought the gifts were nothing more than an unwanted burden. However, another part of me (albeit a very small part) understood it was only because of the gifts that I’d managed to stay alive thus far.

Great. Now I’m even more confused.

223. Experiments and Explanations... No, Don’t Ask Me!

Despite the overwhelming deluge of information I’d just been exposed to—including the revelation that I’d somehow forgotten my own name—I felt strangely calm. I could only assume it was due to new Akira’s influence, because I could say with some certainty that old Akira would have gone into full freak-out mode somewhere around the “can’t remember my own name” stage of the conversation. While the fact that I wasn’t currently curled up in a ball was definitely a good thing, I still wasn’t ready to start singing the god’s praises.

“What made you think I’d suppressed the gifts anyway?”

Hang on, should I maybe be speaking more politely? She is a god and all... Eh, oh well. It was when I told Deme not to bother apologizing, right? She said I’d suppressed them or whatever, but I feel like she already knew...

“Oh, I haven’t explained it yet?” Aion replied, seemingly surprised.

“Nope.”

“I see...” She sighed. “I suppose I might have subconsciously avoided doing so. I’m ashamed to even talk about it.”

About what?

“One of the gifts completely erases any doubt a hero might otherwise feel toward the gods and their actions. Using our powers to indoctrinate mortals...” She paused, shaking her head. “If only the rest of the gods felt as embarrassed as I do, then perhaps we wouldn’t be here right now.”

Yeah, I called it. I knew there was some kinda “blind faith” nonsense going on here. Ugh, gods are the worst!

I nodded. “Right, that makes sense.”

Aion looked shocked. “That’s all you have to say?”

“Yeah, I kinda predicted it already.” Doesn’t make it any less disturbing though.

“I see...”

Shrugging, I took a sip of the juice the One Eyes had just brought out.

Oh, this is good! They’ve mixed in something citrusy this time. It’s really refreshing! Good job, One Eyes!

“You’re not going to ask anything else...?” an incredulous Aion inquired, tearing my attention away from the juice and back to reality.

I grimaced. It wasn’t that I didn’t have more questions. I had hundreds. I just didn’t know where to start.

But here’s as good as anywhere, I suppose...

“So the demon king... You guys created him just so you could summon heroes, then?”

“You’re wrong!” came the shouted answer. It wasn’t Aion who’d responded, however, but Deme, who’d shot to his feet and was currently glowering at me. Higher Power twisted around my body like an invisible snake, enveloping me in a sensation that somehow felt like I was both freezing and burning at the same time. What I didn’t feel, however, was even remotely scared.

Like, at all. Weird... It’s like my sense of fear got neutered overnight or something... Not too sure that’s a good thing, to be honest.

“Oh yeah? How so?” I replied indifferently.

I wonder if they can remove these gifts? Maybe I could— Nope, hold on. Would I even be able to survive here without them? Hmm... Ha ha, not a chance in hell. Forget demons and monsters—old Akira would drop dead from fright as soon as a One Eye wandered past. Yeah, I won’t bother asking about the return policy—I’ll just keep the gifts and hope they don’t mention it. That’s fine, right? I mean, I kinda need them to live... Plus it sounds like I can control them pretty well, so there shouldn’t be any problems.

Although, speaking of problems... I’m getting real sick of this Higher Power temper tantrum.

I conjured up a workable image—something along the lines of a gust of wind bursting out of the surface of my body—and muttered, “Shoo.” A wave of mana pulsed out from within, immediately blasting the annoyingly clingy Higher Power into oblivion.

Ah, that’s much better.

“What?!” Deme screamed, and when I glanced in his direction, I found myself looking at what was very clearly a man in shock.

Did I do something wrong? Aw, man...

“Sit down, Deme,” Aion ordered. Deme looked like he wanted to protest, but he grumpily threw himself back into his seat after a few seconds on the receiving end of the woman’s sharp glare. “I’m impressed,” she continued, turning back to me. “I’ve never felt such heavily concentrated mana before.”

Mana has different concentrations? Huh... And it sounds like mine’s on the higher side? Dunno why that’s so impressive, though. Is that a good thing?

“Uh, thanks, I guess...”

Well, it’s good enough for me. My mana’s never let me down before... Okay, maybe once or twice, but that’s all!

Aion raised her eyebrows. “Your magic doesn’t interest you?”

I shrugged. “I just don’t really see the need to know the smaller details, you know? I can usually get it to do what I need it to, and that’s good enough for me.”

Like keeping everyone safe from the booby traps your white-haired friend there decided weren’t his problem to deal with... I feel like my magic is a hell of a lot more reliable than your Higher Power, that’s for sure.

“Very well,” she said, inclining her head. “As you might have realized from Deme’s outburst, we did not create the king of demons as a pretext to summon heroes. If you believe nothing else I tell you, at least believe this.”

Aion’s expression was serious. I didn’t get the impression that she was lying, but at this point, I only trusted the gods about as far as I could throw them.

“Then why did you create him?”

“To protect our children.”

To protect us? But isn’t the demon king usually a bad guy?

“There is nothing a god hates more than seeing our children fighting among themselves. We create you equally—love you equally. Seeing one child die at another’s hand... It is more painful than you can possibly imagine.”

Yeah, that kinda makes sense, especially if it’s some pointless war or something.

“Eventually, one god came up with an idea—a way to stop our children fighting,” she continued.

Lady, I don’t think summoning a final boss is the best way to stop them from fighting— Oh. But it’s not to stop them from fighting completely, is it? Just to stop them from fighting each other...

“By giving them a common enemy?” I asked.

“Correct. The theory was that by creating an enemy too powerful for one nation or one species to defeat alone, we could eventually create worlds in which all our children lived together in harmony, united against a common foe.”

Well, it’s not the worst plan I’ve ever heard... But I dunno. I can’t speak for every species, but I think I know humans pretty well, and I’m not too sure we’d stop fighting even if there was a bigger problem to worry about. We’d probably just use it as an excuse to start a slightly different war.

“It worked well—at first.” Aion shook her head. “But before long, they began fighting once again, albeit for slightly different reasons than before.”

Called it. We sure do love fighting, after all. We’d probably start World War III over which country would get to be in charge of the fight against the demon king. We’re just too greedy, us humans—and if we really were all made equally, then I’m guessing the rest of the gods’ creations are too.

“Therefore, we decided it was necessary to make your enemy stronger.”

Stronger?

“So we’d have no time to waste fighting among ourselves, huh?”

“Indeed. But no matter how formidable we made him, the conflicts didn’t stop. In some cases, they actually got worse.”

Yeah, sounds about right. The stronger the enemy, the more bragging rights your country—or species, I suppose—gets for defeating him. It wouldn’t just be a one-off problem either. One country might be happy to stay out of the bragging rights competition at first, but one little change in leadership and suddenly they want top billing... If anything, we’d spend more time fighting among ourselves.

“Honestly, it probably doesn’t matter how strong or terrifying you make him. It still wouldn’t stop us from fighting,” I mused.

Definitely not humans at least. Dunno about any other species.

“You’re quite right, Akira. You understand humans very well.”

I shrugged. “I am one, after all.”

Or I was.

“Let me ask you something,” Deme interrupted, fixing me with a hard stare that—to my great discomfort—Aion immediately mirrored. “All that meaningless violence... Why can’t you just stop? Why do you keep hurting one another?”

“I guess because it’s not meaningless... Well, at least not to us,” I replied, only for Deme’s expression to grow even darker.

What is the meaning, though? Because it benefits us? Hmm... That’s not the full reason, but I guess if I have to put it simply...

“We do it because we want better lives for ourselves.”

“What do you mean?” Deme shot back.

Uh... Exactly what I said?

“Well, a lot of humans aren’t happy unless they think their life is better than everyone else’s. If we kill other people, we can take their stuff, and that makes us happy.”

Like, it’s a pretty simplistic explanation, but I’m also pretty sure that’s the main reason for most violence back home... Oh, but there’s also that too...

“Some people also hurt others because they believe in different things or because the color of their skin is different. Basically, there are certain groups of people who want to erase anyone who’s not like them,” I added.

“But why?” Deme replied incredulously.

Dude, I just told you.

“Because they’re different.”

“But everyone is different,” Aion chimed in, sounding just as confused. “Every single child is unique.”

Yeah, I can see why it would be confusing...

“That’s true, but... Er, how do I put this... All humans have their own beliefs and opinions, right? And most of the time, that’s not a problem. But some people get really scared when someone else’s way of thinking challenges their own.”

Aion tilted her head. “Really?”

“Pretty much.”

I mean, I’m just a boring old civilian who never fought in a war, so you should probably take what I say with a grain of salt.

“It still doesn’t make much sense to me, I’m afraid...” Aion said thoughtfully. “What about you, Deme?”

“Nope, I still don’t get it.”

That’s kinda on you for asking me of all people.

“Yeah, I thought that might be the case...” I said. I’d even started confusing myself by about the midway point of my attempted explanation. She doesn’t need to look at me like that, though... Frown all you like—it’s still not gonna suddenly make me turn into a genius philosopher or whatever.

“Don’t gods ever fight?” I asked.

“Hm? No, we don’t.”

Wait, seriously? “Never?”

“Never. We have no reason to.”

Nah, that doesn’t sound right.

“You said you disagreed with the whole idea of hero-summoning spells, right? And I’m guessing you’re not the only one. So what, the two sides have never fought?”

“There is no need. Time provides all solutions.”

“Time?”

“Yes. We merely wait to see what results arise, and then any disagreements will resolve themselves. Fighting would be pointless.”

Results? So what, you’re twiddling your thumbs and waiting to see if your stupid demon king forces us to stop fighting? Lady, I hate to break it to you, but the results are already in—and it’s a big fat fail. Wait... Don’t tell me you’re just waiting around to see if those results ever change?

“What result would you be satisfied with? And how long do you plan to wait?”

Aion cocked her head curiously. “My satisfaction does not come into it. Any result is acceptable. I will wait until those results reveal themselves, no matter how many eons it might take.”

I had to fight the urge to bury my head in my hands at her answer. I’d always thought of gods as all-knowing, but obviously they had some serious gaps in their wisdom. Their little abduction experiment had unquestionably failed, yet she seemed to think waiting for a different result wasn’t unreasonable in the slightest. There was something fundamentally wrong with their scientific process.

“Y’know, most trials have a predetermined time limit...”

“That’s fine. We’ll stop it when we decide to.”

Okay, I give up. I’m never gonna be able to get her to understand... Heck, I never stood a chance in the first place. I mean, how the hell do you explain urgency to an immortal being?

224. Misunderstandings... Nope, Not My Problem.

My hopes for some form of mutual understanding had been well and truly dashed. The gods and I simply didn’t operate on the same wavelength, and I decided that any further debate would only be a waste of time—something I didn’t have an infinite supply of. A tired sigh escaped me.

So damn annoying...

“Is something wrong?” Aion asked.

“Nope, everything’s totally fine.”

Let’s just change the subject. Er, what else did I want to ask about...?

“Right. Last time he came here,” I said, pointing in Deme’s direction, “he said I wasn’t actually human anymore. Any chance you know what I am now, exactly?”

“Unfortunately, I do not. We have no precedent for the transformation you’ve undergone, and we’ve yet to be able to determine the extent of it,” Aion replied.

Well, at least they think about stuff like precedents... They’re not completely hopeless. But doesn’t that mean...?

“So I’m kinda like an unidentified life-form?”

“Exactly.”

Ha ha, that’s so weird... Guess this line of questioning is a nonstarter though. What else was there? Hmm...

“You’re not surprised?” Aion asked, furrowing her brow.

She seems more surprised than me...

“Nah, I’m pretty surprised.”

“I see. My apologies.”

It wasn’t a lie. Even considering Deme’s previous visit, it was still relatively startling to have my abnormality confirmed once more. However, the impact had come hand in hand with a strong sense of inevitably—which, thinking about it, was probably thanks to the gifts.

I wish she’d stop talking about me like I was a test subject, though... Never mind. I’m definitely a test subject, aren’t I?

“Oh, right. What’s going to happen to this world?”

Rope said it was still at great risk or whatever.

“For the time being, I will assume responsibility for this world—and to that end, I have a favor to ask of you,” Aion replied.

A favor?

“What is it?”

“In order to observe it properly, will you allow me to take control of this world?”

Huh? I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t think you’d even bother asking first...

I nodded. “Yeah, no problem.”

“Excellent. Could you dispel the ward you’ve placed around this world? I tried to do so myself to no avail.”

Ward? What, like a barrier? I don’t remember placing any worldwide barriers... Plus, I’m not even the one in control here—Rope is.

“Er, why are you asking me? Rope’s the one running this place.”

“Who?!” both Aion and Deme replied, stunned.

Wait, you guys thought I just went and seized control of an entire world? Seriously?

A few seconds passed before Aion recovered enough to repeat, “Rope?”

She doesn’t know about Rope? But I thought she got the god of time to show her the playback or whatever. Maybe Rope didn’t make it into the highlights reel? Also, why is she smiling...?

“Your taste in names is...interesting, to say the least.”

Oh, don’t you dare start on this again!

“Please don’t ask me about it,” I muttered.

And spare me the pitying look! I’d change their names if I could, all right?! It’s not my fault they liked them—or that they hated all of my cooler suggestions! I mean, I do quite like the name “Spider Boss” though, I guess... And I’m pretty keen on “Ball of Wool” now too... Yeah, I do have terrible taste. I took a little too much advantage of the language barrier... Guess I better start preparing my apologies.

“And where is this ‘Rope’ you speak of?”

“Dunno.”

Let me know if you find out, though.

“You don’t know? What manner of being are they, then?”

“Er... I don’t know that either.”

“What do you mean?” Aion asked, her expression unreadable.

“I’ve only ever heard their voice. Oh, but I kinda know what they look like. They’re, er... They’re a giant stone... I think.”

In the end, I never actually found out if Rope was the same stone Flying Lizard showed me, did I? There could be more than one shimenawa-wrapped rock around here for all I know, considering I don’t even remember using one to decorate my spell in the first place... Now that I actually think about it, I kinda feel like I did mentally accessorize a stone with a shimenawa more than once. Twice, maybe...? Oh, forget it.

“A giant stone...?”

“Yeah.”

Hmm. I usually wait for Rope to call, but maybe I can reach out instead? Let’s see...

I visualized a large, rope-clad rock, focusing on the thought of my voice reaching it. “Rope, can you hear me?”

“What are you doing?” Aion inquired, her expression now less unreadable and more suspicious—which made sense, given that it probably looked like I was talking to myself. I cringed, instantly regretting not explaining myself first.

Ugh. That’s embarrassing. This has gotta be like the millionth time I’ve jumped the gun since I got here... Stupid gifts. Yep, it’s definitely new Akira’s fault. No question about it.

“Master, I’m here! This is the first time you’ve called for me, right?!” Rope suddenly responded, their voice coming from everywhere at once.

Ah! What the—?! That scared me... Some kind of advance warning would be nice next time. Don’t just suddenly start shouting...

“Hey, Rope. Is this a good time?”

“Every time is a good time when it involves you, Master!”

They’re extra cheerful today.

“Oh... Thanks,” I replied awkwardly, glancing at Aion and Deme. To my surprise, both looked utterly dumbfounded. “Er, is something wrong?”

“It can’t be... But it is... It’s the setting stone?!”

The setting stone? I know what a stone is, but what’s a setting stone? The only settings I know are the ones on my phone...

“Is it really?” Flying Lizard murmured. I’d almost forgotten they were still nearby.

Huh?

“Wait, you know what it is?”

The dragon nodded. “Yes, in a sense. Our knowledge refers to it as a powerful tool of the gods and also contains this saying... ‘Offer the blood of a child of the celestial realm and of a child of the demon realm to the setting stone, and untold power shall be yours.’”

Ew, blood. A child of the celestial realm... What, like a baby angel? And a child of the demon world—crap, are eggs considered children? Aw, man... So you give the stone some blood and get power in return? Gross.

“Rope, are you the setting stone?”

“I have been called that at times in the past. However, I am no longer a stone, Master. I have assumed a new form in order to better protect you. I believe you would call me a sacred camphor, perhaps?”

A sacred camphor...? Wait, you’re a tree? Oh, come on... A tree’s not gonna be any easier to relocate than a stone, you know?! Maybe I can get Rope to transform into something else... I should probably find out what the “setting” part of “setting stone” means first, though.

“Rope—” I started, only for a wide-eyed Aion to cut me off.

“What is the meaning of this? How did the setting stone gain sentience?!” she sputtered.

Fine, I guess I’ll ask later. Still, she looks pretty damn flustered... I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

“Master, who are your visitors? I don’t like the look of them,” Rope continued.

Wait, Rope can see us? Huh...

“Master...?” Rope’s voice was lower now—wary, almost.

“Oh, sorry. These guys—er, gods—are Aion and Deme,” I replied, pointing to each in turn.

“Gods...?” Rope repeated, their tone lower still.

Maybe they’re losing signal... “Rope?”

“Master, you cannot trust them. Gods think about only themselves.”

Is it just me, or does Rope sound kinda angry?

“You dare insult the divine?” Deme growled. For a god, he had a very short temper. I suspected it had probably taken him a great deal of restraint to control his clearly frequent outbursts during his previous visit.

Because I don’t think I made it easy for him...

“Not at all. It wasn’t an insult—merely the truth. Is there a problem?” Rope replied.

“How dare you?!” Deme roared, his Higher Power once again surging around me.

He’s so annoying...

“Barrier.”

Hey, it worked! I’m getting pretty good at dealing with Higher Power!

“Do you always fly into a rage upon hearing the truth? Imbecile...” Rope mocked, their contemptuous tone echoing off the mountain behind us.

“Learn your place, you stupid stone!”

“I’ll happily learn my place if you want to come and teach me—not that a god like you stands a chance.”

Okay, what the hell is going on here? Am I seriously watching a god argue with a stone? Not that I can see the stone... Somehow that only makes it funnier, though.

“You just wait, you self-important pebble—”

I cut Deme off. “Rope, that’s enough. Deme, you too—if you don’t mind, that is,” I said, begrudgingly playing the part of mediator; a quick glance at Aion had told me she was still too dazed to be of any help.

“Sorry, Master...” Rope mumbled. “It is true, though. They only think about themselves. They didn’t hesitate to imprison and abandon me even though they were the ones who created me in the first place, just because it suited them.”

They imprisoned you? Yeah, I can see why you’d bear a grudge... Why would they need to imprison a stone, though?

With some difficulty, I managed to convince myself to ask, mostly to reassure myself that the stone I’d inadvertently befriended wasn’t some kind of criminal. Obviously, I chose to ask Aion rather than either of the temperamental twosome.

“Um, Aion? Any chance you could come back to reality? I have some questions.”

Aion’s gaze met my own. She opened and closed her mouth a few times as though trying to speak, but then set it in a hard line, shaking her head.

Great.

“Let me explain, Master,” Rope said. “I was made by the gods. They called me a setting stone and gave me great power.”

I nodded, resigning myself to hearing what would likely be a biased version of events. Another glance at Aion revealed that she was scowling, which I promptly chose to ignore.

“And then?”

“They made four of us in total, myself included. However, only one among our number was deemed ‘successful.’ The rest of us were called failures, and they locked us away.”

Failures, huh...? Poor Rope.

“We thought differently, however,” Rope continued. “From our perspective, the gods were mistaken.”

“How so?”

“They misinterpreted the results, Master. There wasn’t one success and three failures, but the opposite—one failure, and three successes.”

“That’s impossible,” Aion stammered. “You’re wrong. We only created one functioning stone.”

Okay, now I’m getting confused... Wait a minute—this has nothing to do with me, right? Yeah, not at all. Cool. I vote we change the topic again.

225. Captive Audience... This Is So Dumb.

“Unlike you gods,” Rope continued, voice laden with disdain, “I do not lie. Three of the four setting stones were successful, not one.”

“But I was told...” Aion started before trailing off, bewildered.

Told? So she didn’t see the stones for herself, which means there’s a good chance Rope is actually right. But what’s the difference between a “successful” stone and a “failed” one anyway?

Rope scoffed. “You just swallowed whatever story you heard and didn’t bother to even think about verifying any of it for yourself. You gods are all the same. You can do anything, and yet you do nothing. Everything is someone else’s problem to you.”

Personally, I thought Rope made a good point. The gods seemed to be pretty hands-off when it came to their so-called protection of us, and their supervision was superficial at best. I got the impression that Aion was at least still somewhat interested in our well-being, but Deme had clearly thrown in the towel.

Wouldn’t it be better to just retire from godhood at this point? Oh... Unless you can’t really retire from being a god... Nah, they’ve got, like, unlimited power. If Deme really wanted to quit, I’m sure he could find a way. He’s just desperately clinging to divinity, even though he’s already sick of it... Pathetic.

“That’s not true! One of the most trusted high gods in the cosmos performed the analysis of the stones! Three failures, one success—those were their findings!” Deme shouted in response to Rope, his voice sharp with fury. Of course, since Rope wasn’t visible, it sort of looked like he was just yelling at the clouds.

“They lied,” came Rope’s cool reply.

“You’re wrong!”

I wasn’t too sure why Deme was so confident in the random god’s alleged credibility; my experience with their kind so far hadn’t exactly painted them as the most trustworthy beings around. If anything, I felt a lot safer trusting Rope (who was at least a verified setting stone) over the words of an unidentified deity.

Not that I have any proof Rope is telling the truth either. More importantly, will someone tell me what the hell “setting” means in this context?! I should just— Nah, I think I better wait until later. This is all weird enough as it is. I mean, I’m watching two almighty beings screaming at a disembodied voice! Oh, scratch that—only Deme is yelling. Aion’s still kinda calm... Or maybe she’s in shock? Either way, she’s quiet.

“You were made by our hand, you insolent hunk of rock! How dare you defy a god’s orders?!”

Ugh. I really don’t like the way he’s speaking. What, just because Rope’s a setting stone, you think they owe you respect and obedience? Give me a break. My opinion of you just hit rock bottom. Well, it was already at rock bottom, to be fair... Anyway, you’re gross.

Also, Aion said the gods never fought, but I’ve got a sneaky suspicion she lied too. Like, just look at this guy—there’s no way he’s never chucked a heavenly hissy fit! You’d think a god would have a longer fuse.

“Defy you?” Rope repeated scornfully. “The gods betrayed us! Why should we ever listen to a word you have to say again?”

Gotta admit, the stone’s got a point.

“What did you just say to me?!”

“You made us for your own benefit! To use our power for your own ends! You made us, but what happened as soon as you witnessed our power for yourselves? You started carrying on about how we’d use it to harm you and locked us away in the darkest holes you could find before we even understood what was happening!” Rope hissed. I thought I heard their voice shake a little. “We could have forgiven your deeds, as atrocious as they were, if that had been the end of it... But it wasn’t. You weren’t satisfied with sealing us in darkness, no. You continue to benefit from our capabilities, while leaving us to rot!”

Huh? I feel like I’ve heard this all before... Oh, that’s it. It’s exactly what those idiot apprentices did to the dragons—trapping them in the forest and using their powers for themselves. I suppose that’s what apprentices do, isn’t it? Learn by observation... It’s like how little kids grow up copying their parents, for better or worse. Like, I know children and apprentice gods aren’t exactly the same, but I feel like they’re pretty damn close. I wonder what kind of power the setting stones could’ve had for the gods to react so dramatically though...

“You and your kin were at fault!” Deme bellowed. “We sensed your intent, your drive to harm your own creators!”

He’s not making any sense... Seriously, what could a bunch of immortal gods have to fear from a couple of stones?

Oh, wait. What was it Flying Lizard said again? Something about blood sacrifices and gaining untold power? Maybe that’s the bit that had the gods all worked up?

“To harm you?! Of course we could harm you! That’s the purpose you gave us!” Rope’s voice was even angrier now.

“What?”

“Death, you fool! We were made as weapons, but only for your kind to wield! We were created as the solution to the unending torture of immortality! Yes, we had the power to harm you, but that was precisely what your kind demanded of us!”

Okay, I’m starting to get it now. So the setting stones were basically assisted-dying machines for the divine, which means Rope’s little anti-god attitude is actually pretty damn justified... Yeah, Rope is the injured party here. Wait, can stones be an injured party? I think that might only apply to living things. What else would it be, though? Property damage? I was never very good at all that legal mumbo-jumbo... Ha ha, seriously—what the hell am I doing? Wasting time thinking about pointless crap instead of trying to stop the stone versus god showdown I’m about to have on my hands... Although if Deme doesn’t drop the arrogant attitude soon, I might just team up with Rope.

“You... You can also bring about a god’s demise?” Aion asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“All three of the stones your kind deemed defective have the power to do so,” Rope replied patronizingly. “Only your so-called masterpiece cannot.”

But then how did that random god get it so mixed up? Like, that’s a pretty big mistake for a being who’s supposed to be all-knowing or whatever. Unless... Maybe the god never wanted to make the setting stones in the first place? Or never thought he’d succeed? I feel like I saw something like this on TV once... Oh, that’s right. Some smart dude was explaining how people with power can’t usually resist testing the limits of it or something... Yeah. I’d bet good money that the gods aren’t any different. So there’s a chance Rope’s creator never actually intended to make the stones—he just wanted to test whether or not he could. And when it turned out that three of the stones actually worked, he panicked, pretended they were all duds, and dumped them in some hole... Yep, sounds pretty plausible if you ask me!

I guess there is another possibility—that once the prospect of death became a reality, he got scared and hid his creations rather than facing his fears... Nah, no way. That would be ridiculous, right? Although... I glanced at Deme. Maybe not completely ridiculous.

Man, this is crazy. Here I thought gods were meant to be all lofty and fearsome. All that time worrying about what I was gonna do if they did turn out to be my enemy... What a waste.

“The more I hear, the more annoyed I feel... Like, is it just me, or is this whole thing completely stupid?” I muttered.

“I agree, Master,” Flying Lizard replied. We glanced at each other and let out identically frustrated sighs.

“Your Lordship, would you like me to brew another pot of tea?” asked a nearby One Eye, clearly sensing—and attempting to prevent—my incoming mental collapse.

You guys are the best... I’m still not used to that nickname though. “Master” is one thing, but “Your Lordship” is just a little too much, you know?

“Thanks, that would be great. Oh, and maybe a little snack? Something sweet?”

A sugary treat is always the best cure for exhaustion.

“Of course, Your Lordship.”

“What about you, Flying Lizard? Fancy a little snack?”

“Yes, I wouldn’t mind a small morsel. They do make the most delicious treats,” the dragon replied. As always, it was hard to identify any tangible emotion on the creature’s face, but it sounded pretty happy at the offer.

“I shall fetch your refreshments at once...” the One Eye trailed off. “Erm, and what about our godly guests?”

I shrugged. “I think they’re fine for now, so don’t worry about it.”

It’s like they’ve both forgotten why they came here in the first place. The whole point of summoning Rope was to ask them to hand over control of this world, but I’m pretty sure that’s not gonna happen without a fight at this point. What do I do now? I just want to make sure this world is safe...

“Hey, Flying Lizard... It’s definitely a bad idea to pick a fight with a god, right?”

“You have us on your side, Master. We wouldn’t let you come to any harm,” the dragon replied, much to my surprise. I’d expected vehement opposition, not indifferent endorsement.

“Huh? But aren’t dragons like, I dunno—the emissaries of the gods or something?”

“Not in the slightest,” came another voice, and I looked around to discover that Light Blue had snuck up beside me at some point.

“Really?”

“Truly. We will fight for you no matter the battle, Master. Unlike elsewhere, the dragons of this star stand united.”

Well, I’m glad you all get along... Wait, what? The dragons of this star?

“Do other dragons not usually work together?”

“Not according to our knowledge, no. It seems we’re generally quite hostile to others of our kind. In fact, we were the same until we met you, Master.”

Huh, I never would have guessed. I thought you were already friends right from the get-go.

“Why didn’t you like each other?”

“I cannot say. I simply found the other dragons’ existence irritating—repulsive, even.”

Wait, you thought they were irritating and repulsive and didn’t know why, and you never even questioned it?

“And now?”

“I think they’re all amazing, Master! I’ve learned so much from them all... Not just the dragons either! Everyone’s nice. Spider Boss is so funny...” Light Blue replied cheerfully.

Er, Spider Boss is funny? Huh... Gotta make sure I follow up on that later.

“So you’re saying there’s absolutely no problems at all about picking a fight with a god as long as I’ve got you two by my side?”

“No. Alone, the two of us still don’t stand a chance against the power of a god,” Flying Lizard replied. “But we are not alone, Master. Our brethren are only a few steps away, and if we call, they will join the battle. Together, our strength will easily rival a god’s. You have protected our home until now... There is nothing we wouldn’t do to protect you in turn.”

Wow. It’s kinda crazy to think five dragons working together could defeat a god... Hang on. Strength to rival a god’s... If only they weren’t inexplicably repulsed by one another...

“Oh, don’t tell me the gods are behind that too.”

This is getting more and more annoying by the second. Seriously? Nothing like a bit of inter-dragon animosity to keep yourselves safe from harm, I guess... Yeah, it makes sense. The concept of stone-assisted death scared them enough to hide Rope and the others away, so the concept of being defeated by a flock of dragons probably had them trembling in their blessed boots. Gods are the worst... Fine, I don’t know if they actually had anything to do with it yet, but they’re still the worst either way.

“Shut the hell up!” Deme shrieked, dragging me back to reality.

Crap, what did I miss? Um... Oh, never mind. It’s not like he’s said anything worth hearing since he got here.

226. Aw, So Cute! ...Are You Guys Seriously Still Going?

“Your tea, Your Lordship,” the One Eye said as it returned bearing another steaming pot of tea.

“Thanks a bunch,” I replied, pouring myself a fresh cup and taking a sip. “Mmm, perfect. That’s just what I needed. Could you make sure everyone inside gets some too?”

“Of course. I’m glad it pleases your palate, Your Lordship,” the One Eye replied with a bow before returning inside. I surveyed the newly prepared snacks—a decently sized selection for me, and the same thing again for the dragons, just in comically larger quantities. However, Flying Lizard and Light Blue apparently thought the provided refreshments were on the scarcer side, because after surveying the spread, both immediately shrank down to the smallest I’d ever seen them. I stared in astonishment as they each transformed, becoming less than a meter long.

“Hey, I didn’t know you guys could go this small,” I said, somewhat bewildered.

“We couldn’t at first, Master. It took a fair deal of practice to achieve this size... But it was a worthwhile endeavor. As you can see, this is the perfect size to achieve maximum satisfaction from these morsels,” Flying Lizard replied, staring at the snacks with an almost reverent expression.

Oh, you guys... You’re too freaking cute sometimes, you know?!

“Yeah, that makes sense. Being perfectly satisfied all the time sounds pretty good,” I said, and Light Blue laughed in response.

It was weird to think about how much my impression of them changed depending on their size. A one-meter-long dragon laughing was undeniably adorable, and a two-meter-long dragon laughing was still kind of cute. When a three-meter-long dragon laughed, however... Well, it was hard to shake the feeling that I was about to become dinner.

I guesssize does mat— Aah! Oh... I forgot the dragons could unhinge their jaws like snakes. That scared me...

“You think you have the right to criticize us? You know nothing about our hardships!” Deme snarled.

Keep it down a little, would you? You’re ruining my relaxation time.

The One Eye from earlier waddled back over. “I’ve arranged for refreshments for the other creatures, Your Lordship,” it said.

“Thank you. Make sure you take a break too, okay?”

The One Eye looked down. “Your Lordship is so kind...” it murmured—at least, that was what I thought it said. It had spoken too softly for me to be sure.

“Sorry, what was that?”

Before it could repeat itself, however, Rope’s clear voice reverberated through the clearing.

“Do all gods react like you upon hearing the truth? By screaming and stomping around like a child? I won’t continue to entertain this conversation unless you can control yourself,” Rope said coolly.

I feel like you were shouting just as much a few minutes ago... Oh well. I don’t care enough to get involved.

“What did you say, you bastard?!” Deme shrieked. A calm discussion clearly wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

“It was nothing, Your Lordship. Please excuse me,” the One Eye replied hurriedly, shuffling away as fast as its little legs could carry it.

They’re such hard workers... I could probably learn a thing or two from them.

“So, Master—have you made your decision yet? Will you stand in opposition to the gods?” Light Blue suddenly asked, fixing me with an intense stare that Flying Lizard—and, to my dismay, Aion and Deme—immediately mirrored.

I really, really don’t want to get involved in this... Ugh.

“I don’t really— Oh, hang on.”

Before I drag these guys into a holy war, I should probably explain everything that’s happened lately—including about how their memories aren’t exactly accurate... I dunno if they’ll believe me though.

“There’s something I need to tell you guys—well, a lot of things actually. It’s going to be different from what you remember, but I hope you’ll believe me,” I said. Flying Lizard and Light Blue frowned but didn’t object. “It’s a bit of a long story...”

And then, I explained everything. I told them that we’d actually only just gained the ability to communicate thanks to Rope and that Rope was most likely the stone from Flying Lizard’s vision. I explained how all of our memories had been altered and how only mine had returned. I also explained how Rope had ended up seizing control of our world. Finally, I revealed the truth about my Newer Power and how close I’d been to causing a magical apocalypse. Though I could tell that my revelations (particularly the part about their memories being false) were rattling them, the dragons, much to their credit, listened in composed silence until I was done.

“I can’t believe you were at such risk of harm and I didn’t notice a thing... And you’re sure you’re definitely safe now, Master?” Light Blue asked worriedly, circling me as though performing a full body examination.

I chuckled. “Yeah, I’m sure,” I replied, stroking its head gently.

“But our memories...” Flying Lizard trailed off, furrowing its brow. I couldn’t fault its reaction. I knew just how disconcerting it was to learn that something you remembered vividly was actually a complete fabrication.

“It seems like all of your kind end up resenting immortality eventually, no? So why do you insist on clinging to it? Why not swap eternity for mere longevity and do away with these desperate attempts at amusement?” Rope asked.

“You don’t under—” Deme began to reply, but Aion cut him off.

“Enough, Deme. And to answer your question, the reason we ‘cling to immortality,’ as you put it, is for the sake of our children.”

Now she’s joining in too? Great... Wait, can the gods just decide to not be immortal or something? Huh. I guess they really are all powerful. But if that’s true, then I think Rope’s kinda onto something. I mean, Aion basically said gods get bored the longer they live and end up causing all sorts of trouble, right? Wouldn’t trading in immortality for a nice, long, limited lifespan fix that? I seriously don’t understand gods... Like, how the hell can she stand there and say it’s for the sake of their children? Look at the mess it got me into!

“Thank you for telling us, Master. While it is no pleasure to learn of the corruption of my memories, I am glad we can now communicate freely.”

“You believe me, then?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Flying Lizard tilted its head. “You did not lie, did you?”

“Of course not. And I feel the same—I’m really happy we can finally talk like this too.”

Light Blue rested its head on top of mine. Unfortunately, even though it did so fairly gently, the dragon had already reverted to its pre-snacking size and therefore delivered a significant impact. I was too grateful for their apparently unconditional faith in me to feel even remotely annoyed at the unexpected blow, though.

“I think that was everything important... Well, I feel like I might’ve forgotten something, but I have no idea what. If it comes to me later, I’ll let you know.”

“You can forget things, Master?” Light Blue asked incredulously.

“Me? Of course I can!”

“How unexpected... I thought you were perfect at everything, Master. It’s strange to think you also have your weaknesses,” Flying Lizard said, to which I responded with an awkward smile.

Crap, they must have got completely the wrong impression during the time we couldn’t talk. I wonder what other misconceptions they have about me...? Nope, too scared to ask.

“For the sake of your children? Don’t make me laugh,” Rope scoffed.

“Whatever is that supposed to mean?” Aion replied.

“You don’t refuse to submit to mortality for their sake. It’s for your own. You’re too scared to live a life that ends.”

Scared? Even though they’re capable of anything? Huh... Oh well. Scared, not scared, I don’t care. I just want this dumb debate to be over already.

The Farm Brigade, returning from the fields for a midday break, stopped in their tracks to stare at Aion and Deme (who from an outsider’s perspective probably looked like they were taking it in turns to talk to the sky). Neither of the gods seemed to notice their growing audience, much less the somewhat pitying expressions the Farm Brigade dolls wore.

Okay, I know they’re pathetic, but quit it with the staring please. I’ve got enough to deal with over here as it is without you guys getting involved.

“You speak nonsense. We fear nothing!” Aion replied.

“If you died, you would lose everything. Your status, your power—all of it, gone. That’s what you fear.”

This time, there was no arrogant reply.

I think he might have touched a nerve...

“You’re wrong!” Deme snapped, before turning to Aion. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“No. Perhaps... Perhaps Rope speaks the truth,” Aion said. It was Deme’s turn to fall silent.

“I wonder if all gods are this annoying?” I muttered to the dragons.

“I imagine so,” Light Blue replied with a nod, while Flying Lizard merely grunted in agreement. Both were watching the gods with what I was pretty sure was a mixture of bemusement and contempt.

Glad it’s not just me. I’m getting really tired of this though... Oh, more snacks? Sweet.

The dragons, who’d noticed the latest round of refreshments at the same time I did, turned away from the ongoing argument to survey the One Eye—or rather, the tray it was holding.

“These look rather delectable too.”

“Indeed.”

I nodded. The One Eye was carrying a tray piled almost impossibly high with what appeared to be slices of a fruit-based cake. As always, the One Eyes’s cooking was just as beautiful as it was delicious, and we enjoyed another cup of tea with the cake while watching the continuing debate. If I wasn’t already well and truly over listening to their squabbling, I probably would have found the discussion rather entertaining. There was something very human about refusing to accept the solution to your problems—even though it was staring you right in the face—because you were too scared to give up the very thing that was causing your suffering.

But what’s the alternative? Refusing to give up immortality even if it kills you? No, wait—it wouldn’t kill you. Duh. That’s the whole problem here.

“Master, I’m curious—how is it you came to this world in the first place? Did you just wake up here one day, as we did?” Light Blue asked curiously.

“Huh? Oh... See, I knew I forgot something!”

“Master...” the two dragons groaned, to which I gave an awkward laugh.

It’s not my fault! I just have a terrible memory... Oh, never mind.

I gave them a summarized version of the events that had led to my arrival. Light Blue was visibly angry by the time I finished.

“How dare those idiots involve someone as magnificent as you in their stupid schemes?!”

“It’s okay, Light Blue. It’s basically all in the past now. I appreciate the sentiment though.”

“Personally, I think you should be angrier, Master,” Flying Lizard said, smacking its tail against the ground in irritation. “You have every right to be.”

I shrugged. “Yeah, you’re not wrong. It’s just...” I trailed off.

“Master?”

“Honestly, I just didn’t have enough time to be angry, you know? Most days, I was too busy trying to stay alive to even think about throwing a tantrum or whatever. And when the hermit—I mean, Deme—finally explained exactly what I’d gotten caught up in, I was too shocked to do anything but listen. Heck, even listening was hard.”

“I see...” Light Blue replied, still frowning.

“And now,” I continued, glancing at Deme and Aion. “I’m still not really angry—just incredibly reluctant to get involved.”

Flying Lizard laughed. “Very understandable.”

I mean, Aion did seem genuinely worried about me, but Deme’s whole apology was as phony as a three-dollar bill. He just thought he could bow a few times and boom, problem solved. I knew exactly what he was really thinking... I wonder if that’s another of the gifts? Hmm... I can’t have had a lie-detector function last time he came, though, because otherwise I would’ve figured out he was up to no good. Did I get an upgrade or something? Did Deme do something to me last time he was here?

“Nah, there’s no way.”

There’s no way, right...?

227. Reality Is Harsh, but Solutions Are...Surprisingly Easy?

The Farm Brigade soon passed by once more, heading back toward the fields for the afternoon shift. They always took extremely short breaks. I’d tried to convince them to rest for a little longer in the past, but my attempts had been politely but firmly rejected; apparently, clay bodies didn’t actually need to rest, and their microbreaks were merely to appease me.

“Enough of this! You can spend all of eternity lecturing me about the greatness of the gods if you like, but I know your true nature! You’re wasting your time!” Rope said heatedly, clearly fed up with Deme’s obstinance.

“No! You know nothing!” Deme retorted.

“Whatever you say, oh mighty god...”

Rope sounded tired, which wasn’t too surprising. The pair of them had been fighting for what felt like hours at this point, sending thinly veiled insults and illogical arguments back and forth in an unending and pointless rally. While I’d enjoyed the tea and snacks that had accompanied my spectator ticket, I was more than ready for their match to end.

Dunno what I can do to stop them, though...

Deme bristled. “Now listen here, you bastard—!”

“Oh, not again! Just shut up already!” came Rope’s incorporeal, incensed reply.

Now Rope’s lost their temper again... How many times is it now?

“Seven, I think...?” I muttered to myself.

“If you’re referring to Rope’s outbursts, Master, this is the ninth time they’ve lost composure,” Flying Lizard murmured, joining in with my score-keeping.

Nine times already? Jeez. For a rope, they’ve sure got a short fuse.

“Still, Rope’s putting up with him a lot better than I could.”

“Perhaps... Ah. Master, the calmer god is coming this way.”

“Huh?” I shifted my gaze from where I’d been staring blankly into the sky and followed Flying Lizard’s stare to see Aion approaching.

What does she want?

“Er, is there something I can help you with?” I asked awkwardly, earning me a wry smile from the blue-haired woman.

“Their squabbling is getting too ridiculous for me to listen any longer. May I join you and your friends?”

“Yeah, no worries... But what do you mean, getting too ridiculous?” I asked, baffled.

“I’m sorry about all of this. This wasn’t how I wanted things to go...” She paused, sighing. “Bringing Deme was a mistake. I had no idea how pathetic he’d become.”

“Really?”

“Really. Until I discovered his recent idiocy, our paths hadn’t crossed for a few hundred years. He used to be a little more sensible—at least, I thought he was...”

Her sudden vow of silence toward the beginning of the bickering was starting to make a little more sense now. I’d probably be just as surprised in her shoes. Heck, I kinda was in her shoes. The first time I’d met Deme, he’d been a jolly old man, not a tantrum-throwing knucklehead. It was a pretty big change, as far as makeovers went.

Yep, I’d be just as surprised if I was her. And scared—definitely scared.

“Why is he hung up on the idea that the gods are so amazing anyway?” I asked. For all his points, nothing he’d said had convinced me of his kind’s greatness—quite the opposite in fact. Furthermore, his primary argument seemed to be that the gods deserved respect and awe purely for existing. While I wasn’t dumb enough to say they didn’t deserve some awe—or at the very least fear—at the same time, it in itself wasn’t a particularly convincing argument. Rope had every reason to object.

“Something must have changed within him. He wasn’t always this arrogant.”

So basically you’re saying there’s no real reason.

“Okay... Well, do you know why he’s so opposed to the idea of ditching immortality for just a long lifespan or whatever Rope said? Wouldn’t that be better for all of you? I mean, you could still live for ages, but you wouldn’t have to. You said it was for our sake, but I’m pretty sure Deme isn’t as enthusiastic about mortals.”

Um, why does she look like I just spit in her tea?

“In truth,” she started, grimacing, “I only just learned gods could give up their immortality.”

“Huh? But earlier, you said it was for our sake...”

Aion flinched. “I... I’m sorry. It seems I share some of Deme’s unfounded pride... We gods can be unreasonably stubborn, as I’m sure you’re aware by now. It’s not in our nature to admit to any gaps in our knowledge.”

Unreasonably stubborn? That’s one way of putting it. Pigheaded is probably the way I’d phrase it.

“How come you didn’t know, though? Aren’t you meant to be all-knowing?”

“There are ways to keep secrets from even a god, if you hold enough power. Some among our number would likely leap at the chance for a finite life. I imagine it was kept from us intentionally to prevent an uprising.”

I... I don’t even know how to respond to that. Whatever system you guys are running up there, it’s flawed. Very flawed.

“Now, I gave you a basic explanation earlier, but is there anything specific you’d like to ask regarding the gifts?”

“Nah, not really.”

“I see...” Aion looked at me for a long moment. “You truly are a most unusual being.”

“I am?”

“You are. No other hero in history has managed to retain their self-awareness after accepting the gifts. I’ve tracked down countless other unwilling heroes in my time, but I was never able to save them. You were the first who’d yet to succumb—and without my aid too.”

So she’s like some kind of holy first responder? Huh. I guess Deme’s not the only one causing problems up there... I feel kinda bad for her.

“This incident will undoubtedly result in stricter conditions being placed upon hero-summoning spells, if nothing else. I’d prefer the whole practice be abolished, but I fear there is little chance of that.”

“Not gonna lie, I still think the whole thing is kinda stupid.”

Actually, you’re all kinda stupid. No offense. But I mean, seriously—immortality just keeps causing problems, but you refuse to give it up? It’s obvious you guys were responsible for creating humans, because you’re literally just like us. Ugh... Hana would be devastated if she was here. She loved all this fantasy crap, especially the awesome, noble gods. If I introduced her to you two, she’d think I was playing a prank on her.

Wait a minute! I got chosen by a hero-summoning spell and ended up in a fantasy world! Sure, I was chosen by mistake, but still—wasn’t this basically Hana’s favorite plotline? She loved almost anything that kicked off with a summoning spell! I mean, she loved reincarnation stories and generic fantasy too, but that’s beside the point. Am I... Am I the main character?! Ha ha... Nah, there’s no way. Also, this story is very problematic. I mean, I’m pretty sure heroes are meant to get swords or wands, not stupid “gifts” that come with a whole lotta strings attached. Having your personality gouged out? That ain’t fantasy. It’s one hundred percent horror.

I sighed. “I guess I—”

Before I could finish my sentence, Rope began to shout once more. I could feel the very air around me shaking with the force of their voice.

“If you won’t choose mortality for yourself, then I’ll choose it for you! Master, lend me your power!”

What the—? What did I miss?

“Master!” Rope repeated. Oddly, it felt like their voice was coming from somewhere closer this time.

It’s really weird not being able to see them...

“Master?”

“Ah! Oh, you wanted something, right? Power? Take whatever you need—just don’t go overboard.”

“Thank you, Master. I shall exercise restraint.”

That was sca— Hang on, what did Rope say they needed the power for again? Something about mortality...? Oh, crap. I wasn’t really listening... Er, this will all work out fine, right...? Yeah, it should— Whoa! What the hell?!

I stumbled, thrown off-balance by the sensation of what was clearly an enormous amount of power being ripped out of my body.

Er... Any chance this will still work out fine?

“Rope?” I asked hesitantly, but before any answer came I stumbled again as the power Rope had taken suddenly returned, then a third time as I felt myself being drained once more.

Okay, what the hell is going on here? Did I get an instant reload upgrade or something without realizing? Wait... Did I actually get upgraded? But that would mean I have, like, unlimited power... Nah, that’s impossible! Definitely impossible. Except it’s literally happening right now, so I guess it’s not impossible.

Thankfully, a flash of light distracted me before I could start panicking too much as Aion, who was still sitting nearby, lit up with a soft glow. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught another flash coming from Deme’s direction.

“Oh my...” Aion whispered, inspecting her hands curiously. Something had obviously happened—I just had no idea what. The dragons and I remained silent, watching her with similar curiosity, while many of the other creatures—including an impressive regiment of clay dolls—looked on from afar.

Sorry for dragging you all into this...

“I can feel something...something moving, shifting,” Aion finally murmured, still staring at her hands. “Is this... Is this what living feels like?”

Wow. That’s some impressive introspection. I guess gods aren’t entirely oblivious—some of them, anyway. Also, she looks pretty happy for someone who’s just gained a pulse. Or would most people be happy about that? I dunno.

“What is this?! What have you done?!” Deme said hysterically.

“Rope?” I called again.

“I’m here, Master!”

Okay, you really need to stop sounding so happy every time I call out to you.

“Did you only take their immortality? Or...”

“No, Master! I shared your power with my fellow setting stones, and together we rendered all the gods mortal! Perhaps now they’ll reconsider that high-and-mighty attitude of theirs!”

All the gods? Wow. I feel like that’s a pretty big deal.

“That’s seriously impressive, Rope. I didn’t realize you were that powerful. Like, you must be the most powerful being in existence, right?”

I think you might have gone a little too far, though... Oh well. It was still impressive.

“No, Master. It was only because you lent me your power. Without it, I couldn’t have broken the seals on the other stones nor awakened them from their slumber. Relieving gods of their immortality is our original purpose, and doing so posed little difficulty. Beyond that, however, we are not especially powerful.”

Really?

“But you destroyed whatever was stopping us all from being able to communicate, right?”

“Yes, but I merely channeled the power you gave me and used it to shatter the spell. Being able to break things is no indication of power, Master.”

I guess... Still, I feel like being able to give gods an expiry date still makes you the most powerful being in existence—or pretty damn close if not.

More importantly, I feel like everything actually has worked out just fine. Like, if the gods aren’t immortal anymore, then hopefully they’ll stop getting bored and causing chaos for the hell of it. There’s nothing like a bit of existentialism to keep you in check, right? What else was I worried about? This world and my departure from humanity? Aion said she was gonna keep an eye on this world now, so there goes that problem. And as for me... Well, I’m still an unidentified life-form, but I’m pretty sure everything’s still working just fine. Yeah, nothing to worry about.

I shrugged. “Besides, the gods and their problems have nothing to do with me.”

Still, it’s kinda hard to believe Rope bested all those stupidly stubborn gods in seconds. Ha ha... That’s reality for you! Sometimes the problem gets resolved just like that—no noble warriors, long quests, or deadly battles! Heroes don’t grow on trees, you know?

228. That’s Not Their Name...and That’s Not My Job!

“Master, I’m going hunting!” Koa called.

“Oh, I’ll come too!” I replied, jumping to my feet. It was the perfect weather for a stroll through the forest.

One month had passed since I’d given my friends the full rundown of my otherworldly adventure thus far. Mostly, it was the same stuff I’d recounted to Flying Lizard and Light Blue—my unexpected arrival, the Newer Power I’d inadvertently created, my frequent brushes with magical meltdowns, and Rope’s appearance (and subsequent tampering) among other relevant tidbits.

Upon further discussion, I discovered some of their altered memories actually differed depending on who I asked. In fact, Rope had done a pretty shoddy job of it. When I’d asked, they’d told me the spell had malfunctioned due to the world’s instability at the time of casting, but I wasn’t entirely convinced. The complicated process of trying to consolidate everyone’s memories into one workable reality had given me one hell of a headache, and I’d found myself cursing Rope’s name quite a few times throughout the ordeal.

“What are we hunting for today?” I asked after catching up to Koa.

“Karaage.”

“Koa, what did I say about calling animals by their end product instead of their names? It’s not very nice,” I admonished her gently. “By the way, which karaage are we looking for?”

One of the first things I’d learned after gaining the power of conversation was that my animal companions really, really liked fried food, and karaage in particular (because it went well with alcohol, another taste they’d recently acquired). We usually used one of two varieties of monster to make karaage. The first were apparently called “evil serpents,” which was actually pretty close to the name I’d been calling them: “giant creepy snakes.” The first time I’d found myself presented with an enormous dead snake, it had taken a whole lotta courage to even consider cooking it, let alone eating it. The second monsters were called killeragus and were essentially huge rabbits. However, unlike the rabbits I’d been familiar with in Japan, the word “cute” did not apply to killeragus. They had terrifyingly sharp fangs and terrifyingly glowing eyes, as well as an apparent fondness for attempting to eat me. Out of the two, I preferred evil serpent karaage. It was a little juicer and tasted kind of like chicken. Killeragus karaage was a little drier in comparison.

Not long after arriving in this world, I’d started receiving deliveries of either giant dead snakes or giant dead rabbits in vast quantities. Since mutual understanding had still been a pipe dream at the time, I’d simply assumed the two types of monsters were more abundant than others. Apparently, I’d been wrong: It had actually been a silent plea for karaage, as I quickly learned from my newly talkative (and somewhat peevish) friends. I wasn’t too sure what they were upset about, to be honest. I’d ended up turning most of it into karaage anyway, so their pleas had been more or less answered, albeit inadvertently.

“Master, those creatures exist only to become karaage, so why shouldn’t I call them that?” Koa replied with a laugh. “And I’m Team Evil, of course. Now, let’s catch us some karaage!”

Existing to become karaage? Come on, that’s just a little too mean. Also, I still can’t believe they decided on “Team Evil” and “Team Ragus” to describe which karaage they prefer. So Koa’s on Team Evil, huh? Hmm... I guess I’m on Team Evil too, then?

“Just make sure you don’t overhunt them, okay? If you end up accidentally making them extinct, you’ll be really upset.”

Not that there’s been any sign of endangerment so far. If anything, it feels like there’s more of them... I seriously don’t understand this place. Maybe I’ll ask Aion if she knows anything next time she drops by—or the dragons might know, come to think of it.

Speaking of Aion... I wonder how everything’s going up there?

Around ten minutes after Rope and the other stones had confiscated the gods’ immortality, Aion’s flustered assistant had appeared to report that the heavens—or wherever it was that the gods lived—had descended into utter chaos. Upon hearing this, Deme had started screaming at Rope and demanding the spell be undone, at which point Aion had silenced him with an impressively powerful punch before dragging him to his feet and promptly vanishing. Watching Aion quietly getting to her feet and then suddenly socking Deme in the jaw had definitely been the most shocking part of the entire day—an opinion Flying Lizard and Light Blue also shared.

When Aion returned a few days later, she’d been in an extremely bad mood—bad enough that I’d barely managed to override the instinctual urge to curl up into the fetal position and wait for death. According to her, the turmoil had resulted in the unveiling of quite a few secrets, all of them displeasing. Apparently, the pro-immortality movement (which, as it turned out, was a legitimate group) had been keeping very busy. For instance, they’d managed to hide the fact that there were actually a significant number of anti-immortality supporters among the gods, and that wasn’t even the worst of it. Other things that had escaped general notice included a range of petty inter-god squabbles, as well as the minor detail that most of the worlds they were responsible for had actually been destroyed long ago.

See? I knew there was something fishy when she said the gods never fought.

I couldn’t help feeling a little bit impressed that the pro-immortality movement had successfully kept so many gods in the dark for so long.

Unfortunately, I also couldn’t help sharing said feelings with Aion, who’d shrugged and responded, “Well, most of the gods have more or less given up on their work already, I suppose. I guess it’s easy to fool those who’ve deliberately stopped paying attention,”—a comment for which she’d immediately received a solid whack across the head courtesy of Light Blue’s tail.

I’d rushed over to check on her, but she merely gave me a wry smile, stood up, and promptly apologized to the dragon in question. I couldn’t really blame Light Blue for the sudden act of violence. All of my friends had become the playthings of a god seeking entertainment, and they’d all suffered for it. Anger was the most obvious response.

I still can’t believe Aion just got up and walked away after a hit like that though... Gods are scary.

She’d left soon afterward but had returned again after another few days. Given the frequency of her visits, I’d thought for sure everything must have settled down by that point. I quickly learned I was wrong. Just like the previous time, she’d suddenly appeared without warning. However, unlike the previous time, she’d been laughing her head off as she arrived—an outburst in which she’d been joined by Rope, for some reason. Listening to two people—one of whom was invisible—laughing uncontrollably for undetermined reasons wasn’t a particularly enjoyable way to kick off a visit.

When they’d finally calmed down enough to explain what was so funny, it turned out that the pro-immortality movement had found itself in a bit of a pickle thanks to Rope’s spell. When Rope and their fellow setting stones had taken away the gods’ immortality, they’d also snuck in a little fail-safe—something to hopefully prevent the gods from harming the mortals and worlds they were meant to be protecting in retaliation. As Rope explained, any such attempts would result in the vengeful god’s lifespan being reduced, with the time lost depending on the severity of their crime.

Now, while the stones had originally cast the spell in order to prevent future trouble, when the past deeds of the pro-immortality gods had come to light, they’d promptly decided to retroactively apply the fail-safe spell to previous crimes too. In an instant, the respective lifespans of the pro-immortality movement’s leaders had been shortened by an amount somewhere in the range of several centuries.

“Wait, centuries? What the hell did they do?” I’d asked, suspecting I wouldn’t like the answer. I was right.

The gods in question had decided in the past to hold a competition of sorts, using the demon king as an instrument of fear to see who could produce the most reverent worshippers in their respective worlds. Of course, the best way to get people to worship you was to provide them with a holy warrior—in other words, a hero—to fight back against the forces of evil that threatened their families and homes. Countless mortals had been forced to take up the sword against their will, and all had met a terrible end, disposable pawns in the gods’ games. When they’d begun to tire of this, the idle gods had instead started coming up with ways to make the demon king more powerful, the result of which was a foe too strong for a single hero to defeat.

Therefore, they’d started summoning multiple heroes at once (four in my case, not counting myself) to pit against their demonic pet. Some of the parties had actually succeeded in “defeating” the demon king, but the gifts they’d required to do so were too much for any mortal to bear on an ongoing basis. The survivors soon became threats in their own right, ticking time bombs on the brink of destroying the very worlds they’d saved. The gods had called these heroes back to the heavens, but when they couldn’t find a way to use them for their own benefit, they’d simply eliminated them without a second thought. They would die in battle against the demon king or at the hand of the god who’d conscripted them—either way, there was no happy ending for a hero. The number of eliminated heroes was also apparently too many to count. I cut Rope off before they could say any more. I simply couldn’t stomach hearing anything else.

“So basically, the whole problem was caused by bored gods who think way too freakin’ highly of themselves,” I summarized.

“Well... Yes,” Aion said, flashing me another tight smile.

Incidentally, Aion’s newly acquired lifespan hadn’t shortened on account of Rope’s spell, though it seemed she would have readily accepted it if it had. She hadn’t participated in their games, but that didn’t absolve her of responsibility for not noticing what was going on, or so she said. She, at least, seemed to take her role as a god seriously.

“A good haul again today, Master!”

“Huh? What... Oh. Chai, maybe try to show just a little more restraint, okay? If you keep killing this many every time we go hunting, evil serpents really are gonna go extinct before long,” I said, glancing at the towering pile of snake carcasses.

I was pretty sure it hadn’t been there a few minutes earlier, but while it was kinda scary, I could deal with the speed at which they’d finished their hunt. It was the extent (i.e., the sheer number of carcasses) I took issue with.

“Don’t worry, Master. There’s still plenty of them in the forest. Look, there’s some just there,” Chai replied, gesturing with his paw. A reluctant peek told me he was right; about twenty meters away, a small swarm of huge snakes—all of whom had adopted the defensive, upright posture I’d seen in documentaries—were watching us closely, swaying to-and-fro like incredibly terrifying trees. I quickly looked away and pretended I hadn’t seen anything. Unfortunately, that meant I was now looking at the carcass mountain once again.

“Ugh... This is almost as terrifying,” I grumbled.

Like, some of them even still have their eyes open... This is like a scene from a horror movie. I feel like I’m about to get cursed.

“Really? I think it looks delicious,” Chai said, visibly drooling.

Delicious? That’s crazy... Wait, Chai actually does look crazy right now. And everyone else is drooling too?! Scary! You guys are scary!

Thankfully, that marked the end of our quick and horrifying hunt. The canines used magic to levitate the spoils and we started heading home, following the floating procession of giant dead snakes as it twisted through the trees overhead.

Yep. Straight out of a horror movie.

“Oh, you’re back. I must say, it’s quite an unusual parade you’ve got there,” Aion said as I arrived, beckoning me over as though I was the visitor.

How long has she been here? Also, it’s only been like five days since the last time she dropped by... I’m starting to think she’s not as busy as she says she is. She did say she was busy, right? Unless I misheard... It’s definitely possible.

“Hi, Aion. I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon. You said you had a lot to deal with, right? Your assistant’s not going to show up mid-meltdown again, is he...?”

Aion’s last visit had apparently been during work hours, which I’d discovered when her assistant had burst into the room in tears after finally tracking her down. I’d immediately shown both the door.

“No, I’ve got a little more leeway this time. You see, those immortality-obsessed idi—I mean, gods, have been wiped out.”

Wiped out? What, like exhausted...? Oh. Oh. She didn’t mean like exhausted. She meant like—

“Wait, they’re dead?! Why? How?”

But last time she said they were still refusing to even talk to the other gods! She said it would take ages to bring them down! What kinda rapid plot progression crap is this?!

“The Creator passed judgment on them. They exist no more,” Aion replied simply.

“What, just like that? No offense, but if dealing with them was that easy, couldn’t the Creator have stepped in before things got so messy?”

“Your frustration is understandable, but you should know that it was no easy thing. Erasing the gods responsible was only the beginning. He also needed to repair the countless worlds warped by their foolish games and stabilize the spiritual essence of the inhabitants’ souls—both enduring and departed. It took all of his power to accomplish such a feat and thereby put an end to the chaos.”

All his power?

“I thought running out of power was kinda, you know, fatal... I guess that probably doesn’t apply to the Creator, though.”

“No, it does. Fixing those problems was the Creator’s final act. Another has taken up the mantle now, one of the more powerful pro-mortality advocates.”

So he gave his life to erase those gods, huh? I guess that’s a pretty big deal... But more importantly, what the hell does she mean by “erase”?

“Is being erased different than dying?”

“Yes. To be erased is to have all trace of your existence removed from the cosmos. Death, on the other hand, is not quite as final as most mortals believe. When one lifetime comes to an end, another begins anew.”

Okay, I think I get it. Essentially, death results in reincarnation, but being erased doesn’t. Cool.

“Truthfully, I thought the Creator would be erased along with those he sentenced—such a position comes with some responsibility for the crimes of all gods, you see,” Aion continued. “However, the spell cast by Rope and the setting stones did not shorten his lifespan, nor was he erased by the judgment he himself handed down. He merely rejoined the endless cycle. I was quite relieved, if I’m being honest. He gave so much to right his wrongs—to right all of our wrongs.”

Yeah, I guess she’s got a point. He didn’t really deserve to be deleted.

“But I didn’t just come to give you an update today,” she said with a smile. “I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Sorry, can’t help ya!”

“But I haven’t even—”

“Nope, not happening!”

Whatever you’re about to say, I already know I won’t like it! Count me out! I’m not getting dragged into yet another one of your messes!

229. Screwed Over... Parenting 101.

Taiyou—one of the boys—burst into tears, and I rushed to console him before the crying became contagious. A cursory look around revealed one of the other boys now possessed the wooden toy Taiyou had just been playing with.

“You have to share nicely, okay, Kaminari? We don’t just snatch things from other people,” I said, to which Kaminari responded with an adorable pout.

Aw, you’re so cute... You’re still not getting away with it though.

I spent a few minutes trying to explain the concept of sharing, then stroked Kaminari’s hair gently to let him know he wasn’t in actual trouble. I had no idea whether or not he’d actually understood my lecture, but I chose to believe at least some of it had sunk in.

“Master, I think Sakura is sleepy... What should I do?” Kuhi asked in a slightly panicked voice, and when I turned to him, I saw Sakura—one of the younger girls—yawning in his arms.

“Oh, good. I think the One Eyes have already finished building beds for them, so maybe try putting her down for a nap?”

“No worries!” Kuhi replied cheerfully.

“Thanks. Right, you guys haven’t had lunch yet, have you? I don’t think I’ll have enough time to join you, so after you put Sakura down, you and Usa should go and eat.”

“Okay. See you later, Master!”

I grinned. “Thanks for all your help,” I said, ruffling his hair gently. He smiled back and left the room, still cradling Sakura carefully in his arms.

He’s basically been on babysitting duty all day, every day lately. Usa too. I hope I’m not pushing them too hard... I don’t really think either of them would let me know if I was, though. I made a mental note to check with Ai later. The Team Ai dogs—particularly Nea and Raki—seemed to understand the beastkin kids a lot better than I did.

I sighed.

She knew exactly what she was doing... That god got me good.

I’d refused to even listen to Aion’s request during her latest visit, knowing it couldn’t possibly be anything good. She’d proceeded to spend the better part of the next hour badgering me to just hear her out before turning her down. Eventually, I’d gotten so sick of her nagging that I’d agreed to listen to her request. That had been my mistake. After hearing what she had to say, turning her down wasn’t an option.

“As far as we can tell, the gifts intended for them were inadvertently doubled, causing their respective hero-summoning circles to malfunction. However, a handful of gods still attempted to perform a summoning, perhaps not realizing the error. As a result, several beings similar to yourself came into existence.”

“Huh? Like me? You mean, they survived?”

Aion nodded. “Yes, but only barely. Some intervention was necessary to ensure their survival.”

“Wow.” I shook my head in disbelief. “And they’re okay now? What about their powers?”

“They possess only magic. Their mana reserves continue to grow, but nowhere near the extent of your own. For the time being, a few spells here and there should be enough to keep their mana at a safe level.” She paused for a moment, eyeing me closely. “And so, I have a favor to ask.”

A large part of me still wanted to turn her down right away, but one thing gave me pause. If they were like me, it meant they were also unidentified life-forms—no longer quite mortal (at least in the general sense) and probably without a home to return to.

“What is it?” I asked suspiciously.

“I want you to allow them to live in your world.”

Yep, I called it.

“Is that what your new Creator boss wants? They’re like the top god or whatever, right?”

Aion frowned slightly. “The Creator wasn’t sure what to do with them either. While they haven’t yet shown any signs of possessing the same mysterious power you’ve acquired, the possibility still remains. I managed to convince the Creator that observing them was the kindest course of action.”

Ugh. How am I meant to say no now?! I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to hear her out...

I sighed. “How many of them?”

“Oh, are you sure?” Aion replied. She clearly wasn’t particularly concerned about my answer, because she immediately continued without giving me time to reply. “There are seven in total.”

What do you mean, am I sure?! You made it pretty clear that they had nowhere else to go! Also, I’m kinda worried you’ll erase them if I say no!

“Seven? That’s a lot...”

Oh well. I’m pretty sure this world has room for seven more people.

“Fine. They can come here.”

“Thank you, Akira. I’ll be right back,” Aion said, promptly vanishing.

She returned nearly as quickly as she’d disappeared, giving me little time to prepare for the arrival of our world’s newest residents—which didn’t really matter, because all the time in the world couldn’t have prepared me for what came next.

The seven people, as it turned out, were all children.

Oh, for crying out loud... I guess I could have asked about their ages before agreeing to take them in, but I still feel like— Nah, forget it. This is on me. I mean, she definitely could have given me a heads-up, but I’ll take the blame. Still, if you’re gonna introduce them as “beings like me,” of course I’m gonna assume they’re adults!

“Thanks again, Akira. I really owe you one,” Aion said.

“Hang on just a damn second. Why the hell are they all kids?”

“Well, when I found them, they were already on the brink of death. The only way to save them was to turn back time.”

“Turn back time?”

“Yes. I was hoping they’d return to an earlier point in time, one that wasn’t so precarious...”

Right, I remember her saying something about a time god.

“Unfortunately,” she continued, “the magic of the gifts and that of the time-reversal spell weren’t compatible, and what you see here is the result. They went back too far. We tried to cancel the spell, but that went wrong too. For some reason, instead of stopping the reversal, it completely erased their memories instead...”

What the hell have I gotten myself into? I thought, sneaking a glance at the children, currently being nervously held by who I assumed were more of Aion’s assistants. The oldest one must be what, seven? Maybe a little older?

I sighed again. “Well, it doesn’t really matter either way, because I already agreed to take them in. Anything else you can tell me? Names? Genders?”

“Four boys, and three girls,” Aion answered quickly. “And as for names, they don’t have any.”

“They don’t?”

“Not anymore. The gifts erased their names, and our reversal erased any other memories.”

“Oh, right. But isn’t there a chance they might remember their names eventually? I did after all.”

“Unfortunately, that isn’t a possibility.” Aion’s tone was calm but firm. I was pretty sure there must have been a reason for her certainty, but I was even more sure I didn’t want to learn that reason for myself. The less I knew, the better.

“Fair enough.”

Aion eyed me suspiciously. “You’re not even a little bit curious?”

Nope! That’s not going to work on me again!

“Not even a little,” I replied flatly, hoping to put an end to any further unsolicited revelations. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the One Eyes carefully taking the children from Aion’s relieved assistants.

“Well, if you change your—” Aion began, but I immediately cut her off.

“Sorry, but I’m actually really busy right now. See you later!”

“Tch.”

Did she just click her tongue at me...? Yeah, I feel like I definitely dodged a bullet there.

Aion showed no signs of leaving, but I stood my ground. “I’m sure you’re very busy too, Aion. Don’t let me keep you!”

“Fine,” she said after a long pause. “We’ll discuss this next time.”

“Nope. Also, don’t even think about springing something like this on me again. I’m not dealing with any more of your problems, all right?”

“All right,” she said, after an even longer pause. “I’ll drop by to check on you soon, though.”

I did not like how long it took her to reply... I’ll have to be on my guard next time she shows up.

One chaotic week had passed since the arrival of our world’s seven newest inhabitants—a week I wouldn’t have survived without tremendous help from Kuhi and Usa. Surprisingly, the usually infallible One Eyes had struggled at first, but it seemed like they’d finally gotten used to taking care of the seven kids in addition to Momo and Sumire, our resident baby angels. Well, Momo and Sumire frequently tried to help too, but...

“What the—?! Hey! Momo, Sumire, put Tsubasa down! He can’t fly like you!” I shouted. Handing Taiyou to a nearby One Eye, I chased after the angels, barely managing to keep Tsubasa in sight as the group zoomed around overhead. I eventually caught up and raised my arms to take Tsubasa, but the angels only looked at me in confusion.

Awe, so cute... Nope, I still can’t let them take the kids on joyrides though. I’m sure they were being careful, but it’s still too dangerous.

“The new kids don’t have wings like you, see? So they can’t fly. Their magic isn’t stable yet either, so they might not be able to protect themselves if they fall,” I explained gently. Momo and Sumire tilted their heads.

I guess they didn’t understand... How can I put it more simply? Hmm...

Before I could revise my explanation, the angels pointed at something behind me. I turned around to see yet another airborne infant. Tsuki (one of the girls) was floating in midair. Furthermore, she was doing so entirely unaided.

“Wait, they can fly?!” I blinked a few times, but nothing changed. Despite what I’d assumed was a critical lack of wings, she was definitely flying.

“Well, Tsuki’s an exception, you see? None of the other kids can fly... Maybe...?”

Or maybe they can all fly. I... I think I’ll just leave it for now, before I make myself sound even more stupid. Hang on—Aion said these kids were basically just like me, right? Does that mean I can fly too?! Hmm... I’ll do some experimenting later—once everyone else is asleep.

Once they’d spotted Tsuki, it didn’t take much encouragement to convince Momo and Sumire to let me take Tsubasa. Within seconds, the two angels and Tsuki were holding hands and spinning around at a rather dizzying speed.

“Just don’t do anything dangerous, okay? Momo, Sumire, I’m counting on you!” I called out, which for some reason only made the angels start spinning even faster. “No, that’s what I was telling you not to do! Tsuki, stop laughing! It’s only encouraging them!”

Okay, I give up. I’m never gonna be able to get them to stop when Tsuki’s having that much fun. Ugh...

In the blink of an eye, I’d somehow become a parent to seven new children—four boys (Kaminari, Taiyou, Tsubasa, and Fuuta) and three girls (Sakura, Tsuki, and Momiji).

“Well, you never know what life will bring! Who said that again? Hmm...”

Eh, maybe it’ll come to me later. For now, I better go check on Fuuta... I wonder why he’s crying this time?

Side Story: Just Deserts

The day had come for our weekly wine party, perhaps more accurately referred to as our weekly drunken brawl. Thankfully, everyone was a little better at handling their alcohol these days, which meant I usually only had to dodge a few blazing columns of fire and explosive lightning strikes throughout the night, as well as the occasional deluge courtesy of the river amoebas.

Yep, everyone’s way better behaved these days. I mean, I barely ever worry about dying now!

I’d recently found myself inundated with requests to double the number of drunken brawls from one to two per week, all of which I’d refused. The latest one had been initiated by Marshmallow. The dragon had come to me wearing an incredibly serious expression claiming it had something of utmost importance to beg of me. I’d given it the benefit of the doubt, but of course, it had just turned out to be yet another request for a second weekly wine party.

“Look, if I was gonna let you guys get smashed twice a week, we’d need to start growing double the amount of grapes, you know? The Farm Brigade already has enough work to deal with as it is. It wouldn’t be fair to them,” I’d said, only to find myself promptly abducted by the determined dragon.

I was unwillingly relocated to the fields, where I was met by a crowd of clay dolls, amoebas, ants, and spiders, who immediately began insisting the additional agriculture would be no trouble at all. In the blink of an eye, my previously reliable excuse was no longer valid, and thus, I gave up. Within minutes, the hardworking horde was already clearing space for a gigantic new vineyard while I looked on in resignation.

I’ll catch the Farm Brigade later and make it clear I won’t be approving any more new fields after this one, no matter how much they beg... Yeah, like that’ll work.

But back to the present. Our (for now still weekly) wine party was well underway, and I was sitting off to one side, idly enjoying a glass of wine, when the first of what I assumed would be many unbelievable sights unfolded.

“Why can’t it ever just be a normal, calm drinking party...?”

Despite it being a beautiful day, it was currently raining exclusively over one small section of the clearing. Four spiders stood under the downpour—

No, wait. That one’s an ant.

Three spiders and one ant stood under the downpour. Upon first glance, they appeared to be arguing, but I quickly averted my eyes as soon as the first sparks started flying—literally.

Huh. Last time I checked the spiders all hated water, which I guess makes sense when you’re a fire magic specialist... Did they get over it or something?

I risked another glance, immediately regretting my decision. It felt like the flames now swirling around the four creatures had burned my retinas. Blurry movement on both sides of the fireball implied the rest of their many-legged audience, at least, were fleeing the scene.

Guess water’s not so scary when you can just evaporate it with a giant ball of flames... More importantly, what’s up with the purple fire? I know blue fire is really hot, but purple? I’ve never heard of purple flames before.

“Masteeeeer, what’s wroooong?” Soa—a member of Koa’s pack—asked, resting her head on top of mine with a soft thunk.

Oh, she’s really drunk— Ow!

“You’re gonna crush my skull!” I exclaimed, frantically tapping her jaw until she lifted her head.

“Oh no... Sorry,” she replied dolefully.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I’m okay, see? Still, you’re like an entirely different person—I mean, animal—when you drink... You’re a lot less reserved. It’s nice,” I stated, earning me an adorable giggle in response.

Well, you could probably be a little more reserved, if I’m being honest... But I can’t tell you off when you’re acting so cute! Yep, this is just what I need—a nice little fill up of warm and fuzzy feelings.

“What did you just say?!” came a booming voice from across the clearing.

And there goes my warm, fuzzy feeling. That didn’t last long. What’s going on now?

I quickly identified where the shout had come from. When I’d last seen Kurou and Shion a few minutes prior, they’d been drunkenly but happily exchanging hunting advice. Now, they were in the middle of a full-on argument.

“My way is obviously better, you idiot! I saw your pathetic haul last week!”

“I just wasn’t feeling well that day! Don’t act like you’re the expert all of a sudden!”

As far as arguments went, it was a fairly childish one, which surprised me—whenever I spoke to the Fenrir (which was apparently what their breed was called) they used difficult, fancy words, not crude insults. The alcohol had clearly helped loosen their usual restraint.

“Those imbeciles...” Soa said, shaking her head. “They’re so competitive. Why, that was when they defied your orders about overhunting! They’re hopeless, both of them.”

My orders...? Overhunting? Is she talking about the day I turned around and bam, a giant pile of carcasses appeared out of nowhere?

It had been a rough day, to put it lightly. The Gremlins had struggled to butcher all the carcasses by themselves, and even with my help it had still taken us until nearly dawn to finish.

“Oh, don’t pretend you’re so noble! You’re nothing but a thief! You ate all of my favorite meat!”

“You’re the one who ate it all, you idiot!”

Wait, when did the topic change from hunting to meat? Also, you both eat a ton of meat. Are you talking about a specific occasion, or...?

“You stole the meat Master prepared for me while I wasn’t looking!”

“No, you’re the one who stole it from me! You’re such a liar!”

Seriously, what are they talking about?

“What did I tell you? They’re imbeciles,” Soa said with a sigh. “I’m the one who ate it.”

I slumped a little as the implication of her casual confession hit me. So essentially they’re fighting over a complete misunderstanding. I feel kinda sorry for them...

“Should I try to stop them?”

“Nah, leave ’em be,” Soa replied with a disinterested shrug. “No need for you to go out of your way, Master.”

Weird. I feel like she’s usually the first to try and break up a fight... Maybe I had the wrong impression of her?

“Besides, if you stopped them now, we wouldn’t get to see them beat each other to a pulp!” she added with an undeniably villainous giggle.

Never mind. She’s just drunk as a skunk.

“You wanna try saying that again?!”

“I should be asking you the same question!”

Yeah, I should probably stop this.

After politely asking Soa—who at some point had started leaning on me again—to move, I stood up and began making my way over to the quarreling canines. However, I’d barely taken a few steps before the accusations started flying once more.

“You have no idea what I’m capable of! You think you’re better than me?! I ate a whole pot by myself!”

Huh? A pot...? Of what?

“So did I, idiot!”

I could’ve sworn you guys were talking about meat, not pots... Wait, you’re not talking about the meat I was marinating for our next barbecue, are you?! The One Eyes were furious when those went missing!

We’d still been unable to talk at the time, so figuring out exactly what had made them so mad had been an ordeal in itself. With extreme difficulty, I’d eventually learned that some of the meat marinating in the storerooms had gone missing, pot and all. The theft had occurred while the One Eyes were off helping with the latest harvest, and the crime had left all of them despondent—like, really despondent. It had been almost impossible to look at them. I was half expecting them to start crying in spite of their lack of tear ducts. If figuring out the cause of their depression had taken ages, consoling them had taken an eternity. It had been a trying day for all involved.

Mostly me.

“It wasn’t just once either! I’ve done it twice!”

“So have I!”

Er... I get that you want to show off, but you two would be better off being a little more careful—or at least a little quieter...

I looked around and selected another seat—one slightly farther away from the ongoing argument—and promptly relocated. Soa (who, in my opinion, looked entirely too indifferent for someone who’d actively contributed to the devastation that was surely soon to come) joined me, while the rest of the collective canines who’d been watching also distanced themselves from the scene. While their fur prevented me from actually being able to tell, I assumed their faces were pale. Even in their drunken state, they were all keenly aware of how dangerous the topic had become.

Everyone, that was, apart from Shion and Kurou.

“Hm?” A shuffling noise to my left indicated that someone else had just joined us. I turned to investigate but immediately looked away upon discovering the identity of the newcomer—or rather, the newcomers: A crowd of One Eyes now stood nearby, their gazes fixed on the rowdy Fenrir.

I probably should’ve tried to stop them earlier, but oh well. Too late now! Besides, stealing food is wrong... I feel like the punishment’s gonna be far worse than the crime, though...

“Don’t come back and haunt me!” Soa said, not sounding even remotely guilty—gleeful, perhaps, but definitely not guilty.

I rapped her on the head lightly, an ineffective attempt to chastise her without injuring myself in the process. “Don’t exaggerate. The One Eyes know how to control themselves.”

Soa snorted. “Look at them again, and tell me you really believe that.”

After somehow summoning up the courage to do as she suggested, I let out a weak chuckle, which felt like razors against my suddenly dry throat. A cold bead of sweat ran down my back.

It’s weird, right? The clay dolls shouldn’t be able to make faces in the first place, let alone suchterrifying ones... No, wait. I forgot—they started getting really expressive as soon as we all became able to communicate. They’re... They’re furious, aren’t they? Yep. They’re absolutely furious.

“Well, what about all those bottles of wi—” Shion paused suddenly, his eyes growing almost comically wide.

I think he’s noticed... Aww. I know he’s scared, but that face is just too cute!

Clearly confused by Shion’s abrupt silence, Kurou followed his gaze and froze just as quickly.

Okay, you two better apologize right now. You hear me?! Right now! If you don’t hurry up, you might not live to see another day! You need to— Wait, am I drunk too? Ha ha, I feel like I’m floating...

My descent into drunken delirium was quickly interrupted by two identically incoherent shrieks as Kurou and Shion realized the true danger they were in. Within seconds, the pair had assumed identical postures, backs arched and fur standing on end.

Wait, isn’t that what cats do when they feel threatened? Huh. I thought Fenrir was a breed of wolf, but I never actually thought to check. Wow... I can’t believe Koa’s pack were actually cats the whole time! They sure do look like dogs, though... This place is so weird.

“Maybe I should ask the One Eyes to make some scratching posts?” I wondered aloud.

“What’s a scratching post, Master?” Soa asked curiously.

“Oh, Soa! You’re a Fenrir too, right? Do you need a scratching post?”

“I don’t even know what that is... But no, probably not.”

But all cats love scratching posts! Hmm... Yeah, I think I drank too much. Oh, now Shion and Kurou are all red and glowing. That means they’re about to cast a spell or something, right? I’m not sure that’s the smartest choice... Seriously, what are you guys doing? You can try to threaten the One Eyes or submit to them, but you’ve gotta pick one—not this puffed fur, tail-between-the-legs nonsense. Hang on... Tail between the legs? That’s a dog thing! Does that mean they’re not cats?! Maybe we won’t be needing any scratching posts, then...

Incomprehensible screams soon began to echo around the clearing as Kurou and Shion chose to flee; apparently, the One Eyes were the more intimidating of the two species. It was, of course, a futile decision. The One Eyes were impossibly fast for creatures of their size and (admittedly amateur) design.

I mean, there’s no way they should be able to move so quickly. It’s illogical! Just like everything else here...

The screaming was fainter now, coming from somewhere deep within the forest. I could barely make it out, and when I could, it was just as incomprehensible as it had been before they’d fled. I wasn’t sure what language they were speaking, but it definitely wasn’t Japanese.

“The weather’s nice tonight, isn’t it?” I remarked, as though nothing had occurred.

“Er... Yeah, I suppose it is...” came Soa’s unusually soft reply. For some reason, she’d also tucked her tail between her legs. A brief look around revealed that several of the other Fenrir had adopted the same stance.

I sighed. “Go apologize before you get caught.”

“Yes, Master...”

Yep. If she wasn’t covered in fur, she’d be as white as a ghost. I don’t understand you guys at all. You’re always so careful not to step on Koa’s toes because you’re so scared of her, so why not just treat the One Eyes with the same respect instead of stealing from them?! Aren’t animals meant to have survival instincts or something? I mean, seriously...

Side Story: Cerberus in the Egg

“Wake up!”

“How long are you gonna snooze for, idiot?!”

“Oh, keep it down, will you...?” I muttered.

And stop yelling in my ear. I’m so tired... Just let me rest.

“Open your eyes, moron!”

“Yeah, dummy!”

Ugh. What did I do to deserve this? Maybe I should just make them shut up...

“Look around! We’re surrounded by enemies!”

“Yeah, idiot! How can you sleep like a baby with a divine beast right next to you?! Plus all those other weirdos... They’re everywhere!”

A divine beast? And you’re calling me an idiot? Like there’d be a divine beast in the demon realm... Although I can kinda sense a presence nearby, now that I think about it. How long has that been there?

“Argh!”

“Finally thought you’d join us, huh? Idiot.”

“We could’ve died because of you! At least now we have a chance of beating them.”

They’re so annoying... I thought, yawning widely as I looked around. The hard shell designed to protect us remained unbroken, though it was much thinner now than it would have been originally. It was a good sign—it meant our strength was returning. The protective casing had many beneficial features, but one of the most peculiar aspects of its design was that you could see out, but not in—and depending on how clear the world outside was, you could also roughly tell how thin the shell had become. Right now, I could see the world beyond almost perfectly, which meant it wouldn’t be long at all until we were free.

I tried to recall what had happened before I dozed off—or rather, before I’d passed out from exhaustion.

I shared that memory with one of the divine beasts... I hope it understood enough to put it to good use.

Oh, there’s more younglings than last time. These new ones have strange powers too, but what are they? They’re not human. And there’s so many divine beasts nearby. I can feel them. Oh, wait—that one’s not a divine beast, I think. It’s nearly just as powerful, though. Actually, all of the creatures here are incredibly powerful... There’s something very strange about this place. I feel like I’m forgetting something... What happened before I went to sleep? And then there’s this presence...

I glanced beside me. As I’d suspected, the presence I’d felt belonged to the creature who’d been watching over us during our intermittent slumber—not just any creature but a divine beast. At least, I’d thought it was a divine beast. The creature’s form was that of a dragon, which was one of the most common visages for a divine beast to take. However, it was also on the smaller side for something that was supposedly one of the most formidable beings in the entire cosmos. In fact, it was almost tiny.

“That’s one of the divine beasts, right? Why is it so small?” I asked.

“I dunno. Maybe it’s low on mana? Either way, it’s a good thing for us. It’ll be easier to kill it.”

I frowned. “Why would we have to kill it?”

“Did all that sleep make you stupider or something?! If we don’t kill them all, then how the hell are we gonna be able to escape?!”

“Escape?” I repeated, confused.

“Obviously! We’ve gotta get out of here before they kill us!”

Three heads, and I get all the brains...

“If they were planning to kill us, we’d already be dead,” I explained. “I mean, if they were going to kill us, why bother letting us get stronger first?”

“Maybe you’ve got a point,” said one of my brothers.

“No he doesn’t,” grumbled the other. “They couldn’t kill us because our defenses were too strong. All of their attacks probably just bounced right off.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

Why did I get stuck with these two imbeciles? My whole life is going to be spent keeping them in line... I already want to give up.

“Stop getting ahead of yourself for once and take a look around you,” I said. “Can you feel how powerful they all are? Any one of them could’ve broken through this shell in a second if they’d wanted to.”

“Wait, really?!” My brothers scanned our surroundings nervously. Unfortunately, it seemed I’d been right about the part I’d have to play in our trio.

Great. We’re triplets, and yet it feels more like I’ve ended up as the parent of two dumb kids. This is so unfair.

The weary sigh I’d been about to release caught in my throat as an instinctive shiver ran down my spine. Someone was coming—someone more powerful than all the other creatures combined. Barely audible squeaks sounded on either side as my brothers, who apparently weren’t entirely oblivious, also sensed the newcomer’s approach.

Hang on—squeaks? Sharing my body with idiots was bad enough, but now they’re cowards too? This is ridiculous.

“What is that?! What’s coming?!”

“It’s a monster!”

“Shut up, both of you!” I said, peering through the shell. The power (and the being it belonged to) was drawing nearer and nearer. My gaze fell on a dark cavity in the wall, which I assumed was the entrance to the room we’d recently found ourselves in. A few seconds later, a human—or at least, something disguised as a human—appeared. As they entered the room, I felt the power pulsing out of them in overwhelming waves. In an instant, the air in the chamber hung thick with the mysterious energy. It penetrated every nook and cranny. Not even our shell, which was meant to be impenetrable, escaped its touch. The being’s power seeped through the casing, wrapping us in its embrace.

My brothers reacted exactly as I’d expected them to.

“Argh! How did it get in?!”

“But it’s not broken yet... There must be a crack somewhere!”

He was wrong. There weren’t any cracks in our armor, but compared to the keen edge of the being’s power, our shield might as well have been made out of air. Coming into contact with a polar form of power was supposed to be an agonizing experience, but strangely, the embrace wasn’t painful. Rather than crushing, it was almost cozy.

So does that mean this being is a demon like us? No, they can’t be... A demon could never live among this many divine beasts. Besides, if it was a demon, then they’d be in pain right now, I thought, examining the nearest celestial creature.

It didn’t look remotely uncomfortable. Whatever power the being possessed, it clearly hadn’t originated from either of our realms.

“Hey...” one of my brothers began, but I cut him off.

“Be quiet.” I’m thinking right now. I don’t have time for your stupidity.

“But—”

“I said be quiet!”

“But this weird power—doesn’t it feel like it’s going inside us?”

“Huh?” With a start, I realized he was right. The unfamiliar power hadn’t just penetrated our shell; slowly but surely, it was sinking deep into our flesh.

“It feels kinda good,” he continued.

“Yeah,” agreed my other brother. “Like our body just got a whole lot lighter or something.”

I grunted, too confused to bother with words. Power... Come to think of it, I ran out of power, didn’t I? That’s why I was asleep until just now. Concentrating, I reached inside myself, fumbling around in an attempt to measure the power stored within.

It’s nearly there. I’m almost as strong as I once was. This being’s power, though...

It was still seeping through my flesh even now. The way it seemed to tangle around my own power without any repercussions still suggested it, too, was demonic in nature, but at the same time, it felt far too pure for something originating from our realm. Frankly, I was at a complete loss.

“Good morning! It’s nice to see all three of you awake together for the first time.”

“Huh?” The response escaped before I even realized I’d opened my mouth. Thankfully, both of my brothers had responded identically at exactly the same time, so my inelegant reaction went unnoticed.

Maybe I am as oblivious as they are...

What hadn’t escaped anyone’s notice, however, was the implication of what the being (who appeared to be male) had said: all three of you. He shouldn’t have been able to see any of us, let alone all three. Our shroud obviously wasn’t as effective as we’d thought. As an experiment, I raised our shared foreleg and waved it back and forth.

“Aw, you finally responded! That’s promising,” the being replied, responding with a wave of his own. There was no question about it now. We were definitely visible, at least to him, if not all of the creatures.

“Master, what are you doing?” The question came from the divine beast nearby and seemed to be directed at the man, who for some reason was still waving at us. Apparently, “Master” was how they referred to the unfathomably powerful being—a gesture of respect I immediately decided my brothers and I would imitate. It somehow felt like the right thing to do.

“All three of them are awake, see?” Master replied, glancing briefly at the divine beast and back at us. “And they waved at me! They’re just so darn cute.”

Er... Cute?

“Is there something wrong with his eyes?”

“There’s gotta be. Either that or his mind.”

For once, I found myself agreeing with my brothers. Like all Cerberi, my brothers and I had upturned, perpetually squinting eyes, huge mouths surrounded by folds of loose flesh, and sharp, jutting fangs. Not even our fellow demons thought we were cute.

“They probably waved because you were staring at them, Master. More importantly, has something affected your vision? I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone refer to a Cerberus as cute before...” the dragon asked worriedly.

“My eyes are fine!”

I’m not so sure about that.

“I dunno what to do,” Master continued. “I feel like they’re gonna hatch soon, but what if they want to go back home? I mean, I’ll try my best to help them if that’s what they want... I hope they decide to stay here though.”

My brothers and I exchanged similarly panicked glances.

He must be talking about us. If things keep going the way they have, the shell could break any day now. A Cerberus has never hatched outside of the demon realm, though... I hope nothing goes wrong.

Though the thought of our rapidly approaching birth filled me with dread, it was intertwined with relief. From what Master had said, it seemed as though he regarded us favorably—and in that moment, with every instinct telling me to not make an enemy of the man, nothing could have provided greater comfort.

“What do we do?! They’re planning the best way to kill us!”

“Yeah, you idiot! You were wrong! We’re doomed!”

“For crying out loud... Oh, shut up, will you?! How the hell did you jump to that conclusion?! Were you even listening to him?!”

“What?”

“Huh?”

I’m over this. Seriously, I’m over it.

“Hey, there’s no need to fight, okay? You should try to get along. You’re gonna be siblings, after all!” Master said.

“Just siblings would be bad enough, but I’m literally stuck with these idiots, Master,” I responded dryly, before realizing that the shell made it impossible for him to hear me. My comment merely earned me two suspicious, uncomfortably close glares.

Damn it.

“One of them looks a little down compared to the others, don’t you think?” Master continued, unfortunately oblivious to my plight. “Maybe it’s still not strong enough...”

“I imagine you’re right,” the dragon replied. “It almost exhausted itself to the point of death, after all.”

Master nodded, but instead of responding, he reached out and began running his hand along our shell. Despite the lack of direct contact, it felt incredibly comforting.

Safe. It feels safe.

A hum of delight escaped me before I could suppress it, forming a chorus with my brothers’ corresponding noises of appreciation.

“Man, that feels great...”

If I’d had any doubts about Master’s strength, they would have faded with that first soft touch. He was clearly the most powerful being in the cosmos if just one stroke—and an indirect one at that—could render us so vulnerable. Being near him was definitely dangerous. What I hadn’t realized, though, was how good danger could feel.

Oh yeah, that’s the spot... I love it here already.

Side Story: Karen, Protector of the Forest!

I launched myself toward Master the moment I spotted him. The breeze was a little stronger than I had accounted for, so unfortunately, I did knock him off-balance a little, but he immediately forgave me. Master was kind like that.

“Karen! I feel like it’s been ages since I last saw you,” he said with a smile. “I guess you’ve been busy?”

“I was, but everything’s okay now,” I replied.

It was the truth—I had been busy. I’d spent too many days to count patrolling the forest, my responsibilities keeping me away from Master. It had been necessary, of course, but very lonely.

“Well, that’s good. Don’t push yourself too hard, though.”

He’s so kind...

I wrapped my wings around him, feeling the warm touch of his magic as it seeped into me. Pure happiness—there was no other way to describe the feeling of being near to Master. All the time and effort I’d spent rearranging the rivers was well worth it for just a few seconds of this.

The rivers and streams were essential in carrying Master’s mana to every corner of the forest. At first, I’d simply let them grow unrestrained, keeping half an eye on any that ventured too close to the mountain. However, before I knew it, the forest was quite literally flooded with them, and their maintenance had subsequently fallen to me. I just hadn’t anticipated just how extensive the maintenance would be.

It had been my mistake; despite witnessing his greatness for myself on countless occasions, I’d underestimated the true extent of Master’s power. The rivers relied on mana from both Master and the water spirits to grow, and I’d foolishly assumed that once they’d spread to every corner of the forest, the expansion would cease.

I was wrong. The rivers and streams kept multiplying, crossing back and forth like tangled vines left to grow unattended. From above, it looked more like a lake than a forest, with the treetops dotted like fallen leaves on its sparkling surface. Of course, the extensiveness of the rivers made it easier for every inch of the forest to feel Master’s touch, much to the delight of the water spirits. However, there was a difference between ensuring Master’s magic could penetrate the entire forest and turning the forest into an aquatic environment, which was why I’d had to step in.

It wasn’t just within the forest either. Thanks to Master’s immeasurable power, the rivers had also extended beyond the forest’s boundaries and into the wider world, even reaching some of the surrounding villages.

I could spend a century by his side, and yet I still wouldn’t even begin to understand the true extent of his power... Master is so amazing.

Safety and stability had returned to our home at last. Even underneath the leafy canopy, the forest was bright and the air clear. Flying through it was more energizing than a good night’s sleep. Now that I’d finally reduced the river portion of the landscape to a more reasonable level, I could move on to my next task: doing something about the thieves who’d taken saplings from the forest’s outskirts in recent weeks. The forest’s trees were like its children, and to remove one was unforgivable.

But what to do, I wonder...?

“Master, we cannot forgive those who harm the forest, correct?” I asked, the suddenness of my question leaving Master looking rather stunned.

“Um, harm?”

Yes. Those who harm the forest also harm you, Master, and that is something I cannot forgive. How dare they take from us without permission?! It’s disgraceful! When I find out who they are...

To be completely honest, I hadn’t personally witnessed anyone stealing trees, but the spirits and Treants scattered around the forest always informed me of any unusual activity or outsiders.

“Exactly. Those who commit immoral acts within the forest cannot be forgiven, right? They need to be punished?” I pressed.

“Well... Yeah, I guess so. Things have only just started settling down around here, so it would be annoying if there was any more trouble.”

“That’s exactly what I thought, Master!” He’d confirmed my suspicions: Anyone foolish enough to harm the forest needed to be eliminated. “I’ll hunt them down at once. They won’t live to see another sunrise.”

“Yeah, that’s— Wait a minute! You can’t kill them!” Master’s panicked voice caught me by surprise. Each tree in the forest was vital to the world’s continued stability, so it was only natural that they were to be protected—even more so now they were filled with Master’s mana. Anyone who’d be so reckless as to steal such a precious treasure didn’t deserve any mercy, in my opinion.

A weary sigh implied Master felt differently, however. “No killing. Just driving them from the forest should be enough, right? It’s not like anyone died or anything.”

“Well, I suppose not...”

But what will driving them away do? They’ll just return another day, I thought, before voicing the same to Master.

“Hopefully it’ll force them to reconsider their choices so they never think of harming the forest again,” he explained.

I see. So I just need to scare them so much that they won’t even think about coming near the forest again, much less steal from it. How do I do that, though? Hmm...

“If that is your wish, Master, so it shall be.”

It won’t be easy, but I’ll manage it somehow. Still, showing kindness to even thieves... He’s so compassionate.

“Karen. I meant what I said earlier—don’t push yourself too hard,” Master continued, eyeing me worriedly. He was always like this. Master’s care toward his subjects knew no bounds. He worried about me, a phoenix who ruled the skies, just as much as he did an infant Treant. I felt the familiar touch of his mana enveloping me.

“Barrier,” he murmured, giving the wards around me new strength. His protective gifts had already been most sufficient, but the newest ward was another thing altogether. I was almost certain it was strong enough to withstand a serious attack from one of the dragons, if they’d been so inclined. Of course, there was very little chance I’d run into anything even half as dangerous as them in the forest, but I was still grateful for his concern.

“Thank you, Master. I won’t do anything reckless, so please don’t worry about me.”

Those scoundrels will regret thinking they could steal from Master and get away with it.

“Just don’t get hurt,” he added, to which I simply nodded. Expressing these concerns (as redundant as they were) seemed to alleviate his inexplicable anxiety, so it was the least I could do to listen. Of course, with the wards he’d conjured protecting me, getting injured would be all but impossible.

“I’ll be careful, Master,” I said, spreading my wings. As per Master’s orders, it was time to find the thieves who’d harmed the forest and force them to reflect on their crimes.

“Karen!”

I was about to take to the skies when someone called out. It was Third—named thus because it had been the third of their number created by Master—a Farm Brigade golem who’d been accompanying me on many patrols recently. The Farm Brigade golems had decided on their own names, though they kept this fact hidden from Master, claiming they were ashamed of their inadequate creativity. The Farm Brigade were a formidable bunch, tasked with guarding the extensive fields and gardens that surrounded Master’s estate. However, despite their impressive strength, they were all incredibly shy when it came to Master. I’d tried to find out why, but by all accounts there was no specific reason; being in his presence simply made them feel timid.

“Greetings, Third. Is something wrong?”

“Not at all, Karen! But you’re about to go on patrol, right?! I’ll come too! Oh, and one of the One Eyes wanted to join us as well.”

Behind Third, I could see the golem in question hurtling toward us at an almost unbelievable speed. It seemed as though it had come from the far side of the mountain, where the orchards lay.

“Sorry to keep you waitiiiiiing! I just needed to check on the graaaapes!” it cried in an unusually melodic voice, more similar to singing than speaking.

Grapes... That means wine!

“Not at all,” I quickly replied. “How’s this year’s crop looking?”

“It’ll be the best one yet!”

Oh, how exciting!

Learning of the delights of wine had been one of the many irreplaceable experiences I’d had since becoming one of Master’s subjects. My mouth watered at the thought.

No, not now. But after we get back, I’ll ask the One Eye to let me have one little glass, just a tiny one... The others don’t need to know...

“Karen, don’t even think about it,” Third said, glaring at me.

“What do you—? Oh, come now... Surely it’ll be fine just this once?”

Third sighed and glanced at the One Eye, who shook its head. “His Lordship’s orders are absolute!”

Ugh. I decided to give up. I had no chance of convincing a golem to disobey its creator’s orders.

“It’ll be time for the fall harvest soon,” Third said, changing the topic.

Huh? Yes, I suppose it will be. The fields do look incredible this year. It’ll be an excellent harvest.

“There’s something called a harvest festival,” the golem continued.

A harvestival...? What is that? I thought, tilting my head in confusion, which Third immediately noticed.

“It’s a festival to celebrate the harvest,” it explained.

Oh, a harvest festival. I see now.

“Are we to hold one?” I asked.

“We’re preparing to argue our case to His Lordship now. You see, apparently it’s common to celebrate the harvest with wine.”

So we could drink twice in one week?! You’re onto something here, Third!

“I can’t wait!”

Third looked at me sharply. “Don’t forget we have to harvest everything before we can have a festival—and only those who help will be allowed to participate, of course.”

“Obviously...” I said after a pause. Each harvest was bigger and more tiring than the last, so a small part of me had hoped I’d find a way to skip the upcoming one. I could push through now there’d be wine waiting at the end of it though—and whenever there was wine, there was also delicious food. No, convincing myself to assist this time wouldn’t be too hard at all.

The golems continued talking, but I wasn’t paying much attention.

“She always flies off the second I take my eyes off her... This will make this harvest much easier.”

“Agreed. We’ll present our proposition to His Lordship later today.”

“Thank you.”

Huh? What are they whispering about?

“What are you talking about?” I asked suspiciously.

“Oh, we’re just discussing how to ask His Lordship about the festival,” Third quickly replied.

I see... I hope it goes well. All that delicious wine and food... Karaage, ribs, and tender stew, here I come! Oh, I’m drooling again.

“Karen, clean yourself up and let’s be off.”

Using my wing, I wiped away the unsightly drool before it fell to the ground—or worse, onto a golem. That was close.

“Yes, let’s go!” I said, lowering myself so the two golems could climb onto my back. With a gentle flap we took to the skies, with the mana teeming within me—both Master’s and my own—making the motion effortless.

“Where are we going todaaaay, Kareeeeen?” asked the One Eye.

Oh, right. Where are we going today?

“I think we should head toward the elves’ kingdom. Spider Boss mentioned she’d noticed something unsettling there the other day,” suggested Third.

“Sounds like a good plan to meeee! Thanks for taking us, Kareeeen.”

“Er, no worries... It’s pretty far away, so hold on tight,” I said, flexing my wings as I launched us forward. I was more preoccupied with the One Eye’s peculiar manner of speaking than the journey ahead. “Um, did you always talk like that, or is it a new thing?”

“Oh, it’s a new thiiiing. A lot of the others think I’m kinda intimidatiiiing, so I thought it might make me seem more approachableeee!”

Intimidating? You? I don’t get that impression at all...

“Yeah, you are pretty intimidating sometimes,” Third agreed.

“Reeeeally? I don’t think I am...”

I don’t think so either. If anything, it seems rather laid-back—perhaps that’s only because of the weird voice, though? Hmm... Well, maybe spending some time together today will reveal another side of it.

“You said Spider Boss noticed something unsettling, but do you have any idea what it actually was? It’s gonna be hard to find something if I don’t know what I’m looking for,” I asked Third.

“There were two things, actually. She noticed an unusual amount of monsters, and I think she also came across some suspected thieves, like the ones you’ve been looking for,” Third replied.

So she’s aware of them too... It made sense. The Chuearenie kept as close an eye on the forest as I did, and just like me, I knew she’d consider stealing from Master to be an unforgivable crime.

“Oh, Master said we’re not allowed to kill any of the thieves, by the way,” I explained. The golems didn’t reply, their silence communicating their dissatisfaction louder than any words could.

Hey! I’m not the one who said it, so don’t start giving me the cold shoulder! You’re scary when you get like this, you know?!

“His Lordship is so kind... Maybe too kind...” Third muttered.

“True, but if those are his orders, we have little choice but to obey...” the One Eye replied with a heavy sigh.

“He said to make them reflect on their choices, so they never think of harming the forest again,” I continued.

“So we just need to make them feel so remorseful that they never come back here ever again, right?”

“Right. How do we do that, though?”

I hoped you’d have some ideas... I still hadn’t come up with anything.

Third laughed darkly. “Well, I guess we just need to scare them to death—or nearly to death, anyway.”

The One Eye let out an evil chuckle of its own. “Ah, of course. They’ll be too terrified to even think about returning here by the time we’re done with them.”

I see, we simply need to scare them... This is getting fun now!

“Oh, and what of those monsters you mentioned?” I asked, suddenly remembering Third’s earlier statement. “Do we know what manner of beast they are or what they’ve done?” It would be much easier to locate their lair if I knew which monsters we were looking for, and would also help me decide upon an optimal extermination strategy.

“Corruptions—apparently that’s what the humans and beastkin call them. A lot of them have been seen around the elves’ kingdom recently, and First said they’ll need to be thinned out before they can cause any more trouble,” Third replied.

Corruptions? I’ve never heard of a monster by that name...

“What do they look like?”

“I’m not sure... I heard they can look like a mixture of many other monsters. Oh, and that they first started appearing after the Magic Eye got cast over the forest.”

Ah. Those.

I knew what Third was referring to now—the disturbing creatures who had appeared alongside the Magic Eye. Different specimens had no identifiable shared traits but for their aura, or rather, their lack thereof; often, the forest’s weaker residents didn’t even realize they were being hunted until it was too late.

Corruptions indeed... The name is fitting. I’ll have to share it with the others.

“Well, if it’s those we’re facing, we’ll need to be careful. They make for quite unpredictable opponents.”

Thanks to some fortunate winds, we reached the elves’ kingdom sooner than anticipated. We decided to investigate the region between the forest and the closest village first.

“Shall I let you down?” I asked, circling above a well-trodden road.

“I think that would be best. We’ll search down here, and you can survey from the skies.”

“Sounds good to me.” After quickly but gently depositing the two golems on the ground, I took flight once more and started slowly gliding in large circles while scanning below. It took a great deal of effort to suppress the urge to fly faster, but I managed it somehow. It was almost impossible to notice the important things when moving at high speeds, as I’d learned in the past.

There’s nothing around here though, is there? I can only feel Master’s mana... Wait, there’s something else. The Treants? Huh. I wonder if they’ve seen anything.

“Good morning, everyone,” I called as I swooped down to land beside the forest’s edge.

“Ah—! Oh, Karen. Good morning,” one replied, trying to disguise its initial scream. More Treants began to appear as I watched, invisible until their movements gave them away; if they’d remained still, I wouldn’t have been able to distinguish them from the trees they clung to. Most of the time it was only the sensation of their mana that let me know one was near.

“Have you seen anyone suspicious around here recently? Elves perhaps, or humans or beastkin?”

“No, I can’t say I have,” replied the same Treant. “Has anyone else seen anything?”

“Oh, I did,” said another, pointing somewhere behind me. “Over that way.”

“Thank you.”

“Not at all!” it chirped. “Glad to be of service. Oh, and be careful! I put a little curse on them, just in case.”

So the Treants can already cast curses, huh? They grow up so fast... Oh well. Whatever it was, those thieves deserved it! Er, unless they weren’t thieves... They might have just been surveying the forest. I do see a lot of beastkin patrols around here... I better find out quickly, so I can get the Treant to remove the curse if they are innocent. I’d feel bad otherwise...

“There you are.”

Yep, definitely thieves. Enjoy your curse, fools. Where are the golems?

Looking around, I quickly spotted them on the other side of the beastkin group and sent a flare of mana in their direction, careful not to alert the beastkin. The two golems picked up on my signal right away and waited for my arrival.

“They’re the ones we’re looking fooooooor,” sang the One Eye quietly.

I took another look at the beastkin gathered at the forest’s edge. There were six in total, four of whom were digging around a larger sapling. It wasn’t too hard to figure out what they were doing. The forest’s mana was most concentrated within its trees, which was precisely why removing them was forbidden according to the treaty signed long ago by the monarchs and the various kings who had ruled the wider lands. The mysterious magic of the forest was far too powerful to fall into the hands of mortals.

“Time for a little remorse,” Third said before promptly vanishing and reappearing seconds later atop the sapling. It had moved too quickly for even my eyes to detect.

“Argh! What the hell is that?! It can’t be... It’s not a golem?!” one of the beastkin cried, staring up at Third in terror.

“Oh, that’s not nearly scary enough,” the One Eye murmured. “We have to make sure they never come back here again.” It tapped the ground beside it with one dense fist, and I watched on in confusion as a large chunk of the earth fell away.

“What?”

“Here comes the heeeeeelp!” the One Eye explained, stepping back just in time to avoid the swarm of ants now pouring out from under the ground. “It would be great if you guys could drag those beastkin over there back into this hole, okaaaaay?”

“Leave it to us!” With that, the ants got to work.

“Argh!”

“Help me!”

“Ow, ow!”

That was fast. I didn’t even get a chance to join in... Oh, one’s coming this way!

I straightened up, opening my mouth in preparation for one of my terrifying shrieks, but before I’d even made a sound—“AAAH! Ohhh...”—the beastkin fainted and hit the ground with a dull thunk.

Hmph. Pathetic.

“Well, that didn’t take long,” Third remarked, and I looked over at the golem to see another two unconscious beastkin dangling precariously from where they’d been tossed into the sapling’s branches. The other three had vanished, likely dragged underground by the ants. They’d probably been the most unlucky of their little group of thieves.

“I guess we’re done for now?” I asked, earning me another dark chuckle from Third in response.

Huh?

“These weren’t the only thieves around here,” the golem explained. “And it would be shameful for us to leave a job half done, of course.”

Oh, I suppose Third’s right...

“Let’s scare them even more next time. It was over too quickly,” I said.

Third nodded. “Agreed. I’ve got a few more ideas of my own...”

I can’t believe he fainted so easily... I thought beastkin were meant to be sturdier creatures?

“What do we do with this lot?” Third asked, gesturing to the three unconscious thieves and in the vague direction of the hole. The screaming coming from below us had only recently stopped.

“Let’s just toss them back into the beastkin’s kingdom,” I suggested, to which Third readily agreed. The golem produced some rope from somewhere and quickly bound the thieves.

“Sorry to keep you waitiiiiiing,” came the One Eye’s instantly recognizable voice, and when I turned around, I was met with a rather amusing sight: the small golem shuffling toward us dragging the three remaining beastkin behind it, similarly bound.

“Karen, could you take care of them for us?” Third asked. I nodded, having no reason to deny the golem’s request. The sooner we were rid of the criminals, the sooner I could begin hunting for the corruptions.

Bound and unconscious as they were, the beastkin were easy to carry as bundles of three clutched in each set of talons.

“Around here should be fine, I think...” I said to myself, surveying the area. It was fairly well populated. There were many beastkin tending to the fields, but I passed them by, thinking it would be rude to interrupt their work. Thankfully, I soon spotted a bored-looking group milling around in front of a large wall.

Perfect.

“What the—?!”

“Look! A phoenix! It’s a real phoenix!”

I glanced over my shoulder as the first of their panicked cries reached me. The thieves I’d delivered lay abandoned on the dirt as the villagers followed me, pointing and yelling.

Oh well. Good enough.

“Time to hunt down some corruptions,” I murmured, heading back toward where I’d parted ways with the golems.

I still can’t believe they fainted so easily... I didn’t even get a chance to show off how frightening I can actually be! I’ll have to come up with a better strategy for next time—more scaring, less fainting. Hmm...

Afterword

Thank you for reading volume 4 of Flung into a New World? Time to Lift the 200-Year Curse! This is Honobonoru500. As always, the illustrations for this volume were drawn by the amazing Yosuke Ishibashi, who I can’t thank enough for their brilliant work.

It’s thanks to all of you, and your love for this series, that volume 4 was able to make it to shelves. Words can’t express how grateful I am. When the first volume of Flung was released, I never even remotely imagined we’d one day make it to four printed volumes—much less a manga version—but here we are! In fact, it’s just been announced that the first printed volume of the manga adaptation will go on sale soon! I still can’t quite believe it. Without the support so many people have given this series, I know we’d never have gotten this far. Thank you, everyone—and thank you in advance for your continued support in the future.

Volume 4 sees Akira unraveling the true reason behind his involuntary immigration to his new world. I originally intended to have Akira himself put the gods in their place in a cool, heroic way, but I thought Akira had a little too much on his plate already, which led to the introduction of Rope. To be honest, Rope’s (or rather, the stone now inhabited by them) storyline was originally meant to come to an end in volume 2, so I’m glad I changed that plan! Without Rope, I would have had to figure out a plausible way for Akira to take an entire cosmos of gods down a peg. I can’t remember exactly why I decided to revise my original plan to keep Rope around, but I’m really grateful to my past self for doing so. Seriously though, why did I keep them around...? I literally can’t remember now... Hmm.

Anyway, as you probably know, I’ve quietly started releasing the continuation of Flung as a web publication. While I was initially a little hesitant to continue Akira’s story given how much it’s changed from my original idea, I’m determined to tackle the challenge as best I can. Some of the main elements of the plot—primary among them being Akira’s inability to communicate with his many companions—have changed now, but I’m sure Akira’s problems are far from over. He’ll also be able to converse with other inhabitants of his new world, including the humans and beastkin he’s long envied. I’m not sure exactly how things will turn out for him just yet, but I’m hoping I’ll be able to write his upcoming encounters in a way that reflects the Akira we’ve followed thus far. Please continue to watch over and support him as his adventure progresses—he’ll need all the help he can get.

To everyone from TO Books, and especially my manager, thank you—and sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused! For some reason, you still haven’t decided to wash your hands of me, and for that I am truly grateful. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Finally, I’d like to thank every single one of the people who chose to pick up and read this book. If all goes well, I hope to meet you again like this in the next afterword. If you’re interested, please check out the manga version of Flung, and also consider trying my other series, The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash. (Volume 4 has just gone on sale!)

Thank you.

Honobonoru500

April 2021