The full moon was shining in the sky, illuminating a pampas grass field spread across the hills.
On a night that was the very picture of autumn, I found myself standing alone on a plain.
“This is a dream.”
I didn’t even need to pinch myself.
I knew instantly that this was a dream. The scenery itself was unlike anything I had ever seen, but more importantly, I sensed that this was not reality.
How to describe it… a feeling of slight floatiness, perhaps? It felt like I had no substance, like astral projection.
But then again, I wouldn’t know. I’ve never even experienced astral projection, not even when the instructors beat me black and blue and left me on the brink of death.
“Hmm, now this is something. Did I get caught up in something strange? No…”
I felt the same atmosphere as when I formally entered into a contract with Valse-san, so I was able to grasp the current situation without panicking. This was a dream, an unreality.
However, the problem was that this wasn’t a dream conjured from my own memories. It was one being shown to me by someone else.
This meant there was a being interfering with me. Even though my magic power was almost nonexistent, I always wore magic tools close to my skin for self-defense, even when sleeping.
Despite that, the number of beings capable of such interference was limited.
“Could it be Mimamori-sama? Someone who would do this?”
With more than half a conviction, I voiced my prediction.
“You got it right! How did you know so fast?!”
A remarkably energetic reply came back to my musings. The voice I recognized was delighted at being guessed correctly, practically bouncing with joy and shouting praise.
Then, as I searched for the owner of this voice I’d recently heard…
“Hyaa!”
A small girl leaped out with a strangely spirited cry.
“Ah, so it was you. Mimamori-sama?”
Catching sight of her, I felt relieved that I was right. But I was unsure of how to address her, so I inadvertently added a question mark. I was also being polite just in case.
“Why the question mark?! I’m a god, you know! I’m allowed to be arrogant and demand worship! Though, I’d probably just end up laughing even if you did!” Facing me, she yelled with the boundless energy of someone her age. I felt a sense of relief that while I’d been ensnared by something strange, it could have been worse, and I found myself thinking how overly accustomed I was to perilous situations.
“Well, I was attacked while I was asleep, but since it seems alright, I ended up speaking carelessly out of relief.”
“Attacked while asleep? That sounds so bad! Or should I say, ‘attacked while godly’? Well, either way! Interfering with someone’s dream is pretty much attacking them while they’re asleep! It’s not wrong, but there are better ways to put it!” This god’s energy level was as high as ever. She was like a picture-perfect image of an energetic tomboy. It was a bit too much for me. And thinking about it calmly, I realized I was still asleep. I wondered why I wasn’t waking up, and started contemplating the logic behind it.
“By the way, what is it you want? The fact that you came to me without going through Kirie-san, and without Evia noticing, means there’s something you need, right?”
“You’re breezing through this so easily! Shouldn’t you be more surprised or wary here?”
“Given the flow, there seems to be no option but to listen. So, the sooner I hear the content, the more time I’ll have to think and to sleep soundly.”
“……Don’t people tell you that you’re strange? Normally, if a god appeared in your dream, you’d be a little more flustered.”
“Lately, I’ve been hearing that quite a bit.”
Mainly from my work colleagues, like Kaido. They’d say it mercilessly to me as I seemed to shed my humanity day by day. It was also partly due to the resignation I’d developed: if I had time to complain at my old company, it was better to just finish the work faster.
“They tell you that. And you admit it so readily.”
“Yes, quite often. For me, it’s not so much that people call me strange, but rather that my common sense has been so consistently broken that I’ve had many opportunities to question what common sense even is. I’ve just gotten used to accepting it. In short, I’ve resigned myself to it.”
“Wow, that’s brutally honest.”
“Please, Your Divinity, don’t be taken aback.”
It was mostly the fault of the two instructors who trained me, but I didn’t need to say that. Being called strange might sound negative, but in a good way, it could be seen as having individuality. Staying as positive as possible usually got me through.
“Huh? Because, like, how to put it? Is this normal? Even if you interact with another world, I don’t think the fundamental parts of you would change.”
“My general personality doesn’t change, you know. My standards for good and evil have increased and changed somewhat, but well, I’m this age, and a little bit of drastic conscious reform managed to make it work.”
“How?”
“Well, by taking out a few screws in my head.”
“You took them out.”
“Yes, I did.”
Mainly concerning common sense, the areas of fixed ideas. However, that idea didn’t seem to sit well with even a god, who looked a little taken aback, as if. When I explained with a wry smile that I couldn’t do my work otherwise, the next gaze I received was one of sympathy. Yes, I knew I had said something that would lead to that, but receiving it made me feel a bit awkward. It couldn’t be helped. If I were confined by common sense or fixed ideas, I’d be in danger of losing my life under the instructors’ relentless attacks. Therefore, instead of thinking, “Can I do this?”, the thought became, “I *must* do this.” The result of being thoroughly instilled with the idea that “If you can’t do it, you die. That’s the Dungeon,” was this. So please, don’t look at me as if you’re thinking, “Is this guy alright?” It really damages my mental state. Just because I’ve become tough doesn’t mean I don’t feel pain.
“……Shall we get to the main topic soon? If we continue like this, we’ll be chatting until morning and still won’t have gotten to the main point.”
“Ah, right. I kind of feel a bit disappointed knowing why you had such a muted reaction when you saw this world, but, oh well.”
The atmosphere became awkward, so I decided to break the silence. Otherwise, it felt like Mimamori-sama would just leave, and I’d be left wondering what she came for. The atmosphere was practically dead.
“Right then, the reason I’ve come all this way is…”
“Yes.”
What could a god possibly want to discuss on a plain filled with grasslands?
“I thought I’d explain to you the existence of gods.”
“The existence of gods?”
“That’s right, or more precisely, settings called truths. You could also call them rules or roles.”
Just as I was bracing myself for what might come, the words were an explanation of the existence of gods. The subsequent statement was quite meta. Was she waiting for a tsukkomi?
“Since you seem like you’ll be getting involved with gods like us more often from now on? I thought it would be good for you to know about it once. Well, to put it plainly, it’s God’s mercy!”
“Please don’t casually mention that I’ll be involved in troublesome things from now on.”
“Eh? But it’s the truth.”
“Is it?”
“At the very least, you’ll meet gods from another world. To schedule a banquet.”
“……”
The thought of interacting with such beings in the future filled me with an indescribable feeling. If asked what gods meant to me, recently they were beings who would try to kidnap my own daughter. They were beings I wanted to avoid interacting with as much as possible. However, that was only concerning Isal’s Sun God, not the definition of gods in general. There surely must be benevolent gods as well. Otherwise, the world might just collapse. Given the meta statements and the mention of settings, this didn’t sound like it would be a pleasant discussion, but it seemed I had no choice but to listen.
“Yes, you there. Don’t make that displeasure face before I even start. I mean, your expression hasn’t changed, but your aura is screaming ‘I don’t want to hear this’! Lies don’t get past gods. That’s common sense… but that doesn’t mean you can show it on your face! For starters, think about it!”
However, a sense of duty sometimes requires one to suppress emotions. Mimamori-sama, sensing my reluctance, pointed out that I was clearly trying to avoid trouble. Since it was apparent she knew, I tried to be more upfront, but it didn’t seem to work. Fine, I’d consider the existence of gods. However, when I reconsidered the gods of this world and Earth…
“Amazing beings?”
Only abstract words, the kind even a child could imagine, came to mind.
“That’s right. We’re generally perceived as supernatural beings who can do anything, aren’t we?”
But Mimamori-sama didn’t deny it, saying it wasn’t wrong. Instead, she nodded with satisfaction.
“Also, their relationships are messy.”
Is that why? Thinking if there was anything else, I remembered that myths often involve messy human relationships, more so than any daytime drama.
“Wait a minute! That’s only a small part! I mean, there are some top-tier gods who messed up, but they’re a tiny minority! Not all gods are like that!” Mimamori-sama started to panic as the conversation took a disquieting turn. I admit there were probably some well-behaved gods, but it’s the troublemakers who leave an impression. It’s understandable that she would form such an impression, so I’ll have to accept it.
“Ah, and same-sex relationships are normal.”
So, then, I added another point that came to mind.
“That’s not what I meant!”
But again, she stubbornly denied it. Thinking that it was a fact, I tried to recall anything else.
“Then, a black boss who gives unreasonable tasks disguised as trials.”
Ah, I thought, clapping my hands. This was something that could be called a divine prerogative. The trials of gods, which had produced heroes in countless myths. However, they were often so outrageously ridiculous that I couldn’t help but compare them to my former boss.
“The way you say it! And that’s not it either!”
I’d voiced several impressions of gods as beings, but when I calmly reconsidered, they were all rather negative. Thinking about it this way, gods were beings with quite a few flaws.
“Ah! Honestly! What I’m trying to explain isn’t like that! Well, it’s the truth so I can’t help it… but it’s not like that!” Mimamori-sama’s gaze drifted for a moment, likely due to the many aspects I couldn’t deny. But when she returned, her expression was as usual.
“Gods possess supernatural abilities! That part!!”
And as she indicated the element she wanted to explain, my thoughts focused on that aspect.
“When you say supernatural abilities…”
However, “supernatural” was too broad, and I didn’t quite grasp what she meant.
“You don’t need to think too deeply about it. Gods have great power. And the fact that they created the world is the important part!”
Mimamori-sama started saying things that made me have to tilt my head, as if asking, “What obvious thing are you stating now?”
“Then, one question.”
However, before I could resolve that doubt, Mimamori-sama posed another question to me.
“Is there a being superior to gods, or is there not?”
I couldn’t immediately answer that question. The old me would have probably fantasized about gods, whose existence was uncertain, and answered this question. But if I had to acknowledge that gods existed, the question became quite difficult. Gods are beings superior to humans. Then, are gods the ultimate beings? If they can create worlds, they are practically omnipotent. But, let’s consider the opposite. Who created that omnipotent god? Or, in this case, should I rephrase it as “What” created it? Myths offer numerous creation stories for gods. However, I had no means to prove their truth. Mimamori-sama waited patiently for my answer. I opened my mouth, unsure how to respond, and uttered my answer.
Today’s word:
One should consider *how* things can be conveyed.
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*The first volume of this novel has been published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
An e-book version was released on October 31 of the same year.
The second volume was released on December 19.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The content has been revised and expanded from the original web novel, with the addition of unpublished interlude chapters.
Please consider purchasing the new releases as well!
Thank you for your continued support of this work.
