Entering a Company From Another World! – Chapter 418

The answer is:

“I don’t know.”

When asked if there were beings superior to gods, I pondered for a moment and quickly arrived at my own answer.

“I don’t know.”

I don’t know if there are beings superior to gods when I don’t even understand the true nature of gods themselves.
So, I honestly blurted out my answer.

“…”
“…”

Mimamori-sama, who had been gazing intently into my eyes, suddenly changed her serious expression.
As soon as she smiled, she exclaimed with a loud voice, “That’s a perfect answer! Wow! You figured it out so well!!” and began to make noise with a drum and a trumpet she produced from nowhere.
Knowing her previous demeanor, I merely thought she was remarkably boisterous to witness such a scene.
Rather, I found myself wondering why she was asking such questions.
The secret tales of the gods’ births are a subject I would gladly leave to religious scholars and researchers.
While I could express surprise or agreement upon learning such things, I currently have no desire to actively investigate them.

“In fact, even we gods aren’t sure about that. Just as humans don’t know why they were born, we gods haven’t figured out the reason for our own birth, nor do we know if there are beings that created us. However, one thing can be said.”

While I wouldn’t simply dismiss her words out of disinterest, I felt a sense of unease, thinking that hearing what came next would be a point of no return.

“We gods created the world. That is a fact.”

“By that logic, the theory that we were born from people’s wishes seems to be disproven, doesn’t it?”

“No, that’s not so. That theory is also correct. There are indeed gods who were born through people’s wishes.”

If gods created the world, then humans, who came into existence after the world’s creation, would not be able to create gods.
I raised this point as a question, but Mimamori-sama only shook her head.

“It’s just different ways of being born. Some gods were born to create the world, while others were born out of wishes. We just don’t understand the mechanics of it. By the way, I am a god born out of wishes. I am a Land God born from the wish of past people for a peaceful land, and I have survived to this day having been enshrined.”

“Doesn’t that sound contradictory? Gods being born from people’s wishes, I understand that. But then, for gods born to create the world, who created them? Did they come from nothing?”

Mimamori-sama, who seemed to reject the Big Bang theory, could only shake her head in response to my question.

“Unfortunately, I cannot answer that point. Didn’t I say? I don’t know. There are supreme gods you humans don’t know, supreme gods superior to those who only possess the power of a single star, and we are beings inferior to them. Well, perhaps the Cthulhu beings might know something. they seem to know strange things.”

Mimamori-sama sighed, lamenting the plight of weak gods, exuding an aura of melancholy, much like a manager.
Considering her position bridging the gap between humans and gods, this impression was not entirely wrong.
It seemed like gods would have the most trouble mentally.
For some reason, the content felt strangely relatable, but towards the end, a familiar mythological system was mentioned.
However, that mythology was supposed to be imaginary, fictional.
It was natural for the question of whether they actually existed to arise.

“Ah, those gods are quite dangerous to behold, aren’t they? You can’t maintain sanity. So, they actually exist?”

“Yep! Although their names are slightly different, and their traits are just a little bit different, the part where seeing them is dangerous for humans is overwhelmingly top-tier among gods. If going insane is the best-case scenario, then everyone just keeps them away from their areas. When they show up, it’s really bad… Seriously.”

I was curious about what kind of beings these gods from the Cthulhu mythos were, whom even gods considered dangerous.
I had no desire to meet them, but Mimamori-sama suddenly wore a grimace, as if regarding them as some kind of biological weapon.
I wanted to ask if there had been some kind of damage in the past, but I decided it was better not to know.

“Oops, I got sidetracked talking about the dangerous ones. Back to the main topic. Um, we were talking about whether there are beings superior to gods, and I said I didn’t know.”

“Yes, to the extent that I’m starting to wonder if there was any point in asking, it feels like we know nothing about gods.”

“Oh, oh, you say that. It’s the truth, but it’s better to keep such things to yourself. Gods are surprisingly short-tempered beings, so you might face a judgment or two for disrespect!”

“Yes, I received that just the other day.”

“Ooh, ooh, that’s an interesting story! I’d love to hear it later, but I need to finish this first, so tell me when you have time later.”

This must be a story that mythological researchers would desperately want to hear.
Thanks to the digressions, it wasn’t boring to listen to.

“Now, then, up to this point, we’ve learned that there are broadly two types of gods, right? One type is gods for creating the world, and the other is gods born from wishes. Is that clear so far?”

“Yes.”

“Then, the main difference between these two is, well, frankly, it’s just the difference in their source of power. Or rather, you could say it’s the difference in recognition and faith.”

“Source of power?”

“Yes, yes. Gods also have ranks. The closer they are to beings who revere gods, like humans, the lower their rank, and the farther away they are, the higher their rank as gods. When this rank exceeds a certain level, they become part of the creation group, and below that, they become part of the wish group. The source of their power differs depending on that line.”

This seems to be the core of the gods’ internal structure, their social hierarchy.
Should I call it status, or rephrase it as level?
One thing is clear: gods are assigned ranks.

“Gods who created the world have the highest rank. Conversely, gods like me have a low rank. Naturally, the difference in their source of power is enormous.”

Well, I can understand the difference between the two based on words alone.
It would be laughable if their power was weak despite this.

“Gods who can create worlds have immense power just by existing, an amount of power that is truly unimaginable. Compared to such beings, the power I can gain with my divine rank is like a drop of water in the ocean. The source of our power, the wish group, is naturally faith. Of course, our power is limited. Gods exist because people exist, and people exist because gods exist.”

Mimamori-sama sighed, saying that gods were surprisingly inconvenient existences.

“Well, then, up to this point, we’ve discovered that the supreme beings are incredibly powerful, and the power of gods varies greatly.”

I nodded in agreement, thinking that although humans as a species also have differences in individual abilities, it’s not to the same extent as gods.
Regardless, there’s no doubt that they are beings I cannot resist. If power inflation occurs, it might be different, but currently, even the strongest being in my mind, the President, only possesses planet-level attack power.
Facing cosmic-level attack power would be utterly uncontrollable.
And to withstand that… I’d rather not think about it.
Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

“Now, then, here’s another question. What rank do you think the gods you interact with are?”

“I don’t know!”

“Yes! How decisive you are! That’s a ridiculously quick answer!”

“No, it’s only natural that I wouldn’t know. Rather…”

I’m starting to wonder what this god who entered my dream wants to tell me.
All I’ve learned is that the difference between the highest and lowest output of gods is enormous. And now, I’m being asked to state the rank of a god from another world, which is like being told to choose a number between one and infinity.
Actually, judging by the way Mimamori-sama is speaking.

“…Don’t tell me, judging by the way you’re talking, there are other worlds besides Isal?”

“Yep? Rather, why do you think there is only one other world? Worlds with intelligent life, like Earth or Isal, are rare, but not that uncommon. Of course, if you live in just this worldview, it’s the only world, so it’s natural to think that way. However, some worlds have established relationships with multiple other worlds, so it’s good to broaden your horizons.”

The environment of other worlds might be much wider than I imagined.
Nodding at Mimamori-sama’s words, I tilted my head, and indeed, I finally understood that the realm of gods is far more extensive than I could have imagined.
To organize it within my understanding, the gods who created the world are like the presidents of companies.
Below them exist various gods with different positions, like vice presidents, senior managing directors, or perhaps department managers, section chiefs, and section managers.
Are gods, in fact, global conglomerates? I felt that this rough analogy might be somewhat accurate.
To confirm whether that imagination was correct, I conveyed it to Mimamori-sama.

“Ooh, maybe this is the first time someone has seen us that way. And you’re not wrong. That’s quite a good insight. If we’re talking about your company structure, I’d probably be like a regular employee? No, not a full-time employee. I’d probably be more like a part-timer or something. Well, it suits me, as I only manage one land!”

Mimamori-sama laughed heartily, saying it was fun, clapped her knees, and wiped away tears that had formed from laughing too hard.

“Well then, I’ll tell you the answer to your previous question. In terms of the company structure you mentioned, the standing of gods in other worlds would be at most the level of a section chief. From what I’ve heard, managing just one world, and a planet with a developing magic civilization at that, seems about right.”

“Section chief…”

Hearing that, it’s quite strange how the existence of gods suddenly feels more approachable.
I couldn’t help but offer a wry smile at Mimamori-sama’s nonchalant words.

“By the way, just for reference, even the Overgods on Earth haven’t reached the level of section chief. And that’s within the framework of the solar system. Above that, there are gods who manage galaxies or even larger scales. Well, even if we’re both called section chiefs, I feel like mine is higher, but in terms of position, it’s more like a senpai-kouhai relationship, isn’t it?”

Although the content of her speech didn’t seem like something to be said with a smile, it was helpful for reference.
However, what can I do with this information, even after hearing it?
Ultimately, gods are supernatural beings who manage worlds, and their energy is the faith of intelligent beings like us humans.
When it comes to the supreme beings, it becomes something that encompasses all of that.
…Well, even after you explained it, I think my perception of gods has become even more confused.
Perhaps I didn’t need to know this?

“Did I really need to know this?”

“Hmm, I think so, don’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, as far as I know, the only gods that humans who have achieved god-killing have killed are those section chief-level gods. So, it wouldn’t hurt to know that they can be defeated and how formidable they are. I have a feeling you’ll eventually take on that position too.”

“Eh?”

She said it was her intuition, but a god’s intuition is no laughing matter.

“That’s why I told you! Well then! I need to get some rest soon, or it’ll affect tomorrow, so I’ll take my leave for now!”

“Wait, stop!”

As I reached out, hoping she wouldn’t leave with just such unsettling words, the pampas grass scenery that had been clearly visible moments before instantly disappeared, and I found myself looking up at a dark ceiling.

“…”

I clenched my fist, and the solid feel of my hand told me this was reality. Looking beside me, Evia was sleeping peacefully.

“…Haa.”

Dreams are things that lack realism, but I felt like this one couldn’t be dismissed with just the word “dream.”
The god who left with the word “god-killing.”
I wondered if the god had deliberately spoken not in reality, but in my dream, a place that wasn’t real, to avoid leaving any proof of the truth of those words.

“How can I possibly sleep after being told something like this?”

The god’s words had the effect of making even me, who was starting to cease being human, likely to suffer from sleep deprivation today.

Today’s quote:
Just one word can stir up anxiety.

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*The first volume of this novel has been published by Hayakawa Bunko JA. It was released on October 18, 2018. The 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 version posted on “Shosetsuka ni Narou,” with the addition of unpublished interlude chapters.
Please look forward to the new releases!

Thank you for your continued support of this work.