Seleneis’s eyes were already unfocused, and she looked flustered.
I’ll play along with her for now.
“I see, so it’s a difference in thinking between the top and those below. Romeo’s situation was similar, as was the Empire’s… though in that country, the top is overwhelmingly bizarre, while the leadership is fairly reasonable. They’d complain to me endlessly without even bothering to hear their struggles, forcing me to learn about that country’s internal affairs. Everyone’s having a tough time… Is this the kind of situation where I’m needed?”
“You understand remarkably well. In short, Ceresdia needs a capable individual with immense ability who can suppress such lawless ruffians. The current Queen of Ceresdia has only just ascended the throne, is young, lacks leadership skills, and has no competent subordinates. She’s a tenacious girl fighting alone. Wouldn’t you want to help her for the sake of a truly peaceful world?”
Well, it pretty much aligns with my speculation…
“Hmm, that sounds like something I’ve heard before, and if there were someone in such a position in front of me, I’d want to help them…”
“Right? Furthermore, the power of Seleneis’s apostle is tremendous! It grants the ability to control all the seas surrounding the continent and to slay even powerful Magic Beasts. Indeed, Seleneis’s apostles are superior to Raterum’s. Isn’t that magnificent? With the power of an invincible apostle, you could easily defeat Ceresdia’s old-fashioned noble factions, as well as France’s garrison and fleet. And above all, as Seleneis’s apostle, you would possess authority so great that even the supreme leader of that country would bow down. How about it? A chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with true heroes… Wouldn’t your interest be piqued?”
…It certainly sounds like a lucrative offer.
But it’s a non-starter.
“No, I’m sorry. Even if you lay out delicious offers and beg me, I intend to remain an observer regarding Ceresdia. I won’t attack or interfere, but I have no intention of actively assisting… Of course, if the Queen herself were to ask me directly, I might reconsider, but naturally, I would demand a suitable price. Honestly, I’m not looking for any more cheat protagonist roles. I must respectfully decline.”
Behind me, Latrie gave a triumphant pose as if to say, ‘I knew it!’
Well, in many ways, I couldn’t give an answer that would upset her!
“No, no, don’t jump to conclusions so quickly! Please, don’t rush things. I’ll tell you this, though: you’ve been completely abandoned by Raterum. Without any divine protection, an Otherworldly person like yourself could easily die! Are you okay with that?”
…It feels like you’re implying I was granted some kind of protection.
But I’m starting from scratch.
Even if you say I’ve been abandoned, I haven’t heard anything of the sort, and I don’t feel any disadvantages. So, what else can I say but ‘so what’?
Besides, wasn’t it like this from the beginning?
And why are you, Seleneis, so desperate to recruit me?
Honestly, I’m not that amazing.
“You might be trying to say, ‘there’s always a helping hand.’ But from the start, I was basically abandoned by the Gods… by Raterum? Perhaps you received some blessings? Certainly, this cat-eared body is quite high-spec. What are the specific disadvantages of being abandoned? Honestly, I don’t feel any of them.”
“Disadvantages? Hmm… Observing you, you don’t feel any pain at all? Did you not use the power granted to you as an apostle until now? And yet, you claim to have slain Wyverns and tens of thousands of Slimes? Unbelievable…”
“I don’t recall becoming one… Moreover, it wasn’t solely my power. It was the result of the assistance of many people, not just myself. I have no intention of getting full of myself about it. I understand better than anyone that I can’t do anything alone.”
Well, that’s how it is.
With two apostles of Raterum right by my side, I can state it with certainty:
I have absolutely no connection with Lord Raterum.
I’m strictly in the “normal” category.
I owe Raterum nothing, and based on what I’ve heard, I shouldn’t get involved with them.
Besides, I’m not an apostle!
From the beginning, I was treated like worthless trash.
“Hmm, this is different from what was reported. Raterum said that you don’t utilize the blessings they gave you, ignore their whispers, don’t offer prayers of gratitude, and do whatever you please, ignoring Raterum’s intentions. They had many complaints… More importantly, it seems the apostle named Manager doesn’t act without your permission. In fact, you seemed to be treated as an obstruction. That’s why we’ve come to an agreement for me to take you in.”
…An agreement has been made…
Don’t decide someone’s fate with such casual exchanges, as if they were kittens…
“I don’t recall any of that. Are you mistaking me for someone else? Also, please don’t make arrangements without confirming my intentions.”
Blessings and whispers are all new terms to me.
Cheat blessings, huh…
Well, if I had that, I might have relied on it a little…
My muscle power and water magic, by no means, look like the blessings of a Goddess.
Ah, but I can kind of understand the part about Manager.
After that, Monjirou explained a lot to me, and I heard that Manager is occasionally mobilized for what are called ‘Goddess Quests,’ like extermination quests.
Manager doesn’t just leave without a word anymore; recently, he confirms with me properly.
From my position, I also have to consider Romeo’s interests, so I’ve advised him to refuse if there’s an option that seems to have an indirect impact and allows for choice.
But from the Goddess’s perspective, she might see it as not being able to move her apostle according to her intentions…
This might be a case of unintentionally earning her hostility.
“So you deny it. Well, there are occasional individuals who cannot hear the whispers of the Gods, nor do they accept any blessings. In any case, Raterum seems to consider you worthless. If you remain under Raterum’s influence, I don’t think you’ll live long… Otherworldly people are outside the scope of the divine protection that everyone in this world is normally granted. It seems a bit cruel to live in this world while carrying such a handicap…”
…Are you threatening me?
But I’ve gotten a lot of new information…
Especially being deemed a worthless nuisance by Raterum is a dangerous problem for me.
Hmm, I’m starting to feel like I should concede a little to Seleneis’s proposal instead of just refusing.
From their perspective, it seems they’ve literally come recruiting as a ‘helping hand.’
Rather than having my destiny manipulated like Satoru, aligning with Seleneis, like seeking shelter under a big tree, would surely not be a loss.
More than anything, this Goddess seems to possess common sense…
However, I feel like divine blessings have quite a few loopholes.
For something everyone is supposedly given, there are quite a few deaths happening.
Well, I can somewhat understand that I started with a considerable handicap.
Monjirou and others seem incredibly blessed.
Hmm, despite everything, I find myself developing a fondness for Seleneis, and perhaps that’s exactly what they wanted…
The fact that they achieved that so naturally makes them a formidable negotiation opponent.
But now is the time to push back!
“I’m sorry, but I’m a non-believer by nature. Isn’t God a conceptual existence? If a representative of God, like yourself, descended to the earth and conveyed their will, wouldn’t that be something else entirely calling itself a God? In other words, what you’re doing isn’t something a God would do… I might be reprimanded for saying this rudely, but… In other words… well, you know, instead of interfering unnecessarily, shouldn’t you quietly observe the activities of people and the flow of events? Only when a situation is hopelessly desperate should you then extend a hand?”
I thought my words were rude, even to myself.
But I had no intention of retracting them.
Yes, I can say it with certainty.
…I reject Gods who interfere with the fate of people and the world according to their own intentions.
The path to peace must be forged by people, with the will of as many as possible.
Peace dictated and guided by the intentions of the Gods is nothing more than false peace.
Such a thing deserves to be denied.
