Volume 3 Chapter 93 part1
It has already been a month since I got back from Renauph.
When I opened my eyes and went out the front door, the refreshing blue morning sky came to view. The morning is still cool, but lately, the afternoon has been hot. I’m sure the temperature will rise today too. Adventurers that can use ice magic have also started to become active, thinking it’s the season for them to make money. Yep, this is summer, alright.
The weather is even more refreshing for me because I’ve been cooped up this past few days, making waterproof cloths to prepare for my long trip. But it would be a waste if I just stayed cooped up in my tunnel when the weather is this good.
…I’ve made some progress already, so… Let’s make today a rest day!
I decided that so energetically, but I didn’t actually have any plans, so in the end, I dropped by the store. Unfortunately, the store was closed today.
Now that I think about it, the fixed day offs are supposed to start this month.
I actually forgot my own store’s policy. It can’t be helped, so I decided to just walk randomly around town for now.
“Oh, if it isn’t Ryouma-kun. What are you doing?” [Pauline]
A voice called out to me from next door.
“Good morning, Pauline-san. The store’s closed today, so I’m just walking around town. The weather is great out today. It would be a pity if I just stayed at home.” [Ryouma]
I said as I approached her. Pauline-san laughed.
“You said it. Can’t spend a good weather like this cooped up in your room. Since you’re here, why don’t you drop by my husband’s store? You can get some more feed for your slimes.” [Pauline]
“Thank you as always.” [Ryouma]
I followed Pauline-san and got some blood, meat, and bones from Zeke-san’s butcher. There’s a lot more meat than usual. Maybe it’s because the summer heat has made it easier to spoil.
Seeing how they’ve helped me out so much, maybe I should gift them a refrigerator. Nah, if I did that I’ll get busy again. The store’s refrigerator can’t work without me too. I can’t gift them a refrigerator.
While I was thinking that, a loud voice suddenly resounded within the store.
“Mom!” [???]
“I can hear you just fine without yelling, you know!” [Pauline]
The owner of the voice was Pauline-san’s mischievous son, Rick.
“Ryouma, you’re here too?” [Rick]
“Good morning, Rick.” [Ryouma]
“Greet him properly!” [Pauline]
Pauline-san poked him a little and Rick rubbed the part he was poked.
“So, what is it?” [Pauline]
“Oh, right! Tall’s here already, so I’m leaving!” [Rick]
“Oh? It’s that time already?” [Pauline]
“Are you going somewhere?” [Ryouma]
“What, you don’t know about? Today’s the church’s cleaning day.” [Rick]
“Once every two months, the children of this town cleans up the church and does various odd jobs.” [Pauline]
“We’re going to clean up the church as thanks to the G.o.ds!” [Rick]
So it’s like a community service of some sort.
I was somewhat impressed by Rick’s words, but Pauline-san wryly smiled and said this.
“Don’t be fooled. This son of mine couldn’t possibly be so amazing. He’s just repeating what he heard from someone else. What he’s really after are the sweets after the cleaning.” [Pauline]
At that, Rick turned the other way. Bullseye, huh?
“That aside, will you be going too, Ryouma?” [Pauline]
“Well it’s my first time hearing about it.” [Ryouma]
Hmm… Maybe it would be better if I partic.i.p.ated? I don’t have anything else to do today anyway.
“Would it be alright if I came along too?” [Ryouma]
“I don’t mind.” [Rick]
“Then I’ll go too.” [Ryouma]
“Great! Let’s go then!” [Rick]
As Rick happily raised up his right and walked ahead, I followed after bidding Pauline-san goodbye.
“Ryouma! You’re slow!”
“I’m going. I’m going.” [Ryouma]
Rick says a lot of cheeky stuff, but he was properly waiting for me. Perhaps he might actually grow up to be a helpful big brother.
While I was thinking that, we rendezvoused with Tall and Leni in front of the store. When we got to the store, the girl dressed in nun’s clothing that I met sometime in the past instructed us to go to the chapel by following the signboards. Just as she said, there were indeed a bunch of signboards inside with arrows for direction. No way we could get lost with all these.
Inside the chapel was a huge crowd of children, but only one woman in charge of them all. There were about 60 children all in all. Since this counts for all th e children in town, or at least all those that willingly partic.i.p.ated, I wonder if 60 is big or low.
Anyway, I decided to sit down and wait until it was time to clean the church. I took a seat with Tall and the others.
When I did, light suddenly filled my vision— Light!?
Volume 3 Chapter 93 part2
“…Where is this?” [Ryouma]
That’s odd… I didn’t pray, but light still appeared. This isn’t that same room of pure white, though.
“Is this a library?” [Ryouma]
When I looked around me, I was surrounded by giant wooden book shelves. Every one of which was full to the brim. There were even shelves floating in the sky. At that, I knew that this wasn’t just your ordinary library.
“Hmm… So even I can summon you.” [???]
An unfamiliar voice said.
When I looked up, a young man was floating there. He slowly floated down.
…For the mean time, I decided to greet him.
“h.e.l.lo, I’m—” [Ryouma]
“I’ve heard of you. You are this age’s otherworlder. Rumor has it that an interesting one has come.” [???]
If he knows that, then he’s definitely a G.o.d.
“I am the G.o.d of magic and knowledge, Fern.o.beria. This here is my domain. You seem surprised at how different it appears, but this is without doubt the same divine realm that you have visited before. When the time runs out, you will be able to return, so relax.” [Fern.o.beria]
“Thank you very much.” [Ryouma]
The G.o.d of Magic, Fern.o.beria. So this is the G.o.d Tekun says is hard to meet. He seems moody though. At least, compared to Tekun.
“This much is a given. After all, it was I who summoned you here. I heard that the others G.o.ds were able to summon the soul and consciousness of a living man into this realm, so I wanted to try it out myslef. Rest a.s.sured I won’t treat you poorly.” [Fern.o.beria]
Apparently, he was in the middle of investigating why I’m able to come here, and it just so happened that I stepped into the church, so he summoned me to look for a clue that would aid him in his investigation. An experiment, in other words.
“I have a few questions I would like you to answer. Do you mind?” [Fern.o.beria]
I don’t have any reason to refuse. Actually, I can’t refuse, so I just honestly answered his questions.
He started with questions about my previous life and my life here in this world, then he asked me about various trivial things such as what food I like and what I think of being summoned in the divine realm. From there he went to questions regarding war and slavery, and so on and so forth.
I just answered his questions honestly, but I can’t really find a pattern in his questions… Oh, this one seems to be the last.
“I thank you for your cooperation. Last question: what do you think of this world?” [Fern.o.beria]
What I think of this world? The question is vage, so I don’t really know how to respond, but… I think it’s a good world. Of course, I haven’t gone around the whole around, so I don’t have that much information, but of the people I’ve met, everyone was nice to me and I’ve even managed to make some friends. There’s a lot of interesting stuff too like magic and slimes, so I think I’m living a fairly fulfilled life. I don’t have any complaints. I can say from the bottom of my heart that I’m glad to have come to this world.
“Hmm… I see.” [Fern.o.beria]
“Huh? Did I say that out loud?” [Ryouma]
“No. I read your mind.” [Fern.o.beria]
…So, he read my mind. I didn’t realize at all.
“Sorry. I read your mind just to be safe.” [Fern.o.beria]
“To be safe?” [Ryouma]
“Unfortunately, not all otherworlders are like you.” [Fern.o.beria]
Apparently, some of the otherworlders lost themselves in the power they were given and became criminals, and some didn’t know how to use their powers properly and ended up causing a calamity, so since this was our first meeting, he wanted to see what sorto f person I was first.
Well, it makes sense. I’m sure it sucks if the power you gave to someone was abused wantonly.
“Exactly. Which is why we never bring people with dangerous thoughts to this world, but there’s nothing we can do if the otherworlder loses his mind after being brought to this world. We can’t interfere with them as soon as they are brought to this world, so at most we can tell try to persuade them in their dreams to repent or to stop sinning.
If they cause a calamity that will bring the destruction of the world, then we can interfere, but such cases are rare. In the first place, if things reach that point, then it’s already too late… I’m glad you’re understanding. It’s a huge load off our back.” [Fern.o.beria]
He read my mind again.
Fern.o.beria seemed to be complaining when he said those things. As he turned around, he told me this.
“A lot more will be happening from here on, but I’ll do my best not to lose myself in the power you’ve given me. Unfortunately, I can’t say with certainty that I won’t.” [Ryouma]
“Not like I could trust a person who so easily says something with certainty. It’s enough if you earnestly consider what I’ve said.” [Fern.o.beria]
“Thank you. I’ll do my best.” [Ryouma]
As soon as I said that, light started shining again.
“It seems the time is up. I’ll tell you one last thing. There is an abnormality occurring in your body, but it’s not that special of a case. There has been a similar trend in the past that occurred with otherworlders.” [Fern.o.beria]
By abnormality, is he referring to me being able to go to and fro this world, as well as take sacred treasures with me?
“I’m not sure what the cause is, but there were people in the past capable of doing things that should be impossible for humans. It just so happens that it’s more obvious in your case. It’s precisely because there were precedents that Gayn and the others are able to say that there’s nothing wrong with your mind or your body. None of the otherworlders in the past with oddities like yours suddenly went mad or suddenly died.” [Fern.o.beria]
Come to think of it, when Kufo talked about the saint that died, he mentioned that all the illnesses vanished. That’s certainly not something a human should normally be able to do.
…I didn’t think I was worrying over my strange circ.u.mstances, but maybe I was actually worried over it since for some reason I feel relieved after hearing Fern.o.beria-sama say that there’s nothing wrong with me.
“Thank you for letting me know.” [Ryouma]
At the same time, light wrapped my body, and in the next moment, I was back in the chapel.
…I wonder if he heard me. It’s hard not to be anxious when there’s no telling when the light will take me away.
It seems my thoughts showed on my face, thougho, as Tall and the others who were sitting beside me suddenly asked me why I was making a weird face all of the sudden.
Everything happened so suddenly that I forgot about these three…