Chapter 164 - [Interlude] A Look Back at the Past and the State of the World (Part 1)
This takes place the day after chapter 163 and serves as a summary of the world in which Mash and the others are adventuring. Even though it's supposed to be a summary, the text has become so massive you might wonder if I ever truly intended to summarize it at all.
I was the only one sleeping in the large bed.
When I woke up, the room was dimly lit.
I'd used Goddess Summoning last night, so it should have been around noon. Puzzled, I sat up and looked at the window.
The glass wasn't clear like it was in my world. It looked distorted in places.
"Rain…"
Raindrops were tapping against the window. It seemed to be raining heavily outside.
"What do you mean, 'rain'?!"
Mizuki snapped.
There was a round table and chairs in the room, enough for everyone to sit.
In addition to the members of Levante, Claire, Shizuka, and Lini were there.
"Morning."
"Good morning."
Fam brought me a sandwich, filled with vegetables and meat. They must have saved breakfast for me.
"I wanted to test out the weapons and armor we got from the King of Heilong, but…"
It looked like I'd have to wait for this rain to stop.
The bread was dry and stuck in my throat.
As if on cue, Aira offered me some tea.
Until now, she'd been the type to accept me if I was the one to initiate things, but had she ever been this proactive before? As I mulled over this strange feeling, our eyes met.
"W-What is it?"
I stuttered, feeling an indescribable pressure.
"When's the next time?"
"…What are you talking about?"
"Last night! Round two!"
Her forceful tone made me flinch. I glanced around and saw everyone looking awkward.
"N-Not today!"
I may have wanted it, but doing it every day would kill me.
"And?"
Aira's pressure intensified.
"We're leaving for Migul tomorrow, right?"
"And?"
"If we can get a room with a big bed like this at an inn in one of the towns along the way…"
"Understood."
After nodding, Aira shot a glance at Claire.
"I-I understand! I'll do my best to arrange it!"
She was going to do her best, huh? Claire nodded. She was our employer, but it felt like our roles had been completely reversed.
"M-Mash!"
Mizuki cried out.
"What is it?"
"If that's what you want to do, Mash, then it's fine. But, just with me…"
Mizuki fell silent, her face beet red.
"I know. I'll make sure we have days for just the two of us, too."
At my words, Mizuki's expression softened in relief, and she nodded.
"Next time, Shizuka-chan is participating too!"
"Lini will participate too."
Shizuka and Lini chimed in. I wondered if Lini even knew what had happened.
"You two can't."
"Why not?! Not having sex is just impossible! I'll feel sick and die!"
"You've got Ko-kun!"
"Why are you being so stiff! It's not your head you should be getting hard, it's that thing down there!"
Shizuka puffed out her cheeks and grabbed me. It's a man's nature to react and get hard right away. Lini came closer too, tugging on the hem of my clothes.
"Lini doesn't have a Ko-kun. So it's okay."
"It's not okay for you either. You can do things like that when you're older."
I placed a hand on her head and patted it lightly.
"But if I can't do that, I'll be thrown away."
"I won't throw you away."
"…"
Lini fell silent, but her distrust was plain to see. It was clear she didn't believe my words.
"…Alright. Then let's be parent and child."
"Father?"
"That's right. So, even if you don't do those things, I'll never abandon you."
As I said that, she pressed her head against my chest and hugged me. When I hugged her back, her gentle warmth felt irreplaceable. It was a strange sensation I'd never felt before.
"Then, Mother."
She pointed at Shizuka.
"No, not her. It'll be a disaster when Ko-kun is found. Pick someone else."
"Hey, why not?! Even if I got into a relationship with Mash or we got married, it wouldn't change the fact that Ko-kun is special to me."
Shizuka puffed her cheeks out again, but her sense of morality was completely messed up. Next to her, Fam was staring intently at Shizuka. The lack of emotion in her gaze was terrifying.
"I'd recommend one of the big-boobed big sisters. If you like them flat, the mage big sister is an option too!"
"Who are you calling flat?!"
Cecily clutched her chest and snapped. Well, Lini still had memories of her real mother. I didn't know what place that held in her heart. There was no need to decide on a mother figure for her right now.
The sound of the rain tapping on the window didn't stop.
It didn't seem like the rain would let up anytime soon. Not only did I want to test my new equipment, but I'd also wanted to go shopping before our journey tomorrow. At this rate, though, the shops would probably be closed.
"Speaking of which, didn't Ko-kun have a special skill called Ama-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi or Yasakani no Magatama?"
When I asked, Shizuka shook her head.
"I don't think it had a weird name like that. He only chose skills that had nothing to do with sex."
She said it complainingly, but I was relieved. If he had combat-oriented special skills, he probably wouldn't be defeated so easily if other otherworlders attacked him.
"Speaking of which, Mash, have you also learned that the heroes summoned by Lady Racshell possess the three special skills: Ama-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi, Yata no Kagami, and Yasakani no Magatama?"
Maira said.
"Yeah. The castle I was invited to by the King of Heilong was the same place where Akizuki Uta declared a holy war to defeat the Demon Lord a hundred years ago. I heard it from a priestess there."
"I also learned of it at the church in this city. To be honest, I knew before we received the invitation from Moos, but it was difficult to tell you…"
Maira lowered her gaze. It couldn't be helped. She, too, believed I was a hero. She might have been the one who was most disappointed.
"What do you mean? Now that you mention it, last night you said you were a fake hero."
Mizuki asked.
I told her that the heroes previously summoned by Racshell possessed special skills known as the Three Sacred Treasures.
"Were they on the list of special skills we got from Racshell before?"
I turned the question to Fam.
"I don't know. There were just so many… but I think they must have been there…"
She shook her head. It was an impossible task for her, who had no knowledge of the Three Sacred Treasures. When she found Yata no Kagami, Mizuki and I should have read through the list more carefully.
Then again, it's not like we could have done anything even if we had found them, but if someone else has them, it might be possible to track them down.
Racshell had said that gathering special skills of the same family would cause them to synergize, and that a superior skill would activate once their level was high enough. The Three Sacred Treasures must also activate a superior skill when all are gathered.
Mizuki's special skills synergize so that every time an enemy tries to deal her a fatal blow, she grows stronger and becomes invincible. Her superior skill hasn't activated, so its power is unknown, but even now, her skills are formidable. It's easy to imagine how much more powerful the superior skill would be. However, since Fam has already acquired Yata no Kagami, no one can use the superior skill of the Three Sacred Treasures. The same special skill cannot be acquired by more than one person.
"On top of that, I don't know how she did it, but Uta gathered nine otherworlders who had been summoned by goddesses."
The Five Goddesses and the other Fifty Gods are in conflict, so if you simply try to look for other otherworlders, you'll end up getting attacked by those summoned by the opposing gods.
"I've been looking at Uta's smartphone to check for information on that, but she really only used her diary for jotting down notes…"
"Was there anything written about the person summoned with Uta?"
A god summons two people at a time. The pair always shares a special bond—like Mizuki and me, they might be attracted to each other, or they could be lovers, friends, or siblings. Because of that, I thought there'd be a high chance of finding some information, like if they separated or died, but Mizuki shook her head.
"There are entries from when she first came to this world, but then they become less frequent. After that, there's only stuff written about her time in the city of Nielen."
It seems like she started the diary enthusiastically at first, but quickly got bored. Then, after defeating the Demon Lord, she had nothing else to do and started writing in it again.
"In any case, the fact that we don't have those skills means we're not even at the starting line. I don't know why the goddess summons people to this world, but if you're expecting us to be heroes, you're going to be disappointed."
Now I understand why Aira received special treatment when we met the King of Heilong. They knew we had performed the Goddess Summoning. That's how they knew I was a hero who didn't possess the special skills of the Three Sacred Treasures. And because I called Aira with -sama, they mistakenly thought she was the hero who possessed the Divine Blessing of the Three Sacred Treasures. It was a sad misunderstanding.
I looked at Fam and Maira, who held such excessive expectations for me.
"Master is Master. Such things do not concern me."
"It does not change the fact that Mash-sama is a hero."
The two of them answered me.
"But if that's the case, then the staff, mirror, and jar of holy oil that were stored in the Ark have nothing to do with the Three Sacred Treasures. We'll have to search for them separately. If the Three Sacred Treasures from our country's mythology are special skills, then we have to change the way we're looking."
People who possess a sacred treasure special skill like Fam, and people who might be granted a Divine Blessing from a god in the future... Just how are we supposed to find them?
"Mash, why did you think they were the same thing again?"
Mizuki asked.
"Mash, since it's raining, we can't go out. Why don't we take a moment to sort out our situation?"
Maira suggested.
"Good idea. First, to answer Mizuki's question, we were summoned by Racshell."
"And there are other gods besides Racshell in this world, right?" Mizuki checked with Maira.
"Yes. The Two Pillars of Creation, the Five Pillars of Genesis, the Fifty Gods, and the God of the End. It is said that the Fifty Gods are the ones who send otherworlders here. Lady Racshell is one of them."
Maira answered.
Every hundred years, each of these gods summons two otherworlders to this world. Those individuals can choose a profession related to their summoning god and acquire three special skills, which the people of this world call Divine Blessings.
These special skills range from techniques with destructive power to absurd ones like Shizuka's, which summons a massive number of condoms, but they all generally possess the ability to overturn the principles of this world.
Besides the otherworlders themselves, their descendants can inherit just one of these skills. It's not guaranteed just because they are a descendant; they are said to be granted randomly, without any set rules.
The reason the gods summon otherworlders is said to be for a proxy war between the gods who once fought in this land.
In ancient times, it's said that the human race could give birth to new races through interspecies breeding. This incurred the wrath of the gods, who descended themselves to deliver divine punishment. These were the God of the End and the Fifty Gods. The ones who tried to stop them were five of the Fifty Gods—the Five Goddesses. Their names are Racshell, Lishar, Luche, Renren, and Ronron. Racshell played the central role. Since the Five Goddesses are five of the Fifty Gods, this means they raised a banner of rebellion.
In the end, the Five Goddesses and humanity were defeated.
However, they did manage to drive the gods back to the celestial realm. But the God of the End lost its power and could not return. It seems the God of the End still lurks somewhere on the surface, plotting to destroy humanity.
Since that battle, no one has seen the gods, but legends of seeing the God of the End remain in various places. For example, the opponent that Okita Soji, the savior of the dog-eared race, fought is said to have been the God of the End. Incidentally, the God of the End's name is Mash, same as mine. This fact isn't widely known to the public due to the church's teaching that one must not speak the names of gods other than the Fifty Gods.
But Fam knew the God of the End's name. Apparently, she was told by the guardian deity that cursed her. No matter how much I deny it, I feel she still has a tendency to think of me as the God of the End.
Though humanity escaped extinction, their power of interspecies breeding was sealed, and the Five Goddesses were confined in the celestial realm. Furthermore, those who fought alongside Racshell were cursed, unable to remain in one place. Their descendants are the Wandering People.
To the otherworlders sent for this proxy war, the Five Goddesses give the simple objective, 'Defeat the Demon Lord,' while the other Fifty Gods give the objective, 'Kill all the otherworlders summoned by the Five Goddesses, and your wish will be granted.'
However, the Five Goddesses are hindered by the Fifty Gods and cannot give precise information to their summoned individuals. It's also a mystery why their objective is so different from the reason for the original war between the gods. Logically, it shouldn't be 'Defeat the Demon Lord,' but 'Defeat the God of the End.'
To begin with, the Fifty Gods started the war, yet their objective is to thwart the Five Goddesses' goal. This reversal of offense and defense is another mystery.
But does the God of the End truly exist? The power Racshell wields during Goddess Summoning is immense. And she says that power comes from my mana, not her own true strength. For a world where a being with such power is on the surface, vigilantly waiting to destroy humanity, it all seems rather pastoral and peaceful. I wonder if it's just an illusion spread by rulers or the church wanting to impose their dogmatic teachings.
It would be great if I could ask Racshell herself about these things during a Goddess Summoning, but the Five Goddesses are not only confined, they are also under a restriction that prevents them from giving us accurate information. The enchantment effect makes it impossible to question or doubt her, and even if we manage to slip a question past it, we can't hear her answer.
Maira, who had been so confident she could resist the goddess's enchantment, ended up sleeping soundly through it.
The known individuals summoned by the Five Goddesses are Mizuki and me, summoned by Racshell; Hyakka and Chihiro, summoned by Ronron; and though it's unclear which goddess, Shizuka and Ko-kun. The reason we know Shizuka and the others are on the goddesses' side is that they weren't given much information, and the circumstances of their summoning. Perhaps because of the restrictions, they are always summoned in the middle of a huge fight with their partner. Then they're thrown into this world without having properly listened to what the god has to say.
Incidentally, the Demon Lord did exist. The king of the Demon Kingdom was the Demon Lord. He was slain a hundred years ago by Uta, who had been summoned by Racshell. Despite having supposedly fulfilled the goddess's wish, she passed away in the city of Nielen, ten years after arriving in this world.
And yet, the divine oracle Racshell gives us is still, 'Defeat the Demon Lord.'
Something is wrong.
Uta was an otherworlder summoned by Racshell a hundred years ago. I saw her in the church in Nielen, a city we stopped in during our travels, lying in her coffin as if asleep. She was a pregnant woman who bore a resemblance to Mizuki. Her existence revealed several things.
A message she left behind revealed that otherworlders can only live in this world for a period of ten years.
This was likely the same for all otherworlders before her. Perhaps for that reason, this world's science and industry, which should have evolved significantly thanks to them, are not so different from the Middle Ages of my original world. Not that I know exactly what the Middle Ages were like. So there must be a fair amount of things brought over by them mixed in.
Agriculture and medicine, however, seem to be exceptions. Food in this world is abundant. It appears that seeds and technology brought from our world are being put to use. And thanks to divine miracles, it's possible to receive medical treatment superior to that of our original world.
I also learned that she was summoned from the same timeline as Mizuki and me.
The date of summoning to this world is different, but the date in our original world is the same. In other words, Uta, who was summoned a hundred years ago, was called from our world at the same time as me. There might be some slight variations, but I can guess that this is probably the case for everyone.
This holds a sliver of hope. If the summoning is reversible, it means we might be able to return to our original world at the same point in time. Mizuki's wish to go back to her own world might be granted.
Otherworlders have other characteristics as well. For one, while it's said they are sent to this world every hundred years, there are discrepancies of several years. For example, Hyakka and Shizuka came here a year earlier than us, and Ito said she came two years ago. Coming earlier might seem advantageous since you can raise your level, but considering the ten-year activity limit, it has its pros and cons. In any case, there's no information to suggest that this proxy war has brought about any major changes in this world. The battle remains in a stalemate. The information given to the goddess's side is just too scarce. Those who don't realize the ten-year limit will probably end up doing nothing before their time is up.
The last thing I realized is that everyone I've met is from the same country as me.
I had thought this was related to the Three Sacred Treasures.
Thank you for reading. To those who have liked, bookmarked, and rated this story, your support is a great encouragement. Thank you for the typo reports. They are a huge help.