kscans

Chapter 207 - The Name of the God

So, we had lunch together, and now we were heading to the church with a load of skewered meat as a souvenir. The pile of food had become unexpectedly large, making it seem difficult for Nico, that was the boy's name, to carry it all by himself. But I also thought that since I had the chance, I wanted to visit the church too. I wanted to properly thank the god who brought me to this land. And I also wanted to check on the statue I had carved without permission.

"We're here, niichan. This is our church."

"Wow, so this is it."

I was admiring the magnificent structure when Nico said...

"Well, I'm heading off now."

"Oh, okay. Thanks for showing me the way."

"No problem. Thanks a lot for everything!"

With that, Nico took off running with the skewered meat, and I stepped into the temple, that's the right word, isn't it?, by myself.

It seemed to be a polytheistic church, with statues of what appeared to be numerous gods lined up. Among them, there was one statue that spoke to my heart more than any other.

"Is this a goddess, I wonder?"

She had short hair and a modest, ahem, a modest bust, but I could tell from her features that she was a goddess.

The god who appeared before me, I wasn't quite sure of their gender, but I had a feeling it was this god. No, I was sure it was this god. I wonder what her name is.

"Are you here to pray to Lady Anatea?"

I turned around at the voice and saw an elderly man with a gentle face who looked like a priest.

"Oh, I'm sorry for coming in without permission."

"It's quite all right. The church is open to everyone. I only spoke to you because you seemed to have something on your mind, and I thought I might be of assistance."

This person, who spoke to me with a friendly smile despite it being our first meeting, gave me a strange sense of familiarity and relief. Ah, that's it. This feeling, it's similar to the doctors who took care of me in my previous life.

"Her name is Lady Anatea? This goddess?"

Yes, the most important thing for me right now is to know the name of the god who brought me to this world.

"Yes, she is the goddess Anatea. A valiant goddess, it is said she sometimes appears dressed as a man. Though because of that, she is also known as the protector of ambiguous things and those who exist on boundary lines."

Ah, that's certainly true. That's what she was like when she manifested before me.

"Do you have a request for Lady Anatea?"

"Oh, no. Actually, when I suffered a life threatening injury, I had a feeling that this god saved me in a dreamlike state. I don't know the god's name, but their appearance was neither male nor female. I was blessed with the opportunity to visit this church today, so I came in hoping I might learn their name. For some reason, I felt that this Lady Anatea might be the one."

When I said that, the man, who I later learned was a Priest, nodded deeply and said that there was no doubt. He said that other gods, even in dreams, do not appear in such a genderless form.

"So, I carved a statue of her appearance from that time, as poor as it may be, and I've been praying to it. Is that, by any chance, a problem?"

I even received a skill called "Buddhist Sculptor," so I thought it was probably fine with the gods, but I wasn't sure how the church organization would react. That's what I thought when I asked.

"It's no problem at all. Not just for Lady Anatea, but divine images of the gods are displayed in many places. As long as you do not act disrespectfully, the church will not reprimand you."

Oh, I see.

"Thank you very much. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my chest now that what was bothering me is clear."

Yes, since I've come all this way, I should thank the god right here. With that in mind, I knelt before the statue of Lady Anatea and prayed. But when I finished my prayer and turned around, the Priest was frozen stiff for some reason. I wonder what happened.