“I am sorry, Takatsuki-sama. Goshujin-sama is currently absent…” (Nina)

  Fuji-yan wasn’t here.

  Nina-san was speaking to me in his stead and said this sadly.

  I am at fault for coming here without an appointment.

  I am sorry for the trouble.

  “When is Fuji-yan coming back?” (Makoto)

  “About that, it seems to be a big transaction, so they are not planning on returning for 2-3 days…” (Nina)

  “Is that so…” (Makoto)

  That’s a shame.

  The only person I can spill out my complaints with is absent.

  Can’t be helped, let’s just hunt some goblins solo today.

  While I was thinking that…


  “By the way, Takatsuki-sama! Please look at this.” (Nina)

  What Nina-san showed me with a smile was shining at her chest.

  “Gold Badge?” (Makoto)

  “Yes! Thanks to the divine protection from the acquaintance of Takatsuki-sama’s God, I have gone up to Gold Rank!” (Nina)

  “That’s…congratulations.” (Makoto)

  That’s impressive.

  Gold Badges are the highest rank that a branch guild can issue.

  Platinum and above ranks can only be obtained in the head offices at the capital.

  In other words, Nina-san has reached the highest point in the Adventurer Guild of Makkaren.

  “To be honest, I thought Silver Rank would be my limit. You really don’t know what life has in store, huh.” (Nina)

  “No no, the martial art of Nina-san was incredible.” (Makoto)

  It is because of that leg technique that she was able to rank up.

  “Goshujin-sama has been hyped up and doing big trades with the magic crystal he obtained. This and that are all thanks to Takatsuki-sama!” (Nina)

  Nina-san raised both hands and praised me.

  But rather than happiness, I felt a bit empty.

  Everyone is doing well.

  And yet, I…


  “T-Then, please give my regards to Fuji-yan.” (Makoto)

  “Yes! Please come again!” (Nina)

  Being seen off by a smiling Nina-san, I left the store of Fuji-yan.

  My plan for today is gone.

  ◇◇

  In the end, I decided not to go goblin hunting, and decided on training at the plaza close to the guild to pass the day.

  I wonder if Lucy is here too, is what I was hoping for, but she wasn’t.

  After finishing the training, I did my daily prayer to the Goddess.

  “Fuuuh…” (Makoto)

  I check my Soul Book while lying down.

  [Lifespan: 11 years], it has increased a little bit. The result of my daily monster hunting.

  [Water Magic Proficiency: 99], end route. I reached this number 1 month ago, and there’s been no change since then. I thought I might surpass 100, but this is apparently the highest.

  What’s left is low stats that have no drastic change.

  (What to do…) (Makoto)

  At first when I came to this parallel world, I was excited.

  After that, I learned about how low my stats were at the Temple, and was shocked.

  I trained for 1 year, yet didn’t get that strong.

  Even so, I pushed everything I could from the skills I had, and somehow managed to keep up as an adventurer.

  Lately, the evaluation others have of me has increased.

  There’s not really that big of a problem.

  But…


  (Is this all I can give…?) (Makoto)

  It was fun not that long ago.

  The day I first defeated a monster.

  The day I was given an uncool nickname for the first time.

  The day I got my first party member.

  The day I was on the verge of dying for the first time, and the day I got the divine protection of the Goddess.

  The day I was able to go on an adventure together with a classmate for the first time.

  It was stimulating.

  Lately…it has been boring.

  I was thinking that, and soon, drowsiness attacked me.

  ◇◇

  I was in a place where there’s nothing.

  No, it would be rude to say there’s nothing.

  Let’s call this The Space of the Goddess.

  “My my, it has been a while, Goddess-sama.” (Makoto)

  There’s no surprise at this point, so I place both hands together and greet her.

  But we haven’t seen each other in a while.

  The last time I heard her voice was at the time with the old man giant.

  “…”


  “Hm? Goddess-sama?” (Makoto)

  I was wondering why there was no response, and raised my head, and she was crazy close.

  Woah.

  She is so close our bangs might touch.

  Also, her eyes are cold.

  Did I do something to make her angry?

  I haven’t done anything but safe adventures lately though.

  “U-Uhm…” (Makoto)

  “Hey, Makoto…” (Noah)

  “Yes?” (Makoto)

  “You are my believer, right?” (Noah)

  “Of course, I have not missed a single day of prayer.” (Makoto)

  “I know. They reach me.” (Noah)

  Right.

  “Do you know the job of a Goddess?” (Noah)

  “The job of a Goddess? Gather donations? Ah, could it be that prayers alone were not enough?” (Makoto)

  “That’s not it! Why do I need to gather money like the guys in the God Realm?! I don’t need that!” (Noah)

  “So that wasn’t it.” (Makoto)

  What is it, I don’t know.

  “Idiot! The job of a Goddess is to guide their lost lambs! You are worrying a whole ton! Then come for advice! Rely on me!” (Noah)

  She is ruffling my hair.

  It doesn’t hurt.

  But in that position my face and her chest…


  “U-Uhm, it is touching my face.” (Makoto)

  “It is on purpose.” (Noah)

  She said it outright!

  “Uuh, I am sorry, Goddess-sama.” (Makoto)

  I take distance from the Goddess’s attack(?).

  This Goddess comes seducing me all the time.

  “You pray everyday, and yet, why are you not relying on me?” (Noah)

  “That was the last resort.” (Makoto)

  It is scary to be too indebted with a God after all.

  “It is okay. Rely on me more. Don’t be bothered by debts. You are my only believer.” (Noah)

  I feel like your interest rate is high, Noah-sama.

  Well, it is true that the Goddess was missing from my consultation candidates though.

  “Does that mean you will be making me stronger with your powers, Goddess-sama?” (Makoto)

  “Hm? I already gave you the divine protection, right? I can’t do more than that.” (Noah)

  “Eh?” (Makoto)

  That’s no good then!

  “But a Goddess can do this.” (Noah)

  What she took out was…


  “My Soul Book again?” (Makoto)

  This Goddess really has some sticky fingers.

  “A little work here and…” (Noah)

  Did she write something?

  “See, look here.” (Noah)

  She grabbed my head and showed me the Soul Book.

  As I said, you are too close.

  “It is fine, look, look.” (Noah)

  “Let’s see—eh?!” (Makoto)

  [Water Magic Proficiency: 101].

  “G-Goddess-sama, this is?” (Makoto)

  “You are the type of person that raises your level to 99 in RPG games, right? And so, you reached a bottleneck in your proficiency and lost heat, right?” (Noah)

  She saw through me.

  Obviously, huh.

  We are talking about a Goddess here.

  “Fufufu! I will tell you one more nice piece of information. If you get to Proficiency 105, you will be able to see Water Spirits.” (Noah)

  “Eh?!” (Makoto)

  Is it okay for it to be so simple?

  Even though I troubled myself so much training in the rain, meditating under a waterfall, and passing a whole day inside water!

  “Well~, that training was pointless. I am impressed that you were able to do all that.” (Noah)

  “Please tell me that at least!” (Makoto)

  “Ahaha!” (Noah)

  What a bad personality!

  No, that’s not it.

  “Thank you very much, Goddess-sama.” (Makoto)

  I put both of my hands together and bow deeply.

  With this, I can continue training my water magic proficiency!

  “Oh my, so honest. Yup yup, do your best.” (Noah)

  “I was at my wit’s end this time around, so you really helped me out.” (Makoto)

  “What’s most important is that you are happy. Ah, but there’s something you have to be careful about.” (Noah)

  “What is it?” (Makoto)

  An impossible task right on the get-go?

  “That’s not it. 99 is the highest one can reach in the stats of the Soul Book. That’s how the guys in the God Realm set it up like.” (Noah)

  Hooh.

  “Is that so.” (Makoto)

  “In reality, there’s no limit point, so you can increase as much as you work hard. It just isn’t shown in the numbers. What I did was modify your Soul Book so that it can show numbers higher than 100.” (Noah)

  Hohoh, I have heard something nice there.

  So there’s results befitting your hard work.

  It is hyping me up.

  “But the modification of Soul Books is against the law of the world. If the Church discovers it, you might get interrogated.” (Noah)

  “Eh? What?!” (Makoto)

  “By the way, in countries like the Fire Country and the Water Country, if they were to discover you are an Evil God believer, you will get executed. How barbaric, don’t you think?” (Noah)

  “Why are you telling me this now?!” (Makoto)

  “You didn’t know?” (Noah)

  No, I didn’t!

  I avoided the Church all this time after all.

  …I should be careful in the future.

  “Then, it is almost time.” (Noah)

  The figure of the Goddess is beginning to disappear.

  “It is always so short.” (Makoto)

  “Oh? Did you want to talk with me more?” (Noah)

  “Well, I do think I would like to talk with you a bit more.” (Makoto)

  “Fufufu, you are slowly becoming a nicer boy. You can go ahead and fall for me, you know?” (Noah)

  Please don’t give me that sidelong glance.

  It is going to make my heart skip a beat.

  “Ah, right! There’s something I want to tell you before you go!” (Noah)

  “What is it?” (Makoto)

  Is it the usual vague instructions?

  “Head to Laberintos. A good meeting awaits you there.” (Noah)

  After saying this, the Goddess disappears.

  Eeh…


  She gave me quite the specific instruction…