Several more days later.
Together with Sylphie, who had recovered her strength, I returned to the magic city of Sharia.
By the time we arrived home, the sun had already set.
Our home looked surprisingly nostalgic.
But it had only been a few days since I'd last seen it.
"I'm hooooome—"
"Yes yes, weelcome b— ...Big brother?"
When I opened the front door, Aisha came fluttering out from the living room.
Aisha, who had come to greet me, looked confused — I was the one who had said I might be gone for a long time, only to return so quickly.
"Is it over already? Is Miss Nanahoshi okay? Or... did it not work out?"
I ruffled the hair of Aisha, who was asking with a worried look on her face.
Aisha said "Woooow" in a monotone, but she didn't look displeased.
"What's wrong, big brother?"
"It's nothing. Nanahoshi is safe. It's over. I'll explain everything now. Has Roxy come back already? And Norn?"
"Norn-nee is at school today. Roxy-nee should be in her room. Mom... Lillia-mama is doing the dishes, and Zenis-mama is already asleep."
"I see, Norn's at school... Sorry, but could you go get Roxy for me?"
"Sure sure~"
After a short while, Roxy came down the stairs.
Her hair was slightly disheveled and there were red marks on her cheeks — she must have been napping.
"Welcome home, Rudi. How did it go?"
"I'll explain everything now. But first..."
"Wha—..."
I slid my hands under Roxy's arms, lifted her up, and hugged her tight.
I'd promised I'd give her a tight hug when I got back.
That was the promise we'd made.
Roxy was a bit confused, but she wrapped her arms around my back and returned the hug.
"I'm home."
"Welcome back."
And so, I returned home.
---
"That's the gist of it."
After that, I reported my return to the family.
There was a lot to tell.
I didn't reveal everything, but I told them what they needed to know.
Especially regarding Zenis's curse — I went into detail.
And that we still needed to be careful going forward.
"I'll be staying at the aerial fortress for a while, but I plan to come back at least once every ten days."
I announced this just to make it official.
Sylphie would also be living at the aerial fortress for a while, until Ariel achieved some results.
She too seemed to plan on returning every few days.
She couldn't attend school, but... well, as long as she showed her face in homeroom, there shouldn't be a problem.
She wasn't taking classes anymore, anyway.
"Understood, Lord Rudeus. Please leave everything — the house and Lady Zenis — to me."
Lillia replied with a strong, confident voice.
I was causing her trouble too, after all.
Regardless, that finished my report.
The family meeting was adjourned.
"Phew, I'm completely wiped out. I'm going to rest first — what about you, Rudi?"
"I'll take a bath, then go to sleep."
"Um... should I wait for you in bed?"
"Nah, let's skip it today."
"Got it."
Having that conversation, I headed to the bath.
Come to think of it, I'd only been washing with water these past few days.
I entered the bathroom and reheated the remaining bathwater with magic.
I probably should have washed myself before getting in, but... oh well.
I stripped off my clothes and sank into the tub with a splash.
"Ahh..."
Wrapped in the hot water, I felt my fatigue seeping away.
I hadn't realized it myself, but apparently I'd gotten quite exhausted over the past ten days.
Ten days, huh.
It had only been about ten days since I went to Pergius's castle.
So much had happened in such a short time.
Nanahoshi collapsed, I went to the Demon Continent, met Kishirika, and made Atophe angry...
Atophe, huh.
She was strong.
I didn't feel like I could win.
Well, it was wrong of me to even think about winning against someone at that level, but...
However, the lightning magic had worked.
If I could catch my opponent off guard, perhaps I'd have a chance.
I should study and train this magic more.
At the very least, to the point where I wouldn't hurt myself even if everything around me was soaked.
I wasn't sure how to go about it, though.
Should I wrap my whole body in rubber? Like Stretchman.
Atophe's subordinate Moore was strong too.
No matter what I did, it felt like he could handle it.
Until now, I'd only really seen Roxy as a strong magician, but I suppose that's what a real magician looks like.
I managed thanks to Disturb Magic and my prosthetic hand, but how would you normally deal with an opponent like that?
I doubted there was any standard countermeasure against such a strong opponent, but...
Either way, if people like that really were just wandering around, I should probably get a bit stronger.
It seemed like something like that happened at least once every few years...
Even if Pergius wouldn't help, maybe I could ask someone like Sylvaril to train me.
But for now, I'd learn summoning from Pergius, and if possible, how to draw teleportation magic circles.
That way, I could act quickly if something like this happened again.
It was taboo, and the thought of teleportation was scary, but...
precisely because it was scary, I had to learn it.
Knowledge is power.
Then there was communication.
I didn't use it this time, but that ring Ariel had.
I wanted to improve it a bit so it could deliver simple messages.
It probably wouldn't work worldwide, but at least something like a pager.
What else was there...
I felt like I'd thought of something when I went to the Demon Continent, but...
"Ah, it's always like this."
Looking back, I was always forgetting things.
I'd come up with something, and by the time I got around to doing it, I'd forgotten.
I'd keep thinking of new things and forget the old ones one by one.
I thought my memory was pretty good, but there was far too much I hadn't gotten done.
This wouldn't do.
At this rate, I'd end up repeating the same kind of mistakes.
I'd been lucky this time.
But there was no guarantee things would go well next time.
If I didn't remember my reflections, they wouldn't be reflected in my future actions.
But what should I do?
I felt like I'd heard somewhere that writing things down was good for remembering.
"...Alright, I'll start keeping a diary."
Saying it out loud, it sounded like a pretty good idea.
Incidents, lessons learned, things I was lacking, things I needed.
I'd write them out and consider solutions.
I'd set priorities, clarify my goals, and determine what to do next.
Yeah.
This was shaping up to be a good plan.
Alright, let's write.
Let's write right now.
With that thought, I leaped out of the bath.
"But then again, they don't sell diary notebooks here."
I dried myself off in a hurry and headed to my study.
I sat down and picked up a stack of paper from the bottom shelf.
Even without a proper diary, writing on paper would do.
What mattered was the act of writing.
However, just writing on plain paper felt too bare, so I decided to do a bit of crafting.
I wouldn't say appearance comes before substance, but there was nothing wrong with tidying things up.
I straightened the stack of paper and placed it on the desk.
First, I used magic to punch holes in the stack.
Then I threaded rings I'd made with earth magic through the holes.
Next, I prepared three boards and a hinge.
I assembled them into a rough U-shape so it could open and close.
Then I attached the rings to the part that opened and closed.
In no time, a binder-style diary was complete.
The price? Priceless — plus the cost of paper.
I wondered if hole punches might sell if I made them here.
I should write that down too.
You had to write ideas down or you'd forget them.
Hole punches... no, there was something I should write about first.
"What should I start with?"
When was the last time I'd kept a diary?
I vaguely remembered writing something like a web text site during my NEET days in my previous life, but it hadn't lasted.
I just hoped I wouldn't give up after three days.
This body would do it once it became a habit, so it should be fine.
Actually, let me stop with that detached way of saying "this body."
I'd do it once it became habit. I'd be fine.
Alright.
As I thought about all this and started writing about the past ten days or so...
"...Haaah"
Before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep.
---
I was in a white place.
A white place with nothing in it.
But this place looked familiar.
I felt like I'd seen this place just the other day, when Pergius's teleportation magic took effect.
Where was this place?
I'd never thought about it before.
Was it somewhere in this world...?
Still, was there nothing I could do about my appearance when coming to this place?
My fat, NEET, hopeless former self.
He had no intention of looking away.
But it was a bit unpleasant.
I was pretty sure I didn't look like this when Pergius summoned me, though...
"Hey."
When I noticed, he was there.
A featureless white face.
A mosaic seemed to overlay it, giving the impression of a thin smirk.
And his face slipped from my memory the moment I looked at it.
It was the Human God.
"It's been a while."
Nostalgic... has it been two years?
"Has it really been that long?"
The last time I'd received his advice was before going to the Begaritt Continent.
Which meant it should have been two years ago.
"It wasn't that long ago, actually."
There had been times when we went three years without meeting.
Nostalgic.
Back then, I was going through a rough time...
"Indeed. Compared to then, you seem to be doing much better lately."
I guess so.
Married, getting along well with my family.
My life was truly more fulfilling than anything I'd had in my previous life.
"And I've made Pergius's acquaintance too."
Pergius. He's an amazing person.
The me of my previous life would never have imagined becoming friends with someone like him.
On top of that, he even took a liking to me.
He said he'd buy my figures if they turned out well!
In my previous life, they wouldn't have been good enough to sell.
"Atophe took a liking to me too."
That one, I could've done without.
But being liked by her could be seen as the result of all my training.
In martial arts and magic.
If I hadn't learned water-king-class magic from Roxy, things might have gone badly this time too.
That lightning attack was quite effective.
"Indeed. That magic is impressive. It would surely work on Orsted too."
"On Orsted too?"
"There aren't many magics that can bypass battle aura and physically paralyze the flesh."
I see, so there's no countermeasure against electric shock.
But this is Orsted we're talking about.
He'd probably negate it with Disturb Magic or something.
"Even if you can't win in overall power, you can still achieve victory."
No no, no way.
No matter how many weird magics I learned, it wouldn't change the fact that Orsted would kill me.
Besides, I have no intention of fighting him.
I have no grudge against Orsted.
"Is that so?"
By the way, the Begaritt Continent matter — I appreciated the help.
It would be a lie to say I had no regrets...
But it wasn't bad.
I just... didn't follow your advice.
"Well, that was your choice."
Just for the sake of asking — what would have happened if I hadn't gone?
"If you hadn't gone, your father would have found a way to save your mother without dying. And you would have taken both beast-race princesses as your own, living happily."
"...What the heck."
Are you saying Paul died because I went?
"That's right. You were there, and he pushed himself trying to show you his best, and that's what did him in."
But...
No way...
"Even left alone, he would have gathered his companions properly and rescued your mother. Roxy too, of course."
Then what?
Are you saying everything I did was... pointless?
"But Roxy was on the verge of death when I got there."
It doesn't sound right to say she would've survived even without me.
"No, even without you, Roxy would have been saved. She was fated to survive."
What do you mean?
What do you mean by "fated"? Explain it to me.
"The merchant you helped. His cargo would have reached that town much later if you hadn't been there."
"On the day his cargo arrived, a certain adventurer was walking through the market."
"He encountered the merchant you'd helped and purchased his cargo. Magical stones, right."
"However, if the merchant hadn't been there, he would have purchased something else."
Something else.
"A map of the Teleportation Labyrinth."
How could something like that conveniently be for sale?
"Gisu, who had failed to recruit front-line fighters at the Adventurer's Guild, was scheming to increase the total number of adventurers tackling that labyrinth. Selling maps at a low price was part of that plan."
...I see.
Gisu was selling maps.
Sure, not many people would want to enter a dungeon with Paul's group, but some might go in if they thought they could clear it on their own.
"So the adventurer who bought the Teleportation Labyrinth map would enter with companions and save Roxy?"
"Exactly. He'd run into your father at the entrance. They'd venture in together and — lucky for them — find Roxy."
"And because there were more adventurers, progress on the Teleportation Labyrinth would pick up, and eventually Mom would be saved too?"
"Something like that. Well, it would take longer than when you were there. About two years, I'd say. Right around now, she should just be getting rescued."
I could hardly believe it.
"Maybe, but that's how it is. That's fate."
I see.
Yeah, you're right. You never know what'll happen...
Was it better if I hadn't been there...?
Damn, hearing that really deflates me.
No, but in that case, I wouldn't have been able to marry Roxy.
"That's right. She falls in love at first sight with whoever saves her. Well, she gets rejected, but..."
Looking at it that way, it didn't feel like everything was bad.
I love Roxy.
...But Paul died.
Thinking that Paul sacrificed himself for me to marry Roxy just didn't sit right.
Right now, I didn't regret marrying Roxy.
She was doing her best as my wife.
I was happy.
But if things had turned out more like Linear Pulsena...
I would have been happy in my own way.
It wasn't like just anyone would do, but in that scenario, I never would have imagined marrying Roxy.
Ah, damn it...
"It's in the past."
Yeah.
No point in regretting it.
It was something that couldn't have happened.
Yeah.
Right now, I felt happy.
I might have made the wrong choice, but this was the reality.
There were regrets, but it wasn't all negatives for me.
I'd think of it that way.
"You're so positive."
By the way, what brings you here today?
Is something troublesome going to happen again?
"No, it's nothing major. Rather than advice, it's more of a request."
A request?
From you?
That's unusual.
Nothing like that had ever happened before.
"Even I make requests once in a while."
Huh.
Fair enough.
Ask away.
I'd been thinking it might be good to just follow your advice sincerely for once.
I'd been too suspicious in the past.
"I appreciate you saying that."
Well, you've helped me plenty.
If anything, I'm sorry for being so distrustful.
I thought you were just some amused bystander watching me for kicks.
"How cruel. I am, after all, the Human God. A god of humanity?"
"Sure, I do want to see interesting things because I'm bored, but..."
"I don't take pleasure in setting people up for failure."
Yeah.
Nobody would do that.
"Indeed."
So what do I need to do?
"It's nothing big. I'd like you to go check the basement and see if there's anything unusual. If there's nothing, that's fine too."
Check for anything unusual?
Why...
No, I understand.
This time, I won't question anything. I'll do as you say.
"Hehe, I see... Th...an...k... you."
As my consciousness faded...
I thought I saw the Human God's mouth split into a disturbing grin.
---
I woke up.
At the edge of my vision, I could see the flickering light of a candle.
I looked out through the small window for light and saw the moon.
There was no sound.
It was quiet.
It seemed I'd fallen asleep while writing my diary.
Drool had dripped onto the unfinished diary.
I'd have to rewrite that page.
I tore out the page and set it aside at the corner of the desk.
I'd copy it later and continue writing.
How many hours had I been asleep?
My body felt as heavy as if I'd been sleeping for days.
When I sat up, something slid off my shoulder.
It was a blanket.
Sylphie or Roxy must have put it over me.
How kind.
Well then.
I remembered the contents of the dream.
I was supposed to check the basement.
It was a bit of a cryptic request.
But well, doing something like this once in a while couldn't hurt.
He'd never once given me advice that led to something detrimental.
Every now and then, it was nice to act in good faith with each other.
Even the Human God would get tired of being met with hostility every time he offered advice.
You had to maintain a good relationship even in a give-and-take dynamic, because it mattered when things got serious.
"*Hekkh*, ugh, it's cold..."
As I headed for the basement, I threw on the robe hanging on the wall.
Around here, snow still lingered even at the start of spring, and it was chilly.
This was no place to fall asleep.
I should hurry back to the bedroom and sleep in a warm bed.
But with this cold, the bed was probably cold too.
For starters, what time was it?
The lack of noise from inside the house confirmed it was the dead of night.
If I snuck into Sylphie's or Roxy's room and slipped into their beds while they were deep asleep, would they scream...?
I just wanted some warmth, nothing sexual.
More than that, I suddenly craved human company.
This was the Human God's doing.
I shouldn't have asked about what would've happened if I hadn't gone to Begaritt.
No, I was the one who asked, so was it my fault?
If it was my fault, I'd sleep alone.
With that thought, I opened the door...
"Hm?"
I suddenly sensed a presence and turned around.
There was nothing but my chair sitting there, all alone.
Nobody was there.
Of course.
Must've been my imagination.
This room only had a desk, a chair, and a bookshelf.
There was nowhere to hide.
There was a window, but it wasn't big enough for someone to climb through.
There was only one entrance.
Just this door.
In such a small room with just one candle, you could tell whether someone was there.
I should have been the only one in this room.
Why had I sensed a presence?
Nobody should have been here.
And yet, even now...
I could still feel something like a presence.
That was strange.
Was there a bug under the shelf or something?
...?
But still, what was this feeling?
Something stirred deep in my chest.
Anxiety?
Why would I feel anxious?
Whatever. I'd just go check the basement quickly.
I opened the door and was about to leave the room when...
"There!"
I turned around once more.
It was meaningless.
I just felt like trying it.
I just wanted to confirm that nobody was there and put my mind at ease.
And yet.
Right there.
Someone was sitting.
...Huh?
A man in tattered robes was sitting in the only chair.
He was an old man.
His face was deeply lined, and his hair was pure white.
Scraggly beard stubble dotted his face, giving him an unkempt appearance.
His aura was that of someone both seasoned and rough.
He had the particular intensity of someone who had endured countless battles.
His gaze was sharp, and the color of his eyes differed slightly between left and right.
And his mouth was trembling, as if in shock.
"Did it... succeed...?"
The old man gazed around, squinting with deep emotion.
But when he looked at his own hands, touched his stomach, and made a startled face, he then laughed with self-deprecation.
"No... I failed. It was never going to succeed..."
I felt like I'd seen him somewhere before.
But I couldn't place him.
However, he looked familiar.
Who did he resemble?
Paul? No, that wasn't it.
Sauros? No, he didn't have Sauros's boldness.
This old man was more timid.
"Wh-who are you? Ah, could it be the Human God?"
The moment the name was spoken, the old man turned toward me, eyes wide.
I recognized this reaction.
Orsted.
Orsted had also overreacted to the word "Human God."
It was the same thing.
But this old man looked nothing like Orsted.
"No."
The man slowly shook his head and stared into my eyes.
His gaze was powerful.
I couldn't look away.
It was as if I were being drawn in.
As if I were looking into a mirror...
The old man looked at the door behind me and furrowed his brow.
He pointed his gnarled fingers toward my back.
The instant he flicked his finger, the door behind me slammed shut.
"!"
I spun around at the sound of the slam.
What did he just do?
The old man directed his fierce gaze at me and spoke.
"Don't go to the basement. You've been deceived by the Human God."
What?
Deceived?
What did he mean?
What was going on.
"Wait, before that — who are you? How did you get in here?"
"I am..."
The old man started to answer my question, opening his mouth, then closing it again.
After thinking for a moment, he opened his mouth once more.
"My name is '――――'"
Hearing that name, I was struck with a shock unlike anything I'd experienced before.
The name the old man had given.
It was a name that only I knew in this world.
A name that no one but me should have known until I died.
A name I never wanted to remember.
A name belonging to someone who didn't exist in this world.
It was my name from my previous life.
"I came from the future."