*To Rudeus Greyrat.
How have you been feeling since then? Has your mana recovered?
I would like to discuss future matters with you.
I will be waiting at the cabin near Sharia that you have been using.
Due to my circumstances, I would prefer you come alone.
Orsted.*
After reading the letter, I had Aisha prepare a meal.
I ate a proper breakfast, then returned to my room and changed clothes.
I picked out the best outfit I could find and had Aisha check it over multiple times to make sure nothing looked off.
Then I grabbed the Aqua Heartia and the future diary, and headed out.
On my way, I called out to Zenith, who was playing with Beet the baby mandragora.
"Mom, I'm heading out."
Zenith waved her hand unsteadily, as if to say "Take care."
Beet swayed its branches beside her.
I didn't say goodbye to Sylphie and the others.
If I told them, they'd insist on coming along.
The letter said to come alone.
So I'd go alone.
This wasn't a trip to fight anyone. If I accidentally blasted the cabin where Orsted was with magic, it would turn into a battle, and this time I'd surely lose my life. But that wasn't my intention at all.
If someone asked whether I trusted Orsted, it was a complicated question.
But the letter conveyed a sense of concern for me. Nanahoshi also seemed to think it was best to avoid fighting Orsted on an emotional level, and personally, I considered him more trustworthy than the Human God.
"But this is nerve-wracking, isn't it?"
I muttered to myself as I walked the roads of Sharia.
Along the way, I found a puddle and checked my reflection several times to make sure nothing looked strange.
I had decided to serve under Orsted.
That made Orsted my boss.
Showing up before the boss looking weird would not do.
"Should I have worn some perfume or something?"
I had washed myself thoroughly with hot water, but there was a chance I still carried traces of my intimate time with Eris.
How would a company president feel if an employee summoned to the executive office reeked of sex?
They might not fire you on the spot, but they certainly wouldn't think well of you.
I wanted to make a good impression on Orsted.
Orsted.
The person who fought the Human God—and who might even be able to win.
He had obtained the aid of my descendant to kill the Human God.
I felt sorry for the Human God, but...
Well, they had been the first to betray us. That bastard had gone after Roxy and Sylphie.
I shouldn't feel any sympathy.
I would wag my tail for Orsted. Wag it like a fan and bare my fangs at the Human God.
That was how I would protect my family to the end.
"Alright."
Renewing my resolve, I headed toward the outskirts.
Being careful to avoid the mud splashed by passing carriages.
---
An eerie atmosphere hung over the cabin in the outskirts.
Something was... different.
I couldn't put it into a single word, but something was definitely off.
If this were a manga, there would be a "BWOOMM" sound effect with wavy, unsettling lines radiating from the cabin.
Oh, so Orsted really is in there. I understood at a single glance.
"Inhale... exhale..."
I took a deep breath.
I knocked on the door.
"Rudeus Greyrat! I have arrived!"
"Ah... you're early."
Even though I knew he was inside, hearing the response sent a shiver through my body.
It seemed my fear of Orsted still hadn't faded entirely.
"May I come in?!"
"Why are you asking for permission? This is your cabin, isn't it?"
"Y-Yes! Pardon the intrusion!"
I opened the door and stepped inside, where Orsted sat waiting.
He occupied one of the chairs inside and was glaring at me.
No, not exactly glaring. He was just looking at me. His face was just scary.
I closed the door and moved toward Orsted as crisply as I could manage.
I stood right beside the chair and assumed an attentive posture.
Orsted eyed me with a suspicious expression.
"I expected you'd bring a crowd of followers... just the two of you?"
"Yes, I came alon— wait, two?"
I couldn't believe my ears at the unexpected words.
Unless Orsted's far-sightedness was making him see double, I was clearly alone.
"Eris Greyrat! Come in!"
When Orsted shouted that, the door burst open with a bang.
It was Eris.
She had a drawn sword in hand.
Radiating killing intent.
"Orsted! If you lay a hand on Rudeus, I'll cut you down!"
Eris thrust her sword toward Orsted and declared just that.
Her presence was so intense it felt like I might wet myself.
Orsted received this without the slightest change in expression.
"That is not my intention."
"I can't trust that!"
"Fair enough."
Eris said only that, then set up camp in the corner of the cabin, arms crossed, standing there.
I stiffened at Eris's appearance and looked back and forth between her and Orsted.
Should I try to explain?
I hadn't brought Eris. I came alone.
I bore no hostility.
But how exactly was I supposed to explain the Eris who had shown up with a sword?
What should I do? What was the right move?
"What's wrong, Rudeus Greyrat? Sit down. Let's talk."
While I was still hesitating, Orsted urged me on.
"A-Yes. Excuse me."
I sat down as told, but couldn't stop worrying about Eris.
Eris, who was holding an unsheathed blade.
"Um, about Eris—"
"I could tell from your behavior. She was following you."
"Yes, that's about the size of it... Before we begin, would it be all right if I spoke with Eris for a moment?"
"Go ahead."
He didn't seem angry.
I remained seated but turned toward Eris, beckoning her over with little waves of my hand.
"What is it?"
"Eris, what are you doing here?"
"Well, you were all dressed up, so I got curious about where you were going."
Dressed up. Fair enough—I had picked out nice clothes and fussed over my hairstyle.
From a certain angle, I supposed it could pass for "dressing up."
"You understand that I've decided to serve under Orsted, right?"
"...I do. But who knows what this guy is plotting? You might be getting tricked."
"That could be. But it's too early to judge that. Would you mind staying quiet and staying out of the way for now?"
"..."
"If it turns out I'm being deceived, we'll fight him together, Eris. I'm counting on you."
"Ngh! Fine!"
Eris seemed satisfied. She sheathed her sword and sat down next to me.
She really was simple.
...Anyway.
"My apologies for that."
"No matter."
"Somehow, Eris still can't seem to trust Orsted... But given the curse, I suppose that's unavoidable."
When I said that, I thought I saw Orsted's eyes flash.
"How did you hear about my curse?"
"...From the Human God. I was told you suffer under several curses."
I answered honestly—about what I had learned and what had been revealed to me by the Human God.
Perhaps I should have conveyed everything.
"I see..."
Orsted placed his hand on his chin and gazed slightly upward.
There was nothing in the direction he was looking.
...Was that just a thinking pose?
"Anyway, let's first fulfill the promise."
"Huh?"
"Why the surprised face? I am not the Human God. I keep my promises."
That wasn't what I meant—I was wondering if we had even made a promise.
"The method of protecting your family from the Human God."
Oh, right. Of course. What had I been thinking?
No, I simply hadn't remembered it in the form of a promise. I had been thinking of it more like a contract.
A pact with a demon.
But then again, a contract was just another kind of promise.
"I haven't done anything yet—is that really all right?"
"Would you be at ease if your family were in danger?"
"Well, no, of course not."
Somehow, it felt like he was being considerate of my situation.
More than that, he was being surprisingly kind.
I had expected him to issue blunt orders and nothing more.
His face was terrifying, but maybe he was actually the type who looked after his subordinates.
It was almost unbelievable how on-edge Eris was beside me.
"It's not terribly complicated. Summon a guardian magical beast with a strong fate, and have it protect them."
"A summon? But I don't know any summoning magic yet."
"Then I'll draw the magic circle for you. You just need to supply the mana yourself."
"Oh, yes. I'll trouble you with that."
A guardian magical beast with a strong fate.
Fate—that was about causality, wasn't it?
"Can they really be protected with just that?"
"The Human God cannot manipulate non-humans. Moreover, he can't manipulate that many humans at once. As long as we are making moves, he'll be busy enough just trying to interfere with us. Given his personality, that alone should be more than sufficient prevention."
Just his personality, huh...
Still, if he couldn't manipulate that many humans at once, it meant he could control at least two or more at a time. Had he been controlling someone else alongside me?
"But don't let your guard down. There's no telling what the Human God might try. Don't leave everything to the magical beast—check on them regularly."
When Orsted said "check on them regularly," it felt oddly out of character. He didn't seem like the type to say things like that.
I knew better than to judge someone by appearances alone.
Well, whatever.
In any case, if he was willing to make preparations, I'd take advantage of that.
Now for the real question.
"So... what am I supposed to do from here on?"
There were many things I wanted to ask, but proper etiquette dictated that I demonstrate my willingness first.
Show my attitude.
"...Don't you have more questions you want to ask?"
I had expected that, but he turned it back on me.
"Plenty."
"Then why aren't you asking?"
"I thought it might not be appropriate to impose too much on you..."
When I said that, Orsted let out a sigh.
"You have become my associate, which means—"
"I am your subordinate. Let's keep the hierarchy clear."
After getting beaten to a pulp and having him figure out how to protect my family, I couldn't very well insist we were equals. My face wasn't that thick.
"If that's how you want it, fine... In any case, it means you and I are working together to defeat the Human God. There are things you should know."
"What if I said that, but I was actually a spy for the Human God? I could be passing your information to him every night."
"I trust you."
He said that to me with an intense gaze.
"The way you fought to protect your family with everything you had."
Hearing that made me a little embarrassed. I had indeed given it everything I had back then.
But well, if that was how he saw it, I'd accept the compliment.
What was it I wanted to know again?
Quite a few things, actually.
About the grudge between Orsted and the Human God.
About the Laplace Factor, whatever that was.
About the displacement incident.
About fate, whatever that meant.
Those would do for now.
"Then please, one at a time."
---
**About Orsted and the Human God**
The relationship between the Human God and Orsted.
That was what I chose to start with.
I wanted to know about myself too, of course.
"My own story?"
"Yes. Please."
"What did the Human God tell you? Something about curses?"
"Um, well..."
It had been five years ago, after all.
Remember, remember. What had the Human God said at that time?
"You have four curses."
"...Go on."
"First, a curse that makes every living creature in this world despise or fear you.
Second, a curse that makes you invisible to the Human God.
Third, a curse that prevents you from fighting at full power.
The fourth one, he said he didn't know about."
"I see."
Orsted nodded quietly.
"First of the curses—yes, since the moment I was born, every living creature in the world has shunned me."
"...But I don't particularly dislike you."
"Those exceptions do exist from time to time. Nanahoshi is one of them."
"I see."
So exceptions existed.
Perhaps the fact that I and Nanahoshi originally came from another world was also related.
Should I mention that, or stay silent?
With Eris sitting next to me, I hesitated...
But holding back now would not be wise.
"Orsted. I don't intend to hide anything from you... but I originally came from the same world as Nanahoshi. Could that be connected as well?"
"...Are you saying Rudeus Greyrat is an assumed name?"
"That would take a long time to explain, but unlike Nanahoshi, I... when I became aware of anything, I was already born into this world as Rudeus Greyrat... How should I put it..."
"Reincarnation?"
I was surprised.
The word "reincarnation" coming from Orsted's mouth, of all people.
But wait—the diary had mentioned that the Dragon Race had some form of reincarnation technique. You could die and come back to life after decades or so.
For them, reincarnation might be fairly commonplace.
"Perhaps the fact that you do not fear me is also related to being a reincarnated individual."
"Are there others who don't fear you?"
"With a few exceptions, only those who carry the blood of the Ancient Dragon Race."
Someone like Perugius, then.
But Perugius had seemed pretty shaken up, now that I thought about it.
...Was that unrelated to the curse?
Aside from the curse, there were probably other reasons someone might be disliked or feared.
"As for the second curse—invisibility to the Human God... that isn't actually a curse."
"Meaning?"
When I asked that, Orsted paused to think.
After a moment of thought, he looked me in the eye and spoke.
"It is a secret technique devised by the First Dragon God long ago to fight the Human God. It grants the power to see fate, but at the same time, it removes the user from the laws of this world."
"Oh."
"The Human God also possesses powerful foresight and clairvoyance. However, he cannot see anyone who has been removed from the laws of this world."
Interesting.
I didn't fully understand what it meant to be removed from the laws of the world, but being invisible to the Human God's eyes was a tremendous advantage.
"What kind of power is this ability to see fate?"
"Well..."
Orsted struck another thinking pose.
Don't tell me he's actually making this up on the spot.
"You can see the rough history that a given person is destined to walk."
The rough history of someone's life.
"So that means you can see the future too, Orsted?"
"No... what you see is not the future, but history. As determined by fate."
Hmm?
That was rather philosophical.
I couldn't quite grasp the difference between this and true foresight for the time being. I'd just file it away as "foresight, but a tier below the Human God's."
"Could you apply that secret technique to me as well?"
"No. I would advise against it."
"...Why?"
Being invisible to the Human God was an extremely attractive benefit. I wanted to know the reason for refusing.
"When this technique is applied, the side effect is that... your mana recovery rate slows dramatically."
"Dramatically, how much so?"
"You recovered from complete depletion in about ten days—now imagine multiplying that by roughly a thousand."
A thousand times.
So that was ten thousand days.
About thirty years.
"And so, I cannot use mana freely. Which means 'fighting at full power' is nearly impossible for me."
I see. He couldn't recover his mana, so he couldn't go all out.
I didn't know the extent of Orsted's total mana capacity, but if even several years weren't enough to fully recover, then going all out simply wasn't an option.
He had to conserve energy.
"That's why I won't apply the technique to you, but the bracelet I gave you has a similar effect."
I looked at the bracelet on my left hand.
It apparently had a jamming effect.
"Does this one have no side effects? Then couldn't we mass-produce them..."
"If that were possible, I would have already done so. The same goes for lifting the curse on my own body."
Well, yeah, fair enough.
"In any case, I used a considerable amount of mana in our fight. I won't be able to fight at full power for a while."
"Wait, seriously? But it was over in an instant!"
"I resisted your magic three times head-on and even drew my divine sword. That consumed a相应 amount of mana."
Orsted said it bitterly.
From my perspective, I thought I'd been completely helpless and beaten to a pulp, but apparently I had put up a decent fight after all.
So I had done my part too. Heh.
"My mana reserves are running low. So from now on, you'll be acting as my hands and feet."
"...Yes. I'll do my best."
I had depleted his reserves, so I would work to make up for it.
Only fair.
"So, Orsted, why are you fighting the Human God?"
"That's... well..."
Orsted evasive, looking off into the distance.
He had been hedging his words and striking thinking poses quite a lot since I arrived.
Was he lying to me?
No, that couldn't be right.
But while he trusted me, maybe he didn't fully confide in me yet.
Perhaps he was keeping me at arm's length with surface-level truths to gauge my movements.
"...The Human God killed my father."
"Oh."
His father's killer.
Future me had burned with the desire for revenge because the Human God had done the same to Roxy and Sylphie.
Revenge breeds nothing—that was something I could say now, since I hadn't lost anyone in this timeline. But if you actually fell under the grip of vengeful obsession, you'd become a demon. The diary made that abundantly clear.
"And defeating the Human God is the ancient wish of the Dragon Race. We Dragon Gods exist for the sole purpose of defeating the Human God."
So this was about a righteous cause, then.
Wait—Dragon Gods? Plural?
"There are multiple Dragon Gods?"
"I am the hundredth. One hundred Dragon Gods have honed their skills over generations to defeat the Human God."
"I see."
"But the Human God cannot be defeated by a weak Dragon God with diluted blood."
Orsted fixed me with a sharp, piercing gaze.
"That is why my father, the First Dragon God, sent me forward through time using reincarnation."
Orsted said this matter-of-factly.