Chapter 25

An empty space. This is my second time coming here.

And it’s also the second time I’m meeting... not “Orc,” but Lady Koshomare.

“You really are a rude kid, aren’t you?”

It’s been a while since my thoughts were read. Even though I corrected them.

“It’s been a while, Lady Koshomare. I’m thoroughly enjoying the second life you gave me.”

“Hmph, that’s fine. Honestly, looking at someone’s physique and calling them an orc, orc...”

The plump... rather, the well-built Lady Koshomare seems to have a grudge against my inner thoughts.

“Originally, in this world and in your world, it was set that fuller-figured women were considered more beautiful. But, in a moment of carelessness, within a hundred years, slim women became more favored, and now, except for those with high sensitivity to my power, people prefer slender figures.”

...So, the existence of fat fetishists in the world is due to Lady Koshomare’s influence? I’ve heard that recently, chubby girls are becoming more popular, so perhaps her power is growing stronger.

“By the way, I’m fat by choice. As a goddess, I can freely change my appearance.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes... but that’s not why I brought you here just to recall your consciousness. Do you know why you were called here?”

Ah, there is one reason I can think of.

In fact, it’s the only reason I can think of.

“Is it because I have two blessings?”

I didn’t intend to deceive, but as a result, I ended up with two blessings, which I was supposed to receive only one of. I thought I should return the necessary 1/20 of the experience points. However—

“...No, that’s already fine.”

Lady Koshomare’s answer was unexpected.

“It was clearly our mistake on this side.”

“...Then, what is it about?”

“It’s about being jobless. The jobless skill.”

“Ah, the jobless skill, it’s been a great help.”

“...It’s a problem if it’s a great help.”

She sighed heavily and shook her head. The flesh under her chin jiggled... She says she’s fat by choice, but I think it would be easier to move if she were slimmer.

“Let’s not talk about my physique.”

Oops, my thoughts were read. I stood still at Lady Koshomare’s stern command,

“Originally, there was no setting for jobless people to have skills. They have no special benefits, no job, that’s what being jobless means. Yet, a second job? A third job? Not only that, a job change that shouldn’t be possible without a goddess’s intervention? It’s a skill that surpasses blessings.”

“Huh? So, this was a bug skill after all?”

“Of course. Honestly... I have a suspect in mind, but it takes hundreds of years to intervene in the system.”

Lady Koshomare switched to complaint mode and muttered.

Ah, even a goddess has her troubles. I thought she could do anything.

“Anyway, you mustn’t tell anyone about the jobless skill. If the world finds out about the jobless skill, the power balance will surely be greatly disrupted... but this is a request, not an order. You probably have someone you need to confide in, right?”

Lady Koshomare looked into my eyes and said. She must have seen through my thoughts that I couldn’t keep it from Haru forever.

“...Understood.”

I never intended to spread this information, and it would be foolish to make a goddess my enemy.

“Then, I’ll give you a dungeon clear reward. I’ll prepare it, so wait a moment.”

“Prepare?”

“Yes, the skill is chosen randomly. Do you want a roulette, a lottery, or darts?”

“Eh? Skills are chosen like that?”

“Yes, Trailules decided it. It’s too troublesome to think about it, so let’s just do it randomly.”

What does that child goddess think of people’s lives?

“By the way, the roulette and lottery give average skills, while darts have the highest gambling element. The worst prize is a scrub brush.”

“A scrub brush!?”

Looking at the dartboard prepared, there was a large scrub brush in the center, surrounded by various skill names and item names. It seemed to be a rotating mechanism. Also, everything was written in Japanese. Was it changed for my sake?

“What do you think? I’ll let you choose which one you want.”

“Darts, by Lady Koshomare?”

“Yes. I’ve gotten better recently, and I hit something other than the scrub brush two out of three times.”

So, one out of three times it’s a scrub brush.

“I’ll go with Lady Koshomare’s recommendation.”

“You’re indecisive. Then, I’ll choose the roulette for you. Change your job from swordsman to hunter.”

“Eh?”

“The luck value is higher for a hunter, right? Luck value affects things like this.”

Ah, that’s true.

Following her advice, I changed my job from swordsman to hunter.

Then, Lady Koshomare brought a grand roulette wheel, like one you’d find in Las Vegas. The roulette wheel had black and red sections, and two green sections. Instead of numbers, black sections had skill names, red sections had item names, and the green sections had “scrub brush” written on them.

Even here, the worst prize is a scrub brush. It seems to be the same in both worlds.

“Then, I’ll spin it.”

The spinning roulette wheel, the ball being thrown in... the ball gradually falls.

Don’t be nervous. Besides the scrub brush, there are other items like potions and iron swords that seem like consolation prizes.

I want a skill if possible.

...After a while, the ball rolled and was about to land on green!

Just as I thought that, it fell rapidly and landed on a black section.

“Yes!”

I couldn’t help but make a fist. Then, the skill name is... huh?

【Title: Labyrinth Explorer Obtained】

【Clear Reward Skill: Common Language Proficiency Obtained】

Common Language Proficiency...?

“Common Language Proficiency. It’s a skill that allows you to read and write the common language of this world.”

When I tried to check the skill description, Lady Koshomare explained it herself.

“Wow, it’s such a convenient skill, it’s almost too convenient.”

“It’s supposed to be a consolation prize. You can learn it with effort even without the skill. However, in this world with low literacy rates, it can be very useful. Just being able to write can increase the types of jobs you can do.”

“I’ll use it carefully.”

“Then, it’s time for you to go. In the original world, no time has passed, so keep that in mind. Also, there’s a dungeon managed by Trailules in the town of Velasra to the south. If you want to meet me again, clear the dungeon in Mount Gomaki further south. You can’t meet other goddesses because I don’t have connections with them.”

“Understood, thank you... Ah, I have one more question. Do you know if my sister is doing well?”

“Sister?”

Lady Koshomare hesitated for a moment,

“Alright, I’ll check before we meet again.”

“Thank you.”

As I thanked her, my consciousness was once again sucked into the darkness.

I realized I forgot to ask her to correct my name.

※※※

After seeing Ichinokami disappear, Koshomare’s expression turned grim.

She remembered that the first time she met him, he said that if things continued, his sister would have to transfer schools. She thought the same thing, but people who are desperate to come back to life often believe their own fabricated stories as if they were true. A goddess’s power is not a lie detector, and it is not omnipotent.

So, Koshomare believed that what Ichinokami said was true. Because—

“...That kid doesn’t have a sister...”

It might be a coincidence, but she thought she needed to check it immediately. She summoned the other goddesses.