Chapter 5

"Any questions?"

Leaning on the counter, Shiro rested her chin on her hand and asked with a grin.

"Do you not have to work?"

"When a visitor comes, it's my off-duty time."

"Can you tell in advance when a visitor will come?"

She shook her head to indicate no.

Her hair floated and swayed as if following her movements.

"No, it's just a fixed time. I check every morning, and if there is someone, it's my off-duty time."

If the shop can run like that, Kousuke has no right to say anything.

"There's one thing I'm curious about."

Shiro blinked her eyes.

"Just one? Honestly, your status is pretty amazing, you know?"

Ignoring her comment, he prioritized his question.

"What is this 'blessing'?"

Without hesitation, she began to explain.

"Ah, well, there are gods in this world."

"Gods? Not as objects of faith, but do they actually exist?"

"Who knows? But since there is a blessing, they must exist, right? The status correction that applies to people loved by the gods is called a blessing."

Kousuke thought for a moment, then asked cautiously.

"Is there a god named Towa in this world?"

Shiro, who had probably checked Kousuke's status in advance, answered without surprise.

"No, I don't think so. Probably, it's a blessing you had before your reincarnation."

"Before my reincarnation?"

"Ah, um, did the concept of a guardian spirit exist in your world?"

A guardian spirit. An existence with the will to protect something.

Since it's called a spirit, it refers to something spiritual.

"It existed, but you mean I had a guardian spirit in the world I was in?"

"Something close to that. Your survival rate was extremely high, so someone must have really wanted you to live. These are often the spirits of mothers who love their children or devoted women who love their lovers. Since it has a name, you probably have a clue, right?"

Kousuke didn't respond, but gently lowered his eyes.

He tensed his hands and face.

Otherwise, he couldn't have held back the tears that threatened to spill from his moist eyes.

—"Towa's Prayer."

Towa.

Eternity.

His sister's name.

He didn't believe in gods or ghosts.

But had Eternity, his sister, been watching him ever since he died?

Had she been praying for him not to die as she watched her brother pursue revenge?

That's why he was able to succeed in his reckless revenge alone.

That's why the miracle of reincarnation happened after he attempted suicide.

"Kuro? You look so weak, like you might fall apart if I just give you a gentle hug. Are you okay?"

"If you think so, either hug me or ignore me. Don't point it out."

He managed to squeeze out a voice.

"I don't use the tactic of exploiting weaknesses."

She made a proud face as if waiting for praise.

Kousuke, of course, didn't praise her.

"Is that so?"

"By the way, since I paid for the milk, how about you show your gratitude with some erotic service?"

"You're exploiting my weakness before the ink is even dry."

He pointed out dryly, and Shiro laughed mischievously.

"So, how about it, Kuro?"

"How about what?"

"Do you want to commit suicide in this world?"

The answer to that question was already decided.

"—No, I won't commit suicide."

He stated firmly.

Once you realize it, you can't go back to the time when you didn't.

This life is something Eternity connected for him.

Something his sister protected.

So he won't throw it away again.

"Just to check, is there no way to return to the original world?"

She tilted her head, placing a finger on her cheek.

"Hmm? Probably not."

"Probably?"

"Even if you could return, it wouldn't be known here."

That's true.

If you could travel back and forth, it would be different, but if you only return, you would disappear from this world, and there would be no way to confirm if the person really returned.

Even if someone claimed they returned, it could just be that the person went missing.

It lacks credibility.

"Also, very few people want to return."

Kousuke nodded in agreement.

"Ah, I see. Only those who were unhappy in their previous lives can reincarnate."

"Right. People who died unhappy in their original world wouldn't want to return."

"Even so, there should be people who miss it."

Among those who left their country with high spirits, there are those who suffer from homesickness.

If they were forcibly sent to another world, it wouldn't be surprising if there were even more.

"Maybe. But no one openly says that. And—"

"And?"

"Kuro might not fully realize it yet, but the initial status is higher the more unhappy you were in your original world. In other words, the more unhappy you were in life, the happier you can be in this world. Isn't that really, really, really wonderful?"

It was an expression made purely of genuine emotion, stripped of all pretense.

A smile like that of the Virgin Mary, formed to express joy from the depths of her heart.

Kousuke finally grasped Shiro's character vaguely.

She loves this world.

A world where those who were unhappy in their original world can become happy.

She must find meaning in life in being a guide for such people.

The fact that she likes Kousuke is probably related to this.

When she said his status was amazing, it meant he had suffered more than most other visitors.

The pain of losing his sister to rape and freezing to death was indeed incomparable to any other suffering.

But Kousuke couldn't pity himself that much.

He couldn't help but view it objectively.

There are countless people who have suffered more than me.

Shiro seemed to understand the intent of his question and nodded.

"Ah, I see. Since you seem to think fast, I'll give you a hint. Do you think everyone from all the other worlds, including the one you were in, is reincarnated in Arcleah just based on the criterion of being unhappy?"

Upon hearing this, Kousuke nodded in agreement.

"That's impossible... Even if the other worlds are literally 'other worlds,' and from your statement, I can infer there are many in Japan alone, it would include what we call 'parallel worlds.' Since people can be unhappy anywhere and eventually die, sending all the unhappy people would overwhelm this world."

If the rules were to save all the unhappy people from other worlds, even those Kousuke killed would qualify for reincarnation.

What might be justice for Kousuke is an unacceptable misfortune for those who were killed.

"You're right. So, I think there are criteria. Also, don't you find the difference in 'last words' interesting? I was pitied by the gods, maybe because I died in an accident."

"I was told I was 'wasteful'... Probably because I committed suicide. I understand that not all unhappy people are reincarnated equally. But my question isn't resolved."

"Hmm, that's true. Among the people I know, there's someone with a past of 'being betrayed by a twenty-year friend who stole his wife after fifteen years of marriage, and then being killed by his daughter's boyfriend who came to extort money.' But that person had a normal status as a visitor. Well, maybe a bit above average."

"But as you said, the more unhappy you are, the higher your status, right? ...No, wait, isn't unhappiness just a matter of perception? It can't be quantified."

Shiro scratched her cheek, looking troubled.

"You're right... Ahaha. I haven't heard everyone's past, so it's just a trend. It's not that just being in a terrible situation is enough, but people who have been through such situations tend to be stronger. Everyone is unhappy when they reincarnate, but from what I can say, that's the general feeling."

It made sense.

She was just a guide and a senior visitor, not an authority.

The gods or deities select some unhappy people based on certain conditions and reincarnate them.

Generally, the more severe the suffering, the higher the status, but it's not absolute.

There are occasional visitors like Kousuke, who surprise even the existing visitors with their high status.

That's about all he could understand for now.

Further discussion would only produce wild speculations.

Kousuke decided to end the conversation.

"I understand for now. So, Shiro."

"What is it? Kuro."

"How can I be happy?"

Upon hearing this,

Shiro broke into an incredibly joyful smile.

"Have you finally made up your mind to be happy in this world?"

"Yes, I will live this life, no matter who denies it."

He is a killer who has taken many lives in revenge.

But if his sister, Eternity, wished for him to live, even as such a person.

He will live.

No matter who forgives him, the eternal prayer is something he will continue to fulfill.

To Kuro, who took a sip of milk, Shiro said,

"Right. I think the first step is to become a dungeon conqueror."