Chapter 57

7/24 This is the second post of the day.

"It's fine now."

He opens his eyes at the voice from the front.

(I see... This is the initial formation, then.)

In front of him stands the Goddess of Love, Alicia, flanked by the Goddess of War, Rigar, and the Goddess of Sin, Ria.

The atmosphere suggests they are still observing, but they are ready to act immediately if anything ominous happens.

"I apologize for the emergency summons. The time for [Divine Power] was too short."

"No, I was just thinking the same thing, so it's fine."

"Regarding the skills obtained from monsters, as we discussed yesterday..."

"Yes, I'll explain everything I know. But first, let me make something clear. I didn't choose to get this ability, and I still don't understand it myself. That's why I came to consult with you goddesses yesterday. So—please don't immediately try to eliminate me because it's dangerous, okay?"

As he says this, he looks particularly at Ria, who flinches and averts her eyes.

She looks incredibly cute, but it's also a bit scary to think she might have been plotting something.

"Don't worry. Ria, you told us yourself. If you had something to hide, you wouldn't have spoken up. Right?"

"That's correct."

"Then, first, why did you notice it? Can you tell us the details?"

"I have a young hunter I know. We were hunting together yesterday. The child definitely had a skill I thought they should have, but also had a skill they shouldn't have... It was confusing."

"Which specific skills are you referring to?"

"[Presence Detection], [Earth Magic], and [Charge]. [Presence Detection] and [Earth Magic] are both skills held by the same monster, so according to my understanding, the difference in skill acquisition should be minimal. The experience gained naturally is negligible. Yet, the child had [Presence Detection] at level 2 but hadn't acquired [Earth Magic] at all. Moreover, the child hadn't even acquired [Charge], a skill held by the monster they hunt the most. It was clearly wrong."

"I see..."

"How long has the child been active as a hunter?"

"About two years. Before I came to this world, so I don't know the exact frequency of their activities."

"Hmm. [Presence Detection] is a skill that can be acquired relatively easily by consciously paying attention to your surroundings. It's a common skill among people. In contrast—"

Rigar glances at Ria, who continues seamlessly.

"Magic skills, including [Earth Magic], generally require training based on foundational knowledge such as magic manipulation, incantation mechanisms, and visualization of phenomena. Even if we grant them forcefully, they can't activate the magic without the basic knowledge."

"That's true. I struggled to activate the skill even after acquiring it."

"Thus, magic skills are harder to acquire naturally."

"So, the child—Jink, right?—has been a hunter for two years, naturally acquired [Presence Detection], but didn't acquire [Earth Magic] at all?"

"That's the natural conclusion."

"Moreover, [Charge] is a skill that humans can't acquire..."

"That's correct. Since none of us goddesses have acquired it, it's clear that it's a skill humans can't naturally obtain."

"Then, why could I acquire it—right?"

"Exactly. Loki, do you have any idea? Perhaps the involvement of a higher deity?"

"No... I have no idea. As I mentioned before, the only things I received from the interaction were 'rejuvenation' and 'the ability to see the status screen.' Nothing more. I was even forcibly sent away when I asked for more."

"Indeed, you don't seem to be lying."

"I have no reason to lie about this..."

"By the way, are there any cases where transfer or reincarnation from other dimensions results in such unusual skills?"

"At least among those we've reincarnated, there have been no cases of strange skills."

"Even those who fell from the dimensional rift, though I have vague memories, there have been no such cases. However—"

"Transfer cases are unknown. We have no way of tracking them."

"Indeed. If we consider only those 'intentionally transferred,' it's unclear. Loki is the first to have such a background."

"Even if we consider those who passed through the dimensional rift, it's unlikely, but we can't be certain."

---

There was something I wanted to ask but hadn't yet.

Whether there are any other people, like me, who were transferred by a similar means—this makes it quite hopeless.

While I can't say for certain that no one else exists, if the goddesses and Yagov, who is in a position to gather information, don't know of any, it's safe to assume they are all dead.

That makes sense.

If you're suddenly abandoned in such a harsh environment, you'd likely die. I managed to survive only because the items I had from Earth happened to work well together.

This complicates things further, but it's important for the goddesses, so I should tell them.

Yagov told me not to say anything, but it should be safe to tell the goddesses who manage the world.

"There's something I haven't mentioned yet. I've found evidence that humans from Earth have been forcibly transferred to this world, just like me. Are you aware of this?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"From the look on your faces, you don't know. There were Earth-made items found in the Palmera Great Forest."

"Is that true...?"

"Goddesses, you can tell if I'm lying, right? I have no reason to lie about this."

"Loki isn't the only one... Then who, and for what purpose...?"

"So, the possibility is low, but if we find any survivors, we might get answers. Moreover, there's a chance that more people will be transferred in the future."

"However, if they're like Loki, they won't need to visit the church. We won't notice until a major event occurs, and even if we do, we can't determine the cause without [Divine Eye]."

"True. People transferred to this world know nothing about it. They would likely visit the church out of curiosity, like I did. I only got rejuvenation and the ability to see the status screen after complaining. If I hadn't, I would have been left with nothing. Even if I had thrown a tantrum, the result would have been the same."

"So, you got those abilities because you're Loki. Ordinary transfers likely come with no skills at all?"

"That's the most likely scenario. However, it's important to note that the goddesses can't see my skills with [Divine Eye]. I don't know if this mysterious ability is linked to the two abilities I received."

"..."

"I agree... This is too complicated. It feels like something beyond the realm of divine intervention."

"What's the purpose... Just when we were trying to stabilize things... Why..."

Alicia is on the verge of breaking down...

"But, this is just my personal opinion. I don't think it's necessary to overthink it. I got a monster-exclusive skill, which I found convenient at first, but I hardly use it now. Monster skills also come with status bonuses, so they can make you stronger than humans. However, if you're like me, you can't get blessings or choose professions. There are no special skill gifts like reincarnated people get. So, are such humans really so strong that the goddesses can't handle them?"

"..."

"If Earth people are transferred like me, they will likely not survive. The environment is too harsh. I'm obsessed with strength, so I've tried various things, but most Earth people aren't like that. The goddesses who reincarnate souls know this best. I've heard of four reincarnated people who are active in this world, but if there are more who are still alive, they are likely living quietly without declaring themselves as otherworlders."

"True. The number of reincarnated people is much higher."

"Even if a few survive the harsh environment, the likelihood of them being harmful to the world is low. And even if they are, they won't become that strong."

"I don't know how strong 'strong' is in this world, but the goddesses have equipped humans with all possible skills, making them the pinnacle of the race. If a dangerous person who could destroy the world appears, you can use your ultimate abilities, like Ria's divine punishment, to deal with them."

"Loki, you understand."

"Me? I'm strong too when I get serious!?"

"No, no, how would Rigar get to the mortal world... Oh, right, Feiril mentioned [Separation]. If you're that worried, why not descend to the mortal world and check for suspicious individuals?"

"That's it!!!"

"!"

"!"

"!"

I'm surprised...

Alicia, who was on the verge of breaking down, suddenly revived and shouted loudly.

The most mysterious one might actually be Alicia.

"Wait, Alicia. Won't Fersa be very angry if you interfere?"

"True, Feiril was created when there were no humans. [Separation] might be considered taboo now."

"But if we do nothing, we won't notice until something happens. Is that acceptable?"

"..."

"Moreover, we've already interfered by bringing Loki here. Isn't it too late to stop the world's decline and guide it to prosperity?"

---

What should I do?

Should I stop Alicia, who seems to be getting enthusiastic because of me, or encourage her?

Which is the right choice?

Which is the correct answer!?

I need to think while they're not paying attention to me!

If I recommend [Separation] and the goddesses act directly, we might find someone like me, and conclude that it's a 'transfer-specific ability.'

Even if the transferred people are all dead, there's a chance more will be transferred in the future...

This could extend the life of the world while the goddesses investigate the cause.

If I don't recommend [Separation], finding a transfer like me will be extremely difficult.

I don't have the skills to detect such anomalies, and I don't have the time.

If the cause remains unknown, my mysterious ability will stand out, and there's a risk it might be taken away...

That would be bad.

I have something unique that even the cheat reincarnated people don't have.

If I lose this ability on top of the handicaps from blessings and profession choices, I'll have nothing left.

So—

"By the way, this is just my personal opinion, but isn't this world abandoned by Fersa? Would a busy deity who manages many worlds care about an abandoned one...?"

"!"

"!"

"!"

"If I were the boss of the goddesses, I would probably tell them to do as they please and be done with it. If the world is already abandoned, it doesn't matter, right?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Also, the three who aren't here are probably setting up barriers, but it might be meaningless if Fersa doesn't care about this world at all..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

This is bad.

Tears are welling up in their eyes.

I meant to give an objective opinion, but it was too harsh for the goddesses who are trying to save this world.

Hurting everyone for my own sake is not good...

"I'm sorry, I said too much. My opinion doesn't matter—"

"I'm ready. Let's do it!"

"Right. We'll use [Separation] to directly monitor the mortal world."

"Exactly. We can't let this world end without doing anything!"

"Wait, shouldn't you consult the others...?"

A voice descends from the sky.

"I've been listening. I will assist as well."

"We'll show Fersa! Let's do our best!"

"I'm looking forward to the mortal world again~"

"..."

(Really, was this the right decision? I'm extremely anxious about how quickly we reached a conclusion...)

Thus, because of my unnecessary comments, the 'Goddess [Separation] Surveillance Operation' was decided to start the next day.

Thank you for reading this far.

This marks the end of Chapter 3. From this point, the story will diverge significantly between the book version and the web version.

The web version follows the route where the goddesses descend to the mortal world.

The book version follows the route where they do not.

Please enjoy the route of your choice.

While sharing the same world, one route may reveal settings that are not disclosed in the other.