Chapter 91

This is the first chapter.

In a square slightly off the center of Bezart.

Sitting on a bench, I gaze up at the sky while munching on what looks like roasted corn, and ponder.

(Hmm, this is really sweet and delicious. I should let Ferin try it once.)

As usual, I woke up to the morning bell of the church. After having breakfast at the inn, I had no urgent matters to attend to, so I wandered around town.

When I stopped by the Hunter's Guild, Amanda informed me that the drinking party was tonight, leaving me with nothing to do until then.

So, I thought I'd find a restaurant and see if Ferin and I could go in together.

If I found unfamiliar food at a food stall, I could let Ferin try it.

If there were unusual juices for sale, I wondered if Ferin would be interested in drinks too.

I kept thinking about such things from morning till night.

"That's strange... Did I end up in a world of a dating simulation game?"

I couldn't help but voice my doubts.

I'm not that dense... I think.

Working in sales, one naturally becomes perceptive of people's subtleties.

I may not be great at it, but I must have at least the minimum skills, or I wouldn't be able to do my job.

From my experience—

I can't help but feel that Ferin has some sort of "romantic feelings" for me.

If she can have human-like emotions, it's not strange for the goddesses to have romantic feelings too.

But... why did it come to this?

I can't understand it at all.

I've only met Ferin once, and that was in the divine realm where only my soul was transported.

We've talked multiple times using [Divine Power], but is that enough to develop romantic feelings?

Is there something behind it? A trap?

No, no, no... that can't be.

There's no reason for a goddess to set up a honey trap.

If anything, it might be a recruitment tactic, as Yagov suggested, if a country found out I was from another world.

But if that were the case, it would be a regular person trying to trap me, not a goddess.

(What a dilemma... How should I face Ferin?)

I try to act normal, but I can't help but worry and hold my head in my hands.

The goddesses were beings I never thought I could reach.

They were like idols, celebrities, or characters from anime.

That's why I could say they were beautiful or cute without feeling embarrassed.

But now that they're close, and I'm overly aware of them, I can't say anything.

It's like my social anxiety kicks in, just like with the pretty office lady at work.

(Sigh... I guess I just can't think too deeply about it...)

I don't want to play a dating simulation game.

I don't want a scenario where I get killed by someone for being too affectionate.

I don't want to be overpowered by unreasonable forces.

To avoid that, I need to become stronger.

And if this world provides the means to become strong, then so be it.

I don't know how far I can go with the significant handicap of not having a job, but I can definitely become stronger if I work hard.

So—

(Roki! I'm sorry about yesterday! I'm going to summon a [Divine Body] now, so please be nice~!)

(…)

I instinctively looked around and saw a few children playing.

(Oh no! If I summon a [Divine Body] here, it will cause a commotion!!)

I stood up quickly, still holding the roasted corn, and hurried to the shadow of a building where no one could see me.

---

"Wow! There are so many! Which one should I eat first?"

As soon as she descended, Ferin showed interest in the roasted corn I had and expressed a desire to try various ingredients.

So I bought them.

I bought a lot of them.

I bought whatever I could find at the food stalls.

And now, I'm back at the square, laying them all out.

"You can eat whatever you like. By the way, the roasted corn I was eating earlier is sweeter and more delicious than the ones on Earth."

"Wow, sweeter than Earth's? As a goddess, that makes me feel proud!"

Ferin smiled at me, and the shadow of the gloom from yesterday was nowhere to be seen.

On the contrary, she was so radiant that I couldn't look at her directly.

"...I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Hehe... I'm really sorry for showing you such an embarrassing side of me yesterday."

"Yeah, well... I think it was a tough topic for the goddesses to handle."

"Since then, I've been thinking. Maybe I should go and see the world myself. Once I thought about it, I couldn't mope around anymore."

"Wait, is that okay?"

"Since I've already sent a [Divine Body] to the mortal world, it's not a big deal now, right?"

"Umm... I guess so...?"

"Until now, we've only felt like we were managing this world. We've just been looking at it from above. We don't even know the results of our actions. So, I'll see it with my own eyes! That way, I might find other transmigrants besides Roki, and I can learn more about the food situation in this country too!"

She's right.

If you implement policies to change the current situation, you need to check the progress and results.

The goddesses have been negligent, or rather, bound by the rules of the gods, which has led to the current situation Yagov is concerned about.

If they had realized it earlier, they might have been able to minimize the damage and come up with solutions like the ones I've thought of.

But... to put it bluntly, the goddesses are naive.

Having lived in a small world of only six people, it's understandable that someone like Ferin might not be able to travel.

(Could it be... that she'll follow me around...?)

"Don't worry, I won't be a bother to Roki! Even if I followed you around, I'd only be a [Divine Body] with [Divine Eyes], so I'd just be in the way!"

"Eh... Ah..."

"We don't need to eat or sleep. Since I'm a [Divine Body], it's fine if something happens. We can summon and dismiss [Divine Bodies] at our destinations, so we can move around without using Roki as a point of reference! And I'm strong even as a [Divine Body]! Right? It'll be fine, won't it?"

"Yeah... I guess it seems fine..."

...What a complex feeling.

On one hand, I'm relieved, but on the other, I can't help but worry, even if she says it'll be fine.

"I can't keep relying on Roki! If I don't want this world to end, I need to work hard too!"

"I've already worked hard enough..."

I almost said it, but I stopped myself.

Ferin is taking a step further than before.

She believes it will benefit this world, and from what she's saying, it seems to be true.

So, I should support her wholeheartedly.

If she needs help, I'll give her as much advice as possible.

"So! Lyste said she'll descend next, but until then, I'll spend a lot of time with Roki! I've already picked out a place, so be prepared! Oh, but I can't today because there's a drinking party tonight."

"Drinking party...? Is it alcohol!?"

In the scorching sun, I watched Ferin, who looked like a child at a fair, trying everything and eating with delight in a corner of the square.

I don't know how long it will take.

But someday, when I feel strong enough to be satisfied, if I have such a cute girlfriend—

It might be good to aim for that goal.