Manowa Chapter 124

Chapter 124 - Let's Talk With G.o.d

◎ Resurrect City, Middle Arena, VIP Box Seating

「Greetings . I was invited, so I came . 」

With a mood like she was a student that was in trouble and was being summoned to the student counselor, Kazane entered the audience room with the best view in the arena . It was a room that only the VIPs among VIPs could enter, and was mainly used by the royal aristocracy .

However, there was only one child there . That one person was sitting on a sofa by himself, waiting for Kazane .

「Welcome, nice to see you, Kazane-san . 」

Saying that, the child beckoned Kazane to sit on the opposite side of the sofa .

「Yes yes, excuse me for disturbing you . 」

Kazane didn't have any particular reason to refuse, so she sat in the indicated seat and looked at the person who seemed to be a G.o.d .

「Are you a G.o.d?」

「Yes, I am called Norman . I am the G.o.d in charge of the Hyvern area . 」

Although he had the aura of someone wise as he spoke, he looked like an ordinary boy .

(Nn, he feels like an ordinary child . Or rather, is he actually the real deal? Well, I doubt I would have been shamelessly invited if he wasn't . )

It was after Kazane won the semifinals . An Adventurers Guild receptionist she had met previously came up to Kazane and said that G.o.d had come to the Grand Tournament and had invited her . Honestly she thought that it was shady, but it was hard to believe a person inviting through the Adventurers Guild was a swindler .

Because of that she agreed . And since she was told she could come at a time convenient for her, she came right after Yumika's match .

「You're making quite the suspicious expression . Players certainly aren't used to G.o.d being in such a form, so that reaction happens every time I meet one . 」

Norman said to Kazane with an emotionless expression .

「So you know about us . 」

「Because I'm a G.o.d . 」

「Mu」

「Also, I have met your younger brother . He is a good boy . 」

Shady . It was honestly shady . Anyone who would call Naoki a good boy was shady . But unknown to Kazane, Naoki was usually a good boy . He was only strange in front of his sister . But because Kazane was that sister, she didn't know that fact . When Yumika was highly praising Naoki while they were going out she shuddered and thought it was the blindness of a maiden in love, and after Yumika idly complained about him after the breakup she responded「Isn't he?」and reconfirmed the validity of her own knowledge . Well, he acted like a detestable idiot whenever he was around Kazane, so making allowances for a cute little brother was difficult .

「Now now . I understand what you're thinking . 」

Kazane was somewhat indignant after that remark . Because she thought he said those things even though he understood her younger brother's stupidity . Although Norman only meant that he understood that he seemed shady, so naturally her indignation was irrational . Then, knowingly or unknowingly, he disregarded Kazane's feelings and advanced the conversation .

「I only decided to meet with you this time because I thought I would save you the effort . 」

「What do you mean by the effort?」

Kazane considered the meaning of his words and asked him cautiously . Speaking about your own kindness at the start of a conversation with another person was also shady .

「It seems you were thinking about coming into contact with us soon . 」

「Mu, that's right . 」

She felt like she was seen through just now, but it was meaningless to resist if she was truly being seen through . Kazane was certainly planning on meeting someone called a G.o.d .

「I will disappear from this place tomorrow . If you miss the opportunity to talk with me today, you probably won't meet any other G.o.ds for a while and will have to wait a very long time to ask any questions . So I was thinking it would be best to ask today if you had anything you wanted to ask . 」

(He will disappear tomorrow? Well, the tournament will be over, so he's going home immediately?)

Kazane thought . There were a number of things she wanted to ask, but there was one thing she had to ask before that .

「Umm, how many questions can I ask?」

「As many as this body can answer . 」

Apparently the questions themselves were unlimited in number . She wondered what she would have done if she were told she was finished with that question just now, but she didn't have to worry about that .

「Well then, hmm . I know . 」

Kazane thought about what she wanted to know first and spoke .

「First of all, did the G.o.ds bring us to this world?」

In response to Kazane's question, Norman said「That is the first thing everyone asks . 」

「Would it be fine to answer with my own questions first?」

The question was answered with a question .

「That's fine, but what?」

「Before you came here, did you pick up an abandoned cat and set a spider free outside without killing it?」

「No, I didn't do that . 」

She didn't see an abandoned cat or let a spider run away . Or more precisely, spiders were scary, so she would be the one to run away under her bedding and overlook it .

「Then do you remember a seedy middle-aged man, or did you save a panicked Onee-san?」

「No, no . 」

Even if a stranger spoke to her she wouldn't accompany them . Of course not . Brick? Who was that?

「Did you experience clicking on an advertis.e.m.e.nt banner on a suicide site, or were you hit by a relative with a mallet?」

「Of course not . 」

She had no reason to visit a suicide site, and she didn't have any violent relatives . At most, her brother was stealing her underwear .

「Then were you run over by a truck, or plowed by a tractor?'

「I don't understand the significance . 」

Not in the least . Were there even people who had the tragic experience of being plowed? Wasn't that solidly a horror movie situation? It was a frightening conversation .

Not in the least . Were there even people who had the tragic experience of being plowed? Wasn't that solidly a horror movie situation? It was a frightening conversation .

「That is to say that you didn't encounter a reincarnation service that was reincarnating you in a different world because the Earth was a difficult place to reincarnate at, since it was a popular spot . 」

「Yeah . 」

In the first place her only memory just before coming here was of playing the game .

「Well then, doesn't that mean you weren't summoned by a G.o.d?」

「How does it mean that!」

Kazane reflexively retorted . The questions were irrelevant to anything concerning G.o.ds .

「Everything that was said means that, not to mention that we fundamentally aren't that type of thing . Although I can't deny the possibility that another G.o.d exists, so that's the most I can confirm . 」

「Tell me it's wrong at the beginning . 」

「It's a joke . 」

Norman replied to Kazane's words without changing his expression at all .

「Well, I can only say that I can't answer beyond that . 」

「Even though you're a G.o.d?」

Norman shook his head to Kazane's question .

「Even though I am called a G.o.d, I am only a part of one . I'm like a shrine maiden connecting the existence called G.o.d to mankind . I personally don't have that power . 」

After he called himself a shrine maiden she couldn't really understand the existence of the boy in front of her . So Kazane thought he was human being who spoke the words of G.o.d .

「So you're not a G.o.d?」

But Norman shook his head to that question .

「No, that's not a mistake . I'm still a part of one . The composition of this body is the same as a human, but I was not born from a mother . If said in your words, I connect G.o.d and man like a communication tool . I'm a human-type interface or translator built by G.o.d to interact with people . I could also be called a communicator, terminal, etc . 」

Kazane groaned at Norman's explanation . In other words, he was made in the same form as a human being, but was really a device expressly made by G.o.d for talking with humans .

「Umm, so by interface you mean you're like the screen on a smartphone?」

This time Norman nodded in response to Kazane . She also learned he knew the word smartphone .

「Yes, I'm similar to what you call a Window . I exist because conversations and conflicts must happen at the same level . That is to say that generally the only way for direct interaction between higher ranked existences and lower existences is to do it forcefully . 」

Kazane frowned at the way he said that .

「That way of talking is like declaring that you're better than us . 」

「I am sorry if it sounded unpleasant . 」

Norman saw Kazane's expression and meekly apologized, but afterward added「However . 」

「G.o.d already refers to a different thing than a person . G.o.ds are this world's management system, so the way men and G.o.ds think is very different from each other . Therefore, an existence like myself is necessary . 」

Kazane was silently listening to those words . The talk was complicated and she simply didn't have anything to add, so she hid that by saying「Uh huh . 」

Kazane was silently listening to those words . The talk was complicated and she simply didn't have anything to add, so she hid that by saying「Uh huh . 」

「What I want you to understand is that because I am this way, you can input whatever question you want, but that doesn't mean I can return the desired output . 」

Kazane understood the meaning of those words .

「So you mean you can't reply to my question?」

「That's how it is . I'm sorry . 」

When that was said Kazane thought (then isn't this guy useless?), but Norman said that the other G.o.ds were the same way . It seemed that were substantial restrictions on what could be answered . Beyond the answer she was already given many of her questions were dodged, replied to ambiguously, or outright ignored, but there was one clear reply .

「Yes,『Return Stake』will definitely allow you to travel between worlds . 」

「Seriously?」

「There is no problem as long as there is some kind of connection . At present the only thing that would make it impossible to go back and forth is if we destroyed the mechanism behind dungeons . 」

That information was very useful . In other words, even if they jumped into the hole without preparing, coming back appeared to be feasible .

Afterwards Kazane asked many questions, but they were practically never answered clearly . Well, the main result of her efforts was that she confirmed that basically any information concerning players was impossible to convey .

「Nn . I don't have anything more . 」

Or more precisely, Kazane was fed up with practically all her questions being unanswered .

「Is that so?」

Norman nodded expressionlessly and looked at Kazane . It was impossible to know from his expression whether this conversation was meaningful for G.o.d .

「Then since this is the end, may I ask a question?」

After Kazane's questions were exhausted, Norman decided to ask a question of his own .

「What?」

「As we both know, many players question why they were suddenly dropped into this world… . and never learn the truth . 」

Kazane's eyes opened wide . Those words were said with confidence . It felt like something opened .

「But you, and you alone, are the one person that『chose』to come here . 」

The current Kazane didn't understand the meaning of those words .

「Although it would have required the sacrifice of countless lives, you had the『right . 』At that time you had the right to carry on with your life . But you are here . 」

But there was a previous memory, something deep inside her soul that responded to those words .

「Are there any regrets about that choice now?」

Kazane didn't understand, but the reply was already decided .

「None at all . 」

Robbing her friends' futures to save herself was never an option . She was separated from Tatsuyos.h.i.+, but meeting everyone that was now alive was an unexpected miracle for Kazane . There was nothing more to hope for .

「So I was told to say thank you . 」

「So I was told to say thank you . 」

And originally, this meeting was to hear about this . She certainly understood that a promise Norman made long ago was fulfilled here . Norman was satisfied with those words and deeply bowed his head .

「Then have a nice trip . Foreigner from a distant world . 」

After G.o.d spoke, Kazane left the room without turning back .

「Eh, what?」

Three steps after leaving through the door, Kazane looked back .

She just noticed she had left the room .

「Umm, was I carried away by momentum?」

She remembered talking about something with Norman before she left . Nonetheless, she heard what she wanted to hear . Well, she didn't get all the answers she wanted, but judging that she left because she fulfilled her purpose, Kazane ran to return to her companions . She didn't look back .

Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Magic Swordswoman

t.i.tle: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Adhesion Sword『Gum』, Spell Dagger, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Ogre Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Magic Acc.u.mulator, White Magic Acc.u.mulator

Level : 29

Health: 101

Magic Power: 170+420

Strength: 49+10

Agility: 40+4

Endurance: 29

Wisdom : 55

Dexterity : 33

Spell : 『Fly』 『Torch』 『Fire』 『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』

Skill : 『Warrior's Memory』 『Night Vision』 『Crus.h.i.+ng Blow』 『Dog’s Sense of Smell』 『Golem Maker: Lv2』 『Rush』 『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』 『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』 『Air Jump: Lv2』 『Killing Leg: Lv2』 『Fear Voice』 『Invisible』 『Tiger Eye』 『Wall Walking』 『Intuition』 『Cheat Death』 『Nimble』『Charge』『Material s.h.i.+eld』『Information Link』『Optical Camouflage』『Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization』『Regenerate』『Rear Presence』『Stealthy Placement』『Thunder Chariot』

Yumika:「How was the talk with G.o.d?」

Kazane:「He was a strange child . 」

Yumika:「So just like you?」

Kazane:「What are youーー!」

Chapter 124 - Let's Talk With G.o.d . ◎ Resurrect City, Middle Arena, VIP Box Seating . 「Greetings . I was invited, so I came . 」 With a mood like she was a student that was in trouble and was being summoned to the student counselor, Kazane entered the audience room with the best view in the arena . It was a room that only the VIPs among VIPs could enter, and was mainly used by the royal aristocracy . However, there was only one child there . That one person was sitting on a sofa by himself, waiting for Kazane . 「Welcome, nice to see you, Kazane-san . 」 Saying that, the child beckoned Kazane to sit on the opposite side of the sofa . 「Yes yes, excuse me for disturbing you . 」 Kazane didn't have any particular reason to refuse, so she sat in the indicated seat and looked at the person who seemed to be a G.o.d . 「Are you a G.o.d?」 「Yes, I am called Norman . I am the G.o.d in charge of the Hyvern area . 」 Although he had the aura of someone wise as he spoke, he looked like an ordinary boy . (Nn, he feels like an ordinary child . Or rather, is he actually the real deal? Well, I doubt I would have been shamelessly invited if he wasn't . ) . It was after Kazane won the semifinals . An Adventurers Guild receptionist she had met previously came up to Kazane and said that G.o.d had come to the Grand Tournament and had invited her . Honestly she thought that it was shady, but it was hard to believe a person inviting through the Adventurers Guild was a swindler . Because of that she agreed . And since she was told she could come at a time convenient for her, she came right after Yumika's match 「You're making quite the suspicious expression . Players certainly aren't used to G.o.d being in such a form, so that reaction happens every time I meet one . 」 Norman said to Kazane with an emotionless expression . 「So you know about us . 」 「Because I'm a G.o.d . 」 「Mu」 「Also, I have met your younger brother . He is a good boy . 」 Shady . It was honestly shady . Anyone who would call Naoki a good boy was shady . But unknown to Kazane, Naoki was usually a good boy . He was only strange in front of his sister . But because Kazane was that sister, she didn't know that fact . When Yumika was highly praising Naoki while they were going out she shuddered and thought it was the blindness of a maiden in love, and after Yumika idly complained about him after the breakup she responded「Isn't he?」and reconfirmed the validity of her own knowledge . Well, he acted like a detestable idiot whenever he was around Kazane, so making allowances for a cute little brother was difficult . 「Now now . I understand what you're thinking . 」 Kazane was somewhat indignant after that remark . Because she thought he said those things even though he understood her younger brother's stupidity . Although Norman only meant that he understood that he seemed shady, so naturally her indignation was irrational . Then, knowingly or unknowingly, he disregarded Kazane's feelings and advanced the conversation . 「I only decided to meet with you this time because I thought I would save you the effort . 」 「What do you mean by the effort?」 Kazane considered the meaning of his words and asked him cautiously . Speaking about your own kindness at the start of a conversation with another person was also shady . 「It seems you were thinking about coming into contact with us soon . 」 「Mu, that's right . 」 She felt like she was seen through just now, but it was meaningless to resist if she was truly being seen through . Kazane was certainly planning on meeting someone called a G.o.d . 「I will disappear from this place tomorrow . If you miss the opportunity to talk with me today, you probably won't meet any other G.o.ds for a while and will have to wait a very long time to ask any questions . So I was thinking it would be best to ask today if you had anything you wanted to ask . 」 (He will disappear tomorrow? Well, the tournament will be over, so he's going home immediately?) Kazane thought . There were a number of things she wanted to ask, but there was one thing she had to ask before that . 「Umm, how many questions can I ask?」 「As many as this body can answer . 」 Apparently the questions themselves were unlimited in number . She wondered what she would have done if she were told she was finished with that question just now, but she didn't have to worry about that . 「Well then, hmm . I know . 」 Kazane thought about what she wanted to know first and spoke . 「First of all, did the G.o.ds bring us to this world?」 In response to Kazane's question, Norman said「That is the first thing everyone asks . 」 「Would it be fine to answer with my own questions first?」 The question was answered with a question . 「That's fine, but what?」 「Before you came here, did you pick up an abandoned cat and set a spider free outside without killing it?」 「No, I didn't do that . 」 She didn't see an abandoned cat or let a spider run away . Or more precisely, spiders were scary, so she would be the one to run away under her bedding and overlook it . 「Then do you remember a seedy middle-aged man, or did you save a panicked Onee-san?」 「No, no . 」 Even if a stranger spoke to her she wouldn't accompany them . Of course not . Brick? Who was that? 「Did you experience clicking on an advertis.e.m.e.nt banner on a suicide site, or were you hit by a relative with a mallet?」 「Of course not . 」 She had no reason to visit a suicide site, and she didn't have any violent relatives . At most, her brother was stealing her underwear . 「Then were you run over by a truck, or plowed by a tractor?' 「I don't understand the significance . 」 Not in the least . Were there even people who had the tragic experience of being plowed? Wasn't that solidly a horror movie situation? It was a frightening conversation . 「That is to say that you didn't encounter a reincarnation service that was reincarnating you in a different world because the Earth was a difficult place to reincarnate at, since it was a popular spot . 」 「Yeah . 」 In the first place her only memory just before coming here was of playing the game . 「Well then, doesn't that mean you weren't summoned by a G.o.d?」 「How does it mean that!」 Kazane reflexively retorted . The questions were irrelevant to anything concerning G.o.ds . 「Everything that was said means that, not to mention that we fundamentally aren't that type of thing . Although I can't deny the possibility that another G.o.d exists, so that's the most I can confirm . 」 「Tell me it's wrong at the beginning . 」 「It's a joke . 」 Norman replied to Kazane's words without changing his expression at all . 「Well, I can only say that I can't answer beyond that . 」 「Even though you're a G.o.d?」 Norman shook his head to Kazane's question . 「Even though I am called a G.o.d, I am only a part of one . I'm like a shrine maiden connecting the existence called G.o.d to mankind . I personally don't have that power . 」 After he called himself a shrine maiden she couldn't really understand the existence of the boy in front of her . So Kazane thought he was human being who spoke the words of G.o.d . 「So you're not a G.o.d?」 But Norman shook his head to that question . 「No, that's not a mistake . I'm still a part of one . The composition of this body is the same as a human, but I was not born from a mother . If said in your words, I connect G.o.d and man like a communication tool . I'm a human-type interface or translator built by G.o.d to interact with people . I could also be called a communicator, terminal, etc . 」 Kazane groaned at Norman's explanation . In other words, he was made in the same form as a human being, but was really a device expressly made by G.o.d for talking with humans . 「Umm, so by interface you mean you're like the screen on a smartphone?」 This time Norman nodded in response to Kazane . She also learned he knew the word smartphone . 「Yes, I'm similar to what you call a Window . I exist because conversations and conflicts must happen at the same level . That is to say that generally the only way for direct interaction between higher ranked existences and lower existences is to do it forcefully . 」 Kazane frowned at the way he said that . 「That way of talking is like declaring that you're better than us . 」 「I am sorry if it sounded unpleasant . 」 Norman saw Kazane's expression and meekly apologized, but afterward added「However . 」 「G.o.d already refers to a different thing than a person . G.o.ds are this world's management system, so the way men and G.o.ds think is very different from each other . Therefore, an existence like myself is necessary . 」 Kazane was silently listening to those words . The talk was complicated and she simply didn't have anything to add, so she hid that by saying「Uh huh . 」 「What I want you to understand is that because I am this way, you can input whatever question you want, but that doesn't mean I can return the desired output . 」 Kazane understood the meaning of those words . 「So you mean you can't reply to my question?」 「That's how it is . I'm sorry . 」 When that was said Kazane thought (then isn't this guy useless?), but Norman said that the other G.o.ds were the same way . It seemed that were substantial restrictions on what could be answered . Beyond the answer she was already given many of her questions were dodged, replied to ambiguously, or outright ignored, but there was one clear reply 「Yes,『Return Stake』will definitely allow you to travel between worlds . 」 「Seriously?」 「There is no problem as long as there is some kind of connection . At present the only thing that would make it impossible to go back and forth is if we destroyed the mechanism behind dungeons . 」 That information was very useful . In other words, even if they jumped into the hole without preparing, coming back appeared to be feasible . Afterwards Kazane asked many questions, but they were practically never answered clearly . Well, the main result of her efforts was that she confirmed that basically any information concerning players was impossible to convey . 「Nn . I don't have anything more . 」 Or more precisely, Kazane was fed up with practically all her questions being unanswered . 「Is that so?」 Norman nodded expressionlessly and looked at Kazane . It was impossible to know from his expression whether this conversation was meaningful for G.o.d . 「Then since this is the end, may I ask a question?」 After Kazane's questions were exhausted, Norman decided to ask a question of his own . 「What?」 「As we both know, many players question why they were suddenly dropped into this world… . and never learn the truth . 」 Kazane's eyes opened wide . Those words were said with confidence . It felt like something opened . 「But you, and you alone, are the one person that『chose』to come here . 」 The current Kazane didn't understand the meaning of those words . 「Although it would have required the sacrifice of countless lives, you had the『right . 』At that time you had the right to carry on with your life . But you are here . 」 But there was a previous memory, something deep inside her soul that responded to those words . 「Are there any regrets about that choice now?」 Kazane didn't understand, but the reply was already decided . 「None at all . 」 Robbing her friends' futures to save herself was never an option . She was separated from Tatsuyos.h.i.+, but meeting everyone that was now alive was an unexpected miracle for Kazane . There was nothing more to hope for . 「So I was told to say thank you . 」 And originally, this meeting was to hear about this . She certainly understood that a promise Norman made long ago was fulfilled here . Norman was satisfied with those words and deeply bowed his head . 「Then have a nice trip . Foreigner from a distant world . 」 After G.o.d spoke, Kazane left the room without turning back 「Eh, what?」 Three steps after leaving through the door, Kazane looked back . She just noticed she had left the room . 「Umm, was I carried away by momentum?」 She remembered talking about something with Norman before she left . Nonetheless, she heard what she wanted to hear . Well, she didn't get all the answers she wanted, but judging that she left because she fulfilled her purpose, Kazane ran to return to her companions . She didn't look back . Name: Yuihama Kazane Occupation: Magic Swordswoman t.i.tle: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Adhesion Sword『Gum』, Spell Dagger, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Ogre Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Magic Acc.u.mulator, White Magic Acc.u.mulator Level : 29 Health: 101 Magic Power: 170+420 Strength: 49+10 Agility: 40+4 Endurance: 29 Wisdom : 55 Dexterity : 33 Spell : 『Fly』 『Torch』 『Fire』 『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』 Skill : 『Warrior's Memory』 『Night Vision』 『Crus.h.i.+ng Blow』 『Dog’s Sense of Smell』 『Golem Maker: Lv2』 『Rush』 『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』 『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』 『Air Jump: Lv2』 『Killing Leg: Lv2』 『Fear Voice』 『Invisible』 『Tiger Eye』 『Wall Walking』 『Intuition』 『Cheat Death』 『Nimble』『Charge』『Material s.h.i.+eld』『Information Link』『Optical Camouflage』『Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization』『Regenerate』『Rear Presence』『Stealthy Placement』『Thunder Chariot』 Yumika:「How was the talk with G.o.d?」 Kazane:「He was a strange child . 」 Yumika:「So just like you?」 Kazane:「What are youーー!」.