Chapter 146
Koa nudges me with their snout.
Stop. It makes my body sway so much.
Koa's little nudges are starting to feel more like thumps.
Did you get worried because I suddenly spoke?
Could it be that you can't hear the gods' voices?
'I'm sorry, Earthling. I would like to investigate this world a little more before speaking with you again.'
"All right. I'll go back home."
'Home?'
"Yes. I live in the forest with my companions."
'I see. I'm sorry.'
'Um...'
One of the apprentices is interrupting the god's conversation. Is that all right?
Read the room... Though I don't.
"...What is it?"
'How are you still alive...'
"Huh?"
'Y-you idiot!'
...All right, I'll pretend I didn't hear that.
Part of me wants to know, but I feel like the answer will only leave me utterly exhausted.
Ah, this is something I should ask about.
"God, there's one thing I'd like to ask."
'What is it?'
"I've been wondering why I can hear the gods' voices."
'Hmm. Have you touched something those fellows made?'
"Touched something?"
I look at the object in my hand.
I'm gripping the fragment of the wall I broke.
'Did you have one?'
"Yes. I have a fragment of the wall that seems to have imprisoned the divine beasts. Thank you."
Now that I know what I was most curious about, I'll go home.
Koa, let's go home.
Somehow, I'm really tired.
...
Ahh... Koa's back is so soothing.
Koa is running slowly, so the breeze feels nice.
The ride home on Koa's back is nice and easy, too.
It took us two days to get home.
I felt relieved when I saw the house.
Ah, the farming team is sowing seeds.
It's already that time of year?
...Oh no, there's snow in Marshmallow's underground!
Can I still make it in time...?
I get off Koa and take care of the snow for now!
...Huh?
I can see something flying toward us in the distance.
That's a dragon, right?
Yeah, no mistake about it—that's a dragon.
It's huge now, but why?!
Ah, now that I think about it, they said they'd sealed away and used the divine beasts' power...
Did the divine beasts get their power back?
Is that why they've grown?
...It's about ten meters tall, isn't it?
Seeing it carefully descend in its giant form while taking care around the fields... It's hilarious.
It's Marshmallow.
There's no snow, but... it seems to be all right.
Flying lizard... You'll tumble over if you snuggle up to me like before!
You've all grown!
Easy, easy!
Farming team, young ants, little ants, young spiders, little spiders.
Thanks for sowing the seeds.
And the amoebas in the fields, too.
I'm home. Sorry to worry you.
The children came running out of the house to greet me, too.
They've really taken to me.
Now then, shall we have a barbecue?
Can the dragons change size at will?
If saying 'barbecue' can make them smaller, I wish they'd do that before coming home.
Karen, put out the fire before you perch, or the perch will burn again!
One-Eye-san, let me do at least some work!
...
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"And you are?"
There's a hermit here.
They have exactly the air and appearance of a hermit.
I don't know anyone like them.
Oh, they're speaking Japanese.
"...I am a god."
"...Sorry about that."
For now, I ask the visitor to sit in the chair in front of me.
One-Eye-san brings over fruit water and a plate of fruit.
I don't know what happened, but the visitor looks terribly exhausted.
"I have confirmed the facts concerning you."
"I see."
"I'm sorry—for the hero summoning, and for trapping you in this world."
Apparently, I'd been trapped here.
...It's scary learning facts you never knew.
"Those apprentices must have thought that, if they dropped you in this forest... you wouldn't be able to adapt, and, well..."
"Ah—I understand."
In other words, I was dropped into this forest with the intention of killing me.
It was like eliminating a witness... They're apprentice gods, right?
Apparently, I gave the god a look to that effect.
The god let out a huge sigh... Must be tough.
"As for this world, those three created it on their own."
"Can a world really be created that easily?"
"The fruit of the world was created by the Creator, and they stole it."
So you can create a world if you have the fruit of the world.
Can it really be stolen that easily?
That's frightening.
"It was a place only candidates for godhood could enter, so I never thought it would be stolen."
Candidates for godhood stealing...
Those three are hopeless.
"It seems they had been steadily creating this world, but..."
This is taking a while.
So what does that mean?
They had been steadily building the world, but were annoyed that the divine beasts were being worshipped as gods.
Around then, the king of a certain country began worshipping the apprentices as gods.
Feeling good about that, they apparently gave him something called 【magic stone】, infused with power.
...They're complete idiots.
Even then, I should have kept a closer eye on them, but...
Thinking that hero summoning might get them promoted to godhood more quickly, they devoted themselves to researching how to perform it.
During that time, they left this world unattended for several hundred years.
They failed at hero summoning, angered various gods, and had their divine power sealed for several years as punishment.
While trying to think of a way to turn things around, they finally remembered this world and came back.
After I'd already done all sorts of things.
Ah... I really went and did it, huh.