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Author: A long chapter.

Translator: A long chapter.

——

Nariya should have healed me completely from that battle the Black Demon Lord did, but my body isn’t moving as I want despite that.

The experience of moving beyond human limits is messing up with the sensation of my body.

And so, I am energetic, but I am currently leaving the Black Demon Lord’s castle by borrowing the shoulder of Ilias.

There’s no functionality to this building. I feel a strange sense of emptiness walking through this place that’s serving simply as a symbol.

“How to say it… It ended by the time I noticed.” (Haaku)

“Right. What will happen from now on, Counselor-sama?” (Rakura)

Leaving aside the Black Demon Lord who spoke with Ilias, everything ended with Haakudoku and Rakura not doing anything despite coming all the way to the Serende Nether.

There’s no way there would be any way to get in that superhuman battle where a god class otherworlder is observing.

“There’s no need to worry about the Black Demon Lord anymore, but Yugura Nariya’s space-time magic use cannot be stopped.”

“Eh… Then, Brother, will our history disappear?” (Haaku)

“Well, that would be the case… You guys don’t seem to be that shocked.”

“Cause…there’s nothing we can do against…that.” (Haaku)

Even a complete rookie like me that can’t feel mana could tell clearly how abnormal Nariya is.

Haakudoku, who excels in detection, probably felt the despair even more than anyone in this world.

“You did lose consciousness just from seeing him the first time, Haakudoku-san.” (Rakura)

“Moreover, he seemed to have tinkered with my Instinct-sama… What has happened to my Instinct-sama…” (Haaku)

Haakudoku and Rakura are just furniture in the background for Nariya, but he must have interfered with the mindset of ‘you would fix the furniture if it fell, right?’.

“I can’t say anything for certain regarding Yugura. It is not like we did anything to that man after all. But the Black Demon Lord spoke to me with her eyes before returning your body to you: ‘If you are going to speak so big, try shouldering it’. I am sure she will stop Yugura until she gets the answer as to whether we will be able to shoulder the future of this world.” (Ilias)

I could also feel the emotions of the Black Demon Lord.

As long as a stubborn person that even Nariya couldn’t bend has said that she will be seeing through this, it should be able to buy a decent amount of time.

“He was even instigated by a stranger into giving a chance for atonement for the Black Demon Lord. That man will surely happily tag along with the last selfish request of the person herself.”

“That means this history will end when the Black Demon Lord abandons us.” (Ilias)

“That’s how it is. But this is where the hard part comes. The residents of this world have been made to not show interest in the inner workings of this world. It is not like everyone can speak through the sword like you.”

There’s still a mountain of problems.

It is hard for the people of this world to gain knowledge about the hampering of God’s management.

Even Marito who can think logically has to put his all in directing his attention outside the ocean.

It is not like everyone can obtain knowledge through a superhuman battle like Ilias.

A future like that would only come when the weak are completely weeded out.

“You are talking about complicated stuff… But I have never thought about stuff like there being other continents outside the ocean.” (Haakudoku)

“Right… Ah, but I do have a bit of interest. They probably have made alcohol that tastes different from Traced.” (Rakura)

“That’s all you think about, Rakura.” (Haakudoku)

…Hmm? I feel like a clearly strange conversation went by on the side.

Did these guys just talk about Traced and the continents on the other side of the ocean like natural?

They didn’t fight the Black Demon Lord like Ilias did.

Those two shouldn’t have been able to understand most of the details in that grand conversation though…

“You guys could understand…what the Black Demon Lord and Ilias spoke about…?”

“It doesn’t really click. This continent being the 13th and God managing it. It just doesn’t really make sense even if you tell me all of a sudden, right?” (Haaku)

“Right. Ah, but I do understand people from parallel worlds like Counselor-sama influencing the world, you know? You make a whole lot of delicious food after all!” (Rakura)

“Why do you understand?!”

“I shouldn’t have?!” (Rakura)

The reason why it didn’t click with them is because they are people who don’t really think much about stuff they have no interest in to begin with. But they clearly understand the details.

I think of the reason.

The shockwaves of Ilias’s battle? No, if this could be managed with just shockwaves, there would be no need for Ilias and the others to clash blades.

Then, there’s another reason? …There probably is.

Haakudoku’s instinct was tinkered with and it feels like his brake as a human has been numbed. In that case, it is possible his block on knowledge has also been numbed.

Rakura…would be the True Eyes of Blindness and her high concentration? The smart Marito managed to resist it to a decent degree, so you might be able to do it if you excel in concentration…

I see.

It is not like God is scattering a curse to hamper cognition to every individual person. They simply added such a system in the creatures called humans.

It is affecting everyone equally, but it is not like it is given out fairly.

Then, there’s a high chance it is possible to shake off that restriction with a variety of factors.

We do have 3 such cases in front of me after all.

“Why are you suddenly making a drained expression?” (Ilias)

“I just thought the block of God might be more easy to solve than expected.”

“…? Well, nothing bad about being able to solve things quickly, right?” (Ilias)

“Right. It is in the end a problem with humans after all.”

Not forgetting the teachings of the past is an eternal topic for Earth’s history too.

Most of the people who experienced war feel from the bottom of their hearts that this must not be repeated and try to pass that on to future generations.

They tried to propose a variety of methods through words and texts. But the ones from the future that are not related to this won’t be able to understand the weight of it correctly.

If the related parties are gone, the scars of war will eventually heal, and dim. You begin to think that the words of the people from the past were excessive when you try to talk about the faint remains with a heavy tone.

And then, people who speak about the righteousness of not being caught in the past will appear, and would try to step into the shunned acts by using words like growth and reformation.

“There’s a lot of things that change with the flow of time. But there’s certainly things that don’t change even if it is faint. We simply have to do our best so that our will and feelings are within the faint.”

“The ideal would be that.” (Ilias)

“Humans are the pens who have been making those ideals real. Until now and from here on.”

There’s at least no need to worry about the era Ilias is living in. The kings of the countries are reasonable people, with Marito at the top.

There’s also races like elves that live for a long time in this world. Even immortal people like Demon Lords and demons.

This is a far better environment for related parties to continue existing in the world compared to Earth.

But the thoughts and feelings of Demon Lords are not eternal, just like how demons lose sight of themselves with the passing of time.

They might even perish by some sort of problem in the future.

With eternal time comes the faintest of possibilities.

The world has to continue shouldering the risk of losing everything for eternity.

But that’s something necessary for people to live as people.

There might be a time when everything ends anti-climatically. Even so, there are certainly people like Ilias and the others who try to live for the sake of the future.

The reality that such wonderful and precious lives existed will remain.

“Well, do your best. I will cooperate as best as I can.”

“Yeah, I am counting on you.” (Ilias)

Just how wonderful would it be if I were to remain inside that proof of life of theirs.

But I at the same time think about the fact that I am an otherworlder.

The fate of the people in this world is messed up greatly because of the otherworlders that are brought here under the schemes of God.

Of course, there must have been development and evolution from that as well.

But it is also true that it created beings of enmity like the Black Demon Lord.

I am sure everyone who knows me will accept me. They will say I am necessary.

But for the people who will live in the future of this world, it is surely…

“Then, let’s talk a bit about that.”

“—Eh?”

I raised my head at that unfamiliar voice and there was a single man standing there.

An abnormally commanding stance and a novel appearance that has fused ornaments into one. A part of his body has something similar to a gem embedded.

That’s not the only abnormal thing.

I couldn’t notice immediately because I was dumbfounded by that man, but Ilias, who is lending me a shoulder, is nowhere to be found.

Haakudoku and Rakura are also suddenly gone.

No, this place isn’t the castle of the Black Demon Lord in the first place. It is a black world with no depth.

Even though there should be no light at all, I could still perceive the man in front of me clearly and only him.

Is it similar to the space Tedoral created?

In other words, I am not in the world of before, but…

“It is the space I created. Also…there should be no need to introduce myself, right?”

“…What does God want with me?”

The only being that would appear in this manner at this point would be him.

The creator of this world that the Black Demon Lord hates and Nariya and Tedoral call as damn bastard.

“Nahaha! That’s right, I am that damn bastard. By the way, I don’t mind humans insulting me, but it doesn’t make me happy. There’s no need to debase yourself here, but I would like you to show a bit of respect. I will at least provide chairs if you do.”

“You read my mind in no time and you are strangely forward!”

He is pretty different from the general image I had of a god.

I thought he would be a more majestic old man or a goddess. Maybe even a being that you can’t picture.

A bright energetic young man really betrayed my expectations.

“Imagining all by yourself and getting betrayed by that is quite unreasonable. The perception of you humans about gods is wrong to begin with.”

“By perception, are you referring to stuff like being omniscient and almighty?”

“That’s right. Gods are omniscient and almighty. However, not everything is predetermined.”

“So you are beings that can be omniscient and almighty, but it is not like you have a hand in everything…”

“Umu. We live for eternity, learn infinitely, and continue increasing our power infinitely. There are differences in strength between gods, and there are probably some who have even been defeated by mortals.”

When I am speaking to people, I sometimes unconsciously categorize them as ‘this type of person’ in order to have an amicable conversation.

If I had to categorize this God in front of me in that same fashion, he gives me the impression of being a greedy scientist that craves knowledge.

Well, he also gives me the impression that he would go camping at a river or a mountain in his free days though.

“In other words, it is normal for there to be gods that learn as they create worlds.”

“Umu. Gods create worlds because it is important for them to begin with.”

“There’s some sort of demand in creating incomplete humans that are made in the image of gods?”

“That’s it. That perception of us is wrong. It is not that gods created humans in their image. The incomplete living beings the gods created have evolved into beings that mirror gods.”

On Earth, it is said that humans evolved from monkeys. If we go even further back, there would be theories that we were unicellular beings that lived in the sea.

It is not like there’s no stories like Adam and Eve, but the one that has been proven scientifically is the evolution theory.

The image of gods varies between people. But what exists beyond that is a god, so the reality is that humans are mirroring gods.

If the will of the gods had something to do with this, it would mean that the beings that were born are trying to become something close to gods within the bounds of nature.

“…The incomplete approaching the complete. So you want to investigate that component.”

“That’s right. Gods grow infinitely and can reach even further perfection within their already perfected selves.”

“Being perfect yet there’s still something beyond that? Isn’t that contradictory?”

“Don’t measure us with your human scale. Gods are the very beings that surpass the wall of contradictions. There are an infinite amount of factors and steps for a human to approach gods. Those factors can serve to improve gods even further. Thus, I created worlds, and am observing and interfering in order to become a being that can create worlds with more outstanding people.”

This god is seriously trying to create a better world. He has gone through trial and error countless times, and is trying to obtain knowledge with those results.

But that view is way too high and self-centered.

If he wants to create change, he will definitely do so. No matter what feelings the people of that world were to have, he will definitely observe the result to the very end.

A perfectly benevolent being can do something like saving or killing others with the same emotions. They would make contact with everything equally and deal with them equally.

In that case, it makes sense that an absolute discriminator, who loves only one individual to the extreme like Yugura Nariya, would want to call him a damn bastard.

“And so, did you get a result that satisfied you today?”

God nodded and sat down on a chair he prepared at some point in time.

I was already made to sit on a chair by the time I saw that.

It gives off the feeling of ‘let’s open up and talk’. Is there no right to refuse?

“I normally communicate with a human by asking their soul directly. I touch upon their core and ask for the answer directly. But if I did that same method to someone like you who has no mana, there’s the chance that a lot of side-effects will happen to your soul, so I chose a human-like method.”

“Is that your way of saying you will ask my soul directly if I refuse?”

“Nahaha! It is not like I want to treat people badly. I will return you to your time and place when we finish talking here. Just give up and tag along in my side-show.”

Aren’t the tops of this world way too free? No, it is because he is the top of the top that anything goes, so I should be grateful that he is somewhat considerate here though.

“Let’s talk about the results of what you want to confirm first. Yugura Nariya and the Black Demon Lord will be observing this world. He hasn’t given up on using space-time magic, but it seems like he will be observing the development of people for now.”

“…I see. You don’t have any complaints about that?”

“There was no complaint to begin with. The only thing there was is to put the workload on a scale and judge the result of it. If Yugura Nariya uses space-time magic and adjusts history, almost all the work I put in that time would be pointless. That’s why I stopped him. But Yugura Nariya didn’t give up and continued increasing his strength to fight back.”

“And so, the effort to have Nariya give up surpassed the harm of space-time magic.”

“That’s right. If he is going to redo things with space-time magic, I would like it to be as soon as possible. The observation results of the other worlds that share the time axis with this one will just stay the same after all.”

“So you just don’t want to do your work again. You didn’t think of getting rid of Nariya?”

The scale of the effort is so big that it just doesn’t click, but Nariya was doing something so ridiculous even God would want to stop him.

If he went in the direction of eliminating Yugura instead of making him give up, the matter would have wrapped up when the difference of power is made clear.

“I am the one who invited Yugura Nariya to this world and gave him power. My objective was to observe the results from his law alteration. The point of inviting him would be gone if I were to deny the results this creates, right?”

“So you really are deciding if it is a good idea or not to interfere by just the price of the effort. And so, you will be doing observation with another otherworlder after Nariya rewinds things?”

“I plan to do that. Judging from their will, I can’t expect much from the result of the rewind. I plan on bringing someone who has more of a desire to change the world.”

It is clear what Yugura Nariya will do after rewinding the world. He will do his best to support the Black Demon Lord so that she can live in peace, and he will abandon the world after that’s over.

He will abandon his role as an otherworlder invited by God, and the changes in history will be even smaller.

That’s why he will prepare the next otherworlder and will join forces with someone that will try to change the world even more than the Black Demon Lord. Someone that will have a more radical view than Ofaro.

“I see, you are indeed a damn bastard.”

“Nahaha! Hide it a bit.”

“You will read my mind in an instant even if I hide it. You are not going to retrieve Ofaro, I hope.”

“Ofaro was not a bad factor, but he was satisfied with the present state in his last moments. He was infected by a troublesome disease.”

“You are the one not trying to hide things.”

The one behind Ofaro was this god. You can figure out who it is even if you don’t want to from the fact that Nariya couldn’t detect this.

Nariya may not have been able to detect it, but he did feel there was something. That said, he wasn’t interested in anything but the Black Demon Lord, so he didn’t even try to check though.

Ofaro was living in the same time axis as when Nariya appeared and had an understanding of the effects the otherworlders brought to the world.

If he were to join forces with an otherworlder, history would have changed greatly regardless of whether it would be good or bad.

It seems like the plan was that Ofaro would be coming to the past as well when Nariya used space-time magic, but he in the end returned to being an uninteresting good guy in his last moments.

“Yugura Nariya hated me, you see. If he knew I was going to use Ofaro as my next pawn, he would eliminate him purely out of spite. I was simply hiding my presence to gauge the trouble of choosing my next pawn.”

“If there’s a guy that messes up the world after rewinding it, he would surely end them as if they were wild grass.”

“True. But it seems like Ofaro was planning on joining forces with you at first.”

“No thanks. And so, God, you talked about your interference after Nariya uses space-time magic, but what do you think about the present situation?”

“It doesn’t change the fact that he is a target of observation. If Yugura Nariya is not going to rewind things, I will simply continue observing. I won’t be able to observe constantly if the rewind happens, but I will be able to get a decent degree of results.”

Basically, no matter where it rolls, he will simply continue observing, so there’s no issues.

In other words, the Black Demon Lord eradicating humanity to appeal to God would simply be brushed off as a pie in the graph.

“Will the actions of the Black Demon Lord affect your future?”

“That’s also a result of the interference of Yugura Nariya. I won’t put importance to it, but I won’t ignore it.”

“So you will just accept it as a downside.”

“There’s already worlds that have gone that path after all. But new conclusions have also been born. I have placed countermeasures so that Traced can’t detect my interference, but the mortals have gone over that countermeasure and recognized my presence.”

The world is being toyed by God. The people who discovered that reality chose the path of destruction in order to escape from his grasp.

God decided to make it so that humanity can’t be interested in the interference of God, and can’t understand it.

But beings like Yugura Nariya who can alter the laws, as well as Ilias and the ones who possess superhuman abilities can get through those countermeasures.

“Exceptions have appeared just now after all.”

“The man is a result of Yugura Nariya’s interference, but the woman is a result of the events until now. The mortals of Traced have already begun altering the laws after all. There’s the probability of many exceptions coming out in the future.”

God most likely can make those countermeasures even stronger than they are currently.

But if he were to adjust the standard for the people at the top, that would become way too excessive interference for the normal people.

They wouldn’t be able to be conscious of the very existence of God, and I doubt it will end with just God. There will most likely be restrictions on things like ghosts, instincts, and factors that can’t be seen with the naked eye.

“So it is still not to the point of reaching the conclusion of not interfering.”

“The reason why I observe is to verify the process and factors that make the incomplete reach completion. New factors are necessary as targets of comparison. In the first place, there have been shocking changes from being aware of my existence. I doubt I will reach the conclusion that my interference is unnecessary.”

“That’s horrible for the ones on the other end of the stick though. They know there’s food like fish in the ocean, and yet, they can’t show interest. It wouldn’t be strange for self-contradictions to happen.”

“Nahaha! That alone is my lack of ability. No, it would be better to say it is a show of the ability of your world’s God.”

A world where humanity not only can recognize the ocean and stars, they can even observe space and the galaxies. It is stable despite having quite the scale.

That would mean my god is higher ranked than the one in this world. Well, that’s exactly why he is trying to bring in people like Nariya from Earth to experiment after all.

Even so, this is troubling. This god is the same as Nariya. It is not impossible, but I can’t find any factors to conciliate with him.

He is simply indifferently relaying the results and his own will towards my words. I can’t feel any factor that could be affected.

He is different from Nariya in that he reads my mind without reservation, so there’s no point in trying small tricks and schemes.

In the first place, this conversation was brought up with the intention of: ‘You hate my interference, right? Do as you please. I will be observing with around this much of an intention. And so, tell that intention of mine to others’.

“Nahaha! It is great that you understand quickly even though you use such a roundabout method like language.”

“Don’t use me just because Nariya doesn’t show himself around you…”

“I have some other conditions. It should be fine to ask you to relay a message while at it, right?”

“…About the ‘qualification’, huh.”

What I was thinking before I was brought to this place. The meaning of those words after assuming that he has read my mind in regards to that.

I could faintly tell that this was one of the objectives of this god from these points.

The price to become a Demon Lord. One of them is their name. When you become a Demon Lord, your name is taken away by the world and you can’t get it back with your hands ever again.

Nariya kept his name, but he needed to pay something that would be comparable to his name when becoming a Demon Lord.

Something that only he had as an observer of the world. A factor that would still allow him to exist as a Demon Lord even if lost.

“Umu, Yugura Nariya paid with his ‘qualification’ as a price for the resurrection magic. But you still have that ‘qualification’. You are not a resident of this world, so you still have the ‘qualification’ of a resident of Earth.”

What’s necessary for the world to observe you as an individual is an identification number; in other words, a name.

But Nariya had one other thing aside from his name that the world could recognize him with.

His standing as an otherworlder. The fact that he is an earthling.

“You normally would need to go through the necessary procedures in order to invite an otherworlder. Even if you are a being that appeared in this world through unlawful means, you have the right to present conditions to me.”

“So there’s something like laws between worlds, huh.”

“It is not like they exist clearly. That said, it would disrupt order if you were to invite others as you please, right?”

Bringing a more outstanding factor from another world in order to bring about outstanding change in your own world is a simple and fast method.

Many gods would try to obtain those factors from the outstanding worlds as long as there’s that conclusion.

If there’s an infinite number of worlds, that would mean there’s an infinite number of gods.

If those gods were to call the outstanding humans of Earth all at once, the population on Earth would turn into zero in the blink of an eye.

There’s no farmer who would let you take their crops without any payment just because they have an outstanding farm.

There’s no reason for a god that can create a more outstanding world to allow the interference of gods from underdeveloped worlds.

Also, it is not like the invited humans will cooperate unconditionally.

Of course, even if we are talking about underdeveloped worlds, the god that exists there is far more outstanding than humans. They should have the power to threaten them into submission.

But the gods know fully well that it is pointless to do things that would make them freeze in terror if they are seeking better changes and avoid pointless enmity.

That’s why they probably get their cooperation by providing a better body.

The talent to create talents; the special privilege of living comfortably with an ability like being able to alter the laws of the world. And depending on the circumstances, even giving them the right to return to their world.

“You are not trying to turn me into your pawn now, right?”

“No need to worry about that. What I am looking for is someone who will try to develop the world. I have no intention of utilizing someone like you who has the complacent mindset of living safely. But you invited an interesting result in this matter with Yugura Nariya. I have the grace of at least granting you the opportunity.”

“Glad to hear you liked it. And so, what’s this condition you want to put out…?”

“The path to return to your world: Earth. And the path to live in this world as a resident of my world.”

It hasn’t only been once that I have given up on searching for a method to return to Earth since transferring to this world.

Even at the time when I learned of the existence of space-time magic and understood that it wouldn’t be that easy.

And now it has appeared right in front of me. Moreover, a safe and certain method that doesn’t require anymore payment.

“…”

I already have the answer inside of me, and yet, I couldn’t answer immediately.

I know that this comes from lingering attachments. I couldn’t cut off those lingering attachments until now.

Even if the method has been provided to me, it is not something I can cut off all of a sudden.

“I understand the conflict inside of you. But I have presented the conditions. Try speaking the words you are thinking with that mouth of yours.”

“…Good grief. To think you would even act like a counselor… Of course, I have lingering attachments in both worlds. Especially in this world. I have obtained a lot of things I couldn’t obtain until now after all.”

“The low level of civilization and the high risk of you losing your life through your environment. Living as such a clear frail being has its own set of loneliness and it must have been painful.”

“But there’s the wondrous power called magic, so there’s a lot of potential. You could call it the best if I just close my eyes to my life being targeted in human relationships.”

“It is something to be happy about as someone who saved the world. That’s right, your scale should be tipping towards this world. But why is it that you can’t decide for yourself?”

The life on Earth, the life on this world; there may be a lot of factors that can decide the merits, but if I were asked which world I had better days in, I would be able to answer without hesitation.

Even so, what is it that is making me obstinately feel lingering attachments? That was made clear through the emotions of the Black Demon Lord.

“This world is a really good world for me. My life would be continuously exposed to danger by superhuman people and there may be the reality that a god is experimenting at his own convenience, but the feelings I have felt living in this world are the real deal. I love this world just like the Black Demon Lord, and I do want to protect it as well.”

“And yet, you are still wavering?”

“I do admit that this is a special world that fulfills my heart. But it is not like it is all good. There are bad guys, and I have tasted a lot of bad experiences. And then, I was finally slapped awake.”

This world is not an ideal dream. It may be slightly different, but it is the same. It is the reality I am living in.

“That’s why I must be thinking unconsciously…that maybe…I would have been able to live a fulfilling life on Earth…in my original world, just like I did in this one.”

It didn’t go well because it was Earth. I couldn’t be fulfilled because it was that kind of world.

That’s not it.

Could I have lived in my original world the same way as I did in this one? Could I have believed in someone from the bottom of my heart and lived in a way that could entrust my feelings to them?

Maybe I could love my original world just like I did with this one.

“Guilty conscience towards the world you repudiated, huh.”

“I was fine with having the people around me living safely. But the definition of ‘around me’ is way too vague. I ended up getting caught up in a fight that had the fate of this world at stake after all.”

“So you realized that your original world was also ‘close’ after you ended up including the world as something ‘around you’.”

Now that I have accepted this world, I can’t just keep denying my original world. That’s how much I comprehended that a world is not something you can cut off in an easy-going manner.

More so because I am not someone from this world.

Then, which world should I really be living in?

I must bring out that answer.

“—This should be enough to arrange my thoughts.”

“I see. Right. The answer was already in your heart. This was just preparation to voice it out. Then, I ask you once again. Being with the ‘qualification’, tell me the path you will choose. I shall grant that wish without a price.”

——

Other’s evaluation of God:

-Black: Doesn’t listen to people no matter what. The epitome of tyranny that can only speak with results.

-Nariya: Thorough benevolence and realist. He speaks with just results, so there’s no point for conversation to begin with. Moreover, what’s with that refreshing appearance? A straw hat and fishing rod suits him better than a divine crown and cane. Who would benefit from that gap?

-Tedoral: Just listening to the complaining of those two makes me feel like I would get stressed just from getting involved, so I don’t want to get involved. I am an introvert after all.

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