Chapter 1 Celebration

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Who am I?

I'm Ainbert.

As a priest, I was dispatched to a remote village where I met Maria, all thanks to Hypnotic Magic bestowed upon me by the Goddess... That's right, I remember everything.

So then why...

I'm back (·) in (·) my (·) room (·) from (·) my (·) old (·) world (·).

Is this a dream? Did everything up until now just...never happen?

When did it start? When was any of that a dream? What about Maria? Was she part of the illusion, too?!

No?

Oh, so it's not a dream. It really happened. Ahh, I see... Yeah, there's no way something could feel that real and still be a dream. That would be terrifying—wait, who?!

Someone suddenly spoke to me out of nowhere, giving me quite a shock—

The Goddess?! Oh, hey, Goddess!

Goddess?! Is that you?! Huh?! Wait, am I dead?! No?! Not dead?! Then how come I'm in my room with the Goddess herself? Ow, what the hell?!

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...Sorry, I lost it for a moment there. But did you really have to hit me? And with a turnip of all things? What was that about?!

Yes. Yes. Okay...

Oh, is that so? So you've been watching my whole life after all. Did it help pass the time? Well, um, if I contributed anything, I'm flattered.

Haah... Yes, well, since it's always been my dream, I worked hard at it. From now on, Maria and I will raise our child together and live happily ever after. Words can't express how grateful we are to you, Goddess—oh, wait, you're tired of hearing thanks, huh? Heh, sorry about that.

By the way, why exactly did you summon me here? Honestly, this has never happened before, so I'm pretty confused. Huh? To celebrate the pregnancy of your first child? That's not necessary at all! ...Wait, what do you mean, "I found some stuff while cleaning out my attic that I don't need anymore, and I'll be stuck with it unless you take it"? You have a home, too, then, Goddess?

Well, if that's what you're offering, I'll gladly accept it. But ideally, please give me some advance notice next time so I won't be caught off guard.

"That's just my opinion..."

When I woke up, instead of being in my room from my old world...

I found myself in the church bedroom with Maria as Ainbert. Next to me lay the woman I loved, her peaceful, adorable face asleep beside me.

"Whaaaaat?!"

"Maria, your voice is too loud."

That morning, when I opened my eyes, the woman I love was clutching a turnip.

Despite everything, she never abandoned me, and I adored her for it.

But anyway, since she had been terribly worried, I explained the situation to her, which led directly to her outburst moments ago.

"No way—no, no, no! How can you remain so calm about this, Lord Ain?! It's the Goddess! This must be divine revelation!"

"It doesn't seem quite as significant as all that."

"But it's big enough to change the entire world!"

It wasn't unheard-of for people to claim they'd met the Goddess before.

However, those individuals were invariably legendary heroes or some other type of great figure, and the messages from the Goddess usually pertained to matters of life and death for the whole realm—stories that would make excellent fantasy novels back on Earth.

"Th-this-this... This radish! It-it's from the Goddess!"

"You want me to pickle it?"

"Pickle?!"

"Should I have cooked it instead?"

Personally, I love smoked turnips, but unfortunately, I don't know how to make them. Never once did I think I'd get reincarnated into another world, so I never bothered researching recipes for smoked turnips.

"Don't be ridiculous! We must send this immediately to the royal capital, cast the strongest preservation magic on it, and preserve it for future generations!"

"It'll wilt by the time it gets to the royal capital!"

"Ahhhhh! Why does our village have to be so far out here?!?"

Maria was so flustered that she forgot her manners, which made her look incredibly cute.

I wanted nothing more than to take her in my arms and kiss her right then and there. But I didn't, since doing something like that without reading the mood properly would definitely get me in trouble.

"Calm down, Sister Maria. The Goddess's message isn't over yet."

"I—I'm sorry... No, excuse me..."

Calling her "Sister" seemed to help settle her nerves somewhat.

In my own way, I did revere the Goddess, but only as an individual. It really drove home how seriously religious people took their faith...

"In any case, this turnip was just given to me along with everything else. And the Goddess told me to eat it."

"But... Huh? Just as an afterthought?"

"Yes. This is her true gift..."

With that, I reached under my bed.

If what the Goddess said was true, it should be around here somewhere... Ah, there it is.

"For me and Sister Maria, from the Goddess."

I lifted it out carefully.

It felt heavy enough to make me nervous about holding it with one hand, so I grasped it firmly with both.

"She said it's meant to celebrate your first pregnancy. Let's enjoy this tonight."

Thud!

The bottle must have gathered dust because it had been stored away for such a long time. But if anything, its extended age seemed to increase its value, proving once again how perception can change everything.

"It looks like a fine vintage."

Attached to the splendid one-liter bottle was a label inscribed with characters I couldn't read.