Chapter 25: Blessed by the Goddess

The conversation with Shiro-san—- The Goddess with a beautiful face, perfect proportions, a beautiful voice and specs that could make even the Goddess of Beauty run away from her superiority, but also possesses outrageously troublesome factors as she's expressionless, emotionless, and a natural airhead—– continues.

[........]

[........]

No, please carry on with our conversation. Could it be that? That pattern where it won't do unless I do it myself?

[Yes.]

[...I'd like it if you deny it though, even though it was a lie.]

[Well then, this may be a lie, but I will now change our subject.]

[...Ah, yes.]

[....]

[....]

It really was a lie!? What should I do with this Goddess... L- Look, since you read my mind anyway, you can use that to your advantage to broach a subject for our conversation.

There should be a lot we can talk about, right? We could even talk about things from back in my previous world or something like that...

[Well then, let's talk about the book called "The Documents of the Jet-black Knees Volume II".]

[Whoehh!?]

Oi, idiot! Stop right there—– you can't just go digging up anyone's black history from their middle school times as you please!!

Seriously, please stop it, I will die.

[Is this actually titled as Jet-black Darkness? Why is it that the "Jet-black" in this series is written as "knee" instead of "lacquer"?]

[ ~ ~!?!? ]

(T/N: 漆黒 / Jet-black. In the book (That's totally not written by Kaito), it was written as 膝黒 instead. 膝=knee, 漆=lacquer)

STOP ITTTTTTTT!? Don't start correcting the misspelled kanji! I'm pretty sure that's not something you should be touching!! My heart is one arrow away from crumbling into pieces!!

Why is it that of all the things you can read in my mind, you aimed at that memory that has been buried down deep inside!? You must have been doing this on purpose huh!?

The current flow of conversation is no good. A topic, I must think of any kind of topic...

[S- Speaking of which! I heard that blessings work differently for different Gods! What effect does Shiro-san's blessing have?]

[...I dunno?]

[You don't know!?]

If I let Shiro-san take control of the conversation, I was afraid that my mind would break down, so I frantically mobilized that paltry communipower that I have to initiate another topic of conversation but... I wonder if there's something wrong with my eyes and ears? It's just that, for some reason, I think I heard this Goddess-sama saying "I dunno?" while tilting her head with that expressionless face of hers as if she doesn't know the effect of her own blessing... She's just joking, right?

[No, it's just that this is the first time I've given my blessing to anyone, so I wouldn't know what effect my blessing would be.]

[...This is your first time giving a blessing?]

[Yes. I basically don't go to the Human Realm after all.]

I had some expectations since she knows Kuro, but Shiro-san is still a Superior God, and she wouldn't just grant her blessing to anyone.

[Then, I'll change the question. What is it that Shiro-san has authority in?]

[I don't have authority over anything, you know?]

[...Huh?]

I've always thought that all Gods have authority over something, having the title of "God of OOO" or something like that, but apparently, that's not the case—– Geez, can you just take her back already, this Goddess I mean.

What should I do, my mental capacity is close to zero now... I also don't have any confidence to continue this conversation any longer...

[Well then, let's go back to that series I mentioned earlier...]

Ah, wait. It seems that I still can continue. I'll be hanging on to our conversation, so please don't bring back that topic anymore.

[As expected, do humans yearn for such great power?]

[...Eh?]

I was expecting the conversation to return to the disclosure of my black history, but what Shiro-san told me was a question.

There was still no inflection in her voice, and her expression still hadn't changed at all... But for some reason, she seemed to be sincerely wondering about it, unlike earlier.

[........]

Maybe that why I wasn't able to give her a quick reply. Whether or not humans yearn for great power... That may be a question that Shiro-san can ask as a God who was born with great power.

How should I answer it though? No, Shiro-san can read my mind anyway, so there's no point in trying to make up a false front. In that case, I should just say what I think...

[I think we do yearn for them. Great power, amazing wisdom, wealth, and prestige... There were many times when I longed for it myself.]

[Well then, I'll give it to you.]

[...Eh?]

[I seldomly had any conversation with a human. In this rare occasion, I can give you one thing that you wish for. Is it the power to do as you wish? The wisdom enough to touch upon the truth of the world? Wealth more than you can ever use in your whole life? A reputation that makes all of the people respect you? Whatever you want is fine.]

[...…]

[Now, tell me what you want. I can give you something that no one will ever hope to reach.]

As if it's something she can naturally do, the Goddess told me so. That she can give me anything I wish for—– That I could change into anything I wish for...

Anything I wish can come true—– If I ask her, I can be "special".

My heart strongly trembled. What I couldn't get even after struggling and suffering, the God in front of me is saying that she will be granting it.

There's no reason for me to refuse. There should have been no reason—- but, I wonder why? There's something that's holding me back from speaking deep within my heart...

Closing my eyes, I knock on the recesses of my mind that I'm finally starting to feel closer these days.

What is it that I want... What in the world do I really want... Silently asking myself so, I slowly open my eyes to look into the Goddess's all-seeing eyes, and utter the answer I got.

[...No, thank you.]

[Why?]

[...It's because I think you probably couldn't give me what I really want so...]

[...…..]

Although it's too late now, what I said might have been an extremely rude statement to a God holding tremendous power. Even so, I still couldn't believe that this person was the one who could fulfill my wishes.

I'm not going to deny my desire for mighty power. In fact, I've wished for it many times.

Becoming an unparalleled warrior who built a harem of his own and living as you please... I will certainly be filled with great satisfaction living a life like that. It's certainly one of the things I yearn for.

However... What came to my mind was Kuro's innocent smile.

[...I was told so. She has told me... that I'm fine the way I am right now, that we just have to look for it...]

[.....]

[That time, I was so happy. Even if I was struggling and suffering for it, even with this unsightly appearance as I struggled to walk in the ground, she still pushed my back.]

[.....]

[I'm just a powerless and weak human... Don't you think I'm unworthy of such a thing? What you're trying to give me is a little too heavy for me to carry.]

[...If you wish for anything aside from money, I don't think it would weigh anything though.]

I couldn't help but chuckle at the words that she said without any change in her expression. Shiro-san is actually a pretty amusing person huh?

[Well, anyway... Whether it's unrivaled power, absolute wisdom, a large number of properties, or unending cheers from other people, I don't need any of that. What I really wish for... is "something that I must get myself by my own hands", no matter whether I struggle, suffer, and looked unsightly to acquire it.]

[........]

I think that this is an answer that I could say based on the fact that I've been blessed. Yes, I've truly been blessed. Whether it's the people around me or the environment I am in, I can say that I'm too blessed in these aspects, that I can seriously say this kind of naive, yet dreamy wish.

However, this certainly is an answer that I got myself, so even if the one before me is a God... My answer won't change.

[Even though you had suggested it to me, I will have to say my apologies. But my answer won't change, I will decline what you're proposing.]

[...….]

Shiro-san didn't say anything. She just silently listened to my monologue and looked at me as I lowered my head.

And when I looked up and met her eyes again—- the atmosphere Shiro-san had around her completely changed.

Those golden eyes, which I don't know where they're looking at a while ago, those eyes were certainly reflecting my existence now, and although it is so faint that no one will be able to see it unless you're paying attention, the expression on her face, which has never changed at all and doesn't show a shred of emotion... It seems that the corners of her mouth slightly rose.

[...I change my mind.]

[Eh?]

Informing me with her voice that doesn't have any inflection, Shiro-san got up from her chair and lightly waved her fingers to the side.

Then, my body glowed slightly again, and immediately afterward, I thought I heard a sound like the breaking of glass.

[I just agreed before because of Kuro's request, but I myself had no interest in you, so I just performed the blessing by imitating what the low-rank Gods do... But I change my mind, so I canceled it out.]

[Errr...]

Was that sound earlier, the sound of the blessing being revoked... Did I offend her? No, I certainly am quite rude earlier, so there's no room for me to argue.

I may have done something bad, even though Kuro had to request her for it...

As I was thinking about this, the scenery immediately changed.

[!?]

We're not just in that hanging garden we were in a moment ago, but we're literally floating in mid-air. Below me is the green earth and blue seas, and the sky is split into two colors from the middle, with a blue sky and a starry sky peeking out respectively.

In the midst of this bizarre scene, my body is floating in the air, as if it were a patchwork of worlds, and I can see Shiro-san a little further away.

[Now, I'm "interested" in you—– Therefore, I will be doing this seriously.]

[!?!?!?]

With the words she mumbled out, a tremendous sense of intimidation is released from Shiro-san's body to the point that I can't find that words to describe it, but it seems like the world in front of me were shaking in response.

[By my name—- By the name of Shallow Vernal—– I tell the world.]

With her words, it seems like the air trembled and the earth pulsed.

[That this person—– Miyama Kaito—- is one I acknowledge worthy of my blessing.]

She doesn't seem to be straining her voice nor is she using any tools, but her voice echoes as if it reaches the entire world.

[Therefore—– By my name—– By the name of Shallow Vernal—– I command the world.]

The earth glittered, the sea glowed, and the sky became more radiant.

[Oh, Earth—- Become the cradle that protects him—– Oh, Sea—- Become the garment that nurtures him—– Oh, Sky—- Become his wings, embracing his very being—– Oh, Stars—- Become his beacon and guide him to the future.]

Thousands and thousands of lights emitted from the earth, sea, sky and the stars, and just like meteors, they began to swirl around me.

[By my name—- By the name of Shallow Vernal—– That this one's name—– That the name of Miyama Kaito—– As the one I bestowed my blessings—– To be inscribed in the world—– In conjunction with my name.]

And as the tremendous light converged to the point where I couldn't keep my eyes open, I certainly saw it.

It was as if all the beauty in the world was condensed—– Into that beautiful goddess's smile...

[Miyama Kaito—– The child who strayed from another world, liked from the first sight by Kuro—– Magnificent—- Just as you declared yourself, you have indeed exerted yourself with your own hands—- And from me—- You have certainly accomplished, acquiring my interest in your name—– Therefore, I grant upon you—– The blessing of the world—–]

Dear Mom, Dad—– I have finally found my own wish. And—– the Goddess has bestowed her blessing to me.