C118:I choose reality, dreams, hopes, and the future

"Yeah, a hundred million yen."

My mind is lightly confused by the amount of money that is so far away from me. What, but, why is that?

"So, um, are you sure I can get 100 million yen?"

"Yes, in Japanese yen, of course. Also, you don't have to worry about taxes, I can manipulate those things a little bit by using God's miracle."

Many questions came to my mind, but I couldn't put them into words. I was so shocked that my ability to think was severely impaired.

"I know it's rude to say this, but how do you come up with 100 million yen? Didn't you say something like you were in need of money when you were sent to Hokkaido?"

Suddenly, the followers were sent to another world where they didn't know anything, and in order to make money as a way to survive, they took over a game company and made this game.

Is there enough operating profit to give 100 million yen in one go? But it's a free-to-play game with a limited number of players. Even if there is a billing system, is it really that profitable?"

"The billing system is designed to help you in the early stages of the game and to keep you stuck in the game. Making money is secondary. It's true that in the beginning we were in a pinch because we didn't have any money, but we wouldn't die if we didn't eat or drink."

She speaks lightly, but I can't help but be astonished at what she said.

"It's not like our god power is going to increase when you pay for it. We don't want you to get annihilated in the beginning, so we made a rule that we can help you by paying. Even so, people who have paid a significant amount of money will have a hard time quitting the game, right?"

The God of Fate is smiling at me with an evil look on her face. A friend of mine on the Internet told me that he has spent more than a million yen on a certain game, and to be honest, he's getting tired of the game, but he can't quit because he's wasting all the money he's put into it.

"Money is pretty easy to make with our miraculous powers. We can alter memories and predict the future to a certain extent, you know?"

If they could do that, they could scam, stock, and invest all they want. There is no need to worry about money.

"Then why are you still running this game?"

"The reason I'm still running this game is to guide the players, develop the village, and increase the number of believers, which will naturally restore the power of the gods. It also serves as a check on the...evil god side. If the evil gods are left unchecked, they could do something terrible, like what happened this time."

Well, this explanation made sense to me. The players on the evil god side that I encountered were mostly obsessed with money and were loyal to their own desires. I shudder just thinking about...giving power to such people and letting them run wild.

"So feel free to accept the hundred million."

"Um, what will happen to the village if I retire?"

It would have been cool if I hadn't hesitated to resist the temptation of a large sum of money here, but 100 million yen is too much.

"It will be in the hands of a new player. Of course, I'll screen them to make sure it won't go to anyone who might try to harm the villagers, so don't worry about that."

If the village has grown this large, it will be stable and prosperous unless something goes wrong. Even if I disappear, the villagers will not suffer much damage...

"If you had 100 million, you could give some to your parents and invest in the old house café that Seika, your neighbor, is trying to start."

That's what….I was thinking, too.

I can give a large sum of money to my family that has supported me for ten years. And I can also help Seika achieve her dreams financially. I'll give half of the money to my father, and the other half will be used by Seika as a joint venture. That way, even if I have to work at the old house café, I can be on par with her. I've always been on the receiving end, but this will give me a chance to live with my heart on my sleeve....

"However, there is a condition. If you choose to retire, your involvement with the game will be completely severed. In other words, your memory of the game will be erased."

"...memories?"

There was no surprise in that statement. Since the game is designed to erase your memory upon game over, it was easy to imagine that the player who finished the game would also lose that memory.

"I'll fabricate the memory of winning the lottery for 100 million yen, and I'll make you believe Destiny-chan is just a smart lizard."

Will Destiny not be taken away from me? I was relieved to hear that. No, I haven't decided to get the 100 million yen yet, but what am I thinking?

"If you want to continue playing the game, it's just the same as before. So take your time and think about it. Think about what you want to do in the future and look for your answer."

Even after the call is cut off, I can't look away from my phone. In exchange for 100 million, I lose the game and its memory.

If I lose my memories, the guilt I feel for giving up my village will also disappear. Will she be able to manipulate the memories of my relationship with Makoto and my past experiences and pretend that nothing happened? After the game was over, Mr. Yamamoto lost his memory of the game, but went about his daily life normally.

"What do you think I should do?"

I tried to talk to Destiny, who had been listening to the conversation we had just had next to me. He looked at me intently and then turned away, curling his body.

"You want me to think for myself?"

That's right. How can I leave such an important decision to my partner? I don't want to live a life of procrastination, blaming others or luck and saying, "I'll do it tomorrow," without taking responsibility for myself.

I turned my attention to my computer and saw the villagers sweating and working. Shrinking the screen to its limit, I could see the entire Forbidden Forest.

There wasn't a single place in the entire Forbidden Forest that was black, making it possible to see from corner to corner, and the locations of monsters were indicated by red dots on the map, greatly reducing the need for defense and hunting.

Even if a suspicious person sneaks in, I can now spot them with a single look. There is no doubt that this will make future developments much easier.

The village continues to grow more than I imagined, and at this rate, it will probably more than double in size in a year. I would like to see the future of this village. I thought that I would like to spend the same amount of time with the villagers in the future. But the villagers live in another world, and I live in this world. In order to make a living, I have to work in this world and earn money. I've tried to struggle...but this is a farce.

"I've known the answer all along, haven't I?"

I pretended to be troubled, but I didn't need to think about the answer. I have to live in reality from now on. I've had my mind made up ever since I decided to return to Japan, to this place, instead of staying in another world.

I picked up my phone and–