Ch.26Three Idiots (1)

On days when I dream, I often can’t remember the content of the dream, but I feel unusually tired compared to other days.

So how exhausted would I be if I had a one-on-one meeting with the Goddess for three hours while sleeping and remembered that process exactly?

It was closer to me one-sidedly cursing her out than an actual meeting, but I remember the entire process vividly.

Thanks to that, even after waking up, I felt like I was going to die from drowsiness. But I needed to get up quickly, prepare breakfast, and get ready for work.

The fact that I’m still thinking about what to make for breakfast while forcing my body out of the room shows I’ve gotten somewhat used to this lifestyle.

Today I’ll just make fried rice since I’m feeling lazy. I don’t want to concentrate on anything for too long.

As I was preparing breakfast as usual, I made eye contact with Rebecca who had come out of her room.

“Did you sleep well? So what destiny do I need to change?”

“You need to stop someone this Friday. I’ll give you the details on Friday.”

“Why tell me on Friday instead of now?”

“It’s difficult to fully grasp the situation with just about 10 minutes. So please wait a little longer.”

Rebecca looked at me with trusting eyes as she spoke. It feels strange how a person can change so drastically in just one day.

Still, it’s much better than before. She was really something else before. It shouldn’t be so draining just to have a conversation.

“By the way, I suddenly sense divine power from you. Did something happen?”

“Ah, the God—”

Just as I was about to say the Goddess gave it to me, I remembered what the Goddess had said.

‘Please make me sound like the worst person possible.’

That’s impossible. Absolutely impossible.

How could I say “She’s just a terrible woman!” about someone who works 165 hours a week trying to save this world? Even the rudest customers wouldn’t do that.

I did curse her out for over two hours straight, but that was because I didn’t know, so it couldn’t be helped.

Anyway, since I can’t bring myself to badmouth the Goddess, I need to come up with a reasonable excuse.

The weak loner concept hiding their power? Hidden ability? Just good luck? Past life privilege? Inherited from someone? The Saiyan trait of getting stronger after near-death experiences? Or did I send a 5,700-character complaint to the Goddess and get it?

After racking my brain, I came up with the perfect excuse.

“The Goddess gave me divine power in exchange for taking my memories.”

No matter what excuse I make, I’ll eventually be found out. So I might as well tell a lie that can’t possibly be verified.

Only I know my own memories anyway. So there’s no way anyone can prove it’s a lie.

I’m sorry, Goddess. I’m such a blockhead that I couldn’t even think of a proper excuse… But you asked me to speak badly about you first, right? I was just keeping my promise.

While I was trying to rationalize my actions, Rebecca asked a question.

“Why would the Goddess take your memories?”

“I don’t know either. What a creepy goddess, I tell you.”

I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…

This is all a lie. You know that, right, Goddess? I absolutely don’t mean it. I absolutely don’t mean it!

While I was berating myself, Rebecca spoke with genuine anger.

“You’re right. That rotten, selfish, garbage woman wouldn’t help us without a reason. She probably took your memories just for her own amusement.”

I regretted not telling the truth from the beginning, but it was too late for that now.

This is all for Rebecca’s sake anyway. If she knew the truth, it could be even worse.

“Come to think of it, we have something in common—we’ve both been mocked by a deity. Let’s support each other as people in the same situation.”

Then Rebecca went back to her room.

Judas sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. But I made the Goddess a scapegoat without any compensation.

Even though the Goddess asked me to do it, the fact remains that I made her a scapegoat. But at least I didn’t nail her to a cross, so maybe I’m better than Judas?

While I was crushed by guilt, I suddenly thought of the perfect excuse for why I suddenly had divine power.

But it’s already over. Why do these thoughts only come to me after everything’s done?

With that bitter aftertaste, this sinner who sold out a deity prepared breakfast.

Today’s breakfast should be called “The Last Supper.”

***

During our meal together, a question occurred to me.

“By the way, how do I use divine power?”

I gratefully accepted it since it was given to me, but I don’t actually know how to use it. This is like putting a pearl necklace on a pig.

“I’ll teach you. The payment will be your body…”

“Rebecca, how do I use divine power?”

“Please hold out your hand for a moment.”

I no longer feel uncomfortable talking with Rebecca. Plus, our relationship has improved so much that I don’t need to ask Agath for help.

With that thought, I held out my hand to Rebecca, and Agath responded with a shocked expression.

“I liked you first…”

After holding out my hand for several dozen seconds, Rebecca looked at me with a pitying expression and said:

“Lite, unfortunately, you don’t have the right aptitude.”

“What does that mean?”

“Usually, people have at least one aptitude among healing, blessing, or sanctification techniques. But you don’t have any aptitude at all.”

“…So I can’t use divine power?”

“It’s okay. If you don’t have the aptitude, you just need to work several times harder than others. Then you can use divine techniques like everyone else.”

Fortunately, it seems that lacking aptitude doesn’t mean I can’t use the techniques at all. Is it time to rekindle my academic passion after a long time?

Since I’ve lived for 19 years… it’s time to rekindle my academic passion after 19 years!

…I really haven’t studied much in my life, have I?

But my hope was shattered into pieces by Rebecca’s additional comment.

“However, you should be prepared to spend at least five years learning just one technique.”

It takes five years to learn one technique. And the Demon King is supposed to appear in one month.

Look at this, Goddess! The power you worked 165 hours to obtain has become useless!

The power to turn divine power into trash!

While I was lamenting my situation, Leo suddenly spoke up.

“Can’t you just shoot divine power as bullets? Why bother learning techniques?”

“Ah.”

Look at this, Goddess! The power you worked 165 hours to obtain has become useful!

The power to turn divine power into bullets!

So I immediately tried to convert about 1% of my divine power into a bullet and shoot it, but 10% was loaded. Is 10% the minimum for divine power?

Anyway, the bullet was fired. But strangely, I couldn’t hear the sound of the bullet being fired.

While I was puzzled, Leo glared at me and said:

“Just yesterday, we received about three complaints. So please stop doing crazy things like shooting out the window.”

“Yes…”

Rebecca, who had been quietly observing, said:

“When you use divine power as bullets, it comes out in the form of healing?”

“So if someone gets hit by this bullet, they’ll recover?”

“Yes.”

I wonder how much it heals? It would be nice to have a subject to experiment on, but it’s not right to hurt someone just for an experiment.

By the way, now I have both dealing and healing abilities. It would have been perfect if I had tanking abilities too, but that’s a bit disappointing. Is that too greedy of me?

I continued my meal feeling grateful to the Goddess.

***

I finished getting ready to go out as usual. Fortunately, I still feel embarrassed every time I wash or change clothes.

I’m glad my masculinity is still intact… I hope it stays this way…

While I was comfortably resting during the 30 minutes before work, Leo suddenly opened the door and came in.

“We got a request. Get ready to leave now.”

Going to work 30 minutes early—what a wickedly cruel boss.

“What kind of request is it?”

“Villains are holding hostages at a bank. Let’s go subdue them all quickly.”

“You know my physical condition is quite fragile right now…”

“Don’t care.”

And so I was dragged to the bank.

***

When we arrived at the bank, I saw police officers surrounding it. One police officer came to us, trembling.

“Hero, there are about 20 villains inside the bank right now. And there are about 10 hostages.”

“Got it, we’ll handle it somehow.”

“Thank you!”

The police officer left, almost running away with a sigh of relief. And I remembered what Leo had said before.

‘Another person who could destroy the world alone.’

That was all a lie. People just act that way because Leo himself is a lunatic.

Talking with a lunatic who immediately flips the rage switch at the slightest verbal misstep? It’s terrifying just to imagine. That’s why people fear him.

Leo will probably never realize this fact for the rest of his life.

“Okay, let’s make a plan first. Any good ideas?”

As soon as Leo finished speaking, Agath immediately said:

“I have a perfect plan.”

“What is it?”

“First, Lite needs to go to those villains with nothing on. Then the villains will definitely try to gang-rape Lite. And while Lite is being gang-raped, we’ll secretly rescue the hostages. What do you think? Isn’t it perfect?”

The more I listen, the more my mind becomes confused, but I pointed out one flaw in this garbage plan.

“What if I get taken hostage by the villains?”

“Then you’ll be taken to the villain’s hideout and we’ll lose contact with you. And a mysterious tape will be sent to the boy you like. The content of that tape…”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I turned my disgust into bullets and shot them into the air. But I still felt utterly disgusted, so I kept shooting. After firing several dozen shots, my mind became somewhat clearer.

“But if that’s the case, couldn’t Agath sacrifice herself instead? Why does it have to be me?”

“Agath is a baby… she needs to be protected.”

Agath made a simple wordplay. Really, she’s making jokes even in this situation? And if you’re going to make a joke, at least make it funny instead of something so unfunny that no one laughs…

“…Pfft.”

Suddenly Leo snickered. Then Leo’s expression darkened rapidly.

“…I feel pathetic for snickering at something like this.”

“Don’t worry. You really do look pathetic.”

“…”

As a brief silence fell, Agath broke it by shouting loudly:

“I’ve thought of a truly perfect plan!”

“What kind of plan is it this time…”

“I’ll be right back!”

Agath jumped up to the roof of the bank without even telling us her plan.

…Well, I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.

After Agath suddenly left, Leo spoke up:

“Now it’s my turn to present a plan. Do you know the saying ‘put yourself in someone else’s shoes’? That’s my plan.”

“You mean persuade them with sweet talk?”

“No. We’ll take one of those villains hostage and reverse the hostage situation.”

“That sounds good.”

If one of their comrades is taken hostage, they’ll find it difficult to act rashly. And they can’t harm their hostages carelessly. If they did, they’d only be reducing their own numbers.

What about us? If we kill the enemy we’ve taken hostage, we’ve just eliminated one villain. So we can only benefit.

“Right? Then let’s execute it right away.”

As if she had some complaint about this perfect plan, Rebecca sighed and said:

“Are you all in your right minds? What if there are casualties…”

“「Mist Path」”

The white mist that erupted from Leo’s hand immediately made the interior of the bank foggy.

“Let’s enter!”

“Yes.”

As we were about to enter the bank, Rebecca suddenly grabbed me and said:

“…Lite? You weren’t this kind of person. What happened to you?”

“Rebecca. I gained a significant realization while fighting the demon. To protect what’s precious, you need to have the resolve to match.”

I almost killed Ju-an by trying to conserve my lifespan. At that time, I made a resolution: don’t fear losing something in order to protect.

So to protect these hostages, I need to be prepared for small sacrifices.

“Lite, please calm down first…”

“I’ll be back!”

I shook off Rebecca’s arm and followed Leo into the bank.

I might seem too rational now, but my mind is at ease, so I guess it’s fine.