Chapter 7 : How To Get Back

Neb raised her index finger as she explained.

A faint pink hue shimmered at the tip of her slender, long finger.

“The first method is simple, but it comes with a certain amount of danger.”

Her fingertip pointed toward the sun peeking through the leaves.

“It involves receiving help from my younger brother.”

“…Brother?”

I tilted my head slightly.

Come to think of it, when Neb gave her grand self-introduction earlier, I vaguely remember something about her being someone’s sister.

‘Though I don’t really remember it clearly.’

I doubt anyone could remember that long and elaborate introduction in full.

I only half-listened myself.

“So who is it?”

“Ahem.”

At my question, Neb cleared her throat.

“He is the second rising sun.”

A strange sense of déjà vu came over me.

Thanks to that, I was able to cut off her continuing explanation.

“Skip.”

“The glory of… Huh?”

“Skipping the unnecessary parts.”

I had no interest in her flowery language.

Even if I listened, I wouldn’t understand it anyway.

Neb pouted, then muttered with a disgruntled tone,

“But this is the most important part…”

“No, I get it. So don’t look at your goddess with that expression….”

There was no way I could refuse the (forceful) request of a merciless barbarian.

Looking a bit dejected, Neb continued speaking.

“…His name is Rundel.”

“Rundel.”

“Yes. You’ve heard of him too, haven’t you?”

Neb nodded in response to my muttering.

Of course I had heard the name.

In fact, there wasn’t a soul in the world who hadn’t.

In this world, there exists a “One True God.”

At least, that’s what people believe.

And that god’s name was none other than Rundel.

‘…That’s kind of strange.’

Unaware of my thoughts, Neb continued her explanation.

“He’s the cute and kind younger brother of the goddess. Though he’s a bit immature, that’s his only flaw.”

An immature god with divine power.

That already sounded concerning.

And if he was truly just a “kind being,” then it would be odd that the name of the goddess standing before me wasn’t known to the world.

Whether she realized this or not, Neb ended her explanation with a calm expression.

“If this goddess personally goes and asks him, he would surely grant her request. So by using this method, there is a possibility you could return to your original world.”

“…You said ‘possibility’?”

It wasn’t even a sure method.

Neb cautiously avoided my gaze.

“Well, he’s a bit clumsy in some areas…”

“Hmm.”

“If something goes wrong, there’s a chance you might be sent to a completely different world instead…”

“Like where, exactly?”

After thinking for a moment, Neb added,

“A place where pyramids are built…”

“I’ll go with the second method.”

I didn’t fully understand how one could travel between worlds in a game-like world, but I could tell this method was risky.

…And if it came down to it, I’d rather not end up in the ancient era instead of the medieval one.

007. The Way Back

Honestly, if I said the word “revenge” didn’t come to mind when I heard of the sun god’s existence, I’d be lying.

If Neb standing in front of me wasn’t the one who brought me into this world, then the only other option would be another god’s intervention.

But still—

Finding a way to return to my original world took priority.

“The second method is for the goddess to reclaim the power she lost.”

“Didn’t you say it was sealed or something?”

Neb nodded in response.

“It’s not the most precise way to put it, but it’s close enough.”

Then she pointed at me with her fingertip—

More precisely, at my hand.

“Do you remember the relic we received from the old man yesterday?”

“You mean that weird-looking statue?”

What kind of relic is that?

It crumbled into junk the moment I applied a little pressure.

Neb nodded at my response.

“Though all the power it once held has long since faded, and only scraps remained… a relic is still a relic.”

She placed her hand over her chest, as if recalling something.

“You heard a voice, didn’t you? It sounded angry… or maybe it was crying.”

Then she turned to me and smiled softly.

“It was thanks to you that this goddess was able to appear in the world in physical form.”

So breaking the statue caused that?

Because I sure hadn’t done anything else.

As if reading my thoughts, Neb added,

“When the goddess first saw you, I honestly thought you might be someone carrying the blood of another god.”

“…?”

“A hero, or perhaps a demigod.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Neb patted my shoulder a couple of times like it wasn’t worth worrying about.

“To put it simply, someone worthy called out to the goddess—and the goddess used all her remaining power to appear in this world.”

That… kind of made sense.

…Also kind of sounded like nonsense.

“So now, the power I have is very weak. Not only has much of the divine energy leaked out from the ancient relic…”

Her golden eyes turned toward me.

“There are still other relics scattered across the world that contain the goddess’s power.”

That part I understood.

I replied, as if entranced by her words.

“Then, if I find all those other relics…”

“Exactly.”

Neb nodded.

“When that time comes, I will personally send you back to your original world.”

“And to add to that—this goddess can sense the location of the relics. You won’t have to worry about losing your way.”

I hesitated.

Was it really the right choice to go along with everything Neb said?

Why had she lost her power?

Why is it that only one god is known in this world?

Could I really help her regain her strength without knowing the full story?

But my hesitation didn’t last long.

“I’ll go with the second method.”

By the time I finished thinking, the decision was already out of my mouth.

After all, the most important thing to me was returning to my original world.

To escape from the monsters and demons threatening my life, the trashy medieval food, the flea-ridden bedding, and the backstabbing medieval humans.

To feel the cool air of an air conditioner again,

Drink an ice-cold soda,

And see my living parents’ faces again.

That was all I wanted.

“You’re not lying about being able to send me back, right?”

“Of course not. Once this goddess sheds her fragile human form and regains her true self, she will be able to accomplish anything.”

I stared at Neb without answering.

Sensing the meaning behind my gaze, she added briefly,

“I swear it—on the name of this goddess. When I return to my true form, I will send you back to the world you came from.”

‘…Alright.’

It could all turn out to be a lie.

But even the smallest bit of hope was enough to fill me with joy.

I had believed I’d be stuck in this world forever—suffering discrimination and unable to return.

…But now, at least there’s a chance.

I reached out to Neb.

“It’s a promise.”

“Indeed.”

The promise ended with a handshake.

We looked into each other’s eyes.

Neb had always been beautiful, but now she seemed to shine even more brightly than before.

Really…

“I almost feel like I should kiss you.”

“…What.”

“Nothing.”

I stood up from the rock I’d been sitting on.

Maybe caught off guard by the sudden comment, Neb looked up at me with wide eyes.

“Wh-What do you mean by that…?”

Apparently it wasn’t something she wanted to hear from a savage barbarian—her expression darkened slightly.

…Come on, it wasn’t that bad.

I wasn’t even a real barbarian.

I use fancy shampoo. I know how to use soap. I’m a man of civilization.

If my genuine affection keeps getting trampled like this, I will become an actual brute…

Okay, I might’ve been getting a bit carried away.

With a dumb little joke to myself, I turned my head toward a different direction.

“Someone’s coming.”

“That’s not the point. The goddess is asking about what you just said.”

“Three people.”

“…Tch.”

Neb stomped the ground in frustration.

But my gaze was already turned toward the sound of footsteps.

‘That direction… Must be villagers.’

Out of habit, I reached for my axe—then hesitated.

The sound was too light for the distance it came from.

“…Hey, hey. Is this the right way?”

“If you don’t believe me, what are you gonna do about it?” I said it was.

“They told us not to come this far though…”

I could hear the voices of children.

As I stared intently through the bushes, I saw the silhouettes of three children cautiously approaching, glancing around.

“…Huh?”

I made eye contact with one of them.

It was a familiar face.

‘That’s the kid who guided me at the village entrance.’

With our height difference being almost double, I felt like I was looking at dwarves.

The other kids following behind him seemed to notice us too and started nudging each other nervously.

“…Tsk.”

Neb’s gaze sharpened again.

She looked like she was about to step forward, but I raised my hand to stop her.

If she lashed out like she did with the village chief, the kids would probably run away crying.

And besides, I had a feeling there might be another reason they came looking for us like this.

“Um, excuse me…”

The kid I remembered stepped forward and began walking toward us.

Their faces had already gone pale.

The other two had regret clearly written all over their expressions.

“S-Shouldn’t have come…”

One of the kids muttered to himself, thinking I wouldn’t hear.

But the barbarian uncle hears everything.

‘…What’s going on now?’

The three of them stopped right in front of me.

“Th-Thank…”

Thank?

“Thank you for saving the village…!”

And all three bowed their heads at once.

Neb looked a bit surprised.

I was too.

I didn’t know what to say, so I just kept looking at them.

Then the kid who guided me before started rummaging through his clothes.

What he pulled out was a handful of coins—one silver coin I had given him as a tip yesterday, and a few copper coins that looked like he had saved them himself.

“Truly, from the bottom of our hearts… thank you.”

They must’ve heard Neb’s scolding of the village chief.

“I-I’m Damian. May I know the warrior’s name…?”

The unexpected situation left me speechless for a moment, but then I felt a warm sensation rising from somewhere deep in my chest.

I smiled before I realized it.

I walked slowly toward Damian.

Even though my approach might have been intimidating, none of the kids backed away.

Just like I did at the inn’s entrance, I gently patted Damian and the other kids on their heads.

“My name is Eden.”

Kids really are better than most adults.

After saying that, I turned toward the outskirts of the village and started walking.

I didn’t have any belongings to pack anyway.

Wasting a day’s room fee was a bit of a shame, but I had no time to spare.

‘If I’m going to find relics whose locations are unknown, I need to start moving now.’

I walked along the rough forest path.

I could still feel the kids’ gazes on my back.

“Thank you!”

“Thanks a lot!”

The other kids must’ve gained courage from Damian, and belatedly shouted their gratitude too.

I didn’t look back, just waved my hand in the air.

Soon after, Neb caught up to me with a small smile and asked,

“You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Yeah.”

“But… the nearest relic isn’t in this direction. It’s the other way…!”

I let her words go in one ear and out the other, continuing to walk straight ahead.

It felt a little awkward to suddenly change direction now.

“D-Do you even know where you’re going?”

“……”

“This tree looks familiar…”

“……”