By the Grace of the Gods

“That was quite an ordeal…”

After that bombshell announcement stirred the entire hall into excitement, the first half of the ceremony concluded without incident? Together with the bride and groom and their family roles, we stepped down from the stage and plunged straight into the banquet… but there, I was swept away by the crowd.

I let my guard down for a moment, and before I realized it, like prey caught and dragged off by a bird of prey, I found myself separated from the bride and groom. But that wasn’t all. Now, a group of other attendees who also couldn’t get close to the bride and groom gathered around me. Moreover, since the bride and groom had received the gods’ blessing, everyone was in high spirits.

They were so overwhelmed with joy that they made a huge fuss over everything—from the compatibility of the bride and groom to the quality of the dress and decorations, even the taste of the food—wondering what pleased the gods so much. Since I had created the divine statues and directed the stage’s construction, I was held for some time, receiving praise, which left me feeling somewhat exhausted.

…Now I do believe in the gods, but being originally Japanese, I honestly felt a bit of a disconnect regarding their faith… Well, that aside—

“Thanks to you, I was saved.”

“For something like this, no thanks are necessary. I just happened to be getting some food.”

She probably really did mean it was just a “coincidence.”

That was Yui, a self-proclaimed matchmaking fairy, who rescued me from the crowd.

Like a skilled waitress, she carried five plates piled high with food—balanced on her hands, arms, even atop her head—all at once.

Strangely, she placed the plates on a table that had suddenly emptied of people and sat down, beginning to eat heartily. Although there were others around, she paid them no mind. It must have been her power. Upon closer observation, there was an aura resembling a concealment barrier.

…Though faint enough to be unnoticed unless you knew it was there…

“Why don’t you sit down until the commotion dies down a bit?”

“Then, with your permission.”

I took the seat opposite her.

“Is it really rare for a bride and groom to receive blessings from the gods, like this time?”

“It’s rare and quite an honor, but it can happen if one is lucky. Several couples I’ve supported up to their weddings have had blessings, and the last time was about 30 years ago. However, the couples I’m involved with aren’t the whole world, so I can’t say how likely it is… but the bigger issue is the number of blessings.”

“So this time there were more than usual?”

“As far as I know, it’s normal for there to be no blessing from the gods, and if there is one, it’s usually from a single deity. But those two… I quietly approached earlier to ask, and both received blessings from Lurutia-sama. The groom got blessings from Kufo-sama and Tekun-sama, and the bride from Wilieris-sama and Gain-sama. That’s not three gods combined, but five gods blessing them.”

Knowing I’m a transferee, she didn’t say it was normal but explained politely…

Was what Alafral said about “three gods each” not just about the three divine statues!?!

“…That expression on your face… did you do something?”

“I didn’t do anything directly, but I have a suspicion about why it turned out this way. I’ll tell you, trusting Yui, who is the familiar of a senior transferee.

I have the Divine Decree skill and have had chances to speak with the gods, so I know they sometimes observe transferees. Sometimes simply to see if the person from another world has adapted to life, sometimes because something about the person sparked their interest, or they become wary if the power they granted is being misused. Different reasons.”

“I see. From the way you speak, you yourself are being observed now. And the gods who were watching you also watched the wedding ceremony.”

“Most likely.”

If Tekun is there, he’s almost certainly drinking in the divine realm, and Kufo and Gain probably give blessings in a rather casual way… Actually, blessings and protections are just things humans appreciate; to the gods, they don’t carry that much weight.