Published: August 25, 2025
Today, five chapters posted simultaneously.
This is the second chapter of this story.
"I’m awake."
Who is that...? Someone's here. A girl? She looks somewhat familiar, but I can’t quite place her...
"You’re awake, or rather, I suppose I woke you. However, it seems you haven’t fully regained consciousness yet."
Gain... right, I was supposed to receive treatment. How much time has passed, I wonder...
"Um, do you feel unwell?"
"No... is it over...?"
My head feels fuzzy, but I don’t feel sick. When I try to sit up, not only Gain but also Kufo and Lurutia are here, along with Tekun and Lady Felnoberia, who weren’t here earlier.
"Tekun, why are you here?"
"Gain called me so he could take his time with the treatment."
"The longer the stay, the more carefully we can handle it."
Ah! That’s right, there was a limit to how long I could stay here.
"I see, thank you."
"Don’t mention it. Here, drink this."
With that, Tekun hands me a cup of sake. Every time I meet Tekun, alcohol is the first thing that comes out...
"Drink it now?"
"Just take a good gulp."
I take a sip. It’s not like alcohol, but it gives me a warm sensation throughout my body.
"...What is this?"
"It’s medicinal liquor, helps with alertness and calming the mind. Perfect for you right now."
"Ah, I do feel more awake."
Though it’s called medicinal liquor, I can hardly feel any alcohol. Rather than getting drunk, it feels like a refreshing mint, clearing my groggy head.
And then, I finally realize:
"Oh, right, that unfamiliar goddess I saw—"
"She is here."
"What!?"
Before I know it, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed goddess in the form of a young girl stands behind me. Her attire is close to gothic lolita style, making her expression hard to read; she even reminds me of a bisque doll. Who is she... Lady Mano Airoa or Lady Meltrise?
"First—"
"I know the situation. Ryoma Takebayashi, this transferee."
"—Yes, that’s right."
"I am Meltrise, the goddess of death and sleep. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you."
"Now, let me explain the situation."
"Wait a minute. You all just met, right?"
"You’re pushing ahead without even proper introductions."
Tekun and Kufo stop Lady Meltrise, who was about to dive right into the main topic. They had said a word or two, but the three gods then fell silent. They must be communicating in some divine way. Though I can’t hear their voices, watching them, I feel like I’m starting to understand her personality.
In my past life, one subordinate was considered rude for being too blunt or not saying enough, and I try to be careful about that, but sometimes I slip up.
...Doing that with a tough demeanor in my past life meant I was seen as cheeky by elders and intimidating by juniors. I guess Lady Meltrise might be similar?
"I don’t mind as much as you do. More precisely, I have no one to mind me. But your impression is mostly correct."
Ah, I didn’t say that out loud, but she heard it.
"It’s fine. I’m not offended. Being quick to understand is good. You can call me Meltrise, and talk to me informally."
"I hope I wasn’t rude."
"Enough of that, let’s get on with the story."
"First, I’ll talk about the curse Ryoma has. To be clear, the curse hasn’t been lifted yet."
Gain looks like he just tasted something bitter, but it doesn’t seem like a severe situation. I silently wait for more.
"The troublesome part is that a fragment of the Demon King, which was dwelling in the magic stone, escaped into your soul through the curse... Think of it like a parasite. Actually, it barely has any will of its own. It acts on instinct to avoid disappearing, which is why it ended up this way.
We can remove both the curse and the fragment immediately, but forcing it would put a heavy burden on your soul. Therefore, this time we only partially removed the curse and applied treatment to suppress the remaining curse.
If we repeat this treatment periodically with intervals to reduce your burden, the curse and fragment can be removed safely. It’ll take some effort, but we’d like you to come regularly for a while. The duration and frequency can be adjusted, but roughly once a month for a year, aiming for twelve sessions."