Private Matters
Personal, unmaintained mountain paths were incredibly dangerous. Especially for hiking novices. Even in modern society, plenty of folks underestimated their local hills and came stumbling down utterly spent. And walking a trail lurking with rocks everywhere, shrouded in unidentified thickets—for someone unprepared, it was tantamount to torture.
“...No more.”
A weary voice drifted from behind.
“I can't walk any further...!”
And so.
The fact that Neb—who lacked proper travel gear, wearing only clothes and shoes of unknown make—had managed to keep up with Eden this far was nothing short of astonishing.
'This should do.'
Eden set down his axes at a suitable spot. He spread his thick robe on the ground and gathered dry branches with practiced ease. He kindled a fire and prepared their bedding.
Speaking to Neb, who was slumped on his discarded robe, Eden said, “We'll stop here for today.”
Dusk was already creeping in. Shadows in the forest fell fast. If he were alone, fine—but with a baggage-like companion trailing him, caution never hurt.
Neb leaned against a large boulder. It was a spot shielded from rain and wind by ancient branches and rock walls.
“I never knew walking could be such grueling labor.”
With that, she stretched out her long legs. Strangely, after trudging forest paths for so long, not a single injury marred her.
“Behold. This goddess's legs haven't swollen like a pig's, have they?”
“......”
Hard to tell. Eden glanced sidelong at her legs (born a man, what can you do) while gutting and skinning the rabbit he'd caught midway.
“That's pretty good pace. Be satisfied.”
“Hee-hee, praise?”
“Just my honest take.”
He'd acknowledge what deserved it. Neb had no leather boots fitted to her feet, no clothes to retain body heat, no cloak against the dew.
'Was ready to carry her if she fell behind...'
She had a tougher side than her looks suggested.
Pleased by the praise, Neb smiled faintly and basked in the campfire's warmth. Then her eyes narrowed slyly.
She muttered in a dissatisfied tone.
“...If someone hadn't insisted on leading the way, claiming to know the path, we wouldn't be wandering like this.”
“......”
Eden naturally ignored that glare. An essential skill for a barbarian surviving the medieval wilds.
008. Personal Matters
Neb kept grumbling afterward.
“Tell me. Aren't we just trudging through the woods, not even on a path? When this goddess suggested we might've taken a wrong turn and proposed going back...”
His ears were ringing. He wanted to retort, but no good comeback came to mind.
After all, Eden had gotten them lost.
Ignoring her nagging, Eden tossed more firewood onto the flames. It was early spring in a cool region, so flying insects were scarce.
Whoosh—the fire blazed higher. As the warmth enveloped her, Neb's expression softened with ease. She almost looked dim-witted like this.
“...What's with that look you're giving this goddess?”
Sharp where it didn't matter. Eden tossed her the goatskin waterskin.
“Ack...!”
Neb barely caught the sudden projectile. Eyes wide, she gulped it down like savoring an ice-cold beer.
“Ahh.”
Perhaps embarrassed by her blatant display, she cleared her throat and added an explanation.
“Ahem... Having physiological needs in this body isn't all bad.”
Eden skewered the cleaned rabbit and set it over the fire without responding. Soon, sizzle-sizzle—the fat rendered on the surface.
Not much meat, but enough to whet the appetite.
He bit into a well-roasted piece.
'...Better than wild boar.'
Less gamey, too. Spices would've been nice, though.
But Neb—who seemed unfamiliar with wild game—didn't look pleased.
“...Doesn't it taste a bit off?”
“Nah.”
“And it's chewy...”
Compared to a cheeseburger, sure. Eden chewed steadily. Perfectly grilled.
Watching her mutter complaints under her breath, he thought:
'...Goddess, my ass. Just a spoiled noble lady raised in luxury.'
It evoked old memories. He couldn't grasp what a 'goddess' in this fantasy world even meant. Far from the image from his modern life.
Never mind turning water to wine—she lacked any majesty or decorum.
Her speech was archaic, sure, but that was it.
“Are gods usually like this?”
The question slipped out unbidden, born of those thoughts.
Neb was delicately picking at the rabbit meat like a cat with fish.
“Eden. First, you'd best shed your misconceptions and prejudices.”
She set the meat down carefully to avoid the dirt and met his eyes.
“Your premise is wrong from the start. It's not that gods are like this—some gods are like this. Just as this goddess has never tasted rabbit before.”
Her eyes held an unknowable glint as she continued.
“In this world, gods are but one form of life. If all were 'omnipotent' as you imagine, this goddess wouldn't have lost her power, would she?”
She stretched her legs again.
“They exist because people believe—not the other way around.”
She gazed at the flickering flames.
“This goddess ended up like this because there's a limit to what even she can do.”
Fair enough. Gods in games were all like that. Hell, one didn't even call itself [World].
Eden nodded naturally.
“But worry not. As this goddess said, once she regains her power, sending you home will be trivial. Even if it's hard for her little brother.”
“...Pass.”
An empty promise for now, anyway.
'Her brother—the Sun God, right.'
Eden voiced the question that arose.
“If the goal is regaining power, why not just meet that cute, kind brother and ask?”
“...That's.”
Neb gazed innocently at the night sky, feigning nonchalance.
“This goddess's little secret. Call it a last resort.”
“What kinda lunatic says that so brazenly?”
Offended by his response, Neb raised her voice in mock anger.
“What tone is that for a goddess? She doesn't demand full honorifics, but curses are too much.”
Barbarian habit. Slipped out.
“Mm, I'll watch it.”
Fair point. Getting called out on speech was rare. In medieval times, polite barbarians got no respect.
“Mm, this goddess humbly requests it. Except when sharing bedding, of course.”
She wrapped herself in his laid-out robe and lay down casually beside him.
Eden inwardly chided himself at the sight.
In his rush, he'd barely prepared in the village. He could sleep anywhere, but Neb needed at least a thick robe to survive the night chill.
'My mistake.'
He moved to the opposite side from where she lay. Leaning against the rock, he gazed at a night sky unseen in modern times.
“......”
But.
'Sharing bedding is fine...?'
He could've sworn he heard something weird.
* * *
His mind was foggy. Blinking heavy eyes open, a familiar scene greeted him.
Eden stood in the center of his modern one-room apartment.
“...?”
Always a perfect size, no matter how often he saw it. The optional fridge and washer caught his eye; the air purifier—a birthday gift from his parents—hummed softly.
'A dream...?'
Obviously not reality. Years of medieval hardship couldn't be hallucinations.
Yet the bizarrely vivid realism muddled his thoughts. Every sense screamed this is real.
He felt a disconnect there. You could mistake dream for reality, but not vice versa.
“...What the hell.”
He scanned the surroundings again.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang suddenly. He swallowed dryly.
He hadn't forgotten how to open the door. Very slowly.
One more step. Thud, thud—his feet kept moving. Heart pounding like it would burst, sweat trickling down his spine.
A creak from old hinges.
The door opened.
Bang!! Confetti rained down on his head.
“?”
A beaming Neb appeared beyond the door.
“Hee-hee! How was this goddess's surprise?”
“......”
* * *
Eden belatedly checked his body. Muscles still bulging. Scars from lazy character customization intact.
His original self back home did basic workouts, but nothing like this.
Finally, it sank in—he wasn't home.
'Oh, cola too.'
Wonder if it tastes the same. He pulled a chilled lemon zero from P Corp. from the fridge.
Hiss... The nostalgic fizz brought tears to his eyes.
“......!!”
This throat-tickling carbonation. A different thrill from mint-choco cheeseburgers.
'Heart's feeling generous.'
His calmest state since isekai'd. Enough to forgive the confetti ambush.
“You can drop your hands now.”
“R-Really okay...?”
“Tch.”
At his words, Neb quickly lowered her raised hands.
He'd almost gotten mad, but gratitude was gratitude.
Seeing her face reaffirmed it was all a 'dream'.
“A dream, right.”
“...Indeed.”
Neb massaged her numb arms, face scrunched.
“This goddess rules the first moon to rise. Dominating dreams is child's play for her...”
“Why no heads-up?”
“Well, um...”
He could guess without asking. The confetti said it: pure mischief to startle him.
Like with the cheeseburger in that similar space.
Eden glanced around. Exact replica of his memory—down to the dust on the wallpaper.
“...You peeked into my memories.”
He figured how she'd recreated cheeseburgers, cola, mint choco. Pyramids, too—stuff she'd never know.
His private life suddenly exposed left him flustered.
Neb defended herself cautiously.
“N-Not on purpose! When you first summoned this goddess, an error occurred during her body's formation...”
No point blaming the past. It'd let him taste cold cola again, after all.
But.
A question remained.
“...How much did you see?”
“Worry not. Truly just a bit.”
Neb nodded awkwardly.
“This goddess saw none of your bookmarks or folders on the computer or hard drive.”
“......”
Die.