Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: I Am Your God - 1
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But Leraje didn't say another word.
"So? Why'd you call me here?"
"I didn't exactly call for you specifically... but since you got summoned here, you seem like a powerful enough demon to represent Hell. Should be fine."
I explained the current situation to her.
When Leraje heard that hundreds of people had been dragged off to another world, her expression turned grave.
"Another world? This is getting complicated."
"Yeah. You know once something happens once, it can happen again? If humans keep getting pulled over like this, eventually this world and that one will connect."
"I think so too."
Leraje nodded in agreement, speaking calmly.
"Maybe that's why monsters that should only be in dimensional rifts are popping out here too."
Humans from this world crossing over to another.
Monsters from another world crossing into this one.
If you applied the law of equivalent exchange, we couldn't just let this slide.
"I need your help with this."
"Me?"
"I can't bring all those people straight back here. So I'm thinking of using Purgatory, Hell, and a few other places as waypoints."
The stops before that were fine.
According to magical theory, those were places where the living or dead could stay temporarily.
But Purgatory and Hell were different.
We needed permission from their rulers.
Places like Heaven or the Western Paradise were completely off-limits.
"These are people captured by another world. No guarantee their bodies, minds, or souls are intact. So we borrow Purgatory's power to heal them there before bringing them back here."
Leraje groaned at my words.
"Hell alone might be manageable... but using Purgatory too? That's not easy."
"Help me out with that. You're more likely to get through to them than a living human like me."
Leraje furrowed her pretty brow slightly.
"Hmm. Fine. But what's in it for me? Leading them to Purgatory, taking them into my domain, and sending them to this world from there—that's no problem. But why should I bother?"
I knew this was coming.
"What do you want? A fight?"
"That does sound tempting, but it'd be a waste of this opportunity. I want something else."
"Something else? What?"
"Let me come to your world."
She's aiming big.
"Make a contract with me or something?"
"Something like that. Let me roam the mortal realm."
"You want to descend as a demon? Are you nuts?"
"No, no. I'm not asking for that much. Just let me create a body and come over. No full descent of my true form."
Create a body to inhabit.
So not possessing a living person. Might be okay?
"I'll lend you a corner of my domain. And I can make sure no other demons interfere with what happens there. Purgatory issue solved as a bonus."
Leraje was dead serious.
Didn't seem like she was trying to scam me...
"No causing trouble here."
We might save hundreds only for thousands to suffer.
"That sounds good, but I want something else more."
"Something else? What?"
"Love."
"...You're lonely, huh?"
Tsk tsk.
Living in solitary confinement?
Maybe I should call another demon for a blind date?
"Argh! What nonsense! I just want to see love."
"According to Solomon's demonology, Leraje governs not just strife and victory, but also contrasting elements like love and pleasure..."
"Yeah. Solomon said it long ago. Love is the most beautiful thing."
"So you want to come see human love?"
"Exactly."
"Fine. That much is okay. But no causing trouble. Or you're dead. For real."
"Heh heh. Deal."
The contract was sealed.
Even if Leraje handled Purgatory and Hell, guiding them from the other world was my job.
I spread the Silence of the Sheep and read carefully.
And found a suitable spell.
"Hey, kids. Help me out."
-Aaaah!!
-Shhhrrrk!!
-Whoooong!!
What's so dangerous about them? They listen so well.
I prepared the spell as the grimoires let out affirmative sounds.
I needed to guide them discreetly to each world, so a different spell from before.
Mandrakes grown in the field, other herbs and spices.
And a ton of meat ordered.
When I arrived at the open field prepared by the Association, familiar and unfamiliar faces were waiting.
"Hey~!"
"Huh? What are you doing here?"
It was Neia.
A stern-looking man in glasses stood beside her.
He scanned me up and down before extending a hand.
"Book Mage. Nice to meet you."
"Yeah. You talk like we're buddies on first meeting, so you know me? Who are you?"
"Name's Choppunshin, but..."
Sounds like someone good at uppercuts.
"You probably know me better as Wind's Scar."
"Oh."
The laid-back mage I saw often on the gallery.
Seemed half-mad from all the shitposts, but he looked normal enough.
"Association sent me to support you."
"Don't really need help."
This spell had to be done solo anyway.
"Then pretend I'm here to watch your magic."
"Hmph. Isn't this just hanging out? Oh, by the way, do you know Neia's nick?"
"I do, but if she hasn't told you, she doesn't want you to know. So I shouldn't—cough cough."
Neia swiftly grabbed Wind's Scar by the throat and shook him.
"You little shit! I'll kill you if you tell!"
"Heh. Think you can kill me? Wanna bet your life on a fight?"
Chatting away even with his throat grabbed.
I ignored their bickering and got to work.
"What're you doing?"
"Drawing a magic circle."
"Need any help?"
"Nope. Just watch from back there."
I drew the circle with Saint Martha's Staff and placed offerings at each point.
Done.
"This seems serious. Totally different materials from last time."
"Illegal immigration gets harder the bigger the group."
I double-checked the laid-out materials, offerings, and positions of the missing people's belongings.
This should do it.
I played the video on my phone of the virgin ghost playing the recorder.
A melancholic recorder melody spread across the field.
"O follower of the King of Winds, child of the one who exists everywhere and nowhere. Servant of the freely roaming one. Guide the lost according to your will."
⟨ Wind Guidance Spell ⟩
The offerings vanished.
A massive wind began to blow.
"Wh-what...? Th-this wind?!"
"Uweeeck!!"
Wind's Scar, the wind mage, looked bewildered, while Neia started dry-heaving behind him.
Serves them right for coming to see something cool... Tsk tsk.
The powerful wind raged on.
Surprisingly, it didn't affect the surroundings at all.
It only took the prepared offerings.
As the wind slowly died down, Wind's Scar rushed over frantically.
"Hey! What was that?! That wind!!"
"Wind from another world."
"No way..."
"You could call it a kind of dragon's wind."
"Dragon?!"
"More precisely, borrowing the power of dragon-like beings from another world. They can fly through the skies, and tracking flyers is hard, so this'll get people out."
Then through the prepared paths to each world, and finally to Purgatory.
"There. Done."
"That's... it?"
"Want more? I know a decent otherworldly spell."
"Ugh, no. Keep it."
He sighed heavily, clearly traumatized by otherworldly magic.
Then he spoke in a serious tone.
"But that spell you just used."
"Yeah."
"Felt weirdly familiar."
"...Huh?"
"The wind mana that flowed into me when I awakened as a mage. Similar vibe."
"Hold up. Wind mana? What's that?"
"Mages awaken to mana... You didn't have that?"
"Nope..."
I just got a grimoire and that was it.
"...Looks like we need to talk more about this."
Wind's Scar murmured gravely.
In the end, everything went smoothly.
Leraje kept her promise, and those trapped in the other world returned here via Purgatory and Hell.
I figured they'd have issues with body, mind, and soul from the other world, but Purgatory's purification fixed most of it.
Though some PTSD lingered.
"Nice shot!"
I was the MVP of this operation.
The Association president, staff.
Even a news crew came to film.
Got a reward too.
Made the news, posted proof on the gallery, and it hit the concept thread.
Very rewarding.
Couldn't just let it pass, so I printed the photo big and framed it for the living room wall.
"Looks good, right?"
-Grrr...!!
-Whoooong!!
-Shhhrrk!!
-Aaaah!!
Arthur and the three grimoires approved.
Aww, my cute ones.
"Hey, pay for this."
"......"
Everything wrapped up well.
And I had a new housemate.
Lounging on the IKEA sofa I bought, voraciously reading romance novels on the phone I got her.
The great demon of Hell, Leraje.
Why she stayed at my place was simple.
Part of the contract: she'd live here while in the mortal realm.
I'd get Hell materials in return.
Not a bad deal, but...
"Look, hate to say it, but... Didn't you come for love? Why just romance novels and dramas?"
It's been over three weeks since she moved in.
She barely left that sofa except to eat, shower, or sleep.
Just reading novels or watching dramas.
What is this?
Did I contract with a demon or a shut-in otaku?
"Romance novels are so fun!! Dramas are the best!! You know K-dramas? K-dramas are the abso. lute. best."
Strictly speaking, love in fiction counts, but...
Is this right?
No matter what I said, she rolled around on the sofa.
Even the grimoires couldn't close their pages at her room potato vibes.
"By the way, aren't you raiding Tower floor 15 today?"
"Yeah."
Rumors said floor 15's difficulty was a huge jump from 1-14.
So I prepared thoroughly, and today was the day.
"Clean up and shower while I'm gone. Made curry, so eat that instead of ordering."
"No."
"Hey."
"Onii-chan!! If I don't do this, you won't pay attention to me!!"
Good lord.
When I heard on the gallery about wanting to kill your little sister, I thought how could anyone say that about a cute sis.
Now I get it. I wanna kill her.
"Ahahahaha!! Look at your face!!"
"The Lord says..."
"Kidding! Kidding! I'll clean up, so go. Onii-chan."
The beaming Leraje approached, patted my butt, then squeezed hard.
"Ooh. Nice ass."
"...Come here! I'll squeeze yours too!!"
"Oppa! No! We're siblings! Abandon that dirty lust for pure love!!"
No idea how we ended up as siblings.
She's been reading step-sibling romance lately—should've blocked those purchases?
"Sigh. I'm off."
"Get Melona on the way back."
Gonna shove a Melona up her ass.
Floor 15.
Gallery said your awakener rank changes based on clearing or not, so I had to pass.
-Whoooong...!!
A strange vibration hummed as I entered the Tower, and the surroundings shifted.
What appeared was...
"...Whoa, this is fresh."
Enough to shock me.
And for good reason.
"Ooooh!! It's the god!"
"Welcome us...!!"
A horde of fanatical monsters.