Episode 5: The Hero and The Goddess 2
"Fuaa..."
The woman raised herself up on the bed, sighing absently, with her hair disordered.
Shinomiya Akane...... a dark-haired woman who yesterday was explained by a woman who called herself a goddess that she was a hero summoned from another world.
To be called a hero―― she looks around the room with a very uncomfortable look on her face...
"...Not a dream."
She muttered in a somewhat discouraging voice, her shoulders slumping.
When it was explained to her that she was in another world and that she was a hero, she guessed she was still drunk and hoping that she was just dreaming.
But that hope was cut short―― when she woke up, the world had not changed, and there was nothing around her that could be called civilized.
The wooden house was hollowed out from the inside of a huge tree, with simple furniture made from wood. The bed was not the one she was used to, but straw wrapped in a thin cloth, and it was hard and painful.
The pillow was made in the same way as the bed, making it difficult in many ways for Akane, a modern person, to sleep, but she was too mentally and physically tired to worry about it.
In addition to the explanation that she was in a different world, Akane's physical abilities seemed to have improved dramatically since her first real battle when she fought a monster in the forest.
She could follow the beast's movements with her eyes and react to its every move with precision.
Her concentration was much deeper than when she was concentrating on her opponent in a kendo match, and she had an instantaneous power that she could not control.
.
It seems that it was part of the ability that was given to her by a woman who called herself the goddess Fasalina......
"I'm a hero?"
(I'm not really feeling it......)
At any rate, Akane, who had been devoted to kendo until she had grown at this age, was not familiar with such "fantasy," and her knowledge was limited to overhearing her classmates talking about games.
And that was a long time ago, in elementary school or junior high school.
She had never even imagined that she would become a character in a game or manga.
Maybe that was why she didn't feel comfortable when people said she was a hero. In fact, she even thought that it was troubling......
"Excuse me, Akane-sama. Are you awake......?"
Just as she was about to let out a sigh at her own carelessness on the bed, the door was opened without waiting for an answer after a small knock.
The person who peeked out was the same beautiful blonde woman she saw yesterday―― a sister with the same face as the person who called herself the goddess Fasalina.
Her name was Angelica.
"Good morning, Angelica-san. How's Fasalina, sama?"
She wasn't sure if she should call the person who had summoned her to the other world by her name, but she didn't feel comfortable calling her by her name in front of Sister Angelica, who was a follower of her, so she added the honorific title of "sama" at the end in a faltering tone.
What did she think of Akane's reaction? Angelica smiled softly, declined to say anything, and came into the room where Akane was sleeping.
"I brought you some water for washing your face. And some towels and a light breakfast."
"T-thank you..."
"Fufu. I have no need for honorifics, hero-sama. Please, think of me as your hands and feet."
"No, that's―― anyway, where's Fasalina-sama?"
"She is asleep at the moment. She used a lot of energy to call Akane-sama......"
"I-I see."
Akane looked closely at Angelica's appearance as she placed a tub of water on the side of the bed.
(Totally different……)
The fact that she was the frighteningly beautiful woman as Fasalina, who she talked to yesterday, but the atmosphere, the air she wore...... Once again, she felt that Angelica and Fasalina were completely different.
Angelica had a soft, warm presence, as she showed by her gentle smile earlier.
Fasalina, on the other hand, was inhospitable to others―― she wore a sanctity that made even Akane, whom she had never met before, hesitate to stand in front of her.
When she remembered that, she shuddered, and got angry at herself for drinking and getting drunk in her heart again.
"I've been summoned to this world because I responded to that...... goddess's words, right?"
"Come to think of it, Akane-sama said your memory at that time was fuzzy......"
"I was drunk......"
(I can't believe I answered Fasalina's questions while I was drunk......)
The last part was muttered in a whisper so that Angelica would not hear, and Akane turned her gaze from the beautiful sister to the window next to the bed, to the world outside.
The deep forest, which felt like a wall, was something she would never see in Japan, and the slightly open village was apparently a place that was once settled by the ancestors of the beastmen.
Akane wondered what was a beastmen, but she could see it from the window of the inn.
A race with the ears and tail of a beast.
Some have wings like birds and cats, or wolves, while others have the lower half of their bodies resembling a horse.
They were called beastmen in general, and from there they were further divided into several tribes according to their type of beast.
(It's completely different from Japan... the world I lived in...)
And what these beastmen, humans, and others were fighting against were monsters.
Yesterday, Akane fought a monster in order to save a woman without knowing anything about it.
When Akane heard that, she understood what was required of her as a summoned hero.
A battle.
A battle against monsters.
To be precise―― a battle against the slime.
"Fasalina-sama wanted me to defeat the slime, but can't the Goddess fight it in person?"
"I'm not sure...... I don't know what Fasalina-sama's will was. It's just..."
"......Just?"
"I think she called you here because she needs your help, Akane-sama."
"My help, huh?"
It reminded her of yesterday's battle.
The light that pierced the chest of the goblin that was escaping. If she had the power to eliminate the slime monster in an instant, she wouldn't need Akane's power, who had no combat experience whatsoever, despite her skill with a sword.
Still, there might be a deeper reason why she summoned Akane......
"I wonder, when will Fasalina wake up? ...Ah."
"Fufu. Don't worry about it―― for Fasalina-sama, Akane is the one who responded to the crisis of this world. She doesn't care what you call her."
"R-really?"
Akane was dismayed that she had forgotten the honorific title but breathed a sigh of relief at Angelica's words.
Thinking of offending the goddess and not being able to return to her original world, she couldn't help but utter strong words of rejection.
Angelica―― Fasalina said that she had the most similar wavelength to the goddess in this world...... she had a constitution that made it easy for her to borrow her body, and she was in charge of conveying the Fasalina's will in her own body to Akane.
(Dual personality... I didn't think it is true. Isn't it unusual in this world?)
Even Jenna, who was from the holy kingdom of Lishlua as Angelica, where she traveled with the hero about twenty years ago, and who was now called "the saint," had never had such a deep connection with Fasalina unlike Angelica, who surrendered her mind and body to her.
No, back then, the "hero" listened to Fasalina's words, trusted her, and went to the place where the demon king lived.
However, Mariabelle, who was called the "hero", inherited the ability to fight from her father, but she could not inherit the ability to hear "Fasalina's voice".
Even though she had defeated the Black Ooze in Fonteau, she still didn't know the evil that remained in the land, and she was just doing her best to restore the country.
Fasalina decided to summon a new hero, Akane Shinomiya.
In order to prevent the crisis that was now changing the world.
"Is it true what Fasalina said yesterday...... about the slime being a danger to the world?"
"Yes. 一A year ago, a country called Fonteau, where the previous hero who was summoned from the same world as Akane-sama, now ruled by an elf queen, was destroyed by slimes."
"...So your saying. But from what I fought yesterday, it wasn't that strong though."
Akane was just surprised, but not so surprised that she couldn't handle it.
Of course, it was only because Akane had just been summoned and had received the Goddess's blessing, but Akane thought that even an ordinary person without the Goddess's blessing could fight.
Especially in this world, where battles with monsters were a part of daily life, they must be much more familiar with fighting than Akane, who was from modern Japan, imagined.
(If that's the case, at least one or two monsters......)
That was what she thought.
"The slime that Fasalina-sama fears is special―― just by touching it, one couldn't move. Males are killed, and females...... that."
"...yeah, that's right."
Angelica, who was as serious as her vestments suggested, swallowed the rest of her words as her cheeks turned slightly red.
Even Akane was frightened. Her white porcelain-like skin was covered with vermillion, and Akane was strangely aware of it distorting her good looks.
She hurriedly shook her head, scooped up some water from the tub Angelica had brought her, and washed her face somewhat roughly.
"Here you go."
"T-thank you... very much."
"No need for honorifics, Akane-sama."
She took the clean cloth from Angelica, washed her face, and put on her silver-rimmed glasses.
As her vision got clearer, Angelica's beautiful face appeared more clearly in Akane's vision.
"Anyway, it's a strange monster. The slime."
Akane, who had very little knowledge of video games, imagined the word slime to be an oval-shaped liquid. She recalled that there used to be such toys.
It would change its shape when kneaded.
However, the monster that Fasalina and the others called slime yesterday was in the shape of a goblin or a wolf, and it looked nothing like the slime that Akane knew.
And above all.
After defeating the wolf and goblin-shaped slime―― the beastwoman who was saved, started masturbating, even in public, surprising Akane.
According to Fasalina and Angelica, it was a poison, the effect of an aphrodisiac obtained by the evil slime.
(What is an aphrodisiac......?)
Akane, who didn't have that knowledge, asked back and received an explanation from Fasalina.
According to her, it was a poison that aroused women. It was a poison that was effective by only making contact through the skin, and when it was consumed through the mouth, it was a deadly poison that no woman could withstand.
When it was explained to her that such a creature with bodily fluids was trying to swallow this world, Akane wondered what to do, and then fell asleep.
(A different world, huh... I want to help, but I can't fight such a thing.)
It was normal to think that way, and no one could blame Akane for it.
However.
(But, is there anything I can do to help?)
That was why Akane was able to hear the voice of the goddess Fasalina and was summoned to this world as a hero.
The fact that she was drunk had nothing to do with it.
The Goddess's questions were not directed at the will of the person from the other world but at their souls.
The essence of that personality answered the goddess's questions and was then summoned to the other world―― in that sense, Akane Shinomiya was indeed a recognized "hero" when she was summoned to this world.
Angelica brought her a breakfast sandwich with fresh vegetables and smoked meat, she preferred rice for breakfast, but bread seemed to be the mainstream in this world. So she received it.
The sandwich was prepared for Akane, a special "black-haired" woman in this world, and it was full of ingredients that made it very satisfying.
There was no table in the room, so Akane sat on the bed while Angelica sat down on the only chair she could find to have breakfast and continue their conversation.
"Speaking of which, is there rice in this world?"
"Rice?"
"Rice. Um... it's white and small."
"Um―― I'm sorry. I don't know what rice is."
"Ah, I'm not accusing you of anything. I wonder if our food culture is quite different."
Naturally, Akane didn't have any kind of pajamas, so she slept in her shirt and pants, and had breakfast without changing.
In a way, it was the beginning of a carefree journey.
It seemed that she still had a lot of regrets in her mind about her former world.
"I think we'll leave the village after we eat, is that alright?"
"Y-yeah. Of course."
"The black-haired Akane-sama will stand out in the village, and Fasalina-sama has something to tell Akane."
"You could have told me here......"
"Fasalina-sama's presence is―― how to say it, it stands out."
......It was shortly after that that Akane and Angelica left the beastman village.
It must be only about 10:00 a.m. in the morning.
(It's inconvenient without a clock.)
Akane took a glance at her smartphone, whose LCD screen had remained black, and let out a sigh.
However, her feelings quickly changed from disappointment to elation, as she became excited by the sight of the deep, untouched forest as far as the eye could see and the slightly open road, which might not be possible to see in modern Japan anymore.
The dense forest that stretched on forever and the paved roads that were just cleared of vegetation to make room for walking.
Two beautiful women are walking along the road, which seemed to be mostly used by horse-drawn carriages, with the ground showing a trail that seemed to be from a wheel.
Angelica, with golden hair, was wearing pure white vestments and a pure white veil that adorned her hair.
In her hand, she held a large staff that was probably as long as her shoulders, and in her other hand was a leather bag filled with food that they would need for the coming days.
The other person, a dark-haired beauty named Akane Shinomiya, carried nothing that could be called luggage.
She was wearing a thin shirt, thin pants that accentuated her beautiful legs, and a down jacket that she held in her left hand.
They were too lightly dressed and unprepared to be traveling, and it was clear that they were not used to traveling.
The beastmen in the village didn't expect the two of them to head for Fonteau without any preparation, and they thought they would be back before nightfall.
...No one could blame them for not stopping the two.
"The forest..."
"Fufu. Is the forest rare in Akane-sama's world?"
"Hmー... Maybe. The surrounding buildings are made of steel and concrete, and there are trees planted next to the road... or something like that...?"
Akane answered Angelica's question vaguely.
She didn't remember observing her surroundings with that much awareness.
She remembered while walking normally, passing other people, having conversations, but she couldn't remember the scenery at that time.
She had a vague, hazy memory of it, but it was not vivid.
That was how oblivious she was to her surroundings, Akane thought.
"Maybe I haven't seen such an amazing nature since I was a kid."
Akane's parents lived in a surprisingly rural area, surrounded by forests, footpaths, and fields.
There was no place to play around the house, so she spent all her time swinging her bamboo sword at her parents' dojo after school. Her days were boring and unchanging, but she could still vividly recall the memories and scenery of those days, which was strange.
On the way home from elementary school, Akane felt nostalgic as she remembered passing by the fields where they grew tangerines and vegetables and receiving fruit.
At the same time, when she grew up...... she went to a high school with a strong kendo program and a university far away from her parents' home, the scenery of her memory instantly became blurred and she couldn't remember it vividly even though only two days had passed.
......Was she this kind of heartless?
Suddenly Akane thought so and smiled a little.
"Akane, have you gotten used to this world?"
It was a very different tone from the one that had just spoken to Akane, but it was the same voice as Angelica.
But the sound of her voice was deep and quiet, echoing directly in Akane's ears and brain.......
"Fasalina..."
"Good morning―― was that right? It is the first time I've used human greetings to someone, so if I'm wrong, I'd appreciate it if you could point it out."
"Ah, that's... it's right."
"Fufu―― You don't have to be so stiff. I am now a being who has lowered my soul into a human body, and this body is the same as a person's."
She didn't understand Fasalina's explanation, Akane thought again.
She was going to take the liberty of assuming that she had lowered her soul into the body of a person―― that she was in a state similar to a dual personality.
It seemed that Angelica's consciousness and Fasalina's consciousness exist in one body, and they could switch as they please.
She was watching over people, but not interacting with them, it was said that she had never revealed her personality in public, even during her journey to find Akane, because every gesture revealed her sacredness that was different from a human.
Naturally.
It was too impolite to profess that she was the goddess Fasalina, and most people probably wouldn't believe her.
There was even the possibility that she would be imprisoned for such claims.
In that sense, it was probably the right choice to surrender her soul to human flesh.
"We're going to Fonteau now. There, you will receive the sword and armor from Mariabelle, and you will save the world... is that clear?"
"Wait a minute. I'd certainly like to help if I could, but...... is it really that easy to save the world?"
"It won't be that easy. You have no combat experience, and the slime you'll be fighting is extremely dangerous, so it would be helpful if you could gain as much experience as possible between here and Fonteau."
"Gaining experience..."
It was not as easy as it sounds, Akane thought.
In kendo, no matter how talented a competitor was, it was the years of practice, the amount of time spent swinging the bamboo sword, repeating individual training exercises, and the ability to respond immediately and accurately that would support the competitor in the actual match.
And the goddess wanted her to learn it in a short time.
(Isn't that a little too spartan for me......?)
"If I defeat that slime, you will return me to my world, right?"
"Of course. If you want, I will give you all the blessings I can."
"That's okay, well...... I'm not sure yet."
(But it doesn't seem like it's just a lie... so maybe I should believe it.)
Yesterday, when she heard about the danger in this world and its source, she wondered if those words were meant to elicit sympathy or interest.
She wondered if it was a lie to gain Akane's sympathy and interest and keep her in this world――.
But.
(It's not like that.)
Fasalina was sincere, as she called herself a goddess.
When she practiced kendo, she got used to reading her opponent through eye contact.
By doing so, what the other person was thinking, feeling, and when would they attack...... Akane believed that those behaviors would first reveal in the eyes and then was transmitted to the limbs.
The eyes could not hide emotions, and no matter how good one was at hiding one's feelings, some change would show up behind one's eyes.
It was one of the aspects of the human body that Akane had learned through her study of kendo.
Seen by Akane... Fasalina had not told a single lie.
If Akane really wanted to, she could return to her world.
"But wouldn't it be easier to get rid of the problem if Fasalina killed the slime directly?"
"I can't do that. My power heavily depends on others' faith, and this is how I have to borrow people's bodies to appear in this world."
Fasalina, who was borrowing Angelica's body, laid her right hand on her ample bosom.
Feeling the beating heart, the blood that was flowing, and the temperature on the human body.
"I can't use divine power in human form, and the power I can use depends on Angelica's talent. I can't defeat that slime with that...... It's more reliable to give you all of my divine power and let you grow."
"Is that so."
(In other words, her soul is that of a God, but her body is still human, right? It might be inconvenient in many ways.)
Well, Akane thought, since that God relied on humans, there must be many inconveniences.
At the same time, she understood Fasalina's hardship in her own way and thought about the journey ahead.
It would be a lie to say that she was not excited about the unknown world, her first trip, and her mission as a hero.
If she hadn't been so excited, she would have declared her desire to return to the original world when she received the explanation after yesterday's commotion.
(Am I looking forward to this adventure, too?)
"Well then, let's go. It's, Fonteau, right?"
"Yes―― Thank you, Akane..."
There, Fasalina's mood changed.
It was soft and warm, and it belonged to the real owner of that body, Angelica.
"......Have you two finished talking, Akane-sama?"
"Yeah―― It was the same yesterday, but it suddenly changes everything."
"Is that so? I'm not sure myself......"
"Yeah. I have to get used to that person too."
And so the two of them, Akane Shinomiya and Angelica, set off for Fonteau.
She could not imagine at the time that the journey would be filled with hardship and disgrace, with hope for the future......
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