It happened.
One fine day, I saw a beautiful butterfly. She was colorful and vibrant, flying around gracefully as a butterfly should. But then, she met a cruel fate. A spiderweb had ensnared her in its sticky trap. Should I lend a hand and free her? I do not know what the best thing to do here.
Kazu, out.
◇
You know what? Expectations can be unfair sometimes. It is unreasonable to ask someone to do something that they are incapable of doing.
Or maybe not. Who knows, maybe they have a misunderstanding or a misconception about your capabilities and potential.
This must be the case with me.
I could not blame them; after all, they called me a god, and I did nothing to change their perception or correct their misunderstanding. So am I the one to blame here? How? That is absurd. I did not do anything. Was that the problem? Not doing anything?
Sigh.
I then heard a rumble.
Boom boom boom…
Thump thump thump…
Bam bam… Bam bam boom…
They sounded like drums and seemed to come from all directions around me.
Next, there is a deep growl.
Are the villagers performing some sort of ritual? Do they dance? I want to see it.
Suddenly, the earth that envelops me glows. They hum a lot louder this time.
This is amazing…
I have no idea the earth that envelops me is so special. I am curious as to what they see outside.
Drrruhhhhhh!!!
Is there an earthquake? No, the earth that envelops me is starting to shake violently.
Blarggg~ I… I am afraid I am going to puke. This makes me nauseous. I need to say something or I will make a mess here…
Then the drumming and humming stop abruptly. At the same time, the mass of the earth that envelops me shines so brightly.
That is blinding! Ah! My eyes… A shockwave hits me hard.
A voice chants, but I can't hear very well since I am dizzy. I feel intoxicated.
"…fully established. I praise Rowa, the god of protection and harvest, once more. Thank you for once again providing us with your protection…"
What, again? What exactly do they mean by that? Isn't this the first time this has happened? Is it possible that I am being exploited without my knowledge?
Urghh~ That was close. I almost puked… I… I will slee-p … f–i-r-st…
◇
One fine day, a young girl approaches me unexpectedly. I am shocked because this is not their usual custom. Does she want to play here with me?
"Please forgive my disrespect, revered god Rowa," the girl says politely.
She approaches me, far closer than they normally do when praying. It is a girl's voice. If this is a harem story, she would be my first heroine candidate. Wait, she is just a child. I somehow sounded like a pervert.
Is she with someone else? I hear many footsteps as she comes nearer.
"I'd like to inquire as to when my father will return home safely. The aunties won't reveal anything to me. The chief is busy, and everyone is ignoring me. My father said…" The girl explains her worry in detail.
Is she really asking me questions? Why doesn't she stop talking at all? Maybe she didn't expect an answer from me and was just looking for someone to listen to her.
I listen to her attentively. She is a hell of a talker, I give her that credit. This is awesome because I am learning more about the outside world from her.
Soon, I will coerce this kid to crack this shell out of me. He, he, he, he. That is my villain laugh; Yeah, I have been practicing it for a while now…
The outside world is chaotic and dangerous. No, it is very different from Earth in many ways. I know Earth's past was filled with bloodshed and violence, but here it is just bloodletting. According to her story, it is a one-sided slaughter of the weak by the strong.
Remember that Visor they mentioned when they needed protection? That one had the ability to split continents with its power. It was a fucking huge flying monster that could terrorize the land.
Wait, does that mean my protection is so overpowered and effective?
Should I postpone my prison break plan and wait for a more peaceful era to come?
Inside my protection. Yes, me; Rowa, the god of harvest and protection. Ehem~. They have a fairly peaceful and prosperous life, which is a miracle in a place full of massive monsters. Someone even calls it a utopia, with enough food and guaranteed safety for everyone.
The protection is in the form of a massive shield, large enough to encompass three villages. But because there is only one village, they have plenty of space and resources.
Her father has disappeared mysteriously. In a peaceful place? I smell a conspiracy here. Maybe they sacrifice people to me, such as… ugh. An old man as an offering is unacceptable and disgusting. That can't be true. Is it?
The girl doesn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary or suspicious around me. This suggests that they don't make human sacrifices as an offering to me. Ha ha ha. I gave a dry laugh. For some reason, this made me nervous and uneasy.
Anyway, as always, if I can't do anything, do nothing.
The girl paid frequent visits to me. No, it was more complicated than that. She came whenever she had a chance. She even told me she was nearly caught by someone.
Yeah. After all, this is the kind of place you don't want someone messing around in, yet she comes here more frequently than the ritual. If they find out, they won't kill her, right?
◇
Battles outside are epic and spectacular.
Here, supernatural abilities shape reality and alter natural laws. I am not amazed; I would be too naive if I hadn't realized it by now.
Indeed, a lot of strange and inexplicable things have happened to me here that defy common sense and logic.
◇
Her storytelling lasted for years and never got boring.
I notice a subtle change in her voice as she enters adolescence and matures. She often grumbles and complains about the villagers and her responsibilities. She rants about stuff like that, which I don't mind at all. She seems happier and more cheerful now than when she first speaks to me. I think she moves on from her father's disappearance, which is probably for the best. I guess talking to someone really helps a person, even if that someone is a pretend god trapped in a lump of earth.
The shield that protects the village appears to be fading and weakening. It is clear that there is a time limit and an expiration date.
They only activate the protection when they face a threat that they can't handle or avoid. I think they don't want to bother me too much or waste my power. Though, I actually don't do anything.
◇
Ann-a arrives.
Oh, that is how she pronounces her name; it has a long N sound to it. Let's call her Anna for now, for simplicity.
She chatted as usual, but I gaped in disbelief when she told me the story of how they exploited me - ahem - I mean discovered me.