The conversation with Shiro-san—- The Goddess with a beautiful face,
perfect proportions, a beautiful voice and specs that could make even
the Goddess of Beauty run away from her superiority, but also
possesses outrageously troublesome factors as she's expressionless,
emotionless, and a natural airhead—– continues.
[...…]
[...…]
No, please carry on with our conversation. Could it be that? That
pattern where it won't do unless I do it myself?
[Yes.]
[…I'd like it if you deny it though, even though it was a lie.]
[Well then, this may be a lie, but I will now change our subject.]
[…Ah, yes.]
[...]
[...]
It really was a lie!? What should I do with this Goddess… L- Look, since
you read my mind anyway, you can use that to your advantage to
broach a subject for our conversation.
There should be a lot we can talk about, right? We could even talk about
things from back in my previous world or something like that…
[Well then, let's talk about the book called "The Documents of the Jetblack Knees Volume II".]
[Whoehh!?]
Oi, idiot! Stop right there—– you can't just go digging up anyone's black
history from their middle school times as you please!!
Seriously, please stop it, I will die.
[Is this actually titled as Jet-black Darkness? Why is it that the "Jetblack" in this series is written as "knee" instead of "lacquer"?]
[ ~ ~ ! ? ! ? ]
(T/N: 漆黒 / Jet-black. In the book (That's totally not written by Kaito), it
was written as 膝黒 instead. 膝=knee, 漆=lacquer)
STOP ITTTTTTTT!? Don't start correcting the misspelled kanji! I'm
pretty sure that's not something you should be touching!! My heart is
one arrow away from crumbling into pieces!!
Why is it that of all the things you can read in my mind, you aimed at
that memory that has been buried down deep inside!? You must have
been doing this on purpose huh!?
The current flow of conversation is no good. A topic, I must think of any
kind of topic…
[S- Speaking of which! I heard that blessings work differently for
different Gods! What effect does Shiro-san's blessing have?]
[…I dunno?]
[You don't know!?]
If I let Shiro-san take control of the conversation, I was afraid that my
mind would break down, so I frantically mobilized that paltry
communipower that I have to initiate another topic of conversation
but… I wonder if there's something wrong with my eyes and ears? It's
just that, for some reason, I think I heard this Goddess-sama saying "I
dunno?" while tilting her head with that expressionless face of hers as if
she doesn't know the effect of her own blessing… She's just joking,
right?
[No, it's just that this is the first time I've given my blessing to anyone,
so I wouldn't know what effect my blessing would be.]
[…This is your first time giving a blessing?]
[Yes. I basically don't go to the Human Realm after all.]
I had some expectations since she knows Kuro, but Shiro-san is still a
Superior God, and she wouldn't just grant her blessing to anyone.
[Then, I'll change the question. What is it that Shiro-san has authority
in?]
[I don't have authority over anything, you know?]
[…Huh?]
I've always thought that all Gods have authority over something, having
the title of "God of OOO" or something like that, but apparently, that's
not the case—– Geez, can you just take her back already, this Goddess I
mean.
What should I do, my mental capacity is close to zero now… I also don't
have any confidence to continue this conversation any longer…
[Well then, let's go back to that series I mentioned earlier…]
Ah, wait. It seems that I still can continue. I'll be hanging on to our
conversation, so please don't bring back that topic anymore.
[As expected, do humans yearn for such great power?]
[…Eh?]
I was expecting the conversation to return to the disclosure of my black
history, but what Shiro-san told me was a question.
There was still no inflection in her voice, and her expression still hadn't
changed at all… But for some reason, she seemed to be sincerely
wondering about it, unlike earlier.
[...…]
Maybe that why I wasn't able to give her a quick reply. Whether or not
humans yearn for great power… That may be a question that Shiro-san
can ask as a God who was born with great power.
How should I answer it though? No, Shiro-san can read my mind
anyway, so there's no point in trying to make up a false front. In that
case, I should just say what I think…
[I think we do yearn for them. Great power, amazing wisdom, wealth,
and prestige… There were many times when I longed for it myself.]
[Well then, I'll give it to you.]
[…Eh?]
[I seldomly had any conversation with a human. In this rare occasion, I
can give you one thing that you wish for. Is it the power to do as you
wish? The wisdom enough to touch upon the truth of the world? Wealth
more than you can ever use in your whole life? A reputation that makes
all of the people respect you? Whatever you want is fine.]
[...…]
[Now, tell me what you want. I can give you something that no one will
ever hope to reach.]
As if it's something she can naturally do, the Goddess told me so. That
she can give me anything I wish for—– That I could change into
anything I wish for…
Anything I wish can come true—– If I ask her, I can be "special".
My heart strongly trembled. What I couldn't get even after struggling
and suffering, the God in front of me is saying that she will be granting
it.
There's no reason for me to refuse. There should have been no reason
—- but, I wonder why? There's something that's holding me back from
speaking deep within my heart…
Closing my eyes, I knock on the recesses of my mind that I'm finally
starting to feel closer these days.
What is it that I want… What in the world do I really want… Silently
asking myself so, I slowly open my eyes to look into the Goddess's allseeing eyes, and utter the answer I got.
[…No, thank you.]
[Why?]
[…It's because I think you probably couldn't give me what I really want
so…]
[...]
Although it's too late now, what I said might have been an extremely
rude statement to a God holding tremendous power. Even so, I still
couldn't believe that this person was the one who could fulfill my
wishes.
I'm not going to deny my desire for mighty power. In fact, I've wished
for it many times.
Becoming an unparalleled warrior who built a harem of his own and
living as you please… I will certainly be filled with great satisfaction
living a life like that. It's certainly one of the things I yearn for.
However… What came to my mind was Kuro's innocent smile.
[…I was told so. She has told me… that I'm fine the way I am right now,
that we just have to look for it…]
[...]
[That time, I was so happy. Even if I was struggling and suffering for it,
even with this unsightly appearance as I struggled to walk in the
ground, she still pushed my back.]
[...]
[I'm just a powerless and weak human… Don't you think I'm unworthy
of such a thing? What you're trying to give me is a little too heavy for
me to carry.]
[…If you wish for anything aside from money, I don't think it would
weigh anything though.]
I couldn't help but chuckle at the words that she said without any
change in her expression. Shiro-san is actually a pretty amusing person
huh?
[Well, anyway… Whether it's unrivaled power, absolute wisdom, a large
number of properties, or unending cheers from other people, I don't
need any of that. What I really wish for… is "something that I must get
myself by my own hands", no matter whether I struggle, suffer, and
looked unsightly to acquire it.]
[...…]
I think that this is an answer that I could say based on the fact that I've
been blessed. Yes, I've truly been blessed. Whether it's the people
around me or the environment I am in, I can say that I'm too blessed in
these aspects, that I can seriously say this kind of naive, yet dreamy
wish.
However, this certainly is an answer that I got myself, so even if the one
before me is a God… My answer won't change.
[Even though you had suggested it to me, I will have to say my
apologies. But my answer won't change, I will decline what you're
proposing.]
[...…]
Shiro-san didn't say anything. She just silently listened to my
monologue and looked at me as I lowered my head.
And when I looked up and met her eyes again—- the atmosphere Shirosan had around her completely changed.
Those golden eyes, which I don't know where they're looking at a while
ago, those eyes were certainly reflecting my existence now, and
although it is so faint that no one will be able to see it unless you're
paying attention, the expression on her face, which has never changed
at all and doesn't show a shred of emotion… It seems that the corners of
her mouth slightly rose.
[…I change my mind.]
[Eh?]
Informing me with her voice that doesn't have any inflection, Shiro-san
got up from her chair and lightly waved her fingers to the side.
Then, my body glowed slightly again, and immediately afterward, I
thought I heard a sound like the breaking of glass.
[I just agreed before because of Kuro's request, but I myself had no
interest in you, so I just performed the blessing by imitating what the
low-rank Gods do… But I change my mind, so I canceled it out.]
[Errr…]
Was that sound earlier, the sound of the blessing being revoked… Did I
offend her? No, I certainly am quite rude earlier, so there's no room for
me to argue.
I may have done something bad, even though Kuro had to request her
for it…
As I was thinking about this, the scenery immediately changed.
[ ! ? ]
We're not just in that hanging garden we were in a moment ago, but
we're literally floating in mid-air. Below me is the green earth and blue
seas, and the sky is split into two colors from the middle, with a blue
sky and a starry sky peeking out respectively.
In the midst of this bizarre scene, my body is floating in the air, as if it
were a patchwork of worlds, and I can see Shiro-san a little further
away.
[Now, I'm "interested" in you—– Therefore, I will be doing this
seriously.]
[ ! ? ! ? ! ? ]
With the words she mumbled out, a tremendous sense of intimidation
is released from Shiro-san's body to the point that I can't find that
words to describe it, but it seems like the world in front of me were
shaking in response.
[By my name—- By the name of Shallow Vernal—– I tell the world.]
With her words, it seems like the air trembled and the earth pulsed.
[That this person—– Miyama Kaito—- is one I acknowledge worthy of
my blessing.]
She doesn't seem to be straining her voice nor is she using any tools,
but her voice echoes as if it reaches the entire world.
[Therefore—– By my name—– By the name of Shallow Vernal—– I
command the world.]
The earth glittered, the sea glowed, and the sky became more radiant.
[Oh, Earth—- Become the cradle that protects him—– Oh, Sea—-
Become the garment that nurtures him—– Oh, Sky—- Become his
wings, embracing his very being—– Oh, Stars—- Become his beacon
and guide him to the future.]
Thousands and thousands of lights emitted from the earth, sea, sky and
the stars, and just like meteors, they began to swirl around me.
[By my name—- By the name of Shallow Vernal—– That this one's
name—– That the name of Miyama Kaito—– As the one I bestowed my
blessings—– To be inscribed in the world—– In conjunction with my
name.]
And as the tremendous light converged to the point where I couldn't
keep my eyes open, I certainly saw it.
It was as if all the beauty in the world was condensed—– Into that
beautiful goddess's smile…
[Miyama Kaito—– The child who strayed from another world, liked
from the first sight by Kuro—– Magnificent—- Just as you declared
yourself, you have indeed exerted yourself with your own hands—- And
from me—- You have certainly accomplished, acquiring my interest in
your name—– Therefore, I grant upon you—– The blessing of the world
—–]
Dear Mom, Dad—– I have finally found my own wish. And—– the
Goddess has bestowed her blessing to me.