“You can’t send magical energy alone?”
“Indeed. To put it simply, there’s a wall between our two worlds. Magical energy normally cannot cross that wall. But if we open a hole with our power, we can transfer magic through it. However, this is an extremely difficult task, even for us gods. Maintaining the hole requires power, which we run out of before transferring the necessary amount of energy. That’s where you come in! You won’t be conscious for this part, but we use our divine power to push your soul into the wall and use you as a prop to keep the hole open for a short amount of time. During that time, we transfer the magical energy from Earth.”
“Our world has developed the use of magic, so running out of magical energy would cause many problems. Not only would the people relying on magic to live suffer, but monsters that feed on magical energy would go extinct, removing them from the food chain and destroying the balance of nature. On the other hand, Earth has magical energy that it doesn’t use, and there are no monsters either. It won’t cause a problem if it runs out, so we’ve been taking it for ourselves.”
“I see... If there isn’t a particular reason for the depletion of energy, is it just being caused by the consumption outpacing the production?”
“That’s correct. There are many reasons for it, but humans are the main cause. I understand that magic is useful and has developed out of exhaustive research, but its consumption keeps going up...”
“It’s a little difficult to keep the consumption of magical energy under control. Furthermore, using too much of the magic inside your body can make you unwell. It’s much easier to gather the surrounding energy to use magic instead, but seeing the reliance on such an irresponsible method is saddening.”
While the gods complained about the use of magic and humans, Ryoma was off feeling excited on his own.
“Umm... Would I be able to use it too? Magic, that is.”
“You can.”
“Yes.”
“Sure you will.”
“Really?! Oh, pardon my rudeness.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Magic, was it? You’ll be transferring into a body just like the humans over there. Naturally, since the humans can use magic, you will be able to as well with some training.”
“Also, like we mentioned earlier, you’ll be under the protection of our divine power while crossing worlds, so we can bestow a bit of power on you too. Even if you have no talent, we can raise your base stats to a level where you can enjoy using magic too. It gets a little more difficult if you want the strongest power in the world, though.”
While Ryoma was a little embarrassed at how they were looking at him like an adorable child, he was still happy at the prospects of being able to use magic.
“In that case, the power we’ll bestow upon you will be magic-related. First, we’ll make sure you can use all of the elemental magics.”
“Umm... Wouldn’t that attract attention?”
The three gods grinned at Ryoma’s question.
“Everyone who comes here always says that! Especially the ones who read light novels.”
“It’s considered rare in our world, but it’s not something people will fuss over.”
“Really?”
“Yup. Some people are born with it, and others can learn to use all the elemental magics with the right training. There are probably ten to twenty people among the kingdom’s knights that can do so. However, because there are so many elements to use, training them all evenly would result in less time to practice, making each one hard to master. Between magicians that can use every element to a limited degree and magicians that have mastered a single element, the latter one is more valued.”
“Jack of all trades, master of none, huh.”
“Indeed.”
“That’s why nothing bad will come out of it, so it’d be perfect for someone who wants to enjoy using magic like you, Ryoma.”
“...I see. Then please give me all the elements.”
“Got it. There’s still some power left, so what would you like for the rest?”
After that, Ryoma and the gods continued to talk about powers until they were satisfied.
“...All right, that should be all that we can fit. Everything ended up magic-related, though. Are you sure? Carrying over the martial arts you learned in your previous life won’t be a problem, but this many types of magic means you won’t be able to use strong magic right away, you know?”
“As long as it won’t hinder my ability to live, please do everything as we discussed.”
“Okay. If you haven’t changed your mind, then that’s for the best. Now we come to the last step.”
Gain accepted Ryoma’s firm determination and pulled out a wooden board, parchment, and quill out of seemingly nowhere.
The parchment listed all the details of their discussion until now, along with an empty space for a name to be signed at the bottom right.
“To think I’d be signing contracts even after death...”
“Oh, is this not to your liking?”
“I wouldn’t say that. It was just a little unexpected.”
“Well, the contract isn’t actually necessary.”
“Huh?”
Lulutia and Kufo’s response to his meaningless remark made Ryoma pause in reaching for the quill.
“This is just a final check. It’s for you to confirm that we’ve fulfilled our duty in explaining our circumstances and the situation you will be placed in. By signing it, you’ll be confirming your willing participation. That’s why you can confirm verbally as well.”
“Really?”
“We change it up based on the person we’re dealing with. A verbal agreement is easier than a contract for the younger kids.”
Hearing that response, Ryoma focused on the contents of the contract and signed it once he finished reading it.
The next moment, his body was engulfed in a faint light.
“Huh?!”
“Don’t worry. This is just proof the process has started; it won’t harm you.”
“Unfortunately, that’s the rule. After all the explanations and decisions are made, there isn’t much time until you’re sent to the other side.”
“I wonder why it’s always the nasty ones that always stay the longest, while the likeable ones depart on their journey so soon...”
Those words made Ryoma realize the time had come to say their goodbyes.
“I see. That is rather regretful. I am forever in your debt.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s your life, live it how you please. We’ll send you to the safest forest possible, so rest assured.”
“We’ll always be watching over you. This is a goodbye, so you can say what you want, too, you know?”
“You don’t have to be so polite in your speech either.”
“Why don’t you show your true self, since this will be the last time we’ll meet?”
“Yes... Yeah, you’re right. Thanks. I guess you could tell I was putting on airs, huh?”
“We’re gods, after all. Of course we’d notice. Not to mention how different your tone was when you had your breakdown.”
“You should have just spoken to us like that from the start!”
“I don’t think I could suddenly speak casually to a god...”
“It gets uncomfortable when it goes too far, but you’re fine, Ryoma. I have a magnanimous heart. Since I am a goddess, after all.”
“I see.”
“Do you have any plans for when you get to the other side?”
“If there’s anything you’re worried about, let them out now.”
“We’ll hear you out!”
Ryoma tried to ponder in thought, but his words came out without much of a pause.
“...It’s about my personal relations. I lived for 39 years, but I wasn’t very good at socializing with people. Even if I go to another world, I’m still me. I don’t think going to another world will change that. Honestly, I’m so tired of socializing, I considered living as a recluse...”
“If that’s what you want to do, go for it. That’s also a way of life.”
“At the same time, it feels like a waste not to explore a whole new world. What to do...”
“Why don’t you live in isolation for a while, then set off on a journey once you feel like it?”
Ryoma wondered if that was really okay.
“Either way, you’ll be arriving at a forest first, since it’d cause a huge fuss if we suddenly transferred you to the middle of town. You can live in that forest for a while, then head to the town later. You wanted to experiment with magic anyway, didn’t you?”
“Ah... That’s true.”
“Take your time. You seem to be trying to do all of the options available to you, but you can just take them one at a time at your own pace. It doesn’t matter if you can’t do all of them.”
“You’ve died once already, you know? This will really be a rebirth for you, completely different to your previous life. You should live how you want to. Especially since you’ll be a child on the other side, you know? You don’t have to think about anything other than staying safe and having fun. The powers we bestowed upon you will be your strength, so enjoy your magic practice, too. Ah, you won’t be able to use everything as soon as you arrive, but you should pick up things quickly with your Earth knowledge, so there’s no need to rush, okay? You should prioritize control.”
“Indeed, that would be for the best. You should be able to handle any bandits as well; on the slim chance you encounter them.”
“...So I should take it easy and do what I want, huh? In that case, I’ll stay in the forest for a while. I feel a lot better now, thanks.”
“If you do head into town, stop by the church from time to time. You won’t be able to see us, but if you obtain the oracle skill, you’ll be able to converse with us for short periods of time. The higher your level, the longer and more often we can talk for.”
“Got it, if I head into town I’ll make sure to drop by. I don’t know when that will be, but I promise to visit the church for sure.”
“Yup, we’ll be waiting. You’ll have to put up with our idle chatter again.”
“We do have lots of time to spare, hohoho.”
Just as Gain chuckled, particles of light wrapped around Ryoma’s body.
“...Looks like it’s time.”
The light gradually grew stronger, obstructing Ryoma’s vision.
“It seems the preparations are done.”
“It’s time.”
“Stay healthy and have fun, okay?”
“Yeah, I will... Thank you so, so very much!”
“Yup! Now, here goes! Open the path to the new world!”
“We grant you our blessings!”
“Let there be light on your journey!”
“““Enjoy your new life!”””
Immediately after that, Ryoma was swallowed by a blinding light.
Once that light faded, both Ryoma and the gods were gone.