Chapter 2:
My Trip to the Other World
I’D MANAGED TO CONVINCE them that I meant no harm, but my real problems were just beginning. I didn’t want to get in the way of the villagers’ work, and I reckoned Carol would want to spend some time with her parents alone, so we all dispersed after that. Carol could tell everyone about her short trip to my world. Her parents would probably rather hear it from her than me.
“Man, my shoulders are stiff.”
I’d spent so much time speaking formally and trying to keep a serene smile on my face. I didn’t realize acting could use up so much energy. I glanced around to make sure I really was alone before collapsing backward and stretching out on the rug. To think they’d left me in this huge tent all by myself.
I zoned out and stared at the ceiling. It sure was cold. Even with the rug, the chill crept up through the ground. I sat back up and crossed my legs. Suddenly, I felt something crawling on top of them. Destiny was curled up on my lap.
Guess I wasn’t alone in here after all.
I stroked its cool, scraggy back and set my thoughts into motion.
“I’m actually in another world, aren’t I?”
Calling this unexpected was an understatement. When I began The Village of Fate, I bought myself some isekai novels and manga as reference, but I wasn’t expecting them to end up as how-to guides. Commonly, those protagonists had a superpower or cheat they could use in the new world to give them an advantage. Did I have an ability like that? I held out my hand and tried to imbue it with power.
“Guuooorgh! Aaaargh! Nnnnngh! Haaaaaah!”
Nothing. I was just some weirdo holding out his hand and grunting. Thinking about it now, most of those protagonists gained their powers from a god or similar creature who entrusted them with a task. I came here without even getting the gods’ permission. Of course they weren’t going to bless me with power.
More pressing than that—how was I going to get back to Japan? I already had a good idea—well, it was my only idea.
Couldn’t I…be sent as an offering like Carol was? Sewatari-san said that sending things from this world to Japan was easy. So…no reason to panic. Since I was here already, I might as well spend a little time getting to know the place. Besides, I was sure the gods would chew me out when I got home, and I wanted to put that off as long as I could. Maybe I could let them cool down a little. Kind of a naive hope, but still.
“If my phone works here, I can call them up and apologize.” I took my phone from my pocket and tried turning it on. It powered up, but there was no signal. Not expecting anything, I went to my contacts and tried calling “Developer – Sewatari.”
“Wait. It’s ringing?!”
That didn’t make any sense! I was in a totally different world! The tone rang three times, and before I could decide whether to hang up or not, she answered.
“Yoshio-kun! Oh, thank goodness you got through!” Sewatari-san’s voice came out of the phone.
Not just her voice. Her anxious face filled the screen. Wait, this wasn’t even a video call!
I leaned the phone against the pole in the center of the tent, knelt on the rug, and slammed my forehead down onto it. “I’m really sorry for doing something so stupid!” I apologized as sincerely as I could, right from the depths of my heart.
“Hey, why did you apologize that fast! I had an incredible lecture prepared!” She sounded way less angry than I’d been expecting. I carefully inched my face from the floor.
Wait. She isn’t mad at all?
“Look, there’s a lot of stuff I should say to you right now, but I know you did that for Carol-chan’s sake, right? I get that. I am a god, after all!” She winked, and in that moment, she really did look godlike.
“Hey, don’tcha get carried away! You gotta realize how much the other guys were tellin’ Senpai off.” Nattyan-san’s face appeared, blocking out Sewatari-san’s. Her tanned skin made it difficult to tell, but she seemed to have dark circles under her eyes. Her hair, usually in perfect shape, was disheveled. “It was a huge pain in the ass to alter the portal to let electronic waves go through. I’m exhausted.”
“I’m so, so sorry!” I aimed my forehead at the carpet again. Even when Sewatari-san’s reassurance that it was fine, I still knew I caused them a lot of trouble.
“Hey, come on now. We were just wondering if you had any questions. Honestly, it was good you went in first. Made it safe to send Carol-chan and Deedee through. Thank you, Yoshio-kun.” Sewatari-san smiled gently, and I found myself enraptured. She’d spent so much time getting drunk in Hokkaido and whining about her job that I’d been harboring doubts she was actually a god. Now I just felt bad for thinking anything otherwise.
“I seriously apologize.”
“Good. Why don’t we move on to something a bit more constructive, then? Are you planning to live in the other world permanently, Yoshio-kun?”
I couldn’t answer immediately. In fact, I was sure I misheard her. “Sorry, what?”
“You can stay in that world as the God of Fate’s disciple if you like. I mean, that sort of thing is popular in recent novels and anime, right?”
That was true, but those were all fantasy stories. This was real life.
“U-um, are you being serious?” I asked.
“A hundred percent. I thought it was a dream of every Japanese person to be transported to another world? And everyone respects you there. You’ll be treated like a king. You could even have a harem. I’ve given you an app to use miracles from your smartphone.”
If the villagers saw me performing miracles right in front of them, they’d probably respect me even more. Enough to follow my every command. It was tempting compared to the pitiful existence I’d be leaving behind, but did I really want to throw my whole life away?