A girl with a strange atmosphere that I met on the way back… Fate-san spoke to me with a languid expression.
[So~~ Kai-chan. I’ve got something I want to ask you…]
[Something you want to ask? What is it?]
[Unnn. I heard there’s a saying in the other world that goes “working means defeat” or something like that, right?]
Lazily flipping over on her floating cushion, Fate asked in her usual carefree tone.
“Working means defeat?” Errr, what’s that about… Wait, if she’s referring to a saying with a similar meaning, maybe she’s talking about something else.
[…Did you mean ‘working is losing’?]
[That’s the one! That’s exactly what I mean. Hmm~~ I knew the other world was pretty advanced~~ Those words make up such a great saying! And not only that, there are even professions in the other world for people who don’t work, right?]
[…I don’t think it’s a profession, but are you talking about NEETs?]
[NEET… That’s it, that sounds cool! I totally respect the NEETs! I’m gonna become a NEET too!!!]
[…………………]
Her excitement suddenly spiked, and Fate-san started praising NEETs.
What’s with this vibe… That disappointing air around her… She just declared she wants to be a NEET, and her usual lazy expression… I see, she’s “that type” of person, huh…
[Errr…]
[Kai-chan!]
[Huh? Ah, yes.]
[We’ve already had conversations like this, so now we’re “Soul Friends,” right!?]
[Huh? Soul Friends?]
[That’s right! We’re friends whose souls are bound together! Best friends, even! A pair connected by fate! Right!?]
[…H-Huhh…]
She suddenly became all energetic, and now it feels like she’s one of those people who can’t read the room. I’m not even sure how it happened—one moment we were exchanging a few words, and the next, she’s talking about us being soul friends.
How should I put it… I can’t shake the feeling that there’s some ulterior motive behind this.
[So, Kai-chan, if I, your best friend, get into trouble, you’re going to help me, right!?]
[……T-That is, well… If it’s something I can do…]
As I expected, here it comes. It’s almost like I’ve stepped into a salesperson’s trap. For now, I’ll just ask her what she’s actually talking about.
What should I do if she suddenly asks me to “go buy this vase”? Maybe I could somehow make a run for the main street…
[Hide me!]
[……Huh?]
But what she said was nothing like what I’d expected.
[I’m being chased by some bad people…]
[W-What do you mean? What’s going on…?]
[Explaining’s a pain in the—No, I don’t have time, so let’s skip it. But anyway, I need your help!]
[……I-I understand. For now, let’s talk to the person who I’m under the care of. She’ll be alright, she’s really reliable…]
I swear she was about to say it’s a “pain in the ass” earlier, but maybe that’s just my imagination.
Honestly, I still feel like I’m being pushed into a corner, but maybe I’m just disoriented by the sudden seriousness of the situation.
For now, I’ll take this to Lilia-san.
Even though this is the first time we’ve met, if she’s really in that kind of trouble, I can’t just turn my back on her.
Lilia-san is a noble and a very level-headed and reliable person, so I’m sure she can help her out.
Since she’s being pursued, we should get to the mansion as quickly as possible…
[Alright, we’ve agreed on that, right? Well then, Kai-chan… Pull me.]
[…Pull you?]
[Moving is a pain in the ass, so……]
[…………….]
Are you seriously being pursued?
After flashing me a smile, Fate-san seemed to deflate like a balloon losing its air. The energy drained from her, and she collapsed back onto her cushion, extending her hand toward me.
I could feel the trust I had when she said she was being pursued start to fade, but for the time being, I decided to take her hand and pull her toward the mansion.
In the God Realm, a domain smaller than the Human Realm and the Demon Realm, there exists a clear hierarchy with several levels.
The God Realm is an absolute vertical society, a doughnut-shaped land where the outer perimeter is home to Low-ranking Gods and ordinary deities, while the inner perimeter is reserved for High-ranking Gods and their subordinates.
At the very center of this doughnut-shaped land lies a garden in the sky— the dwelling place of the God of Creation, Shallow Vernal. In the innermost part of the land of the inner perimeter, there are three huge temples.
The temples are home to the three Supreme Gods, the highest of all Gods, who are worthy of having a temple near the God of Creation and are granted entry to the Hanging Gardens.
In one of those temples, the God of Time and Space, Chronois, walked down a long corridor.
This wasn’t her temple, but the temple of another Supreme God—the God of Fate, she who controls fate.
As Chronois walked down the corridor and reached the room at the far end of the corridor, she lightly knocked on the door before entering.
[I’ll be intruding, God of Fate… It’s about time for the New Year’s Blessing, so I need to discuss the achievements of those you’re in charge of—What!?]
Chronois entered the room, but the God of Fate was nowhere to be found… Instead, on the innermost wall, there was a large piece of paper.
On the paper, which looked like a note, only one phrase was written: “I will not succumb to work.”
Staring blankly at the note for a moment, Chronois slowly approached the wall and tore the paper off, a vein popping up on her forehead.
[…That fool… She ran away “again”!!!]
Shouting in anger, Chronois stormed out of the temple and immediately confronted a nearby High-ranking God.
[Oi! Where did the God of Fate go!?]
[G-God of Time and Space-sama!? W-Well, she… she was shouting, “I am the wind of freedom!” while heading toward the Human Realm…]
[T-That damn slacker… I’ll go to the Human Realm too. It might waste some of your time, but go to my temple and tell my subordinates what’s happening.]
[I-I respectfully obey.]
After giving quick instructions to the High-ranking God, Chronois headed straight for the Human Realm.
To capture her troublesome colleague, who always seems to escape…
[Ah, I almost forgot to ask… but how’s the God of Life doing?]
[I don’t know… She’s probably still “sleeping” as usual…]
[…Why… Why is neither of us acting like a Supreme God!!!?]
On that day… Or should I say, even on that day, the frustrated cries of the struggling Supreme God echoed through the God Realm.
When I returned to Lilia-san’s mansion with Fate-san, I was lucky enough to find Lilia-san in the garden, just as I was hoping.
Sieg-san and Lunamaria-san were there too, so maybe they were training together? Anyway, it worked out fine—Fate-san seems to be in a pretty tough spot, so we can explain everything to her as soon as possible.
[Lilia-san!]
[Oya? Kaito-san, Welco…me…back?]
[Lilia-san? What’s the matter?]
I thought Lilia-san would greet me with a smile when she saw me, but her words trailed off as she looked at me, dumbfounded, her eyes wide open.
Lunamaria-san and Sieg-san looked just as shocked, staring at me—no, at Fate-san, who I was pulling along with me.
I suddenly had a bad feeling, and as if to confirm it, Lilia-san’s trembling finger pointed straight at Fate-san.
[…G-G-Goddess…of Fate-sama?]
[Yahhooo~~ Nice to meet you, I’ll be under your “support” for a long time!]
[…Why is she…suddenly… my heart’s not ready yet… Kyyuuu~~]
[My Lady!?]
The moment she laid eyes on Fate, Lilia-san’s face went pale. After a few moments, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed on the spot.
Eh? Wait, what did Lilia-san just say? The Goddess of Fate?
[…Fate-san, there’s something I’d like to ask you…]
[What is it, Kai-chan?]
[…Is Fate-san a God?]
[That’s right.]
[…And you’re one of the Supreme Gods?]
[Yep~~ I’m the one in charge of fate.]
[…Seriously?]
[Seriously.]
Stunned by their reactions, I turned to Fate-san for confirmation, and Fate-san casually replied.
Dear Mom, Dad—Fate-san, whom I just met, said she respects NEETs. I never expected something like this from a girl like her, but— she was the God of Fate.
<Author’s Notes>
It’s a celebration, we finally reached 100 Chapters!
Kaito is basically a kind and caring person, so he’s like a manwhore for no-good women. He would always end up taking care of them.
And thus, the God of Fate makes her entrance…… The God who declared she doesn’t want to work. The God of Fate…… doesn’t want to work, so she escaped. The God of Life…… is generally always sleeping. The God of Time and Space…… is troubled.
Pitiful Chronois.