BXBX NOVEL Chapter 307: Takatsuki Makoto and the Destiny Goddess
Chapter 307: Takatsuki Makoto and the Destiny Goddess
◇Takatsuki Makoto’s Flashback◇
I slowly open my eyes.
What entered my eyes was a gentle and divine light.
I look around absentminded.
“Eh…?” (Makoto)
The tearful faces of Anna-san and Momo that saw me off just now surfaced in my mind.
I thought that the next time I woke up, it would be 1,000 years later.
I should have gone to a long long sleep in a black coffin.
But this place is…
“Hm?” (Makoto)
There was one beautiful girl looking over here in a bad mood.
“Ira-sama?” (Makoto)
“Oh…if it isn’t Takatsuki Makoto. What’s the matter?” (Ira)
The Destiny Goddess-sama was scratching her head on the desk as if she were sleepy.
“No, it is not like I had any business or anything…” (Makoto)
“Aah, could it be that your connection with me -the Destiny Goddess- has gotten so strong that your spiritual body has come here? Well, you are probably going to return eventually.” (Ira)
“I see… By the way, how long has it been since I went to Cold Sleep?” (Makoto)
“Hmm, around 10 minutes?” (Ira)
No time passed at all!
It wasn’t so long after I went to sleep then.
“By the way, you are free, right?” (Ira)
Ira-sama slides her way closer to me.
“W-Well…I will just be sleeping for 1,000 years after all.” (Makoto)
“Help me check these documents! You just need to look at this entry here! This here…it means this…also here is…and like this…” (Ira)
“W-Wait a bit please! I will write it down!” (Makoto)
I hurriedly recorded the things Ira-sama was saying rapidly.
“Here! This and this! Can you do it? If you don’t understand something, tell me!” (Ira)
“…I will try.” (Makoto)
I ended up getting washed along to help out by the threatening attitude of Ira-sama.
I checked out the documents Ira-sama gave me.
It is the first time I see these letters, but I could understand them for some reason.
I am in the office room of the Destiny Goddess, so maybe there’s a special spell in place here?
(…These documents…it has details about the people that will be born in the future and the skills they will have… Is this the original script for the Soul Book?) (Makoto)
In that parallel world, they say it is the Destiny Goddess-sama who is giving the skills.
Looks like I am checking out whether there’s any oversight in this Soul Book that’s where the skills are presented.
…Wait, isn’t this a super important job?!
As someone who suffered a lot from having weak skills at the beginning of my isekai transfer, if there’s someone who is born with an oversight in their granted skills, the tragedies would be immeasurable.
I-I…definitely cannot make a mistake here.
I use Clear Mind to concentrate on the work.
By the way, I managed to solve two issues with skill granting oversights.
“Ira-sama…what happens when there’s an oversight in the skill granting?” (Makoto)
“I can append it if they come to my church.” (Ira)
“Aah…I see.” (Makoto)
That’s a relief.
There won’t be a child that will be leading a pitiful life without skills!
“But when that happens, it would have to be a skill from the leftovers, so they would be weaker.” (Ira)
“I definitely won’t miss a single one!” (Makoto)
And so, I checked them with utmost concentration.
…That was tiring.
◇Half a day later◇
“Fuuh…thanks to you, I managed to finish this time’s work quickly. Looks like I will be able to sleep for a bit today.” (Ira)
“You are not sleeping?” (Makoto)
“Hmm, I think the last time I slept was half a year ago, I think?” (Ira)
Ira-sama said as if nothing.
“…”
It went far and beyond what I imagined.
I feel ashamed about how I proudly bragged to Fuji-yan before for not having slept for 3 days.
Moreover, it was only because I was gaming.
Isn’t the lifestyle of Ira-sama dangerous?
“Now then, you should go back to your Cold Sleep already. I will return you.” (Ira)
Saying this, Ira-sama was about to put a finger on my head, but I grabbed her hand.
“I will help you out for a while. Not like I have anything to do anyways.” (Makoto)
“…Is that okay? It is not like I can reward you or anything even if you help me out, you know? Because of the Divine Realm Regulations, we can’t interfere too much in the Mortal Realm. Especially me who is in house arrest right now…” (Ira)
Ira-sama looked at me as if apologetic about it and as if she were looking forward to it.
“Please don’t worry about it. More importantly, is there any work I can do while you are sleeping, Ira-sama?” (Makoto)
“Right… Then, can I ask you to journalize these documents?” (Ira)
“Got it.” (Makoto)
And in this way, I ended up helping the Destiny Goddess in her paperwork.
◇A few days in the dream◇
“Here, I finished checking the documents here. I have arranged them in day order.” (Makoto)
“Thanks, Takatsuki Makoto. Then, can I ask you to do this next?” (Ira)
“Oka~y.” (Makoto)
As a normal human, I can’t do the main work of a Goddess.
And so, what I am doing here is the menial work around her.
Even so, it seems like it is a great help for Ira-sama.
By the way, there’s magic plushies moving around busily here and there, but they would be presenting Ira-sama with more paperwork once she finishes what she has at hand or would bring documents that are unfinished; basically, they were in charge of the transportation.
They apparently can’t do what I do.
“By the way, Ira-sama.” (Makoto)
“What?” (Ira)
I speak to Ira-sama without stopping my hands.
“Eir-sama once told me that angels serve as agents for the work of a Goddess. Do you not have angels here, Ira-sama?” (Makoto)
This is what Eir-sama, who comes often to the Deep Sea Temple to hang out, told me when I asked her if she didn’t have work.
Ira-sama should ask for the help of angels too…
But Ira-sama looked annoyed at that.
“I had before, but they all quitted…” (Ira)
That might have been a question I shouldn’t have asked.
“That spineless bunch! What if you didn’t have a break for 1 week?! Learn from me!” (Ira)
“Talk about slave driving…” (Makoto)
That’s the fault of their superior Ira-sama.
“My fault?!” (Ira)
“Please protect the rookies.” (Makoto)
But well, I don’t know if there’s a labor standards act in the Divine Realm.
“But you are working the whole time though.” (Ira)
“Eh?” (Makoto)
I noticed it now that she mentions it.
I haven’t slept the last few days, and haven’t eaten anything at all.
I don’t get sleepy and don’t get hungry.
“It is because you are in the space of the Destiny Goddess. Because of my Miracle, you don’t feel sleepy or hungry.” (Ira)
“…That’s convenient, but a bit scary.” (Makoto)
Anything is possible for Gods, huh.
Thanks to Clear Mind, I don’t lack concentration.
Ira-sama is glaring at a document with a complicated expression as always.
(…I should prepare some coffee.) (Makoto)
I have an idea of the things around the space of Ira-sama in the few days I have been here.
A small break in between should increase productivity.
Thinking that, I get up.
◇A few more days after◇
“Hey, Takatsuki Makoto.” (Ira)
“What is it?” (Makoto)
I sip my cooled down coffee while running my eyes through a document.
So bad.
I should prepare a new one after I finish here.
“You…are using water magic while checking the documents. Is that going to be okay? Don’t go messing up, okay?” (Ira)
“It is okay. I already got the hang of it.” (Makoto)
What I am doing here is monotone, so I decided to train my water magic while doing the menial work.
I can’t go using Spirit Magic in the space of the Holy God Ira-sama, but there’s no problem with water magic.
“What a skillful man.” (Ira)
“That’s rich coming from you who works while sleeping, Ira-sama.” (Makoto)
Even though I told her to please sleep when there’s free time, she would work even when sleeping.
This workaholic Goddess.
“Cause there’s no end to it.” (Ira)
“Let’s employ people~.” (Makoto)
“I am trying to, but no one is coming!” (Ira)
That’s because rumors of Ira-sama’s workplace being slave driving must have spread…
“There’s nothing I can do about it! The workplace of a Destiny Goddess from a world where the decisive battle against the Demon Lord is coming is the busiest place, you know! That’s common knowledge in the Divine Realm!” (Ira)
“Well…can’t argue on that one.” (Makoto)
Wars happen often and it is a time when history moves greatly.
I can understand plenty well that the Destiny Goddess has a lot of work.
“I will prepare more coffee.” (Makoto)
“With a whole lot of everything else.” (Ira)
“Kay kay.” (Makoto)
I get up from my seat.
By ‘everything else’, she apparently means both sugar and milk.
…Does this knowledge serve me in an isekai?
◇Half a year later◇
“I am beginning to get bored of this…” (Makoto)
I have completely gotten used to helping in the work of Ira-sama, but 999 more years of this.
I don’t think it will be possible for me to keep this up forever…
Even with Clear Mind, I don’t think I can endure it.
Ira-sama, who heard my whisper, looked back here as if taken aback.
“My bad. You are a human, so your mind wouldn’t endure for as long as 1,000 years. I will teach you the spell Destiny Magic: Lapse of Memory.” (Ira)
“Lapse of Memory spell…?” (Makoto)
I tilt my head at the ominous words of Ira-sama.
Why such a spell?
“For you, this is a dream world, so there’s no point in keeping the memories of your dreams forever, right? It would also burden your brain. That’s why, cast the lapse of memory spell on yourself every now and then to erase your memory.” (Ira)
“That’s…won’t that make my water magic training go to waste?” (Makoto)
“There’s no issue with that. Even if you erase your memory, it is not like the amount of times you used water magic will disappear as well. The experience properly stays. Your magic proficiency is properly increasing.” (Ira)
“I see. Then, please teach me the lapse of memory spell… By the way, can’t you just erase my memory yourself, Ira-sama?” (Makoto)
“I can’t. That would end up being me directly interfering with a resident of the Mortal Realm.” (Ira)
“…I am already helping you out in your work, so I feel like it won’t make much of a difference though.” (Makoto)
“A-A resident of the Mortal Realm can interfere with a Holy God according to the rules, so there’s no problem…” (Ira)
“Haah, is that so.” (Makoto)
That sounds convenient, but looks like there’s no problem.
And so, I was taught Destiny Magic: Lapse of Memory by Ira-sama.
Being taught destiny magic by the Goddess that rules over it; how extravagant.
But well, I am helping her out in her work, so it is give-and-take.
I helped out in her work as I continued training water magic.
At times, I would put them together with destiny magic, and would also train with the Sun Magic: Elementary that I got from the Sun Goddess.
I would erase my memories every so often, and continue working and training.
And in this way, in the time I was sleeping for 1,000 years, I passed the time inside my dreams, inside the space of the Destiny Goddess.
It was only after a good while of helping her out that I noticed my water magic proficiency had easily passed the 1,000.
◇Present: Demonic Continent◇
A giant comet big enough to cover the sky.
The spell that dropped the capital of Great Keith into despair.
But the current me is watching that with a calm and refreshing feeling.
The one who activated that Comet Drop was me after all.
To be precise, it is just a giant mass of ice, so it probably can’t be called a comet.
In other words, it is just a bluff spell.
The water magic that I have trained for 1,000 years.
This is the place to show it off, so I chose a flashy spell.
Did I manage to show my cool side to Lucy and Sa-san?
Is what I was thinking as I turned there, and the two were looking at me in shock.
Eeh?
“Ma-…Mako…you…” (Lucy)
“Takatsuki-kun…uhm…” (Aya)
Lucy and Sa-san’s faces don’t seem to be ones of people who have fallen in love all over again.
They are the eyes of people looking at a crazy guy.
This is weird.
Where did I go wrong?
Just when I was thinking that…
“Oi! Spirit User-kun!!!”
A nostalgic voice called me.
It has been 1,000 years.
At a slightly separated location, a wondrous woman in a long white dress was floating in the air.
“Mel-san! It has been a while.” (Makoto)
A past comrade of mine.
The Ancient White Dragon, Helemerck -Mel-san.
“I am glad to see you in good health…is what I would like to say, but to think you would suddenly cast Comet Drop… Now that I think about it, your style is to hit the dwelling of a Demon Lord with mass destruction magic.” (Mel)
Mel-san made a bitter expression.
Looks like she is talking about the time when I did a Comet Drop on the castle of the Immortal King.
“Was that not good?” (Makoto)
“Of course it isn’t good!” (Mel)
“Then, I will stop it for now.” (Makoto)
I stop the comet mid air.
The giant mass of ice is covering the sky.
“I am impressed you can stop it so easily.” (Mel)
“It is just water magic, you know.” (Makoto)
“So casual…” (Mel)
The White Dragon-san sighs heavily.
This conversation is nostalgic.
“Hey hey, Makoto! Why are you talking all familiarly with her?! That’s an Ancient Dragon, right?!” (Lucy)
“Takatsuki-kun, who is that model-like woman?” (Aya)
Lucy and Sa-san come to my side.
“She is the White Dragon-san that helped me out 1,000 years ago. In this era, I guess it would be better to call her Holy Dragon-sama, I guess?” (Makoto)
““Eeeeeeeh?!””
For some reason, the two were shocked.
“Didn’t I already tell you before that the White Dragon-san was the daughter of the Ancient Dragon King?” (Makoto)
“B-But she became the comrade of the Savior-sama, right?!” (Lucy)
“So does that mean she has switched to the Demon Lord side?” (Aya)
No, that’s not it…
While I was thinking about how to explain this…
“What rude little girls. Who is switching sides?” (Mel)
The voice of the White Dragon-san rang right by my side.
““?!””
Lucy and Sa-san get surprised.
The White Dragon-san had moved with Teleport.
“I was simply their comrade because I was defeated by the Spirit User-kun. I have no obligation to be the ally of humans if the Spirit User-kun is gone.” (Mel)
The White Dragon-san snorts with a ‘hmph’.
I grin at that.
“You may say that, but you helped out in the training of Momo.” (Makoto)
“…Well, a bit. I trained her to a degree where she would be decently strong. She is my disciple after all.” (Mel)
Decently strong, she says. She is the strongest mage in the continent though.
The White Dragon-san’s sense is also a bit warped.
While we were having that conversation.
“Helemerck! What are you being all casual about here?! Wasn’t it you who said that you could defeat the Apostle of the Old God?!”
The black dragon spoke for the first time.
I felt something off from that way of speaking.
It is the opponent that the Quasi-God Rank Spell: Cocytus didn’t work on.
There’s no way they would be fazed by a spell of this level.
It is not possible, but…
For some reason, the giant black dragon leading the Ancient Dragons -Astaroth- looks like he is flustered by my Comet Drop.
“Brother, it is true that I thought I could have put up a good fight against the Spirit User-kun if he were the same as 1,000 years ago, but it looks like the Spirit User-kun of now isn’t the one I knew.” (Mel)
I turn over there at the words of the White Dragon-san.
“Brother? Isn’t that your father?” (Makoto)
“Hm? No, that’s the acting agent of the Ancient Dragon King, my brother.” (Mel)
“Aah, is that so.” (Makoto)
So it really was someone else.
“T-That’s not possible! It matches the traits of the Ancient Dragon King that we know.” (Lucy)
“That’s right. The one who wiped out the Sun Knights was that Ancient Dragon!” (Aya)
“Hm? My father has barely shown himself in front of humans for 1,000 years, you know?” (Mel)
““…””
Lucy and Sa-san were speechless at the words of the White Dragon-san.
I was also surprised.
The entirety of the West Continent had misrecognized the Ancient Dragon King.
The one the Sun Knights lost against wasn’t the Ancient Dragon King.
“Then, Mel-san, where’s the real Ancient Dragon King?” (Makoto)
“Aah, the only one who can meet my father is apparently the Hero that defeats my brother…” (Mel)
At those words, I once again face the giant black dragon.
“I see… Then…” (Makoto)
I activate the Spirit Arm.
I slowly moved the comet that I had stopped from falling.
“W-Wait! If you drop that, this whole place will be flattened! Helemerck!! If you are an ally of the Ancient Dragons too, take hostage one of the Spirit User’s comrades, or kill him!”
“Wa?!” (Lucy)
“Kuh!” (Aya)
Lucy and Sa-san hurriedly take a battle stance at those words.
But the White Dragon-san herself…
“Ahahahahahahaha!” (Mel)
She simply laughed out loud.
“What are you laughing at?!”
“Look around well, Brother -at the Undines around me.” (Mel)
At those words, the Great Spirits that were camouflaging with the air showed themselves with Dia being the first one.
“It has been a while. I thought you might betray Our King.” (Dia)
“…There’s no way I would. Brother! As you can see, if I make even the slightest suspicious movement, I would be killed by the Great Water Spirits and it would be over.” (Mel)
“Guh…”
The Brother of the White Dragon-san -Mel-san- groans vexed.
But well, I do think that it would be pretty dangerous if the White Dragon-san were to get serious.
I glanced at the side-profile of Mel-san and she showed me a small smile.
{This is my thanks for stopping the comet… I beg of you here, don’t go dropping it, okay?} (Mel)
{I will keep it at just the right distance.} (Makoto)
We whisper this between each other.
At that moment, a hot wind blew.
The snow covering the mountain range evaporated in an instant.
The ground releases heat.
“Eh…?” (Lucy)
Lucy gasped lightly.
A giant light pillar pierced the sky from the ground.
My Comet imitation that was covering the sky was smashed up.
Those fragments became particles and disappeared.
At the same time, a black mist -miasma- covered the area.
And then, my Detection rang its alarm inside my brain after a long time of not doing so.
“T-Takatsuki-kun…this miasma…” (Aya)
Sa-san was trembling.
Even though, normally, Sa-san would be able to make even Calamity Designation monsters open the path with her pressure alone.
“Spirit User-kun, looks like this ruckus has reached the ears…of my father.” (Mel)
I nodded at the words of the White Dragon-san.
I remember it now.
The pressure I felt inside Cocytus.
The presence that is incomparable to that of other Demon Lords.
The ground trembled.
An explosion happened.
The volcanoes around us erupted.
Magma rises up.
From within that, a pitch black dragon shows up slowly.
The other Ancient Dragons slowly move away.
As if fearing and respecting the appearance of their king.
Or maybe in order to not get caught up in it.
We might have to learn from that.
“Lucy, Sa-san, get away from here.” (Makoto)
I am worried about the effects it will have on my surroundings if I were to use Spirit Magic seriously.
“Spirit User-kun, I will watch after your comrades. Don’t worry.” (Mel)
The White Dragon-san will be taking that job.
That’s reassuring, but…
“Is that okay? You are an Ancient Dragon, someone from their side, right?” (Makoto)
I don’t think the White Dragon-san would take hostages, but is it okay for her to take sides so blatantly?
“My father has been waiting for 1,000 years in order to fulfill his promise with you. Please answer him with your full power.” (Mel)
She shrugged her shoulders.
“He was waiting?” (Makoto)
“Ancient Dragons are a race that keeps their promises, didn’t I tell you that before?” (Mel)
Now that I think about it, I think she did say that to me a long time ago.
Looks like he waited faithfully this whole time.
“Lucy, hold this.” (Makoto)
I gave the communication device that Gera-san gave me.
“O-Okay. Makoto! …You will be fine, right?” (Lucy)
“Takatsuki-kun, do your best…” (Aya)
Lucy and Sa-san look at me uneasy.
“Yeah, I will do my best.” (Makoto)
I wave my hand.
And then, I face straight at the black dragon that’s the size of a small mountain.
The one looking straight down at me is the strongest Demon Lord, the Ancient Dragon King, Astaroth.
I couldn’t match him 1,000 years ago.
Different from before, I have no help from the Divinity of Ira-sama.
What I have instead is the 1,000 year proficiency from the training in the Destiny Goddess-sama’s space.
“…You made me wait quite long.” (Astaroth)
With just that low tone of his, a gale was created.
“Then, be ready.” (Makoto)
I direct my transparent blue arm at the Ancient Dragon King.
And in this way, the rematch from 1,000 years ago began.