216 Temporary Return
It stunk.
A nose as good as a dog’s turned into one as good as a human’s.
Still, the unpleasantness had taken hold and didn’t quite go away.
The wind caressed my skin.
Frankly, it was cold.
All kinds of sounds reached my ears.
The cars driving by.
Music leaking from the apartment buildings.
I was in front of the station in a town that set the delicate line between rural and metropolitan.
I had returned to Japan.
Among the duties I had given my clones, the most important had been finding a way to teleport to earth.
Games, manga, sweets, instant noodles.
There’s no good reason coming to mind?
Oh, whatever.
First, I entered a convenience store.
It screamed “fantasy” way too clearly. Instead I had changed into clothes that wouldn’t feel out of place in Japan.
I was completely white, so with my white clothes, I did stand out.
I’d go back soon anyway, so as long as they don’t call the police on me, standing out a bit is no problem.
Having my eyes closed all the time might be a bit dangerous though.
Inside the convenience store, I grabbed the next best magazine.
Seeing the date, although not entirely unexpected, gave me a little surprise.
Although more than five earth-years had passed in the other world, here only half a year had gone by.
Was this the special theory of relativity?
Welp, being hung-up over physics in a world with magic energy and stuff is weird anyway.
But still, half a year, huh…
After five years, the buildings and so may very well look different, so I thought it was strange when that wasn’t the case.
So when I thought “No way” and checked, I turned out to be right.
Since I was already there, I caught up reading the weekly manga inside the store and left without buying anything.
Buy something?
I’m broke. Got a problem?
Besides, the clerk gave me those dubious looks when I kept reading manga eyes closed~
Yep.
In the first place, if magic didn’t work here, I wouldn’t have been able to teleport here. My safe arrival proved that wrong.
No idea why it didn’t develop though.
Somebody might be pulling strings behind the scenes, but what do I know.
Still, I wanted to head to the likely candidate for that string-pulling.
It goes without saying that candidate is D.
My biggest reason for coming to earth was meeting D in person.
Really, okay?
I knew about D, but that was it.
But my pride didn’t allow me becoming the kin of someone I’d never met.
Even if I was to make a concession and unwillingly give in there, I at least wanted it to be for someone I can accept.
Was that person worthy for me to work for?
Unfortunately, I probably wouldn’t be able to win with power.
Knowing a fraction of that, I caught a glimpse of its artistic perfection.
Even after becoming a god, being the lowest class god who can’t even properly utilize her power, I had no chance of winning.
Besides, if I was to blindly believe fragmented information and what D disclosed, then D was particularly strong even among gods.
If I was to blindly believe it, that is.
That’s why I wouldn’t look at D’s power.
Nothing more, nothing less.
If, by chance, it wasn’t right, then I’ll think about it when the time comes.
Just like I’d always done so far.
I walked towards my destination.
The concrete road stretched on endlessly.
The town felt somewhat cramped.
None of those sensations particularly moved me.
You could say it’s natural.
If I had to say, there was only that hazy feeling.
Ah, a Gyuudon stall.
But, no money.
If so, then I’d have no problem making D my master, yep.
I walked from the station to a residential area.
I walked on.
A single house, around 10 years old, without any particular features.
I opened the gate and walked towards the entrance.
There was the key there.
With the key, I opened the front door.
The inside was ruled by silence.
Without hesitation, I climbed them.
Arriving on the second floor, I opened the door right next to me.
The screen shows a game, a bald, old man magnificently dodging his enemies’ attacks.
Every time he does, the controller rattles.
“Welcome. Or maybe I should say ‘Welcome back’?” The girl holding the controller said without turning around.
“It’s the first time in my life that I’m here, so it would be ‘Welcome’?”
Curiously, my words came out fluently.
And I knew why.
“Nice to meet you, I suppose? Wakaba Hiiro-san. Or should I call you D?”
The girl turned around.
A girl looking exactly like me.
The difference was that she let her hair down, and her slightly different expression.
“Nice to meet you, my substitute.”
Said my expressionless original.