To reach the Nagano God, we have no choice but to use a land route.
But it seems the route is hidden.
Even searching with Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet), I couldn’t find the route, and I was wondering what to do.
Just then, a small white doll? Tomato-kun, my Familiar, found something like that.
…I explain the above to my companions.
“I was worried Master had lost her mind!”
Sinri-san, thank you for worrying about me. But that means you thought I’d lost my mind until just now, right…? Isn’t that a bit harsh? Mama is sad…?
“What are you talking about, Trash?”
Oh, good one, Tenri.
Go on, refute her.
“Master’s head is always strange.”
Oh my~? Tenri-chan?
Aren’t you saying something a bit harsh too?
Mother is a little sad, you know…?
“…” pitter-patter.
Tomato-kun pats my head.
Such a kind child. Well, since he’s a Familiar, it’s probably natural for him to do things that benefit his God…………Ah.
“What’s wrong, Lord Nagano?”
Detective Niekawa asks me.
“No, I was just thinking that this white doll might be a Familiar of the Nagano God.”
It suddenly occurred to me that besides Tsuneko and the nine others in various places, there might be other Familiars serving the Nagano God.
Even I have many Familiars, and I’ve entrusted them with different tasks.
“I see… That possibility is high.”
Tenri affirms.
“So, like Tomato-kun, a lower-ranking Familiar, right?”
“That’s right.”
I crouch down and ask the white doll.
“Um…”
“…” whimper.
The doll is crying…
Is it scared? Well, of course.
From this child’s perspective, it’s like being surrounded by an unfamiliar God and her Familiars.
“Sorry, sorry, it’s not like I’m going to eat you or anything.”
“…………” whimper.
“Um…”
“…” whimper.
Hmm…
“It seems our words aren’t getting through to it at all.”
I think Tenri is right.
“Is it possible for words not to get through? Familiars have intelligence, don’t they?”
“Even Trash sometimes can’t keep up with our conversations, right? If there’s too much difference in intelligence, a conversation can’t be established.”
“Aren’t you indirectly saying my intelligence is lacking!?”
“No.”
“Ah, right… You wouldn’t say something that harsh…”
“I called you an idiot, Trash.”
“I was called something even worse!? That’s too cruel, little sister! Weren’t you the ‘loves big sister’ type character!? Did you have a character change!?”
“I always respect my big sister.”
“What you’re saying and what you’re doing are contradictory!”
Today too, Tenri was teasing her big sister.
Now then…
In other words, the other Familiar’s intelligence is too low, so a conversation can’t be established.
Then… it’s simple.
“Hey, Tomato-kun.”
“…?”
“Could you convey what I want to say to it?”
“…” Bishii!
Tomato-kun is also a lower-ranking Familiar, just like the other one.
I thought that if they’re both lower-ranking Familiars, they’d be able to communicate.
“I see… Mika (Idiot) and Sinri (Idiot) can communicate, after all.”
Tenri-san…?
Aren’t you writing Mika and calling me ‘idiot’…?
It’s just my imagination, right…?
“Hey, Tenri~. Stop writing Master as ‘idiot’~. It’s pitiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes. That’s why I wrote Sinri and read it as ‘idiot’.”
“Big sister isn’t an idiot!?”
No, Sinri. You’re the same as me.
Compa~nions.
“…” pyon.
While that was happening, it seems Tomato-kun managed to talk to the Familiar.
The two of them have their arms around each other’s shoulders.
It seems they’ve become quite good friends.
“I want to meet the Nagano God. Can you tell me where the entrance is?”
The Familiar thinks for a moment, then walks over tekoteko.
And it points alternately at two large trees.
“This is the entrance?”
“…” nods.
The fact that it showed us the entrance means…
It trusts us?
No, it wouldn’t trust us so soon after meeting. So…
“Could it be that the Nagano God is in a really bad situation?”
“…!!!!” nods nods nods!
I knew it.
It’s an emergency, and they’re so desperate they’d even borrow a cat’s paw, so they’re trying to let us in.
…Just as I expected.
“OK. Leave it to me. Big sister will help the Nagano God.”
“…” whimper.
The Familiar clings to my leg, shedding tears.
This child must love its God too. Just like Tomato-kun does for me.
I try to pass between the trees.
I passed through easily… but.
“I don’t feel like I’ve entered a God’s domain.”
It just feels like I passed through.
I don’t think I’ve moved to where the Nagano God is…
“You can tell something like that by feeling… amazing… as expected of a God…”
“Can ordinary people not tell the difference?”
I try asking Sinri.
“Dunno~”
“There’s no record of that sensation in Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet) either.”
Aren’t there a lot of things not listed in Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet)…?
“It just means you’re that strange.”
“Ah, I see…”
Well, it’s fine. It really is. I’ve known from the start that I’m a strange existence!
“Anyway, this is the entrance, right? But… for some reason, I can’t enter.”
Is the entrance closed? There’s nothing that looks like a door, though.
But somehow, I can sense that this is the entrance.
“Perhaps, this is a Gate.”
Ah… what was that again? Something like a gate connecting spaces?
“A Gate cannot be used unless both sides, the other side and this side, are activated.”
I see… This side is activated, but the other side isn’t.
So, the Gate won’t open… is that it.
“Then, what about forcing the Gate open?”
“Are you an idiot? A Gate is an interdimensional existence, you know? How do you intend to open something from a different dimension…”
I reach out towards the space and make a motion as if prying it open sideways.
Then, a gate of light appeared before my eyes.
“……………………”
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?”
Tenri is speechless, and Detective-san is astonished.
“You two still have a long way to go~”
Meanwhile, Sinri says triumphantly.
“There’s no way common sense would apply to this God, right? Opening an interdimensional gate with her bare hands is something she can do~?”
Oh, Sinri-chan, as expected, you understand me (Mama) well~.
“…What is this person…?”
“Not a person. A God, you know?”
“…Help me, straight man…”
Tenri said that, looking somehow incredibly tired.
Sorry, you’re not originally the straight man, are you.