Chapter 124: The Goddess’s Blessing
I was dreaming.
It was one of those dreams where you realize within the dream that it is indeed a dream. After all, the situation of looking down at myself from above, like a drone, could only be a figment of my imagination.
“Still, it feels nostalgic…”
The setting was a classroom. Whether it was after school or not, students were leaving the room, bags in hand, chatting lightly among themselves. I, on the other hand, was in the corner of the classroom, stuffing textbooks into my bag. Usually, I would wait until most of my classmates had left before heading home alone.
I tried to move closer to my dream self, but I found myself unable to do so. It was probably because I could only observe, being trapped in this dream. I thought I had spoken just moments ago, but my words never reached my ears.
Yet, I couldn’t quite understand why I was in this situation. Just a while ago, I was in the Temple, holding a wedding ceremony with Rio.
Before long, my dream self finished packing the textbooks and exited the classroom, descending the stairs until I reached the entrance. After changing my shoes, I called out to a student standing nearby.
“Sorry, did you wait?”
“No, not at all.”
“…Huh?”
It was Rio standing there. She looked a bit chubby, maintaining the same figure she had before being summoned to this Otherworld. Wait, didn’t I feel like a loner back in school? When did I become able to talk to girls? And of all people, why was it Rio?
As I observed the two of them, I noticed they were holding hands, their fingers intertwined. I instinctively turned my face toward Rio, but when she returned my gaze with a beaming smile, I quickly looked away, my face flushing.
“Heh…”
A dry laugh escaped my lips, but I felt a strange sense of relief. I had heard that the me summoned to this Otherworld was a copy of my soul from Japan. So, I had vaguely thought that the me who wasn’t summoned would continue living as a loner, unchanged.
But it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Well, there was no guarantee that the scene I was witnessing was the real me in Japan, but isn’t it okay to think that way?
As I watched my dream self awkwardly respond to Rio while walking home, I felt a gradual pull away from this world. The end of this dream was approaching. However, I found satisfaction in knowing that this version of me looked happy. Just as I thought that, my vision was once again engulfed in a blinding white light.
“Hmm, hmm. With this, you two have officially become husband and wife.”
When I regained my senses, I found myself back in the Temple. The glow of the goddess statue had dimmed, returning to the usual ambiance of the Temple. I could hear the words of congratulations and applause from the surrounding crowd, but they barely registered in my ears.
“Shuu?”
Rio, standing directly in front of me, poked me in the side.
“Eh? Oh, yeah. I’m… fine.”
I reached out to touch her cheek and gently pressed my lips against hers once more.
“Ahaha, you’re such a tease, Shuu.”
“Hehehe, you’re already showing off, aren’t you? It’s rare to receive such a magnificent blessing from the Goddess. Your future is practically guaranteed now.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed! I’ve never seen the goddess statue shine so brightly before. Now, let’s get going. The onlookers are waiting.”
So it wasn’t just my imagination that it was glowing. If that’s the case, then perhaps the dream I just had wasn’t a dream after all. With a refreshing feeling, I turned to look behind me.
“Whoa!”
There was a larger crowd than I had expected. Cheers and shouts of congratulations filled the air.
“It’s amazing…”
“Yeah… Let’s head out for now.”
I extended my arm to Rio, who intertwined her hand with mine. Just like when we arrived, we walked slowly toward the Temple’s exit.
“Lord Shu, Lady Rio, congratulations!”
“Fleur! Thank you so much!”
“Ufufu. Seeing you both so happy makes me feel happy too.”
“Ahaha, you both were incredible! Congratulations! I want to send my blessings as well!”
The next voice came from the Guild Master of the Adventurer’s Guild. Given his busy profession, I was surprised he had taken the time to come.
“Thank you, Guild Master.”
“I got to see something truly wonderful. Thank you for that.”
“Big brother, big sister, congratulations!”
Beside him, Clay-kun from the Beldran Workshop waved his hands enthusiastically. His mother, Sariana, gave a polite bow in greeting.
“Thank you both as well.”
Heh… It’s funny how, despite everything, there are people who come to celebrate even when I didn’t invite them.
As I shifted my gaze, I caught a glimpse of the members of the Heavenly Wolf Fang. They waved lightly and offered their congratulations.
“Woof!”
Nil was wagging her three tails excitedly, joining in the celebration.
“Stop it, I said!”
She licked my face all over, but I didn’t genuinely dislike it. Knowing that made it clear why she wouldn’t stop even when I asked her to.
Yeah. The people in this world aren’t so bad after all. Of course, it’s true that there are many selfish individuals, and it’s wise not to trust strangers. But it seems there’s still something worth holding onto. Today, I felt that realization strongly.