"But, it’s amazing that a new religion that picks a fight with monotheism has managed to survive this long without being crushed. The power of the church in this world is immense…"
"The temple, right? Not the church... Well, that may be true under normal circumstances, but..."
Representatives: Francette Balmore
Leading believers: Roland Balmore
Main Followers: Eyes of the Goddess, Count Adan Family
Foreign branch:
- Beliscas—operated mainly by the Count Reyfel and Viscount Dorivelle families.
- Alligot Empire—Mainly active among naval personnel
"Well, I can't crush them..." (Kaoru)
"They can't be crushed..." (Reiko)
After all, the "Guardian of the Continent, the Absolute Hero Francette" and her husband, His Highness the King's Brother, were the ones who coordinated the followers. And then they infiltrated the military of a friendly country. If they were persecuted in a poor way—No, even before that, they might anger the Goddess Celestine.
"Now that I think about it, Mariel’s family was promoted… Also, that boy’s family was definitely a baron…"
Yes, it seemed that they were promoted from Viscount to Count, and from Baron to Viscount. The reason for this was not explained in the book.
"Well, they wouldn't bother writing about the nobles of other countries." (Kaoru)
Kaoru said that and brushed it off lightly. It never occurred to them that there might be a reason that could possibly be written down in a book...
"Well, anyway, from what I found in the books, it seems that aside from starting a strange religion, the children were able to live normal lives without getting caught up in any other troubles that would leave a mark on the records. Well, if the orphans were able to find happiness like everyone else, then I guess it's a pretty good world, right...?" (Kaoru)
"...Don't you ever think, 'What if I could have made them happier?'" (Reiko)
"Eh?" (Kaoru)
Kaoru tilted her head in confusion at Reiko's words. She didn't really understand what Reiko was saying. Even if she thought about it now, it would only become a negative thought and there was no point in thinking about it. However…….
"What if you could go back in time?" (Reiko)
"Eh……" (Kaoru)
Kaoru froze at the Reiko's words. Kaoru also liked to read. So, she read a lot of novels about time slips and time machines—Of course, she also read manga and movies of that kind.
"...Can you do that?" (Kaoru)
"I haven’t checked, but I think it’s probably impossible. The Goddess’s job is to ‘prevent the collapse of the dimensional world’, so it’s not like she would go head-to-head with something like ‘branching the dimensional world by traveling back in time’…" (Reiko)
"Ah, that's right..." (Kaoru)
It seemed that Reiko simply wanted to ask Kaoru how she was feeling—or perhaps she was just trying to get Kaoru to let out the thoughts she might be harboring inside, like, "If only I had handled things better and continued to take care of my children, maybe they would all be happier..." so that she wouldn't have to suffer over something that couldn't be changed now.
"…But even if I could do that…no. If I could go back in time and start over, all the events that have happened to everyone in this world over the past 70 years...their efforts and their results, the dreams that came true and the dreams that didn't, the people who were born—all of that would disappear in an instant and become as if they never happened. Not even God could allow that. Also, even if I went back in time and started over, it would just create a new branching world, and the current world would most likely continue as it is, with Kaoru and Reiko suddenly disappearing. If that were to happen, the circumstances of everyone in the world would remain unchanged, and there would be no point. And then, do I bear all responsibility for the existence of life in this newly branched off dimension, and all of its misfortune and tragedy? No way! That's God's job! It's too heavy for me to carry!" (Kaoru)
Kaoru had no intention of carrying such a heavy burden. Life was a one-shot deal. There were no replays or reset marathons. You have to play with the cards you're dealt, whether they're good cards or bad cards. That's what Kaoru thought, but...
"Oh, I was in the middle of resetting my life..." (Kaoru)
"I wonder if it's a replay?" (Reiko)
Saying this, Kaoru and Reiko gave a wry smile.
"Well, I thought maybe Kaoru would say that. Besides, I don't even know if it's possible to travel back in time..." (Reiko)
"Yeah. That's a world that humans shouldn't interfere in, right..." (Kaoru)
As expected, it seemed that Reiko had asked that question knowing that Kaoru had no such intentions at all. She wanted Kaoru to say it clearly, not just think about it in her head, and to put an end to her feelings. And of course, Kaoru knew that.
"...After all, Reiko is Reiko..." (Kaoru)
"What is that..." (Reiko)
Then, the next morning. Finally, the day had come to check on the status of Kaoru's acquaintances. That being said, in a world with a short life expectancy, there probably weren't many of them still alive. At the time, Kaoru had been reincarnated in a 15-year-old body, and it had been just under five years since then. Since she was just before 20 when she disappeared, anyone older than her was already over 90 years old—First of all, there was little hope. Even at the time, the orphans were only 16 years old, Emile and Bell were 12, and Layette-chan was 6—Everyone was around 80 years old or older. It's pretty tough. However, they could at least see their children and grandchildren, and the path they left behind. They left something easily recognizable behind: a religious organization and a shop.
"Hair and eye color change, good! Eye make-up to lower the corners of the eyes, good! Money, borrowed from Reiko, good! Depart!" (Koaru)
The first place to go was the store. Customers entered a store. There was nothing strange about this, it was the most natural behavior. And as a traveler from afar, they could ask the store clerk various questions without seeming suspicious at all. It was the perfect way to gather information. Then…….
"I'm coming in!" (Kaoru)
"Eh, yeah..." (Reiko)
After hesitating for a while in front of the store, Kaoru finally seemed to make up her mind, and Reiko nodded. Then the two of them opened the entrance door and entered the store. They chose the drug store instead of the souvenir shop because they thought there would be fewer customers there and they would be able to talk to the clerk at leisure. As the two of them entered the store, a voice from the other side of the counter called out "Welcome." The shopkeeper was around 60 years old, which was a relatively old age in this world. Well, aside from souvenir shops, a young shopkeeper didn't really suit a serious shop like this. It's common for drug stores to be owned by elders.
(Now, to start a conversation, we needed a topic that would make them think we were real customers and not just browsing, and that went beyond just buying and selling products... That's right, we should ask about some niche, expensive items that the store doesn't seem to have, and then expand the conversation from there... So!) (Kaoru)
"Do you have any hemort seeds, mortgul berries, or kurkor leaves?" (Kaoru)
Yes, it was an extremely expensive and rare material used in a longevity elixir. Buying these three things meant that they knew about the elixir and its ingredients, which meant that they were not ordinary commoners. So, it was proof that they both were no ordinary people, and by talking about obtaining expensive ingredients that were not available in stores, it led to various conversations...
"Yes, there is. The amount needed to make one bottle of the elixir of longevity is 35 gold coins in total. We can also compound it for you at home."
"There's one?!!" (Kaoru)