The girl I met on my way home, Fate-san, possessed a truly mysterious aura—though she spent most of the time talking to me with a dazed, listless expression.
"So, Kai-chan. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask..."
"Something you want to ask? What is it?"
"Yeah. In the otherworld, do you really have a saying that goes something like 'If you work, you lose'?"
Fate-san asked in a leisurely voice, rolling over on the cushion she had floating in mid-air.
To work is to lose? Hmm, what was it... If it’s a saying she’s after, it’s probably that one.
"...'To work is to fail'?"
"That's it! That’s the one! Man, the otherworld really is advanced, isn't it? What a wonderful sentiment! And it’s not just the slogans—don’t you have a whole profession dedicated to not working?"
"I don’t think it’s technically a profession, but... are you talking about NEETs?"
"NEET... That sounds so cool! I have the utmost respect for NEETs! I’ve decided—I’m going to become a NEET too!"
"..."
Her energy suddenly spiked as she began to heap praise on the concept of unemployment.
What was with this... lingering sense of disappointment? She was declaring her intent to become a NEET with the most lethargic face I’d ever seen. I see. She was "that type" of person.
"Um..."
"Kai-chan!"
"Huh? Ah, yes?"
"Since we’ve shared a conversation like this, that makes us 'Soul Friends,' right?"
"Pardon? Soul Friends?"
"That’s right! Our souls are intertwined! We’re best buds now! We’re in this together! Right?"
"...S-Sure..."
She had suddenly become very pushy, but her temperament was impossible to read.
I didn't really follow her logic, but after exchanging only a few sentences, she was already calling us soul friends. Somehow, I sensed an ulterior motive behind it all.
"So, Kai-chan, you’d help your best friend if she were in a bind, wouldn’t you? You would, right?"
"Well... if it’s something within my power..."
There it was. I felt like I’d been ensnared by a high-pressure street solicitor, but for now, I decided to hear her out.
What if she tried to sell me a suspicious jar or something? If things went south, I’d just have to make a run for the main street.
"Hide me!"
"...Huh?"
Her request was far beyond anything I had imagined.
"I’m being chased by bad people..."
"W-What do you mean? What on earth is going on?"
"Explaining is too troubl—no, I mean, there’s no time to explain, so I’ll skip the details. Just help me!"
"I-I understand. For now, let’s talk to the person who’s looking after me. It’s okay, she’s a very reliable person..."
I could have sworn I heard her start to say "troublesome" for a split second, but it was probably just my imagination.
Given how frantic she seemed, she was likely just confused and overwhelmed by a dire situation. I decided to consult Lilia-san.
Even though we’d just met, I couldn’t just leave her like this. Lilia-san was a noble, composed and dependable; I was sure she could help.
If someone was really after Fate-san, we needed to get to the mansion as quickly as possible.
"Alright, it’s a deal. Okay then, Kai-chan... pull me."
"...Pull you?"
"Moving is such a pain..."
"..."
Was this person actually being chased?
After flashing a quick smile, Fate-san went limp and relaxed again. Still lying on her cushion, she reached her hand out toward me.
The credibility of her being "pursued" was rapidly evaporating, but regardless, I took her hand and began pulling her toward the mansion.
The God Realm was small compared to the Human and Demon Realms, and it was divided into several layers.
It was a world of absolute vertical hierarchy. Within the vast, donut-shaped land, the outer ring was inhabited by low-ranking gods and general god-kin, while the inner ring was reserved strictly for high-ranking gods and their subordinates.
In the very center of that donut-shaped world lay a garden floating in the sky—the residence of the Creator God, Shallow Vernal. Closest to that center, on the innermost edge of the inner ring, stood three massive temples.
These were the dwellings of the three Supreme Gods, the pinnacle of the divine hierarchy who held the right to reside near the Creator God and were permitted entry into the Hanging Garden.
Chronoa, the God of Space-Time, was currently walking down the hallway of one of these temples.
This was not her own residence, but the temple of another Supreme God—the God of Fate, who governed destiny.
Chronoa traversed the long corridor until she reached the room at the very end. She gave the door a sharp knock before entering.
"Pardon the intrusion, God of Fate... It is nearly time for the New Year's Blessing. I require the performance reports of the low-ranking gods under your juris—What!?"
When Chronoa stepped inside, the God of Fate was nowhere to be found. Instead, a large sheet of paper was plastered to the far wall.
It was a note, and it contained only a single sentence: "I refuse to succumb to labor."
After staring at the paper in stunned silence for a long moment, a vein throbbed on Chronoa’s forehead. She walked slowly toward the wall and tore the note to shreds.
"...That fool... has she run away again!?"
Roaring in anger, Chronoa immediately stormed out of the temple and grabbed a high-ranking god who happened to be nearby.
"You! Where did the God of Fate go?"
"G-God of Space-Time!? Um, well... she shouted 'I am the wind of freedom!' and vanished toward the Human Realm..."
"She cannot be serious... I shall head to the Human Realm as well. My apologies for the trouble, but inform my subordinates at my temple of the situation."
"U-Understood!"
After barking out instructions, Chronoa immediately departed for the Human Realm.
She was off to capture her lazy colleague, who made a habit of escaping her duties on a regular basis.
"Wait, I forgot to ask... do you know the whereabouts of the God of Life?"
"I couldn't say for certain, my lady... but she is likely 'sleeping' as usual..."
"...Why... why are there no decent people among the Supreme Gods!?"
On that day—or rather, on this day as well—the scream of the only hardworking Supreme God echoed through the God Realm.
When I arrived back at the mansion with Fate-san in tow, I fortunately spotted Lilia-san in the garden.
Sieg-san and Lunamaria-san were with her, so they were probably in the middle of a training session. The timing was perfect; Fate-san seemed to be in a real pinch, so this would allow me to explain things immediately.
"Lilia-san!"
"Oh? Kaito-san, welcome ba... ck...?"
"Lilia-san? Is something the matter?"
Lilia-san had started to greet me with a smile, but her voice trailed off as her eyes went wide with shock.
Lunamaria-san and Sieg-san had identical reactions, their mouths hanging open as they stared at me—or rather, at Fate-san, whom I was dragging along behind me.
I had a bad feeling about this. As if to confirm my suspicions, Lilia-san pointed a trembling finger at Fate-san.
"...T-The... Goddess... of Fate?"
"Yahoo! Nice to meet you. Please take care of me forever!"
"...Why... so suddenly... I haven't... prepared my heart yet..."
"Milady!?"
The moment she looked at Fate-san, Lilia-san turned deathly pale. A moment later, her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed on the spot.
Eh? Wait? What did Lilia-san just say? The Goddess of Fate?
"...Fate-san, I have a quick question."
"What is it, Kai-chan?"
"...Are you a member of the Gods, Fate-san?"
"Yep."
"...Are you a Supreme God?"
"Sure am. I govern destiny."
"...For real?"
"For real, for real."
To my dazed inquiry, Fate-san gave a characteristically airy response.
Dear Mother, Father—I happened to meet a woman named Fate-san who claimed to respect NEETs. I never could have imagined it, but as it turned out—she was the God of Fate.