"He's awake."
Someone was there. A girl? I felt like I had seen her before, but then again, maybe I hadn't.
"Rather than simply waking up, I suppose I was the one who woke him. However, it seems he hasn't fully come to his senses yet-ja."
Gain... That was right. I was undergoing treatment. How much time had passed?
"Hm, are you feeling unwell?"
"Ah... is it over?"
My mind was foggy, but I didn't feel physically ill. As I sat up, I realized it wasn't just Gain; Kufo and Lulutia were there, along with Tekun and Fernobelia-sama, who hadn't been there earlier.
"Tekun, why are you here?"
"I was called in so Gain could have more leeway during the procedure."
"The longer you can stay here, the more thoroughly we can perform the treatment, after all."
I see. There was a limit to how long I could stay in this realm.
"I understand. Thank you."
"Don't worry about it. Here, drink this."
Tekun handed me a vessel. Every time I met him, it seemed the first thing he did was offer me a drink.
"You want me to drink this now?"
"Just knock it back."
I took a sip. It didn't feel like alcohol; instead, a warmth spread through my body.
"...What is this?"
"Medicinal wine. It has an invigorating and mentally stabilizing effect. Just what you need right now, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I definitely feel more awake."
Despite the name, I couldn't taste any alcohol. Rather than making me drunk, it provided a minty, refreshing sensation that cleared the cobwebs from my head. Then, I finally noticed a new presence.
"That's right, just now, a goddess I didn't recognize—"
"I am here."
I jumped. Before I knew it, a goddess who looked like a young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes was standing behind me. She wore what looked like a Gothic Lolita outfit. With her expression so hard to read, she looked like a bisque doll. Was she Manoairoa-sama or Meltrize-sama?
"Nice to—"
"I have heard the details. Ryoma Takebayashi, the Otherworlder of this generation."
"—Yes, that is correct."
"I am the Goddess of Death and Sleep, Meltrize. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you as well."
"Now, for the explanation of the situation."
"Hold on. This is your first time meeting, isn't it?" Tekun cut in.
"You're jumping straight into it without even a proper greeting," Kufo added.
"I have already received information about him. The time he can stay here is short. There are things that must be discussed, so those should be prioritized."
Tekun and Kufo managed to stall Meltrize-sama as she tried to dive straight into business. They exchanged a few words, then the three deities fell silent. They were likely communicating in a way unique to the gods. Even without hearing them, I felt like I was starting to understand her personality.
Back in my previous life, I had a subordinate who was often seen as a rude, disrespectful brat because they were too blunt or lacked tact. I tried to be careful myself, but I knew I had similar tendencies. It had been a struggle back then. My intimidating face made superiors think I was impudent and made subordinates think I was being aggressive. Meltrize-sama seemed to be cut from the same cloth.
"I do not care as much as you do. More accurately, I have no one to care about. But your perception is generally correct."
Ah, she heard my thoughts.
"It does not matter. I am not offended. Quick understanding is a good thing. You may call me Meltrize. You need not use formal speech."
"I'm glad if I wasn't being rude."
"Let us proceed."
"Then let me be the one to speak about the curse placed upon you, Ryoma-kun," Gain said. "To begin with the conclusion: the curse has not yet been removed."
Gain made a face as if he had tasted something bitter. However, he didn't seem particularly distressed. I waited in silence for him to continue.
"As it happens, a small portion of the Fragment of the Demon King that resided within the mana gemstone escaped into your soul through the curse. Think of it as a parasite; that should make it easier to understand. In reality, its will is so faint it is as good as non-existent. It seems it acted purely on instinct to avoid annihilation. It is possible to remove both the curse and the fragment immediately, but forcing the process would place a burden on your soul. Therefore, this time, we only partially removed the curse. Additionally, we performed a procedure to suppress the remainder. If we repeat this procedure at specific intervals to reduce the burden, we will eventually remove both the curse and the fragment without issue. It will take some effort, but I will need you to visit us once a month for a while. We expect it to take about a year, totaling twelve treatments."
"Like a regular hospital visit? That is fine. If anything, I am the one causing trouble for you all. I look forward to your help."
"For now, it doesn't seem like there will be any physical effects... but there are a few things I want you to be careful about until the curse is completely gone-ja."
That was to be expected. Even with normal illnesses, there are lifestyle restrictions depending on the symptoms or medications.
"Let us call the curse the Curse of Isolation for convenience. Its effect is the Deterioration of Human Relations."
"That sounds a bit troublesome."
"Umu. This curse stimulates and amplifies any negative emotions others hold toward you. It makes people feel that even trivial things they wouldn't normally care about are unbearable, and it guides their thoughts accordingly. As a result, relationships with others sour, and you become isolated from those around you."
"Wait... just to confirm, is that curse already affecting me? On the way back to the Gimul Church with Reinbach-sama and the others, nothing felt out of the ordinary. At most, a dragon acted a bit intimidating."
"That is because a certain level of trust already existed between you. As I have said, the cause is a fragment of the Demon King. Its power has been significantly reduced. If that Demon King had placed the curse with his original power, he could have easily made it so that you were unconditionally hated by all living things. Well, if he had that kind of power, there would be no need to go through the trouble of cursing an individual anyway."
"Could you let me confirm the specific conditions for the curse?"
"Taking into account the suppressive treatment—"
Gain listed four main points:
First, it only affected humanity. Monsters and tamed monsters were immune. The dragon's intimidation was likely just a reaction to an unfamiliar human or it sensing the curse's mana.
Second, the target had to already hold some kind of negative emotion toward me. Since the curse amplified existing feelings, it had no effect if there was no ill will to begin with. Like multiplying by zero, the result stayed zero.
Third, trust and affection could override it. The higher someone's opinion of me, the less likely the curse was to take root. This was why it hadn't affected Reinbach-sama and his family.
Fourth, the target had to perceive me directly. The core of the curse was inside me, so it only manifested when I interacted with someone's five senses. Indirect communication like letters or messages was safe.
After hearing the details, a thought occurred to me.
"Isn't this curse... actually not that big of a deal?"
"Is that so? I thought it might be painful for you, Ryoma-kun."
I had been a little anxious at first, but it didn't seem like it would ruin my existing friendships. If I just stayed home and avoided meeting people, wouldn't the curse be effectively neutralized?
In my previous life, I had been an otaku middle-aged man nearing forty, unmarried and childless. I had managed to keep my job, but I had enough negative social baggage that people viewed me with prejudice anyway. I was used to being treated with suspicion. I had already delegated the management of the shop to people I trusted. It was also a perfect excuse to head to the Great Forest. As long as I could communicate through letters, I didn't see a problem.
As for money, I had enough savings to live comfortably for a year. I didn't have to work myself to the bone like I used to. Even if I ran out of money, I had the confidence to survive on my own now. Perhaps because I didn't have financial stress, I had the mental leeway to not take this too seriously.
"I have plenty of things I want to study and experiment with, so if I spend my time on those, a year shouldn't be much of a burden."
The gods seemed convinced by my conclusion. Only Meltrize-sama continued to watch me with an expression of total neutrality. She might just have been bored.
"Ryoma-kun did live in seclusion in the forest for three years even without a reason, after all," Kufo noted.
"Thinking about it that way, he has a strange sense of reliability... If you aren't going to worry, that's for the best," Tekun said.
"Technically, this was supposed to be a curse left behind by a god higher-ranking than us using the last of their strength..."
"I can only say that Demon King was unlucky. He was discovered before he could do anything and brought straight to us," Fernobelia added.
Gain seemed to be thinking along the same lines. The atmosphere in the room softened as he continued.
"If you are going to go into seclusion, I recommend using the next six months to prepare for the six months after that. Curse removal is like dragging a splinter out of your soul bit by bit. As the treatment progresses, the curse will manifest more easily, and its influence will grow stronger."
"So the curse is at its weakest right now."
"Precisely. The time when you truly must cut off contact with others is during the final few months. If you absolutely must appear in public before then, it is possible to temporarily alleviate the symptoms with magic. I was going to explain that thoroughly if you were distressed... but it seems that was unnecessary-ja."
The discussion regarding the curse came to an end. Gain glanced at Fernobelia-sama, and the two deities swapped places instantly. Standing before me, Fernobelia spoke quietly.
"From me, there is something I must return to you."
The mana gemstone I had excavated appeared out of thin air.
"That's the thing you're returning?"
"Exactly."
"I would be a bit troubled if you were giving me back a Fragment of the Demon King..."
"No need for concern. I have extracted and annihilated the power that resided within. Now, it is nothing more than a mana gemstone. As the one who discovered and mined it, you have the right to claim it. You are free to do as you wish with it. However, if you sell it, it will cause a stir, so I do not recommend that. It would be safest to use it for a staff. Think of it as compensation for your trouble."
If that was the case, there was no harm in having it. I accepted it and placed it in my Item Box. Tekun suddenly appeared at my side and put an arm around my shoulder.
"By the way, Ryoma, you don't have a magic staff, do you?"
"I don't. I've been getting interested in them lately, though."
After meeting Remily-san and hearing about the traditional craft, I had developed a bit of interest.
"Well, then this is perfect! You can use that gemstone. For the staff itself, didn't you get a branch from an Elder Trent Variant before?"
"Now that you mention it, I did. It should be in my Item Box."
Tekun’s face immediately soured with dissatisfaction.
"What a waste! Materials only have meaning if they're processed, you know? Come to think of it, you know a bit of woodworking, right? Why not try making it yourself? To make something high-quality, you need woodworking skills plus the ability to choose materials and use Mana Perception... If you like, I can teach you bit by bit when you come for your treatments."
"Is it really okay for you to do that?"
"If it's just the basics, I don't mind. Knowledge and skill are meant to be passed down and built upon. My job as the god of technology and craftsmen is to watch over that and give people a push. I don't do it much nowadays, but I used to quite a bit. No need to hold back."
Tekun laughed as he gulped down more wine. To receive direct technical guidance from the god of technology himself was an incredible stroke of fortune. I would have been a fool not to take him up on it.
"Then I'd like to take you up on that offer once I get back from the Great Forest."
"Ah..."
"Eh?"
Tekun's laughter cut off. He began to exchange awkward glances with the other gods. Even Kufo and Lulutia looked uncomfortable. Had I said something wrong?
"...A waste of time."
Meltrize-sama finally lost her patience with the gods' hesitation. She stepped in front of me and spoke.
"Ryoma Takebayashi. I request your cooperation."
It was a simple sentence, yet entirely devoid of detail.