Two weeks later.
The time had flown by in a blur of meetings and final farewells with my employees. My preparations were complete. I was ready to set off for the Great Forest at last—but before I departed, I made one final stop. I returned to my home in the Gana Forest, the place where my journey in this world began. I was passing by on my way to the trees anyway, but I also wanted a moment to return to my roots before achieving such a significant goal.
That, and there was one more thing to attend to.
"A bit of dust, but otherwise fine," I noted. "Go on, Cleaner Slimes."
I released the slimes, and they swarmed out to scrub every corner of the hallways and rooms. Leaving the chores to them, I headed toward the back of the house.
"It’s only been about a year, but it feels like a lifetime since I last stood here."
I entered the room where I kept my statues of the gods. I had once used this space for meditation and training. I set out a table and chairs to welcome my guests—since I had prepared the furniture in advance, the setup didn't take long at all.
The scheduled meeting time was still a while off, so I decided to use the extra minutes to expand my collection.
"When I first built this place, I had only ever met Gain and the others... My connections with the heavens have certainly grown since then."
With those thoughts in mind, I carved new alcoves into the walls and processed the excavated soil into statues.
Tekun, Fernobelia, Kiriluel, Willieris, Grimp, Selerepta, and Meltrize... Combined with the original statues of Gain, Kufo, and Lulutia, I now had ten in total. There was one more deity, Lord Manoairoa, but since I didn't know his appearance, I couldn't depict him.
The statues I had seen in the local churches were simple humanoid figures with no features or clothing, which made me wonder what he actually looked like. Perhaps I should ask the next time I visited the Divine Realm.
Once the work was finished and tidied up, I still had some time left, so I set out tea and snacks.
Before long, I felt a signal from the Stone Slimes I had positioned outside. My guests had arrived. I stepped out to greet them and felt a wave of relief at the sight of the Ducal Couple, Sebas, and the usual four guards.
However, today they were accompanied by two strangers. One was a man in his early thirties. He wore the robes of a mage, but his hair, skin, and beard were meticulously groomed, giving him the air of a refined gentleman.
The other was a woman—a beauty with a dignified bearing and sharp, polished manners. Despite her poise, there was a faint trace of fatigue in her expression that she couldn't quite hide, lending her a somewhat strained atmosphere. She wore a maid's uniform, yet she didn't seem like a maid at all; rather, she reminded me of a member of the city Guard Force.
"I have been waiting for you," I said.
"Ryoma-kun, please, stand at ease," Reinhardt replied. "These two are with us."
"Thank you. For now, please come inside."
I had prepared the room, and while this area was relatively safe, we were still deep in the woods. There was no need to stand around talking outside. Once we were indoors, I let the four guards relax in the front room. Then, I led the remaining five to the back room I had just finished arranging.
"My goodness," Elise murmured.
The others seemed just as startled as they entered the room. Reinhardt and Sebas remained relatively composed, but the woman I was meeting for the first time stood frozen, her eyes darting across the row of god statues along the wall. The man was also silent, though he made no attempt to hide his curiosity, turning his head to examine each one.
"I had no idea there were so many statues of the gods in this room," Elise said.
"I added most of them just now, actually... Oh, did I not show you this room when you visited before?"
"I don't believe we ever entered it," Reinhardt said. "Our last visit was shortly after we met, and we didn't want to wander around your home without permission."
That was right. Since the room didn't need cleaning back then, I had asked them to wait in the front.
Feeling nostalgic about events that had happened only a year ago, I invited them to sit. I had prepared enough chairs for everyone, but the Ducal Couple took the seats of honor with the new man sitting beside them. Sebas and the woman stood in the corners of the room, remaining on standby.
"There are many things I wish to discuss," Reinhardt began, "but first, let us attend to the examination. Master Rosenberg?"
At Reinhardt’s call, the man named Rosenberg began to introduce himself. His voice was calm and steady, reflecting his age and experience.
I had been briefed on him beforehand; he was a Curse Specialist employed by the Ducal House and the one tasked with evaluating me. When I expressed my gratitude, he offered a small smile and began the procedure.
The examination started with an interview. This part was no different from a check-up at a regular hospital, with the only magical element being the way he held my hand—as if taking my pulse—to sense my mana. He must have known beforehand that my curse affected how others perceived me, because he eventually called out to the woman standing in the corner.
"Lady Eleanora, please give me your frank impression of him."
"My impression of him...?" she began. "With all due respect, I feel a slight sense of discomfort. However, if asked what I dislike about him, I cannot state a clear reason."
"If you were to put that discomfort into words, how would you describe it?" Rosenberg asked. "Is it an aversion to his personality, or something more instinctive?"
"It is closer to an instinctive repulsion. It is like speaking to someone who is a good person but has terrible breath or strong body odor. That is the closest sensation I can find."
Wait, do I smell? I understood she was just using an analogy to verbalize the effect of the curse, but as someone who’d reached the age to worry about middle-aged musk in my past life, it still hit a bit of a sore spot.
"Don't worry, Ryoma-kun, you don't smell at all," Elise assured me.
"Thank you, Madam."
I felt much better when Lady Eleanora nodded in agreement.
"...I see. It seems Lady Remily's assessment was correct," Rosenberg said. "Let us move on to the next test."
The next stage involved several spells. I felt the mana wash over me and probe my body, similar to detection magic. When I asked about the sensation, he was happy to explain.
"This spell adjusts the mana used for curses to react to other curses—without harming the subject—and by reading that reaction, I can determine the severity and tendencies of the affliction. Accurate diagnosis requires years of experience, but in principle, it is quite similar to detection magic."
My intuition had been correct.
After the magical check, he moved on to a chemical test. He took a flask of transparent liquid from his bag and poured a small amount into a test tube. He asked me for a single drop of blood, so I pricked my finger with a needle and complied.
For a moment, the red drop began to spread through the clear liquid—then, in an instant, it turned a bruised purple before dyeing the entire tube pitch black. Rosenberg’s expression clouded as he looked at the result.
"This is a more troublesome curse than I had imagined."
"Does that mean even you cannot remove it, Master Rosenberg?" Reinhardt asked.
"It sounds like a poor excuse, I know... but this reagent measures how deeply a curse has permeated the subject. The darker the color, the more difficult the removal. With a reaction this intense, the difficulty is a '7'—the highest possible level. I suspect even the masters of the main branch would struggle with this."
"I see... I have no doubt in your skills, Master Rosenberg. It is unfortunate, but it cannot be helped."
"I am grateful for your understanding, My Lord. Though I say removal is impossible, the actual effects of the curse seem minor. So long as he follows a few precautions, he can lead a perfectly normal life. It is also possible for the curse to thin over time, eventually allowing for a successful removal. Please, do not be too pessimistic."
With that, he said he would go and draft the formal diagnostic report. He and Lady Eleanora left the room; I had told them they were welcome to use the front room with the guards or any other part of the house as needed.
"Phew..."
"Good work, Ryoma-kun," Reinhardt said. "I'm sorry for making you nervous. I know our sudden visit must have been a lot to handle."
"We knew about the curse, but I simply had to see you once more before you left for the Great Forest," Elise added. "I hope we aren't being a nuisance."
"Not at all. I’d be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, but I was worried about how the curse would affect strangers. It’s better to know these things for the future. And having the diagnosis of a professional Curse Specialist is a relief."
In truth, the gods would handle the curse removal eventually. However, the risk of explaining that to the public was far too high. Remily was a former Court Mage, so her word carried weight, but she wasn't a specialist in curses. Having a formal report from a professional would provide the perfect cover.
Even if the effects were being suppressed by divine power, it was still the Curse of the Demon King. It affected my relationships with others, and there was no harm in setting up as many safeguards as possible. This visit was exactly what I needed, and I was genuinely happy to see the Ducal Couple again.
"Besides, I know you are both incredibly busy," I said. "I'm sure you had to push yourselves to find the time for this. I couldn't possibly ask for an apology when you've done so much for me."
"It's kind of you to say so," Elise said with a gentle smile.
A few seconds later, Reinhardt pulled a small, thin box from his coat. It looked like a business card case, but when he opened the lid, mana flooded out and enveloped us.
The two of them signaled to Sebas, who was standing outside the mana dome. He bowed and left the room. Judging by the situation, this was a magic tool for soundproofing. The real conversation was about to begin.
"Now then, there are many things to discuss, but we should start with this," Reinhardt began. "I heard from my father that you are a Child of God, Ryoma-kun. We suspected as much, and it certainly explains many things, but I wanted to hear it from your own lips. Is it true?"
"Yes, it's true."
As proof, I brought up my Status Board. The two of them confirmed the "Favorite of the Gods" title, looked at each other, and nodded.
"Thank you for telling us," they said in unison.
For a while after that, our conversation mirrored the one I’d had in the Town of Ghosts. However, the two of them had clearly had time to process the news after hearing it from Lord Reinbach. Instead of being overwhelmed or moved to tears, they were calm and sincere as they offered their thanks.
"Truly, we are always finding ourselves in your debt, Ryoma-kun."
"I feel the same about all of you, so I'd say we're even," I replied. "I'm just glad you've accepted that I'm a Child of God."
"That might have been a source of anxiety for you, but for us, it was simply a matter of things finally making sense," Elise said.
"Lord Reinbach said he’d suspected it for quite some time," I admitted. "I actually had to tell quite a few lies to keep it hidden. There are still things I haven't been able to say."
"Honesty is a virtue," Reinhardt said, "but sometimes being too honest causes problems. In noble society, deception is a daily requirement. Everyone is looking for an advantage or a way to drag someone else down. Just the other day—"
"Dear," Elise interrupted.
As Reinhardt spoke, a shadow fell over his face. He caught himself and offered a sheepish laugh, but I recognized that look from my previous life. He had been hiding it well, but he was clearly exhausted.
"Ahem, my apologies. That was unsightly of me."
"No, I didn't even notice until just now," I said. "You must be working very hard. Please, feel free to relax around me. I don't mind at all."
"...I think I will take you up on that. In any case, that is the world we live in. You may have kept secrets and told lies to us, Ryoma-kun, but it wasn't out of malice or a desire to exploit us, was it? Compared to what we deal with every day, your secrets are innocent. We aren't offended in the least."
"Exactly," Elise added. "And frankly, I wonder if your lies even count as lies. Your background and the stories you told when we first met... those were decided by the gods so you could blend into our society, weren't they?"
"The basic settings were, yes."
"Settings... well, I suppose that’s how it feels to you. But what concerns me is that the gods themselves prepared those stories. For me to deny something the gods established would be a terrifying prospect. I wouldn't dare."
"I see... From a religious standpoint, that makes a lot of sense," I said.
I hadn't been religious in my past life, but even I could understand that defying the word of God was a major taboo. Madam was accepting my "official story" as a matter of faith.
"We heard you receive Oracles frequently, so you likely have a different perspective because you are closer to the gods than we are," Reinhardt noted. "But I agree with Elise. Many people—especially those in the church—would see it the same way."
"If you aren't careful, people might accuse you of defying the gods' will," Elise warned. "For the sake of the public, you should continue to use the story the gods provided as your foundation. It will prevent a great deal of unnecessary trouble."
"I will keep that in mind."
I had expected them to be accepting, but I’d still been bracing myself for a difficult conversation. Their gentle understanding and practical advice made the last of the tension leave my shoulders.
"Even so, I know it can be painful to keep secrets from those you care about," Reinhardt said. "If your heart ever feels heavy, or if you simply need to talk, you can always come to us."
"We already know the truth, so you can speak freely with us," Elise said with a smile. "We want to support you, Ryoma-kun. Please, don't hesitate to lean on us."
"...Thank you. I look forward to your continued friendship."
When I’d visited the Divine Realm recently, the gods had mentioned that many past Otherworlders had suffered from this very issue. Some secrets had led to tragedy when revealed, while others had caused pain because they were kept hidden for a lifetime. Having even a few people who knew the truth was a tremendous weight off my soul.