The following morning.
"Kyuoon!"
I returned home from a morning walk through the Sea of Trees, gathering medicinal herbs and fruit along the way with Rino, the Cannonball Rhino. Rino was still bursting with energy, though, and continued to gallop circles around the mansion.
"You're still full of spirit, aren't you, Rino? I suppose you find the Sea of Trees more comfortable after all."
"The climate isn't a problem for her, but she says it’s more fun here because she can run to her heart's content," Kormi chimed in.
"I see... I guess the Dimension Home really was too cramped for her."
"Hmm, Rino doesn't seem that scared of the world outside the Sea of Trees, either. I think once she’s used to it, you can let her out whenever you want. Crowded places might still be a bit much for her, but since no one else enters the land you're managing, Ryoma, it should be fine, right?"
"You're right. Let's do that from now on. I'll let her stay out and roam free while we're here. She'll be safe as long as she stays within the grounds, I assume?"
"If any Raptors or other monsters wander in, I’ll either put them to sleep or drive them off. And if Rino happens to stray outside the boundary, I'll tell you immediately. She’s still a child, but she's one of the stronger beasts in this area, so I don't think anything serious will happen as long as you can get to her quickly."
As I watched Rino through the warehouse door, I recalled the leader of the rhino pack we had fought when we first met. That massive frame, the armor-like hide and fur, and the sheer momentum of its charge—that fight would have been much more grueling without Glen's assistance.
"There, that’s the last of them!"
"Thanks. That finishes the preservation of the medicinal herbs for now."
"Now we can finally make the medicines from the books!"
With Kormi's help, organizing my grandmother's library had been completed in a single day. What Kormi was so excited about was the collection of pharmaceutical recipes. While the research papers would take time to study properly, the recipe books only summarized the uses and manufacturing methods, so they were easy to catalog.
Among the recipes Grandmother had presumably developed after moving to the Sea of Trees, many unknown and highly useful magic medicines stood out, even at a glance.
One example was the "Moisture-Gathering Pill." It was a pill that gathered and condensed ambient moisture to lower the surrounding humidity. Just as I had been using Snow Slimes and Ice Slimes as improvised dehumidifiers, Grandmother had used these pills to make life more bearable in the humid forest.
There was also "Dry Color Fluid," a liquid that could be applied in a thin layer to protect precious literature and ancient documents from moisture and insects, preventing the ink from blurring. Another was "Dehydration Powder," which could be mixed into mud to prevent the ground from turning into a swamp or to stop land subsidence caused by soil runoff.
Furthermore, organizing the books revealed that Grandmother had been incredibly meticulous. For every drug listed in the recipe collection, the entire developmental process and every experimental record had been compiled into research materials and stored separately.
To someone who merely wanted to make the medicine, these research logs were unnecessary fluff. But for anyone aspiring to study pharmacology or develop new drugs, they were the ultimate textbooks—a literal treasure trove. I didn't have such lofty ambitions, but I still found them fascinating.
A quick skim revealed plenty of information that could be applied to new drug development. I wanted to start experimenting immediately, but first...
"Well then, I'm going to head out for a bit."
"Even though it'll only be a split second for me?"
"I suppose that’s true."
Sharing a laugh with Kormi, I pulled the Artifact book from my Item Box. I had accumulated enough mana to travel to the Divine Realm, so I planned to report my success with the curse magic while sharing some of the fresh fruit I'd gathered.
I channeled mana and intent into the book, and the familiar light enveloped me. As the glow faded, I saw the residents for the day... oh? It felt like I hadn't seen this particular group together in a while.
"Good of ye to come," Gain greeted.
"Good morning, Ryoma-kun."
"I figured you'd be along shortly."
Gain, Kufo, and Lulutia welcomed me. Behind them sat Meltrize, quietly sipping black tea at a large low table. Beside her, Kiriluel was raising a hand in greeting while working through a steak the size of a brick, and Selerepta was slumped over the table, looking completely spent.
"Were you in the middle of a meal? My apologies. Though the timing might be perfect—I brought some fruit I just picked in the Sea of Trees this morning."
"Oh! I was just about to have dessert!" Kiriluel exclaimed.
"Just now? But when did you..."
The steak had vanished from Kiriluel's plate. I had only looked away for a heartbeat, yet she’d finished it already. It would be impossible for a human, but I suppose such things are trivial for a goddess.
At any rate, I took a basket of fruit from my Item Box. It floated from my arms and onto the table. Several pieces of fruit lifted out of the basket on their own, peeled themselves, and then sliced themselves onto a platter that had appeared out of nowhere.
Watching the surreal scene out of the corner of my eye, I took my usual seat and accepted some tea.
"Exquisite."
"Yeah! Fruit picked the same morning is always so juicy!"
"It's been quite a while since I've had fruit from the Sea of Trees. Thank you for the trouble."
"Aye, and ye left some of that sake ye brewed with the Goblins last time, didn't ye? That was quite the treat as well."
"I'm glad you liked it. You’re always looking out for me, so I’m happy to bring things like that whenever I can."
I went on to report that I had successfully devised the curse magic for Kormi. The reaction from the gods was a collective "Well, of course you did."
"I guess you all expected that?"
"Naturally. I knew from the beginning that thou wert suited for curse magic. Thou didst meet all the necessary conditions for mastery, so there were almost no factors that would prevent it."
"Meltrize, you did say that from the start... I realized it once I actually tried to learn it, but the only real hurdle seemed to be whether I could create a mental image that fit the objective. Once I got past that, I felt it was actually easier to master than other types of magic. As for the spell for Kormi, just as you said, I managed by combining concepts that were already in my head."
"That is the nature of curse magic. It is a power that manifests intent into reality using emotion rather than logic. The stronger the emotions, the more one can achieve, and the more powerful the spell becomes. I believe I have told thee many times, but if thou shouldst lose control of thy emotions, it will easily run rampant. Because it is such a versatile and potent force, handle it with care."
Meltrize spoke with a composure that belied her youthful appearance. Her gaze wasn't negative, but I could feel a certain seriousness and a hint of scrutiny in it. The others were the same.
"I'll be careful. It hasn't been long since I started learning, but I’ve already felt how versatile and powerful curse magic can be. And how difficult it is to control."
"That is good to hear."
"Besides, given everything you went through in your past life, the chances of you losing your cool are probably pretty low anyway," Kiriluel added, following Meltrize's lead, though she sounded a bit hesitant. It was unusual for someone as blunt as her, and the atmosphere felt familiar—heavy with something unsaid.
"Did a previous Otherworlder mess up with curse magic by any chance? I heard before that when the topic of Necromancy came up, someone did whatever they pleased."
"What, you knew about that?"
"No, I haven't heard the details."
At the time, we had other things to discuss, and since Gain and the others seemed to find it difficult to talk about, we had moved on. I had only heard that there was someone who had run wild.
"We did mention that, aye. Incidentally, 'tis the same person who used Necromancy."
"Ah, I see... While I’m at it, I might as well ask—was that someone brought here around the same time as King Masaharu?"
When I asked that, Gain and the others seemed slightly surprised. Lulutia was the one who spoke first.
"You figured it out, didn't you?"
"I wasn't certain, but it's rare for all of you to be so hesitant. I'm sure there are many Otherworlders I've never heard of, but I could tell from your reactions that he's someone you'd rather not discuss."
I recalled Gain and the others telling me during my first visit to the church that "there is in principle only one Otherworlder per era," but that "there were eras where there were exceptionally two because the world was in chaos due to war." The one summoned during that war was Elia's ancestor, the man peerless in magic—King Masaharu.
"I only heard King Masaharu's name recently, but stories about the reincarnated man who specialized in mana and was a master of magic were quite common, especially since he was Elia's ancestor. In contrast, I don't remember even a whisper of a story about another reincarnated person from the same era."
"So you connected the dots based on our avoidance. It’s true that we might have been dodging the subject unconsciously. There are holes in that reasoning, but you still hit the mark... You really do have a sharp intuition sometimes, Ryoma-kun."
"It's not that we won't tell ye the details, but..." Gain started.
"That guy really did a number on things in so many ways. Even if we wanted to talk about it, it's hard to know where to start..." Kiriluel grumbled.
"It's not a pleasant story, and I’m sure it’ll turn into a venting session once we get going," Lulutia added.
"Agreed. However, there is merit in using a failure as a cautionary tale," Meltrize noted.
Kufo, Gain, Kiriluel, Lulutia, Meltrize... they all wore sour expressions. To be so loathed by these gods, who were usually so gentle and generous with their guidance—what on earth had this person done?
Honestly, I was curious, but I didn't want to make them uncomfortable. I was starting to regret bringing it up when Selerepta broke the heavy mood with a groan.
"More importantly, why don't we take care of Ryoma-kun's curse first...?"
"Selerepta, you were awake?"
"I wasn't asleep to begin with... I was going to answer if you spoke to me, but you're the only one who won't say a word to me."
"I thought you were sleeping. I didn't want to disturb you. You looked just like a colleague I used to have back at my old workplace."
That was a job where you had to sleep the moment you had a chance or your body wouldn't last, so it was a basic rule to leave anyone sleeping alone.
"Well, putting that aside... Ryoma-kun's soul has settled down enough for the next session, and we're all here, so we have the time. Isn't this perfect? You can decide whether to talk about that boy while the treatment is being done, can't you?"
"Aye, Selerepta has a point."
"Efficient. I cast a vote for Selerepta's plan."
"You actually say something sensible once in a while, don't you?"
"What do you mean 'once in a while'? You’ve all been treating me horribly lately!"
"Isn't that because you tried to interfere with Ryoma-kun in a way that barely skirted the divine rules?"
"Even before that, your words and actions were suspicious!"
"Ryoma-kun! I have no allies here!"
"Don't look at me..."
While Selerepta let out a pathetic wail—I couldn't tell if it was real or fake—the others simply ignored him and moved the discussion forward.
They asked to confirm if it was all right to perform the treatment now, and I naturally agreed. Immediately, everything in front of me vanished, replaced by a soft-looking single bed.
"I'm in your hands."
As I lay down, a comfortable drowsiness immediately washed over me.
Without resisting the pull, I let my consciousness slip away.
"Morning? Or should I say good day?"
"Thou hast awakened, it seems."
"How are you feeling?"
"This is the third time, but I feel the best I ever have."
It was a refreshing awakening, like a perfect morning after a night of high-quality sleep.
"It is the third time, after all. I think we’ve gradually been able to adjust the treatment method to suit you, Ryoma-kun."
"And your soul is likely getting used to the process, too."
I couldn't sense the state of my own soul, but I took their word for it. Regardless, feeling this good was nothing to complain about.
"Ryoma-kun seems energetic enough, so shall we talk about that story for the rest of our time?"
Lulutia waved her hand, and the bed vanished, bringing back the table and tea. It seemed they were finally going to tell me about the Otherworlder who had done as he pleased.
"Don't be so tense; just listen as if 'tis a simple story. It's not a pleasant one, but the original cause wasn't the Otherworlder himself, but rather the fact that we summoned him to this world in the first place. In other words, it was our failure. Since 'tis all in the past, consider it just an old tale."
Gain offered that preamble to me as I sat up straight, ready to listen.
"The Otherworlder in question was, as you suspected, the boy brought to this world around the same time as Masaharu, the 'Tyrant.' He was known as the 'Hero'."