DISCLAIMER
The following is a fan-based
FICTION
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation and other products set in the same universe are all owned by Rifujin na Magonote, Shirotaka, Shosetsuka ni Naro, Media Factory, and Studio Bind.
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Chapter 28: Shock Exchange
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The forests of the Fittoa region are some of the most beautiful natural sights I have ever enjoyed.
So, it is quite frustrating when their beauty was stained by quite the unexpected circumstances that Roxy and Elinalise brought on their way back to our new home. Geese was dead, and the many followers of Hitogami were scattering due to how precarious their positions are- plus, we had a location to check where Hitogami may have set his base of power and... there was much to do, but even more to say.
Roxy and Eli had gone back to the house to check on how things were, bringing with them a new 'friend' they made. Nanahoshi Shizuka, a fellow Isekai-victim, but this one brought there by someone different than me.
The man that was left to tell me more about this situation was Orsted and... he was the current Dragon God. I don't need to spar with him to know he could have flattened me with ease if it came down to a fight, and so, while I was a bit uneasy at the thought of being coaxed in a conversation with a total stranger, I still went through with it to prevent escalations.
There's to say, however, that this conversation was nothing short of enlightening and dreadful at the same time. He was surprised when I appeared quite neutral in the introduction to him, going as far as to ask how come I didn't hate him. That comment threw me off a fair bit, but he explained to me why he felt sure I would have hated him.
"I am cursed to be hated by all living beings. You are not affected by it."
How? Well, the clue was tied to Shizuka herself. She too didn't get influenced by the curse, so it was clear that the curse that Orsted was influenced by was none other than limited to all existing beings that descended by those afflicted by the 'secondary targeting' of the curse.
"But how? What would be different?"
The question was fair, but I had an idea on why that was so.
"That's because Shizuka and I come from a world where the Human God is... alive. But then that wouldn't make much sense as Hitogami is appearing as him."
The tall man raised a surprised look. "You're making it sound like the Human God has not been killed by Hitogami."
The implication was not out of the blue and had a dreadful merit. If 'God' is not dead, then what happened to Him?
It was early morning so I wasn't exactly in my 'A-game' in handling this sort of conversations but... I was slowly recollecting some thoughts on what I could remember of religion to the extent of drawing some theories on the matter.
"Maybe he wasn't there to begin with," I pointed out, shooting a new assumption, but having some merit to bring up to it. "The various religious tools that have been commissioned in recent weeks- if God was dead, then those would not have the effectiveness they have now. And the Longinus-"
"The lance," Orsted interrupted. "The weapon that hurt Hitogami. How did it manage to damage him?"
"It's a holy weapon. One that was responsible for wounding the son of God where I come from," I slowly replied. "It isn't just that, however, as the lance is named Longinus for the man that used it during that execution- it was the relief of pain through expected death- it was meant to do its job so it was possibly prepared for the situation and Longinus would then become a Saint for that."
"Why? Why would a killer of the Human God's own son be blessed with such a title?"
I offered a small smile at that confusing thought, but I could see his point without a definitive context to explain things.
"That's because of what he represented himself. A blind soldier that didn't not judge by appearance or words, but trusted the justice he was given reason to go through. He was blind but... he realized right as he prepared to go through the standard procedure that he was not dealing with a 'mere criminal' as many would have seen him at the time, but as the son of God."
"So, the lance is now meant to kill gods?"
"No," I shook my head. "It's meant to be used against those that it was blessed to be used against. In this case, Hitogami fits the bill."
"It still doesn't explain one thing. How come Hitogami came to be? How come he managed to pass as the Human God for so long and why did he even keep up this false appearance for so long?"
I bowed my head. "That's because Hitogami, or 'Lucifer', was not always a monster. The best creation of God, enough to be blessed by him as someone that would have claimed rule over the world where Shizuka and I came from but, ultimately, found us humans to be detestable."
"...What?"
"He hated us. Isn't it ironic? He hated us humans despite now being the 'Human God'," I answered Orsted's own shock- after all, this was pretty much a gut-punch due to how unexpected it was. "He never understood why God gave us love when we were not as perfect as he once was. That he found that the love he got from Him to be insufficient and that he wanted more of it."
"...You said 'he once was'."
I sighed. "Lucifer was once an Angel. The human God created them as the ones that lived in Heaven, his own reign above the skies- Lucifer was the most gifted of them all and he got praise for it, but then he was struck by the very thing that God found to be worthy of damnation. Pride. So much Pride that he plotted Heaven's conquest and attempted to usurp the Human God."
"And he succeeded," Orsted guessed, but he paused as my expression didn't agree with that. "That doesn't make any sense then."
"It may actually. The story is almost over," I admitted, only now realizing what may be going on. "God hurled Lucifer to Earth, his fall causing a massive hole to be created and for Hell, the domain where sinful souls and 'human' Demons reside in. And that's where I think he may have escaped. His body is still there, it's the soul that departed from that place."
His eyes widened. "That... that's why he can't be hurt by normal means."
"He doesn't have a real body, which also means that... if he is killed here, he will just return to his current prison and, this time, he will not be able to leave it."
"...I see, but this... we can't be certain of this unless we get the truth out of him."
I nodded in agreement, knowing all of this was hypothetical but... it would fit in the matter neatly. Still, with that topic debated for long enough, I decided to strike another one that had my attention.
"How do you and Elinalise know each other?" I inquired and Ornsted looked surprised but... willing to talk about it.
"She was a friend through my adoptive brother. She worked as his assistant when it came to magical research."
"I would have never thought Elinalise found a way to work with a Dragon Tribe member. She is smart but isn't that a bit out of reach for an elf?" I pressed on, a bit confused by this thing. The Dragon Tribe hardly hired beyond their own fold. So, something had to have happened to-
"My adoptive brother was not a dragon."
...
"Oh?"
"He was a man my parents trusted and that I learned to respect extensively. However, he was... also obsessed with guilt. He tried to fix himself, to fix the flaws he had, but it only made things worse for many."
I feel like he was playing around the topic, but he ultimately gave me the answer I needed.
"What was his name?"
"...Laplace."
...
...
"I am sorry, I think I misheard. Laplata?"
"Laplace," He replied curtly. "His name was Laplace, and even now he exists as Technique God Laplace and his other self, the Demon God Laplace."
"Oh- how?!" I half-exclaimed. "I know Demon God Laplace was a bad entity, how does this- I need context."
He nodded in agreement. "Laplace was once a single individual and he tried to fight Hitogami too but... he got divided by the Fighting God."
"...Why?" I frowned, why the hell would the Fighting God enter that equation?"
"The First Fighting God, the one he fought, is an apostle of Hitogami."
...
Oh. Oh fuck. There's an actual chance for that to be an issue?
"No. He will not take part to this."
I frowned. "How can you tell?"
"He is... busy. His wife has been struggling with some issues due to the newfound wave of Hitogami's worshipers trying to push an anti-demon rhetoric."
"That's... interesting. Why is that the case?"
"I believe he is trying to sacrifice some of his followers to tap into those people in Millis that are sitting on the bench about welcoming demons in ther midst. The debate is still open but-"
"But this could go either good or really bad," I added myself. "I've been following that but... I didn't expect him to be looking into that situation too."
I turned to the side, looking at my house.
"What's the attack angle then?"
"It would be best if only a handful of trustworthy individuals was selected. I would also suggest that you bring your wife there too."
I tensed up and frowned. "Why?"
"She bears your child. Same for your other lover, the one that you share not a marital title with but now carries your blood in her."
"...Ghislaine is pregnant?"
He looked a bit confused at this, then oddly turned his gaze to his feet. "Congratulations."
Was that embarrassment? Actually- Ghislaine is pregnant!?
That was good news and- I was missing the point!
"Why would I need to bring them?"
"Hitogami is someone that moves better through subtletly in most occasions. If you were to leave those you care for in a place he can reach with his servants or he himself if necessary, then he will use this chance to hurt you and thus stall our victory."
"...Will you help me protect them? Like the rest of the party would for them?"
He nodded his head at that. "You may not be a member of my tribe, but you are an ally. And in an alliance, honest understanding and care if the first step for a proper cooperation."
I smiled a bit. "How about I show you the others? If we have to be a group, then you should know the rest."
He didn't look convinced at this but I didn't stop at that.
"I will vouch for you. I get it, the curse- but you said it. We need understanding and trust- that can't be built without some proper interaction."
His reluctance faded enough for my offer to be accepted and... it took a while, but I managed to get everyone to get to know him. And I just could tell how much it meant to Ornsted as he was a smile plastered on his face a few hours of him visiting for the occasion.
War was on the horizon, but these small moments mattered now more than ever.
AN
No, Badigadi and 'Kiri-Kishi' are not going to appear in this story. Maybe, and just maybe maybe, in a distant sequel with another protagonist.