Chapter 30: The Shrine and The Egg-on-Rice

Early the next morning.

The moment I opened my eyes, I glanced to the side and immediately froze.

Raphiel was sleeping peacefully beside me, her gentle breathing rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

Then my brain finally processed what I was seeing.

“WHY AREN’T YOU WEARING ANY CLOTHES!?”

There, lying beside me beneath the morning light, was a completely naked Raphiel.

Every slight movement she made caused her ample chest to sway softly, and for a split second my eyes nearly locked onto the sight.

I immediately looked away.

Danger.

Extreme danger.

Then something else caught my attention.

Scattered near the futon were the pajamas she had been wearing before bed.

…

Wait.

Don’t tell me—

“Did she take them off in her sleep!?”

That was the only explanation.

“Your sleeping habits are way too terrible…”

“Mnn… mumble mumble… three meals of instant noodles a day… the taste of sin…”

“She’s even having unhealthy dreams.”

Shaking my head, I carefully pulled the blanket over her sleeping form and quietly left the room.

After all, I still had my usual morning routine to get ready for—radio calisthenics.

However—

“Oh, Eight.”

“Huh? Village Chief? You’re awfully early today.”

The village chief was already standing in the yard.

I checked the time.

Nope.

I definitely hadn’t overslept.

So what was going on?

“Since last night, I kept hearing strange noises coming from your house,” the chief explained. “I came to see what was happening, and then I saw… that.”

“That? Which—”

I followed the direction of his finger.

My sentence died halfway through.

“WHAT THE HELL!? WHY IS THERE A SHRINE IN MY YARD!?”

Standing there was a small shrine surrounded by countless vermilion torii gates.

The sight was breathtaking.

Rows upon rows of crimson gates stretched across the property, creating a solemn, almost sacred atmosphere.

Beyond them stood the shrine itself.

It wasn’t particularly large or flashy.

Yet somehow it possessed an overwhelming presence that drew the eye.

And standing beside it was Hinoka.

She noticed me immediately and smiled faintly.

“Oh, Eight. Excellent timing. The item necessary for improving security has finally been completed.”

“Security improvement? That looks exactly like a shrine!”

“Indeed.”

Hinoka nodded proudly.

“This is the most important component in strengthening the defenses of this home. It will also help stabilize my power.”

Then she looked at me.

“Eight. Do you know how gods are created?”

“Created?”

The question was so unexpected that I blinked.

“What do you mean?”

“In truth, creating a god is not particularly difficult.”

Hinoka’s crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

“One merely needs to believe that a god exists there. In a world overflowing with mystery such as this one, it becomes even easier. Gather a few objects imbued with divine power, and the process is quite simple.”

As she spoke, she opened the shrine doors.

From within her shadows, she withdrew three objects.

A cracked mirror.

A broken sword.

And a shattered magatama jewel.

Carefully, reverently, she placed them inside the shrine.

“These were once sacred vessels worshipped for ages in another shrine dedicated to a great deity. Unlike the tiny household altar I occupied before, if provided with a proper shrine, they should manifest as a guardian deity even more reliable than myself.”

“W-Wait a second! Why is the shrine glowing!?”

The moment Hinoka closed the doors—

Light began spilling through the cracks.

At first it was faint.

Then it rapidly intensified.

Brilliant radiance burst forth from within the shrine, flooding the entire yard.

The world turned white.

For a terrifying moment, I thought my retinas might actually burn out.

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun—

The light vanished.

Silence returned.

“W-What was that?”

“U-Um…”

A small, unfamiliar voice answered.

“Hm?”

I turned around.

A little girl stood there.

She looked about ten years old.

In fact, she appeared even younger than Hinoka.

She wasn’t much different in size from Luca and the other village children.

Long, glossy black hair flowed almost to her feet.

Her bangs concealed most of her eyes, giving her a shy and somewhat mysterious appearance.

She wore a pure white kimono paired with crimson hakama trousers, resembling the attire of a shrine maiden.

Upon her head rested a crown shaped like the sun itself.

A sacred aura radiated from her entire being.

Yet what surprised me most was—

“…Huge.”

The word escaped my mouth before I could stop it.

Despite her tiny frame, she possessed an extraordinarily generous chest.

Possibly even larger than Raphiel’s.

The contrast between her small stature and her mature figure should have looked absurd.

Instead, somehow, it worked.

It was a miraculous balance that made no sense whatsoever.

“AH! W-Wait! Why am I commenting on that!? More importantly, whose kid is this!? Is she lost!?”

“No.”

Hinoka answered immediately.

“That child is the god who shall protect this home in my stead whenever I am asleep and unable to act.”

“WHAT!? This little girl!?”

“P-Pleased to meet chu—”

She bit her tongue.

The girl’s face instantly turned bright red.

Embarrassed beyond words, she darted behind Hinoka and hid.

That was adorable.

Dangerously adorable.

The kind of adorable that made you want to hand her candy.

“Incidentally, her name is Ama—”

Hinoka suddenly froze.

Her gaze drifted off into empty space.

No.

Not empty space.

It was as if she were looking somewhere far beyond this world.

Then she muttered in an annoyed voice.

“…I see. ‘A god sharing the same name as the Supreme Deity in another world is unacceptable,’ is it? What a troublesome sense of pride for someone with enough free time to spy on other worlds.”

“Huh? Hinoka? Who are you talking to?”

“Nothing that concerns you.”

She waved the matter away.

“Regardless, the girl’s name shall be… yes. Amate will suffice.”

Amate.

It was a cute name.

One that suited her perfectly.

“Nice to meet you, Amate. I’m Eight Tsurugi.”

“E-Eight-sama, p-pleased to meet chu—!”

She bit her tongue again.

“Ah! I did it again!”

“Good grief, that’s adorable.”

I couldn’t help smiling.

“Should I be speaking respectfully to a goddess?”

“Ah, t-that’s unnecessary.”

Amate shook her head frantically.

“You don’t need honorifics with me. Calling me Amate is perfectly fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

This was bad.

Far too cute.

I suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to pick her up and spin her around.

Then an idea struck me.

“Oh, right. Since you’ve just arrived, how about we hold a welcome party tonight?”

“I received no such welcome party.”

Hinoka immediately narrowed her eyes.

A chilling stare.

“W-Well, that’s because you never had a regular sleep schedule! Nobody knew when you’d wake up!”

Her suspicious gaze intensified.

I hurriedly looked away.

Before Hinoka could continue, Amate timidly raised a hand.

“U-Um! A welcome party for someone like me would be a waste of time!”

“Not at all!”

Eight replied immediately.

“You’ll be helping protect this house from now on. Let us do this properly.”

“Ah…”

Amate shrank back bashfully.

“Accept it quietly, Amate,” Hinoka said.

Then she yawned.

“I’m already sleepy. I’ll rest within you so that I can respond immediately if necessary. Wake me if anything happens beyond your ability to handle.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am…”

The next moment, Hinoka’s body dissolved into shadow.

The darkness flowed toward Amate.

Then, like water being absorbed into a sponge, it disappeared into her chest.

And just like that, Hinoka was gone.

Thus, preparations for Amate’s welcome party began.

Unfortunately…

There was one major problem.

“What am I supposed to cook?”

“Wouldn’t your homemade food be fine?”

Raphiel shoveled another bite into her mouth.

“Egg-over-rice is delicious.”

“Saintie, pass the soy sauce.”

“Here you go.”

While I agonized over the menu, Raphiel and Eve had already consumed three bowls of raw egg rice each for breakfast.

Even Grana had completely adapted to eating raw eggs.

Through a gap in her helmet, she quietly continued chewing.

Maybe I should just ask Amate directly.

“Amate, is there anything you’d like to eat? I’ll make whatever you want.”

“E-Erm… anything is fine…”

“Ah, you’re Amate-chan, right?” Eve said. “You know, television says that ‘anything is fine’ is actually the most troublesome answe—OW!”

“Why’d you hit me, Saintie!?”

“Because your face clearly said you intended to bully Amate.”

Raphiel spoke with complete seriousness.

“I shall eradicate any evil that seeks to torment such an adorable child.”

“Raphiel-sama, you have rice stuck to your mouth.”

It seemed Raphiel had completely fallen for Amate’s charm.

The little goddess was currently sitting on Raphiel’s lap while being fed bites of egg rice.

Did you know?

When something cute sits on the lap of something equally cute, the result becomes unbelievably cute.

Then—

A commercial played on the television.

It was an advertisement for the famous hamburger chain, WakDonald’s.

“…That looks delicious.”

The words were barely audible.

A tiny whisper.

But I didn’t miss it.

Not even for a second.

I grinned.

Alright.

Tonight’s welcome party menu was decided.

We’re making hamburgers.