Chapter 10: The Birth of the Cat God!

Everyone was taken aback by Isamu’s loud exclamation, unlike anything they had heard before, but that was not the main concern.

What in the world is this? Despite being just two lines, it has incredible destructive power.

Isamu was honestly delighted that Orihime’s last name had become the same as his, but the next line completely overshadowed that warmth with its overwhelming intensity…

First, what is this “Beast God”? Is it some kind of game to strike down certain monsters? And what’s this about “divine transformation”?! Sure, it’s cute in a divine sort of way!

And then, “Bastet.” A complete cat goddess. Moreover, it’s an extremely famous cat goddess that Isamu, who isn’t particularly well-versed in mythology or religion, still knows of—a super popular cat goddess. If memory serves, it appeared in Egyptian mythology or something. But wasn’t Bastet not a black cat? Wasn’t that just something from the game?

“Um, Isamu-sama? Are you okay?”

“H-Haah!? I’m sorry; I got so startled I lost my composure.”

Anne-Marie spoke softly to Isamu, who, after shouting loudly, was now muttering to himself while trembling.

“Phew… Sorry, I’ve calmed down.”

“M-Matsumoto, what is this ‘Bastet’ about?”

Benedict timidly asked Isamu.

“Oh, yes. Bastet is the name of a goddess from my world. She’s a very famous cat deity, and I believe she was a goddess. She had various blessings, but I can’t remember them. I think she was also considered a guardian deity of households.”

“Oh, does that mean Orihime has divine blessings!?”

Benedict’s face turned crimson at the mere thought.

“I don’t really know what this ‘Beast God Transformation’ is… but I believe she has definitely received some kind of divine blessing. Otherwise, I can’t explain the changes in Orihime since she came here.”

“What?! Amazing! Not only Wanderer-sama but also his follower is a divine messenger!”

Benedict was now in a state of ecstatic jubilation.

If one serves a god, is this the kind of joy they experience? Or perhaps this world is polytheistic since there doesn’t seem to be a taboo against otherworldly gods. If this were a monotheistic world, things might have been more complicated. In certain cases, they might have been buried as demons falsely claiming to be gods.

“Hehe, who would have thought that little Orihime-chan was a divine messenger… I’m surprised, but her cuteness hasn’t changed, so there’s no problem. Benedict, I know you understand, but this matter must remain confidential for now. We’ll announce it later, as we did with Wanderer Matsumoto-sama’s appraisal, with the approval of the Lord.”

While wearing a smile, Nicolette made sure to drive the point home.

“I understand perfectly. And as promised…”

“Yes, when we make the announcement, you can confidently state that this appraisal broke with tradition courageously by Benedict, the High Priest, and it’s the result of Orihime’s appraisal.”

“Oh, I’m most thankful for this blessing. I, Benedict is ready to offer any assistance for the House of Klaufeldt. If you ever face any trouble, please feel free to come.”

This was probably their usual demeanor. With his composure restored, Benedict was now wearing a gentle smile.

“Well, we shouldn’t linger any longer, as we might inconvenience others. Let’s head back now. Benedict, thank you for today.”

Once everyone had regained their calm, Nicolette took the lead.

“Understood. Thank you very much today, Benedict-san. Thanks to you, we’ve learned a little more about Orihime’s secret.”

“No, no. I, too, had the privilege of experiencing something invaluable. Just like the House of klaufeldt, I promise to offer any cooperation for Matsumoto-sama and Miss Orihime-sama. If you ever encounter any problems, please feel free to come.”

This seemed to be his usual disposition.

“Excuse me.”

After thanking Benedict and leaving the church, they all decided to return the way they had come.

“I had suspected she had some kind of ability or blessing, but I never thought she was a goddess… Orihime-chan, you truly are something else!”

In the carriage on the way back, while gently stroking Orihime’s forehead as she curled up on Isamu’s lap, Nicolette said.

“Yes, indeed. I was surprised that she was such a famous deity, even I knew about her…”

“You mentioned that before. Were there really so many gods in the world you came from?”

“Well, yeah. There are various religions all around the world, each with its own deities. Some religions believe in and worship only one god, while others worship multiple gods. The country I was in had a significant number of gods because they believed that every object and phenomenon contained a god. It was said that there are eight million gods.” 

“I see. Eight million gods! That’s unbelievable…”

Anne-Marie’s eyes widened at the sheer number.

“Haha. But what’s common to all of them is that they emphasized their way of thinking, doctrine, and morality more than the existence of the gods themselves. In the country I was in, it was like, ‘Since a god resides in everything, be thankful and treat everything with care.’ But well, there were religions with exclusive and extremist doctrines, so things sometimes got out of hand, and doctrinal conflicts escalated into major wars.”

“Is that so? In Ethersia, too, there are multiple gods, and they are widely revered. People rarely quarrel over which god they worship. The central church mainly focuses on the Creator God, and basically, all the gods are enshrined together.”

“I see. It’s good that there is no conflict. Nicolette-san, how are we going to explain Orihime to the residents?”

With the conversation naturally leading to this topic, Isamu asked what had been on his mind.

“I see. Well, Isamu-san, who is a wanderer, had a familiar he cherished over there. So, it’s like the gods in that world who watched him taking care of it sent it as a messenger, ensuring he wouldn’t be troubled when he came here, maybe?”

“I see…”

While it’s a pretty convenient story, it’s close to the truth in practice. Whether the gods were actually watching is another matter…

“In that case, well, it does make sense. After all, when she was appraised, she did come out as a deity.”

“Yes. Then, after giving Isamu-san some more time to see and experience various things, when he feels it’s right to be public as a wanderer, we can make the announcement together.”

“Thank you. But, is it okay to take it so casually?”

“It’s fine. After all, it’s a world you ended up in without wishing for it. Of course, we’d be happy if you like it here, but it’s only natural if you doesn’t.”

Nicolette replied with a cheerful laugh.

“Well, let’s take it easy as we go along. You wanted to use magic, right? If it’s magic, I can teach you, and Anne is quite skilled too. Shall we start studying once we’re back?”

“Yes, please!”

While they were having such a conversation, the carriage arrived at the lord’s residence.

“Then, I’ll go and inform my husband. You two go ahead and have lunch in the dining hall.”

With those words, Nicolette headed towards the lord’s bedroom. Afterwards, there was the sound of the lord’s exclamation heard from the bedroom, something like “What did you say?” or maybe not…

*Note: This is an explanation given to make the concept of “eight million gods”(Yoyorozu no Kami) more understandable to people from another world. In the original meaning, it’s an expression representing countless varieties of things, and it’s not meant to be taken as an actual number.

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