「It’s not like I wanted to chat with women at the church or the lumber shop」
「Really?」
「Of course」
I made sure to clearly explain that to Jisrare-san.
Sure, it’s true that I felt a bit disappointed when I heard the people there were an old man and a middle-aged guy.
But it’s also true that I was genuinely interested in the human world’s churches and lumber. I want that proper reason to be understood as well.
「Sorry, but I have no idea what you two are talking about……」
「Huh? Ah, um……」
Even if you ask me that, it’s hard to explain. There’s really no good way to put it.
As I struggled to answer Kirk-ojisan――
「Alec goes to places like churches, lumber shops, and clinics to spend time with women」
「Ehh……」
Jisrare-san explained it. Very directly.
……That said, that explanation is a bit misleading.
That’s not the only reason. I also have proper purposes like appraisal, buying lumber, and receiving treatment…….
……Ah, great, now Kirk-ojisan is looking at me suspiciously.
「So you go there for women……」
「And Alec showers women with gifts and money」
「Alec……」
Well, that might be partly true…… but still, you don’t have to expose it like that, Jisrare-san.
「So, let me get this straight…… does Alec approach the women at the church, lumber shop, and clinic? Is that why he goes there?」
「Among them, he visits the clinic especially often」
「I see…… Then maybe the woman at the clinic is the main one?」
「That’s correct」
For some reason, Jisrare-san declares that with a proud tone.
It’s not like I go to the clinic that much more often than the others…….
Well, whatever…….
「So…… what will you do, Alec?」
「Huh?」
「Like I said, the church has an old man and the lumber shop has a middle-aged man. What will you do?」
「No, I’ll still go……」
If I said 『Then I’ll pass』 here, it would make it seem like I really was going for the women.
「Ah, I’m fine with that, but what about you, Jisrare-san? Is there anywhere you’d like to stop by?」
「Hm? Hmm, food. I want to get some food」
「Oh, food」
I see. Food is important.
……Yeah, that’s right. I was getting carried away in a sightseeing mood, but we’re still in the middle of a journey.
We need to properly gather supplies to keep traveling.
Jisrare-san being able to think of that calmly is impressive.
She’s been making some questionable remarks earlier, but as expected of someone experienced in traveling.
「So, Kirk-ojisan, we’d like to get water and food」
「Water?」
「……Ah, I guess we don’t need water」
In situations like this, I always thought water and food came as a set. But thinking about it carefully, we don’t need water.
After all, we have Jisrare water. The rumored water that’s more precious and delicious than any natural spring.
「Then, could you guide us to a place where we can buy food?」
「Yeah, leave it to me. Let’s check a few places」
Alright, now we have a rough plan. Our destinations are the church, the lumber shop, and somewhere to buy food.
「Then first――the church, I guess. After that, we’ll go to the lumber shop. And along the way, we’ll stop by somewhere to buy food」
「Yes. Thank you」
「Sounds good」
「Alright」
And with that, we set off. Let’s go――to the church.
……Well, knowing an old man is waiting there, it’s hard to get too excited, but let’s go anyway.
◇
Still receiving suspicious looks from the people we pass, we walk through the village, and after about ten minutes, we arrive at the human church.
I take a closer look at the building, but at a glance, it doesn’t look much different from an ordinary house.
If there’s one difference――
「That’s the church’s symbol, right?」
「Hm? Ah, that cross?」
「Yes. That cross is……」
On the wall of the church hung a wooden cross.
A church and a cross…… by the standards of my previous life, there’s nothing strange about that.
But in this world, there shouldn’t be any C religion, and no one should have been crucified. So why is there a cross……?
「That’s the symbol of the Deis religion」
「………………」
Deis religion…….
So that’s what it’s called…….
Well, it’s not exactly strange. Deis is the creator of this world, a god.
It’s only natural to worship Deis, and just as natural to call that religion the Deis religion.
……Even so, it feels a bit odd.
To me, Deis still feels like an old acquaintance, so seeing a religion named after someone I know is a strange sensation.
「Something wrong?」
「No, it’s nothing. So that cross is the symbol of the Deis religion?」
「Yeah. Apparently, for some reason, the creator god Deis is famous for posing with their arms spread out like this」
Saying that, Kirk-ojisan spreads his arms horizontally.
I see. That does look like a cross. So that’s why it became the symbol.
――Come to think of it, Deis also struck a pose like that.
While making a very creator-god-like pose, they said something like 『I am the creator god Deis』, didn’t they? And I think I heard that statues of that pose are enshrined in human towns.
「The elves’ god is the World Tree, right? So, no cross?」
「That’s right. The symbol of our church is modeled after a great tree」
「I see」
I’ve gotten quite used to that great tree symbol, but somehow this cross still feels familiar too.
「……By the way, we came all the way here, but is it really okay for you two to go inside?」
「Huh? Is there a problem?」
「This is a human church that worships a human god, you know? Is it okay for elves to enter……?」
「Huh? Ah……」
Right, I forgot…… from an elf’s perspective, this is a church of another faith.
Or maybe, from an elf standpoint, the Deis religion could even be considered heretical……? Could this be a temple of a false god, Deis……?
That would be a problem…… I got curious and just had him guide us here without thinking…….
「Um, could this be an issue……?」
「Hm? It should be fine」
「It’s fine?」
「I think it’s fine」
When I cautiously asked Jisrare-san, she replied without hesitation.
So, it’s fine…… I mean, from my perspective, knowing the behind-the-scenes of the gods, I already knew there wasn’t actually any problem…….
「But if Alec ends up worshipping the creator god Deis instead of World Tree-sama, World Tree-sama would probably feel down」
「Ah…… well, um, I guess that’s true……」
It’s not like I plan to join the Deis religion or start worshipping Deis…….
Still, I can’t exactly say that out loud right now.
Deis is probably watching me from the heavens even now, and if I said 『I won’t worship you』, it might make Deis feel down instead. What a dilemma.
That said…… if I really had to choose between them, it would be a tough decision.
I owe a great deal to both gods. Thanks to Deis reincarnating me, I’m able to live happily in this world. The rewards from the cheat roulette have helped me a lot too.
On the other hand, Yggdrasil-san has helped me just as much. I’m constantly indebted, constantly causing trouble, and constantly being helped by her.
When I think about it like that, it’s a difficult choice.
Emotionally, I lean toward Yggdrasil-san. She’s sensible, serious, and full of compassion…….
But I also feel like I owe Deis more gratitude than I can ever repay…….
Hmm. That’s a tough one.
「Alright, let’s go」
「Ah, okay」
I had been lost in thought when Kirk-ojisan called out to me.
And so, while thinking about something as pointless as 『which goddess I would choose』, I head toward the church.
――Speaking of goddesses, I feel like there was another one deeply connected to me…… but perhaps because I’ve only seen her in a rather unfortunate state lately, I completely forgot about her as I walked toward the church.
next chapter: It’s not like I have special feelings or anything
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