[Divine Power will be consumed: 10 points.]
[Divine Power: 14/204/20]
[Normal Transfer List]
- Salt …… 5P
- Pepper …… 5P
Next to the Girl’s small hut, Salt Mountain and Pepper Mountain had risen up in neat little mounds.
To be blunt, that wasn’t what I’d intended at all.
“I mean, how was I supposed to know that’s what Normal Transfer did…?”
[System]
-Please select the transfer method.
- 1. Optimized Transfer : Divine Power 1P
- 2. Normal Transfer : Divine Power 5P
Optimized Transfer and Normal Transfer.
Of the two ways to send items to the Small World, I’d used Normal Transfer this time.
[System]
- Items sent via Normal Transfer will arrive in the exact same form and size as in Reality.
※ It may be normal for the Creator, but for the inhabitants of the Small World, it could be something special. Everything is relative, after all!
And once again, the System Window only appeared after everything was done, as if it was purposely late.
‘Is it just me, or is this thing kind of annoying…?’
I couldn’t help but wonder if it was deliberately holding back information just to mess with me.
Still, it was fine.
It’s important to fully understand the effects of one’s own abilities.
Of course, the 10 points of Divine Power I’d spent in the process were a bit of a waste.
Pushing aside my regrets, I looked down below.
There, near Salt Mountain and Pepper Mountain, I saw the Girl’s family praying.
—Ding!
[System]
-A new Believer has joined!
[Believers: 1 → 3]
The Girl, her Father, and her Younger Sister.
At some point, my single Believer had grown to three.
‘So that means the Girl’s entire family has come to follow me.’
—Ding!
[A new message has arrived!]
[You have a total of 3 messages.]
[Message Box]
- 1. God, please forgive this foolish lamb who doubted Your existence, even for a moment.』
- 2. Thank you for showing Your omnipotence and giving faith to my wandering Father.』
- 3. Thank you so, so much for the delicious food, the salt, and the pepper!』
The Message Box was filled with Prayers from the Girl’s family.
[Quest]
Quest: Give Water to the Thirsty, Bread to the Hungry
- 1. Give food to the Girl……. [Complete(V)]
- 2. Make the Girl’s family feel full.
- 3. Receive a thank you from the Girl’s family……. [Complete(V)]
[Experience +10, Divine Power +1P]
Thanks to that, I’d smoothly achieved the third Quest condition.
Now, as long as the Girl’s family felt full after their meal, the Quest would be cleared without issue.
But since they didn’t seem to be finishing their Prayer anytime soon, I spoke up gently.
“Alright, everyone, let’s eat first. You should have your soup before it gets cold.”
「You are absolutely right. In order to practice what God said, ‘If You Eat Deliciously, Zero Calories!’, we must eat the soup before it cools!」
At the Girl’s words, both her Father and Younger Sister seemed to realize something and nodded repeatedly.
[Oh, if you eat deliciously, zero calories. What a profound meaning…]
[If you eat deliciously, zero calori! Dad, what’s calori?]
—Ding!
[System]
- A new Doctrine has been proclaimed!
- Believers are now influenced by the Doctrine.
“…Doctrine?”
As the notification about the Doctrine being proclaimed appeared, a status window popped up before my eyes.
[Room-bound Creator]
-Level: 2
-Divine Power: 4/20
- Believers: 3
- Doctrine
[If You Eat Deliciously, Zero Calories!]
The previously empty Doctrine slot now held the words: ‘If You Eat Deliciously, Zero Calories!’
It was clearly a joke I’d made while sending salt and pepper to the Girl.
‘Try adding salt and pepper to your soup. It’ll definitely taste better. And if you eat deliciously, it’s zero calories!’
That’s right.
The first joke this shut-in had cracked in five years had actually taken root.
“I really thought hard about that gag, and… it actually stuck…”
A bit deflated, I looked at the Doctrine, and soon a supplementary explanation window appeared.
[Doctrine: If You Eat Deliciously, Zero Calories!]
- Believers have interpreted your words as a command to cherish food and treat meals with reverence.
※ Did you know? The saying ‘If You Eat Deliciously, Zero Calories!’ isn’t scientifically proven!
Are they teasing me? No matter how I look at it, it feels like they’re teasing me.
Soon after, another System Window appeared.
[System]
- The Creator may proclaim up to 95 Doctrines.
- Already-proclaimed Doctrines may be modified or withdrawn by consuming Divine Power. (Cost: 5P)
※ Believers fundamentally cannot act against a Doctrine. But please, don’t torment your Believers with absurd Doctrines!
A Doctrine is the fundamental teaching that forms the basis of faith for Believers.
No need to overthink it.
Anything the Believers can accept and follow becomes a Doctrine.
“…I really need to be careful with my words in front of Believers.”
A short while later, the Girl’s family each took just enough salt and pepper for their own bowls.
Now, they’d sit around the table, sharing warm conversation as they enjoyed delicious Potato Soup together.
“Feels rewarding. Just imagining it makes me feel full…”
-Growl!-
Come to think of it, all I’d eaten today was a tasting-size portion of Potato Soup.
They say even sightseeing is better on a full stomach.
I returned to Reality and opened the kitchen cupboard.
Today’s menu: Three-Minute Curry.
Just heat the curry in the microwave and pour it over Instant Rice, and voilà—simple Curry Rice is ready!
With my Curry Rice in hand, I headed back to the Fortress World.
Looking down at the Girl’s hut, where her family was in the middle of their meal, I felt a bit of envy.
“It would’ve been nice if I could eat while watching that family enjoy their meal…”
As I thought that, chewing my Curry Rice, a System Window suddenly appeared.
[System]
-Activate Believer’s Perspective? …… (Y/N)
※ A Believer of the Small World can become your eyes and ears.
When I hovered my hand over ‘Yes,’ a new window popped up.
[System]
-Select a Believer.
Three familiar portraits appeared beneath the System Window.
The Girl, her Father, and her Younger Sister.
I chose the Girl’s portrait, the one I was most familiar with.
Immediately, a screen appeared before my eyes, showing the Girl’s surroundings and transmitting their voices.
[…It was true, Janet. What you said was real! God is truly watching over our family…]
The Girl’s Father looked at his eldest daughter with a deeply moved expression.
[Father, the soup will get cold. God also told us to eat first, remember?]
[Y-yes, of course. Let’s eat, and give thanks to God as we do.]
The Girl’s Father slowly ate his soup.
The Younger Sister, who’d been waiting for her Father to lift his spoon, started blowing on her hot soup and eating as well.
Soon, happy laughter blossomed around the table.
[It’s so tasty! Right, sis? Can I have another bowl after this?]
[Of course, there’s plenty, so don’t worry. But make sure to chew slowly, okay? If you eat too fast, you’ll get a tummy ache.]
The Girl’s Younger Sister grinned innocently.
Then, the Girl gently wiped the soup from her sister’s lips, her smile warm and gentle.
[Father, you should have another bowl too. You need to eat well to get healthy again.]
[Yes, I will. This is really delicious, my dear. Truly delicious…]
It had been a long time since they’d enjoyed such a warm family meal.
It almost felt like I’d been invited to dinner at the Girl’s house.
Watching the Girl’s family eat happily, I took a big mouthful of my Curry Rice.
By the time I’d nearly finished eating, the Girl’s family had also finished their meal.
[Thank you for the meal!]
[Thank you for the meal.]
—Ding!
[Quest]
Quest: Give Water to the Thirsty, Bread to the Hungry
- 1. Give food to the Girl…. [Complete(V)]
- 2. Make the Girl’s family feel full. …… [Complete(√)]
- 3. Receive a thank you from the Girl’s family. …… [Complete(√)]
[System]
Quest Complete!
[Experience +10, Divine Power +1P]
[Divine Power: 4/20→5/20]
Just then, as the meal ended, the Girl’s Younger Sister’s eyes sparkled as if she remembered something.
She dashed off to her room.
Seeing this, their Father scolded his youngest daughter with a stern face.
[Hey, young lady! That’s no way to behave!]
[Dad, just a minute!]
Not long after, the little Girl returned to the table, holding something tightly in her hand.
The Girl asked her Younger Sister,
[What did you bring]
[Hehe, it’s a secret!]
Then, the Girl’s Younger Sister pressed her hands together and closed her eyes.
[A new message has arrived!]
“Huh? Did she just pray to me?”
I immediately opened the Message Box to check what the little Girl had sent.
At that moment, a new notification appeared.
—Ding!
[System]
-Will you accept the Offering? ……. (Y/N)
- Offering: Adorable Four-Leaf Clover, Blue Crystal
- Origin: Sunlit Path of the Fortress World
[Adorable Four-Leaf Clover]
- A clover with four leaves.
- Said to bring good luck to its owner.
[Blue Crystal]
- A pebble-sized crystal.
- Its brilliant blue glow gives off an air of nobility.
“…What’s this?”
My question was answered as soon as I read the Prayer sent by the little Girl.
God, thank you so much!
It’s been so long since Dad smiled.
Dad said that when you give a gift to someone precious, you should give them something that’s truly, truly important to you.
So I’ll give my most favorite treasures to God!
The lucky four-leaf clover and the pretty blue stone I found in the forest. Hehe.
God, can you grant me just one wish?
I wish Dad would stop hurting.
Can you please make Dad better?
Please!
—Ding!
[Quest]
Quest: Dad, Please Don’t Be Sick!
- Heal the back pain that the little Girl’s Father is suffering from.
[Experience +300, Divine Power +10]
At first glance, the new Quest didn’t seem much different from the previous ones.
But there was one thing that was clearly different…
“…The Quest reward is huge.”
The reward was on a completely different scale compared to the earlier Quests.
[System]
- The Creator can receive direct requests from Believers.
- The reward is influenced by the Believer’s pure and unwavering faith.
※ Simple is best. What matters most to a Believer is sincere, honest faith.
“So the reason the reward is so high is thanks to this Girl’s request.”
On the screen, the Girl’s Younger Sister appeared.
She looked to be about five or six, her eyes filled with nothing but pure innocence.
Nothing but honest, transparent goodwill.
People, after all, always put themselves first.
Even a Father, if you think about it, is still another person.
To pray for someone else, with no thought for yourself, is something only a child, pure and untainted, can do.
I reached out and pressed ‘Accept Offering.’
A tiny four-leaf clover and a blue crystal appeared in my palm.
‘To that little Girl, these must have been her most precious treasures.’
Especially the Blue Crystal, which shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.
A charming little bribe, sent to God by a young Girl.
I gladly accepted her bold request.
“There’s no reason not to grant the wish of a good child praying for her Dad.”
Back in Reality, I went straight to my desk drawer.
“It should be here somewhere…”
Opening the bottom drawer, I was greeted by a sharp whiff of menthol.
“…Found it.”
My trusty Pain Relief Patch, which had protected my joints through years of shut-in living.
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