第６１７堀：ハイデン建国記簡易版 偽りの神の章 (Part2)
I couldn't make heads or tails of Hairen’s claim that she would solve a problem that seemed entirely unsolvable.
Perhaps realizing how strange she sounded, Hairen began to speak, looking visibly uncomfortable.
"…Um, I don't really know how to put this. When Aquenos fell, its power flowed into me. I realized then that it really was a god, and that I really was a child of a goddess."
"…You’re exhausted. Get some rest."
When I said that, Fable and Enol nodded in agreement. No matter how you looked at it, Hairen’s head seemed even more lost in the clouds than usual. She needed to be put to bed immediately. I decided it was better to get her to sleep than to listen to any more of this, and reached out toward her, but—
*Zap!*
I was repelled as if I’d touched a high-voltage line. Well, I’d never actually touched one, but that’s what it felt like. A sharp, static shock?
"Ow, what the—!?"
"S-sorry!! But, it’s the truth!!"
With that, Hairen pulled the Dungeon Core from its pedestal and cradled it in both hands.
"Hey, enough with the jokes! Put that down and come back here!"
"She's right, Hairen. Let’s just rest for now."
"Exactly. We’ve solved the immediate problem. It’s fine to take a break."
"Oh, come on!! None of you believe me!"
Who would believe such nonsense?
"…But maybe that’s for the best. My mother once said that someday, people would gain the strength to stand on their own without relying on gods. I think I met Sota and the others to help push that dream forward."
…Seeing Hairen speak with such uncharacteristic seriousness, the three of us froze. Was she… actually serious about this?
"I don't know how much I can do, but I’m going to try. Including the monsters and the Dungeon Core."
A halo of light began to radiate from Hairen, and her magical power swelled to a level we could all clearly perceive. Realizing this was no longer a joke, we scrambled to stop her, but we couldn't get close; the barrier from before was still active.
"Stop it!! I know you’ve got some strange power, Hairen, but you can’t just 'do something' about monsters and Dungeon Cores! We should think this through together!"
"He’s right! We can figure this out as a group!"
"Geez!! You idiot Hairen!! You have injured people to treat! And—and you said it yourself! You said you’d help me find a way to get Sota home!"
That’s right—if you aren’t here, how am I supposed to find a way back? Don't go abandoning your responsibilities!
But before I could voice that complaint, Hairen smiled, looking troubled…
"I’m sorry. I’m being selfish, aren't I? But I have to do this. I’ll treat the injured while I’m at it. This core has incredible power, so if I pour my own energy into it, I’m sure… Sota, I’m sorry. Enol, I leave Sota to you. Oh, and Fable, play nice with the princess."
"Why does it feel like I was just an afterthought!?"
"Wait, wait, why am I being treated like an object!?"
"I don't want to be passed around like this!"
After that outburst, the area was enveloped in a pale, warm light, and a miracle occurred.
"I beg of you. Just this once, use my power to perform a divine miracle! Heal the people, revive the land, and grant this soil a blessing where no monsters shall exist!"
New greenery sprouted from the scorched, barren plains. The murky rivers turned crystal clear. The bounty of nature was restored, the starving were saved, and the soldiers who had collapsed from their wounds—along with the civilians caught in the crossfire—felt their injuries knit together under that pale, warm light. On the front lines, soldiers watched in awe as the monsters they were fighting simply vanished into the glow.
And everyone who witnessed it shared the same story: a goddess with red hair had appeared in the heavens to save them.
In exchange, Hairen, the red-haired girl who called herself a child of the goddess, vanished from this world.
***
**Side: Yuki**
"After that, the Haire religion was born. They worshipped her as the goddess who saved the world. From my perspective, it’s nothing more than a joke, though."
Sota-san smiled sadly.
A miracle built on the sacrifice of a companion… what a reckless thing to do. She poured her own magical power into the Dungeon Core to grant her wish. It’s true that if you manipulate the land, you can control the healing of people within that range, the restoration of nature, and the presence of monsters.
"I see. It wasn't that my power couldn't reach them, but that they chose this path. They decided not to rely on the power of gods anymore."
Luna didn't seem particularly angry; she just listened to the story and nodded in understanding. Well, Luna basically just provides options and claims she doesn't care which one is chosen. I suppose this was just one possible outcome. Unlike the If Continent, it wasn't a failure; it was the result of a "goddess's child"—a Dungeon Master dispatched by Luna—defeating the small-fry of the Middle-God Faction and wishing for humanity to stand on its own.
"Amaterasu-sama. I am truly sorry that Hairen claimed to be a god. However, she was…"
"It’s fine. If she won their faith, then she isn't a fake—she’s a real god. A lie became the truth. That’s all there is to it. Besides, you know that adding one or two more gods doesn't cause any trouble. There are eight million of them, after all."
"That is true. I am relieved."
"Regardless, it seems likely that the events of 500 years ago are connected to this current disturbance. There are signs of the Middle-God Faction, so the question is where to look next. What happened to the Dungeon Core Hairen was holding?"
"After it granted Hairen’s wish, the core shattered. They gathered the pieces and have been keeping them at the Haire religion’s headquarters as a relic that performed a miracle."
I see. Our next target is the Haire religion, then. There’s a possibility that a faction of the Middle-Gods has infiltrated them…
What a pain.
To put it simply, the truth of what happened 500 years ago was: "We’re done with being caught up in the squabbles of gods; we’re going to make it on our own!"
And so, the story moves to the present day.