Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V4 Interlude [End of Vol. 04]

Chapter 74.5: Interlude — “God’s Job Kinda Sucks, Doesn’t It?” ②

The all-knowing, all-powerful deity—God.

Though to be honest, He wasn’t that all-knowing or that all-powerful. Still, He was the one in charge of managing Earth, reigning above all other gods.

That same God now looked totally worn out, like a salaryman who hadn’t slept for days.

He sat slumped in a corner of a café in Mukaijima City—one run by the demon Lilith—giving off pure exhaustion vibes.

“Yes, yes. I’m truly sorry about that. I’ll make sure it’s done within the deadline. Yes.”

Even with His face obscured by a holy glow so bright you couldn’t see a thing, it was clear that God was bowing repeatedly while talking on the phone.

Once the call ended, He drained the rest of the coffee in His cup and set it down on the table with a sharp clack.

“…I’m done with coffee. Seriously, I’ve had enough. Can I get a beer? Please, some beer!”

“We don’t serve alcohol during the day.”

Wearing a classic-style pantsuit, Lilith took the coffee cup from in front of Him and quietly replaced it with a plate of sandwiches.

“Also, this is a quiet café. So please don’t talk so loudly about work, okay?”

“My apologies. But could you try to understand what it’s like having an entire world suddenly dumped on me? It’s a real pain, you know? And despite being such a troublesome world, it somehow affects all the others! You’d need a drink too if you were in my position!”

“That’s your job as God. I don’t really care, but if you’re gonna work, do it before nightfall. Now that it’s getting warmer, more customers come by for drinks in the evening.”

“…Understood.”

Lilith’s café kept things classy and relaxed during the day, like an old-school coffee shop with a touch of style.

But from 5 PM onward, they served alcohol too.

They offered beer, whiskey, rum, gin—mainly Western liquors—and even made simple cocktails on request.

“Speaking of drinks, could you maybe add sweet potato shochu to the menu?”

“This is a café, not a bar.”

“Haaah… No helping it, I guess. Maybe I’ll head over to Yocchan’s place and mooch some dinner.”

“It’s not nice to bother your son when he’s finally enjoying his freedom.”

“…It shouldn’t be considered bothering.”

“God’s very existence is a bother.”

“That’s so cruel!”

“And also, your glow is really blinding. Could you dial it down a bit?”

“Oh, pardon me! I do tend to shine.”

Even after adjusting the glow at Lilith’s request, God’s face still couldn’t be seen through the radiant light.

“Actually, weren’t you planning to send Natsuki-kun to that world anyway? If you’re already set on causing trouble, at least bring a gift and go apologize on your knees.”

“I’d gladly bow my head a thousand times if that’s all it took, but… the truth is, that world needs serious adjustments. It’s undeveloped and has gone unmanaged for far too long. Because of that, it’s become unbalanced. Originally, humans and demons were meant to coexist—not just peacefully, but as living beings supporting each other equally. So why has it become a world where one side must be destroyed for the other to survive?”

“That’s just how living things are.”

“I may be God, but I can’t guide everything to turn out perfectly. In fact, among all the gods, I interfere the least. And yet, I’ve never seen a world this poorly maintained before. Even the worlds under my supervision aren’t this bad.”

Lilith silently refilled God’s coffee cup.

“I skimmed some of the files too. Whether demon or human, they’re all the same. As long as they’re fine, they don’t care about anyone else.”

“You sound very… enlightened, Lilith-san.”

“No. I’ve just stopped expecting anything from anyone.”

With that blunt response, Lilith turned her back on God and walked behind the counter.

God looked as if he wanted to say something to her back—

But in the end, said nothing.

“Alright then, time to do a bit more world tuning. At the very least, I need to make sure it won’t break even if Natsuki-kun or Koume-chan go all out.”

With that, God got back to work.

And so—

It wouldn’t be long before Natsuki let out a scream over another ridiculous demand from God.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

Is God basically middle management?

He’s hard at work behind the scenes—for Natsuki-kun’s sake.

Lilith-san’s got her own stuff going on too.

Quick promo!

Volume 2 of the manga The Reincarnated Mage Who Will Eventually Become the Strongest is now on sale!

I’d be super happy if you gave it a read. Thanks for your support!

Chapter 74.6: Interlude — “Isn’t This Reunion a Bit Early?”

—The day after the hero, Natsuki Yura, returned from the other world and had a full-on battle with Thor, the Norse god of thunder.

Thor, now popular not just in Norse mythology but across the globe, was currently in Mukaijima City—

Accompanied by his father, Odin.

Their destination: an electronics store.

“As expected, when it comes to warm water bidets, nothing beats Japanese ones. If only we could bring one back to Asgard.”

Odin—chief deity of Norse mythology, the feared god of war and death, and a relentless seeker of knowledge—was now, apparently, desperately seeking a high-end Japanese washlet.

“We really can’t install one ourselves. I’d call a contractor if I could… but who knows how much a house call to Asgard would cost.”

“Hmm. True enough.”

“Still, your wife and daughters asked you to bring one back, didn’t they? And your mother wanted one too, right?”

“Indeed. Japanese products are known to last a long time, after all.”

“Totally agree. I still can’t believe how clean and well-equipped the toilets are in supermarkets and convenience stores here… If the giants had seen them, they’d have stolen the whole toilet, bowl and all.”

“Quite possibly.”

Unfortunately, there was no one around—god, human, or demon—to give the much-needed “What the hell!?” response to that conversation.

“—Oh? Thor-dono? Could it be? Isn’t that Thor-dono!?”

While Thor and Odin were still deep in thought, wondering what to do, a soft male voice called out from behind them.

When Thor turned around and saw who it was, his face lit up.

“Masashi! It is Masashi!”

“So it really is you, Thor-dono!”

“It hasn’t been that long, but I’m still grateful for your help back in Akihabara. Father, thanks to him, I was able to buy those card games.”

“Is that so?”

Odin’s eyes widened with a sharp gleam.

“So you’re the one who helped my son. Because of you, he was able to acquire his precious card games. I sincerely thank you for that.”

“Oh no, you’re far too kind. So you must be Thor-dono’s father. My name is Masashi Saotome.”

“Father, Masashi is my dear friend.”

“Ah, I see. I’m happy to hear you get along so well with my son. I am Odin. We’re currently enjoying a little sightseeing trip across Japan.”

“Odin-dono, is it… Seeing the two of you together really does feel like Norse mythology come to life!”

Masashi let out a hearty laugh.

He did notice the names were straight out of legend, but since he had no idea how naming customs worked overseas, he decided not to dig any deeper.

Names didn’t really matter that much anyway.

After all, even he used to get teased as a kid for having a name that sounded too girly.

“By the way, is something troubling you two? If there’s anything I can help with, I’d be happy to.”

“…Masashi. Just like in Akihabara, I’d like to borrow your wisdom once more.”

“Of course! Let’s see, let’s see… I see.”

After hearing the situation, Masashi nodded in understanding.

Foreign tourists buying Japanese home appliances—it was a pretty common thing.

“If it’s just installing it, I could probably handle that myself… but going all the way overseas to do it? That might be a bit tricky.”

“You need not worry about that, my friend.”

“…Huh?”

“In my homeland, passports are unnecessary. And travel takes no time at all.”

“Especially with me around, even less so.”

“…My apologies. I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”

Masashi tilted his head, not fully grasping what they meant.

But figuring it was just a difference in how people from overseas spoke, he chose to interpret it in a positive light.

“For now, I’ll help you choose the right product. These kinds of things always have online reviews, but you shouldn’t believe everything you read. If there’s a staff member nearby—or better yet, a company rep—you’ll get more reliable info. Let’s start there.”

“…Thank you, Masashi.”

“My thanks as well.”

“Think nothing of it. We all help each other out in times of need.”

Thanks to Masashi stepping in to mediate, everything went incredibly smoothly after that.

Thor and Odin ended up purchasing twenty warm-water bidet toilets.

Naturally, Masashi couldn’t help blurting out, “Wait—are you guys super rich or something?”

They treated him to lunch afterward, and once he thanked them, Thor and Odin smiled warmly.

“—My friend! A pure-hearted soul like yours is more than worthy of being invited to my homeland!”

“—We would be honored to welcome you!”

“…Huh?”

—And that’s how Masashi Saotome found himself in Asgard, installing bidet toilets—and being treated like a hero.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

“Went to install a toilet at my friend’s house and ended up in Asgard.”

Quick promo!

Volume 2 of the manga The Reincarnated Mage Who Will Eventually Become the Strongest is now available!

I’d be super happy if you gave it a read. Thanks so much for your continued support!

Chapter 74.7: Interlude — “Seishiro-san’s Got It Rough Too, Huh?”

Seishiro Kanna was… exhausted.

A few years ago, a student of his had stolen the spirit sword passed down through his family.

He lost his position as heir, had his fiancée taken from him, and ended up being kicked out of the house.

After that, in the middle of his revenge quest, he managed to seize the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, fought a mysterious boy he had just met, lost that fight, nearly got purged by Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and then was saved by the same boy he had battled.

He witnessed a human defeating a god, and somehow—somehow—ended up being entrusted with the very sword of legend.

On top of that, he was even handed a nameless divine blade.

Later, due to a bunch of tangled circumstances, he started living with his little nephew and mother…

And also his younger brother—who had become the new heir—and that brother’s wife, who just so happened to be Seishiro’s ex-fiancée.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the ex-fiancée’s little sister suddenly showed up and began crashing at their place, making his daily life way more chaotic than peaceful.

“…I’m just so tired.”

During the day, Matsuri Kazama, the younger sister of his ex-fiancée, openly showed her affection for him.

It would’ve been a lie to say a young, cute girl being that upfront wasn’t flattering to him as a man.

But for Seishiro, women had become a bit of a trauma.

Matsuri was cheerful, kind, and honestly a really sweet girl…

But because she was the sister of that woman, Seishiro couldn’t help but feel uneasy around her.

He didn’t want to treat someone he used to adore like a little sister as if she were something to fear—

But he still hadn’t sorted out his feelings.

On top of that, the third Kazama sister—Yuzu—was also pretty forward with Seishiro.

Thankfully, in her case, it was more like admiration toward an older brother, so it wasn’t too stressful.

But Matsuri was a whole different story.

His mother seemed to really like Matsuri too…

But mentally, Seishiro just wanted some peace and quiet for a while.

Besides, he was in his late twenties. Getting involved with a sixteen-year-old like Matsuri?

Yeah, that would cause all kinds of problems.

“Haah… I know she’s not a bad girl, but still…”

If he made even the tiniest wrong move, Ginko Aoyama—the wild, no-nonsense cop—would probably come charging in with a huge grin, more than happy to arrest him on the spot.

“Last night, she tried sneaking into my room. But that’s not even the real problem.”

These days, even high school girls trying to pull off a surprise midnight visit didn’t seem all that rare.

It wasn’t the end of the world.

He just needed to not take the bait.

—No, the real problem came after he fell asleep.

In his dreams, without fail, a small girl in a kimono with perfectly trimmed bangs would appear and start chanting—

“Name. Name. Name. Name. Name. Name. Name. Name. Name. Name. Name. Name.”

Over and over again, she kept demanding a name.

During the day, he’d been wrestling with baby name dictionaries trying to figure something out.

But so far, none of his suggestions had pleased her.

“I thought she’d love the first name I gave her… I figured it’d be one of those heartwarming moments, but girls are complicated.”

To make things worse, when Matsuri caught a glimpse of him reading the name dictionary, she jumped to the worst possible conclusion.

“Wait, seriously!? Are you already picking baby names!? Oh my gosh, you’re so bold!”

That misunderstanding just drained the last bit of energy out of him.

“And that’s why my life is really tough right now.”

“…Why are you even telling me this!?”

“…All I heard was you bragging about how great your life is!?”

“…I don’t even know what to say.”

Seishiro had come to visit Mukaijima City,

And during dinner at the Michael Diner, he poured his heart out—

To Senju, Yusuke, and Ren, who each had their own reaction.

“Uncle Seishiro is super popular, huh. Fufufu… I know what that’s called. Isn’t it a harem?”

“Kid, you’re amazing. Are you really just five?”

Alphonse looked visibly shaken, watching Seishiro’s nephew, Yoshimasa, push up his glasses with a smug grin while sipping orange juice like some mastermind villain.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

Seishiro-san’s got his own share of chaos!

But he still somehow ends up having fun hanging out with the boys.

Quick promo!

Volume 2 of the manga The Reincarnated Mage Who Will Eventually Become the Strongest is out now!

I’d be super happy if you gave it a read. Thank you for all your support!

Chapter 74.8: Interlude — “Isn’t That Ai-chan and the God of Despair?”

“Yaa yaa yaa yaa! The goddess of love herself! No—let’s be more casual. I’ll call you Ai-chan!”

“…Ugh, great. One of those annoying guys showed up.”

In a certain town far from Mukaijima City,

Inside a modest apartment room, the goddess of love—also known as Ai-chan—was sprawled on the couch in a tracksuit, munching on potato chips and reading manga.

Her face twisted with clear disgust the moment she saw the sudden arrival of a man in a tailcoat—none other than the God of Despair.

“So cold, Ai-chan! …But seriously, even if you are a goddess—especially a goddess of love—shouldn’t you dress a little more… divinely? That budget tracksuit set is doing you no favors.”

“Shut up! Coming from a guy wearing some weirdo tuxedo like that, you’ve got no room to talk! And don’t you dare act all disappointed when you’re always the one bouncing around with high energy! My casual clothes killed your vibe!? Too bad!”

“…Forgive me. I—God of Despair—have fallen into despair.”

“Don’t apologize for that!”

Ai-chan snapped her manga shut and chomped down on another mouthful of chips while shooting him a glare.

The God of Despair looked genuinely crushed.

Apparently, he had some very idealized image of what a goddess should be.

“And could you not barge into a girl’s apartment uninvited?”

“A girl, you say…? But Ai-chan, haven’t you been around since the Go-byarubu era—wait, how many millennia is that even!?”

“A girl stays a girl no matter how many years pass, got it?”

The God of Despair let out a weird noise as the manga smacked him square in the face and dropped to his knees.

Ai-chan, still in her tracksuit, looked down at him with a cold, unimpressed stare.

“…I’m sorry.”

“As long as you get it. So, what did you come here for?”

“I have come to report—I had an encounter with Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto!”

“And why, exactly, are you making contact with the god who’s famous for killing off new gods?”

“Because I thought giving Natsuki Yura’s little sister some divine power might lead to some wonderfully delicious despair!”

“Natsuki Yura’s little sister… Ahhh, yeah, yeah, right. And how would that cause Natsuki Yura to fall into despair?”

“Oh no no, actually—Anzu Ayakawa herself looked like she was about to spiral into despair, so I just… went with it.”

“Ohhh, her, huh.”

Ai-chan had heard of Anzu Ayakawa too.

That was about it though—she didn’t have any real interest in the girl.

“I’m not interested in people who don’t have love in their hearts.”

“Now that’s harsh. But doesn’t she at least have self-love?”

“I’m the goddess of love. I was born from those who love someone or something—true connection. People who only care about themselves? They have nothing to do with me.”

“I see. Quite the difference from me, born from despair.”

“Exactly. So… what, you picked a pointless fight with Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto over that and then came straight here?”

“The other gods are all off doing whatever they please. You too, Ai-chan. But unlike them, I’m not interested in forming some alliance with the old gods to make a big team.”

“I’m fine with that. Personally, I enjoyed mammon-mammon. It was fun. But I really don’t like gods of war or other love gods. They’re so self-righteous. Always trying to dominate humanity or control them in boring ways. All I want is to be loved by humans.”

“And I want humans to feel despair—and then rise above it. I love that strength they show when they overcome it.”

“You really are twisted.”

“We’re both in the same boat.”

Ai-chan grabbed a bottle of soda from the floor and took a sip.

“Burp.”

“Goddess of love or not, please don’t burp like that… Well, whatever! Let’s move on. I came here today with an invitation!”

“Nope.”

“I haven’t even said what it is yet!?”

“There’s no way I’m going on a date with some overhyped guy in a tailcoat—absolutely not.”

“Who said anything about a date!? That’s not it! I came to invite you to help me look for a path to another world!”

“Yeah, that’s even worse!”

“Another instant rejection!”

Since Natsuki Yura had returned from another world, it was clear that traveling from Earth to a different world was possible.

At the very least, he had managed to do it more than once.

“I like Earth people. I couldn’t care less about folks from other worlds.”

“…That may be true. But come on—what guy doesn’t get excited at the thought of other worlds? Lately, isekai protagonists are all the rage!”

“Don’t get all fired up about isekai stuff when you’re literally the God of Despair!”

“…I want to reincarnate too. Maybe as the God of Happiness or something.”

“You’d totally come off as some shady scam-god. Just don’t. And besides, gods of happiness don’t really exist—not among the new gods, anyway. The old ones maybe.”

“Modern humans really do have it rough.”

“Seriously.”

Feeling just a little sad, the God of Despair suddenly spun on his heel, dramatically flipping his tailcoat to lift the mood.

“Since I’ve been turned down, I’ll go talk to some other gods. If you change your mind, feel free to call me anytime.”

With those parting words, the God of Despair flew out through the apartment window and vanished into the night sky.

The goddess of love watched him go and let out a long sigh.

“In the end… I guess we all just want our own little world. Kinda boring, considering we’re supposed to be gods. Things are about to get messy again… but hang in there, okay? …Nacchan.”

Ai-chan flopped back onto the sofa.

And for some reason, instead of picking up her manga,

She grabbed her tablet and downloaded a comic titled Reincarnated in Another World.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

It’s been a while since Ai-chan appeared!

This interlude gave a small glimpse into the newer gods.

The main story picks up again next chapter with a brand-new arc!

Quick promo!

Volume 2 of the manga The Reincarnated Mage Who Will Eventually Become the Strongest is now available!

I’d be so happy if you gave it a read. Thanks always for your support!