I hear a tinkle, like a bell’s.
There it goes again.
These noises are rather faint, as if originating from somewhere in the distance.
And accompanying those sounds is a voice. An unfamiliar one.
“…sama.”
Pure and light to the ears. Also like a bell, but not quite the same.
“…Nao-sama.”
That voice seems to be calling for someone. I wonder who?
“Osaka Nao-sama.”
Osaka… Nao?
All of a sudden, the haze in my mind finally clears. At that very instant, I remember.
That’s… my name.
It’s been so many years since someone called me by that name that I’ve almost forgotten it.
Somehow, I manage to open my heavy eyelids. Upon which, I’m greeted with a field of pure white.
Whichever direction I turn to, it’s all the same. Nothing but an endless landscape solely dominated by the color white.
Then before me, a little girl appears, slightly hovering above the ground.
“…Eh?”
Most of her features are practically devoid of color, the only exception being her eyes that are as pink as cherry blossoms.
Sprouting from her back is a cute, small pair of wings, making her resemble a white bird.
With every gentle flap of her white wings, sparkles of light drift through the air.
Although she has those strange wings on her back, she appears to be an incredibly young girl. Maybe around two to three years old?
She doesn’t even reach my waist. Way below it. She’s much too young to be without a guardian.
“Umm, where are you from, little girl? Are you lost?”
“No, I’m not lost. I’m the Goddess.”
“Wow. You’re a goddess even though you’re this small? How amazing.”
I wonder who she is.
I go along with her conversation for the time being, but should I also play along with her make-believe game as a goddess?
“It’s not a make-believe game, Osaka-sama. I am the Goddess Crouture.”
“Huh?! You can read my mind!?!” Then I pause. “Wait, Crouture…?”
I feel like I’ve heard that name before.
When did I…?
“Ah!” I remember now.
“G-Goddess?!”
“Yes.” The little girl nods with a smile, pale, chubby cheeks darkening into a faint pink.
“G-God… dess? Huh?! Seriously?! You’re not lying to me, are you?! Somehow, you’ve become extremely… small…”
The mini-Goddess lets out a sigh, her tiny shoulders drooping in dejection. “This… can’t be helped. This child-like body is what you can call my ‘power-saving mode.'”
“Power-saving mode?”
“Yes. I have currently exhausted all my divine power. In the case of such a problem, I can assume a smaller form to minimize the consumption of my divine power. And this appearance of mine is exactly that.”
YOU ARE READING
Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death
Romance"Please, I implore you to save the world." This is what a goddess in white says to me in a pure-white space. Such is the standard line that suggests the game is about to begin. Please say this stirring line to boys and girls with sparkling eyes! It'...
