Chapter 3: Those Who Have No One to Rely On Part 3

Gods were born on their own. Simply being born costs nothing, and as long as they’re just living their lives, no one says anything. But once they want to start religious activities, the story changes.

Roughly 60% of all humans across the world followed a religion known as the Great Tree Church.

This was a venerable faith rooted in a “creation myth that has been proven to a certain extent”, and most major human nations either adopted the Great Tree Church or one of its branches as their state religion.

Naturally, that meant each country’s religious authorities must base their religious policies on the Great Tree Church or its derivatives. If some upstart god tried to start a religion on their own, some rather scary officials would inevitably come knocking.

Here, in the Nordwalt Empire lay the central seat of the Great Tree Church.

Therefore, in Souza, the capital of the Ainwake Viscounty within the Nordwalt Empire, any would-be god must personally go to the proper government office… more specifically, the Religious Affairs Division of the Imperial Religious Administration’s Souza Branch Office to register as a god and complete the necessary procedures to engage in religious activities. Once this was done, they were free to operate anywhere within the empire.

It was common knowledge for most people. While it was understandable that the newborn Ria didn’t know this, the fact that Eo didn’t either was just pathetic.

“You call yourself a High Priestess?”

“B-But… Eo always lived in a monastery! I didn’t know about things like this!”

Eo replied with an embarrassed expression.

At the counter, a modest number of humans and gods were waiting for their turn, clutching numbered tickets in their hands. The ticket Yoji received was number 43. He figured there were about four more people ahead of him. He prayed the gods wouldn’t cause any trouble with the clerks.

“Yo-chan.”

“Yes, my goddess?”

“There… are a lot of people.”

“Is this really the time to tear up and tremble in fear? You’re about to become the goddess of ten million people, you know.”

“I don’t have to become one. Ah, I’m fading… fading…”

“You’re not fading. Please behave yourself.”

It seemed Ria still wasn’t used to crowds. One moment she had gone to sit beside Eo, and the next she curled into her chest and began to whimper. Eo shot Yoji a glare. One should not look at others like they’re criminals.

“Customer number 43.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for waiting. How can we help you today?”

After he was asked by the lady at the reception, Yoji wondered how best to proceed.

To begin with, for a newborn god, the required documentation was nothing more than a self-declared slip of paper. Since some gods couldn’t even hold a pen, a human representative was allowed to fill it out on their behalf.

Yoji had completed the god registration form in place of Ria, who couldn’t yet write.

Under the “Miracle” section, which was the part describing the god’s abilities, he had written “Healing”. Since neither the goddess herself nor her two followers truly understood the extent of her divine powers, it was a rather vague and general classification.

“I’d like to register a goddess and apply for a permit to conduct religious activities.”

“Certainly. May I ask where the goddess in question is? Is this a case where the god cannot manifest in this space?”

“No, that girl over there clinging to the other girl in tears…that’s her.”

“Ah, a newborn, I see. We often get gods who are afraid of people.”

“Hahaha…”

“Alright, let me review the documents. The god’s name is ‘Shupria’, correct? As for the type of god… it would likely be a nature god.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not at all. It’s quite common for a god’s origin to be ambiguous. If it’s confirmed later, please submit an updated declaration.”

“Understood.”

In this world, gods fell broadly into two categories.

Most were “nature gods” who were born from the expansive natural forces of the forest. The rest, though less than ten percent, were “conceptual gods” who were formed from the wishes of humans.

“Does she have a medium?”

Regardless of whether they were nature gods or conceptual gods, any god capable of performing significant miracles possessed a medium. It was a physical object through which they manifested.

It could be a stone, a tree, a branch, or even a blade of grass…anything the god initially chose as something they could “easily dwell in”.

“Now that you mention it, what is my goddess’s medium?”

“Don’t know.”

“I see… Well then, once you remember, let’s make sure to secure it in the near future.”

“Mhmm.”

At this point, the receptionist looked hesitant. Gods’ abilities varied widely. Some were simply powerful, while others could make objects grow legs and walk just by wishing it. If healing was the goal, this counted as healing. Yoji wanted her to understand that.

“It’s a little vague. Could the goddess demonstrate her power directly?”

“Hmm… Please wait a moment.”

If they couldn’t register here, it would all be pointless. There was no choice but to show her power.

Yoji picked up the sulking goddess in a princess carry and brought her to the counter.

“Uu… I’m a god…”

“Yes, you certainly look the part. I can tell from your presence, but we do need to verify just in case.”

What the receptionist pulled out from under the desk was a fist-sized crystal orb. When exposed to divine energy, it changed color. For humans, it showed no reaction. It was a straightforward tool for testing.

“Alright, my goddess. Hand, please.”

“Mhmm.”

“Good. How is it?”

“Let’s see…”

Judging by the color shift, it seemed possible to identify the general type of power. While checking a reference chart, the receptionist examined the color that appeared. It was close to purple. A color regarded as most noble in the Eastern Kingdom.

“It’s either red or blue.”

Red or blue. Generally, divine colors fell into these two categories. Which meant… this was somewhere in the middle?

“…Is there no category for purple?”

“It’s not on the reference chart… But since there’s no reaction when humans touch it, there’s no doubt she’s a god. I’ll check with my superiors and report back, but for now, I think we’re good to proceed. Now then, about her specific abilities.”

“Now, now… Dear receptionist lady, do you happen to have any wounds?”

“A wound? Ah, yes. I cut my finger while cooking yesterday… Would that do?”

The receptionist offered her hand from across the counter. Responding to a glance from Yoji, Ria gently took hold of her injured finger. The light that appeared was faint. It was small and weak, but it was unmistakably the same warm glow he had seen back then.

“What do you think of my goddess’s power?”

“Ah… Well, the wound is still open, but the pain has definitely lessened.”

“Huh, is that it? I was hoping for something more dramatic, like, ‘Oh! It’s healed!!’ with some emotional impact.”

“No, nothing like that. But the pain has subsided. Depending on how it’s used, it could be quite useful. Thank you very much, Goddess.”

“You’re welcome~”

…How is the strength of divine power determined, exactly? He still didn’t know.

If things had continued as they were, Yoji would’ve certainly died. That kind of wound…this goddess had healed it. There wasn’t even a scar left on his arm now. Her power was undoubtedly real.

Calling it an “experiment” might sound a bit cold, but as a follower, he needed to understand his god’s power thoroughly. That would be an important task going forward.

“Thank you, my goddess. You may now return to crying into Miss Eo’s chest.”

“Un-un.”

“Then let’s stay like this.”

And so, she still wanted to remain in the princess carry.

“The religion’s name is ‘Healing God Friends Association’. Please submit your doctrine and any specific offerings once they’ve been decided. The paperwork has all been processed.”

“Yes. Thank you very much.”

“Oh, and one more thing. Would you like to apply for membership with the Great Tree Faith?”

When he was asked this, he paused and started wondering what to do.

If they joined the Great Tree Faith, they’d get discounts on the use of its religious facilities, lower costs for making flyers to promote the religion, and even be featured in the bimonthly magazine “Beside the Great Tree”.

If they paid enough, they could even run major advertisements… There were various benefits. However, naturally, a portion of their offerings would have to go to the Great Tree Faith, and there was also a chance they might even interfere with the doctrine.

“No, for now we only have two followers, so we can’t offer anything. We’ll pass.”

“Understood. Then I’ll collect a fee of ten small brass coins for the registration process.”

Well, that sounded about right. Ten was roughly the cost of dinner for five members of the human race.

Yoji dug through his pouch, took out ten small brass coins shaped like flat plates, and then glanced at the receptionist lady to gauge her reaction.

“…The office does not sort coins.”

“Haha. My apologies.”

Taking her words to heart, he mixed in five slightly worn coins and handed them over. As expected of a government office.

Since low-purity metals were used to create coins, bad coins and good coins inevitably came into circulation. There were even privately minted coins that still passed as legal currency, so coin-sorting was an ongoing issue.

To add to that, the so-called “Great Empire’s” currency, despite its grand name, wasn’t of very high quality.

Cracks and chips were par for the course.

For reference, one large gold coin was equivalent to two small gold coins, ten large silver coins, twenty small silver coins, 120 large brass coins, or 480 small brass coins.

However, because large and small brass coins were more widely circulated than gold or silver, they were often worn down, meaning actual payments sometimes required more coins.

It was incredibly confusing.

Government offices and major banks were currently working on simplifying and reforming the currency system, so they’d at least accept even the worn-out coins now. Hopefully, they’d also unify the naming conventions.

Paper money would be lighter and more convenient, but the public was too used to coins and above all, they seemed to prefer these “old-fashioned” things, so the transition would likely take a long time.

“Yes, certainly. Here is your god registration certificate and religious activity permit. If you lose them, you can have them reissued at a low cost within a month. Thank you for your patronage.”

Two documents: the registration certificate and the activity permit.

Both were made of brass plates. The registration certificate was small, with a hole at the top so it could be worn around the neck. The activity permit was a palm-sized card, engraved with a magical contract seal to prevent forgery.

Incidentally, forging either one would get you thrown in jail for three months without a trial. Whether you were a human or a god.

Best not to do anything shady.

“Now that you’re registered, you’re officially a god, my goddess. Here, wear this around your neck and don’t take it off. And if you lose it, don’t hesitate thinking, ‘They might get mad if I say I lost it…’ Just report it immediately, okay? It’ll cost us money.”

“Yeees.”

“Shall we entrust the activity permit to the High Priestess? Please don’t lose it.”

“Um, I get that you treat Eo and the goddess differently, but isn’t this a bit too much?”

“This is something incredibly important… it’s what allows our cult to function as a cult, you know…? How could we entrust it to someone without trust, without trust, without truuuuust—”

“Ah, ahhh….yes! Right! You can trust me!”

The High Priestess gave a deep nod. It was good to have her understanding.

Carrying more things just weighed him down. For Yoji, who usually only carried the bare minimum in gear and identification, the permit was nothing more than extra baggage.

Besides, if he were ever arrested for some reason, it would cause trouble for the others too.

…Not that Yoji had any bad intentions.

He simply wanted the god who had saved his life to live a more fulfilling life.

However, they were far too small. For people as small as them to attain a stable life and happiness, they had to put in the effort and sometimes resort to a few underhanded tactics.

Yoji was determined to bring happiness to Ria… and to Eo, while he was at it.

It might come off as a bit pushy, but he truly hoped they’d accept it.

“Well then, to Bigu Village. It should be about half a day by carriage.”

After leaving the government office, he checked their belongings and spoke to the god and the girl. They didn’t have much luggage.

“A carriage? Where did you get the money for that?”

“Like I said. It’s not like I was out there just buying river fish, you know.”

A skill can save your life. Use whatever you can…that was a fine saying.

His investment? It was a pencil, some paper, and a single pair of underwear.

When he sold the underwear along with a (heavily idealized) portrait, it fetched a surprisingly good price.

Yoji felt quite pleased with his resourcefulness, especially when he thought about how he had taken on the laundry of the three of them ahead of time (Eo, rather shockingly, had entrusted her underwear to a guy without much thought). That had really paid off.

And to be clear, this was nothing more than an ordinary secondhand transaction… so there was absolutely nothing to feel guilty about.