* * *
Boommmmm!!!
In the early morning mist of Naso Forest, an unheard roar reverberates.
Naturally, I was jolted awake by that roar and its accompanying vibration.
The Kariva Great Tree, where I nest, trembles violently.
What’s this noise!?
It’s still early in the morning, and yet it disturbs my peaceful sleep!
…I really hate being disturbed while I’m sleeping!
I leap up, frowning, and stick my head out of the hole to look outside.
The dark blue sky is gradually brightening.
Beneath it, in a corner of the lush Naso Forest, black smoke is rising.
<This looks like… an event is happening! Emi, let’s go see!>
This Extra, being a maniac for isekai broadcasts, casually uses slang learned from “events” in streaming. And she’s overly curious and carefree.
Without any sense of caution, she made such a suggestion.
Still groggy from waking up, I, driven by anger for having my peaceful sleep disturbed (planning to throw stones in protest), thoughtlessly dashed toward the source of the roaring noise and smoke.
* * *
…And that brings us to now.
It was quite the roar, wasn’t it, Extra?
<Yes, indeed.>
The cause of such a roar must definitely be something, right?
<You are correct. Emi is smart.>
If the cause turned out to be a dangerous and powerful monster, what were you planning to do, Extra?
<…………>
Silent treatment, huh.
<Emi, you too! You ran all the way here without thinking as well! It’s unfair to blame only me for a lack of crisis awareness!>
Gah! I can’t argue back when you put it like that!
<All we need to do is be more careful in the future, right? Now, as you can see, there doesn’t seem to be any danger this time, right? Right?>
Well, um, I guess there’s… no danger, maybe?
I arrived at the source of the smoke in less than five minutes.
It was quite a distance, but as a 5-year-old who is accustomed to forest living and skilled in 【Body Strengthening】, I wasn’t even out of breath from such a move.
…And then.
What I’m secretly peeping at from the bushes is a clearing that suddenly appeared in Naso Forest.
Wasn’t there such a clearing here until yesterday?
The trees were knocked down, turned into black char, and smoke was billowing up.
Ah… the carcasses of (probably) Naked Awful-tasting Mice have also turned into charcoal.
They’re definitely inedible now. What a waste…
But that’s not the point!
My gaze shifts to the person who seems to have created this clearing.
Standing there was a beautiful boy with flaming red hair and red eyes, about the same age as me… no, if my memory serves me right, he should be the same age as me.
When I say “if my memory serves me right,” it’s because I know the name of that beautiful boy.
After all… he’s Torch Fenoben, who lives in the same village of Fenoben as me.
Oh, the reason his surname is the same as the village’s name is that he’s the son of the village chief.
In this country (I don’t know the name of the country because I haven’t studied it), commoners like me don’t have surnames, but it seems that families at the level of the village chief can have a family name. Not that it matters.
…Hmm? But what in the world is going on here??
As far as I know, Torch-kun is indeed the son of the village chief, but he’s definitely just a typical village child A, and shouldn’t possess the power to cause such ridiculous destruction?
As I stood there perplexed and frozen, Torch-kun, who had a wry smile on his face, began to mutter to himself.
My super hearing, honed by forest living (probably due to 【Body Strengthening】 making my ears incredibly sharp), caught his words.
“…This requires practice in control. Really, the power of 【Divine Blessing】 is something else…”
…Torch-kun mutters to himself in a “give me a break” manner.
Huh? Was he always the type to talk like an adult?
I thought he was more of a typical mischievous 5-year-old brat…
…Wait, “blessing”?
Torch-kun mentioned a blessing just now, didn’t he?
<He did.>
A blessing is…
<Blessings are the favors bestowed by gods on creatures or lands. In streaming terms, they’re also called “cheats.”>
Torch-kun said 【Divine Blessing】, right?
<Yes, he did. In this world, when you mention “Holy Goddess,” it refers to “Holy Goddess Laintorlie.” A god who governs all that is holy.>
…I remember that name…
That god, probably, was at that auction venue five years ago…
<Laintorlie is a super famous isekai streamer! It’s natural for them to participate in the auction of souls.>
An adult-like demeanor unbefitting of a 5-year-old.
And a mighty power. 【Divine Blessing】.
…Ah, that one’s a reincarnated person.