The brave Simmel wants to resign

(It might be a little difficult to explain this to the goddess in front of me.)

Of course it's difficult.

Practical difficulties.

Aqua seemed to have not anticipated the current scene, and tears welled up in her eyes as she made ten movements in a second. This did not evoke pity, but rather made her look somewhat comical.

"Don't you yearn for a youthful body? Looking at you now, you'd probably have trouble even with lewd things!"

"...You're really direct, goddess...but it's okay, I've already fully enjoyed life."

"Stop lying! You're clearly a virgin!"

This guy!!!

The kind old man suddenly glared and gritted his teeth.

But it was only for a moment. Afterwards, the moment of losing his composure seemed like an illusion, and Simmel returned to his calm and collected state.

"...unimportant."

"Her! Where is she! I know you like that elf in your team, right? Don't you want to see her one more time? Go confess to her!"

“…”

That really hit a nerve.

But after a moment of contemplation, Simmel shook her head. "No, she probably only understands when she loses me, so my absence is more important to her. Besides, as long as she hasn't forgotten me, I have never left her."

"So, don't you also yearn to defeat the Demon King again and enjoy the glory?! Don't you think that's super cool!"

"That's really cool. But I've done what I had to do, and those who come after me will follow the path I've walked and do it even better."

"The future! That's the future you've created, an era of peace!"

“Someone will bear witness for me.”

"........"

Aqua gasped.

Then he made a choking sound, suddenly leaned back, and fell into his chair, his limbs limp and completely lacking in elegance.

It seems this is the end.

Simmel waited quietly.

As for Heaven and Reincarnation... While it would be nice to catch up with friends in Heaven, given Haita's personality, he probably wouldn't go to a place without alcohol.

I can't let him reincarnate alone.

As he thought this, Aqua finally snapped out of her daze.

"I understand."

Then, with a wave of her hand, many white vortexes bloomed in the air.

Like a magic mirror in a fairy tale, it illuminates the scene inside.

Countless worlds.

Countless voices.

Countless colors.

"These are the worlds you can choose to be reborn into."

"Um...."

Simmel began to observe.

Which one should I choose...? I guess it's still my own world, since my purpose was to reunite with my companions...

Just as Simmel was about to make a decision—

"————Waaah....——————"

He heard the sound of crying.

The hand stopped mid-air.

As a hero, he had excellent hearing, but due to old age, his five senses had also atrophied.

Even so, he could still distinguish the cries of children.

Frowning, the man looked toward the source of the sound.

But... that's just too much.

Countless cries and screams filled the air.

At this very moment, in countless universes, there are still countless people suffering.

"This is...."

He couldn't resist asking.

Aqua glanced in the direction Simmel was looking.

"Do you want to be reincarnated into this world? It's not a particularly dangerous world, but because of some kind of curse, the people there live a very repressed life. If you go there..."

"I mean, what's going on with these two kids?"

"Hmm? Ah..." Aqua's expression also turned sorrowful. No matter how eccentric she was, she was still a goddess. "She was probably used as a human sacrifice... There are a lot of idiots among humans. They use the sacrifice of others to gain peace of mind when they encounter things they cannot understand."

"Even gods can't manage the affairs of so many worlds, and humans don't care about the power of self-control."

She let out a long sigh.

"These two children eat swill every day... They're beaten and scolded by the villagers, their wounds will soon become infected, and they'll develop illnesses. Even if they're lucky enough to survive, when they get older, they'll probably be subjected to further abuse by the villagers whose minds are controlled by their lower bodies..."

"enough."

Simmel interrupted.

Help me up.

Chapter 2 Are you my masters?

In 1995, more than 400 human skeletons were discovered behind the altar at Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Türkiye. Human hemoglobin crystals were found on the altar, and the cervical vertebrae of the headless human skeleton had a smooth cross-section.

This is considered the earliest known human sacrifice in the world, predating the agricultural revolution and belonging to the religious rituals of hunting societies.

Primitive humans believed that all things possessed spirits and that the most precious human sacrifices were needed to please the gods and pray for their protection.

This can be explained as a 'misunderstanding' arising from early humans' limited exploration of nature.

Nowadays, no one would deliberately engage in such behavior.

........

But in fact, it's not.

Even in modern times, many underdeveloped countries still retain similar cultural customs.

Even in developed countries, there are regions where transportation, internet access, and education are underdeveloped.

Even in developed regions of developed countries, there are still people who engage in similar sacrificial activities out of curiosity or perverse desires.

Humans are truly complex.

[Municipality, Tone District, Gunma Prefecture.]

2007

【September】

【night】

In September, the oppressive heat of summer showed no signs of abating. Instead, it became even more humid due to the loss of sunlight, with the air as thick as unsifted wheat chaff, heavy and heavy as it was inhaled into the lungs.

The cicadas are chirping desperately.

The chirping of insects came from all directions, as if the whole village was resonating.

Noisy.

"what is this?"

Inside the village chief's room, the air was thick with the musty smell of old wood.

Three people were standing at the door.

At the very front, a man in a black student uniform spoke up and asked a question.

"What? What is this? This must be the source of this whole series of events!"

Behind them are villagers from ■■ Village.

The woman on the left has withered white hair plastered to her prominent skull, high cheekbones, and deep-set eyes.

The man on the right had a round, chubby face like an inflated dough ball, a double chin on his short, thick neck, ridiculously wide-set eyes, a flat nose sunken in fat, and slightly parted lips revealing a bit of yellowish teeth.

"These two guys have attacked the villagers several times!"

"My grandson was almost killed too!"

A huge wooden cage stood before the three of them.

The lattice window is embedded in the side wall, and the sunlight that leaks in is filtered into fragmented shadows by the wooden lattice.

The lines crisscross, and the edges of the tatami mats inside the cage are worn and frayed.

In the darkness, two emaciated little girls huddled together, looking at the three of them with fear.

Why did it turn out this way?

The Kaba sisters themselves didn't understand.

In the beginning, when their parents were still alive, they had someone to protect them.

However, with the passing of their parents and the frequent occurrence of paranormal events in the village, the villagers began to point the finger at the two 'abnormal' sisters.

It's said to be unusual, but the two of them were simply born with the ability to recognize curse power.

The so-called curse power is a special setting in this world; its essence is the energy generated by humans from negative emotions.