บท 110: Chapter 76: I’m a god of negotiation and the God of Fate

"I didn't see this one coming...."

How could he talk to me, a player, through the Bible? I should think that the other side was watching the village and called out to me after confirming that Chem had handed the Bible to Gams. I followed the words in the Bible one by one with my eyes.

"Do you doubt us, O God of Fate? But we, the followers of the Lord God, are forbidden to fight and plot against each other."

That seems to be the rule. This was confirmed on the message board as well. If the information there is true then the Dark Elves believe that the God of Nature is not on the side of the evil gods, but on the side of the main gods.

The other player is also pretending to be a god, out of consideration for the villagers. The way he talks to me, I can tell he's trying not to give away his true identity.

"There is no malice on our side, no backstabbing. In the past, the Forbidden Forest wasn't as much of a threat as it is now. But since a few months ago, the monsters have become more and more dangerous. It was just around the time when the villagers from your side settled down. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

"...is this guy trying to tell me that my influence may have attracted players from the evil side to the Forbidden Forest?"

That's what I read from the text, and that's what I think he's saying. One of the enemy forces that had been targeting this village was Yamamoto-san, a senior member of the cleaning company, and the player who attacked me while I was staying in the village in the flesh was the one who was involved with me.

Maybe that person is still in the Forbidden Forest. And with that kind of force, it wouldn't be surprising if he wasn't alone, but teamed up with other players from the evil side. I didn't do anything about it directly, but maybe I'm the cause....

"I hope you understand. However, if you don't trust me, I will let one of the villagers live here. People may not be happy about it, but I want you to save face."

The dark elves were not happy about living there, but when the gods asked them to, they didn't raise an objection.

"I look forward to a better response, God of Fate."

It seems that we are on friendly terms with them. They seem to be willing to accept our proposal. But is the other party a player? The story changes completely if that's the case. If I accept the Dark Elf as a villager, I will know where their village is and I can peek in. But doesn't that mean that they can also observe our village?

"No, it's too late for that. Inviting them to the village has cleared up the map here, right? You can already peek all you want over there. With…..it's decided."

I'll have one dark elf move into this village and we'll jointly attack the evil god's base. Let's do this. I'm not sure if the players themselves are good or not, but if they want to continue playing this game, at least they won't betray or cheat. From the exchanges on the board, it seemed that there were no bad people on the Lord God's side.

I'm not sure if I should be...but my criteria for judgment are vague and my evidence is weak. But this is the moment to make a decision. It's a shame to miss out on the chance to team up with a player from the Lord God's side.

"The old me would have procrastinated, saying I'll come to a decision tomorrow. But now I've changed."

I've made up my mind. Now all I have to do is tell it to them via oracle, but I've already used the oracle today. Please wait a while until the...day is over.

I thought about sending the oracle in the middle of the night, but everyone was asleep, so I decided not to. In the morning, I touched the "enter" key to tell the oracle that I had thought of last night.

"I have finished my conversation with the God of Nature, whom the Dark Elves worship. I swear on the name of the god that there is nothing to worry about. I swear to you that they will not betray us or do anything cowardly. Together, we should attack the monster's stronghold and reduce the threat to the village as much as possible. However, you must reveal information about each other and be prepared and strong. If we are going to attack, I suggest we do it tomorrow or later."

What is it about this sentence? God is a lot more stern and vague in his statements, isn't he? Or rather, that's how I've been staging my pretense of God. This makes the content too specific and detailed. But if I don't explain it properly here, the villagers won't be convinced, and if I can't communicate with them, I can't tell them how to fight in the future.

"I'm in trouble. I knew I should have produced a more shattered God....It's too late now."

But suddenly, "Hey, it's God! Everyone's doing well. So, I've got a question for you. Can you please do something for me right now?" If I do that, the villagers will be astonished. It's not necessary to be this extreme, but if I can convey my words in a more relaxed manner, I can accurately express my thoughts to the other side...Oh, that's right!

"Why didn't I think of that? Huh, I'm no good at this. There must be a way to use the oracle that only I can do, while the other players can't."

I erased all the sentences and typed a new one. I read it over a few times before sending it to the villagers. After the meal, Lodis and the other old members of the group gathered in front of the statue of God. At that moment, the Bible shone brightly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Oracle has arrived!"

They seemed to be waiting for it, and they all crowded around the Bible at once.

"I'm going to read it now....Please wait a moment. Let's move to a new location."

Chem suddenly said such a thing and hurriedly closed the Bible. The villagers were surprised, but they immediately understood that it must mean something, and followed her quietly. When she stopped near the log fence at the west end of the village, I saw Chem opening the Bible.

"...First, please close the Bible and travel to the west end of the village."

Yes, Chem was just following the oracle's instructions. In this place, she should be just out of the range of the Dark Elves Bible. I couldn't see the other side's conversation, but I took this measure because if the other side saw the oracle, I would be in trouble later.

"I apologize for asking you to do something so sudden and strange. It's been a long time, everyone. This time, it's not the God of Fate, but his follower, Yoshio, who has been with you before, writing on his behalf....Eh, Yoshio-sama!"

Chem's voice leaks out in surprise.

"It's Yoshio!"

The one who claps her hands in delight when she hears my name is Carol. She was the one I spent the most time with, both in Japan and in the other world. Carol stayed at my house for a few days and then returned to her village in the other world. At that time, I also had to go to the other world, and we spent a month together.

…..If someone else heard it, it would seem like a delusion or a crazy person's statement, but sometimes it's true. I've actually spent time in a village that I thought was a game, and I've interacted with the villagers. That's my biggest advantage over other players. I was also a follower of the God of Fate, and I could pass on oracles for him. So, I'd like to think that the villagers will accept me if I tell them the oracle instead of god.

"So you're saying that the squire wrote this oracle?"

Gams was easily convinced.

"Yoshio-sama has told me oracles before."

"I see. Will Yoshio-sama be writing the details for me from now on?"

"Wow, Yoshio, Yoshio! Carol wants to talk too!"

So Lodis and his family are all right. Kang and Ran just gave small nods. Murus looked a little surprised, but quickly returned to a straight face.

"Yes, brother, it seems so. Then I'll read the rest.....This time, since the God of Fate is busy, I will tell it instead. I'm sure I'll be delivering the oracle from time to time in the future, so please be patient with me. As for this one, the God of Fate discussed it with the God of Nature, and it turned out that there was nothing underhanded about this plan."

The villagers held their chests and exhaled heavily. They were probably relieved that their biggest worry was gone.

"God may be tired from negotiating with the God of Nature. Maybe that's why he asked Yoshio-sama to write for him."

The villagers looked at each other in agreement when they heard Lodis' muttering. The villagers...are very helpful with their convenient interpretation.

"I know you have your feelings about the Dark Elves, but trust in God."

I was curious about Murus' reaction, so I zoomed in on her and saw that she was shrugging her shoulders and letting out a small breath. She's reluctant, but at least she's convinced, right?

"However, please make sure you are strong and prepared. Ask them to give you as much detailed information about their bases as possible. If you feel that you cannot win, there is no need to take the fight. If you feel it is impossible, withdraw immediately."

This is a game, but it's not a game. Even though it's absurd to ask people to fight safely, I don't want to cause as much damage as possible. That's my honest feeling.

"By the way, either three days or seven days later is recommended as the execution date."

I'm off work that day. The villagers, who had read the oracle, were all on their way to the dark elves. The other side seemed to have anticipated their arrival and came out from inside before we could even open the door to the building.

"There you are. Did you come to a conclusion? I've decided to accept your terms. I'm going to live in this village. I'm…"

Sudhir grinned and pointed at herself. Really? I didn't know that she, who seems to be the leader, would be living here.

"What, Miss?"

"You never told us that!"

It was not only us who were surprised, but even the dark elves were buzzing. Didn't you consult your...friends?

"You're an idiot. If you want the other party to trust you, someone in a certain position should stay. Also, this place looks like fun, doesn't it?"

I can't help but feel like the second half is her real reason.

"You're a new villager, welcome. Now, about the cooperation....We will fight with you."

"Oh, I see. Let's have a serious discussion about the future, shall we Mr. Village Chief?"

Sudhir grabbed the hand that Lodis held out to her, wrapping it with both hands, she smiles bewitchingly, bringing her face so close that her breath reaches him. The veins in Laila's temples are rising as she watches Lodis, startled by the sudden pressure, panic.

This is the type of thing that makes me feel like she's a grown woman and it's ready to take a stand....Surprisingly, she's the jealous type.

I'll leave the rest of the discussion to the villagers. The oracle is no longer available. I'm going to check for miracles that I can use and see if I have the strength. But first, let's eat. I've been watching without eating breakfast for a long time, so when the tension dissipated, hunger hit me at once. I picked up my phone to observe the discussion, and it seemed that someone had called.

"I'm not used to having a smartphone, so I rarely look at it except when I activate the Village of Fate."

My family is often angry with me for it.

"Oh, it's Seika."

Seika told me repeatedly to check back often. The time is...last night? That's when I was taking a bath. I'm going to have to call her back. I know I'm going to get a lot of grumbling, but I can't help it. But she's still at work now, right?

I checked the time and it was 10 a.m. It was definitely work time. I should try to call her once during my lunch break. I picked up my phone and heard a ringing sound. I checked the screen and saw the name Seika.

"Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

I put my phone to my ear, thinking.

"Hello?"

"Oh, you finally answered. Are you okay now?"

"I'm fine, but aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"No, what are you talking about? It's Sunday."

I checked the calendar...and sure enough, it's Sunday. I've been working as a cleaner for a while now. And my sense of the days of the week is a little out of whack due to the effects of my NEET days. I need rehabilitation for this.

"So, what can I do for you?"

"I need to talk to you about something. Can you come over?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm not working today either."

"Okay, sure. See you later."

When I finished the call and was getting dressed because I was still in my nightgown, I remembered the casual conversation I had with my...mother last night.

"Okiku-san, I heard you're on a three-day trip with the elderly."

Could it be that...Seika is alone now? A woman invites a man into her home alone....No, no, there is nothing else to it, right? Besides, it's a place I used to go to on a regular basis many times. What am I thinking about?

"Uh, I've got some night sweats, so I think I'll take a shower before I go."

Yes, there is no deep meaning to this action.