บท 1: Chapter 1: Assigned to a Remote Area
After reading countless reincarnation stories lately, my main thought was always: Ugh, sounds annoying.
In tales where the protagonist gradually grows stronger, the early chapters tend to be so disheartening that they would instantly break me, while harem-style plots involving global crises seem entirely implausible.
As a Japanese-born, Japan-raised citizen with average skills, I doubt I could survive suddenly thrust into a brutal fantasy realm, nor do I think someone as ordinary as myself could thrive in the political arena.
So when I got hit by a truck and met a goddess, I made a completely different request.
She asked me to live life a little more extravagantly, but I had to apologize and tell her it just wasn't possible. After all, some things really are beyond my control. Still, when I shared my unabashedly ambitious dream with her, she graciously accepted.
I suppose you'd expect nothing less from a god—she couldn't care less about human notions of right or wrong; what matters most is the strength of one's desires. How wonderful.
And so, reborn into this world, I grew up as the third son of a moderately wealthy family in the royal capital, currently considered the most peaceful region...
"Ain, I heard."
"Ow! That's quite a rough greeting!"
As I walked down the hall after changing out of solemn ceremonial attire (naturally, borrowed) that I would never wear again in this lifetime back into my usual priest robes, I was ambushed by the face of a childhood friend—a sight far too familiar for my second go-round at life—from behind.
"I bet you'll miss this kind of thing once it stops happening, huh?"
"Not particularly."
"Hey, you."
Though it's true that no important people ever traverse this public corridor, there's still no excuse for grown adults—especially priests—to be roughhousing like this. But perhaps because everyone knows my fate, nobody bothers to say anything.
"...Of all places, they had to send me to some backwater region?"
"Well, wherever you go, you can make your home. Maybe I'll even get fat off fresh local ingredients!"
"Where do you find such optimism? You're usually so negative about everything."
"It's not negativity—it's just realistic self-evaluation."
In this commonplace fantasy world of swords and magic, as expected, heroes and demon lords battle each other constantly.
On top of that, due to its game-like elements, certain chosen individuals have the ability to come back from death. In other words, they can save their progress.
And what serves as the saving point in a sword-and-sorcery video game? That's right: churches.
As such, almost every town had to have its own church, even if it was so far out in the sticks that no one serving at the castle had ever heard of it.
But despite this being a gamelike fantasy realm, the people living here were still real humans, and very few wanted to venture out to remote regions. Not only did it take them off the path toward career advancement, but they would likely never be able to return home again.
So I, having abandoned my former name, now living as Ainbert in this world, volunteered for a mission nobody else wanted: heading to the frontier.
The ceremony appointing me to this distant region took place in the main hall of the royal capital's church—a room where even a plain, low-ranking priest like myself hesitated to enter. Normally, there wouldn't have been such pomp and circumstance, but apparently, the archbishop himself was moved by my enthusiasm for volunteering or something. Well, who am I to turn down any advantages offered?
"I'll write to you, okay? You better write back!"
"Sure, if I remember— Ow, ow, ow! Okay, okay, I'm kidding! I will, definitely!" My childhood friend and fellow priest pestered me with feigned irritation, trying to hide his tears.
It was annoying, but everything had gone according to my plan so far.
After all, this reincarnation in another world was too good of an opportunity to pass up, as was getting a second chance at life—and being transported to a magical realm!
So from now on, I'm gonna do whatever the hell I want.
The only time I felt like crying during all this was when it came time to part ways with the family who'd raised me, but otherwise, my selfish new life was finally about to begin.
"This place is really out in the sticks."
I thanked the driver and adventurer escort who had accompanied me for over two months from the royal capital, then gazed down once more at the rural town where I would spend the rest of my days.
This village had been established by pioneers dispatched about thirty years ago to expand their nation's territory, but having successfully completed its mission, it was now just another unremarkable rural town.
The population numbered around one hundred fifty people. Most of them worked in agriculture or dairy farming, and there was some fishing as well due to the nearby river. However, these activities were merely means for survival; none could be considered particularly thriving industries.
In the royal capital, the sturdy stone walls surrounding the city reached so high that you couldn't even see the tops from ground level, erected primarily to ward off monsters. Here, though, they consisted of wooden fences easily cleared with a single leap by any adult.
Despite being somewhat shabby, this place truly embodied what I imagined a frontier town would look like, lined with houses made of wood and mud—materials never seen in the brick-built royal capital no matter how decrepit it became.
"Um, first I should go to the village headman's house... Excuse me!"
In this town where visitors were rare, my presence immediately drew attention.
I intercepted one of the older local farmers who was staring at me unabashedly and decided to start by greeting the village headman. After all, it's important to make a good first impression.
"I am truly, deeply grateful for your visit. We have nothing here, yet you still came to our humble town."
"It is simply part of my duty as a servant of the goddess. Though young, I will do everything within my power to aid this community."
"Oh, Priest Ainbert, such youth indeed marks you as a messenger of the divine."
"Ain is fine. To be honest,...I'm not really comfortable with formalities."
"I see."
Even though no one else was listening, I made sure to speak confidentially as if sharing a secret, and the elderly village headman's face immediately lit up with delight. Good thing he has such a great sense of humor.
"You must be tired from your long journey today. Let's postpone the welcoming party for Priest Ain until tomorrow; first, we should get you settled at the church."
"Thank you very much. After more than two months on horseback, my body is definitely feeling it."
"Ha-ha-ha! Tonight, stretch out those limbs and sleep well."
We left the headman's house, and he guided me to the church on the outskirts of town.
In these borderlands, priests often managed cemeteries single-handedly, so churches inevitably ended up on the edges of settlements. Not that there would necessarily have been anything better placed centrally anyway.
As we walked, people who had gathered after hearing rumors greeted us lightly along the way.
"Compared to the churches in the royal capital, this is more like a shack..."
"Oh no, it's quite splendid."
I understood exactly what he meant.
The churches in the royal capital were practically works of art unto themselves. Compared to those, I could only think that castles might be able to hold their own against them architecturally.
This church was probably just one story with minimal features, but as the likely sole brick building in town, it felt very much like a place of worship to me, given my memories from my previous life.
Though having the cemetery right behind it did creep me out a bit. Not to mention, considering ghosts and other monster spirits actually existed in this world, there really was cause for concern. But apparently, as long as you follow proper burial procedures, they don't spawn naturally, so I tried not to worry about it too much.
And seeing the empty plots used as vegetable gardens also gave the whole area a homey vibe.
Compared to my previous life, where I just went to work and came home to sleep every day, spending daytime tilling soil and serving as a priest for the good of this village feels like a fantastic second chance.
But that's not what I'm after.
There is something I want so badly, it made me abandon any hope of a glorious new life in another world.
The real reason I ventured all the way out here to this undesirable frontier...
It has to exist.
I'll be lost without it.
"Let someone else show you around inside. Heyyy, Mariaaa!"
"I'm coming!" responded the voice of a young woman.
As she emerged from the church,
"This is Sister Maria, who serves our chapel."
"Hello, Father Ain. It is truly an honor to meet you at last," she greeted me modestly.
"My name is Ainbert, but please call me Ain."
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