The World I Was Supporting Was Real - Chapter 100



100. That’s right there.

The dark brown image Rayna now faced.

A place with a thrill hard to describe, an image that refreshed the stifling within her.

The images gathered, forming a single world.

Rayna swam through the sky of a completely new world, unlike any she’d known before.

Cool – that was the first sensation she felt. This place was ‘cool’. This was true both physically and emotionally.

Tingle… … Pop!

Something piled up, like a dam bursting, overflowing.

Once before, I’d experienced a similar image.

That thrilling feeling of something bursting open. It’s definitely not the first time.

But… There’s no heaviness to this explosion. Quite the opposite – lightness. A lightness that felt like I could fly, like I had wings, it was definitely there.

‘Feels good…!’

For reasons unknown, Reina was seized by the urge to throw herself into this intensely strong, dark brown world.

No. Not throw herself.

I want to put this… inside me. I want to gulp it down. Chug it down… !!!

Reina throws herself into the brown world. Like she’s swimming.

She’s flying, but like swimming through water, what enters her sight is —

* * *

“…Ah!!”

In that instant, as she opens her eyes, she realizes.

That for a short while, she had not existed in this world – the real world.

And, at the same time, when she looks ahead…

“Huh…?”

The holy water that Erin brought, it had turned a deep brown.

“S-Saintess? The holy water… “It looks a little different?”

“Yes. Lady Reina changed it like this.”

“I did…?”

I didn’t do anything?

I just closed my eyes and sensed the ‘plain fact’, and then…

—*thwack*

“S-Saintess…?!”

Suddenly, Erin’s hand landed on mine, catching me a bit off guard—

From noble mtl dot com

But Erin, as if understanding even that, spoke with a very benevolent smile.

“Lady Reyna, it seems you’ve had a spiritual experience.”

“A spiritual experience…?”

“It’s a simple matter. Lady Reyna, you’ve been chosen to be used as a tool of God, to save many people. From the moment you opened your eyes to the plain fact, it’s not strange at all that you could glimpse God’s image, even if just a little…!”

Normally, I probably would have felt a chill at Erin’s unusually flushed cheeks and the incomprehensible mumbling she was spouting—

But why was it?

Having experienced that strange world that could only be described as ‘God’s image’, her words felt strangely plausible.

“T-Then…?”

“Yes. This is God’s answer to Lady Reyna’s wandering…!”

“God’s answer, you say…”

“I think Lady Reyna probably knows better than I do!”

Reyna looked down at the holy water that had turned brown again.

Only then did she notice small bubbles rising like beer, *glug glug glug*.

That I would know better?

The Saintess was definitely right. Yeah, Reyna felt like she knew what this was called!

“Cola…?”

“Yes! It’s cola!”

What is it?

Then… all those mental images I had.

What I so strongly craved with the chicken… was it alcohol?

‘That’s weird… ?’

Reyna didn’t enjoy alcohol.

Not a matter of liking or not, her body just wouldn’t take it.

Even after becoming the Master of the Magic Tower, she’d desperately avoided any occasion that required drinking.

Even if the ‘Divine Imagery’ was synchronized with her due to pure facts, wouldn’t it be strange for someone who absolutely doesn’t enjoy alcohol to feel such a strong pull towards it?

“This is…cola? It was just some kind of alcohol?”

“What’s certain is,”

Erin slowly rose from her seat.

“You won’t know until you try it!”

She was clearly a guest here – but somehow, she expertly fetched two glasses from the kitchen.

And then, placing the two glasses side-by-side on the desk… she pulled the cork stopper off the glass bottle containing the holy water.

—Pop!

“…!!”

Smoke, like that from incense, softly curled out from the neck of the bottle.

Erin, without hesitation, gripped its waist and poured the contents over the glasses.

*Gurgle gurgle gurgle gurgle—*

As the cola filled the glass, foam erupted with a *psssssh*.

It looked like a black knight wearing a pure white crown—so much so that a person who enjoys alcohol might even find it alluring.

Yeah. Alcohol.

Its appearance, so unmistakably like beer, made Raina feel puzzled again.

‘No matter how I look at it, it’s just like beer… ‘

As she hesitated, Erin’s voice reached her again.

“Lady Raina. Please only believe what you have witnessed yourself.”

“What I’ve witnessed…”

… Right.

If it were truly alcohol, there’s no way she’d have craved it so much.

It was the same with the divine image she’d glimpsed. The sensation she felt was refreshing. There was absolutely no rejection response to alcohol.

“Then…”

Raina cautiously reached out and grasped the glass.

… Cold!

The glass, just from holding the cola, had become as cold as ice, sending a jolt to Raina’s fingertips.

And, she lifted it—

Carefully, she inhaled its scent.

… A scent unlike anything she’d ever smelled before.

What was certain was, it wasn’t beer.

The fact that there wasn’t the smell of alcohol did a little to erase the aversion she felt.

“… Let’s eat.”

Raina slowly swallowed the cola, letting it pass down her throat.

——Gulp, gulp.

“!!!”

The tingling in her throat was undeniably similar to the first time she had tasted beer—

but what filled her mind wasn’t the distinct smell of alcohol, but an incredibly intense and refreshing flavor, unlike anything found in nature.

Even though it was her first time having it, her body and mind, as if she’d been drinking it all along, completely surrendered to the cola, lowering her mental barriers.

‘Wow…!’

Tingle-tingle!

Soaked in the electric jolt that struck her mouth like lightning and the sensation of coolness that pounded her head, she finished drinking it all—

and what escaped her was, an exclamation.

An exclamation disguised as the name of a god!

“—Ahhh! This is it!”

Only then could Raina understand the mental landscape she had witnessed.

This tingle! This freshness!

Like a liquid deity descended upon this world as a blessing, to save humans drowning in frustration!

Cola!

The love of god, the gift of god, the blessing of god, and god itself—in the moment she was certain that no word could define this perfect liquid,

“This is it!”

* * *

*THWACK!*

Erin realized she’d finished her own drink when the empty glass hit the table with a sharp thud.

“So this is… the love the Lord wanted to convey to us through Lady Reina… cola, is it…!”

“Saintess! This… this cola… it’s incredibly delicious! It’s not alcohol?!”

“I told you! Just believe what you’ve seen!”

“It’s true! Wow… how can something this delicious exist?”

“I understand now why you said it would be good with chicken…!”

“Really!”

The two chattered excitedly about the cola like teenage girls, before cautiously regaining their composure.

“So… you’re saying this is ‘God’s will’?”

“That’s right. The Lord wishes for Lady Reina to spread cola throughout the world…!”

“But this…”

Reina carefully cared about the empty holy water bottle.

The power she’d used just now to turn the holy water into cola…

“The amount of pure fact required to change this much into cola was a little excessive… is it going to be okay?”

“How much was it?”

“You might not believe me… but it was more than what it takes to make fertilizer.”

Erin, upon hearing that, was lost in serious thought –

“That’s true. Absolutely, God’s pure fact isn’t infinite…”

As a Saintess, Erin was conceptually aware of this from the start, but Reina, who could directly perceive the pure fact floating in the air, was certainly certain that it wasn’t unlimited.

“So, how about doing it like this?”

“Tell me.”

“We manifest something similar to cola with a small amount of pure, unadulterated fact! Like your newly released ‘air fertilizer’!”

“……Ah!”

Rather than precisely creating cola, a drink that required reaching directly into the realm of the divine to bring it into existence, manifesting something similar with the aid of a small amount of pure fact was far easier.

Cola was certainly a very delicious drink, but…using all the existing pure fact to make cola was inefficient.

Above all, the magician’s self wouldn’t allow it. The areas where this power could be used were literally limitless!

“I think you can do it, Reina! You were chosen by God, after all! How about it? Is it okay if I ask…!”

Anyway-

Since it was the saintess requesting it, calling it ‘God’s word,’ there was no choice but to heed her wishes.

“Leave it to me, Saintess. I will surely, the cola—”

—The thrill I felt, for everyone.

“To everyone, I’ll gift this supreme pleasure!”

“A life lived without knowing this taste is too great a loss!”

Reina’s eyes, as she said that, sparkled like those of Ares back when he was secretly plotting his revolution.

Though the direction was different, they both had set their minds on enlightening people, like themselves—they definitely had something in common.

* * *

‘Whoa…’

*gulp*

I swallowed hard, checking the panel with the cola again.

Just a cola, and… they put *this* much effort into the art?

How can just *looking* at a drawing make me crave a cola so bad??

I just finished a can of zero-cola, and I’m only supposed to have two a day, so I shouldn’t drink more today…

‘Ah, screw it.’

I immediately grabbed another zero-cola from the fridge.

*Click!*

The *pshh*, the fizzing sound tickled my eardrums pleasantly.

Chugging it down—I became the third comrade of Erin and Reina in the manga.

“Kyah! This is the stuff!”

[Thisisthestuff: Man, the author is really serious about cola]

[Thisisthestuff: Same with the chicken, for your next work, you could make a cooking manga and it’d be a huge hit]

[Givememoney: I’m really glad you like it]

[Givememoney: Honestly, there was a point where I had to approach a ‘divine domain’ where I had no right to interfere]

[Givememoney: I was really worried about what would happen if the story wasn’t to Thisisthestuff’s liking…]

[Givememoney: I’m really happy it seems to suit your taste]

The manga itself was fun, no unnecessary frills.

The isekai cultural exchange development was interesting too.

But, there was one thing that was bothering me-

For the past few days, the author’s been strangely taking a low profile.

Clearly, in the beginning, they wouldn’t even ask my opinion, they’d just drop these insane twists that completely hooked me.

It seemed like they were still pretty hung up on that comment I made a while back about the impact of fertilizer.

Well, I guess it makes sense, seeing as I’m their only reader.

‘If I keep pulling the strings too much, even a fun story will become dull.’

People have different views, but as a commercial writer, I’m one of those who believe you can’t just ignore your readers’ opinions.

But still, if you’re completely controlled by the readers, the story is bound to be restricted.

Unless you’re doing some crazy drifting.

Maybe it’s okay to loosen the reins a little?

[Eguoguodon: Just saying, now]

[Eguoguodon: You don’t have to be so aware of my reactions, it’s ok]

[GiveMeMoney: Huh…?]

[GiveMeMoney: What do you mean by that…]

[Eguoguodon: It’s like, lately, in terms of the story, you’re trying to get my permission too much, you know?]

[Eguoguodon: It could be just me, but that could lead you to abandon a better direction]

[Eguoguodon: I’m a mutt that eats just about anything, so it’s ok to be a little more daring]

[Eguoguodon: Think of it like, a god wants to see their power being applied naturally, you feel me?]

[GiveMeMoney: I’m not sure I understand exactly what you mean…]

[GiveMeMoney: Would it be alright to assume you mean I should give a little more freedom to the ‘World’s Response’?]

[Eguoguodon: That’s exactly it hahaha]

[Eguoguodon: If it really doesn’t work, I’ll cut it, so don’t worry]

That should be enough, right?

[leegwogeodon: Anyway, just proceed as I told you lol]

[leegwogeodon: Show how the characters in the story are kind of developing ‘cola’ on their own]

[leegwogeodon: Of course it doesn’t need to be realistic, it’ll be fun if they just solve it with magic somehow]

[GiveMeMoneyPlz : Understood]

[GiveMeMoneyPlz: I don’t know if it’ll be possible to imitate ‘the realm of gods’ but… [I’ll try]

After finishing the conversation, I picked up a can of cola-

“……Huh?”

Did I already drink it all?

I tossed the now-empty third can of cola into the trash can and then…

‘… … Three cans or four, isn’t it all the same?’

Once again, easily succumbing to the devil’s whisper, I headed to the fridge.

* * *

Deep within the quiet forest, the sound of people cheering echoed.

“It’s done!”

“You’ve all worked hard!”

—Today was the day the first remodeling work of the dilapidated green magic tower—the wood-attribute magic tower—was successfully completed.