Prologue

Hello! Another random novel picked up by me! I actually read this I think around last year, and find the novel interesting. So, I guess why not? Haha… Hve fun reading!

“Hey, wake up quickly!”

“Ugh…just five more minutes… no, five hours……”

“Five hours… until when are you planning on sleeping? Today is the Descent[1] of the God Festival, you know?” I reluctantly pulled off the blanket in exasperation.

“Ngyaah!” and out rolled my little sister, Sena, with a loud scream.

Despite her messy hair, she had a fairly well-proportioned face. Her cheerful personality also made her quite popular among the boys in the neighborhood, but that was probably because they didn’t know what she was really like. Looking down at her chubby belly, exposed by her pajamas that had ridden up, I let out a sigh.

“I always tell you not to sleep with your stomach exposed. You’ll get sick.”

“Eeew, you’re such a pervert, onii-chan!”

“Shut up and just wake up already.”

“Ugh. Okay, fine,” Sena lazily stretched out her arm while still lying down. After pulling her up and finally getting her to sit up, she stood with both arms raised in victory, waiting for me.

“At least change your clothes yourself.”

“Ehh.”

I left the room, leaving my whining little sister behind. ‘Honestly, she’s such a spoiled brat even though she’s already an adult today.’

Today is the annual Descent of the God Festival, a sacred day when the gods who live in the heavens are said to descend to the earth. In the city where I, Gio, was born and raised, preparations for the festival had been underway for several days.

“Onii-chan, I’m ready!”

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Yep. Fwaah~,” with a big yawn from Sena, we left the house.

It was pitch dark outside since it was a time when people would usually still be sleeping. On the day of the Descent of the God Festival, people would gather at a nearby square and offer prayers to the gods while watching the sunrise.

Breathing out white puffs of air in the cold morning air, we made our way to the square.

“I’m nervous.”

“I can’t really tell.”

“Onii-chan couldn’t sleep because he was so nervous, right?”

“How did you know?”

“Because your face looks 20% uglier than usual.”

“… Does that mean I’m always ugly?”

‘It was true that I couldn’t sleep well. On the day of the Descent of the God Festival, which is an annual event, we, who are turning fifteen years old, are supposed to receive special blessings from the gods. This is also known as the Gift, which everyone receives at the age of fifteen. It signifies our recognition as adults, but the contents of the Gift vary and no one knows what they will receive until they actually receive it. It’s truly a mystery known only to the gods. Of course, everyone has one or two gifts that they hope to receive…’

In my case,

“I hope I receive a gift that will help me in my adventures.”

“You’ve been saying that forever, oni-chan.”

“Well, yeah. I want to be an adventurer like Dad.”

Dad was apparently a great adventurer in the past. Unfortunately, he passed away over ten years ago and left us behind, but I’ve always aspired to be an adventurer like him. However, that’s not actually the main reason. The biggest reason is something else entirely.

“Amazing, oni-chan. That’s some goal you have!”

“Well, yeah, I guess.”

“If I could be supported by my big brother, I’d be satisfied with my life. ”

“You’ll have to work too, lazy girl.”

After all, our father’s savings that he left us were running out soon.

Ignoring my plea, Sena laughed and said “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay. I have a feeling that big brother will get a fantastic gift. No proof, though.”

“Really? You’re still the same as ever.”

“Hehe~”

I didn’t say that as a compliment, you know?

‘Since our father passed away, Sena and I have been living together. Although we’re the same age, she’s my younger sister because our mothers were different, and I was born a few months earlier. …I don’t really know why two different women became pregnant at the same time. Well, it couldn’t have been for a good reason. It was probably because they were fed up with each other and left us, their children behind. I admire Dad, but that’s one aspect I shouldn’t follow.’

As we talked, we arrived at the square. Many people were already facing the direction of the rising sun, offering their prayers with solemn expressions. My sister and I also joined along.

‘Please, God…give me the blessing that will help me on my adventure…’ I don’t know if this would change anything, but I prayed with all my might. Eventually, when the sun slowly rose in the eastern sky, I felt a strange power deep within me.

⌈Dad, I did it! I received a blessing that will help with the family business!”⌋

⌈”Tch, never heard of such a blessing. Doesn’t seem all that useful…” ⌋

When the time for prayer was over, voices of joy and sorrow could be heard from all around. They were probably people who, like us, had received gifts today.

“How was it, oni-chan?”

“A-And how about you, Sena?” when I asked awkwardly, Sena revealed her gift without hesitation.

“Well, umm, it’s something like ‘Sword God’s Favorite[2]‘. It sounds fancy and not cute, right?”

“Sword God’s Favorite?”

As someone who had always longed to become an adventurer, I knew a fair amount about gifts that were advantageous for adventurers. But I had never heard of this one before. Judging from the name, I thought it was a gift related to swords. It had the word “god” attached to it, so maybe it was a rare one.

“That’s amazing! It’s definitely a gift that will be useful for our adventure! You did it!” I forgot about myself and got excited. Before I knew it, I was grabbing Sena’s shoulders.

“W-Wait, oni-chan, your face is too close!”

“Oh, my bad,” I quickly backed away, and Sena jokingly said, “Mou~, I thought you were going to kiss me,” and asked, “Anyway, what did you get, oni-chan?”

“W-Well…? That’s right… I got… Um…” I couldn’t keep it a secret from my only family member. Reluctantly, I revealed the name of the gift I had received.

“I-I got… Home Garden[3]‘…”

On that day, my dream of becoming an adventurer shattered like fragile glass.

Footnotes

[1] The phrase “降神” in Japanese can be translated as “Descent of the God” or “Manifestation of the Divine”. In Japanese culture and religion, “降神” refers to the belief that gods or spirits can descend from the heavens or the spirit world to possess or communicate through humans. This phenomenon is often associated with Shintoism, a native religion of Japan that emphasizes the veneration of kami or divine spirits. The term can also be used in a more general sense to describe the act of a divine entity revealing itself or its message to human beings, regardless of the specific religious context.

[2] In a sense, if based on the kanji written in the raws, 寵愛 (chōai), it means Sena here is receiving favor, protection, and affection from the Sword God.

[3] 家庭菜園 (Katei Saien) = If we’re going for a literal translation, it’ll be Home Vegetable Garden. But, I think just ‘Home Garden’ will do.

Translator’s Notes

Well, ‘Home Garden’ as a gift doesn’t sound that bad, right?