I don’t believe in God, but I’ll use the “Miracle of God” freely ~I’ll increase my magic arbitrarily and become invincible in another world~

Ueeeeeaaahhh…

In the distance, the sound of a child crying reached my ears. My dim consciousness stirred slightly in response to that sound, pulling me out of my drowsy state.

(Ugh… what’s that…?)

My thoughts floated hazily in my half-conscious mind. Despite my grogginess, I wondered about the time. However, I couldn’t muster the energy to confirm it.

Ueeeeeaaahhh…

(… It’s a bit too loud. What are the parents doing…?)

Feeling overwhelmingly sluggish, I abandoned any further thoughts and tried to roll over, attempting to go back to sleep. I seemed to have been lying face down, but my palm, placed on the bed to change position, encountered an unimaginable sensation.

Various unfamiliar sensations flooded my senses all at once, jolting my consciousness awake. First, the sensation beneath my palm was not the softness of sheets but the hardness of exposed gravelly ground. I realized this texture wasn’t limited to my hand; I could feel it against my cheek as well.

Then, the smell hit me—an unmistakable odor of kicked-up dust, as if I were breathing amidst swirling particles.

Confused, I immediately sat up and found myself exactly where I expected—on bare ground. What I didn’t anticipate were the endless stretches of dry earth before me, flanked on both sides by seemingly endless fields.

“…Huh?”

I was utterly baffled. I thought I had been in my own bed at home, and yet here I was, outdoors. Why was I in such a place? I tried desperately to think, but there was hardly anything to base my thoughts on, making it impossible to conjure up any coherent ideas.

Amidst my confusion, I suddenly became aware of a faint headache. I was in an unknown place, and now my head was throbbing. Considering the situation, there was only one reasonable deduction.

(…Did I drink that much yesterday?)

It sounded incredibly foolish, but the most plausible explanation at the moment was, “I drank too much. I got drunk and ended up here. I don’t remember anything.”

As my consciousness moved towards the pain, a pulsating ache began to permeate my head. Subconsciously, I brought my hand to my forehead, only to feel the sensation of gravel once more.

Had gravel stuck to my face? Examining my palm, I saw a semi-coagulated substance, unmistakably bloodstained.

(Wait, wait, wait! Am I injured?)

I felt on the verge of panicking at this unexpected serious situation. However, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and exhaled forcefully, trying to calm myself down.

(Panicking won’t help. First, assess the situation: check for injuries, evaluate their severity, identify personal belongings, determine current location.)

Accurate assessment of the present circumstances was the top priority. It would guide my subsequent actions. If I had a smartphone on me and could find even one utility pole nearby, most immediate problems could be resolved. By calling 110 (emergency services) and providing the pole number, I could be rescued.

With a clear plan in mind, I regained a hint of composure. Seating myself cross-legged on the ground, I gently tapped my limbs and body with my fists.

(Nothing seems particularly painful… Are there any broken bones or serious injuries?)

Feeling slightly reassured, I slowly stood up and began to rotate my shoulders, arms, neck, and waist, trying to assess my physical condition.

(…No significant pain, no sprains or fractures so far.)

I sighed involuntarily, realizing that my injuries were relatively minor, despite the numerous scrapes that covered my body. I had initially noticed the wound on my forehead, but as I checked my limbs, I found my arms and knees in a similar condition, blood dried and gravel clinging to the skin.

I must have taken quite a tumble. If it were someone else, witnessing such a fall might have elicited a laugh, but unfortunately, it had happened to me. There was no room for laughter now.

However, lacking proper supplies, there was little I could do about my injuries at the moment. For the time being, I had to postpone any first aid.

During my assessment, I noticed another significant issue—one far graver than my injuries. Nevertheless, there was nothing I could do about it now, so I decided to prioritize other concerns.

***********************************************************

(No belongings. No clue about my current location.)

I didn’t have anything on me—not even a smartphone, let alone a wallet. I searched my surroundings, but there was nothing lying around.

This was a dire situation. Unless I was extremely fortunate and this place happened to be closer to my home than I thought, resolving this situation on my own seemed nearly impossible. I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone, but in my injured state in an unfamiliar place, I couldn’t afford to be considerate. At least, I hoped to minimize the inconvenience I caused to others.

And then, I had absolutely no idea where I was. The surroundings consisted only of fields; there were no houses, utility poles, or signs anywhere.

Assuming that the direction I was facing when I fell was forward, and my feet were pointing backward, I surveyed my surroundings. However, whether I faced forward or backward, there was only one road. Moreover, both sides of the road were bordered by fields overgrown with vegetation taller than me. It resembled a giant maze, similar to the ones I had seen in pictures of Hokkaido.

(If only there were an open space or a hill where I could look around—maybe then, I could find a convenience store or a house.)

In this situation, where I knew almost nothing, I had to make a decision about my next move. I hoped for the luck of someone passing by, but I couldn’t rely solely on luck to resolve the situation.

(…But I’ve never had good luck.)

Thinking deeply, I recalled the past misfortunes brought about by luck-based events. Shaking off those memories, I forced myself to shift my focus back to the road ahead.

I looked ahead, then behind, and noticed something in the distance. Beyond the fields that obscured my vision, I glimpsed the outline of a mountain.

While my attention had been fixated on the tall grass and plants around me, I finally noticed the presence of a mountain in the distance. I confirmed this by looking in the same direction I assumed I had fallen (forward) and then in the opposite direction (backward). Nothing resembling a mountain could be seen in front of me, but in the distance behind me, the shape of a mountain was visible.

(Well… at least there’s something to aim for.)

I murmured to myself and crossed my arms, resting my hand on my chin in contemplation.

(…A mountain to the south and another to the east. A mountain range? Or separate mountains?)

I looked up. The sky was clear, and I could discern the sun almost directly behind me. It was early summer; I estimated the rough time based on the sun’s height and the length of shadows.

(I can’t tell if it’s morning or afternoon, but the sun seems lower than the zenith. It’s probably before 11 a.m. or perhaps after 1 p.m. The temperature and the feel of the air suggest morning, but… that’s not reliable. It can vary from day to day.)

I made a rough estimate to establish a general direction based on the time and the sun’s position. I assumed the current direction of the sun as south.

I picked up a stone and drew directional symbols on the ground.

(If I follow the road, it leads to the south towards the mountains. Going north means moving away from the mountains.)

Considering this information, I contemplated my current location. While I knew it was impossible to narrow it down precisely, having a general idea of my location could aid in deciding whether to move forward or backward.

“…Mountains to the south and east?”

As I observed the symbols drawn on the ground, I suddenly realized. I used to live in Tokyo, in the eastern part of the city, close to the border with Chiba Prefecture. To the south from my residence was the ocean, and eastward led to Chiba Prefecture.

Tokyo had its share of mountains, but those were generally located on the left side within the elongated shape of Tokyo.

(It doesn’t seem like… this is Tokyo, after all.)

Although I had vaguely sensed something was off, just a bit of contemplation revealed the gravity of the situation.

Fields stretching for kilometers with mountains visible to the south.

Did such a place fitting these criteria exist in Tokyo?

(A vast field with no sign of residential buildings… even in the neighboring prefectures, it’s unlikely.)

Trying to estimate my location based on the information I had, I ended up more confused than before.

However, my predictions weren’t definitive, and more importantly, I was an indoor person. I wasn’t well-versed in outdoor activities. There was probably a simple oversight or misunderstanding.

(Since it’s difficult to pinpoint my exact location, then…)

I looked around.

Even if I put aside whether this place was in Tokyo or not, it didn’t seem close to my home.

(…How did I end up here?)

Simply blaming it on drunken memory loss wouldn’t suffice. To walk in such a state of inebriation, to the point where I couldn’t remember anything, and still end up so close to home—it seemed highly improbable.

(Did I take a taxi? But that doesn’t explain the absence of my wallet. Besides, if a drunk person demanded to be dropped off here, the driver would likely report it to the police.)

Handling troublesome passengers was standard practice. Taxi companies had manuals for dealing with such customers, and one of the guidelines involved taking them to the police station.

(Was I kidnapped by someone in a car? In that case, the lack of my wallet and my presence in this remote place would make sense, but… Why would anyone bother kidnapping someone like me? If they wanted my wallet, they could have just taken it. No need for a kidnapping.)

(…Trying to explain this situation just leads to dead ends.)

Given the current uncertain information, I concluded that thinking too much was a waste of time. For now, I decided to walk in the opposite direction of the mountains, heading north. I figured there would be more people in the plains than in the mountainous regions. It was a shaky reasoning, but it served as a temporary guideline.

(…Well, the abnormality of this situation isn’t limited to that.)

I started walking slowly, my body aching from the scrapes.

(…These hands definitely look like a child’s.)

I examined my small hands, approximately that of a five or six-year-old. I was certain they couldn’t belong to someone older than ten.

Not just my hands, but my entire body – my legs, my height – everything appeared child-sized.

I had assumed the surrounding plants were tall, but judging by my height, they were probably over 150 centimeters. I was simply smaller than before.

(If I were my original height, I wouldn’t be having so much trouble.)

I used to be 175 centimeters tall, which would have allowed me to see over the plants and survey my surroundings. The disparity between my accustomed perspective and my current one felt odd.

I was curious about my current appearance, but unfortunately, there were no mirrors around. However, I managed to see my reflection in a puddle.

I had a rather cute face. At first, I even thought I looked like a girl. I quickly checked for male indicators and felt a sense of relief upon finding them.

I continued walking, occasionally patting my clothes.

I’d been walking for over an hour, yet there was no sign of people anywhere.

The sun was shining brightly for this time of year, making me feel quite hot.

(…A child?)

I stopped and looked back at the path I had taken.

A sudden recollection crossed my mind.

When I woke up, I seemed to recall hearing a child crying.

I had completely forgotten it due to the bizarre circumstances I found myself in afterward.

If I were lost in such a place, it would be wrong not to help a lost child. Although, considering my own situation, talking about “protecting” a child felt hypocritical.

Should I go back? I pondered for a moment.

When I had checked my belongings earlier, I had also briefly searched the area.

I hadn’t seen any children, nor had I heard any crying.

In this situation, if there was a lost child nearby, crying, I couldn’t just ignore it.

At the very least, I should pay attention.

(Was it a dream?)

That time, my consciousness wasn’t clear.

It was definitely a dreamlike state.

I hadn’t actually seen the child or heard their voice.

(…I must have been half-asleep.)

There was no one around now, so it was reasonable to consider it a dream. I decided to process it in my mind as just that and moved forward.

(…It leaves a bad taste, but I don’t have any confirmation, and I can’t afford to spend another hour walking back.)

I continued walking, absentmindedly flipping my collar, my eyes occasionally glancing down at my clothes and the things I was wearing. Naturally, the clothes and shoes weren’t mine. They belonged to the previous owner of this body, presumably.

The clothes the child wore were a bit peculiar. They seemed to be made of rough linen, uncomfortable to wear due to their coarse texture. With a bit more effort in processing, they could have been made more comfortable, but there was no such effort made. It was a low-quality garment with no ingenuity or craftsmanship involved, made entirely of 100% linen.

The shoes appeared to be made entirely of animal leather, but they were just bags shaped like feet, with no socks. They were more like pouches tied around the ankles than proper shoes. While the soles were somewhat thick and rigid, allowing for comfortable walking on gravel roads, the overall impression was “shoddy.” That single word described it best.

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the boy who had to wear such garments.

(…But most importantly, finding people is crucial. But right now, I’m facing a more immediate crisis.)

“…Hot… going to die… water… hungry…”

How long had I been walking? It felt like three to four hours had passed. During that time, I hadn’t seen a single soul, let alone a house.

And the sun, unrelenting, was driving the temperature up mercilessly. It seemed like there had been recent rainfall; the humidity was quite high. As a result, I was suffering from heatstroke.

(…This is bad. I completely misjudged…)

Not encountering anyone this far was beyond my expectations. I hadn’t wandered into the depths of the mountains or a dense forest. I had been optimistic, thinking that if I kept walking, I would eventually encounter someone, perhaps even a house.

Despite the difficulty of walking due to my injuries and the short stride of a child, I had probably covered more than six kilometers. The fields on both sides of the road had ended, and dense thickets spread out.

The height of the weeds was about the same as mine, so I could see through them, but there was absolutely nothing in sight. I could only see a few solitary trees growing here and there amidst the thickets.

(…This is impossible… There should at least be…)

There were no signs of houses or any structures indicating human presence. The only proof of human existence was the rutted path. There should be passing cars; there should be road signs, but there was nothing.

(…Water… puddles…)

Looking down, I noticed puddles scattered here and there on the ground.

If I drank from the puddles, my thirst would be quenched, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It wasn’t about my dignity as a person. I was simply afraid of infections. There were billions, tens of billions of people all over the world who survived by drinking muddy water. And due to the unsanitary conditions, they contracted diseases like cholera and dysentery, causing millions of deaths annually.

I knew all that, which made me hesitate to drink from the puddles. For now…

(…This is bad… I might… die… Trees… shade… Let’s run…)

My decision was too slow. It had reached a point where I could no longer continue walking.

When I tried to enter the thicket, my foot got caught, and I fell. The grass acted as a cushion, so I didn’t get any new injuries, but I couldn’t get up from there.

(…This is bad… I might… die…)

I tried to get up, but my arms and legs just trembled, refusing to move as I wished.

Gradually, my head began to sway, and everything in front of me turned pitch black.

In this state, I lost consciousness.