Episode 04 — The Melancholy of Management and the Bug-Ridden Attendant

Heaven. Second Administration Division.

In an office where luxurious decorations clashed with rows of sterile monitors, a cold voice echoed.

“…So. That’s your explanation, Lumina?”

The man with his feet propped up on the desk flicked a thick report with one finger.

He was the supreme authority of this world—the so‑called “Chief God.”

He looked like a sharp thirty‑something corporate executive, but in his eyes, rings of cosmic light rotated quietly.

“Y‑yes, Chief God, sir! The accidental transfer of the attached entity, Sato Kazuya, along with his accompanying structure—his ‘house’—has been resolved! We have successfully relocated him from the top of the giant tree to a forest right next to a human settlement—just a stone’s throw from the fortress city!”

Lumina stood at rigid attention, sweating like a waterfall.

The Chief God sighed deeply and looked down at the medieval‑level world displayed on the monitor.

“Lumina. You don’t understand the gravity of this. The original plan was to summon only the Hero Tama and have her defeat the Demon King. But thanks to your mistake, that man got dragged along as an attached object. Listen carefully—divine budgets are not infinite. Do you have any idea how much divine energy it costs to maintain a random civilian with full housing, utilities, and amenities in another world?”

“I‑I’m terribly sorry…! But he seemed like the type who would stay quiet as long as he had ‘online shopping’…”

“That’s the problem. Every bit of electricity, gas, and water he uses is divine energy supplied from our servers through him as a ‘keystone.’ Every time he heats a bath or watches a video, our heavenly budget bleeds! We are not running a charity that provides utilities to shut‑ins!”

The Chief God slammed the monitor.

It displayed Kazuya drinking cola after a bath, surrounded by red warning alerts showing divine energy loss.

“According to the laws of this world, he is the ‘keystone’ anchoring the hero’s soul. For Hero Tama to unleash her full power and defeat the Demon King, her partner must also participate in salvation activities, gather faith, and help us recover costs. That’s why you placed his house next to the fortress city, didn’t you?”

“Y‑yes! From there he can see the lively streets just by opening the window! And if he walks a little, he’ll find delicious street food! With such easy access, even a shut‑in would eventually want to go outside!”

Lumina pumped her fist confidently.

The Chief God’s gaze was icy.

“Naive. This is the same man who spent half a year on top of a giant tree without taking a single step outside. He has no ‘interest’ in the outside world. Lumina, your mission is to drag him out by force if necessary. Create a situation where he thinks going outside is the lesser evil. Or make him believe the outside is more attractive than his house. You brought him here—if he doesn’t function as a cog in the salvation plan, your evaluation stays in the negatives.”

“C‑create… I mean, branding! Understood!”

“Good. Fail, and I’ll strip you of your divinity and reincarnate you as the ‘never‑resetting sticky mousetrap’ under that man’s floorboards. Clear?”

“I‑I’ll do it! I’ll do it, please don’t make me a mousetrap!!”

Clinging to her crystal orb, Lumina screamed.

When the Chief God turned off the monitor, only her miserable sigh echoed through the office.

＊＊＊

Meanwhile, inside the “sanctuary” that had just been relocated to the ground—

Kazuya cautiously cracked open the window and peeked outside.

Through the trees, he could see massive stone walls.

Beyond them, the lively noise of a bustling city drifted through the air.

“Hey, Tama. Look at that. There’s a full‑on fantasy town right there.”

“Mew. (…Oh? Are you finally interested in going outside?)”

Tama looked up at him with a hint of hope.

But the light in Kazuya’s eyes wasn’t curiosity.

It wasn’t adventure.

It was something far more mundane.

“If the town is that close, that means the delivery route is shorter. Lumina Shopping orders will arrive faster. Distance from the distribution hub directly affects QOL. And utilities are still free and unlimited. This is perfect.”

Satisfied, Kazuya shut the window with a crisp snap and locked it twice.

“Tama, today’s a celebration. Let’s go with premium toppings for the udon. I’m not leaving this house. If the world needs something from me, it can come ring the doorbell.”

He filled the electric kettle and pressed the switch.

The quiet hum of heating water drowned out the distant noise of the fortress city.

He had no idea that every watt of electricity he used was draining the heavenly budget by the second.