"After all, the other you couldn't manage it," Goddess Byerley said with a gentle smile.
"..."
"Hmm?"
Watching Nearl's frozen expression, Goddess Byerley narrowed her eyes, her initially subtle smile curling into something more mischievous and cunning.
"Oh my, did I forget to mention? There are actually two little Nearls. Goodness, I must be getting old—forgetting such important news."
To Nearl, the goddess's expression was utterly fox-like, dripping with 'teasing' and 'mischief,' her playful nature practically overflowing.
"Lady Byerley... please stop teasing me. You know how anxious I am right now. Deliberately toying with others really doesn't suit the image of a goddess," Nearl said stiffly, her tone laced with frustration.
Never in her life had Nearl felt so helpless. Faced with Goddess Byerley, to whom she owed so much, she couldn't bring herself to offer any real resistance—only weak protests.
But what good did that do against Byerley? It only fueled her desire to tease Nearl further. After a bit of back-and-forth, the goddess, finally satisfied with her amusement, grew serious again and began to explain.
"Truth is, it was an accident. Your soul drifted for too long before reaching our world, which made it difficult to integrate perfectly upon arrival. Part of your soul's essence—memories, personality, things like that—got left behind. Though it wouldn't have affected your future, my sisters and I decided you should have it back."
"So we took emergency measures and reattached that part of you. That's why you can remember your past life now."
Hearing Goddess Byerley boast about it, Nearl felt a surge of gratitude. After all, they didn't have to go to such lengths for her. Though the goddess made it sound simple, the term 'emergency measures' told Nearl just how much effort Byerley and her sisters had put in.
'Lady Byerley...' Nearl silently repeated in her heart, this time truly meaning it—she now saw herself as Byerley's little sister.
"But there were still some issues. Your blessing had already begun to elevate you, and both your current consciousness and the reattached memories underwent this elevation separately. As a result, even though you're one soul, you now exist as two beings."
Recalling the incident, Goddess Byerley still found it astonishing—a once-in-a-century situation, truly.
"To put it simply, your past became sentient. It gained independence."
"...Huh?"
The explanation was beyond anything Nearl could comprehend, leaving her utterly bewildered. "Are you saying I have a split personality?"
"Not at all. Your current mind is whole. Think of it like this: you have the thought to go for a run, and then that thought turns into a Uma Musume and runs off. That's roughly your situation. Does that make sense?" Goddess Byerley wagged her finger and then gently ruffled Nearl's hair.
Nearl fell silent. The sheer volume of information left her feeling dazed, as if trapped in a dream. No one could possibly understand the turmoil in her heart—emotions and thoughts swirling chaotically, refusing to settle.
But Nearl gathered her strength and pressed on.
"Lady Byerley, what about the other me? How is she doing now?"
"She's active within the realm my sisters and I share. You hadn't manifested your own realm until now, so I couldn't reach you. I've been letting her rest with me in the meantime. Her physical form hasn't fully coalesced yet—the real world isn't ready for her."
Nearl grew concerned. "...How does she feel about me? You said she's my past. Does she see me as an enemy who stole her life?"
What kind of person was this other self? Would they get along? Could she adapt to sharing her existence with another consciousness? These worries plagued Nearl.
But the goddess's reply washed her fears away.
"Oh, she doesn't mind."
"...Eh?"
The answer came so quickly—Nearl had expected at least a moment's thought, but Goddess Byerley responded the instant the question left her lips.
"I understand your surprise, but she genuinely doesn't care. She's the complete opposite of you, little Nearl: lazy, loves to sleep, never willing to put in effort. When we teach her something, she only pretends to learn—never takes it to heart. The only thing she's interested in is running, but even then she won't train properly. She just runs on a whim. Honestly, I've been tempted to spank that child."
"This is... me?" Nearl wasn't sure how to respond. She'd assumed both versions of herself would be similar, sharing the same soul. But this was a complete 180—as if they were polar opposites.
"I'm sorry, Lady Byerley. I've caused you so much trouble."
Nearl apologized sincerely, knowing full well how difficult the other her must have been. It couldn't have been easy for the three goddesses to care for her all this time.
"Honestly, it wasn't a bother. That child might be a laid-back slacker, but she's a good kid at heart. Though she never says it out loud, we all know she respects and loves us. That pure affection is buried deep within her, only shown to those she truly cares about."
The dark-haired goddess's annoyed expression softened, a gentle smile returning to her lips. "You're quite something too, you know. Despite enduring such a painful life in your past, your will remains nobler than most. That child inherited nearly all the darkness from your soul, yet she still knows right from wrong and would never harm anyone. And you, little Nearl, inherited only the light."
As the goddess finished speaking, the golden threads that had spread from the blue star seemed to have fulfilled their purpose, gradually retracting from around Nearl. The distant stars also dimmed.
"It looks like this elevation is nearly complete. After this, you'll be able to come and go here freely, little Nearl. When the time comes, I'll bring that child to meet you. Be ready."
Seeing this, Byerley knew their meeting was drawing to a close. She stepped closer to Nearl, wrapped her arms around Nearl's neck in a warm embrace, then playfully whispered near her ear, causing Nearl's pegasus ears to flutter wildly.
"I have to go now, little Nearl. You can ask one more question."
Hearing this, Nearl's ears still twitched, but her expression turned serious.
"Lady Byerley, who was it that gave me this 'blessing'?"
Goddess Byerley chuckled and ruffled Nearl's hair, even giving her ears a gentle tweak. Her form began to fade until she vanished entirely, leaving behind one final answer.
"It was a mother's last act of care for her child, and a ticket home for a wandering soul. Always remember, little Nearl—your previous homeland loved you even more than we do."
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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