CH 1

Translator: 

I’ve decided to translate some new novels for a change of pace. This series isn’t too long and seems quite interesting. I will be going with the light novel’s title as it’s way shorter.

Bonjour! New World

My name is Tadashi Tanaka. I am 41.

A plain-sounding name, isn’t it?

I think so too.

I was the third son, and was born in a countryside temple. I think my life was mostly ordinary.

If I had to mention something that wasn’t, maybe it was the fact that I went to a Buddhist high school?

I was in the judo club…well, I was more or less forced into it. Thinking back, I have good memories, but I hated it then. Really.

When I was 23, I got Yumiko pregnant, and so we got married. And I started work at the food processing company that my wife’s family owned.

It really was run entirely by their family, and so I had my own important position and would have eventually climbed to the top, you know?

That being said, the job mainly involved managing the warehouses and my subordinates were all old ladies who were part-time workers.

As for children, my oldest son, Kenta, was 18. Joji was the next and he was 16.

They were both admirable boys, unlike me. And they attended a high school that was considered highbrow within the area.

I was proud of them.

Me? I went to some third-rate private university… But, who cares about that?

Well, I was happy.

Because of my job, my wife definitely wore the pants in the house, but I had thirty thousand a month for allowance. I could buy cigarettes and alcohol.

We took out a loan but were able to build a house. We had two cars.

That wasn’t bad for where we were living.

I had life insurance and educational insurance.

I don’t think I was ever that worried about my children’s future.

Of course, I would have liked to see them grow to adulthood, but what can you do?

The truth is, I am dying.

Stomach cancer… It had spread so much by the time that they found it. I was told I only had 4 to 5 months to live… Well, what can you do?

I was happy that I had lost weight, and look what happened.

Well, I lived a full 6 months after that. They took away the pain now, and I feel better.

It’s a beautiful thing to not have to feel pain. Seriously.

I think that I was happy.

…After all, there are people who are crying over someone like me.

…I was happy. I was. But…

I don’t want to die.

I want to live longer.

I don’t want to die.

…

Now, I am falling.

No, I don’t know what is happening, but it feels like I am falling.

After I died, it was as if I seeped out of my body…and here I am now.

…Back at my parents home, I had once seen a picture of hell. A hell where you kept falling for eternity… I think it was supposed to be the worst of the eight great hells or something… Uninterrupted suffering or whatever…

Hey, now. Are we just going to skip the river and the demons…? Was I that sinful of a person?

Well, I did tell lies. Killed animals, ate meat, slept with women and drank…oh? Am I in trouble?

But still, this was deep. I don’t even know if I am falling anymore.

Uninterrupted hell… If I remember correctly, you would fall for a 1,000 years and then be eaten by a dragon or an ogre… I’m already dead, but please don’t eat me.

Don’t.

…Oh? I can see something now.

…

…Ouch!

I felt a sharp pain on my shoulder and I woke up.

“…Where is this?”

The sound that came from my mouth was strange.

That’s not right?

I felt an instinctive danger and looked at my surroundings.

I had been in a hospital room, but now I was standing outside…and there was a frightening giant looming over me.

I didn’t know what the reason was, but it was incredibly angry.

And huge. Just huge.

I was 172 cm tall, but this thing was twice that height.

And the face was intimidating.

He had black eyes and black hair that was pushed back. The mustache was…stylish in a way, but he had two scars that streaked over his face in a way that I had never seen before. Not the most respectable looking, in any case.

And this giant was standing in front of me and looking furious.

He was even holding a wooden sword… I’m dead.

What kind of punishment was this… Ah, this really was hell.