"Dear Alec, do you have a moment of your time?

　A mansion under construction, a temporary tent in front of it.
　While I was giving the maids of honor their duties, Angier arrived.

　She looks unusually happy.
　I held out my hand to temporarily stop all the maids from looking like this.

I'm sorry Alec. ......
"No, Angel--

"It's more important that you look like that, Angel.
What's going on?
"Leave it to me if you're a ruffian.

　Almost as I was about to say, the maids of honor rushed over to the dejected Angier.

　I can't help but notice that Angier looks like that, just like me.

I'm a little burned out.

　I ended up muttering something like.

"Thank you guys. Mr. Alec, ...... this is what I'm talking about.

　I knew it had to be me, but Angier handed me a bill in his hand.
　I took it and stared at the front and back.

　It's just a piece of paper with a similar (、、、、、) pattern on it.

What's this?
It's all the rage in town these days. Well, people are donating more and more, especially the elderly.
"Donations?

　With a nod of the head, I look at Amelia standing some distance away.
　Perhaps in keeping with her position as head maid, she didn't run to Angier, unlike the other maids.
　Her face was worried, but she had a look of concern on it.

　After me, or rather Amelia, who would have a better grasp of some of the details than me.
　Turning the water on, she nodded quietly.

"Yes, I see that tendency.
Why?
"Donations are the easiest and quickest 'good deed' to do,
"Yes.
"Many old people have a pervasive desire to be born in Avalon from the start of their next life, and it's a sign of that.
I see. Yeah, the more good deeds you do, the more likely you are to be born here, that's for sure.

　After coming to Avalon and starting the rebirth of this land, most of the new born souls are B-ranked or higher.

　A B-rank is not a particularly great achievement, but it's a rank of a good person that ninety-nine out of a hundred people would say, "He's a good person.

　I don't know that, but the only way to be reborn again in this place that has gradually come to be regarded as "paradise" is to do good deeds.
　That's a natural idea.

What's that about?

　Again, turn to Angier.

"I've been selling those bills lately. It's called a merit badge.
"Merit mark?

　It's getting a little weird.

Well, it's not like they're for sale. It's just that every person who accepts a donation gets one, and if you keep it, you'll be reborn the next time.
"...... I understand exactly what Angier is trying to say, and why he looks like that.
"Yes ......

　Angier sinks a bit again.

　This merit badge, as Angier first used the word, is in fact "sold".
　And it's also a scam.

　This paper itself, as I observed right after receiving it from Angel, is just a paper with a pattern on it that has no effect.
　That is to say, it's an old man's wish - or perhaps anxiety.
　Or maybe it's a con that takes advantage of it.

"Thank you, Angel.

　I stood up and, weaving through the surrounding maids, stood in front of Angel and took her hand.
　I wrapped it around me and smiled.

"I'll take care of the rest.
"Yes!　Please, Mr. Alec.

So, I'll stop all work for now.

　Say and look around in a circle.
　The maids all nodded clearly and had a strong light in their eyes.

"Would you like to see me?

　It was Amelia, the head maid, who asked.
　After that, the other maids began to exchange ideas one after another.

"Do you want me to alert them that it's a fake?
I think it's good to spread the word that no one but the master does this kind of thing and that it's meaningless.
"You should be punished severely, so you don't have to.

　"Let's do something more fundamental than that.

"Fundamental thing?

　Angier nodded his head and expressed his doubts.

In the end, I think it's the fear of not knowing what's next in life that does it. People who have done good things don't have that kind of anxiety, do they?
It certainly is.
We can visualize it.

　Hold out your hand and concoct a force - the divine power of a divine person.
　A ball of light appears in the air in front of you.

What is this?


Prototype for now. That's right: ...... Chosen.
"Yes.

　One of the lady's maids, the Duke's daughter Chosen Oin, responds and steps forward.

Touch me.
"Will

　Chosen touched the ball of light just as she was told.
　The light spread out and was sucked into her body.

Ah, ......

　A small voice comes out of Chosen.
　A little sorry, but also happy.

You understand?
Yes. Thank you, master.

　Chosen thanked me with moist eyes.

"Uh, ......?

　Angier and the other maids wondered why they couldn't understand the situation.
　I explained.

It's a graph of a person's good deeds - which we'll call it, but it's like a graph, so that the person who touches it can see it. I asked Chosen to touch it because it must have been the most 'elevated' of all of us.
I don't know what the next life would have been like if the master hadn't pulled me back. ......

　Thanks, but also some fear on her face.
　Everyone knows that she was a selfish girl when she came to me, and we all know that the degree of selfishness will be low after her rebirth.

　You showed it clearly and that's why you have this look on your face, everyone understands in unison.

Let's make it easier to check this. If we know this, we won't be fooled, right?
"Yes!　I think so!

"It's like a real last referee's mock trial.
It also gives us a chance to test and redo.
I knew the master was great.

　Surrounded by Angel's twinkling eyes and the words of the maids, I kept inventing the most useful form.
　I kept devising the most convenient form.