Seriously, I'd have been dumb not to expect a certain degree of change.

  Soraja told us that the village got ruined and rebuilt while I didn't pay attention.

  However, never in my wildest dreams would I have expected what I see here.

  ...

  Okay, I can see what I did there.

  Be that as it may, this goes beyond mere rebuilding efforts and progressive advancement.

  Just how could this place in a measly hundred years turn from a village into some grand ancient metropolis?!

  I say ancient, because that's what it looks like.

  While far more sophisticated and extravagant, none of the structures give off a modern vibe.

  Mostly stone, crafted with an artistic feel, pillar structures, towers.

  We once got into ancient European civilizations in school, and this gets pretty close to this.

  On the other hand, far in the distance, and I'm emphasizing 'far' here, the buildings seem to progressively favor more wooden structures.

  Behind these, at the edge of a never-ending horizon, the fields start.

  However, when I look around, I see no People in our direct vicinity.

  Nonetheless, with my sense I can clearly tell that the town is outright bustling with them.

  Yet while close, they seem to be interested in something else.

  Whatever Soraja did, it works.

  Speaking of that goddess, uh, where is she?

  "Ohmygoddess!" (C)

  Chiaki!?

  Oh, I see what she means.

  "Yes, I'm in this form. I'd appreciate it if you'd abstain from calling me out on this." (So)

  "Oh my, oh my, oh my!" (C)

  I'm not sure if excitedly hopping up and down is what she had in mind here.

  However, while I can understand that goddess-turned-fluffball's sentiment, I can't help having questions.

  "Uh, ehm, why are you in that form?" (I)

  I don't want to embarrass her.

  Especially, as she just started to forgive me for the last sixty years.

  "Are you expecting me to walk around among mortals in my true form?" (So)

  I get that this would make traversing the city without drawing too much interest on us difficult.

  On the other hand, is the kind of cuddle chimera she currently poses as truly less of a sight in this world?

  "What are we supposed to say if people start asking questions about you?" (I)

  "This won't pose an issue, as they won't." (So)

  "How can you be so sure about this?" (I)

  "Simple. Because creatures of my form are a common sight in this place." (So)

  "Wait a moment!" (C)

  It seems like Chiaki overcame her cuteness induced overload and is right at it again.

  "Does that mean that there are more little fluffballs like you?!!" (C)

  "Sigh. Yes, there are. One is right there." (So)

  She points with her adorable little stubby nose in a direction, at whose end I find another creature, just like her.

  Although its coat isn't quite as noble as Soraja's, it's certainly the same kind of being.

  "You, you made them?" (I)

  How does that even work?

  She can just make living creatures?

  I thought that would be my thing!

  "It's not all too complicated. You could see them as my familiars. They are more of a recent addition, as just recently I accumulated the faith to spare on this endeavor. They are mostly independent and serve as an appropriate object of worship as your People take care of them." (So)

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "Uh, so you created pets?" (I)

  "I can absolutely get behind this!" (C)

  Yeah, this didn't come as a surprise.

  Nonetheless, one question remains open to me.

  "But why?!" (I)

  What kind of purpose do they serve?

  "As a form of distraction. In my opinion, it is a sign of prosperity if you can afford to pamper another creature that isn't even part of your own species nor serves any intrinsic effect on your livelihood." (So)

  And that's her reason to introduce pets to this world!?

  Or whatever these little fluffballs are?

  "Also, they are required to protect the food storages, as 'someone' apparently released some rats into this world, which of course multiplied as the vermin they are." (So)

  Uh, did I?

  "Yet I should probably mention that they, in addition, serve as my eyes and ears, as well as help to identify the greatest troubles of the city and discern who is worthy of my blessings. Prosperity, after all, is not only a blessing, but a responsibility in equal measure that will only come to the engaged and should only be bestowed onto those willing to advance their society." (So)

  This is more like Soraja.

  So she basically built up a pet-information network.

  It's probably one of the more agreeable forms of dystopias.

  "So, where are we going?!" (C)

  "I suppose the plaza would be a good first destination. There are in total five, spread along the city. They tend to be popular meeting places, with shops and restaurants for people to spend their money." (So)

  There were just now three things at once that threw me off.

  Shops?

  Restaurants?

  Money!?!

  "You, you gave them money?" (I)

  It's kinda up to debate whether or not the introduction of arbitrary currency was a good thing for the world.

  While before they had a certain caste system that already allowed for some form of inequality, at least everyone had their role and lefelihood.

  Now we may have the start of individual monopolization of resources, with some people being able to spend more than others.

  "Certainly! Civilization would be in a dead end without any form of motivation to drive the People to greater efforts. By the way, here is some for my intimate." (So)

  Suddenly a bunch of golden coins with a slight shine to them drop just out of the air, straight towards Chiaki.

  While I'm sure that those magical coins can't be easily replicated if they originate from this goddess, I'm still feeling as if we're committing some kind of fraud here.

  "D-don't you think that this could lead to a dynamic that wouldn't be good?" (I)

  In the first place, wasn't she forgotten because of our modern times?

  "No problem in this regard. If a certain someone won't suddenly introduce magnetism to this world, then I don't see them developing electricity anytime soon. Therefore, their progress is bound to stagnate at some point." (So)

  Okay, so no modern technology.

  I'll give her that my dream doesn't hold a diverse set of materials.

  At most, they can get something like a primitive train together with the wood and metal I left for them.

  As we start walking in the direction Soraja is leading us, I start seeing the first People.

  Their clothes are far less plain than I remember, showing that fashion has been introduced at some point.

  It's really concerning to think that this civilization is developing so fast.

  I'm pretty sure the money plays a great part in this.

  "What about social changes?" (I)

  "Of course, I made sure that some laws are in place that prevent some more nasty forms of exploitation. For example, I established laws that abolish the ownership of private estates. This is to be handled by the city itself, to make sure that no one stays without a roof over their head. The same goes for general food and water supply. After all, starvation and vagrantism wouldn't be agreeable with a land of prosperity. In this direction, it helps that they feel deep dread that miserable people could enable Oroi's return." (So)

  "Uh, what are we going to say if someone notices that we aren't from here?" (I)

  This shouldn't pose an issue. We long surpassed the numbers where people would be able to identify members of their city personally. Someone from this district will be very unlikely to be acquainted with people on the opposite side of the town." (So)

  I think I have to accept that the population did skyrocket during my time of negligence.

  I can't even fathom how many people live here.

  Okay, yeah, I certainly could.

  One quick delve into that eldritch mind of mine and I would for certain know that the current population lies at 138497.

  ...

  Damnit!

  "This place really grew a lot." (C)

  "This isn't even the only place. At one point, some decided they'd rather be away from the ocean and the ever more cramped space and settled down the river. Some even wanted to be closer to me, taking the journey to build their dwellings closer to my mountains. Those even regularly send pilgrims." (So)

  "How is that even possible?! How could there be so many in such a short time?" (I)

  "Oh, I wouldn't know. Maybe it has to do with the fact that you placed them in a world where all their basic needs are met and there's literally nothing else to do but copulating. Or it could be that you color-graded them, which puts a huge incentive on their emotional spectrum, supporting rash and irrational decisions. Or maybe it's because you gave the civilization as a whole a death scare, when you almost ended this realm, which confronted them with their own mortality. I hope I don't need to elaborate how this nudges certain preservatory instincts. Not to forget that their life expectancy is outrageously high." (So)

  Okay, I'll give her most of those, but what about the last?

  "They live long?" (I)

  "They sure do. A 120 years on average. A lot of time to get several families going." (So)

  "But how?" (I)

  I'm pretty sure, if nothing else, I based them physiologically on humans.

  Then how can they live as long as modern people?

  Even longer?!

  "Well, duh, maybe because there's not a single one of the usual factors that kill one? You may not even have thought about it, but your dreamworld knows no sickness, no war, their bodies are without any possible debilitating features that could make them collapse, there's not even any form of lack, as now I am here. Truly, the only chance to die prematurely would be accident, suicide, or murder." (So)

  "Uh, how much is this a thing?" (I)

  "Not so much, as, like I said before, your People are very concerned about mental health. The founding event of their pantheon not only still plays a great role, but became even more and more embellished." (So)

  "Ehm, what do you mean by 'embellished'?" (I)

  "This is exactly what I'll show you now." (So)

  We reach a great plaza, bigger even than what I know from our hometown.

  People are talking at the shops around, trees, real trees, are growing on a large open space that has both white and purple stones mixed.

  Aside from the center, where a huge statue towers over the whole area.

  I freeze when I come closer.

  I know what it depicts.

  "Oh my god! Look at this, Iori!" (C)

  The shield at its foot reads as follows:

  "The Great Magician, who defeated the Evil Oroi!"