Episode 185 – Clear Skies After the Storm

When I arrived at the cathedral, there stood the statue of the NTR goddess that I had seen in the stained glass.

The first emotion I felt upon seeing the statue was simply that it was beautiful.

The NTR goddess’s statue was carved from marble, and its intricacy extended from the folds of her dress to the strands of hair flowing down her shoulders.

Moreover, it felt as if I could feel the smooth texture of her skin the moment I touched it.

I thought that even Pygmalion, who fell in love with his own sculpture in ancient Greece, would be so impressed by the statue before me that he couldn’t help but fall in love a second time, and I began to admire the statue, losing track of time.

,Hehehe, isn’t it beautiful?”

Startled by the proud High Priest-nim’s voice echoing through the quiet basement, Ian and I glanced at the statue and expressed our apologies.

,I’m sorry. The statue was so beautiful…”

My husband, his face flushed, said with a bow.

I couldn’t deny my husband’s words, so I blushed just like him and said,

,Indeed… it’s incredibly detailed… I’ve never seen a statue like this before…”

To my almost mumbling question, the High Priest-nim nodded and said.

,Well, of course you haven’t seen this level of perfection before… after all, it was made by a god.”

,A god?”

When I asked in bewilderment, the High Priest-nim gave a gentle smile and answered my question.

,Yes, a god. A god you all know well. Hehehe, it’s a statue dedicated by the God of Craftsmen, praising the beauty of the Goddess of Love.”

,Ah…”

A statue praising her beauty… I wonder when she received it.

Suddenly, curiosity surged.

Was it before she became an Orc’s fucktoy? Or after she became a fucktoy…

As if sensing my curiosity, the High Priest-nim looked at the statue and continued.

,The goddess was pleased with the beautiful statue and invited him into her bedroom. Hehehe, doesn’t this story make you think that gods are no different from humans?”

,….”

That wasn’t something a clergyman in the position of High Priest should say.

Ian and I smiled awkwardly and said nothing, and the High Priest-nim, sensing our consideration, smiled kindly and said,

,It’s a bit much for a clergyman in the position of High Priest to say such things, isn’t it? You don’t have to worry too much. Hehehe, you’ll soon know why I speak so casually about the gods… you’ll see.”

I was startled as I suddenly felt my vision blur and my mind become hazy.

Poison….?!

Reflexively, I cast recovery magic on myself, but I was horrified to realize that it was useless as the haze only grew stronger.

It’s not poison? No… but… somehow…

Without realizing it, my body had long been consumed by something imperceptible. My thoughts became unclear, and my breathing slowed.

My vision swayed as if I were about to fall asleep at any moment, and I couldn’t help but fall to my knees.

,You don’t have to worry. You’ve only been invited. Hehehe, I’m so envious. I wonder if the goddess will only meet me when I die… I’m so sorry…. Well… I hope you have sweet and comfortable dreams.”

Barely lifting my eyelids, which felt as heavy as lead, I captured the image of my husband, already fallen and asleep, in my eyes for the last time before falling into a faint as if collapsing.

* * *

,Child…? Child… wake up.”

A gentle voice is heard.

My mind is hazy, and my thoughts are unclear.

What was I doing just now?

Even if I try to think with my foggy head, it doesn’t connect to the end, and I only feel a faint sense of déjà vu.

Why… is this so familiar?

Amidst the fragmented thoughts, I languidly pondered when I had felt this way before.

And suddenly, I remembered my past life.

Every morning, I reluctantly opened my heavy eyelids, dragging my heavy body.

And what was reflected in my eyes was… a stained ceiling…. but…

,Child? You’re not waking up, are you okay?”

,This is my first time seeing this… um… should I cast awakening magic again…”

Again, I hear women’s voices in my ear.

I barely fluttered my heavy eyebrows and lifted them.

With hazy eyes, I blankly moved my gaze to where the voices were coming from, and there stood an unrealistically beautiful woman, half-naked, with only a single piece of cloth wrapped around her body.

Her honey-like hair was glossy and flowed softly, and her features were so perfectly arranged that they seemed to say, “This is the most ideal arrangement.”

Her skin was so smooth that a fly would slip on it the moment it landed, and her breasts and buttocks were overwhelmingly large, yet they seemed to perfectly match her body’s balance.

Lost in her transcendental beauty, I belatedly discovered a woman with a serious expression next to her, who looked like an office worker at a glance.

She stood next to the beautiful woman, looking embarrassed, and then, seeing that I had come to my senses, she let out a sigh of relief.

I felt like I had seen the half-naked beautiful woman next to her somewhere before.

She smiled brightly at me as I opened my eyes.

Ah, I remember.

,The Goddess of Love…”

,Huh? Hehehe, you know me? Oh my, of course you would. The last thing you saw before coming here was my statue, hehehe.”

She seemed to be very pleased with the statue she had received as a gift, as she was giggling and proud.

Seeing the goddess’s somewhat lacking appearance, I could understand the High Priest-nim’s attitude, which felt almost irreverent.

The goddess was bewildered by the goddess’s attitude, chattering about which parts of the statue she had received as a gift were inferior to her and which parts were incredibly detailed, and the woman with a serious face next to the goddess sighed deeply and poked the goddess’s side.

The woman’s actions were so natural and matter-of-fact, as if she had given her a lot of warnings. The goddess, belatedly realizing the sensation of the finger poking her side, blushed and cleared her throat.

,Ah, ahem, yes, child… ahem, I’m sorry, it’s always fun to talk to children…”

,Ah, i-it’s alright.”

This woman has experienced all that debauchery? I almost wondered if she had regressed to a child.

Wouldn’t you think so? The goddess’s appearance as described in the Bible and the goddess’s appearance as she speaks in front of me now seemed to be 180 degrees different, so I couldn’t help but be suspicious.

Whether she knew my thoughts or not, she smiled and began to explain why she had called me here.

,First of all, thank you. I can’t express enough gratitude for stopping the march and protecting my city.”

,It’s alright. It was just… a coincidence that I helped.”

,Even if it was a coincidence, if you receive help, you have to repay it. That’s the relationship between people.”

Her attitude, speaking with a refreshing smile, was surprisingly not the kind of gaze that a god would have, looking down on her inferiors, but rather, I realized that she was acknowledging me as an individual, as a person, in front of her.

It was amazing.

Don’t gods consider all humans to be like ants?

But at the same time, I could understand it.

As the first goddess to set foot on the earth and the Goddess of Love who loves all, she believes that gods, people, and beasts are all objects to be loved equally.

Even if only half of what is written in the Bible is true, I could understand her unbiased attitude.

,So… I want to give you a reward, is that okay?”

Without saying a word, I bowed politely and replied.

,If you give it to me, I will gratefully accept it.”

She smiled brightly, as if pleased with my appearance of bowing with gratitude.

For a moment, it felt as if the surroundings brightened up, and I inadvertently admired her inhuman beauty.

I felt beauty just by looking at the statue… now that I see it, the statue doesn’t even capture half of her beauty.

Well, how can you capture the beauty of the heart?

Capturing only the beauty of the appearance is already a skill that has reached the realm of the gods.

,Hehehe, how can you be so polite? You’re such a good child.”

Her actions of stroking my head were like a mother doting on her child.

I was a little embarrassed by her sudden actions, but soon I felt my heart melt instantly at the warm warmth flowing through my hair.

To be able to make someone feel so comfortable just by stroking their head… as expected, a god is a god.

Or did I just like her touch?

Well, that’s not very important.

,I want to express my gratitude once again… if… you hadn’t been in that city by chance… I would have been subjected to terrible things by the children who worship the Black Word… Thank you so much… really… for saving those children…”

Her voice, slightly choked up, was heard above my head, and when I slightly raised my eyes… she had tears welling up in her big eyes.

For a moment, I wanted to comfort her pitiful and fragile appearance, but comforting a god… it was an absurd thing, so I held back.

At that moment, the woman standing next to her whispered cautiously.

,Master, there’s no time.”

,Oh my… really? I’m sorry…”

,…. It’s nothing.”

,Haa… I wanted to talk more… I’m sorry, child…”

Seeing the goddess wiping away her tears with her fingers, my heart ached, and I wanted to say out loud that I wanted to talk more, but I suppressed that desire with superhuman patience.

,It’s alright. Your words alone are enough, Goddess-nim.”

,Hehehe, you’re such a good child… but that won’t do. You have to receive a reward before you go.”

The goddess took her hand off my head, and I flinched, wanting to feel her touch more.

The goddess, with her index and middle fingers straight, immediately brought those beautiful fingers to my forehead.

And, moving her beautiful lips, she declared in a voice like an angel singing.

,I, who am in charge of love here, declare. Grace, the child in this place, will be reborn with my blessing, affection, and love. This is recognized as a legitimate declaration in accordance with the absolute laws that have been passed down from the past. Aga…”

,Yes…”

My mind becomes hazy as I hear her voice.

With blurred eyes, I looked up at her, who was sending me a soft gaze, and I blankly replied.

,Will you be reborn as my true child in this place…?”

,Yes….”

,Hehehe, good… are you very sleepy?”

I feel even sleepier.

How long has it been since I woke up…

With a hazy mind, I nodded.

She stroked my cheek, looking at me as if she was very satisfied, as if I was cute, as if I was lovely.

At her touch, I reflexively rubbed my cheek against her hand, and the goddess was even more pleased and whispered.

,Sleep well… when you wake up again… welcome to our clan… and… hehehe, next time we meet, let’s have a deeper and longer conversation…”

,…… Yeeees….”

In the velvet-like darkness that gently enveloped my body, her touch on my cheek was… strangely comfortable… and soon my vision was completely black.