episode_0117

“Haa… Haa… .”

A goddess in a purple dress soaked with sweat lies on the bed, catching her breath.

I too was lying down next to her, trying to calm my still pounding heart.

“Now you should go save people.”

“There’s still time before the accident happens, so I’ll just stay like this for a little while.”

The goddess’ expression looked relaxed.

It’s a completely different look from when he was having a hard time controlling his feelings for me.

Thanks to that, my mind was at ease, but soon it became heavy again.

I wish the goddess could just stay like this without feeling sad, but the fact that getting entangled with me is a sin weighed on my mind.

“… Goddess.”

“Huh?”

“What punishment will I get if they catch me doing this?”

“I don’t know what fate will decide for me. However, since I have already been punished once, I think it will be worse.”

She blurts out unexpected remarks with a calm expression.

Of course, I was surprised and sat up with a start.

“Have you ever been punished?”

The person who got up after me answered.

“Yes… . Before I received the power from Him, I tried to save humans on my own. ”

“Then what punishment will I get then…?”

“I’m sorry, but it’s my rule to keep quiet about the punishment I received… .”

“Ah… .”

It’s surprising even when I think about it again.

She always seemed so good, but she had already committed a sin once.

“That’s unexpected. I never thought the goddess would ever be punished… .”

“At that time, I was surprised at myself. As soon as I saw a human in danger, my body moved without me knowing. I guess I really can’t help it since I’ve already been punished once and I’m doing this again.”

The goddess smiles brightly, but it’s hard to smile back.

“Don’t worry, Do-Hyeon. Even if I get punished again, I won’t regret what I did.”

There is nothing I can do for her other than praying in my heart that she will be safe in the future.

“Okay, but I hope our work doesn’t get caught.”

“I feel the same way.”

The goddess answered like that and smiled again as if trying to reassure me.

—

The next night, my expression was still dark.

If we already had a criminal record, the punishment would be more severe, and I was nervous that our relationship would be discovered at any moment.

However, it is difficult to refuse the goddess’ request to save people, so it is a complicated situation in many ways.

My head was so complicated that I couldn’t even concentrate on writing, and the moment I laid down on the bed, the room started to twist and the surroundings began to change.

… I guess who else is in danger?

He tried to calm his mind so as not to show his worried face to the goddess.

As I prepared to meet her, my eyes widened like a meerkat that had found its natural enemy.

The place we arrived at was not the usual white space, but a different place.

…where is this?

The first thing that caught my eye was the stone steps at the front.

It was so high that it reached all the way to the sky, and its peak was hidden by clouds so that it could not be seen.

Seeing the walls and floor made of stone and the large stone pillars standing there, it reminded me of a temple from Greco-Roman mythology.

But there is no one else in this wide space but me.

As my heart raced from the sense of intimidation from being in an unfamiliar space, someone’s voice echoed throughout the place.

[It’s you.]

Since there was no one else around, I naturally looked up at the clouds at the top of the stairs.

“Who, who are you?”

[Humans are truly pitiful beings, having an outward appearance similar to ours, yet not being able to see their own bodies.]

Something caught my eye as I was being bewildered.

A woman who appears through the clouds and glides down through the air without even stepping on the stairs.

She had come so close to me that instead of stepping on the ground, she spoke while floating in the air.

“Can you see me now?”

“… .”

She was wearing a cloth dress adorned with colorful jewels.

A splendid attire that cannot be compared to that of any goddess I know.

Thanks to that, I was able to see that she was an extraordinary being.

“… Are you by any chance the goddess of fate?”

“You know well. Did that kid tell you?”

“That kid?”

“You’re talking about the goddess Elia. You wouldn’t say you don’t know, right?”

“… .”

“I am Moirai. I am the one who watches over all the fates of the world. I was called to see up close the human who has an unfaithful relationship with the goddess. ”

… I guess I got caught.

I had a gut feeling when she revealed herself as the Goddess of Fate, but hearing it in person made my heart sink.

The expression on the face of the person slowly examining me was serious.

“I wondered how he won Elia’s heart, but no matter how I looked at him, he was just an ordinary human. It’s almost time for him to come, so I should listen to what he has to say.”

That was when.

There was a sound like a large door opening, and the sound of urgent footsteps was approaching.

“You’re here.”

“… I see my destiny.”

As the goddess standing next to me clasped her hands together and spoke, the Moirai, the goddesses of fate, answered.

Unlike when he spoke to me, his voice was not stiff but rather affectionate.

“Elia… You know the situation, right? If you have something to say to me, say it.”

“I have nothing to say. I have sinned and deserve to pay the price, so please punish me.”

The goddess was so indifferent.

As if he was mentally prepared to accept whatever happened.

However, Moirai’s face was filled with regret and sadness when he saw that sight.

“… I’ve told you over and over again that you shouldn’t be special to just one being in the world. You still don’t understand. ”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t bring myself to treat humans and rocks the same. Unlike rocks, humans feel pain.”

“I know that everything is because you are kind-hearted. You are more sensitive than other goddesses, but you have no ill will. The reason I was particularly fond of you was because you were such a kind and affectionate child.”

“… .”

“That’s why I tried to convince you somehow. Even when the other goddesses expressed their discontent and concerns, I calmed them down, telling them it would be okay. Even when you first made a mistake, I gave you the lightest punishment possible. But… .”

It seems that Moirai doesn’t hate the goddess after all.

My child is not bad, but he keeps causing trouble, so I feel like a worried mother.

As if he was dealing with a sore finger, his words and facial expressions were filled with impatience.

On the other hand, the goddess bowed her head and said nothing.

It wasn’t like I was just staying silent and waiting for this time to pass quickly.

The attitude was simply to accept everything the other person said and accept any decision.

“Elia… . As I said before, the reason I put such unreasonable restrictions on the power I gave you was because I wanted you not to use it. I didn’t want to use harsh methods on you, and you wouldn’t listen to me when I told you, so I had no choice but to do it. ”

Now I know why the powers that be always gave obscene instructions.

It seems that the intention was to make the goddess give up naturally.

“No matter how much you pitied humans, I didn’t know you’d really use your power. Even if you did, I thought you’d give up soon. That’s because you were such a weak-hearted child.”

“… .”

“But while I was busy and couldn’t check, you continued to use your powers and even did vulgar things with humans yourself… .”

I also bow my head at Moirai’s voice, which is full of regret and disappointment.

The goddess next to me still remained silent, and perhaps frustrated by the silence, the goddess of fate continued speaking.

“Say something. Mixing bodies with humans is a grave sin that can never be forgiven. I can no longer protect you. I have to punish you in order to uphold the laws of God. Do you mind?”

“I think it’s right to pay the price if you commit a sin.”

“Elia… .”

Even Moirai shuts his mouth, and silence falls over the surroundings.

But she said again, as if she couldn’t give up.

“I’ll tell you one last thing. Promise me you won’t interfere with humans in the future. Then I’ll lighten the punishment a little. If you don’t listen to me now, you won’t be able to avoid the harsh punishment.”

“… .”

“Elia, please… .”

Despite Moirai’s pleas, the goddess does not open her mouth.

Should I borrow money too?

Please, just avoid the extreme punishment?

Or should we ask the goddess to listen to the Moirai?

I don’t know which one is correct.

I wanted to accept the offer, but I hesitated because I didn’t know the goddess’ true intentions.

When I was having trouble finding an answer to my worries, the goddess finally opened her mouth.

“Merciful Mother of Fate… . As I said, I do not regret my choice. ”

“Elia!”

“If by your mercy I am spared from the extreme punishment, I will save the poor people as I have done until now. But I do not want to cowardly run away from the shackles of the sins I have committed. So I will pay the price justly.”

“Why like that… .”

Moirai is shocked by the goddess’ calm yet firm attitude.

Although he clearly said with his own mouth that it was the last time, it seemed like he just couldn’t let go of his obsession.

“Why on earth did you come to value humans so much? It wasn’t like this before you were first punished. … Was there something that triggered it then?”

“… .”

“Yeah, that’s the only time. Tell me, Elia. What happened when you became human?”

When did you become human?

Could it be that the first punishment the goddess received was to live as a human for a while?

At that moment, Moirai’s finger pointed at me and I heard unexpected words from her mouth.

“Tell me. What happened with that guy back then!”