Blessing of the Goddess

<Side : ALL>

『Fisherman’s Moon – 13th (Morning)』

“Um, Alex? Is it really okay for us to wear this equipment?”

“I’m telling you, it’s fine! In the first place, that’s women’s equipment, so I can’t even wear it. Mel, hurry up and choose too.”

“Come on, Clarice is so skeptical. Alex is saying it’s okay. Clarice, let’s pick what you want to take~”

In a dark cave, relying on a lamp, three novice adventurers are standing in front of a treasure chest filled with equipment that looks valuable.

Clarice, a white-haired apprentice nun with a worried face, Alex, a brown-haired warrior with a dignified expression and arms crossed, and Mel, an elven mage who teases Clarice with a sly tone while bending over.

These three are childhood friends who spent their youth in the same village, and novice adventurers who formed a party just a year ago.

They continue their childhood bond and work together as an adventurer party, and are also passionate adventurers who dream of ultimately defeating the Demon King who threatens the world.

Currently, they were discussing a treasure chest they found while exploring the cave after completing a cave wolf extermination request from the guild.

“But we can’t possibly be the only ones to wear equipment with the Goddess’s Blessing flowing out like this…”

“Clarice~ Unless Alex was actually a woman, this equipment is for women~”

“Mel is right. I can’t wear it anyway, so I’d be happy if you guys equip it and increase the party’s strength.”

Inside the large wooden box were three items: a ring, earrings, and a black Cube. But when Alex tried to touch it, an electric current flowed out, making it impossible to wear, but when Clarice and Mel touched it, it showed no reaction. Therefore, judging that it was equipment that only women could wear, Alex gave the equipment to them.

Besides, Alex thought that if they left the equipment as it was, there would be a loss, as the Goddess’s Blessing was overflowing enough for even two ordinary adventurers, not even apprentice nuns, to notice.

“If Alex is really okay with it… I’ll take this ring. I’m too scared of earrings.”

“Then I’ll wear the earrings~ They’re a bit ominous because they’re purple~”

“Mel, really. It’s the Goddess’s equipment, how can it be ominous? That’s disrespectful to the Goddess… Then is the remaining thing that black cube fragment?”

“It would have been nice if we could use Appraisal Magic. Mel, can you use it?”

“Well, if I lived for 100 more years, I could use such advanced magic without even lifting a finger~ Unfortunately, I won’t live that long.”

Clarice and Mel each wore the alluringly shining purple ring and earrings, and while Alex and Mel were having a trivial conversation…

“What on earth is this?”

The moment Clarice held the black Cube, which felt more like the Goddess’s magic than any other treasure, a bright light flowed out of the Cube.

“Ah, wa……………”

The light, bright enough to illuminate the dark cave in an instant, enveloped Clarice’s body, and her figure completely disappeared along with the Cube.

“Huh…!? C, Clarice, where did you go!”

“Something’s wrong! Mel, take off the earrings you’re wearing right now…”

The two remaining people were flustered, hurriedly searching for Clarice, who had suddenly disappeared without any warning.

But the commotion did not last long. The light that had just flashed flickered for a moment…

“Haa……”

Clarice returned with the same appearance as before she disappeared, without any injuries or changed appearance. Alex ran over and grabbed Clarice’s shoulders, asking if she was okay.

“Clarice, are you okay!! I knew it, that’s a cursed tool…”

“Clarice, get your hand off of it. Whatever that is, I’m going to destroy it right now.”

Mel’s staff was pointed at the black Cube in Clarice’s hand, and the magic of fire gathered at its end. It was a touch-and-go situation, as if the magic would fly away and destroy the Cube at any moment.

“No. Alex, Mel. This is definitely equipment blessed by the Goddess. It seems to be a Sacred Relic.”

It was none other than Clarice, the person who had disappeared for a moment, who brought the urgent situation to an end with her young and touched voice.

“Really, both of you calm down. The reason I disappeared… no, the reason I moved, is definitely because of this thing’s power. But I wasn’t harmed in any way there. I’ll tell you both about it right away.”

Immediately after, when Clarice touched the Cube she was holding, a light that was so bright that she couldn’t see came out again, and all three of them were enveloped in light.

“C, Clarice, wait a minute…”

“What is this light? I can’t see anything…”

The two squinted at the intense light that appeared without warning, and the light, which made it impossible to distinguish even the person next to them, flashed for a few seconds and then disappeared.

When the glare that had covered their eyes subsided, Alex and Mel were barely able to open their closed eyes.

“Is everyone okay…!? B, but where is this…?”

“W, where is this? It’s all black…”

After the light went out, the place where the three were standing was not the cave they had been in until just now, but a room filled with black on all sides.

Black to the point where it was difficult to distinguish the ceiling, floor, and even the sides. It was as if black paint had been spilled.

“This place is the power of this Cube, no, the Cube!”

“Um, Clarice, can you explain it to me quickly? I don’t understand what’s going on at all.”

“Ahem… Okay, Mel. The cube presumed to be the Goddess’s Sacred Relic… or rather, as soon as I held this Cube, the way to use it popped into my head!”

“C, Cube…? So you’re saying that the reason we came here is because of that black box’s power?”

“That’s right! Alex. When someone who believes in the Goddess owns this, they can transfer objects within a certain range to this space. I moved here through that, and now I’ve invited everyone to this space!”

Mel and Alex did not completely dismiss their suspicion of the unidentified object that moves space without any cost.

However, Clarice is still an apprentice, but she is also a nun who believes in the Goddess, and it was also a Sacred Relic verified by a member of the Goddess.

Except for Clarice, who was excited about obtaining the Goddess’s Sacred Relic, the remaining two began to realistically consider this incident and that object.

“But Clarice… I know you’re excited about the Sacred Relic. But let’s calm down first. Then, if another believer besides Clarice picks it up, can that person also freely move objects here?”

“That’s right. Mel!”

“That means it’s good news for us. When we exterminated the Orc group last time, there were too many and too heavy spoils to carry all of them, so we had to leave them behind, but if we have this, we can put them all here and transport them?”

“That’s right! The Goddess must have blessed our adventure journey! Ah, let’s go back to the original place first!”

Clarice finished praising the Goddess and put her hand on the Cube again. The Cube emitted the light they were used to seeing, and returned the three to the cave where they had been.

Even after returning, Clarice was still obsessed with the Sacred Relic and could not calm down her excitement. But that was secondary, and in order to get out of the cave and take the evidence of the request’s success, they decided to cut off the tails of the cave wolves and return to the guild.

“Um, Alex. Is it okay to leave so many cave wolves behind? Ah, what I mean is… even in the original case, it’s the right amount to leave behind for that number, but with this Cube, we can…”

“I completely agree that we can use it to transport them safely and reliably. But there are many eyes watching, and people are suspicious. They always observe the every move of their competitors. If we, who are only in our first year, are caught using that Sacred Relic to transport them, we may be unduly questioned.”

“For example, Alex, the leader, doesn’t want to stir up trouble~ But the Goddess is a bit stingy. Even I, who don’t believe in the Goddess, received equipment as a gift, but Alex didn’t receive any. Wasn’t the Goddess supposed to advocate equality and philanthropy~”

“W, well, that’s true… I’m a believer in the Goddess, but the fact that equipment is not given to Alex makes it feel like she’s discriminating against Alex…”

“Don’t worry. This might be the only time. And… even if I don’t have the equipment given by the Goddess, I can overcome adversity enough!”

“Oh, as expected, our strongest leader~ You’re showing off your cool side for the first time in a while~”

Alex stretched out the hand holding the sword to the sky and shouted proudly. Even though his other hand had a bundle full of cave wolf tails, he showed the manly adventurer’s appearance without breaking his posture.

“Ah, right. Clarice. One more thing.”

“Y, yes…!? W, what’s wrong. Alex?”

“When you touched the Cube, you said that the way to use it flowed into your head. Then do you feel that the ring you’re wearing now has any effect?”

“No… strangely, I don’t feel anything like that. But since the Goddess gave it to me, even if it’s not a grand ability, it might increase my stats, or allow me to handle weapons skillfully… or I might be able to use magic…”

“I hope so~ Well, I don’t believe in the Goddess, but if she gives that much blessing just by wearing equipment, I might believe it a little? Ahahaha!”

Alex, Clarice, Mel. The party consisting of three people who are still beginners is immature, but that’s why there is a friendly atmosphere.

From now on, their journey will be watched and blessed by the Goddess, and she will personally bestow gifts, so those who block them will fall before the Goddess’s wrath.

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