Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Otherworld Cheat Harem.

Episode 97: Making Gold (1)

In a quiet residential area where people rarely come and go, Iris and Dojin were having a lively conversation inside a stationary carriage.

“That’s when the main god intervened.”

“What did you say?”

“『Offer a virgin. If there is no virgin, offer your life.』”

“…Well, it’s a bit much to say this to a god, but they’re out of their mind.”

“Right?”

The two were boldly committing blasphemy while discussing myths. If the god were listening, what would they say, and what divine punishment would they deliver?

Charlotte, who was guarding the coachman’s seat with a robe over her head, was terrified by this fact.

‘Please, Saintess…’

However, the Saintess did not stop. She tried to win Dojin’s favor by selling out her god. It wasn’t just her who felt that she seemed like a boy trying to flirt with a girl for the first time.

“Um… I think I’ve told you a lot today… So… that is…”

“I know. You want a reward, right?”

“Wh-what? No! How could I ask for a reward…?”

“Come here.”

The Saintess openly demanded a reward from Dojin. It was mostly physical affection.

Cursed with a so-called blessing that kills not only men but even women who feel lust toward her, she naturally had very few opportunities to come into contact with others.

Thanks to her extraordinary appearance, even her parents didn’t give her much physical affection. She had been starved for love all her life, and physical affection was the easiest way to supplement that love.

Hug.

Dojin held the Saintess tightly. Dojin’s arms entwined with hers, their chests pressing against each other. The Saintess realized for the first time in her life how firm a man’s chest could be and how comforting it was to be embraced by someone.

“…Please stroke my hair too.”

“Sure, sure.”

At the Saintess’s request, Dojin stroked her hair as if he found her adorable. She was held tightly and her hair was stroked unilaterally.

Though it was akin to handling a pet, the Saintess felt a profound sense of security rising from deep within her body.

In a way, it was close to pleasure. The Saintess was feeling pleasure now.

Why did God tell her to stay away from men? Why did the commandments prohibit sexual acts?

The Saintess realized it very easily.

‘I can’t endure this…’

Faith without reward or promise was insignificant compared to the tangible pleasure. The reason the Saintess didn’t abandon her faith was because she had adhered to the commandments almost like brainwashing since she was young.

“Hmmph.”

She let out a faint moan without realizing it, and buried her head in Dojin’s chest, aware that she had done something indecent.

When she buried her head like that, a strong pheromone overwhelmed her. The Saintess stretched her limbs and savored the intense scent.

“St-stop!”

If she inhaled any more, she felt she would truly lose herself, abandoning everything she had believed in all her life, even God, and fall into corruption. So, she desperately pushed Dojin away.

And Dojin, all too easily, distanced himself from her. She sighed with regret at that fact.

Ah—once Dojin left, he never came to her on his own again. But even as a saintess, she couldn’t be the one to approach him first. That was the bare minimum of pride she could hold onto.

“Hmm, hmm, are you… perhaps… lacking in anything?”

She coughed and glanced sideways at Dojin. It was a hint for him to hurry and make a move. However, Dojin, who could read her thoughts clearly, did not approach her.

What’s there to regret? If this were Earth or if she didn’t have the curse, it might be different. This was a fantasy world where divine beings existed, and she was cursed so that she couldn’t even make eye contact with any man other than him.

He was the only one who could embrace her. He was the only one who could grant her pleasure.

There was no need to exert himself. In time, the yearning Saintess would eventually make the first move.

“Then… I’ll take today’s blessing.”

“…Yes. Oh God, bless this person, oh God. Bestow your power upon him.”

The Saintess immediately offered a prayer to the sky. Her prayer reached the heavens without any delay, and the god who blessed her, though slightly annoyed, willingly granted her his power.

The scene reminded her of a doting father who forgives anything when his daughter acts cute, making the Saintess smile slightly as she passed the power to Dojin.

Dojin realized the power overflowing from his entire body. This was the Saintess’s blessing. It was one of the reasons he always visited her before heading to the dungeon recently.

“Thank you.”

“No, not at all… For a warrior risking his life on an adventure, even this much blessing is hardly enough.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Ideally, I’d love to give you the Holy Grail and the Holy Sword from the underground treasure vault, along with all the consecrated equipment…”

But that was not an easy task, even for a saintess. The owner of the holy relics bestowed by the gods was the god, and the pope was their earthly representative.

It was impossible for the Saintess to arbitrarily remove the holy relics; approval from the pope and a majority of the bishops was required.

Everyone knew that Dojin was the subject of the oracle, but the content of the oracle was ambiguous, and Dojin himself did not appear particularly special.

Because of these reasons, even if the Saintess requested the removal of the holy relics, it was likely to be brushed aside.

“It’s okay. Even without the Holy Sword and such.”

“But… Ah! Shall I bless your weapon?”

“Please do.”

Dojin held out the True Demon Sword. Divine power did not harmonize well with mana and magic. If a blessing was mistakenly placed on a demon sword, it could lead to disaster.

The Saintess, who had blessed the True Demon Sword, looked at Dojin with a hint of regret. He also feigned a regretful expression and bid farewell to the Saintess.

“See you next time, then.”

“Yes! Call me anytime!”

“Sure.”

As Dojin got off the carriage with a smirk, Charlotte glared at him as if asking if it was finally over. Dojin stared back at her and naturally sat next to the coachman’s seat.

“…What are you doing?”

“Drop me off midway. It’s on the way to the mansion.”

“Why should I take you…?”

“Don’t be so angry, okay?”

Dojin pointed at the carriage as he spoke. It was a warning that he might reveal everything to the Saintess if necessary. Since it was an order from the Saintess, exposing her actions wouldn’t cause any trouble, but the fact that the Saintess had given such an order could lead to reprimand.

Thus, Charlotte quietly flicked the reins. The horses, spurred by the whip, slowly began to pull the carriage toward the mansion.

Dojin leisurely enjoyed the movement before jumping off near the dungeon entrance.

In fact, walking would have been faster.

In front of the dungeon, it was bustling daily with adventurers heading to the dungeon and merchants selling goods to those adventurers.

And where many people and money gather, petty thieves are bound to appear.

Noah, noticing a man loitering around her shop, began to eagerly explain the goods.

“Welcome! We have everything from effective potions to monster lures! What are you looking for, sir?”

“Hmm… just browsing for a bit.”

“Sure! Take your time browsing!”

“What’s this?”

“Oh, that is…”

While Noah focused on the man who came as a customer, a kid passing by quickly grabbed a few items and started walking away.

Naturally, Noah didn’t notice. The coordination between the two was so skillful, as if they had done this many times before. Most of the people present probably wouldn’t have noticed either.

“Let’s see…”

The kid who stole the items giggled, wondering why they even bothered with this. Why not just steal everything?

The little kid, tossing the potion up and down as he walked, suddenly felt a hand grab the back of his neck and let out a startled cough.

“Wh-what?!”

“Kid. Stealing is a bad thing.”

“What are you talking about?! Let me go!”

“If you hadn’t been caught, it might be different, but once you’re caught, it’s a crime.”

The kid struggled to break free from the grip, but Dojin’s hold on his neck was too strong.

With no other choice, the kid tried to escape by throwing the potion in his hand at Dojin. However, Dojin, holding the kid with one hand, swiftly caught the several potions with his other hand.

It was an unbelievably quick reflex and flexibility. The kid couldn’t believe that those slender fingers could catch the thick potion bottles.

Eventually, the kid was brought to the stall where Noah was. Up until then, Noah had been diligently explaining items to a man and looked puzzled when she saw Dojin and the kid approaching.

And when she saw the potions in Dojin’s hand, she jumped up in surprise.

“M-my potions!”

Only then did she check the stall and realize that several of the potions she had laid out were missing. Dojin lifted the kid and asked the man.

“Are you going to buy the potions?”

“…Why are you asking me?”

“These potions seem to be effective. If you’re an adventurer, it wouldn’t hurt to have one.”

“…Tsk, just my luck.”

The man said that and turned to leave the stall. Dojin tossed the kid at the fleeing man, and although he frowned when the kid collided with him, he disappeared without saying anything.

Watching this, Noah asked Dojin in shock.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“What?”

“It’s a thief, a thief! If we don’t catch them…”

“But the item is right here, isn’t it?”

“Y-Yes, but…! We should catch the thief!”

“And if we catch them?”

“Sorry?”

“What are you going to do after catching them?”

Hearing Dojin’s words, Noah tilted her head and asked back.

“Well… the guards would take them away, right…?”

“They won’t. There’s no damage done.”

“But that’s because you found it, and in reality…”

“They failed. So it’s an attempt. The guards aren’t that thorough, so they’ll probably just brush off something that happened at an unknown stall like this.”

“No way…”

However, Noah had a rough idea of how things would go. The guards weren’t likely to investigate thoroughly for her when there was no real damage, and even if the thief was caught, petty theft wouldn’t result in much of a punishment.

“I’m fine, but what about you? If they cause trouble after being released, wouldn’t that be a big problem?”

“…That’s true.”

Noah realized that Dojin’s choice was the best one. While Dojin, as an adventurer, could handle it, for her, living alone and running a business, letting the two go was the best option.

They could cause trouble in front of her stall or follow her with ill intentions and do something terrible.

If she were kidnapped, they might investigate, but if she were raped and murdered, what good would finding her do? She would already be dead.

“Thank you for your help. Ah, as a reward, I’ll give you that potion.”

“Are you sure? It looks expensive.”

“If it weren’t for you, it would have been stolen anyway… If you like it, please come back to buy another one!”

Dojin realized Noah’s ploy and smiled slightly. It’s a bait product, thinking that once he sees the effect of the item, he’ll come back to buy more.

It was a remarkable confidence. If she had that much confidence, she must have some skill as well.

Reviewing the prices of the items, Dojin felt they weren’t too bad. Lower-tier adventurers might think it’s expensive, but if the effect matches the price, the more expensive option is actually better.

“What’s this?”

“Oh, that is…”

As Dojin showed interest in the item, Noah’s eyes sparkled as she began her sales pitch. She thought she had bad luck, but that misfortune brought a new customer. It was a blessing in disguise.