episode_0113

Successfully rescuing the priestess Selena from the slave market and returning to Kubel, I felt relieved.

There were rumors circulating in the underground waterway about a young slave merchant with a mustache who was seen asking about the ‘aquatic tribe’. Some were even searching for the lost slave, Selena.

Returning to Kubel before getting caught was truly a stroke of luck.

Mirabel mentioned that she would keep an eye on the situation in the underground waterway for a while.

It would be great if I could get away with what I did without getting caught forever, but there’s always a chance of something happening.

Regardless of what happens, if there is any significant change that could affect the Demon Protection Shelter, I will inform Algot.

Well, nothing out of the ordinary should happen.

From what I’ve heard from those conducting investigations, the disguises seem to be working well.

After returning to Kubel, Meluru finished her vacation and returned to her receptionist duties.

Since Selena was having trouble deciding on her next steps, I allowed her to stay at my house for the time being.

Because she is an important figure, I decided to provide her with accommodation at my place to avoid any complications.

Although I don’t think there is a high chance of someone tracking us back to Kubel from the slave market, Selena was the only one who couldn’t disguise herself there.

Since they are familiar with our appearances, it would be best for her to stay as close to me as possible for safety.

While it might be difficult to track me down when I was in disguise at the time, Selena would need to be cautious for a while.

I let Selena rest at my house and went to the adventurer’s guild to meet Algot.

“Hmm… I asked you to handle things quietly.”

“I couldn’t help it.”

“So, did you find the priestess?”

“She’s resting at my house. Seems a bit tired.”

“I heard the Central Church has selected a new priestess.”

Algot informed me about the news from the Central Church.

Well, it was only natural for the church to choose a new priestess.

They are still waiting for the eternal prophecy of the ‘true hero’ through the new priestess.

“I think the Central Church is spreading lies. The deceased hero is real. The priestess is real too.”

“You seem strangely convinced.”

“We have a way to confirm which side is lying.”

“Selena definitely had the power to use the goddess’s artifact.

Yuno successfully fulfilled all the conditions to summon the goddess.”

The narration provided a final assurance about the activation of the artifact, which was previously uncertain.

Alright, this practically proves that Selena is indeed a real priestess.

“I also want to witness the activation of the artifact. To see if the goddess truly descends.”

“Let’s set a time and place. Others might want to see it too.”

I readily agreed to Algot’s request, as it was the most definite way to prove that the Central Church was wrong and I was right.

The more witnesses, the better.

* * *

Late evening.

I returned home with several types of food packed from Kubel’s favorite restaurant.

The priestess Selena was sitting on my bed, resting.

Her expression had noticeably improved compared to when she first arrived here.

When both the body and mind are exhausted, at least recovering physically can help with mental recovery.

“Miss Selena, once you’ve rested enough, I plan to use the goddess’s artifact soon. Oh, and this is for dinner.”

I placed the packed food in front of Selena and spoke.

Selena stared at me in silence for a moment before speaking in a calm voice.

“I have already been expelled from the position of priestess. Can someone like me really do that? Can I truly meet the goddess?”

“Believe in yourself a little more. Because there are things only you can do in this world.”

“If the goddess really appears, this might also be her will…”

Selena bowed her head with a complicated expression.

She had been lifeless since being brought from the slave market, to the point of being pitiful to look at.

Perhaps she had suffered a lot in her own way.

Unlike Tina, who had never wanted to become a saint, she had been more faithful to the role of a saint than anyone else.

But the result was the expulsion of a failed hero who caused trouble in the kingdom and was killed by the demons.

“…I have lived looking only at the goddess since I was young,” Selena said with a complicated expression.

I listened quietly to her words.

“You must know about the many old stories where a hero and a saint defeat the demon king. I also grew up hearing such stories and nurtured my faith. Even if I couldn’t become a saint, I prayed for the hero to defeat the demon king safely and return as a priestess. So when I was chosen as a new saint, I was truly happy.”

Selena clasped her hands together as if praying.

“When I received the baptism to become a saint, I immediately received a revelation from the goddess. It felt like a bright light was entering my head. And I heard a voice that wasn’t mine. A man named Cain, living as a thug in the alley of Pifnel, was chosen as the hero…”

“I see.”

“I dreamed. According to the will of the goddess, I wanted to help him, a hero from a thug background, walk the path of a hero. But on the first day he came to the central church as a hero, he called me to his room to show me his body.”

“What…?”

It was a story I had never heard before.

A hero who lusts after a saint’s body, what kind of absurdity is this?

“He spat on the commander, threw things at the bishop, and often said sexually explicit things to me. He made me feed him the meals brought to his room twice a day, and made unreasonable demands as if testing how far the kingdom could go.”

Selena recounted in detail the past misdeeds of the deceased hero Cain, shuddering as if recalling painful memories.

“Yet I believed. I believed that the goddess could not be wrong. This was also a trial sent by the goddess, and someday the hero would surely mend his ways and become a great person, defeating the demon king… But…”

As Selena spoke, releasing the pent-up anger for a long time, I watched her with pity.

But from my perspective, Selena, who had believed in the goddess so blindly, seemed a bit foolish.

It may sound blasphemous, but I also thought that the goddess who had caused such a situation was at fault.

The problem was trying to maintain the balance of the world with imperfect heroes and a compelling force like the demon king.

So through Selena, I intended to call upon the goddess and persuade her to eliminate such irrational and problematic cycles.

But would a being like the goddess really listen to the words of a mere human like me?

The conditions were met. But I did not know what kind of being the goddess truly was.

At the point where a trash hero had appeared, there was no guarantee that a trash goddess would not appear as well.

If the goddess I truly summoned turned out to be trash, what should I do…?

No, worrying in advance was pointless.

There was no other choice.

Complicated thoughts only gave me a headache.

Right now, I just had to solve the problems in front of me one by one.

* * *

Two days later, in a clearing near the forest of Kubel.

I had finally finished preparing to summon the goddess.

I presented the goddess’s crystal orb in front of the saint Selena.

According to the narration, this crystal orb was a tool for communicating with the goddess.

I couldn’t tell how the communication was happening.

“Is this really happening?”

Algot, Milaia, and Silphy came to see the goddess being summoned.

Mariel also tried to come, but she couldn’t make it as she was recuperating from depleting her energy while conducting suspicious magical experiments at the mansion.

Tina and Meruru were guarding the guild.

Saint Selena stood nervously in front of the goddess’s crystal.

She still wasn’t sure if she could properly unleash the power of the saint.

But I know.

She can definitely activate the crystal.

The real problem lies beyond that, though.

“Now that everyone is here, let’s begin.”

With everyone watching, Selena placed her hand on the goddess’s crystal.

The golden light slowly began to swirl in the crystal, indicating that something was about to happen.

The light that filled the crystal quickly spilled out, becoming so bright that it was almost blinding.

And then, after a moment.

The light slowly faded away.

Selena, with her eyes closed, still had her hand on the crystal.

The true power of the saint had finally activated the goddess’s crystal.

And…

A new figure, who was not there before, appeared with the light.

She was a woman in white clothes, emitting a faint and mysterious light from her body, with long blonde hair that almost touched the ground, looking like she was in her twenties.

“It was real…”

“Oh… Goddess…”

Selena and Algot exclaimed in awe almost simultaneously, their faces filled with amazement.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the radiant woman who had appeared before them.

Even without saying a word, it was clear that she was the goddess.

However, the moment of astonishment was brief, as a bizarre narration echoed in their minds.

“Yunoa has finally succeeded in summoning the foolish and foolish goddess.

She was a goddess who lacked any sense of responsibility, incompetent and pathetic.

Although she appeared as a goddess, she was not worthy of being treated as one.

But as the goddess who governed this world, she had to take responsibility for the problems she created.”

What… what is this malicious narration?

This was the first time for such a thing.

The narration, which always spat venomous words only at me, why now?

The goddess slowly opened her eyes and began to look around at us with a gaze that was definitely different from that of a human, but not as transcendent as expected.

Oh, this is not the time.

I must quickly ask the goddess to prevent the destruction of humanity.

To eliminate the cycle of heroes and demons in this world.

But how should I address the goddess?

I don’t know, let me try to speak as politely and convincingly as possible.

“Goddess, this humble human dares to make a request to you and has come to meet you in this way.”

Is this okay?

As soon as I finished speaking, the goddess’s gaze turned towards me.

Then, she slowly opened her beautiful lips and replied to me.

“No.”

“What?”

What did she just say?

Did I hear it wrong?

“I said no.”

“Um… Goddess?”

“Then, please leave.”

And the goddess’s body began to glow again.

Was the criticism of the narration really true, that she was a goddess without responsibility, incompetence, and pathetic?

It was truly a gut-wrenching feeling.

So, what will happen to this world, to the fate of humanity?

If I am going to be rejected so emptily, what was the point of all my efforts?

No, this can’t be happening!

As the goddess started to glow again, ready to leave, another narration echoed in my mind.

“If there was one word that could prevent the pathetic goddess from leaving without taking any responsibility for her actions, it was there.”

If there is such a word, please tell me before it’s too late!

Now the goddess that was difficult to summon is trying to disappear again.

『Stellania.』

As soon as the narration revealed the word, I immediately shouted it out.

“Stellania!”

I don’t know what it means, but I should stop and see if the goddess returns.

Is it some kind of magic spell? Or does it have a different meaning?

“…!”

Just like that, when I shouted out the word recklessly, the dazzling light that enveloped the goddess’s body disappeared in an instant.

Then, unlike before, the goddess made a noticeably bewildered expression.

Indeed, the information provided by the narration had an effect.

“Ho… how did you know that……”

The goddess looked at me and hesitantly spoke.

I was just as bewildered.

What on earth is that word supposed to mean……