episode_0185

Surrounded by an intense golden light, so bright it blurred my vision, I opened my eyes again.

My first impression was… it was similar to my inner world that appeared when I met my mother.

A gentle expanse somewhere within my heart, a comforting feeling like it was touching those faint memories.

I used to think nothing in this world was as precious and sweet as my glorious past…

But the fact that it was the Goddess’s presence was already a concept beyond the mortal realm.

Thump- thump-

I walked along the path, following the light, toward nothing.

Gradually, a smooth stone floor appeared under the warm radiance, and things like stone pillars were erected.

Before I knew it, a large temple surrounded me.

“Ho… so this is the divine technology I’ve only heard about.”

Warm sunlight streamed through the rows of pillars.

Beyond the floor was a cliff, and unfortunately, the lower part was blurred, like the edge of an incomplete map.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of being in a heaven above the clouds.

‘This is too peaceful… I’m not dead, am I?’

I did kind of just summon the Goddess.

Even in the Sacred Kingdom, where faith is more common than water, I had none, and I didn’t even show any respect.

Even if I were the Goddess, I’d rather kill them and summon them directly than go down to meet them; it would be more convenient and faster.

Whoosh—

Suddenly, a breeze blew.

My fluttering hair covered my face, and the sunset light poured down strongly, so I rubbed my eyes for a moment.

“Hmm… so it’s you, the one my sister mentioned.”

A light appeared in my blurry vision.

Beautiful hair like a flowing stream of golden water.

A body barely covered by a thin piece of cloth, just enough to cover her important areas.

A girl with a younger face than I expected.

The Goddess of Light, Lumine, stood in the center of the temple.

“Uh… um… hello?”

“Suddenly speaking formally?”

“Do you know me?”

Pfft-

Lumine turned around and started walking towards me.

Whether it was because she was barefoot, or because she had learned the silent steps of a ninja, or simply because of her divine abilities…

Even as she stepped on the stone floor, there wasn’t a single sound.

“I know you well enough. You’re the impudent human who dared to take my daughter, aren’t you?”

“Um… is that not allowed?”

Lumine closed her eyes slightly and waved her hand nonchalantly.

“No.”

“If not, there’s nothing I can do. Then, may I take you instead?”

Unfortunately, cheeky banter is my best weapon, and she covered her mouth, chuckling.

“Me—? I’m sorry, but I can’t go. I’m not human, so I can’t satisfy you.”

“Pretty is enough for me.”

“Oh my, this kid.”

Even though she was hiding it with her hand, the upward curve of her lips was clearly visible to me.

Whether it’s a god or whatever, women are always weak to compliments.

Lumine turned again and headed toward a pillar at the edge.

It felt infinitely far away when I looked at it, but somehow she reached the end in an instant.

She quietly clasped her hands.

She stretched her chest open like she was stretching, opened her arms, and inhaled.

Then, she stared intently at something.

“…You don’t ask.”

“What?”

“How I know you.”

If that hadn’t come up, I would have vaguely assumed she was watching the current situation in the Sacred Kingdom or reading my memories.

But now, it’s certain.

She and the being Lumine calls her ‘sister’ have been watching my progress all along.

Asking ‘why’ is a foolish question.

How can a mere human fathom the will of a god?

“I think you know far more than I do, even things I want to know.”

“Of course. Even if I don’t interfere much in the mortal realm, it doesn’t mean I have no interest.”

This is the answer key.

I’m working on a workbook, and I’ve solved many difficult problems.

But there’s no guarantee that I won’t get stuck again.

That’s why I have to be curious about the answer key in front of me.

“But…I probably won’t ask.”

“Why?”

Grin-

The answer is simple.

“Because, that’s something I should find out for myself.”

I have no way of knowing if that short answer was properly conveyed.

Conversations are always self-centered.

It’s arrogant to assume you know someone and draw conclusions.

So I looked.

Lumine’s back, which had seemed so far away, was now close enough that I could reach out and touch it.

Having finished her contemplation, she looked back at me.

“I understand your answer… but—”

Her golden eyes, which had slowly opened, were so dazzling that I felt like I would be sucked in.

I was actually flowing somewhere.

“I have to ask for your own thoughts.”

. . .

“God-dess- my-lady—”

When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in the center of the altar.

Ignoring the senile bald old man who had Lumine’s light in his eyes, I went down the stairs.

Thud- thud-

How much time had passed? Teir felt the vibration of the vibe and then collapsed to the floor.

Even though we hadn’t talked to the goddess for that long.

“Ughh—”

“Hey, hey. Snap out of it.”

Even after removing the vibe from her two holes, it took quite a while for her to calm down.

“It’s, it’s because of you—!!”

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“Ugh…”

Grumbling about showing such an unsightly sight after having enjoyed it is just a cute little scene.

I suppose no matter what she does from now on, she will be lovely to me.

“I talked to the goddess.”

“Wha, what—?!”

Teir froze with wide eyes.

I didn’t expect such a strong reaction, but the faith of the people of this country is amazing.

Well… because of that, the vicious magic called [Holy Word] works.

I hugged Teir and told her my brief encounter with the Goddess.

“It’s true. Why would I lie about something like that?”

“But, I can’t believe it…”

“Look over there—”

If you don’t believe it, show them something believable.

I spilled the beans about how the unease felt by Teir and the priests was all due to Pope Gregorio’s brainwashing, and that his ultimate goal was to meet the Goddess.

Then we pointed to the Pope swaying and dancing on top of the altar.

“Look at that. He’s so happy.”

“It’s true… I’ve never seen the Pope so happy…”

Did I feel her energy within the gap where I met Lumine?

Pope Gregorio seems to have met the Goddess for a very short time.

Otherwise, it’s hard to believe such a dying old man would jump around and act like a happy child.

“Anyway… it’s your turn.”

“W-wait a minute… My legs are cramped…”

Even though Teir, as a devotee of the Luminous Holy Church, had always wanted to meet the goddess, she seemed quite nervous now that the opportunity is right in front of her.

I massaged her legs to relax her stiff muscles and patted her butt, urging her to go.

“What are you doing? Mother will be waiting.”

“Who’s mother—!!”

Seeing her huff and puff at a simple joke means the tension was loosened, but…

She still had difficulty even taking a step.

I approached Teir and took her shoulders.

“Wha, what are you—”

And.

I gently brushed her bangs aside and kissed the center of her forehead.

Smooch-

“Wha, what…”

“If you finish your talk well, I’ll do it on your lips next time.”

“…It’s a promise.”

Teir covered her flushed cheeks with her hand and turned her head sharply.

Then, she pulled herself up from the floor and strode towards the altar.

Thud- thud-

Soon after Teir reached the central sacred object, an intense golden flash engulfed her body.

* * *

What would be the feelings of a child who lost their parents before they matured?

A normal person could never imagine it.

But Teir can now laughingly tell of her painful past.

Time was the medicine.

When the time she spent alone after losing her parents became longer than the moments she spent with them, her tears naturally dried up.

Or perhaps the pain suppressed the sorrow.

Sometimes the world tells you too much at once, and Teir experienced the pain of death before she realized the happiness of life.

She knew the extreme cold, so she longed for warmth.

She knew the pitch-black darkness, so she yearned for the bright light.

Having experienced moments when her life seemed to end, she desperately wanted to live on to prevent death from coming again.

Naturally, I thought I had long since discarded such insignificant emotions.

They might occasionally surface in my mind, but instead of grasping them, I tried stepping over them.

But.

Drip—

Because I set them down, because I’m not holding them now…

They shine intensely at the edge of my vision.

That’s how memories are.

“Ah… Mom, Dad…”

The harder you try to forget, the more strongly they are imprinted on your heart.

To make the visitor as comfortable as possible, Lumine delved into her heart and pulled out the softest thing from within.

What Teir kept hidden deep in her heart, inside her toy box with her crookedly written name…

It wasn’t cold, dark, or painful; it was her oldest memory.

It was her happy childhood.

“Didn’t you want to see them?”

The goddess’s voice also approached Teir without hesitation.

She walked softly, still without a sound, revealing herself before her.

Tear didn’t stop the hot tears from flowing down her face.

Perhaps she hadn’t allowed herself to cry for so long that she had forgotten how to wipe her tears.

As they flowed down her cheeks and gathered at the corners of her mouth…

She smiled.

“No… I wanted to see them.”

Feeling unhappiness as unhappiness is a privilege of those who know happiness.

Underneath a memory you want to forget, there’s always a memory you don’t want to forget.

Teir wiped her tears with the back of her hand and bowed her head towards Lumine, the Goddess of Light.

“I… had something I wanted to ask you.”

“Tell me anything.”

Her lips trembled so much.

When she touched her fingertips, she felt the chapped skin.

But at the same time, she recalled the mark of the kiss on her forehead.

So she clenched her fist tightly and showed the large stone sitting in her chest.

“I… can I stop being a Saintess?”