Chapter 190
Chapter 190
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: A Dream of the River Styx
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A boat propelled by oars.
A vast river stretching endlessly into the distance.
"Styx...?"
The scenery brought to mind one of the three great rivers of the underworld, alongside the Sanzu and the Yellow Springs. I bolted upright, frowning as I scanned my surroundings.
There was no sign of a ferryman, just thick fog everywhere.
"This world's lore is all messed up..."
I'd never seen a scene like this even when I actually died.
And this world wasn't Buddhist-inspired—it was Catholic-like.
If I was dead, six-winged angels with twenty eyes should appear, proclaiming, "Fear not, little lamb," as they approached.
Shouldn't it be the Jordan River in a Catholic setup?
Contrary to popular belief, the Jordan isn't a river you cross after death.
It's crossed while alive, leading to a land flowing with milk and honey.
It's like the prequel to New World exploration.
"What kind of nonsense dream is this...?"
Feeling utterly bewildered, I plopped down on the deck of the boat drifting aimlessly on the river.
Usually, in dreams like this—or near-death experiences—someone waves from afar...
"William..."
"Oh..."
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
It wasn't my previous life's name but this life's, so this was someone from this world.
I turned toward the source of the voice.
"...Father?"
"Yes, William. Come this way."
"......"
I scratched my head and averted my gaze from whatever was wearing my father's form.
They could have brought my grandfather from this world, who died before I was born, or my father from my previous life.
Why drag in someone who's perfectly alive and well? As if I'd go over there.
"That ungrateful brat..."
"Would that make me a super-unfilial son who dies twice before my father, then?"
"......"
The thing in my father's guise muttered gruffly in a low voice, but it didn't faze me one bit.
Double early death doesn't happen.
Dying young is the ultimate filial impiety a child can commit—doing it twice? Impossible.
"Huuuuh~"
I stretched languidly and flopped onto the boat's floor.
Any moment now, someone would yell, "Don't go, William!" and wake me up.
No way a single book to the head could kill me.
So that black hand emerging from the water like...
A black hand emerging from the water?
"Huh...?"
I paled and shot to my feet.
Being dragged to the riverbed on the road to the underworld means death.
I hadn't expected that ending.
I rolled away to dodge the approaching black hand, but another grabbed my collar from a different direction, yanking me straight off the boat.
My body floated buoyantly.
The river was pitch black, its depths unknowable.
The black hand gripped my floating form and pulled hard.
"Gurgle...! Blub... glub..."
Double early death...
_
"Hngh...!"
The horrific sensation of water surging back into my lungs hit me, my vision spinning like I'd chugged a bottle of booze. Finally, I opened my eyes—not in the dream, but in reality.
How did I know it wasn't a dream? Unlike before, my skull now throbbed with the sharp pain of a dainty hole punched in it.
This vivid, crystal-clear agony in my head was a first in this life; no dream could replicate it.
"Urgh..."
Forcing down my churning stomach and shaky vision, I assessed my situation.
Half my view was blocked by a bulging white cloth, but I could see the ceiling, and something firm like a wall pressed against my back. So, I was lying on the floor.
The pillow under my head was a bit high, but it felt incredibly plush.
It rivaled the perfect bounce and firmness of high-end memory foam.
"Urp..."
So damn comfortable.
That was all I could process.
Concussion symptoms made deep thinking impossible.
"Ahh... my head..."
"Young Master? You're awake?"
As I groaned and gingerly touched the spot where my sister's holy attack (physical) had struck, Emily's startled voice rang out. The bulging cloth plummeted toward my face at high speed.
Beyond the cloth was something incredibly soft and springy, but unlike the pillow, I had no leisure to savor it.
"Mmph!"
I couldn't breathe.
"Huff...! Mmmph...!"
It felt just like shoving my face into a balloon—no air, no matter how hard I tried. I flailed my limbs, mumbling loudly in panic.
"Huh? Young Master? What's wrong all of a sudden...?"
"Emily, if you don't want to actually kill William, straighten your back. For people like us, leaning forward with someone on our laps spells disaster."
"Ah...!"
"Hah...!"
Emily's enlightened gasp reached me, and only then did my face see the light of day again.
Her arms pressed down on the white cloth, finally revealing her forehead and eyes peeking over it.
"...!"
That was heaven just now.
Damn, if I'd known, I'd have held my breath longer.
-Thwack...!
As I regretted missing a heavenly death, an irritated book-slap from beside me shattered my stray thoughts.
"With your big sis right here watching, you're still asking to get roasted alive? Haven't come to your senses even after that whack to the head?"
"No way, right? It was just my head still spinning."
I plastered on a smile and pressed a hand to my forehead.
"Tch..."
My condition was genuinely bad enough that my sister looked blurry, so she just clicked her tongue lightly, stepped closer, and pressed a small glass vial to my lips.
"Eugh...!"
The liquid hit my tongue, unleashing a bitterness that felt like it would shred it, stabbing straight through my nerves into my brain from all sides.
"Guh... urgh... ulp...!"
I wanted to spit it out immediately.
But the vial stayed glued to my lips, slender fingers firmly pinning my head in place.
"It's bitter, but drink up. It'll clear the dizziness right away."
"Gulp...!"
I'd rather have spilled nonexistent secret techniques than swallow this, but her crisp smack provoked my esophagus into gulping it down anyway.
"Kweeeh..."
My stomach burned.
No idea how, but the bitterness seeped from my gut and esophagus.
This was why I never touched medicine...!
"I was gonna punish you harder, but Emily filled me in while you were out. Tough spot you were in. I don't like how you couldn't decide, but owning it without blaming the ladies? Very manly. You've grown up a bit while I wasn't looking."
"Eh...?"
Clutching my belly and drooling, I stared as she suddenly spouted nonsense, gazing at me pityingly.
She stroked my hair gently, but the swollen spot from the Bible made every sway send jolts down my spine.
"If you'd just explained calmly, I wouldn't have gone so hard..."
"Well... wrong is wrong..."
I had no clue what Emily said, but things were working out.
I'd braced for dismemberment; ending with a single headshot was a bargain.
"Now that the dizziness is gone, how long do you plan to keep rubbing your head on Emily's lap?"
"Ah."
The texture was so good I'd forgotten—this wasn't a pillow.
Realizing at her words, I sat up very slowly.
She was right; as long as I didn't move fast, it felt normal.
"Now that you're up, let's finish that talk we were having."
"...Wasn't that over?"
I thought my head and Emily's pleading had wrapped it up.
"Your circumstances don't change the fact that your actions were terribly rude to those ladies. Especially the necklace bit—you went too far."
"Uh... yeah, fair."
"Admit wrong, do penance and make amends. Common sense, right?"
Penance and atonement.
Or, take your punishment.
The problem? This was heavy-duty stuff to keep you from hell directly.
"My head's spinning again all of a sudden..."
"I've got plenty more medicine. Want another?"
I clutched my head, trying to flop back down, but as I tilted, vials plural spilled from her pocket.
"Suddenly fine now."
"Good."
Just seeing them invoked divine grace like a miracle, wiping my dizziness clean.
Holy power's no joke.
"Urgh..."
Impressive as it was, what excuse now?
"...I haven't done confession yet?"
After agonizing, I threw out a petty but ironclad counter.
Procedural flaws invalidate outcomes. No confession? No penance!
Brilliant argument.
"I'm a priestess."
My brilliant idea shattered before the young priestess's eyes.
With a priestess, just send Emily out, shut the door, set up the confessional screen, and start.
Or drag me to church and shove me in the booth.
"Go easy if you can..."
Resistance futile, I rubbed my head pitifully to lighten the sentence.
"Don't worry. Considering your situation, nothing too harsh."
She opened the first page of the Bible in her left hand and held it out.
"William, just read the Bible diligently in this room. To end penance and leave, answer a few questions I give you correctly. Easy, right?"
"Yeees..."
Tears in my eyes, I nodded.
Compared to flawless Bible copying, 72-hour sleepless recitation, pilgrimages, or monastery lockup prayer, this was light.
I'd read it before; escape by tomorrow evening.
Probably...