Chapter 60
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Grace of the Principal Wife
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To cut to the chase.
Rachel's listed advantages for herself were shot down amid fierce opposition from everyone else.
"Wh-why is that...?"
[Kids are watching. You can't do that. Stick to the all-ages rating.]
"Exactly! Flaunting something like that as an advantage? Sure, the young ones these days are open-minded, but that's going too far."
"Th-then... does that mean sexy underwear is off-limits too...?"
[Karin, Karin... what on earth are you saying...?]
"Oh dear... I never saw you that way..."
Well... there was a bit of minor commotion in the process.
Anyway. After the new rule No sexy stuff! was added.
The discussion resumed with Rachel's turn once more.
"If my body won't do... then what on earth should I offer...?"
...!
"Ah...? W-would that be okay, Goddess...?"
...!!
"Y-yes...! If I'm to become your principal wife, this is no loss at all...! I'll go for it double...!!!"
...!!!
"S-sorry, sisters... I'll be taking this round...! Even if I got help from the goddess... th-the world of competition is a cruel one...!"
"Suddenly declaring victory? What an arrogant brat."
"Heehee... W-well... because I'll offer you the goddess's blessing...!"
[Blessing?]
"Yes! With the goddess's blessing, you'll be healthy your whole life without ever worrying about illness, overflowing with strength...! All you need is to touch the ground...!"
"Hm... No wonder I sense such a thick earthly aura from you. It's because the goddess you serve is a deity tied to the land."
"Y-yes...!"
"Heh heh... In that case, you'd best give up. The brat has no need for such a lame blessing from your goddess."
"...Pardon? Wh-what do you mean...!?"
Whoa! Saying Father doesn't need the goddess's blessing? What could that possibly mean?
Do you know anything about this, Lavris commentator?
"Of course I know! Deities tied to the earth usually grant blessings related to the body!
That's why most warriors desperately seek such blessings, but the master's case is different!"
How so?
"Because the master's body isn't frail enough to need a blessing!
It's already beyond specs as is—what difference would one more make?
Plus, blessings usually come with the condition of serving that deity to activate. It's a hassle! Better off without it!"
"Ah, is that how it works?"
['Mother of High Mountains' wishes to bestow a blessing.]
[Will you accept the blessing?]
[YES][NO]
"Guess I'll have to decline, then."
[Blessing declined.]
"H-how can that be... He doesn't need the goddess's blessing...?"
"Your goddess seems prepared to take a loss, but unfortunately, the opponent is m—"
"...H-husband must be overflowing with power to say that...? Heehee...♡ I absolutely won't let you go, husband...♡"
"...I just can't understand kids these days."
[Rachel's the weird one. Don't drag down the average of today's youth.]
Anyway.
After that, Rachel sat back down, licking her lips with a sly smile.
Next up was Karin, who had been silently pondering until now, stepping forward to state her own merits.
"My lord. I've thought deeply, and among what I have, the most useful thing is this body of mine... So I believe offering it is the best choice."
"Oh dear. Did you already forget the promise we just made (No sexy stuff!)?"
"That's not what I mean by offering my body! Well... if it's what you desire, I'd accept that too... but anyway, no...!"
[I get what you mean, so calm down, Karin.]
[Don't interrupt. Hear her out, Progenitor. Karin's different from Rachel.]
"Hm... Very well, for now."
"Thank you. Benefactor. To continue, what I can offer you is to leverage all I've experienced and learned so far. In other words, to become a 'sword' just for you, handling your tasks in your stead."
"You mean you'll subordinate yourself to the brat and handle all the dirty work?"
"Precisely. I haven't fully recovered my peak strength yet, but I'll bridge that gap with experience."
[Only one eye, but now that your vision's back, no average climber's a match for you. You were once called Sword Ghost alongside Palace Ghost, after all.]
"...A shameful past."
[What was your highest floor back then?]
"49th floor, but my current strength feels around the early 40s."
Searching the gallery for 'Karin candidate Sword Ghost' yields shocking results!
Records confirm she served as the Management Bureau's 'sword,' beheading not just monsters but all sorts of villainous climbers!
"Hmnyang... So the samurai-nyang is saying she'll handle the bad people bothering Daddy-nyang in his place...?"
That sounds about right!
"A sword wielded solely for Daddy? That's so cool! Arin thinks it's great!"
"I agree! A being of Master's caliber needs a vanguard to cut down enemies! What do you think, Master!"
"I was planning to form an organization that follows my orders alone soon, so if I made Karin its leader... it might not be a bad idea?"
Karin candidate! Ends her statement with high praise from Father!
It started as mere child's play.
But surprisingly, Karin's proposal was worth serious consideration, so I mulled it over thoughtfully.
"Now it's my turn!"
Next, the pathetic progenitor popped up from her seat, proudly thrusting out her modest chest.
"Ahem...! Listen well, brat. Unlike those unweaned blood clots, I have much to offer you.
If you wish, I can bestow peerless divine arts I've created, share my true blood to make you kin, or even let you become the leader of the new Blood Cult!"
[New Blood Cult? What do you mean?]
"Heh heh...! Thanks to the 'mental stabilizer' you gave me, Lin will awaken soon!
Then, with Lin's missionary work, the Blood Cult becoming this nation's state religion is only a matter of time!
But imagine if you became its leader and guided the Blood Cult?"
[Well... Rowan wouldn't, but it'd be a huge success?]
"Exactly! The unprecedented leader who revives the Blood Cult—greater than ever before!
So for your hard work, I could reward you. For example... the position of my husband...!"
[Hey, Progenitor. Didn't you say no sexy stuff yourself?]
"I did."
"Y-yes...! You cackled like an old fox—! But now calling husband... so shameless...!"
"Quiet! You started it, so why can't I? And who're you calling an old fox?! Watch your mouth before I rip it!"
"Eek...! B-but... doesn't your goddess find it embarrassing at her age...?"
"Wh-what did you say—!? You lucky idol-worshipping native god! How dare you mock me—!!!"
Whoa! As the summit drags on, things are heating up!
"This is lasting longer than expected. Gods and transcendentals don't usually get along."
Any reason why those two don't get along?
"Their existences are similar yet fundamentally different.
As the pathetic progenitor says, gods are transcendent beings or concepts born from worship and faith.
Transcendentals are mortals who overcame trials, proved themselves, and transcended their species' limits."
Inborn transcendentals from worship/faith vs. earned transcendentals through effort/proof!
"Put simply, yeah. Gods and transcendentals don't mix well."
"...? Hey, Lavris. Didn't you say constraints prevented you from explaining when I asked?"
"Passing floor 15 and regaining some old form loosened the constraints! I can say this much now!"
"Just checking... you're not holding back again this time, are you?"
"You didn't ask!"
"...Useless axe."
"I'm not useless! Orcs only answer what's asked by default!"
Anyway.
While the pathetic progenitor menaced Rachel in a fight.
I seriously considered her proposal...
'Setting aside making me her husband. Doesn't it boil down to becoming a vampire or a cult leader?'
...Nothing appealing except the peerless divine arts.
And even that seemed like a hassle to learn, so I dismissed it as inferior to Karin's offer.
"Pathetic progenitor! Old fox! Senile hag! ...The goddess says."
"Argh—! I'll tear you to shreds and grind you to dust! You damned goddess—!!!"
[Sigh... Fine, calm down.]
[No more to say? Sit down.]
"Ugh...! We'll settle this later, you lewd brat."
"Y-your flat chest must make your heart narrow too... th-the goddess... s-says..."
"...I promise you this, lewd brat. Your goddess won't die pretty. No matter what it takes, I'll turn her into a fountain spewing blood forever."
"H-hiiik...!"
Anyway.
The pathetic progenitor sat back down, grinding her teeth and glaring murderously.
After all the twists and turns, the final turn went to PhD, who rose lightly and spoke.
[Finally my turn... So, Rowan?]
[This big sis can't offer grand things like goddess blessings, Blood Cult leadership, or my one body. Marriage included.]
[What I can give is pretty ordinary compared to that—stuff you see everywhere.]
"Ha! Can't even offer that much and expect the brat's favor?!"
"I-is she going all out claiming to be the principal wife...? So arrogant...! I'm so jealous...!!!"
"Hm... I'm a bit uneasy. Her confidence means she's got something up her sleeve..."
Whoa! How will she handle the backlash saying that?!
"PhD-nyang's a seasoned hunter-nyang! She definitely has a plan-nyang!"
"She's smiling faintly. Like a cheetah on the prowl."
"Show us, PhD! The ability that captivated my master!"
...No matter how I thought about it, that seemed normal, right...? For a moment.
But after hearing PhD's next words.
I found myself rethinking what 'normal' even meant.
[First off, right now I can offer that 30-story building you see downtown.]
"...Huh? S-sis Karin...? You mean that building over there...?"
[Yeah. That building's mine.]
A light start.
She began by offering me a high-rise visible even from Karin's place.
[I'll also let you pick any one rare material I have.]
[I'd love to give them all, but many are still under analysis.]
"M-my lord! Benefactor has not just unnamed rares off the exchange, but even dragon materials! This is an incredible opportunity!"
Unlike ordinary materials buyable with money.
She promised one ultra-rare material unattainable without top credentials.
But PhD didn't stop there...
[But that might not match the value of your elixir... How about I carve off some of my shares in Cheongsung Group?]
[Your status as my relative means we can transfer discreetly in small batches.]
...Casually offering shares from Korea's top conglomerate, Cheongsung Group.
Flabbergasted, I listened to the ensuing conversation.
"Brat. If my recollections from Lin's memories are accurate, isn't that Cheongsung place the nation's premier trading house? How do you have shares...?"
"Y-yes...! Even as a sister, that's too much boasting...!"
[Hm? Karin, didn't you tell the kids?]
"...I told no one, in preparation for any contingencies."
[Everyone who needs to know already does. What big secret is that?]
[My grandfather's the Cheongsung Group chairman, so I have some shares, that's all.]
Yeah... apparently so.
No wonder her money seemed bottomless.
PhD turns out to be top-tier chaebol royalty.
...But wait.
Even if I'm practically family to PhD.
Wouldn't accepting shares make me pseudo-royalty too?
Is it really okay to take this...?