Chapter 296: And the Place Where All Miracles Begin (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 296: And the Place Where All Miracles Begin (1)
Stroke, stroke—
As I stroked her hair, Hayang rubbed her cheek against my chest with a satisfied expression.
“Hyam~ Ian. Scratch under my chin too...”
“There, there. Does that feel good?”
“Ppyaya... Yeah, it’s gud...”
Hayang was adorable when she was clinging to me in tears, but seeing her nestled in my arms with such a happy smile was even more precious.
Squeeze—
I pulled Hayang closer into my embrace and looked up at the ceiling.
‘...I can feel it.’
From the moment I shared a bond with Hayang, I felt it clearly.
From high above, Goddess Alice was calling for me.
However, unlike in the past, when I was forcibly summoned the moment I filled the necessary Fate Energy, this time the choice to respond to that call rested entirely with me.
I didn’t know if she was being considerate because it was the final summons, or if my ‘Fate Energy’ had grown so large that she could no longer easily force her will upon me...
But there was no need to stall for time.
I had already finished the necessary preparations.
“I think it’s time for me to go. You remember what I told you, Hayang?”
“...Of course, Ian. Don’t worry.”
Chu—
I whispered softly as I kissed Hayang’s forehead.
“Right. Then, I’ll be back.”
“Come back soon, Ian.”
Nod—
The moment I closed and opened my eyes to signal my acceptance of the invitation, the surrounding scenery shifted.
It was the infinite white space I had grown somewhat accustomed to—a void with no discernible end.
Tap— Tap—
How long had I been walking through that space?
“Welcome, Lord Ian!”
From behind me came the exact same greeting I had heard when I first arrived here.
Swish—
Turning my head, I saw Goddess Alice in her white dress, smiling brightly.
“I’ve been waiting for a very long time♪”
Flash!
An appearance that made the world shine just by existing.
Flawless white skin contrasted with black eyes that seemed to hold the entire universe, and cherry-blossom-colored hair that flowed down to her waist.
Fitting for the ‘Goddess of Love,’ she possessed a beauty that could make anyone fall in love, just as she had when we first met.
Grip!
“As expected of Lord Ian, you’re amazing! I knew you could do it! Look! Now you’re perfectly fine even when I hold your hands, aren’t you?”
Alice, holding both of my hands in hers, beamed with joy like a child.
She looked truly happy at the fact that, for the first time in her life, she could touch someone without worry.
Certainly, in the past, this level of contact alone would have drained a massive amount of my Vital Energy and Fate Energy.
“You really are the man I chose! You gathered Fate Energy much faster than I anticipated. My choice wasn’t wrong after all!”
“It’s all thanks to your guidance, Goddess Alice.”
“Fufufu, you’re so humble. There’s no need to give me the credit. It’s all thanks to your charm and ability, Lord Ian.”
Goddess Alice winked and playfully poked my side.
“Ah, Lord Ian, you have no idea. How much I’ve dreamed of this day. I’ve waited... truly, for a very long time.”
“....”
“But the waiting is finally over! Because you’ve gathered all the Fate Energy required to form a bond with me! From now on, you will become my husband and we will live together happily forever...”
“Wait a moment, Alice. There’s something I want to ask first.”
I interrupted Goddess Alice, my voice low.
Perhaps sensing the weight behind my words, the goddess’s innocent, smiling expression faltered for a moment.
“Yes, yes! Anything! It’s a question from my future husband, so of course I must answer!”
“Thank you. Then, I shall ask.”
“Great! Um, but if you’re curious about my erogenous zones... wouldn’t it be better for you to find out for yourself rather than hearing it in words? Or perhaps you’d like to develop a new spot? If I were to give you a hint, I’m...”
“Why did you do it?”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“Everything.”
At those words, Goddess Alice’s expression froze for a split second, but she quickly regained her bright smile.
“Hmm? I’m sorry, Lord Ian. I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about?”
However, her current smile was like a mask—the corners of her mouth were turned up, but her eyes weren’t laughing.
“Actually... I didn’t realize it until today. No, you made sure I wouldn’t realize it.”
It was something obvious if I thought about it for even a moment, yet I hadn’t been able to think of it at all, as if a wedge had been driven into my mind.
But the moment my status rose through my relationship with Hayang, that wedge melted away, and the severed flow of my thoughts finally reconnected.
‘...I’m sorry, Evelyn.’
I swallowed a bitter smile inwardly.
How frustrated Evelyn must have been all this time.
Even if she hadn’t said it directly, she had expressed her affection so clearly that it was impossible not to notice, yet I had failed to see it.
No, it wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to put it into words.
‘I-Ian...! ...I... you...!! ...Lo...’
—BOOM!!! —BANG-BANG-BANG!!!
‘Huh? What did you say?’
‘...Go... and buy something to eat.’
Every time Evelyn was about to confess her feelings, or conversely, every time I was about to confess to her, the world itself would interfere.
Yes, as if someone refused to allow me and Evelyn to be united.
That wasn’t the only suspicious point.
—A dragon is a ‘being loved by the world.’ The world itself steps in to protect them. Who on earth could possibly turn such a dragon into that horrific state?
Elfriede’s words weren’t wrong.
Cursing a dragon would be impossible for anyone who wasn’t another dragon or a Great Demon from the Dark Age.
But Hayang was the last dragon of this world, and the demons of the current era were incomparably weaker than those of the Dark Age.
—...Then the conclusion is clear. There is only one person in the world capable of making Hayang like that.
When Elfriede said those words, she was referring to me, who knew Hayang’s ‘True Name’...
—Then! In the name of the Goddess of ‘Love’ and ‘Training,’ may you be blessed!
But standing before me now was the being who held more authority over ‘Love’ than anyone else in this world.
And finally.
The most definitive evidence was held in my hand.
Pop!
[Author: A■■ne] = [Anemone, Hayang]
[Hello. Hawawa, I’m a newbie~][35]
(Photo showing Hayang’s bare legs.jpg)
Please take care of me.
This was what I had asked Hayang to do before accepting Alice’s invitation.
As you can see, it was a perfectly ordinary shitpost with nothing special about it except for the photo.
However...
ㄴㅇㅇ(231.411): What the fuck is the admin doing?
ㄴVirgin Appraiser■: The smell of a total slut’s cum is driving me crazy driving me crazy driving me crazy driving me crazy
Yet, the Gallery still perceived Hayang much like they did during her ‘Strategic Nuke’ days.
Even though the ‘Curse of Worldly Hatred’ had clearly vanished after her metamorphosis.
In other words, the reason Hayang appeared as a Tactical Nuke in the Gallery...
Wasn’t simply because she was hated by the world, but because the Gallery system itself was set up to reject her.
“....”
After a long silence, the mask-like smile vanished from Alice’s face, replaced by a sigh filled with bitterness.
“Haa.... As expected of you, Lord Ian. You always deviate from the future I’ve seen. Still, I hoped my ‘Foresight’ would be right just this once.... I failed. It seems you’ve already reached the stage where you can use Fate Energy of your own will?”
“...Yes.”
I nodded.
I realized it when I formed contracts with the two Spirit Kings, and I became certain the moment I consumed the ‘Miracle White Powder.’
『Thou, do as thou wilt.』
Though it wasn’t perfect yet, just as Alice had once twisted the laws of the world using my Fate Energy...
I, too, had become able to exert ‘Forced Compliance’ upon the world.
“Fine... I don’t want to lie to you, Lord Ian. I will answer everything honestly.”
Snap!
As Alice snapped her fingers, the appearance of the Heavenly Realm transformed.
The infinite white space vanished, and in its place appeared a vast but empty garden that stretched beyond the horizon.
“Before that, let me introduce myself properly again. Lord Ian. I am Alice Whiteflanc, the administrator of this world and the Goddess with authority over Love and Training. Yes... your suspicions are correct.”
Grip—
Blood trickled from between my tightly clenched fists.
“...Have you been deceiving me from the start? Was it all a lie? Why? What on earth did you want from me that you would do such a thing?”
“No. Please believe me on this one thing. I have never once deceived you. Just as I told you during our first meeting, the threat known as the ‘Fragments of the End’ truly exists in this world. To stop it, you had to obtain Fate Energy and form a bond with me.”
“That’s not what I’m asking!! Why did Hayang have to suffer? If... if you needed my help, you could have just asked me... Why!! What did Hayang ever do wrong to deserve that...!!”
“It will sound like an excuse... but everything was an unavoidable choice. First... aside from your constitution that allows you to absorb Fate Energy, you were the best among all the ‘Gardens’ I’ve ever checked. You were a being who could make any ‘female’ bloom into a beautiful flower. However, there was one problem....”
Rustle—
As Alice scattered seeds in the empty garden, a golden flower was the first to sprout, growing with such vigor it seemed ready to cover the entire garden.
“To the flowers, the garden that is you was too fertile and magnificent. A flower that should have naturally occupied only a portion of the garden grew without restraint, just like this, leaving no room for other flowers to bloom.”
Flash!
I saw a future where I was united with Evelyn. I saw a future where I was united with Helen.
I saw a future where I was united with Yuris. I saw a future where I was united with Laplace.
I saw a future where I was united with Valentine. I saw a future where I was united with Laura.
I saw a future where I was united with Estelle. I saw a future where I was united with Poporing.
I saw a future where I was united with Elfriede. I saw a future where I was united with Chloe.
Flash! Flash! Flash!
And countless images of me being united with someone appeared behind Alice.
“...This is.”
“These are the futures I saw. As you can see, in every single future, you end up bonded with only one female. Of course, you might have been satisfied with that... but to save the world, that could not happen. They are all wonderful females... but no matter how good a female is, just one was not enough to gather the Fate Energy required to raise your status.”
Tap, tap—
Alice walked slowly toward me and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry, Lord Ian. I’m sorry for not finding a way to make everyone happy. I’m sorry for not being able to create an ending where no one is sacrificed. I’m sorry for hurting your heart. I’m sorry for being an incompetent goddess. But... I had to find a way to stop the ‘Fragments of the End’ no matter what. And so, among the 33,550,336 futures I observed, the one thing I discovered like a miracle was Anemone... no, is she called Hayang now?”
Flash!
The countless illusions gathered into one place, revealing the image of Hayang as a child.
“Anemone’s sacrifice was the only way for you to create a harem.”