To Meet the Black Ghost

I passed Pelegor Hill and pressed on toward the Gamur Wasteland. Expeditions like this had become familiar by now. Still, I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. If only I'd had something to ride.

Isn't there a horse that tears down the road like a motorcycle? Sigh. I'll have to rummage through the territory later and see if there's anything worth mounting.

Truth be told, the original Lashu had preferred walking everywhere. That, too, was Mother's training — refusing to lean on a mount, making the long round trips on foot to temper himself. Mother, you really are a constructive woman. Unfortunately, I find this stretch of time incredibly boring.

I forded rivers and crested ridge after ridge along the way, and still I didn't tire. Given the nature of the mission, they'd probably given me time to spare. A dull road, sure — but I had company, didn't I?

"How truly wondrous this is."

"What is?"

"Seeing the world through you. This world was supposed to be mine, originally."

"Goddess, if it isn't too forward of me — may I ask why humanity betrayed you?"

Assuming she even knew the reason. Humans were mortals. Gods were transcendent, immortal. The way they thought sat at opposite poles — a gulf wider than the one between men and women. The only reason I was asking at all was that the whole thing refused to sit right with me no matter how I turned it over.

I had never seen a historical record of humanity betraying the goddess. Not in the game, and not in the original world's lore either. Mankind turning its back on a god? How was that even possible?

Isis said nothing. A sensitive subject after all, then?

I trudged across the stepping stones and skipped a rock out over the river. It hopped rather beautifully, bouncing once, twice, again.

"There we go. You don't have to tell me. I just want you to be comfortable, Goddess."

Whatever the truth was, it didn't matter. All I wanted was for her to be at ease.

"The truth is, I do not know either."

"Ah... you don't?"

"That is... even after your lord and his men woke me, it has been the same. I have no memory of it. As if my memories evaporated along with the power that once dwelt inside me."

I scratched my cheek at that. Memories gone with her power. So that was what she'd meant at our first meeting, when she said she could have easily dispatched the lord and his men.

That has to be miserable. A goddess who's lost her power, with her memories full of holes. Every day might just be one long stretch of torment.

Then Isis asked me something.

"A moment... may I release my spirit form? I wish to walk at your side."

"Haha, do you really need my permission? As my goddess wills it."

At my answer, the goddess popped into existence right in front of me. Had a bit of a magical-girl vibe to it, honestly. It felt like I hadn't seen her in person in a while. Isis was still radiating that uniquely arrogant, luxurious air that belonged to a goddess and a goddess alone.

"Hmph. S-so... have you been well?"

"What kind of greeting is that? Hahah. I've been fine! You already know that, right?"

"Tsk, I know that! Do you humans not inquire after one another's well-being in this manner?"

"To think you would seek to learn and understand the ways of mortals. I am humbled."

I dipped my head with all due ceremony. Isis folded her arms and snorted.

"Hmph. As you should. Know that it is an honor, apostle."

Goddammit, that cuteness was cheating. No matter how I looked at it, the goddess really was the best.

And so we walked. On our way to meet the Black Ghost.

I glanced over. With every step, Isis's ample chest swayed naturally, and through the sheer fabric of her dress I could see the tattoo over her womb glowing faintly. Even so, I didn't get hard. Strangely enough, there was a calm about her that settled something in me.

"Still, thou art the only one who thinks of me, apostle."

"Well, isn't that obvious? I'm the only one who even knows you've woken up."

"Nay. There will be others, in truth."

"...Others? Who?"

Who else was there? Ah — she was a goddess. Maybe she had family?

"I cannot remember, but if a god has messengers or errand-runners, who do you suppose they would be?"

Angels, maybe? Come to think of it, she's a goddess — so why aren't there any priests or attendants?

Now that I turned it over, I had never once heard of priests or worshippers who followed Isis. Huh. Strange. She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

"I believe I may have had a family as well... but the memory is faint."

"You don't have to force yourself to remember. I'll work harder. I'll grow stronger, and I'll be of use to you, Goddess."

At that, the goddess stopped walking. She gazed at me in silence — then suddenly threw her arms around me.

"Hurgh!"

"Haauunn♥ Even if thou art my apostle, to be so upright and manly! I am a blessed goddess indeed!"

Squeeeze. Squish.

Two plump, springy mounds of flesh crushed against my face and squeezed the air from my lungs. It didn't hurt, though. I was happy. If I suffocated like this, I felt like I'd go straight to heaven.

Then Isis let me go.

"Hmph. Do not misunderstand. It is only natural. I-I embraced thee merely, umm, merely..."

"I just want you to be happy, Goddess."

She looked at me as if startled. Thought about it for a second, then smiled.

"As I have said before — the stronger thou growest, the more of my power and memories I shall reclaim."

"Yes. That's why I keep promising to give it everything I have. Your happiness is my happiness, Goddess!"

Color rushed into Isis's face all at once. In other words, she went red.

We started walking again. After a stretch of silence, she turned her head.

"Hmph, I know such things without thee speaking them! Thy lust is my lust as well. Foolish apostle that thou art!"

What was she even saying? Was she doing this on purpose?

She was too adorable. Goddammit, I wanted to pin her down right now and ram my cock into that tight, juicy cunt of hers.

Too cute. Goddess-mama really is the truth, after all!

I drooled without meaning to. We climbed a gentle rise, and at last a mansion ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠came into view below.

It was fairly large. Bigger than our lord's manor, from the look of it.

"There it is."

A single mansion sat alone in the middle of the forest, clashing with the woods around it in a way that felt almost wrong. It had gone a long time without care — vines wrapped the walls in places, and the roof was broken through. It didn't look abandoned so much as haunted. Thoroughly grotesque.

"Hard to believe anyone lives there. Does a ghost actually live in it?"

"Heh heh. Then I shall exorcise it for thee. A mere stray spirit is nothing!"

I liked seeing the goddess so full of fight. Isis looked down at the mansion and delivered her verdict.

"How crude it is, in any case."

"It probably didn't used to look like that. Still, if two people lived there, it might be pretty cozy, don't you think? Haha."

"T-the two of us? With whom do you wish to... live there?!"

She was trying to play it cool and failing spectacularly. Should I tease her a little?

"With Mom. A son's gotta be filial."

Isis blinked at me, then turned her back.

"Hmph! Fool! Idiot! Ape!"

I wrapped my arms around her from behind.

"Heh heh. Of course I meant living with you, Goddess! Got you, didn't I?"

"Tsk. It's obvious you made that up on the spot."

"I did not! Once I move out from Mother's place, I'm going to build a house like that with you, Goddess, and spend all day having sex. I figure that's what love is. That's what happiness is!"

At that, the goddess's entire body started to heat up. She trembled from head to toe.

"U-uuuh... I shall take my leave!"

Isis slipped back into spirit form. Wait, was she actually mad?

Then her voice reached me.

"Do not speak such vulgar things! Hmph, I am a goddess — a goddess! Vulgar apostle that thou art!"

Ah, she's adorable. Teasing Goddess-mama is the most fun thing in the world. What a rush!

It was such a contrast to how bloodthirsty she'd been at our first meeting. Maybe that was just how gods were. Intimidating if you didn't know them — and once you did, warmer than anyone.

I headed down the slope. I thought a stretch of quiet might be coming, and then—

"The next time you have a moment!"

"Huh?"

"When you have time, you shall visit my temple. I will guide you. Understood? I refuse to accept a refusal."

"Oh, now that's interesting. Yes, I understand. My goddess!"

A pretty out-of-nowhere remark. So she did have a temple.

Is there something she wants to show me? Cute. Sex in a temple, maybe? Slurp.

As I drew near the mansion, a smashed carriage came into view, and around it lay scattered bones — whether they had belonged to people or beasts, I couldn't tell. A few crates had been broken open, and the food ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠inside had gone far enough to stink. Grim, all of it.

That smell is nasty.

Alright. This was the part that mattered. Why had Lewia gone out of her way to tell me to drive out the beastkin living here?

There's something important around here, or inside that mansion, isn't there?

Just in case, I searched the area. I was going through the wreckage of the carriage, shifting a few of the skeletons aside, when a ledger turned up. I looked it over — and froze.

This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is the neighboring lord's ledger. The hell?

I couldn't believe my eyes.

I looked down at the ledger and clicked my tongue.

What? In the setting, the neighboring lord is supposed to be a diligent, upstanding man — the opposite of ours. So why does this exist? Doesn't look forged, either.

There was no reason to fabricate something like this. But was the neighboring lord really this kind of man? Every crime had his seal on it. That was a smoking gun.

Wow. There's not a single person in this world you can trust. What a piece of trash.

"Am I one of them as well?"

No, ma'am. I'd trust you even on my deathbed, Goddess!

"Hmph. Fool that you are...♥"

I stashed the ledger in my ring at once.

This is a goldmine. I can do something with this. Something useful. Heh heh.

Even I had to admit that was a pretty sinister laugh. Then a question surfaced.

This was genuinely important. It was the dirty laundry of a territorial lord.

Why hasn't anyone recovered this yet? Isn't this a huge deal?

Back in the real world, a single scandal like this was enough to bury a politician or a celebrity alive. The lord couldn't possibly not know about it. So why leave it sitting here?

Judging by the bones, whatever had happened here was already fairly old. If they'd left it this long even after all that time...

They wanted to recover it. They just couldn't.

Rustle.

I heard someone outside. I pulled myself out of the carriage, and a copper-skinned woman with rabbit ears was staring straight at me.

Wild black hair fanned out in every direction, some of it gathered up and tied, with slightly longer locks framing her face. Sun-bronzed skin that called to mind a South American beauty, and orange eyes like cut gems. On top of that, a pair of huge, firm breasts whose lines showed through her thin clothes without a hint of shame. She looked wild and uninhibited, and those perked rabbit ears were charming enough that I wanted to touch them.

I couldn't look at her that way, though. I was too busy being horrified.

They said there was a Black ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ghost, and it's really her? Pretty sure it is.

Three lights shone near her solar plexus. Which meant she was Runner Late.

My hand tightened on its own.

If a ledger this sensitive got out, it wouldn't do anyone any good — and the reason they still haven't recovered it is her!

That was when I noticed there were even more corpses scattered around than I'd first thought. Had they starved to death out here? No. Someone had killed them.

The Black Ghost grinned. A flash of white teeth, unnervingly attractive.

"Heheh, another human showed up~?! And a pretty small one at that? Still a male, though — I'll eat you up real good!"

"Give me a break. A lot of people are pretty uncomfortable with you being here, you know that? Do me a favor and step aside. Let's keep this civilized."

"Get lost. If you've got a problem, prove it with your skills. Brat."

"Skills?"

"That's right. Who knows? If you beat me, the great Black Ghost here might even fuck you. Heheh!"

This woman was completely insane. I drew my sword and leveled it at her.

"Fine. I'll blow your mind."

Sword in hand, I charged.