Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Saint's Inner Thoughts Are Heard
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In that way, Victoria and I exchanged an act too indecent to even speak of.
We had resolved our sexual desires not with our own hands, but for the first time, with another's.
"......"
"......"
After that, only an awkward and heavy silence flowed between the two of us.
"It's rather frustrating. Stopping right before the climax like this, without even recouping the investment... my body feels feverish, as if I might go mad."
- Even now, I feel like I could surely conceive Lord Astal's child... Even if I were to cease being a Saint, I wouldn't care...
I could understand to some extent why Victoria was saying these things. Even I, if not for the trauma, would have pounced on her last night—the excitement and memories were that overwhelming.
In the end, despite not consummating the act in accordance with the Heavenly God's decree, all the bedsheets were soaked and soiled, and we even got scolded by the innkeeper.
"...I can still feel the warmth and scent from last night on my hands. So this is male sexual desire—it corrupts women and plunges them into a pit of lust."
Even after showering once, Victoria kept clenching and unclenching her hand, occasionally sniffing it and letting out such depraved inner thoughts, putting me in a difficult position.
She even showed strange behavior like bringing her fingers to her mouth, so I, who could read her inner thoughts, had no choice but to stop Victoria several times.
Since the Heavenly God had only permitted fingers this time, if she performed any sexual act with her mouth, she might cease to be a Saint.
"So, are you disappointed?"
"Yes, I am disappointed. Last night, you enjoyed my lewd body so thoroughly and even verbally degraded me, yet in the end, you didn't cross the line."
As she said this, Victoria was looking at me with a bewitching gaze. Having climbed the "adult staircase" once, it definitely created the illusion that she looked even more mature.
After spending last night together, I learned for the first time how white and smooth Victoria's skin was. Her voluptuous chest and lower body kept brushing through my mind.
"...You were always verbally degrading me before, too."
"That was to ensure you wouldn't harbor any lingering attachment to me. Ah, but now the situation is reversed. You're pushing me away because of your past guilt."
"......"
Hearing Victoria's words, I let out a deep sigh and covered my face with my palms.
There was nothing wrong with what she said. I was too ashamed to meet her gaze properly.
"So... I see the flowers have faded a bit... If we could have resolved the side effects of the miracle like this, why didn't we do it sooner?"
After spending the night with Victoria, I felt strange seeing the flowers blooming on my body disappear.
The prevailing theory we had uncovered so far was that gods could not directly influence the mortal realm. That's why they established Saints and Heroes as agents to carry out their will.
So why, this time, did they whimsically intervene to remove the flowers from my body? No matter how much I thought about it, it was an inconsistent result that I couldn't help but question.
"Do you remember the mural we saw in the Holy Kingdom's forbidden archive?"
At that moment, Victoria brought up an unexpected topic.
"Yeah, it was a picture of a massive, glass-fragment-like form with numerous gods clinging to it, fighting."
A mural depicting a scene of eleven gods fighting something. Recalling it, I nodded at her words.
Since it was an item kept in the Holy Kingdom Aurelium's forbidden archive, I had thought there must be some secret to it.
But why bring it up now?
"...While I was praying day and night to save you, Heavenly God Lumina mentioned that mural."
"The god who hadn't spoken a word all this time."
"Yes. Hearing the story, it seems there was a reason she couldn't speak until now."
- Will you believe what I say as is? Or will you just see me as a loose woman who schemed to seduce Lord Astal with lewd acts...
Victoria's inner thoughts showed hesitation, deliberately dragging out the conversation and wavering about revealing the truth.
"...I'll believe whatever you say, so speak honestly."
After reading that thought, I gently held Victoria's shoulders and looked into her eyes.
A gaze mixed with anxiety and impatience. The emotion of fearing our relationship might grow more distant flowed from her trembling pupils.
"It is said that the moment gods influence the mortal realm, an otherworldly being that simultaneously exerts its own power also appears."
"...What?"
"It's like a reflection in a mirror. If we raise our left hand, the being within the mirror also raises its left hand."
Victoria mentioned this shocking fact while moving her lips slightly. I had thought our enemy was ultimately the Demon King Ergothum.
"...You mean we have another enemy?"
"To be precise, think of it as another divine being supporting the Demon King. The reason your village was attacked is also because of that being, I'm told."
"Why are you telling me such crucial information only now...?!"
"Because we are the only ones who have successfully subjugated one of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings."
- I only learned this last night, too. I was also afraid that if I revealed the truth immediately, you might try to take your own life again...
Hearing Victoria's words, I twitched my eyebrows. Judging by the fact that no agitation or deceit was felt in her inner thoughts, it didn't seem to be a lie.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Because we are the only heroes among countless hero parties to have achieved results, we have earned the right to hear the truth."
- I'm sorry, Astal. Saving your life came first, so I judged it better to explain this truth later.
Victoria was looking down at me, but she slowly began to tell me everything.
For me, who could hear her inner thoughts, I could tell this was a matter she had agonized over and decided upon greatly.
"Right, I did think it was strange that Duran, one of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings, would bring an army to completely destroy such a small, remote village not even on the map."
"......"
"If his goal was the continent's overthrow, assassinating the Emperor or targeting the Grand Duke of the North would have been more effective!"
If they had disguised the Emperor's death as an assassination by another country or killed the Grand Duke of the North so monsters would pour down from the border, they could have ended the world without even sending troops.
"But the Demon King didn't do that. And now you're telling me, what? There's another mastermind behind that guy? Why are you telling me such important information only now...!"
I couldn't help but raise my voice toward Victoria with a hollow sigh. Because those bastards called gods were so detestable I couldn't stand it.
"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, Lord Astal."
Victoria bowed her head to me, offering words of apology instead. Even though she, too, was a victim who suffered from the side effects of miracles since childhood.
"Forget it. It's not your fault anyway. The side effects of miracles exist because of this thing called the Law of Causality."
As the pain-nullifying magic wore off, pain gradually began to visit my body. A level of pain that Victoria must have endured to save me was now unmistakably felt.
I clenched my molars tightly and couldn't bring myself to scold her. Because she was a Saint who sacrificed everything for me for the sole reason that she loved me.
"So... Then why did the Demon King invade my hometown of all places? You said Bellamora said something similar last time."
"...It's just speculation, but I think it's because you are the only one who can defeat the Demon King."
- After pondering it alone, this seems to be the only explanation that makes sense.
Victoria spoke while slowly stroking my cheek. A slight tremor could be felt in her touch.
"Isn't that the role of the Hero or the Saint? I'd think Kyle is a more reliable guy than me."
"...In the end, if it weren't for Lord Astal, this party would have been annihilated long ago. Do you truly not know the reason I fell in love with you? Women are weak to the men who save them."
"......"
Victoria, directly conveying her affection for me.
Her attitude of verbal abuse and teasing had vanished somewhere, replaced by her placing a hand over her own chest, savoring its heartbeat.
"Astal, my beloved. There are three things I want from you."
"...What are they?"
"First, until the flowers completely disappear, let's follow the Heavenly God's words together and prolong your life."
"Even though I might do shameless things to you? Who knows how far I might go next time..."
To indirectly refuse Victoria's proposal, I deliberately brought up the act I put on, pretending to be a bad guy.
Last night, to intentionally lower her affection, I had uttered lewd comments about her figure and body parts.
"It's fine. No matter how vulgar my body may be, if it becomes a means to seduce you, I will gladly accept it."
"Really...?"
"To be honest, it was a little exciting. To see you, who had been pushing me away so vehemently, become aroused, your pupils glistening with lust."
- As if to make me aware that I am your personal, lewd milking cow, you tormented me with incredibly sadistic words.
As she spoke, Victoria's cheeks flushed slightly. Her reddened ears and the heat she tried to cool by fanning herself with her hand.
"...I'm not a eunuch, you know."
"Yes, I am very well aware of that now. Of the magnificent and sturdy equipment you possess. It's a good thing I'm a devout Saint; if I were any other woman, upon seeing that, I would have begged you to let me fall into the pit of lust."
- Of course, I wanted to beg like that too... But saving your life and achieving revenge were more important.
Victoria licked her lips as if drooling while looking at the crotch of my pants, and I felt a slight chill from that gaze.
Just how sexually charged was she to harbor such thoughts inside? In contrast, I couldn't help but think her self-control was also remarkable.
Despite resolving our sexual desires so grandly that the bed was drenched in fluids, we ultimately didn't cross a certain line.
"...Second, let's extend our contract relationship until we capture the Demon King."
"Why until then? There's no benefit for me."
"By then, I will make Lord Astal fall in love with me. If your feelings remain the same as now even after that, then I will sort out my own feelings. And..."
- There's this benefit. Now we are people who have seen each other's precious parts that can never be shown to anyone else...
Victoria grabbed my wrist, then slowly pulled my hand, placing it on her left breast.
And,
forcing me to feel the soft, plump, heavy mass of flesh, she raised the corner of her mouth slightly.
"...Instead of alcohol or tobacco, I will let you enjoy my breasts to your heart's content. So, lastly, please quit smoking and drinking. I want you to live a long life."
"Isn't this a bit too perverted?"
Victoria had even shown the meticulousness of deliberately not wearing a bra. Within the gentle, spreading sensation, my fingers felt something catching.
"Last night, you used me as a side dish to relieve your sexual desires, and now you're picking on such details?"
"You were incredibly excited last night too. How much did you soil the bed while screaming my name...?!"
At that moment, I tried to retort to Victoria, but the sound of someone opening the door and entering made me hold my breath.
"Victoria, Astal, why aren't you two coming out of the room? The morning sun is already high in the..."
The spirit mage with bear ears and brown hair, Anima Silverbloom.
She saw our conversation, the sight of underwear and clothes scattered messily on the floor, and the grayish bed glistening with wet liquid, and closed her mouth.
"Ah, sorry! Am I interrupting? Take your time! I know you two are dating now anyway...! I'll tell Kyle I'll be late!"
First covering her mouth with her hand, then acting as if she saw nothing, Anima swiftly closed the door again and retreated.
"Wait, wait...!! Anima, hey! I can explain everything!"
"It seems we have even more reasons to continue our contract relationship."
Victoria approached without making a sound, hugged me from behind, pressing her chest against me.
"Surely, you don't plan to say we're nothing to each other now, after being the first to teach me the ecstasy of the flesh... I'd like to believe that's not the case."
- If you do, I will not hesitate to pounce on you, making me lose my virginity and cease to be a Saint, becoming just an ordinary woman.
She was revealing frightening inner thoughts directed at me.