134. Bonds Forged in the Holy Empire
My time in the Holy Bishura Empire passed in a whirlwind of busyness.
Even though our stay wasn't short, every single day was packed, leading to complaints from my party. Not from me, but from my women.
They had a bit less on their plates than I did. But what they craved—something that absolutely required a man, not just any woman alone—was naturally in short supply since I was so swamped. Unsurprisingly, resentment built up.
But that didn't last.
After the frantic early days, the latter half of the schedule eased up a little once we'd powered through the main events.
Dates became possible.
The first lucky one was the pink-haired Saintess, Elaine.
"...And this is it! Ta-da! The largest goddess statue on the continent!"
She proudly gestured over her shoulder to the statue behind her.
"...Yeah, I can tell just by looking."
I gazed up at the goddess statue we'd spotted from afar, letting out an impressed sigh right as she said "ta-da."
I'd thought it on the way over, but damn, it was every bit the gender-reversed world's goddess statue.
Normally, you'd picture a goddess statue standing benevolently or with hands clasped in prayer or something. But the massive one before us? Not even close.
Legs slightly spread, hands forming a heart—right over her womb. And despite the near-nudity of her outfit, the sheer size meant you couldn't see her underwear from below...
It's hidden.
That enormous crevice visible from way down here was burned into my retinas.
"They let you build something like that? Isn't that straight-up blasphemy...?"
I asked hesitantly.
But Elaine just shook her head.
"No way! The goddess herself approved it!"
"Oh... right."
"Only those who receive an oracle can sculpt her form."
"Huh?"
I blinked at her, confused.
All around us, vendors hawked souvenir goddess figurines. Most were smaller than my forearm, but even so, the sheer volume suggested way more than a handful of oracle-bearers could produce.
Reading my mind, the Saintess grinned mischievously.
"Imitations of existing forms are fine, like these little statues. But the originals..."
"Need an oracle, no exceptions?"
"Exactly."
I nodded, finally getting it.
No matter how I turned it over in my head, this was one hell of a world—and one hell of a goddess.
Her pre-regression trauma of being ravaged by other gods hadn't just twisted her; it had warped her entire disposition.
In a way, it was a blessing. She hadn't gone insane or turned dark from the trauma; she'd stopped at this level. Sure, the gods from other dimensions who got defiled, gender-swapped, and whatnot for crimes they hadn't even committed yet might beg to differ.
"...Wait, so this statue's pose too...?"
"Yep! Made exactly to the goddess's oracle!"
"Even that... thing you can see from here?"
"Of course!"
"......"
I shut my mouth, utterly dumbfounded.
Having your followers sculpt your pussy? Wild.
Suddenly, I was dying to see the originals of all the other statues too.
'They all look so goddess-like and spot-on... no wonder.'
"Hehe, we've circled it once—shall we head somewhere else?"
"Yeah, let's."
Elaine and I soon left for another spot.
"Next up... Hm-hmm~."
The Saintess hummed happily, her face lit with anticipation.
We were sightseeing the Holy Empire's capital, seizing this rare pocket of free time. Our guide? Elaine, who'd lived here nearly a decade. She didn't know the city inside out, though—most of her time had been spent as a novice nun or Saintess, no leisure for wandering.
So her recommendations stuck to goddess-church-related sites, but that was plenty for me.
Time's not unlimited anyway. Just dating Elaine is what matters.
I hadn't expected any date time at all, so I cherished every second.
And she felt the same.
"Sigh... It'd be perfect if we had a day like this all to ourselves."
Pink hair cascaded down as she hung her head with a sigh.
"It's just us two."
"Not really alone, though."
Elaine shot sharp glances all around the street.
The Third Saintess of the goddess church. And a once-in-centuries Saint with freakish talent as a hero.
No secret escorts for us wandering around? That'd be weirder.
"Still, a date like this is nice, right?"
Her eyes went wide at my words.
Watching her pale pink pupils—lighter than her hair—dilate, I thought she looked adorable, beautiful. I kept coming back to it, but among the Saintesses, pink suited her best.
"Date... Hehe. Yeah... A date. It's a date. Ehehe♡"
One word—"date"—and the Saintess was grinning like an idiot.
"Where to this time?"
"Lunch! There's a great spot nearby I know."
"Ooh, now I'm excited."
I followed her, pondering the Holy Empire's signature dishes.
The Holy Bishura Empire sat in the continent's north. Even by this world's standards, it was chilly compared to elsewhere. And it was only February.
The Holy Empire's famous for its spicy, warming foods.
The world had flipped in many ways, but local flavors held strong. Pre-regression, I'd never properly enjoyed their cuisine. Made it all the more tantalizing.
"Here it is!"
"...Huh?"
But Elaine shattered my expectations—in the best and worst ways.
"......Gukbap?"
"Yep! Gukbap."
"...What?"
With a dubious look, I let her drag me inside.
Soon, a steaming stone pot of broth and a bed of white rice appeared before me.
"For real? Gukbap?"
"The owner's a retired hero. Probably from the same homeland as you, Han Siu."
Elaine beamed, leaning in like she was fishing for praise.
I reflexively patted her head, sinking into a strange emotion.
Not what I'd pictured, but in my first timeline, it'd been over a decade without Korean food. This blast from the past stirred homesickness and a tender ache.
"...Han Siu?"
She called out, sensing something off in my expression and touch.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good."
"D-Did I mess up...? M-Maybe pork gukbap instead of beef...?"
"Haha, no, nothing like that."
I pulled my hand from her pink hair, gazing at her with the gentlest eyes.
"If anything, thanks. You let me taste something I've missed so much."
"Oh... Phew, good..."
For a split second, anxiety gripped the Saintess.
He seemed happy with the hometown food. But what if it stirred deep nostalgia? She'd been so focused on pleasing him that worry ballooned.
"It's fine."
"...Huh?"
"Seeing this confirmed it for me. Someday, I want to stay here over going back home."
"Ah..."
Elaine's blank face bloomed into radiance.
Words that washed away the lingering unease in her heart.
Her mouth wouldn't stop grinning. She didn't want to look like a fool in front of her love, but the moment was too huge. She itched to tell the other women right away.
"Stop grinning and eat already."
I scooped some gukbap and held it to her lips.
Elaine eagerly took the spoonful.
A bit hot, but delicious.
After the hearty meal, we returned to the papal palace.
Regrettably, our time was up at 3 p.m. Schedules resumed after.
Two hours left, but we came back early.
At Elaine's request.
"This place..."
"Remember it, Han Siu?"
"Forgetting would be weirder."
I chuckled softly.
A pillar hidden behind lush green foliage.
The spot where we'd snuck out during the New Year's banquet for some secret fun. We'd been deep into it when SS-grade hero Ariel Grande and the Second Saintess showed up—scared the hell out of us. There might've been one more, but details were fuzzy.
I turned to Elaine with a playful grin.
"So, why'd you bring me here, Saintess?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
With a lewd smile, she vanished into the bushes.
"...?"
What the—? Then something flew out from where she'd gone.
"...Haha."
Her clothes.
Her usual Saintess robes.
Soon, her face poked out from the foliage.
"Your slutty female Saintess is seducing the Saint♡"
"An offer I can't refuse."
Laughing, I followed her in.
There stood Elaine, wearing only her nun's veil and black garter belt.
"Haa, Han Siu...♡"
Back against the pillar, just like that day.
She spread her legs wide, pulling her pussy open with one hand.
Pink flesh matching her hair and eyes quivered. Already aroused, lewd juices trickled out. The picture of a slutty female Saintess, as she'd said.
"Fill your pink-pink slut Saintess... haa, thrust in deep...♡"
No Hildear on lookout duty today.
The holy knights secretly guarding us were probably nearby, but I didn't hesitate—pants off, closing in.
"This'll tide you over till 3?"
"Nothing beats sex with you."
Licking her lips with a lasciviously whorish expression, the Saintess purred.
"I've been starving, you know...? Haaang♡"
Before she finished, I pounced, pinning her down.
Soon, the bushes filled with her ecstatic moans and the wet slap of flesh.
By the way, the holy knights secretly escorting the Saint and Saintess took turns enjoying their own happy time—a secret just among them.