Chapter 204
Chapter 204
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: Goddess Analysis -1
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Evil God-chan's analytical prowess matches mine or even surpasses it. Her insights, honed by years of experience and intuition, remain as sharp as ever despite being scaled down to 7%. She can even peek a little into mine and Pingvalrez's poker faces.
So, naturally, Yuna—whose expressions and emotions are Bluetooth-synced—was as easy to read as flipping over one's palm.
Evil God-chan pieced together the full story and hit the truth just from tossing out a few questions and watching Yuna's face.
The truth that I was once a woman who set the continent ablaze with passion, and that I'd seduced the Northern Grand Duke.
And the result?
"Puhahahahaha──!!"
"Stop."
"Heh, uhehe, ahahahahaha──!! Hiiik⋯⋯!"
"Stop laughing, you bastard!!"
It had been a full ten minutes of nonstop guffaws. This fucking bitch.
Evil God-chan kept laughing even after I flicked a chestnut at her head in rage and humiliation. She rolled on the floor clutching her stomach—it must've added ten years to her lifespan. Laughter extends life, right?
Mine, on the other hand, definitely got shaved down. I'm so pissed I could die.
As I fussed with my handkerchief, venting like some noble lady, Pingvalrez patted my shoulder—or pretended to—and spoke up.
"Why the sudden fuss? You boldly told me you were confident at seducing men. You even seemed subtly proud of it?"
"Teasing her isn't fun—it just pisses her off. You're different. Everything you do to me is fun and feels good."
"⋯⋯That's troubling. Hearing that out of nowhere. Prior warning next time, please."
Why the hell would my words need a warning?
Evil God-chan, still chuckling with echoes of laughter, wiped a teardrop from her eye with her finger and pressed me.
"So, so?"
"So what."
"Well⋯⋯ I was asking if you still have feelings for the Northern Grand Duke. The daughter of a guy you used to tangle with just shows up right in front of you. Jealous, maybe?"
"It wasn't that kind of relationship. 'Daisy' and I were friends. I'm a guy now. And it's iffy if she's even really his blood kin?"
Which made sense, because the reason 'Daisy' had stopped meeting me was that the Northern Grand Duke had gotten a fiancée.
From what she'd told me, he wasn't divorced or anything, so he'd probably married and started a family around then.
How the hell did he end up with a daughter this old?
Evil God-chan laughed again, asking if I'd nicknamed the Northern Grand Duke 'Daisy' because I couldn't remember his name—how could anyone's nickname be a flower name?
I seriously contemplated giving Evil God-chan a noogie.
Yuna, who knew what I was like back then, jumped into the conversation. When I was a total newbie at illusion magic with all my rough edges, she'd often helped me maintain and stabilize the holograms on her own.
So Yuna knew about the Northern Grand Duke too. She ran a quick calculation, tilted her head slightly, and floated a question mark.
"Yeah, time-wise⋯⋯ it doesn't line up?"
"Right. That young lady looks at least fifteen or older. When did I make Heart?"
"Lion Calendar Year 445. Heart graduated and went inactive in 448."
"It's 453 now, so even if 'Daisy' timed her marriage and birth perfectly, that's still eight years. A gap that big isn't just margin for error."
Something's off.
This contradiction would clear up easily if the young lady was just faking Northern Grand Duke blood ties. But I don't buy that.
The link between Northern Grand Duke 'Daisy' and the young lady is real. Her sky-blue hair is unmistakable Northern blood proof, and I'd already verified it through Q&A. Like,
Stuff I'd heard directly from 'Daisy' about internal family matters, or details only someone who'd lived long-term in his mansion would know⋯⋯ like whether the mahogany bookshelf was still there.
She nailed every answer. Even the trap questions. So this poor girl kidnapped by a lunatic holy knight really is from the Northern Grand Duke's house.
So where the hell does an eight-year gap minimum come from?
Just super early puberty?
Or maybe tied to why she traveled all the way here with just two attendants?
But none of that really mattered. As 'Daisy's' friend, I'd met his daughter, so I'd show some loyalty. That's all.
Not ditching a family trip to help out. Strictly incidental.
If she wants, drop her in the nearest city with pocket money for travel, done. Otherwise, we'd keep her safe and send one message to the Northern Grand Duke's house.
While I zeroed in on the girl right in front of me, Yuna seemed to be looking at the bigger picture. She murmured,
"What the heck's going on in the Northern Grand Duke's house⋯⋯."
"Magic Tower Master, something feel off?"
"Yeah. Remember Irid's think tank?"
I do. How thrilled I was at the free materials. The members were pretty unique too. One Crimson Magic Tower mage, Bloodwind Princess Elaine, and.
"Former High Cardinal, now field priest Julius⋯⋯ Same family name as the Northern Grand Duke. Probably brothers."
Right. There was a Julius there.
I'd brushed it off as a common name coincidence, but now it clicked—same family?
Back then, buried in isolated research, I had no clue about the weight of a High Cardinal position. But with all my experience now, it's different.
The Goddess is an immense power. The Goddess Church monopolizes her divine energy, and a High Cardinal there wields massive authority.
And he'd held that post, even briefly.
So the Northern Grand Duke's house right now:
1. 'Daisy' is still the Northern Grand Duke.
2. His brother is an ex-High Cardinal turned field priest—kicked out.
3. His eldest daughter has this weird timeline issue and is way out here far from Northern lands for some unknown purpose.
Lining it all up, it reeks of something shady and ominous. As his old friend, I couldn't help worrying. 'Daisy', what the hell are you going through?'
Even if I'd ditched Heart's looks, I still believed our friendship endured. We were friends.
Once I cleared my urgent stuff, maybe I'd poke around discreetly⋯⋯.
"What, dying to know about the ex you fucked and dumped?"
"You're done. Time to feel my joint-crushing power."
"Th, aaaaaak──!!"
I mercilessly cranked up Evil God-chan's pain sensitivity and gave her a noogie.
Shocked by the sight, the young lady asked Pingvalrez in a what-the-hell-is-this voice.
"Uh, is that... okay⋯⋯?"
"Ah, no worries, Erbasilion lady. That girl's not what she seems. She's tight with a captured demon, so stay sharp⋯⋯ By the way, like girls?"
"Pardon?"
"Hey Pingvalrez! If you're gonna seduce the lady, seduce me too! You're always ignoring me⋯⋯?!"
And so time passed.
We decided to rest in the village a bit. The young lady was in rough shape anyway, and we had some investigating to do.
So chatting with her got pushed back.
We split into two teams again. Yuna and Yuri would feed the lady and help her recover.
Me and Evil God-chan would scout the village.
Since we'd sensed the Queen's traces on that fallen holy knight, who knew—maybe some shady altar or magic circle hidden somewhere. If you're pulling weeds, get the roots too.
"Here?"
"Smells like here."
Halt. Our feet stopped dead at the same time.
The Queen's stench was overpowering. I kicked the door wide open and strode in. Evil God-chan trailed behind.
Looked like the holy knight's digs, crudely reworked into a chapel knockoff. Altar up ahead, with a glass vial perched on it like treasure.
The second she spotted the vial, Evil God-chan bolted.
"⋯⋯I'll snag it! Wait, Demoness!"
"? Wait."
Why "fetch" without me ordering? Not like her. Suspicious.
Snap!
I snapped my fingers, signaling Gingoa. Whirrr! Dozens of straps shot from her collar, wrapping her body in an instant.
Full-body bind success. Evil God-chan faceplanted mid-charge.
"Ugek!"
"What were you up to? Stay put, punk. I'll check it out."
Pop. I uncorked the vial. Obvious Queen's info at a glance, but with Evil God-chan acting shady, better inspect thoroughly.
Squinted to check the color. Clear.
"⋯⋯Ha, don't! Don't look!"
Sniffed it too. Queen's signature mind-melting allure. But... a hint of impurity mixed in.
Taste it, and I'd know for sure.
"Don't do iiiit──!!"
Her blushing, flailing panic made me pause mid-tilt. Wheels turned fast.
Queen's info. Final battle—I'd thought Yuna subtracted it all clean. But remnants lingered, and Evil God-chan scarfed them like a pig.
Then she learns I'd forgotten her, flies into a rage, accidentally trips Gingoa's trigger.
Overloaded by the suppression info dump, she loses body control and leaks the Queen's info.
She knew she'd eaten the remnants. Knew I'd chew her out, knew she'd have to explain—so she hid it.
It all clicked.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Silence hung heavy. I slowly turned, looming over Evil God-chan. Her face screamed 'Please don't find my secret test scores.'
Impish grin when teasing my Vtuber tales, but now? Sweat pouring, lips mumbling, eyes darting away at contact.
Brow cocked defiantly like she had nothing to hide, but her inner turmoil blew the act.
I flashed a saintly, gentle smile and prodded.
"You did it, huh?"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"
She flinched. Agitation leaked out.
I beamed wider. Clever Evil God-chan got the implication.
"No, no no, hey, hey! Don't you dare!"
"Huuuuum──."
"Whatever it is, don't! You might wake up dead one night⋯⋯."
"──Guys!! Evil God-chan drew maps on her sheets at her age!! And her fanatics worship those sheets!!"
"Hey──!!"
I pocketed the vial and bolted out yelling for the world to hear. Had to spread this joy to Pingvalrez and Yuna.
Full-body bound? No way she could catch speedy free-me, let alone muzzle my mouth.
"Wow, how'd you survive this long with sheet accidents."
"⋯⋯I'll kill you. Not an easy death, you crazy mageeee!"
"Isekai water-attribute mapmaker threats ain't scary."
"Uaaaaah!!"
Her shame-play tomato face? No side dishes needed. Hardtack tasted sweet.
The young lady's expression kept souring, though⋯⋯.
With that, Evil God-chan and my score for the day: 1-1. Tie.
Now that Evil God-chan's sheet-map fiasco had blown up, I was aware: her leaked Succubus Queen's info existed out there somewhere.
She'd testified it leaked about a week ago in Elmest territory—not spread too far yet. Probably still circulating locally.
We were en route to keep her promise with the boy.
But now an unintended side quest: snag more Queen's info along the way. Seemed easy enough.
"Exclusive tracking spell done."
"⋯⋯Monster bastard."
I'd whipped up a tracker.
Clop clop. Pingvalrez pulled the cart. I fanned her from the driver's seat; the young lady gawked wide-eyed from inside at the human-drawn ride.
Straight shot to Elmest territory.
Gazing at the passing forest trail, a thought hit. I pulled out a notebook and jotted.
The Queen impersonated the Goddess to puppet holy knights. Doubt she's got just one 'fallen cleric.' More out there.
And high odds they hold Queen's info. So this short trip? Smashing rotten Goddess Church skulls.
Prime chance.
Test subjects for Goddess research.
Notebook top: Goddess Analysis. Skip a line, hammer down a 1. Log the revelation.
Holy knights fall to Queen's temptations—lust after women, murder or kidnap innocents to sell—yet divine power flows. No divine smiting.
Rulers must purge emotions. Winter in a world-shaper's heart? Not weird.
Heaven and earth aren't benevolent; they see all things as straw dogs.
Thus.
1. The Goddess doesn't distinguish good from evil. Or weights it negligibly low.