Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: The City of Pleasure, Sodomora, and the Goddess's Holy Knight #3
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There’s a wrestling move called the bear hug.
It’s a technique where you wrap your arms around the opponent’s sides like a bear, squeezing with all your might to crush their ribs, waist, and back, inflicting agony.
Of course, the person on the receiving end isn’t just going to sit there, so this move usually works when there’s a big difference in size or strength.
In other words, hulking Samaritans like me are usually the ones dishing out bear hugs, while puny goblin shits are the ones getting their spines snapped by this passionate embrace.
Crunch.
“Gaaahhh—!”
But right now, that was exactly what was happening to me. Fuck, I wasn’t some ferocious Samaritan—I was just a goddamn goblin!
The squeeze was tight enough to force all the air from my lungs, and on top of that, the sharp blade-like decorations on her armor were stabbing into me everywhere, making me taste the full torment of some medieval torture device.
No matter how much I thrashed, I couldn’t escape the blade-filled hell.
And strangely, amid this horrific pain, there was a thick scent of roses.
“I-I’m... gonna... die...”
The end of my life, dying in the arms of a strange woman? Fuck, some might call it a rosy finale, but this was too much.
Just as the pain started blurring my vision...
“Stop it.”
Click-clack. Click-clack.
Jingle, jingle.
A high-heeled click echoing off the marble floor, followed by a woman’s sharp voice ringing through the vast temple.
Her pitch hit some special frequency—amid the chaos, as I was on the verge of passing out, her voice alone cut through crystal clear.
Following it came a sound like bells or chimes.
“Stop it, Psyche.”
“Grrr...”
The iron grip around my waist finally loosened. My darkened vision began to brighten again.
“Brother, are you alright?!” Malco’s anxious shouts pierced my ears, snapping me back to consciousness.
“Fuck!”
Regaining my strength, I sprang up and braced myself, ready to swing a club at any moment.
This spiky-armored holy knight might change her mind and hug me again or swing her mace.
But unlike me, steeling for battle, the white-armored knight shrank back like a scolded beast, head bowed low as she retreated a few steps.
High-heeled clicks approached her.
Click-clack, click-clack.
“It’s the Saintess.”
“Venus’s Champion herself. Lucky bastard.”
As the sound neared, everyone around me dropped to their knees, prostrating flat on the floor.
Splat.
Even Malco beside me flattened himself on the ground.
“Brother, what are you doing?! Get down and bow—don’t look up, no matter what!”
He whispered urgently. I was flustered, but not clueless.
So I abandoned my battle stance to the approaching clicks and bowed my head to the floor.
Even I could dimly grasp that the highest authority in this temple had arrived. Whether in this world or the old one, the high and mighty love seeing heads bowed to them.
Anyway, as I pressed my forehead to the floor...
Click.
The heels stopped near me, and a voice like an icy needle pierced the air.
“Holy Knight Psyche. Why did you act on your own? As Venus’s faithful servant, you have a duty to uphold your dignity.”
“Hnngh...”
“You thought this man was a Pluto cultist? Heh, as if. This is the temple of love. How could a devotee of an underworld god who knows no love enter here?”
“Hnngh...”
“But it turns out he was your lover? Heh. Impossible! Your lover died long ago, didn’t he? Locked away in Pluto’s prison, Tartarus. He’s gone from this world.”
“Grrrh...!”
“W-what did you say!? How dare you speak to me like that! Psyche! I am Venus’s earthly proxy! No one speaks to me that way!”
Fuck, what was this bizarre conversation?
Were they even communicating, or was this roleplay to mess with me?
But I wasn’t bold enough to lift my head and check, so I just stayed quiet.
Or rather, kept staring at the floor.
The glossy marble reflected a pale pink high heel, a light dress of the same hue, and a glimpse of white calf in between.
Following that up further, shockingly provocative black lingerie peeked from deeper in.
Fuck, was I really seeing this? Was this real life?
A whirlwind of thoughts, then a thunderous command jolted me.
“Psyche! In Venus’s name, I command you—return to your room at once!”
“Grrrh...!”
“Now! Defy me once more, and I’ll make your armor even heavier! You’ll crawl on all fours!”
“H-hnngh...”
“Yes, a woman crawling on all fours like a beast in front of everyone. Even your tiny brain can imagine how pathetic and ugly that’d be, right?”
That ended the weird exchange. Clank, clang—the sounds of metal clashing faded into a distant corner.
Probably that Psyche knight finally obeying the pink-heeled weirdo and heading to her room.
Judging mood by footsteps was silly, but they sounded dejected and limp.
Anyway, the spiky tank was gone, which I welcomed with open arms.
Of course, the situation wasn’t fully resolved...
“So, I was enjoying a rare rest. What in the world is this about? You with the black hair. You’re not really a Pluto cultist like the knight said, are you?”
Even without eyes on the back of my head, I felt her gaze piercing me. So I kept my eyes down, desperately replying.
She must be a big shot who could make everyone prostrate. One slip, and I was fucked!
“A Pluto cultist? No way. Pluto’s the god I hate most. Fuck Pluto!”
“...Hoh, even cursing one of the Triad Gods like that. Quite the bold hero. And a black-haired Samaritan... Are you the Hassan stirring up the city lately?”
“I-If you mean Hassan the adventurer from Mars Guild, that’s me.”
“Oh my, they say you made a huge contribution capturing heretics. Suspecting you as a Pluto cultist—my knight and I were terribly rude.”
Click.
The heels clicked louder. She stood right in front of my head. Her fluttering dress brushed my hair, tickling.
But my eyes stayed glued to the floor, pupils maxed. Up close, it wasn’t just black—lewd lace too!
“Hero from foreign lands. As recompense and apology, I permit you to see my face. You may raise your head.”
“Y-yes? Huh?”
Permission to see her face? How was that recompense?
“Seeing the Saintess’s face...”
“Lucky savage. One look and you could jerk off for three days.”
“At least sniff a lot. The air she exhales. Haaah—”
People’s reactions heated up subtly, leaving me puzzled. Jerk off from one look? Pornstar face? What?
Then a voice from above my head.
“No need to be shy. And feel proud. I am Venus’s earthly proxy, leader of the Triad Beauties. My beauty is the pinnacle among all creation. You’ve been granted the honor of beholding it...!”
“I-I see.”
But I couldn’t muster the guts to look up. My eyes stayed on the floor.
It showed plenty, surprisingly.
“You won’t even lift your head a bit. Hm, rejecting such a chance. Shyer hero than I thought. Fine then—”
As the Saintess started to say more, a crunch, crinkle echoed loudly from somewhere, and someone screamed like the temple would collapse.
“W-Weji! Fuck, Weji! Weji turned to stone! Shit, he’s a statue!”
“Idiot! You looked at the Saintess without permission—that’s what happens! Close your eyes if you don’t wanna turn to stone!”
Someone turned to stone? My dick, swelling a bit, shrank instantly at the horror.
No one knew curses turning flesh to stone better than my dick.
The Dusar's curse that enslaved me to Elfriede, forcing groveling—just looking at her face curses you! Fuck, terrifying.
No way I’d look up now.
“The temple’s rowdy today. The petrified one can buy Venus temple holy water and sprinkle it—cures it. Only 2 gold per bottle.”
2 gold?
Holy water for 2 gold to cure the curse.
2 gold. That’s 200 silver. 20,000 copper—enough to buy Luna’s favorite 20-copper qing roast 1,000 times!
I pictured a sky filled with a thousand qings flapping majestically. Grand as fuck.
2 gold was sky-filling money. Fuck, one look costs that?!
As shock froze me, a voice came from above.
“You. Hassan of Samaria. I’ll have you escorted to the annex. See you there.”
* * *
The temple of Venus, goddess of beauty.
The annex inside was like a small indoor garden.
Red to yellow roses I’d never seen blanketed everything, colorful butterflies and white doves fluttering busily above.
Coo.
Coo-coo-roo.
Nice place, but overwhelming. Fuck, so many doves.
A couple landed on my shoulder and head. Fearless of people.
Coo-coo-coo.
Beep-boop.
Fucking hell, these doves... or parrots?
As I doubted if they were doves, Malco said solemnly.
“Brother, invited to the Saintess’s annex. Dream or reality?”
Malco on the sofa with me looked dazed too, gawking around like a soldier on leave.
I asked him.
“Hey, is Kalidur okay?”
Bald Kalidur fought that monster knight protecting me, passed out with wrecked legs.
Obvious major injury—worried if this low-medicine world could fix it.
“Little brother’s with Venus priests at the clinic—he’ll be fine. But brother, look at those paintings.”
I followed Malco’s finger to the walls. Bizarre paintings lined up.
“Fuck, what’s that.”
They clashed with the beautiful architecture—like bad jokes.
Frames showed women in pink dresses, but mostly no heads or faces drawn.
This world’s impressionism?
Egg ghosts and headless dullahans everywhere—creepy as hell. Neurotic artist? Fuck, what?
As I scowled curiously, Malco glanced around, saw no one, and whispered.
“Rumor is, the Saintess calls painters to draw her as a hobby. But no one could capture her face.”
“’Cause you turn to stone?”
“No, no one had the skill to translate her beauty to canvas. Painters who broke brushes, bards who smashed instruments over her—a whole battalion!”
Fuck, that much? How beautiful to cause such fuss? I got a bit excited.
Should’ve skipped the panty peek and looked up earlier.
Nah. Women are most beautiful shrouded in mystery. No regrets.
Anyway.
“What, so pretty she gets all this hype?”
“She calls herself Venus’s proxy, peak of the Triad Beauties. But even then, no criticism—must be a reason.”
“Hm.”
“Truth is, I don’t know either. They say the lady favored by Minerva rivals her, so she must be unimaginably stunning!”
I’d heard of this lady.
Count’s family heads Sodomora’s council. The powerful count’s only daughter.
Rumor: so pretty and clever, even Wisdom Goddess Minerva favors her. No one in the city—or kingdom—doesn’t know.
People praise pretty women with “Pretty as the Lady!”
Never met her, so no clue on her refined face. But she gifted my club and named it—good person.
Kind heart makes faces prettier. People exaggerate without guilt here.
Like turning a big cat into a lion.
Anyway, as Malco and I chatted tensely...
Click-clack, click-clack.
High heels from afar.
Jingle, jingle.
Like a cat’s bell. We both bowed instantly, in sync.
Now I got the high heels and bells.
Real cat bell on her. Fuck, walking curse cannon. Ultimate weapon.
“Have you been waiting? I called you to the annex because I have words for you.”