Chapter 55
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Beljaria's Agony
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, a precious guest had arrived in Beljaria's office.
"What kind of tea would you like? Hipeia."
"Is this the time to talk about tea?"
Hunting Goddess Hipeia.
She was the goddess who had quietly lived with the elves she favored, protecting them through her divine authority 『Shelter of the World Tree』 in the forest long before the royal capital came into being.
It wasn't surprising that a goddess was beautiful, but she especially retained the exact appearance she had when accomplishing her great feats.
With turquoise hair reaching down to her waist and green eyes infused with the deep verdure of the forest, she looked like a slender huntress girl—a perfect match.
Her aura alone gave off the vibe of a forest fairy, so the sight of her sitting in the office felt out of place,
yet at the same time, she blended so seamlessly into the background that one might not notice any dissonance if described as part of the furnishings.
Hipeia was a shrewd goddess.
Not that she knew everything that had happened, but
she immediately noticed something off about Beljaria at first glance.
"What happened to your divinity?"
"It was taken from me."
"Because of that man, huh. That's why I told you to keep your distance, you idiot!"
Beljaria chuckled softly.
Partly because her situation was ridiculous, but mostly because Hipeia's unchanged attitude put her at ease.
"You're still treating me like a friend even after I lost my divinity. You really are."
"You think that would make us not friends? What kind of person do you take me for?"
"If we're still friends, then I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?"
"I want revenge."
It was the answer she'd expected.
Hipeia was already prepared to lend her power for her friend's vengeance.
"Exile alone wasn't enough, it seems. For wounding my friend, I'll settle the score with the goddess's bow."
Beljaria sipped the tea Serwen had served and spoke calmly.
"The target of my revenge isn't White."
"Huh?"
"He was involved, sure, but there's someone else pulling the strings from behind."
When Beljaria's killing intent sharpened, Hipeia flinched.
It was the first time she'd seen Beljaria this razor-edged.
It was because someone had dared to steal her divinity—the manifestation of her own great feats—and she loathed them for it.
Hipeia thought she might witness Beljaria at her prime, a version even she had never known.
"She's hiding her true self and using White as a pawn. Her methods are pretty cunning. I tried tracking her down, but couldn't with human means alone."
"So the one who stole your divinity is another goddess?"
"Yeah. A filthy usurper. From what I've gathered, she's absorbed the authorities of quite a few goddesses among the Karenta."
"......"
Hearing that, Hipeia pieced together the whole story.
The reason the forest and royal capital had been in constant uproar, centered around Semen Man.
"You get what that means, right?"
"The first target wasn't you—it was me?"
"Exactly. Things got jumbled by chance, so she took you first, but ultimately, what she wants is your authority."
Hipeia glanced around warily,
as if checking for eavesdroppers.
"No one's here. I told Serwen to step out."
Beljaria set down her teacup and continued.
"The trail leads back to White. I sent him to the central district as a temporary refuge, so now's the perfect time to plot in secret."
"......Beljaria. You're serious."
"It's been a while."
That the thief bitch was observing White was a verified fact, needing no further proof.
Beljaria's plan started with separating White from herself.
To drag that damned woman—who thought everything was going according to her scheme—down to the depths.
"What do you need me to do? I'll help. For the sake of reclaiming your divinity!"
"Thanks. All those favors I owe you are paying off now, huh?"
"What?"
Hipeia puffed out her cheeks, looking displeased at Beljaria's words.
"Friends don't keep score like that—they just help! Handling money's making you weird. You know that?"
"......"
'You're too pure for your own good.'
Beljaria thought to herself with a smile.
"That thief goddess must have figured you and White would clash, escalating to a fight over your divinity."
"We almost did fight, actually."
"True, but her prediction missed the mark. White tried to get along with the elves, and......"
Hipeia's expression darkened.
"I'm not blaming you. You stopped at exile instead of killing him, which shifted his target to me."
Tremendous power dwelled within those tights.
Beljaria knew because she'd seen it with her own eyes.
She didn't know the mechanism, but it was likely the thief goddess had lobbed them into the elf village like a bomb, aiming for her.
However,
Hipeia had declared exile rather than execution, and Semen Man had accepted the punishment to some extent.
In the end, Beljaria had been the one to step on the landmine.
It was a disaster waiting to explode the moment someone tried to 'remove' it.
Ouch.
'Ugh......'
Beljaria...... had paid the price in full.
Lost divinity.
Now, just thinking about him made her womb throb...
As if a new personality had taken root down there.
A female Beljaria had emerged, reminiscing about that blissful experience and fawning over his cock.
'And that's a ridiculously absurd authority in itself...'
"Ria?"
"No, I'm fine."
"There's one thing that's bothering me. I want to help you, but I hate that man."
"......Hate him?"
"Yeah. Everyone's been acting weird after meeting him....... I'm scared."
Beljaria inwardly found the reaction adorable.
It was just like a girl who'd truly had no involvement with romantic desires in life.
She feared the unknown.
'Though calling whatever that was between man and woman 'normal sex' is a stretch......'
"And everyone's started keeping their distance from me."
"......?"
"They think kicking him out was the wrong call. I just...... I just wanted the elves to be safe."
"Let's be honest. You chased him away because you were scared, right?"
"......Ugh. It's not like I didn't want to protect the elves at all."
'I know that much.'
Beljaria nodded in understanding.
"No one gets how I feel. They're all saying human society is great and leaving on their own....... Even going so far as becoming slaves."
"That was how we first met, remember? Thanks to that, I got to befriend Hipeia, so I was happy."
"Eek......"
Hipeia's cheeks flushed red.
That's right.
Hipeia had her passionate days too.
The time she'd stormed into Beljaria's presence in fury over elves being enslaved.
"Your face when you realized it was a lovers' elopement and turned back—it was hilarious."
"Th-there were real slaves sold unjustly too. That's why we fought."
"Things get messy when emotions tangle up......"
Hipeia glanced at Beljaria cautiously before asking.
"Is that why you didn't include White in your revenge targets? Because of those emotions?"
"Maybe."
It was hardly 'loving embrace,'
but 'entanglement' was the only word that fit this turmoil.
He was the man who started it all—and planted his seed inside her.
Beljaria's heart was complicated.
Perhaps she'd decided to put off thinking and focus on revenge for now.
"Anyway, we're not enemies right now. We're both eyeing the same foe. We'll figure it out after we catch the thief bitch."
"Y-you're not going to, like, marry him or something......?"
"......Marry? Though yeah, we do need to hurry."
"Huh?"
"Before the baby grows and my belly starts showing."
At those words, Hipeia jumped in shock, her mouth gaping like a goldfish.
Oh, right.
That happened. Her ears turned red belatedly.
"You did it? With a goddess's body......?"
"Sex?"
"Eek......! Don't say it so bluntly."
"Not sure if you could call it normal sex, but yeah...... we did it."
"So if you reclaim your divinity in that state... while pregnant... what happens?"
"Nothing changes, probably. Those tights' main function seems to be impregnating goddesses, after all."
"......"
Hipeia had never even considered it.
A goddess forcibly impregnated, living that life.
Just imagining the possibility sent chills down her spine.
"This is the first and last time, Hipeia. Help me."
"When you put it like that...... I have no choice but to help."
"Want another cup before you go?"
"......Chamomile tea. Oh, and......"
Hipeia said shyly.
"......Don't tell the elves I was grumbling like this."
"It's a shame only I get to see your cute side."
"Seriously, stop teasing me."
Even without the goddess title, they looked like contrasting yet perfectly matched friends.
Hipeia accepted the tea and departed.
Of course, she'd decided to join the plan.
Preparations would proceed meticulously without any gaps.
Left alone, Beljaria pulled out a slightly protruding book from her office desk.
The bookshelf flipped, revealing a hidden room.
It held the assassin's gear from her active days: small throwing darts,
and over sixteen knives of various types she'd used for years.
And......
The tight leotard outfit she hadn't worn since 'that day.'
"......"
Creation.
Beljaria touched her cute little belly fat. Her slim waist was the type that would snap back, 『What's fat?!』 if asked.
......But her breasts and hips had grown, and so had her height.
She'd become a goddess at just fifteen.
"No need to lose weight.... right......?"
White's taunt about her clothes complaining weighed on her mind.
And realizing that side of herself resembled a woman smitten with a man,
she coldly glared at her reflection and smirked.
"Unbelievable."