Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: The Goddess's Wish
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"Do-jae… did you just confess to Eurabia?"
"Ruiden…!"
"It was quite romantic…"
Ruiden's joke made Do-jae snap.
How could he make such a joke when Eurabia was absolutely livid?
Just look at her.
Her face was flushed bright red.
"Ruiden, you scoundrel! What is this human babbling about! This will not do. I will deal with this human at once…!"
*Thump, thump-!*
Eurabia stomped toward Do-jae.
Then, she raised her arm diagonally as if to strike his cheek.
No, a blow from that massive palm would break his neck, not just his cheek.
*Whoosh-!*
"Eurabia! Use your words, your words!"
Altein rushed over and grabbed Eurabia's arm.
Do-jae could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
He had been prepared to take a hit to appease her.
He was just worried because he couldn't imagine how much a slap infused with divinity would hurt.
"Let go."
"No!"
"I said, let go."
"Ugh… No! If you hit him, Do-jae… he might die!"
Ruiden was holding onto Eurabia's arm with all his might.
Do-jae, too, maintained his poker face with immense concentration and forced a smile.
He had expected it to end with just a stinging cheek, but hearing the sincerity in Ruiden's voice made his heart plummet.
"Lady Eurabia. Please compose yourself and listen to me just once."
Do-jae spoke in the gentlest voice possible, trying not to provoke her.
But she continued to glare, her eyebrows furrowed in anger.
"I have nothing to hear from you. Do you think I did this because I coveted the position of an Ascetic?"
"Not at all. A being of your stature is worthy of not just an Ascetic's position, but that of a principal god of the continent."
The three principal gods of Tranpeion.
They were considered the gods among gods, said to have created the heavens, the earth, and the seas.
However, unlike lower gods such as the Ascetics or Arcturia, they were observers who never intervened, no matter what happened.
Not even if the entire continent were to vanish without a trace.
That was why the human scholar, Jures Fongred, who wrote 'The History of Tranpeion,' claimed that the three principal gods didn't actually exist and that the collective stature of all gods maintained the land. But Do-jae knew about the principal gods, having cross-verified through his conversations with Altein.
- They do exist. There is simply a wall between us that even beings of our stature cannot overcome.
And here was Do-jae, saying that Eurabia was on the same level as those gods.
It was obvious flattery, but surprisingly, Eurabia seemed to have a soft spot for compliments.
"On the level of a principal god…? There is an insurmountable difference in stature between them and me. Still, for a mere human, you have a good eye. My stature is indeed higher than that of Altein and this man here."
The expression on Ruiden, who had been trembling as he held her arm, gradually brightened.
It was because Eurabia had relaxed her strength and lowered her arm.
"Eurabia, how about you try to relax a little? As you know, we gave all our stature to Do-jae, so it's already a struggle just to handle yours…"
Ruiden spoke gently, as if soothing a child.
"Please quell your anger. As I said, I will grant your wish."
Do-jae also spoke in a voice filled with as much sincerity as he could muster.
Then he called over Herteias, who was standing at a distance.
"What?"
"You'll help too, right?"
"Why should I…"
"We have a contract. This is all part of the process of defeating Gellahan."
"Ugh…"
Herteias, his face displeased, let out a groan and then answered with a grumble.
"Tch. Fine. Eurabia, I don't know what you want, but I'll help with whatever it is!"
Herteias said reluctantly.
If Do-jae were to find fault with him based on the contract, its effects would manifest immediately, and he could suffer fatal damage.
He might have to enter hibernation for at least a thousand years.
And the thought of having to listen to Briareus's boasting when he woke up made him shudder.
Herteias figured he could just make the promise now and find a loophole later to avoid actually granting Eurabia's wish.
However, Eurabia wasn't someone merely consumed by rage.
"Dragons are not a trustworthy race. Swear it on a Vow."
"What? A Vow? I already have a contract with this guy…"
A Vow was a promise of a different nature than a Blood Contract.
While a Blood Contract was a mutual promise with life as collateral, a Vow was a promise made by one or both parties with something else at stake.
And that 'something else' was not a material object, but a phenomenon.
In other words, a certain phenomenon promised by both parties would manifest upon the other.
As a result, the phenomena involved in Vows were often things that tormented the other party, and so they were often treated as a type of curse magic.
*Pat, pat.*
Do-jae patted Herteias on the back.
It meant, *hurry up*.
"Urgh… F-fine! I make a Vow. I, the dragon Herteias, promise to help the Titan goddess Eurabia with everything she desires. If I break this promise, the price will be…"
"The price is that you will become a Titan."
"A Titan… *Hmph*… The price will be… becoming a Titan…"
Eurabia cut in and beat Herteias to the punch just as he was about to propose a Vow with the least backlash.
Herteias had no choice but to say the words.
*Shwooo-.*
A white energy flowed from Herteias's mouth like smoke.
It was the mana containing the Vow.
The mana circled Herteias's body once before flowing toward Eurabia.
For the first time, she looked pleased and happy.
"There, happy? Do-jae, is it done? Ruiden, I said, is it done!"
Herteias despaired with a sorrowful face.
Do-jae smiled gently and patted Herteias on the back once more.
"Lady Eurabia, would you now tell us how we can appease your anger? You may think of me as an insignificant human, but I am still the one chosen by the Ascetics. I will use my abilities to their fullest to grant your wish. And that will also be the path forward for the Titans."
Do-jae looked at her with a steady gaze.
He even looked filled with resolve.
Eurabia stared at Do-jae for a long moment before sighing and opening her mouth.
"Just looking at that one's face makes me want to destroy everything. But I cannot be certain this body will hold, and I find your attitude quite pleasing."
Eurabia pointed to herself.
Come to think of it, Eurabia had used Harkes's body to manifest.
As an outstanding warrior, he could handle the stature required for Eurabia's manifestation, but if she were to unleash her full power, there was a high chance Harkes's body wouldn't be able to withstand it.
That was why Eurabia, who was concerned for Harkes in her own way, had decided to listen to Do-jae.
"Lady Eurabia's wish is…"
"My wish is…"
***
*Swoosh-.*
*Thud-.*
The scenery shifted back to the temple.
Harkes collapsed to the floor.
At some point, he had reverted from Eurabia's form back to his own.
*Smack. Smack.*
"Get up. How long are you going to sleep?"
Herteias climbed onto Harkes's body and smacked his cheek.
Her small, white hand was tiny compared to Harkes's broad cheek, but the mana-infused slap shot Harkes upright.
"Wh-what happened!"
*Leap.*
Herteias quickly jumped away.
Harkes rubbed his cheek, bewildered.
A clear imprint of Herteias's hand remained on his chiseled jaw.
"I was certain I was praying to Lady Eurabia… *Ahem*, why does my cheek hurt…?"
"It's because you were praying so irreverently that you fell asleep. That Eurabia must have found you impudent and slapped you. Tsk, tsk."
Herteias clicked his tongue and looked at him with a face full of pity.
Her acting was top-notch.
"I-is that so? To make such a mistake… More importantly, I heard Lady Eurabia's voice! Her Ladyship told me…"
"What are you going to do? It's already over."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Sigh. You foolish Titan."
Hearing Herteias's voice, thick with ridicule, Harkes's face flushed red.
He wanted to say something, but his opponent was a dragon, so he couldn't.
Finally, deciding he couldn't get through to her, he looked at Do-jae.
"Will you tell me what happened? With Heltein…"
"Sure. First, there's good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
Do-jae said, trying to hold back a smile at the faint handprint still visible on Harkes's cheek.
"Hmm… I'll hear the good news first."
"The good news is that we met Lady Eurabia in person."
"Really! Where is Lady Eurabia! I must tell her about the situation our Titans are in!"
"That's the bad news…"
"What is the bad news?"
Harkes asked, looking anxious.
"The bad news is that Lady Eurabia doesn't want to meet the Titans."
"She doesn't want to meet us?"
"Yes. Otherwise, why wouldn't she have appeared before you?"
"How… Does this mean we Titans must fight without our goddess…?"
Harkes sank to the ground, a look of despair on his face.
"Hey, should a leader give up so easily? Did you come all this way just to rely on your goddess?"
Do-jae stood before the seated Harkes.
Only then were their eyes at a similar level.
"That's not it. We are strong enough even without relying on Lady Eurabia. However, we needed her presence for the unity of the Titans. To change the minds of the other two leaders."
Harkes was so disappointed that he even dropped his head.
It was true that if Eurabia appeared before the Titans herself, it would bring about a tremendous boost in morale.
But that was all.
There was something Harkes didn't know.
In the past, Eurabia had been both a goddess and a hero who led them to victory in the war against Gellahan, but not anymore.
Eurabia and the other Ascetics had lost their physical bodies that day, and for her to directly exert her power, she needed a proxy like Do-jae.
- Han used the Heart of the Golem as a medium to allow your Ascetics' proxies to maintain their sanity, but without Han, if I were to pass on my authority, they would not last long before dying.
Eurabia had said she didn't want to kill her proxy.
She, who loved and cherished the Titans.
She couldn't just use and discard proxies like consumables.
She said that was also why she had accepted Do-jae's proposal.
"Harkes. Don't be so disappointed. I told you the good news and the bad news, but I haven't told you the important news yet."
"The important news?"
Harkes shot his head up, his eyes sparkling.
"That's right. You Titans are going to be doing some large-scale construction."