Chapter 12: Goddess(1)
Chapter 12: Goddess(1)
Chaos had erupted in front of the inn. A crowd of priests in white robes had gathered, inevitably drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
“Aren’t those priests from the Church of Elena?”
“Oh… Goddess Elena…”
“Goddess, grant us your grace…”
As the primary religion of the Empire, the Church of Elena had a massive following. It seemed like most of the people in the crowd were believers.
Lina, who was watching from inside the inn, frowned. A moment later, a knock came at the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Excuse me. We are from the Church of Elena. We would like to speak with you for a moment.”
Why are the minions of that incompetent bitch of a goddess here?
It hadn’t been long since I’d met the Regressor. Nothing like this had ever happened before, so their sudden appearance had to be related to her.
But when I looked at Lina, she just shook her head, as if she had no idea what was going on either.
Since they were being polite, I decided to open the door.
When I did, I saw a beautiful priestess, with a line of other priestesses smiling gently behind her.
“Thank you for opening the door. I am Tina, a priestess of the Church of Elena.”
A beautiful… priestess!
“First, I must apologize for arriving so suddenly without notice. But I assure you, we are not here to cause you any harm, but to deliver the word of the Goddess.”
But no matter how beautiful she was, she was still a priestess of the Church of Elena. I couldn’t trust her so easily. Suppressing the rage that swelled up whenever I thought of Elena, I listened calmly.
“A revelation has come down to us. We were told that a Ms. Lina Knightly is staying here. Which one of you might she be?”
“That’s me.”
“Ah, I see… You truly possess a grace befitting one who would receive a divine revelation.”
“You flatter me.”
Well, she wasn’t wrong. Our Lina was quite the looker.
“In her revelation, the Goddess commanded us to invite you, Lady Lina, to the temple.”
So she’s not calling for me just because I met the Regressor?
I, too, had been chosen by a goddess and dropped into this world. Of course, my first meeting with said goddess hadn’t exactly been pleasant.
She was an incompetent bitch of a goddess who couldn’t even understand simple words.
Still, I never imagined she’d send her own priestess and not mention me at all.
Not that it’s a bad thing for me. I was feeling awkward about revealing that I was also chosen by a goddess… If they’re going to keep it quiet for me…
The Goddess’s Eye was my only meal ticket. It was only natural that I’d want to keep it a secret.
The priestess prattled on for a while about the revelation and the doctrines of the goddess before finally getting to the point.
The point was this:
“Lady Lina, would you be willing to accompany us to the temple?”
That was it. Given Lina’s personality, I thought she’d jump at the chance to follow a goddess’s command, but she looked hesitant.
She was probably worried about the pig and the skeleton.
It doesn’t really matter to me if Lina goes to the temple or not… but this is pissing me off.
These assholes had zero interest in me. They didn’t even ask for my name.
At this point, I had no choice but to confront them. I needed to know why she gave me these useless eyes I never asked for, while giving Lina the power of regression.
If there isn’t a damn good reason, I’m going to flip everything upside down.
I’d find a way to screw that bitch goddess over, no matter what it took.
I moved closer to Lina and whispered in her ear.
“Lady Lina, perhaps you should consider going. The Church of Elena is the state religion of the Empire, so they have considerable influence. If we get on their bad side, it could make things difficult for us while we’re operating in the Empire.”
“…Yes. If you say so, Kerry, then perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go.”
As a Regressor, Lina had a mountain of things to do and was busy, but it seemed she was willing to listen to me for now.
But then, Lina’s voice, which had been quiet as she spoke with the priestess by the door, started to grow louder. When she came back to report, the news was a little infuriating.
“She says only I, the one who was invited, can go to the temple. The rest of you cannot accompany me.”
“…”
Natasha gently took my hand from her spot on the bed. She looked terrified that I might leave her behind.
Ah… that’s fucking insulting.
So only Lina is the hero? Then what the hell am I? Why did they drag me to this world against my will?
If this is how it’s going to be, then send me back to South Korea right now!
“Of course, I have no intention of going to the temple if it means leaving all of you, so I declined the invitation.”
That’s it! Our Regressor is the absolute best!
“That makes sense. We have a lot to do, so there’s no need to split up just to go there.”
A quick change of tune. If this was the kind of respect the goddess was going to show me, then I had no choice but to be difficult right back.
“What a no-good goddess,” the grandmother said, speaking my mind for the first time in a while.
“In any case, I have no reason to obey them. I’m not a citizen of the Empire, nor am I a follower of the Church of Elena.”
Our Lina speaks so well!
Despite Lina’s firm refusal, the priests of the Church of Elena didn’t leave, looking troubled and perplexed.
Serves you right, you lackeys of the goddess! Ahaha!
For the record, I don’t just hate the goddess; I also hate the believers who follow that idiot. Beautiful female believers are the exception, of course.
“This is highly unusual, but… perhaps anticipating such a situation, the Goddess also gave a revelation that, should this happen, we are to escort everyone.”
How completely arbitrary. It was absurd. But why was the goddess so desperate to invite us?
Why is that bitch goddess ignoring me and only fawning over Lina? She hasn’t called for me once in two years…
My pride was so wounded that my expression hardened on its own. The priestess and her attendants grew restless at my unexplained irritation, but what did I care?
It was their fault for believing in that stupid goddess.
“For your reference… not only do we promise you the finest treatment at the temple, but there is also a gift from the Goddess herself prepared for you. We do not know what the Goddess’s gift is, but the additional gifts we have prepared include high-grade holy water, high-grade healing potions, and more.”
‘High-grade holy water? High-grade healing potions?’
Surprised by this new information, I glanced at Lina, but her expression was placid, as if she’d known all along.
Hey! If they were offering such good stuff, you should have said yes immediately!
High-grade holy water would easily fetch several gold coins. Of course, selling holy water was forbidden, but there was always a demand for anything on the black market. And high-grade healing potions on top of that? That was as good as having an extra life.
“Well, since they’ve prepared so much and changed the conditions to allow all of us to come, I suppose it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go.”
“A moment ago, you said we had too many other urgent matters and that it would be better not to go…”
You woman! That was before I heard about the rewards!
Religious items like holy water were hard to come by. If the gifts prepared by her underlings were this good, imagine what the goddess’s gift would be!
“Well, I am also curious about what this ‘gift from the goddess’ is.”
And while I’m at it, I’ll give that bitch goddess a piece of my mind.
“To be honest, I’m curious about that as well. But…”
“We don’t know what the goddess’s gift is, but isn’t there a high chance it will be a great help on our journey? Besides, if Natasha receives treatment from the priests, her injuries might heal even faster.”
“In that case, I suppose it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go.”
She was surprisingly easy to convince. The Regressor is a pushover. I should make a note of that.
“Natasha, are you well enough to move?”
“Yes, Husband. I have no problem moving at all.”
I glanced at the grandmother, who answered for her.
“As long as Natasha is fine, I have no objections.”
And so, it was decided that we would go to the temple. Lina, however, still looked a little displeased, clearly worried about the whereabouts of the pig and the skeleton.
*
Lina’s party traveled in a carriage provided by the temple. The journey would take more than a day, but it wasn’t so bad, as the temple staff treated them with the utmost hospitality.
The carriage was top-of-the-line, as was the food they were served.
Most of all, Kerry enjoyed the cute reactions of the priestesses. Since they lived in the temple, they didn’t have many opportunities to see young men, and their gazes toward Kerry were filled with admiration.
Some of the priestesses even secretly threw flirtatious compliments his way.
“You’re so handsome, adventurer!”
“Wow… look at his skin.”
“Excuse me… are you the son of a noble house?”
In the modern world, I was average, but here, I was treated like I was top-tier. It wasn’t a bad feeling.
Lately, thanks to being with the Regressor, I’d been eating and washing well, which probably improved their reactions even more.
“Please forgive their rudeness. The girls don’t have many opportunities to interact with men…”
“Yes, yes. It’s quite all right.”
Priestess Tina, befitting her rank, seemed to be maintaining her decorum. In any case, it wasn’t a bad journey.
“Husband. I don’t like them.”
Natasha, on the other hand, wore a pouty expression for the entire trip. Lina, lost in thought, simply stared out the window, looking preoccupied.
Is she not happy about going to meet the goddess?
Wasn’t the goddess the one who made Lina’s regression possible? If it were me, I’d be falling all over myself with gratitude.
Come to think of it, she didn’t seem pleased when she first received the goddess’s invitation either… Why?
“Lady Lina, are you unhappy about going to the temple?”
“…”
Lina stared out the window for a long time. Her aloof atmosphere and beauty created a picturesque scene.
“I’m not sure. For one… I don’t believe in the Church of Elena. I don’t understand why the Goddess Elena is calling for me.”
“!”
So Lina wasn’t a follower of the Church of Elena. Then why did Elena grant her regression?
[Skill – Goddess’s Regressor (Unmeasurable)]
I checked her status window, but the skill name was the same as ever. Then again, when I thought about it, I wasn’t even from this world, yet I was chosen by a goddess.
Though she didn’t give me a cheat skill like regression…
Still, Lina’s cold attitude toward the goddess was a bit strange. I figured that if she had received a power from her, they would have at least been acquainted.
Lina seemed unwilling to say more on the subject and just stared blankly out the window. Even when she was just spacing out, she looked like a work of art.
Staring out the window, Lina recalled her past life. In that horrific war, the gods had not answered her prayers.
People, driven by madness, had killed one another, and the vast fields were stained with blood.
What kind of god was that? What kind of holy war?
There was nothing in that war but madness. Even her companions, who had been so strong, had died in the fighting.
No one survived.
I will not allow such a terrible hell to descend upon this world again. I will not stand by and watch my companions die again.
Lina clenched her fists.
First is the White Witch. Her talent for magic surpasses my own. There might not be a single person on the continent who can beat her in magic.
In the great war, the combination of the White Witch and her followers, who did not fear death, had felt like a truly terrible disaster.
Yes, stopping the White Witch while she was still sealed was the most urgent matter.
A few days at the temple should be fine. The White Witch’s seal isn’t something that can be broken so easily.
She had heard that in her past life, hundreds of lives had been sacrificed to break the White Witch’s seal. The mere thought of that horrific ritual, offering people as sacrifices, made her shudder.
I have to become stronger. Strong enough to protect everyone. I will not allow any more innocent sacrifices.
The carriage traveled on, long into the night. They said they would arrive at the temple the next morning.
It wasn’t a bad night.
Things hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but seeing her companions gathered around the campfire, talking, made her feel good. Though the content of their conversation was a little strange.
“Husband, how long are we going to sleep in separate rooms?”
“…Because I’m not your husband. Isn’t it right for us to sleep in separate rooms, Natasha?”
“That’s so mean. But I think I’m pregnant. I haven’t had an appetite lately, and I feel nauseous… I think it’s morning sickness. You haven’t forgotten you promised to marry me if I got pregnant, have you?”
“Pfft! Morning sickness? Wait… it hasn’t been that long since then, there’s no way…”
“W-Well, anyway! I have a woman’s intuition that I’m really pregnant! Let’s have a wedding!”
“I would accept you as my son-in-law. Don’t you worry about living with the in-laws.”
“I told you, we’re not getting married.”
In this life, she would not let anyone die. She would make sure of it. Lina made that vow.
*
The crescent moon hung in the early dawn sky. Everyone was asleep, sharing the warmth of the campfire.
Kerry quietly got up and surveyed his surroundings. The priestess on watch duty was nodding off.
Good. I’ve been itching to do this, I can’t stand it anymore.
There was a reason he had worked so hard to push away Natasha, who kept insisting on sleeping next to him. Honestly, having her sleep beside him wasn’t just not a problem, it was a blessing, but he had something he needed to do.
In Kerry’s hand was a smooth, polished orb.
The White Witch’s Seal.
Kerry intended to visit the White Witch tonight.
If I don’t go tonight… I don’t know when I’ll get another chance.
More importantly, he was finally on the verge of learning the magic he had so eagerly awaited. There was no way he could wait any longer.
Kerry slipped away into the depths of the forest, unnoticed. He then pressed the numbers on the transparent, hologram-like keypad that appeared on the orb’s surface.
In the middle of the forest, Kerry vanished as if he had never been there at all.