If you pray desperately with a premium prayer, the universe… no, the Goddess of Love will grant your wish!
And, just in time for some top-notch gear!
Even I think that’s a pretty flimsy excuse. Who would believe this? Sure, it’s suspicious, but since it’s between us, I’ll let it slide this time.
I said this aiming for exactly that response. But then…
“Hmm, hmm. If it’s you, Jonah, that could happen.”
“……?”
…You believe that?
Just to be sure, I took a good look at Karen’s eyes.
With an unwavering gaze, Karen reverently prayed toward me. If she truly believes, it feels so convincing!
Ellie’s eyes went wide at the absolute support of none other than the Inquisitor.
“Jonah, what the heck have you been doing? You weren’t like this the last time I saw you!”
“Ahaha. Well, it just happened like that?”
“Does ‘just happened’ even make sense?”
Elli sighed in disbelief. Her voice trembled slightly, as if in anxiety.
Judging by her sudden change, I hoped it wasn’t due to worry about our battle. If so, then the only reason could be that she’s flustered by how different I seem now. Maybe she thinks I might just vanish into thin air.
I might need to reassure her a bit.
Before I could say anything, Ellie, who looked like she wanted to say something but couldn’t, had her finger on her lips.
“Shh. I might not have money, a house, or strength, but I’m still just the same cute kid with confidence in my looks. Nothing has changed.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yep.”
A firm response. Ellie stared at me for a moment, her mouth shut.
That look in her eyes felt a bit strange. Maybe she isn’t terrified that I’ll suddenly disappear or change.
It might be something more fundamental and instinctual… Yes. Like a child facing their own guilt, utterly at a loss for what to do.
If there’s something wrong between us, it must be me, not Ellie. After all, I’m the one forcing this situation upon us.
But we can’t carry this gloomy atmosphere any longer as we’re heading off to fight.
With a forced smile, I scanned Ellie’s full-suit outfit from head to toe.
“Ellie, what’s with that sexy outfit? Are you trying to tempt me?”
“What? Sexy…? Tempt…?”
Ellie looked dumbfounded as if I’d said something utterly unexpected. I playfully slapped her abs.
“Hey now. Later, wear that outfit and come to my room!”
“Hah! Did you really just ask me to come? You think I can’t handle that?”
“Huh? I never said no; so why are you suddenly acting tough…?”
“…Shut it! Anyway, all this is only after this whole thing is safely over, so be careful. I won’t ask how you got it, but I’ve seen a couple of fools who got hurt trying out new gear they weren’t ready for.”
“Eh? With Lydia, Inquisitor Karen, and Ellie around, what could possibly go wrong? …But still, as promised, I’ll hide if need be. I’ll run off if anything goes wrong.”
“Yep. That works.”
With one arm, Ellie gave me a light tap on the head as she stretched her body.
I could see the sleek, muscular form of a carnivorous beast moving right before me.
“Whew! It’s been a while since the real deal. Lydia, don’t trip me up, okay?”
“Don’t underestimate me just because I’ve been retired for a few years. Don’t fall behind, Ellie.”
The two exchanged grins, leading the way toward the Fairy and Silver Coin. Karen and I watched for a moment before following slowly behind.
Time to deal with those heretics!
*
As promised, Ellie, Lydia, and I entered first. Usually, I would’ve gone with Lydia, but today I acted overly enthusiastic to show Ellie my accomplishments.
After waiting at our designated spot for a while, I saw Karen approaching from a distance, draped in an unusual atmosphere of exhaustion and a strange heat.
“You made it just in time. No followers?”
“Of course not. Just to be sure, I checked several times, but no one followed. …And what interference could there be in a plan set directly by the Goddess?”
“…Well. Just so you know, the Goddess of Love is currently tied up stabilizing the labyrinth, so she can’t directly intervene, right?”
“Yes. So, she sent her proxy, Jonah.”
“…….”
The heat in Karen’s eyes intensified further. Despite appearing tired, her unwavering faith was almost a little scary.
Is this really okay? Is it fine to proceed this way while masquerading as the Goddess’s envoy (not really)?
Honestly, I have no other choice. If I suddenly said, “It was all a lie,” I might end up labeled as a heretic pretending to be a saint and get split in half by Karen.
Yet, still, I feel a strange sense of guilt or responsibility.
So, absentmindedly fiddling with the Goddess statue I had stashed in subspace, I silently asked.
“Is this alright?”
The statue still felt soft and warm in my hand. Clearly a sign of approval.
Now that I’ve reached an agreement with the involved parties, there’s really no need to hesitate.
Even though there’s a tiny fragment of divine power nestled within me, I have no idea how to wield it. I tried to imitate the benevolent smile of the Goddess statue I had seen endlessly yesterday.
“But on my own, I can do nothing. Will you help me, Inquisitor Karen?”
“Until the day my strength runs out, this faith will not fade.”
“Excellent. Then may I ask you to lead the way?”
“Leave it to me.”
With an eager expression, Karen took the lead. Lydia, who had been shaking in anticipation, and Ellie, with a bewildered face, stood on either side and quietly asked.
“Jonah, be honest. Are you really a saint?”
“I-I am, yes Jonah. I won’t tell anyone, so just hint a bit! Just a tiny bit?”
Why so serious? With their innocent but earnest expressions, I shook my head with a wry smile.
“Honestly, I’m not too sure myself. It’s true that I receive favor from the Goddess of Love, but it isn’t unconditional love… Above all, I’m unsure if I indeed deserve it.”
“…….”
“…….”
Just when they were bursting with curiosity, Ellie and Lydia suddenly zipped their mouths shut. I shrugged toward the two.
“But my feelings toward you both are true and unconditional. Just like you help me selflessly!”
“…Well, it could just be that you’re repaying a debt.”
“You owe me some too, Jonah. Until it’s all paid back, I’m not letting go.”
With that, the two started to follow hurriedly behind Karen, who was walking with a smile. Just how much did we roam through the Great Forest?
Since we met up in a less crowded outer area, it took us quite some time to reach the central area in front of the World Tree, but at least we didn’t get lost.
The enormous tree was visible anywhere in the Great Forest, but standing right beneath its massive presence, I lost my words, feeling like it not only overshadowed the sky but also held it up.
“This is the World Tree….”
“Just a bit further, and you’ll reach the spot where I encountered One Who Devours the Twilight.”
“From here on, let’s be extra careful.”
I used my stealthy footfalls while the others employed their special techniques or magical devices to silently approach the World Tree.
Seeing it up close, I realized it looked more like a wall than a tree. Naturally, it wasn’t solid, so touching it would just let your hand slip right through, but still, there was an open plain nearby, as if something existed there.
And in that field were some suspicious figures.
Though they wore robes of ordinary colors, they couldn’t hide the distorted divine power emanating from their bodies.
Most notably, there were crimson heart marks etched around their chests.
This was the mark of devotion to the Goddess of Love, a sign of zealotry; they were undoubtedly One Who Devours the Twilight.
Gathered around the corpses of decaying monsters strewn about, they really looked quite grotesque.
At least it was fortunate that the number was smaller than expected, thanks to the trouble Karen and Ian had caused before?
In the midst of them stood a zealot who had an unusually small frame but an overwhelming divine aura.
The power leaking from them was so intense that they didn’t seem to intend to hide it, nor did they have the ability to do so.
They looked like they were hiding something, but… something more pressing caught my attention now.
I thought we might take a while since they were busy with monsters before the World Tree, but to find the correct method in just a day was surprising.
In a circular formation stood One Who Devours the Twilight, at its center were two bound individuals.
They weren’t some other race but the elves that the World Tree had desperately wanted to protect.
And this was undoubtedly correct.
“I didn’t expect to find the summoning method so quickly.”
In my anxious state, I clenched my teeth, but for some reason, the faces of the two captured elves looked familiar.
“…Lemon? Apple?”
Wait, why are those girls captured again?
Are they entering the labyrinth because they want to be tied up??
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