“Ugh, gah, gyaah...! My whole body is creaking...”
Until I fell asleep in the goddess’s arms last night, I hadn’t realized it, but by morning the aftereffects of my battle with the Bugbear had spread through my entire body.
Not only were my muscles sore, but the side of my waist where I’d been hit with the club and my head, which had taken the shockwave, were throbbing.
Still, I got out of bed as usual and started changing clothes to head for the Dungeon.
This much pain was the natural price of earning Excelia.
Yesterday, my Technique stat had shot all the way up to rank E.
Riding that momentum, today I had to break through the 8th floor for sure and try to push on to the 9th.
I also needed to buy a replacement for my broken dagger and put a new Enchant on it. There was a lot to do before I could even go to the Dungeon...
“Not today.”
A soft but firm voice came from behind me.
When I turned around, Lady Istarot was leaning against the door with her arms crossed, watching me.
Normally, it would still have been time for her to be sleeping soundly in bed.
“Goddess?”
“No Dungeon today. That’s an order.”
“But I grew a lot yesterday, and if I keep up this momentum...”
“And what exactly do you think you’re going to do with that body?”
She walked over to me and pressed a finger into the dark bruise on my side.
“Ghk!”
A groan escaped me before I could stop it.
“See? If you go back into the Dungeon like this and run into another abnormal situation like yesterday, what are you going to do? Do you think you’d get lucky and survive again?”
Her voice was full of genuine worry, not her usual teasing.
She took the dagger from my hand and set it on the desk.
“Today is a rest day. Go out with me.”
Go out...
Come to think of it, I’d gotten so absorbed in growing stronger after receiving my Falna that I’d only been going back and forth between the Dungeon and home...
And like the goddess said, I really had nearly died yesterday.
“...Understood.”
In the end, I nodded.
I couldn’t ignore her feelings when she was this worried about me.
“Fufufu, that’s more like it! Now hurry up and get ready! I bought you some very cute clothes!”
As if she had never been worried in the first place, she dashed to the wardrobe in high spirits.
A moment later, she held out an adorable outfit tailored to Pallum size.
No, um... I’m still an adult man, so wearing something that cute is a little much...!
Honestly, it looked less like men’s clothing and more like women’s clothes!?
I didn’t want to wear it at all, but there was no way I could refuse when I saw the goddess’s earnest eyes...
We left the clock tower side by side.
Walking through the streets of Orario under the lively morning sun felt unfamiliar, but refreshing.
We bought snacks from street stalls, looked around at the sights, and wandered through the city.
Maybe it was good to take it easy like this once in a while instead of staying in the Dungeon all the time...
After enjoying ourselves for a while, we settled down at a cafe.
Sweet cake and fragrant black tea.
I never would have thought I’d get to enjoy this kind of luxury.
Back when I’d first fallen into this world with nothing, all I could think about was how I was supposed to survive from here on out...
I stared blankly at the people passing by outside.
Then it happened.
The surrounding noise seemed to cut off as if it were a lie.
Everyone’s gaze was gathering in one place.
Silvery-white hair, mysterious gray eyes that seemed to see through everything.
A goddess with a beauty so overwhelming it was hard to believe she was a real person was walking toward our table.
Freya.
The chief god of Freya Familia, the strongest Familia in Orario, and the goddess of beauty.
She really was overwhelmingly beautiful, but still...
Honestly, I still thought our goddess was the prettiest.
Besides, Freya was the kind of goddess I personally didn’t want to get too close to.
As if my wish meant nothing, she stopped in front of us with graceful steps.
“My, Istarot. It’s been a while. I heard you’d recently descended to the lower world... And the one beside you is your child, I presume?”
“...Freya.”
Lady Istarot’s face stiffened with tension.
Freya didn’t even glance at Istarot again. She looked only at me.
In that instant, I felt every hair on my body stand on end.
It was the gaze of a god, as if it could see through everything about me, all the way to the bottom of my soul.
So this was definitely the goddess Freya’s soul-seeing eyes from the novel...
“...Ah.”
An ecstatic sigh slipped from Freya’s lips.
She crouched down in front of me, bringing herself to my eye level.
Her mysterious eyes seemed ready to swallow me whole as she stared.
“So this kind of child... was in the lower world.”
Fuck, I’m screwed...
I didn’t know what exactly my soul looked like, but I was pretty sure I’d been marked by someone I absolutely should not have caught the attention of.
“Child, would you not become mine? I can give you everything you desire. Wealth, fame, power... anything you want.”
Her voice was sweet as honey, sliding into my ears.
I could feel something probing at my mind...
Was this the allure of the goddess of beauty?
Under the table, I felt Lady Istarot grip my hand tightly.
Her hand was trembling with anxiety.
I felt that warmth and slowly shook my head.
“I refuse.”
At my firm answer, Freya’s eyes narrowed with interest.
“I am Lady Istarot’s child. She’s the one goddess who saved me, my only goddess. I intend to serve at her side forever.”
The moment I finished speaking, the anger she had been holding back burst out beside me.
“You heard him, Freya!”
Lady Istarot shot to her feet and hid me behind her back as she shouted, “This child is mine! The one and only precious child of my Familia! Don’t you ever lay a hand on my child again. He’s mine!”
At her cry, Freya’s smile deepened into something even more alluring.
“Yes. That only makes me want him more.”
She rose from her seat and said, still not taking her eyes off me, “I’ll be looking forward to it, Istarot. To how beautifully that child will shine.”
Leaving behind those meaningful words, she turned away without a trace of hesitation and disappeared into the crowd.
Once Freya was gone, Lady Istarot let out the breath she’d been holding and collapsed back into her seat.
Still not letting go of my hand, she asked in a trembling voice, “Are you all right, Nia? Freya is the goddess of beauty, so just looking at her should be enough to enchant anyone, but you held out well...!”
“...Are you all right, Goddess?”
I took her cold hand in mine.
Freya.
Being noticed by her meant my path ahead was anything but smooth.
I had to become stronger.
Strong enough to protect the goddess, and myself.
We left the cafe without saying another word.
The Dungeon... I’d better start going even more seriously...
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