My mind blanked out for a mont.
I didn’t know how to react.
The Goddess’s words repeated in my mind over and over again, a certain notification appearing before my vision once more.
"...Nobody knew it at the ti. They were just regular humans. We were all too focused on handling other things. We didn’t know of the danger that was secretly brewing underneath our noses. By the ti we realized it, it was already too late."
My lips moved, but no words ca out.
I struggled to properly grasp the words coming out of the Goddess.
But at the sa ti, it was all starting to make sense.
"They’re the chosen ones of the Outer Beings... The ones with dormant power buried deep within them, growing stronger as they do. They’re also the ones responsible for our entrapnt."
The blinding light that had enshrouded the entire room began to fade as I was finally able to open my eyes again, and when I did, what t my gaze was the sight of her eyes. Just like in the past, her empty eyes were filled with flas.
But as opposed to the past, the flas within the socket of her eyes were noticeably dimr.
"If the Outer Beings are proceeding as they have in the past, it won’t be long before the calamities fully awaken. By the ti they do, it’ll be too late for us to act. It is important that we find the calamities and kill them!"
Despite her soft tone, for just a brief mont, it almost felt as though her words clapped thunderously in my ears, causing to step back as the flas in the Goddess’s eyes flickered with a certain wildness that made swallow my saliva.
Her words softened a little as she stared at her hands.
"I’ve... put up with too much to remain in this place. I... just like everyone else, am tired of living like this. All we ever wanted was freedom. What’s so bad about wanting to be free..?’
Her lips trembled for a brief mont, just brief enough to be ignored if one wasn’t paying attention. However, as soone who was paying close attention to her every action, this mont didn’t escape my eyes as I took a small breath.
’Indeed, her motivations aren’t too different from Toren’s.’
They both wanted freedom.
This was the entire reason why they were doing the things that they were doing.
But at the sa ti...
’...I can’t forgive them.’
Right or wrong, it mattered not to .
They were selfish, and so was I.
Thinking about all the things that they had done to Noel and Delilah in the na of ’freedom’, I just couldn’t bring myself to look at them in a positive light. There was a certain reason why I had wanted to kill them in the past, and it was because of their selfish agendas.
Back then...
Noel had rely been a child when they took him and started to use his blood in order to fuel their life.
He never had a say on the matter.
They just used him as an endless source of life.
’That’s why I can’t ever feel any sympathy for them.’
Because...
At the end of the day, they had hard the one person that I truly cared about. That was the one line that I couldn’t tolerate being crossed.
Greater good or whatnot...
That mattered nothing to .
I was selfish, and I knew that I was.
"I guess more or less guess why you’re here."
Panthea’s voice shook out of my thoughts. Lifting my head to stare at her, I noticed how her lips had curved subtly. Seemingly amused by sothing.
I pursed my lips, ready to speak, but she beat to it.
"You’re looking for Noel, right? The reason why you ca to look for was to know where his whereabouts are."
"....."
I didn’t say anything.
There was no need for to say anything.
She had guessed correctly, and the only thing I could do was lower my head in acknowledgnt.
I just waited for her to tell the information that I wanted.
But...
"...But what makes you think that I’ll tell you?"
"Huh?"
I looked back at her, unable to hide the confusion on my face.
Her smile grew a little bit bigger.
"Don’t tell that you expected to tell you the exact location of where Noel is, and risk offending Toren in the process for nothing, right?"
Ah...
I was suddenly reminded of my previous thoughts.
Of course, she wasn’t going to tell so easily. This woman only cared for her self-interests. I was no different, and as such, understood that unless I offered her sothing in return, she wasn’t going to tell at all.
’Of course things aren’t just going to be easy...’
I clenched my teeth, trying my best to keep my expression even.
Eventually, taking a couple of deep breaths, I managed to speak.
"I am not sure of what I can offer, but perhaps I can be of use in finding who is responsible for the spread of the substance. Would that suffice?"
I felt that this was enough of a trade for the information.
The drug, or whatever it really was, had caused a lot of trouble for the Goddess and her followers. If that was the case, then finding the distributor and putting an end to it should help her eliminate a major problem.
To , this felt like a fair deal.
After all, it wasn’t like Toren was going to find out who had given the information. If anything, he’d be more than happy to have go to him.
However—
"That’s not good enough."
The Goddess didn’t waste a second to reject my offer.
Her simple smile remained, and the flas within her eyes flickered for a brief mont as she looked at .
Staring back at her, I frowned.
"This isn’t good enough?"
"It’s not."
"....."
I wanted to complain, but knew it wouldn’t do any good to do so. She was the one who had the advantage in the negotiation, and thinking about the fact that she was a literal ’Goddess’, I knew that I could only swallow up my resentnt and think of sothing to offer her.
However, regardless of how hard I thought, I couldn’t think of anything else that could be of use to her.
In the end, I found myself looking at her.
"Do you have anything in mind?"
Rather than thinking about myself, it was best to just ask her.
From her expression, I could tell that she had sothing in mind.
And it indeed seed that way.
"...I do."
Her lips pulled further into a smile as she took a step towards . For instance, I had the sudden urge to step back, but I decided to remain rooted on the spot as she drew closer and closer to .
And eventually...
"...."
"...."
She stopped right before , her gaze locked directly onto .
I could feel the flickering of the flas in her eyes as she maintained her focus on , her gaze sweeping from head to bottom. Despite the state of her eyes, there was no denying her looks.
A Goddess was a Goddess for a reason.
Standing before her, I felt it more than ever. The otherworldly feeling that ca from her body, alongside the appearance that could srize anyone who looked at it.
Still, I had grown sowhat immune to great appearances.
To , there was no one more beautiful than ’her’.
’Hooo.’
I took a silent breath.
The Goddess’s gaze felt uncomfortable.
To the point where I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise.
’Stay still. Stay still.’
Nevertheless, I forced myself to stand still.
I needed this.
My entire goal in coming here was to look for Noel. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to know where he was. She was the only one who could help , and as such, I was prepared to accept any absurd request of hers.
Of course, there was still a limit to what I could accept.
And then—
Her hand moved, causing to flinch subtly as her hand pressed against my cheek.
".....!"
My hand twitched, and just for the briefest of monts, I felt the sudden urge to slap her hand away from her face. I just barely managed to hold myself back as I focused my entire attention on the Goddess.
"What are you doing?"
I made sure not to hide my displeasure as her hand continued to caress my cheek.
Her hand was smooth, and I felt subtle shivers running down my neck as she continued to move her hand.
She didn’t answer at all, her entire attention focused on my cheek.
I started to feel more uncomfortable, and just when I was about to snap, she pulled her hand away, the corner of her lips pulling further up as she took a step back.
The surroundings fell silent for the briefest of monts, but that silence was soon shattered by her trembling voice.
"...You’re him."
Him?
Who was him? Who was sh—
"You’re my beloved Emt."
I froze on the spot, staring at the Goddess with wide open eyes, feeling every inch of my body shiver uncontrollably as the way she looked at changed.
"...You’re finally back with , Emt."
The raw emotion in her voice was palpable as my breathing grew more and more laboured.
And then—
"I’ve been waiting for so long."
She took a step forward, lunging in my direction as I felt a certain fragrance reach my nostrils.
Before I knew it, I found myself embracing the Goddess.
"I missed you."
’$%^&*()!!!’
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