Chapter 119

119th Episode

The City of Indulgence, Sodomora, and the Shrine Maiden of the Goddess

There is a wrestling technique called the “bear hug.”

A technique where you grab the opponent’s torso with all your strength, like a bear, applying pressure to their sides and waist causing pain.

Of course, the person on the receiving end wouldn’t just sit there, so this move is generally effective only when there’s a significant physical or strength disparity.

In other words, I, the bulky Samaritan, am usually the one applying the bear hug. And the puny goblins often end up having their backs broken by this passionate embrace.

GAAAH.

“GHHEEEEEK!”

But d*mn it, I was on the receiving end of that right now. I was not some fierce Samaritan but merely a goblin.

Excruciatingly tight, squeezing all the air out of my lungs, and the sharp decorative blades on the armor were stabbing into my body. It felt like I was being tortured by some medieval torture device.

An impenetrable hell of thorns from which there was no escape.

In this terrible pain, strangely, a heavy scent of roses wafted.

“Ma, I’m gonna d*e…”

d*mn, my life ending in the embrace of some unknown woman, meeting a pinkish final breath. While someone might call it poetic, this was just unacceptable.

Just as I was slowly losing consciousness from the pain,

“Enough.”

Click. Click.

Ting, Ting.

The sound of high heels clicking on marble floors echoed across the expansive shrine, accompanied by a distinctly feminine voice.

Whether it was a special frequency her vocal range hit, amid the commotion where I was nearly fainting, that voice came through crystal clear.

The sound that followed – was it a bell or a chime?

“Stop, Psyche.”

“Urgh…”

With that, the tight grip around my waist gradually loosened, the darkness in my vision retreating.

“Brother, are you alright!” Malco’s frantic voice rang out as I gradually came to my senses.

“What the hell!”

Regaining some strength, I quickly stood up, ready to swing a club at any moment.

If this thorn-armor-clad shrine maiden decided to embrace me again or swing her mace, I’d be ready.

However, unlike my battle-ready stance, the shrine maiden in white armor bowed her head low like a chastised beast and took several steps back.

The high heels clicked closer.

Click, Click.

“The Holy Maiden approaches.”

“Venus’s champion herself has appeared. What good fortune.”

As that voice drew near, everyone around me dropped to their knees, bowing their heads to the ground.

Thud.

Even Malco beside me chose to prostrate himself fully on the hard floor.

“Brother! What are you doing! Quickly, bow down – never look directly at her face!”

He whispered this last part to me quietly. Although I was thrown off guard, I wasn’t completely clueless.

So as the high heel sounds drew nearer, I chose to lower my head, bowing to the floor.

I could tell that the most important person in this shrine had arrived. Whether in this world or the old one, those in power enjoy seeing others bow their heads.

So bowing my head on the floor, forehead to the ground, I listened.

Click.

The sound of heels stopped near me, followed by a frigid, sharp voice cutting through the air.

“Shrine maiden Psyche, why did you act so rashly? As a loyal follower of Venus, you have the duty to maintain dignity.”

“Ugh…”

“Did you believe this man was a devotee of Pluto? Tsk, how absurd. This is the Shrine of Love. How could a follower of the underworld god of Pluto ever enter?”

“Ugh…”

“But is it true that he was your lover? Tsk, what’s even more impossible. Your so-called lover has long since passed, imprisoned in Pluto’s jail, Tartarus. He is no longer in this world.”

“Ugh!”

“What, what?! How dare you speak so rudely to me! Psyche, I am the earthly representative of Goddess Venus! No one can speak to me that way!”

d*mn, what is this strange exchange?

I wasn’t sure if they were actually communicating or if they were putting on some sort of role-play just to mess with me.

But I wasn’t bold enough to lift my head and check, so I just obediently listened.

Or rather, I stared at the floor.

The marble floor, shiny enough to reflect images, revealed the image of soft pink heels and a flowing dress of similar hue. Between the fabric, a glimpse of white calf was visible.

And if I followed that line up further, there it was – unexpectedly revealing black lingerie?

d*mn, was this real? Is this actually happening?

Various thoughts whirled in my mind when a commanding voice startled me from behind.

“Psyche! I command you in the name of Venus! Return to your chambers immediately!”

“URGH!”

“Now! Utter one more word against me, and I’ll increase the weight of your armor! I’ll make you crawl on all fours!”

“Hnnn…”

“How amusing, to crawl on all fours before people. Even with your short hair, such an ugly and graceless sight, surely even you could imagine it.”

And with that, the strange conversation came to an end. There came the sound of clanking metal as they retreated into the distance.

It seemed the shrine maiden named Psyche had listened to the pink high-heeled woman and returned to her room.

Though judging feelings from footsteps might be silly, I could sense a certain slump and lack of energy.

At any rate, the disappearance of the armored menace was a welcome relief.

Of course, the situation wasn’t entirely resolved…

“So, I was enjoying a rare respite. Whatever could this be about? Young man with black hair, surely you aren’t actually a follower of Pluto as the shrine maiden suggested?”

Even without eyes in the back of my head, I could clearly feel the gaze pinned on me from where I bowed on the ground.

So I answered desperately from my position on the floor.

This woman must be a great authority, with the power to make others bow. One misstep or offending her could spell disaster!

“Not a follower of Pluto. I despise Pluto most of all. Pluto’s a son of a b*tch!”

“…Ho, to speak so brazenly to one of the Triad deities. Now I see, you’re a spirited warrior indeed. Come to think of it, a black-haired Samaritan… Could you be the Hassan of Samaria who’s been stirring the city lately?”

“That… If you speak of Hassan of the Mars Guild, then yes, that’s me.”

“My goodness, they say you played a large part in capturing the cultists. To suspect someone like you of being Pluto’s follower, what a grave mistake both myself and the shrine maiden have made.”

Click.

The sound of high heels became even louder. The woman had positioned herself right before my head. The flowing fabric dangled near my head, making me feel itchy.

But even while enduring this, my eyes remained fixed on the floor. Up close, it was more than just the standard black – intricate lace patterns adorned it!

“Traveler of foreign lands, as a gesture of apology and reward, I permit you to gaze upon my face. You may lift your head.”

“Ye, yes?”

She gave permission to look upon her face. I wondered how that counted as an apology or reward…

“What a surprise, to see the face of the Holy Maiden…”

“Savages, I envy you not. They say after seeing her face, one could pleasure their daughter for three days…”

“Smell her breath at least. The air the Holy Maiden exhales. Haaa…”

As the crowd’s reactions grew increasingly fevered, I started to feel puzzled. Being allowed to see a face meant being able to pleasure your daughter for three days? What kind of logic was that?

Then a voice floated down from above me.

“It’s perfectly alright to feel no shame. And you should be proud. I am the earthly agent of the foremost in the Triad Goddesses, Venus. My beauty is beyond compare, arguably the best among mortals. Simply being granted an audience with it is a privilege…!”

“Uh, I see.”

But somehow, I couldn’t muster the nerve to lift my head and look. My eyes remained fixed on the floor.

The floor revealed so much after all.

“Still won’t lift your head? Hmm, refusing such an opportunity despite having it… You’re more modest than I thought. Very well, then-”

Just as the Holy Maiden was about to continue speaking, from somewhere nearby came a rumbling sound, followed by a cry from one of the crowd.

“Wha, waah! d*mn it, waah! He’s turned to stone! He’s become a statue!”

“Idiot! That happens when someone dares look at the Holy Maiden without permission! If you don’t want to turn to stone, close your eyes!”

Someone turned to stone?! The dreadful notion caused the rising tension in my groin to instantly subside.

The awareness of someone’s body hardening into stone was something my groin seemed well aware of.

Wasn’t it the same curse that turned me into an Elpride’s slave, forcing me to grovel? A woman who could put such a powerful curse simply by being looked at?! d*mn, terrifying.

Which was why the thought of lifting my head was even less appealing now.

“To be truthful, the shrine has been rather chaotic today. To undo the curse, simply purchase holy water from the Venus shrine and sprinkle it. Only costs 2 gold per bottle.”

2 gold pieces?!

Having to spend 2 gold pieces just to cure a curse.

2 gold. That translates to 200 silver pieces. And 200 silver pieces equates to 20,000 copper coins – enough to buy Luna’s favorite 20 copper piece fried tofu 1,000 times!

I imagined a sky filled with flying tofu, flapping their wings in a grand spectacle.

2 gold was an astronomical sum, enough to cover the sky. d*mn, a mere glance would cost you 2 gold?!

At my stunned silence, the voice above me spoke again.

“You there, Hassan of Samaria. Would you do me the honor of coming to a private chamber? I shall meet you there.”

…

The shrine dedicated to Venus, the goddess of beauty.

The side building within resembled a small indoor garden.

From red to yellow, unknown colors of roses decorated the space. Above them fluttered butterflies of various hues and white doves.

Coo.

Coo-coo-coo.

It was a magnificent sight, yet it made me feel slightly overwhelmed. d*mn, there were so many doves.

Two or three landed on my shoulders and head, showing no fear of humans.

Coo-coo-kook.

Ping.

What the heck, were those doves or parrots?

As I doubted whether those birds were actually doves, Malco spoke in a solemn tone.

“Brother! To be invited to the Holy Maiden’s private chamber – is this a dream, or reality?”

Malco, sitting beside me on the sofa, seemed as bemused by the current situation as I was. He busied himself looking around at his surroundings like a soldier on leave.

I asked him.

“Hey, is Kalidur alright?”

The bald Kalidur had lost consciousness after fighting the monstrous shrine maiden to protect me, with visible major injuries. I worried whether the medicine here could treat such wounds.

“He’s been taken to the infirmary by Venus’ priests. He’ll be fine. Brother, check out those paintings.”

Following Malco’s pointed finger, I looked at the wall. There, a series of peculiar paintings lined the walls.

“What the… What’s this?”

These pictures were out of place in such a beautiful architecture, resembling strange jokes more than art.

Every frame depicted the same pink-dressed woman. However, most of them lacked any head or face details whatsoever.

Is it some kind of other-world impressionist art?

It looked like an entire land of egg-headed ghosts and headless Durahan’s, sending shivers down my spine. Were these paintings done by someone with a severe nervous disorder? d*mn, what is this?

As I furrowed my brow in curiosity, Malco glanced around discreetly before whispering to me.

“I’ve heard rumors that the Holy Maiden of Venus likes to invite painters to paint her likeness. But no painter was capable of depicting her face.”

“Because looking at her face turns people to stone?”

“Not exactly. Apparently, there’s simply no artist skilled enough to capture her beauty in paint. It’s said that the Holy Maiden’s brushes have been broken by more than a battalion of painters, and musical instruments smashed by countless bards!”

d*mn, could she be so beautiful?

I started to feel a bit curious. If only I had looked at her face earlier instead of at the panties reflected on the floor.

No, no. Women are most beautiful when they retain an air of mystery. I don’t regret my choice.

Anyway…

“So, how pretty is this woman to cause such a stir?”

“Isn’t it obvious? The earthly representative of the supreme Venus among the Triad Goddesses. There’s always a reason why she escapes criticism.”

“Hmm.”

“Me neither. But if she’s compared to Young Lady Minerva’s favored, she must be extraordinarily beautiful!”

I had indeed heard of the Young Lady.

The only daughter of the powerful Duke family presiding over the Senate of Sodomora. So beautiful and intelligent that she’s practically unknown in this kingdom. A rumor goes that she is favored by the Goddess of Wisdom, Minerva.

That’s why when people here compliment a beautiful woman, they often say ‘As pretty as the Young Lady!’

Though I’ve never met her, I have no idea how noble her features are. But considering she gave me a club as a present and even named it, she must be a good person.

Goodness can make someone appear even more beautiful. Perhaps this is just people exaggerating her beauty. People here tend not to feel guilty about embellishing stories.

Like how regular cats become lions in tall tales.

Anyway, just as Malco and I were chatting while brimming with tension,

Click, Click.

The sound of high heels could be heard coming from afar.

Ting, Ting.

Sounds similar to cat bells also accompanied the footsteps. Both Malco and I instinctively bowed our heads without a word.

Now I understood why she wore high heels and what the bells were for.

She really is like a cat with a bell around its neck. Dammit, she’s a walking curse launcher. There’s nothing more ultimately dangerous.

“Did you keep waiting? The reason I’ve brought you here is that I have something to say to you.”

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