Here’s the English translation based on the provided glossary:
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Episode 269: Entrance of Fall #5
Elpride, who had been rubbing her face against Luna’s belly even as the wind blew, suddenly stopped.
“Fine, I’ll apologize.”
Whether she had accepted Luna’s flustered demand to apologize for calling her a raccoon or not, Elpride surprisingly ceased her actions and carefully set Luna down on the ground.
“Huh? Wha—?”
Luna flailed her limbs like a flipped-over turtle, her voice trembling as if she couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t expected to be let off so easily. Neither had I.
“Yeah, sorry for calling you a raccoon.”
“Grr…”
Elpride’s voice was eerily calm, to the point where it was hard to believe she had just been furiously fighting. Because of that, there was an odd sincerity in her words.
Honestly, I was surprised.
Admitting one’s mistakes and apologizing isn’t easy. And being the first to yield? That’s even harder.
“…”
Perhaps because of that, Luna, now standing on the ground, stayed silent as if she didn’t understand the situation. She just stared intently at Elpride’s face.
“I-I won!”
Then, she even declared her victory. Watching nervously to see how Elpride would react, I saw her casually brush the dust off herself with her palm and say indifferently:
“Sure, if that’s how you wanna call it.”
“Grrr…”
And so, the winner was decided. By Luna’s words, she was the victor.
Elpride, on the other hand, had admitted defeat and apologized first. But while Elpride regained her composure, Luna’s expression looked like she had something to say but couldn’t, bubbling with frustration.
At this point, it was hard to tell who the real winner was.
What had they even been fighting for in the first place?
Soon, Luna also regained her composure.
However, no apology came from her for calling Elpride a “thief cat.” There must’ve been something she couldn’t back down from.
And so, after watching the fight from the sidelines, I concluded that there was no clear winner.
But there was a loser.
“I-I can’t breathe automatically…! My eyes—my eyes won’t blink on their own…! This curse is terrifying! Eek, eeeek—!”
The only real outcome of this horrifying duel was Paranoi, who had been watching from outside the arena, suffering under the curse of self-awareness.
“Well, if fate allows, see you next time, kid.”
After tidying herself up, Elpride turned her back and disappeared somewhere.
I didn’t know where she was headed, but she was probably returning to an inn or some lodging where she could rest.
“She—she looked down on me! She called me a kid!”
Only after Elpride’s figure had completely vanished around the corner did Luna finally voice her complaints in a grumbling tone.
Then, she even rubbed her exposed belly with her palm.
“She treated me like some kind of raccoon!”
“Yeah, that’s a real problem,” I replied half-heartedly.
I had thought that after being apart for a few days, Luna might have changed, but no—she was still just Luna.
“Anyway, Hassan, let’s go to the Shrine of Juno together! Since it’s a weekday, there won’t be many people!”
“Shrine of Juno?”
Juno.
Queen of the Heavens.
The goddess who protected homes and communities.
Unless you were from 21st-century Earth after deconstructivism, the concept of “family” on the Gaia Continent was the most fundamental unit of society—and thus, sacred.
I’d heard that Juno, the wife of Jupiter, the God of Lightning, wielded power and influence nearly equal to his. In fact, the Shrine of Juno was said to be one of the most influential institutions on the continent.
Most married women who established households converted to Juno’s faith, which meant the religious order itself was undoubtedly wealthy and powerful.
After all, few groups were as formidable as mothers united. Parent associations, mom cafes, green mother clubs—weren’t they all terrifyingly strong?
I’d always thought it had nothing to do with me, but now Luna was dragging me there.
To “cure” my womanizing tendencies? Was that even possible? Surely not by normal means.
Would they scramble my brain with magic? Chemically castrate me?
Ugh, d*mn. Just thinking about it was horrifying.
But on the other hand, I felt a little grateful that Luna had seriously thought about me during our time apart and, instead of dumping me, was giving me a chance to reform.
It wasn’t like I had anything else to do—the incinerator work was already done by late afternoon. But was this really okay?
“Hassan, let’s go—!”
“Yeah, whatever.”
Like I’d said about Elpride, extending the first hand in reconciliation isn’t easy. Since Luna had reached out to me first, I had to meet her halfway.
d*mn it, fine. I’ll go, even if I don’t know what’s waiting. To the Shrine of Juno.
The Shrine of Juno in Sodomora was located in the East Gate district.
Most shrines were in the city center, but the fact that they could afford to build one in the expensive East Gate area spoke volumes about Juno’s wealth and influence.
Then again, in this world, a shrine’s prestige and a god’s power were proportional to their followers.
And in this world, half the population was female—many of whom married and had children.
If most of those married women devoted themselves to Goddess Juno, it wasn’t surprising that her shrine could afford the East Gate.
Weren’t the core of most religions women—specifically married women with children?
With children, spouses, homes, and health to worry about, married women often sought solace in religion.
And in a world where gods actually existed, a goddess of the household would naturally attract fervent devotion.
Samaritan.
Be careful. She’s terrifying.
Lost in thought, I suddenly heard people whispering about me.
As I grew more accustomed to the concept of “aura,” my senses sharpened—every murmur reached my ears as clearly as if they were whispering directly into them. It was a little awkward.
Was there no way to turn this off? At least a volume control? Not like my body had such a switch.
Of course, whispering among themselves was still polite.
The real problem was—
Splat!
—the tomato that just hit me. d*mn it, tomato juice was hard to wash out and stank like hell.
“Hassan, Hassan got hit by a tomato!”
Luna gasped, staring at the red stain on my back.
One reason I’d avoided her was because I didn’t want her to see this—but now, there was no helping it.
Splat! Splat-splat!
More tomatoes and small stones flew toward me.
I didn’t bother dodging, taking them all head-on. But some were mistakenly aimed at Luna or Paranoi, so I blocked those with my hand.
Luna spoke up.
“Hassan, you never told me this was how you lived.”
She seemed genuinely shocked that I faced so much scorn and insults.
Of course, I hadn’t told her. If she knew about the thugs who ambushed me at night, she might faint on the spot.
Brush, brush.
I casually wiped off the tomato bits and said:
“Right now, it’s tomatoes. But someday, they’ll throw flowers at me instead.”
“…”
Luna had no response to my declaration. She just walked silently, eyes glistening as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
She must’ve realized why I’d been avoiding her. So we walked without speaking.
Paranoi, however, was oddly excited.
“As expected of the wealthy East Gate—throwing soft things like tomatoes and eggs…! If this were the slums of the West Gate, we’d be dodging rocks and razor blades…!”
He wasn’t wrong.
But hearing that just pissed me off.
“Hey, you happy I’m getting pelted with tomatoes?”
“Of course not! I, Paranoi, am Hassan’s right hand! But seeing your grand plan unfold so perfectly is truly inspiring…!”
Grand plan?
This guy seemed to think the insults and mockery were all part of some master scheme.
“Still, I’ll remember their faces and note them in the ledgers of hell…!”
“Sure, do whatever.”
Splat!
I caught a tomato aimed at Luna’s face and took a bite.
It was decently salted, refreshing against my sweaty body. As Paranoi said, the wealthy district could afford to waste good food like this.
Guess I wouldn’t starve just wandering the streets.
After walking a while longer, we finally arrived at the Shrine of Juno.
Golden pillars gleamed under the sun. Ivy draped over the walls, and peacocks strutted through the gardens—everything exuded an elegant, classical air.
Until now, I hadn’t thought much about it, but for a moment, I hesitated to enter the shrine with my filthy, sweat-stained body.
Then Paranoi muttered:
“The street of Juno—the most expensive land in the East Gate…! Originally, this was one of the targets for our Pluto Order’s raids…! To think I’d come here willingly—!”
“Don’t start any fires.”
“Understood…!”
“Hassan, let’s go in.”
At Luna’s urging, we all stepped inside. The fountain, gardens, and peacocks outside moved aside with regal grace.
What kind of birds weren’t even scared of humans? They must’ve been pampered shrine pets.
Children played around, and women chatted under the shade of benches and pavilions. The tranquil atmosphere felt like a peaceful park between late morning and afternoon.
Then Luna crouched down. Was her stomach hurting? But no—she was picking up peacock feathers from the ground.
“Hehe, so many tail feathers.”
“Lady Luna, what are you gathering?”
“These sell for 5 copper each. There’s probably a lot of good ones lying around.”
“I shall assist…!”
Luna and Paranoi busily collected feathers. If you saw 5,000 won on the ground, of course you’d pick it up.
“Oh my, why are they picking those up?”
“Who knows? You can never tell what young girls these days are thinking.”
“Look at that outfit. Is she dressed or undressed? That pink hair is something else.”
The whispers of women sitting on nearby benches reached my ears.
Of course, they thought they were being quiet, but I heard every word. It was uncomfortable, so I spat on the ground.
Ptooey.
The surroundings erupted in murmurs.
“Ugh, what a barbarian. Does he even know where he is?”
“With foreigners like this roaming the East Gate, property values will drop…”
“The educational environment for children…”
The gossip shifted from Luna to me.
I guess that was satisfying enough. As I ground the spit into the dirt with my shoe, Luna and Paranoi stood up.
“Hehe, already made 30 copper.”
“As expected of Juno’s shrine…!”
“Alright, now let’s get to business.”
I followed Luna, who stuffed the feathers into her pockets, into the shrine. Some guards warned me about my appearance, so I washed up at a nearby well—but that’s not important.
“Welcome. I am Arma Mandel, a priestess of Lady Juno. Some call me ‘Mandel of the Sorrowful Eyes.’”
A woman in a red dress, her golden hair elegantly pinned with a hairpiece, greeted us warmly.
She looked to be in her mid-30s, with a plump, gentle figure and drooping eyes that left a strong impression.
She gave off the vibe of a kind-hearted, wealthy housewife who’d never known hardship. Her face was remarkably soft.
Arma Mandel, huh?
Then Paranoi asked:
“Mama?”
The priestess chuckled.
“Close friends call me that. You’re a cute nymph too. The Shrine of Juno always welcomes nymphs. Now, what brings you here?”
“We’re here for treatment,” Luna said.
“Treatment?”
“For womanizing!”
Then, something shocking happened.
The priestess’s gentle expression twisted into something terrifying.
“Womanizing?! How disgraceful! It must be this uncouth savage, right?! But first, fill out this chart.”
In a flash, her anger vanished as she handed me a scroll attached to a wide board. I frowned at the contents.
『Womanizing Test – Answer Honestly. 1 point per “O.”』
『Have you ever shapeshifted into a neighbor’s wife and assaulted her while married? O / X』
『Have you ever assaulted a trapped princess from a foreign land and impregnated her while married? O / X』
『Have you ever pretended to be another woman’s husband to assault and impregnate her while married? O / X』
What the hell is this?
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[Author’s Note] What a blazing month it’s been…!!! As we step into September…!!! To all the readers who’ve journeyed with us this far—thank you from the bottom of my heart…!!! As a token of my gratitude, I bestow upon you the cooling voodoo of refreshing September breezes*…!!!
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