Chapter 270

270th Chapter

Entrance of Fall 270 ? Entrance of Fall #6

On the wide wooden board I received from Juno’s priestess, Arma Mandel, a scroll was pinned flat with nails.

It was densely filled with small text, and its content was roughly like this.

“Have you ever turned your neighbor’s wife into a cow and raped her while having a wife? O / X”

“Have you ever raped a princess trapped in a foreign land and gotten her pregnant while having a wife? O / X.”

“Have you ever pretended to be another man’s husband and raped his wife, getting her pregnant while having a wife? O / X.”

“Have you ever sexually harassed nymphs and mistreated them while having a wife? O / X.”

What the hell is this?

I couldn’t help but furrow my brow, doubting my own eyes. What kind of chart is this? Does it even have any meaning? Are there really people who could circle “O”?

At least not me, so I marked the items with X using a fountain pen.

Out of the total 30 questions, all 30 were marked with X.

“Once you’re done, please return it.”

When I handed it back to Juno’s priestess, Mandel, she briefly glanced at the scroll and nodded.

“Based on my judgment as the representative of the all-powerful Juno, this barbarian cannot be regarded as having committed adultery.”

“What!? What is this? What does this mean exactly? If this isn’t adultery, then what is?”

Luna shouted, genuinely surprised. Then Juno’s priest Mandel spoke.

“Of course, there are broad interpretations regarding infidelity. Our Juno priests are still debating and expanding its definition. The hardline priests even argue that any action that saddens a woman’s heart is considered adultery-which means we might label any secretly stolen piece of meat by the husband as adultery.”

“But Hassan really committed adultery…”

“Hmm, Hassan of Samaria. One of the most famous adventurers in this city. So you are Hassan, right?”

“Sort of… I guess.”

“But, as far as I know, the Samaritan Hassan was a bachelor. Are the two of you engaged in a relationship that promises future fidelity?”

At the priest’s question, Luna and I exchanged glances. Soon, Luna, lowering her head slightly, fidgeted with her toes in her sandals and hesitated to answer.

“That’s… kind of… yes.”

“Miss, what is your name?”

“Luna Noxdotty.”

“Hmm, Luna Noxdotty. It sounds familiar for some reason. Wait here for just a moment…”

Juno’s priestess Mandel clacked her heels and moved away from her seat.

Luna and I sat at a table tucked into one corner of the terrace arranged within the temple of Juno. The cool breeze caressing the sweat of tension from my forehead made me feel better.

I slightly turned my head and saw the beautiful garden I noticed upon entering earlier. Children were running and playing there.

Compared to other temples, there were a lot of children here. Was this place also functioning as a daycare center?

“Now you are the tagger…”

“Ahh! That’s so unfair!”

“No matter how much you cry, it’s no use…”

In the meantime, Paranoi had mixed with the children in the garden and was playing a game of tag. Watching the scene, Paranoi really seemed indistinguishable from a child.

“Paranoi seems to be enjoying it here.”

“True, watching her play with kids makes it hard to tell her apart.”

“Of course, nymphs are cursed to forever remain as children.”

“Really?”

The nymphs are cursed with eternal childlike form – I had a vague idea of that. It made me remember that the nymph Echo, the innkeeper’s wife, was under a similar curse called “weakened growth” when I had grabbed her wrist.

Is it not a personal curse but rather a curse placed on the entire nymph race?

“Of course, the reason why the nymphs were cursed was largely due to the faults of men.”

“Why?”

“Because men kept molesting the nymphs and committing sins, and the suffering prayers of those victimized nymphs kept reaching the heavens, Juno, unable to bear it any longer, pitied the nymphs and placed this curse upon them.”

Placing a curse supposedly out of pity is something I can’t quite understand, but, as I’ve come to realize, the common sense of this world differs significantly from what I know.

“So, because of that, nymphs have all taken on the appearance of children. Of course, this is an old story, so whether it’s really true or not, no one knows.”

“I see.”

When I first met her, Echo, the innkeeper’s wife, appeared like a young teenage girl, but when the curse was lifted, she transformed into a truly alluring and enchanting married woman.

This caused the inn’s revenue to skyrocket significantly, and as a bonus, the innkeeper suffered due to the numerous men who made advances toward his wife.

If all the nymphs wandering around this world are like Echo, it wouldn’t be strange for conflicts to arise everywhere.

In fact, the reason I haven’t yet lifted Paranoi’s curse of weakened growth is somewhat related to similar concerns.

Hmm… that makes sense.

I was nodding in agreement when I suddenly realized that Luna and I had fallen into silence once again. It’s not unusual for the both of us to sit quietly without much conversation.

Even if two lovers deeply in love with each other were to live together, it’s not possible to keep their focus solely on each other the entire day.

There were many times when both Luna and I quietly did our own things in the same space, enjoying the silent, peaceful times.

The only difference was that back then, the silence wasn’t uncomfortable—it felt warm and cozy, like a thick blanket gently enveloping the shoulders. Now, it feels slightly unfamiliar.

Perhaps, as we’ve been separated for days or weeks after greeting each morning and evening together every day, some kind of gap has formed between Luna and me.

Indeed, this separation must be the reason.

The glass marbles that represent Luna and me feel as though they’ve collided too strongly and developed cracks.

And even if we patch those cracks with various things to cover the holes, the marbles won’t be as smooth or as beautiful as their original form.

“Hassan, are you lost in thought again?”

“Huh-, yeah.”

“It seems like it hasn’t changed, has it?”

“I’ve lived this way my whole life. And it seems like it will continue like this.”

“Maybe because you’ve been working so hard lately, Hassan’s eyes seem deeper now. They’re like an abyss.”

“Is that so?”

I slowly caressed my face. I felt a coarse beard and an emaciated cheek pressed against my palm.

Judging from the comments I’ve received from many people lately about the sunken appearance of my face, it seems clear that my condition hasn’t been good.

But what can I do?

Living separately from Luna, after breaking up, I lost the will to enjoy life. I didn’t even know where my food was going, and the zest for life was fading as well.

I fully understood how friends who had broken up with their girlfriends and lived like recluses must feel.

At some point, someone said that:

“Romance is a chemical reaction of hormones.

This process where the hormonal effects of romantic love return to normal is a deeply depressing one.”

That statement initially seemed plausible, but experiencing it personally made me question if it could really be reduced to just a hormonal reaction.

It truly felt like my entire world, my entire life, was breaking apart.

Meanwhile, as the mischievous guys were attacking the inn where I lived, and even with flying tomatoes hitting me, it was natural for my face to darken.

Did Luna also endure similar hardships?

When I subtly glanced at her face, except for her swollen eyes from crying earlier, Luna looked as radiant as she always did.

Luna said,

“While Hassan was gone, I continued reading the newspapers he had made.”

“Really?”

“At first, I was so angry that I wanted to gather everything related to Hassan and throw it all away. But in the process of gathering them, I noticed them. And as I read, I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away.”

I recalled the newspapers I had made for Luna.

They were letters of sorts, made clumsily and poorly in an attempt to make her happy one night. It seems like they had somewhat changed her mind.

“So, missing Hassan every day, I cried and cried. I was mad at both Hippolyte and you but just cried uncontrollably.”

“…”

“I still hate Hippolyte, so I use her as much as I can. Anyway, I’ve been through so much. This was the first time in my life I experienced something like this, and I didn’t even have anyone to talk to. But, if Hassan had been happily living without me, I would have felt even sadder.”

I silently turned my head. The clouds drifting across the sky seemed quite leisurely. People were enjoying conversations, looking cheerful. Everything flowed peacefully.

But wasn’t everyone affected by various winds, swaying like reeds at one point or another?

If we look at it from a distance, do we seem to be an ordinary couple enjoying tranquil moments, despite our distinct pink and black hair?

I spoke.

“Sorry.”

“Hassan, it would be good if you suffered just a bit more. Hassan also needs to experience sleepless nights like me.”

“I’ve already suffered quite a lot.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“…I see.”

Upon hearing that I had suffered greatly, Luna seemed genuinely pleased.

Though unintentional, it seemed that the fact that I’ve had a hard time resonated with her in a somewhat complex way, possibly bringing her a feeling of subtle satisfaction.

“I wish Hassan suffered more because of me. I’d curse him like that.”

“Curse?”

“Yes! Truly, a terrible curse. Hassan will feel guilty every time he sees me from now on. And, he’ll start thinking about treating me better, and he’ll eventually say that he can’t live without me.”

“What kind of curse is that?”

While I was wondering what kind of curse had such content, a breeze from somewhere blew, scattering Luna’s hair that was parted into two strands.

Luna grabbed her hair to keep it in place, flicked it back, and smiled lightly as she spoke.

“-The curse of forgiveness.”

Indeed.

Indeed, that’s truly fitting.

*

Juno’s priest, Mandel, returned after quite a while.

I thought she had made some grand preparation, but she came back empty-handed to the table where we were sitting.

Mandel said,

“So, did the two of you have a good conversation?”

“Hmm. I think so.”

Luna responded quite confidently. Mandel, seeing this, answered with a fairly satisfied expression.

“The two of you are unmarried, and the issues between you seemed like something our Juno Temple couldn’t intervene in. And most issues are typically resolved through conversation.”

It seemed like Juno’s priest Mandel intentionally left, expecting us to have a deep conversation.

If you think about it, marriage counseling programs often involve encouraging the participants to talk things through.

Though we might have normal day-to-day conversations, people tend to hide a lot of things internally. It often leads to unresolved tensions that eventually erupt unless we seize special opportunities like being in a special place.

In that regard, this woman seemed to have some wisdom in her thoughts. Mandel, what was her name again? Ah, Arma Mandel. Yes, Mandel added a few more words.

“This garden is filled with lotus flowers that Juno cherishes. These special lotus flowers have the effect of calming the mind and making emotions gentle. Hence, this garden is also called the ‘Garden of Dialogue.'”

“I see.”

“Anyway, I’m glad it seems things have been resolved. If you were pleased with my service, I’d be honored to be asked to conduct your marriage blessing ceremony in the future, when the two of you get married.”

“Got it!”

“And if similar issues occur after marriage, then come together again. I’ll handle things accordingly. And don’t hesitate to crush or break things as needed.”

I suddenly felt a chill down my lower body. I hoped this place wouldn’t be a place I’d ever have to visit again.

Just then, Mandel said,

“While you’re here, would you like me to read your matrimonial fortune? Normally, this would cost one silver coin, but as your karma is quite special, I feel inclined to try a reading myself. I’ll do it for free.”

“Fortune telling? I love fortune telling!”

Due to her deep involvement with voodoo, Luna was never short of enthusiasm about fortune telling or horoscopes, made even more enticing because they were free.

Given that Luna’s mother, the Goddess of Night, was responsible for dark and ignorant superstitions, it wasn’t surprising her daughter couldn’t resist a free read. Hence, Luna and I found ourselves seated at an unusual table for a divination session using cards that closely resembled tarot cards.

Mandel, who had suddenly draped a white cloth like a veil on her head, began shuffling the cards as she spoke.

“People inherently possess elemental attributes. Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth. These five elements represent the primary attributes of people.”

Are you talking about something like Pokémon?

“Then, let’s first determine your attribute, Luna Noxdotty. Please pick a card from the spread.”

Luna is probably a Chikorita, so her element is Grass. More precisely, maybe it’s Wood. As I thought this, Luna flipped over one of the cards.

What appeared was a depiction of a truly large tree.

“Wood? My element is Wood?”

“That’s right. Wood harmonizes with Water and Fire. And what opposes it are—”

“Metal and Earth?”

My question seemed to slightly surprise Mandel, hidden beneath her veil.

“Do you know the theory of the Five Elements, Samaritan?”

“I know a bit.”

It’s impossible not to know about the Five Elements while learning some makeshift traditional medicine at the Health Center.

It influences the herbs used, acupuncture, and massage techniques according to these attributes, though I don’t have thorough knowledge of it. Does my own element fit into this?

While musing about it, it was my turn to pick a card. As I extended my palm, Mandel abruptly interjected with a firm voice.

“Hold on, Samaritan. You must pick two cards.”