385 Selection Times #1
To Hassan.
Hassan, it’s me, Luna. I’m doing well. The Ideope in autumn is incredibly beautiful, and the people here are very kind.
The gentle waves, the leisurely flowing clouds, the reeds, the grass, the flowers—everything makes me want to show it all to you.
Doris also says she really likes this place. The seawater salt of Ideope is quite sweet and salty.
You should come and taste it; you’d be really surprised at how intriguing the flavor is. It’s subtle.
It’s mainly great with bread when dipped. Anyway, Hassan, I’m doing fine, so don’t worry. I’ll probably see you after winter!
That was the entirety of the content of the letter Luna sent via the Mars Guild.
Her slanted handwriting is messy, and some parts are smudged as if wet with water, making the words almost unreadable.
The content, as expected of Luna, is scattered and rambling. To summarize, it just says she’s doing fine and hopes to see him after winter.
However, my keen instincts detected a hidden message within this peculiar letter. When the first letters of each paragraph are strung together, they reveal Luna’s true intentions.
“Hassan, help.”
I realized something must have happened to Luna. Originally, hadn’t she said she’d be back within a month?
I had assumed her delays were either due to a tough training schedule or rough seas that postponed her ship’s arrival.
But upon reading this letter, I couldn’t help but worry.
I understand there isn’t much time. This letter was likely written a few days ago.
For Luna to resort to such a crude cipher upon returning to her hometown means I’m curious about what exactly is happening in Ideope.
And yet, I can’t just leave without considering all consequences.
I thought it best to plan ahead for the upcoming alcohol festival and any other events that may occur.
Dang, dang, dang-dang-dang-.
“Everyone, it is past midnight…! Wednesday is over…! That’s all for today’s nectar tasting…!”
Already?
Next week, I need to come earlier and wait in line.
As Thursday dawned past the stroke of midnight, the moon got hidden by clouds, darkening the world. The evaluators turned away with regret.
After the people started dispersing, the shrine area slowly regained its silence.
“Phew, now I can finally breathe.”
Antiope complained about how exhausting it was to manage the crowd.
“Parties are breaking out everywhere, with fights and yelling- that’s why I don’t like the followers of Bacchus.”
Even Antiope’s face was unusually red from the incomplete drinks made by the evaluators and the ones rejected in my evaluations that she drank glass after glass.
She complained in her slurred speech:
“How long must I go through this every Wednesday? I’m completely drunk. Ugh, the world is completely spinning.”
“That’s what dreams are made of—a workplace where you can work your shift while drinking! Stop complaining and do your job…!”
“That’s, true in a way. But technically, I’m still part of the Shrine Knights and receive my salary there. I don’t need to hear that from my seniors.”
“This young one gets carried away and forgets rank when drunk…!”
“Huh-. What’s going on? Why am I this drunk? I didn’t have that many drinks. Is it because of the new blessing-? No, I can’t. I’m going to clock out-. Clean up on your own-.”
And with that, Antiope wobbled off in some direction.
As I watched her retreating back, I decided to say something.
“Hey, Antiope, can we talk for a second?”
At that, Antiope’s zigzagging steps stopped.
“Talk?”
Looking at me while slightly raising her eyebrows, she seemed curious about what I might say.
I decided to leave the temple area where the priests were cleaning up and head to Paranoi’s office to directly confront Antiope.
When was the last time Antiope and I had a private conversation?
In this unfamiliar atmosphere, even the already-drunk Antiope seemed a bit tensed and slightly nervous, trembled.
“Why does this feel like a reprimand? I worked hard today, so… it’s kind of disappointing if you’re criticizing me.”
I quickly corrected her.
“I’m not here to criticize you or anything. I’m about to have a serious conversation with you.”
“Then I’m getting even more nervous… It feels like my buzz is wearing off.”
“Antiope, do you trust me?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said. How far can you trust me? How far would you let me ask something of you?”
“What in the world… what are you talking about?”
Antiope seemed extremely flustered.
Her face already flushed from drinking grew redder, and she pulled her half-opened zipper on her chest up with a swoosh.
Swoosh.
“You and this ‘young sister’ have this sort of relationship, and you have that strange elf too. Then you suddenly say something like this to me—”
I understood what Antiope was trying to say. She seemed to misunderstand my question as something related to a romantic relationship.
“Like, how far would you let it go? Of course, it’s unacceptable. It’s wrong. Everyone will criticize us. The reputation I’ve worked so hard to build will be ruined—”
Looking back, I may have phrased it in a way that could be misinterpreted.
I corrected myself:
“Antiope, what I mean is, I intend to solidify your position. You’re technically still a member of the Shrine Knights deployed to this temple.”
“Y-yes.”
“But, there’s a possibility I might clash with them moving forward.”
“The Shrine Knights?”
Antiope’s face, which had been disoriented from the drinking and confusion just moments before, suddenly hardened. Her drunken haze began to fade.
“To clash with the Shrine Knights is pretty much the same as turning the kingdom into an enemy.”
“More or less, though there are some differences if I need to be precise.”
“Are you saying you plan to walk the same path as the Pluto Cultists? Weren’t you trying to go a different route from them?”
“Pluto Cultists…”
I recalled the shadowy figures lurking in the dark, still intent on wreaking terror wherever they went.
I believe I’ve done the right thing by clearly separating myself from them and forging my own path.
However, the story I’m telling Antiope now—about going against the kingdom and its laws—seems to resemble the heretical nature of the Cultists.
Antiope has a patriotism toward the kingdom and its laws that borders on religious fervor.
Therefore, I decided to ask her more directly.
“Between the kingdom and me, which side would you choose if you had to?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“Antiope, one day we may face a time where you have to make a choice between the two—a time when you must choose one or the other. It could happen soon. You should think about it in advance.”
“That… talking about turning the kingdom into an enemy like that, what’s with such words? Weren’t we supposed to work together—? Ah—.”
Antiope nervously scratched at her hair as if lost in thought. I urged her again with a few more words.
“I can assure you, the kingdom will eventually become my enemy—not now, but soon, as I gather more power.”
“Hassan, you don’t know what it means to set the Shrine Knights as your enemy. There are ten of them who are as strong as you or even stronger.”
“Still, your strength would be a help. Not just you, soon I’ll be rallying other skilled individuals under the banner of our temple. Antiope, I want you to become the leader of that group.”
“Me? A leader?”
“Yes. And someday, I want you to become the commander of my army of hell. The commander of hell, Antiope. An achievement that even your sisters, Shilaya and Hippolyte, couldn’t reach.”
“That does sound cool…”
I stood up, believing I had pretty much said everything.
“Think about it. I’ll give you a week. I’ll be away until next Wednesday’s wine festival.”
I then left the office, leaving Antiope sitting at the desk, lost in thought.
Right as I stepped out, my eyes met Paranoi, who seemed to have been waiting for me.
“So, you’re really planning on overthrowing the kingdom…? Coexistence with Prince Friedrich, that nasty fellow, was impossible from the start, wasn’t it…!”
Paranoi apparently overheard all my conversation from outside the office. This guy has surprisingly keen senses; he must have caught every word I muttered softly.
Raising both hands high, he declared:
“Overthrowing the kingdom has always been our goal…! Now is the time to hire powerful individuals as enforcers of the Dark Brotherhood that I’ve been keeping an eye on…!”
I remembered Paranoi’s earlier proposal to form an armed group similar to the Shrine Knights within the Dark Brotherhood. Such strength and force will undoubtedly become more essential in the future.
“With them, there should be no deficiency in taking on the wicked Shrine Knights…! Though they’re trapped in this terrible purgatory for now…”
And with that, Paranoi chuckled sinisterly.
“Then, we’ll continue this conversation in a week.”
“Are you really going to meet Miss Luna now?”
“Yeah.”
I could feel the letter from Luna tucked deep inside my coat pocket.
The next morning—Thursday.
I headed first to the shrine of the Goddess Vesta located in the central part of the city of Sodomora.
Goddess Vesta.
She is known as a symbol of tenderness, overseeing the hearth, bonfires, and nymphs with a compassionate gaze. Along with Minerva and Diana, she is celebrated as one of the virgin goddesses representing purity.
Perhaps due to her preference for avoiding trouble, not much is widely known about her.
On the other hand, as a goddess who commands dragons, her immense influence is quite intimidating, and it seems like she manages to attract a fair number of followers.
Since the hearth and fireplaces she presides over can’t be separated from daily life here, she holds an important place.
Is she a quiet goddess commanding dragons?
I started suspecting her more when I learned from Bacchus that there was a traitor among people in Hypos who had betrayed humanity.
Her calm, silent image now resembles that of an antagonist secretly accumulating power in my mind.
Clomp, clomp.
As soon as I stepped into the vast courtyard of this shrine, I saw robed figures sweeping the yard. They must be the priests of Vesta.
“Is anyone here? I’ve come with some business.”
“Who are you-.”
“A-.”
They seemed to ask who I was, but probably recognized my conspicuous figure even in this city and stopped inquiring.
Then they quietly whispered to each other, and someone wearing a robe pulled low over their face slowly approached me.
She’s female?
You can tell from the wrinkles around the mouth that she’s quite old.
“Young god, you’re causing quite a stir in Sodomora. I am Esh Dust, the overseer of the Earth here. On behalf of Goddess Vesta, I welcome you, Hassan Zigress.”
“Thank you. I have a bit of business.”
“What kind of business?”
“I’d like to borrow one of the dragons serving the Goddess Vesta. I have somewhere I need to go urgently, and riding on a dragon is the fastest way to get there.”
“That, that is impolite-.”
“Goodness-.”
When I answered, the female priests were quite shocked. Perhaps I said something taboo; then the overseer Esh Dust continued:
“To treat such noble creatures as mere vehicles? You truly are a youthful god full of vigor. If you were a mortal, you would have already been punished by Goddess Vesta.”
“Would it be difficult to lend me the dragon, then?”
“Hmm. It’s our first time seeing another god visiting us, and honestly, it’s rare to encounter a god at all. It’s intriguing… You’re large and have a bold voice… Just as Paranoi mentioned.”
The sudden mention of a familiar name surprised me.
“Do you know Paranoi?”
“Of course. Goddess Vesta is the protector of nymphs. We must monitor all nymphs active in this city.”
“I see.”
“In that sense, your temple and your priests are lacking in nymphs. For the well-being of nymphs, we’d like you to hire a decent number of them for your shrine.”
What is this about?
I recalled the nymph allocation system I saw in Babel, where a nymph called Arnoi was employed at the Mars Guild there.
So I just nodded along.
“That’s fine. Excuse me for asking again, but why can’t I borrow the dragon?”
“We’ve never dealt with a situation like this. We’ll need to consult Goddess Vesta herself directly. Please come inside the shrine.”
So I entered the shrine of Goddess Vesta.
![[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1743806812-5548-TS-The-Protagonist-is-Conquered.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered")
