T/N: Based on suggestions from the comments in the previous chapter, I’ve decided to go for a Fri-Sat-Sun release schedule. Since I already posted the first earlier this week, here’s the second of this week’s release.
Within the solemn temple, a goddess of peerless beauty stood before Shien. She looked at Shien with an upset yet also teasing gaze.
Shien could swear it. In that instant, the thought of actually lifting his hand and hitting her really did flash across his mind then.
Unfortunately for him, the goddess standing before him is an existence capable of reading minds. She seemed to have noticed Shien’s collapsing mental state, so she just continued to stare at him. She stared so hard that Shien’s lips started twitching.
Only then did that goddess start smiling.
“Should I say congratulations to you? My lord viscount Bayztrot?”
Nien said something like that as if nothing had happened at all.
“… Isn’t all of this thanks to you? Oh lady goddess?” Shien forced a smile onto his face as he spoke, “If not for you summoning me to this world, granting me a second life, how could I have possibly been able to get to where I am now?”
Those words were spoken in a rather weird tone.
At the very least, Nien would definitely realize it.
Therefore…
“But someone wanted to hit me just now. Was I mistaken then?”
Nien blinked and asked while purposefully pretending not to understand.
“How could that be? It must be a mistake!” Shien’s smile was still as forced as before, and his tone was also as weird as before, “Only, I rather feel like, if someone got in the way of another person’s fortune, then that person may very well incur divine punishment.”
Shien’s ability to insult in a round about way was definitely first class.
However, Nien obviously didn’t mind it at all.
“If I’m not remembering wrong, in your world, the target of divine punishment are generally only humans. Gods won’t incur divine punishments you now.” Nien spoke with a grin, “Rather, gods are the ones who deliver divine punishment in the first place. Only those who disrespect the gods would incur divine punishment. Don’t you think my words are reasonable? Oh viscount?”
Hearing that, Shien was finally unable to maintain the forced smile on his face.
“… I haven’t done anything to offend you, have I? Oh lady goddess? Shien spoke with an upset expression on his face, “I never offended you, and yet you’re hitting me with divine punishment. Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
That’s true enough. Shien’s current situation is basically no different from divine punishment.
The pretty princess is still waiting for him. He was already excitedly sharpening his sword and spear. His bullets are already ready to fire. Yet, as his car was speeding up, when he had even removed the handbrake, suddenly, an automatic brake engaged?
If this isn’t a divine punishment, then what is?
“I know that a pure goddess like you would definitely not want to see something so dirty. If you’re still holding a grudge over my stupid thoughts from last time, and your giving me this punishment for making you see things that I shouldn’t have shown you, then I’ll apologize, alright?” Shien admitted defeat right away and begged with his hands clasped, “So can you please let me go back?”
Shien’s words made Nien involuntarily remember the stuff she “saw” from Shien’s mind during their previous meeting.
Thus, Nien’s involuntarily blushed as she gave Shien a hateful glare.
“You dare bring that matter up again?”
Nien started grinding her teeth at that.
Nien had almost forgotten about it if not for Shien bringing it back up.
“Since you mentioned it now, I’ll tell you here and now. Don’t even think that you’ll get your way tonight.” Nien lightly huffed, “I’m going to be keeping you here the entire time until it’s day time in the mortal world, and only releasing you then.”
Shien’s eyes widened as he started panicking.
“No, wait! Just what kind of grudge do you have that you’d do something like that to me?”
Shien couldn’t believe that this goddess would actually go so far.
He had thought that this goddess was just purposefully teasing him after seeing him getting ready to despoil a princess, but who would have thought that this goddess was really planning to ruin his night.
However, Nien did not seem to be joking here.
“You’re my Hero. Why should you go hugging and embracing some other woman and getting so close to them?”
Nien was saying something like that.
Shien wanted to vomit up blood at that moment.
“Do you mean that Heroes aren’t allowed to do that kind of things with girls?” Shien retorted, “Then how exactly did all those previous Heroes leave behind descendants?”
Nien didn’t seem to care about Shien’s argument.
“They were summoned because of the gods’ needs. It has basically no relation to me.”
Nien doesn’t seem to have much interest in those other Heroes.
“Then what about me?”
Shien pointed at his own nose.
“You’re different.” Nien spoke without even thinking, “You’re someone that I summoned. The one who I gave all my heart and thoughts to. How can you be considered the same as those guys?”
“In other words, other Heroes can do that kind of things, but I can’t?” Shien strongly objected, “What kind of rule is that?”
“Of course it’s a rule that I set.” Nien spoke without minding it, “Anyways, you are mine. You’re not allowed to do that kind of things to other women without my permission.”
Nien was acting very obstinately, making Shien feel like he was being targeted by a yandere with extreme possessiveness.
… Maybe he should really push her down and give her a good beating?
Just as Shien was seriously considering such an idea, the obstinate look on Nien’s face gave away to a pitiful expression.
“You wouldn’t seriously get violent with me, would you?” Nien spoke tearily, “For the sake of summoning you from a faraway other world and even resurrecting you, who were already dead, I had spent a full thousand years to accumulate the power for it. I even paid a huge price in addition to that. Yet, you’re going to treat me like that?”