‘...Child. ...Awake.’
Despite the beautiful voice filling his mind, Prete's consciousness remained deeply asleep.
‘My child. You still have things to do. Wake up.’
It was unclear whether the scene he had engraved in his eyes was too beautiful for him to handle or if he was too busy imprinting that sight in his mind, but one thing was certain: his mind was trapped in a deep mire.
Even when his goddess called out to him earnestly, he couldn’t awaken.
‘My child... Haah. Wake up! You promised to keep a portrait of the child whom Armadish claimed for himself! I was saving my voice to give you guidance, so this is troublesome! Wake up! Wake uuuup!’
“Gah?!”
Thanks to the goddess’s earnest shout, Prete barely regained his senses and groaned, clutching his throbbing head as he let out a long sigh.
What on earth had happened?
Why was he sleeping in a place he had never seen before, unconscious?
...Ah. Right. I had arrived in the forest where Lady Alrn lives to paint her portrait.
And as soon as I came here, I encountered Lady Alrn wearing revealing clothing, and after taking in her appearance...
I...
“Cough?!”
As he recalled Lucy's image, Prete almost toppled forward again, but just before losing consciousness, someone struck the back of his head, forcing him to regain his senses.
“Don’t faint again, you weak perverted fool.”
“...Rina.”
Rina. The ruler of the vast forest, who possesses powers akin to a deity within her domain.
She glared at Prete without hiding her displeasure at his presence.
“Not only did you interrupt my quiet time with Lucy, but you also fainted and bled all over, wasting our time!”
“...I’m truly sorry.”
Her anger was so justified that Prete could do nothing but apologize without offering an excuse.
“However, Rina, Lady Alrn is...”
“She is outside training, saying she can’t waste time doing nothing.”
Rina’s words, indicating that Lucy would return shortly after completing a quick lap around the forest, made Prete chuckle softly.
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Given the size of the forest Rina manages, a single lap would be no small distance.
She truly possesses an incredible level of physical ability, which is hard to believe for a first-year student.
“Consider yourself a misfortune that has become a kind of blessing. Thanks to you, Lucy, drenched in sweat, will stomp on this face with her smooth and soft feet. Ah, just imagining it makes me so happy. I can't help but want to delve between her toes with this tongue.”
Prete smiled wryly at Rina’s melted and disgusting face.
While he thought he was not entirely sane, Rina was on another level. He felt he could never catch up.
“Then I should prepare in advance for when Lady Alrn returns.”
He needed to set up everything so he could begin working on the portrait as soon as she got back.
He didn’t know how long it would take to capture her beauty on canvas.
As Prete tried to rise from the bed, his intentions were thwarted.
Just as he attempted to stand, a fog spread, pressing down on his shoulders and forcing him back into his seat.
“Before that, we have a few matters to discuss, you weak perverted fool.”
“...If it’s something ordinary, I can answer without this.”
“What is your purpose in approaching Lucy?”
As Rina's gaze sharpened with a wildness akin to a beast, the pressure on Prete's shoulders intensified.
Even someone of Prete’s caliber, who was a powerful apostle of the goddess, felt the burden of that pressure.
Desperately channeling his divinity, Prete barely broke free from the pressure and hurriedly spoke.
“I only wish to praise the beauty of the noble lady as a follower of beauty and art. I have no ulterior motives beyond that.”
“Is that also true for the goddess you serve?”
“How could this foolish apostle know the will of the noble goddess? However, her intention to spread the beauty of the noble lady is certainly aligned with mine. I don’t think it differs greatly.”
After Prete finished speaking, Rina continued to stare into his eyes for a long time before she cooled her gaze and posed another question.
“When Lucy is in danger, will you be willing to help her?”
“Of course. I have been granted the grace of having my life saved. How could I just stand by and watch as a miracle vanishes from this world?”
How could he stand idly by if that beauty, which even the goddess praises, were to face a crisis?
Even if Prete held fear, the goddess would surely push him forward, so he would undoubtedly help Lucy.
“Lastly, you don’t harbor any sinister intentions toward Lucy, do you?”
“What do you think I am? I am an apostle of the Artisans’ Guild before I am human. How could I defile such a work of art?”
Even under the growing pressure, Prete scoffed.
He could endure many doubts, but this particular question touched his pride, making it impossible to remain silent.
“Tch. Being unnecessarily honest is unwise.”
As Rina clicked her tongue, the mist pressing down on Prete dissipated as if it were an illusion.
“If you have more to ask, please do so quickly. I have many preparations to make.”
“What is the apostle you brought doing now?”
“He’s being interrogated by the guild. Those connected to the evil deity often share ties, even if they serve different gods. We are eliminating the remnants of Tariki while trying to uncover traces of other evil deities.”
“Is he in a state suitable for Lucy to see?”
“...Um. No. It’s a bit gruesome to show it to the noble and virtuous lady.”
Prete remembered Lucy’s pale face when she saw a corpse.
She was noble and steadfast, yet also delicate and fragile.
Thus, he could not show her something horrifying. He didn’t want to leave any blemishes on the work of art that is Lucy.
“I’ll convey the information we gathered from him, but it seems I won’t be able to show you his face.”
“That is a wise choice. There’s no need to burden Lucy’s mind.”
“What else is there?”
“This next question is of a very personal nature. May I ask if you can share a portrait of Lucy?”
“I cannot. I promised to use the portrait for personal collection purposes.”
“I’m not asking for it for free. I’m suggesting a trade for part of my concealed collection.”
“...May I hear the details?”
“This concerns Lucy...”
After running along the neatly packed dirt path, running in the forest felt entirely different.
With no properly cleaned trails, there were many things to watch out for, and dodging the obstacles that appeared along the way was enjoyable.
The fresh air of the forest was delightful, and spotting small birds and cute animals here and there was a treat.
Most importantly, after calming down those sudden, jumping tigers with a little tap on the head, I could freely pet them. That was the best part.
Thanks to that, my mood, which had been weighed down since the morning, had lightened considerably.
When that perverted apostle had bled and fainted, I had so many thoughts racing through my head, but now I felt relieved that he had collapsed.
Of course, even now, thinking back on that scene makes me feel disgusted.
Wiping the sweat with a towel I pulled from my inventory, I opened the door to the mansion, expecting the silly fox to pop out and make some strange noise.
However, the silly fox didn’t reveal herself until I walked inside.
How strange. Normally, she would be sniffing around, grinning widely, and trying to lick my skin.
As I pondered whether she was trying to show restraint since the real body was here, a voice echoed from deeper in the hallway.
The alternating voices of a man and a woman suggested that the perverted apostle and the silly fox were having a conversation.
What serious matter were they discussing that they didn’t notice my arrival?
Curiosity piqued, I moved silently toward the source of the voices.
“Oh. Is this...?”
“Um... so amazing...”
Pride was evident in the silly fox’s voice. Was she showing off some kind of ability?
“The concentrated aroma is so fragrant.”
“Stop! That’s enough! We’ll finish this deal after we conclude our negotiations!”
A deal? What kind of deal?
“...Rina. Can I not pay with something else?”
“What are you talking about! This cloth, imbued with Lucy’s sweat, can only be exchanged for a portrait of her! If you say such things, I will chase you away!”
...
Realizing what was happening inside the room, I smirked and pulled out my mace from my inventory.
<Ahh. Young lady! That inventory is way too stifling!>
‘Grandpa, please be quiet for a moment.’
<...What is it? No. Never mind. I’ll keep quiet. Don’t mind me.>
Kicking the door open and entering the room, I saw the silly fox, clutching a towel I assumed was the one I had used, and the perverted apostle, holding it as if it were a lifeline.
“...Oh. Lucy? Uh, when did you arrive? Ah! This is, um!”
“Eek... Lady! For now, let’s put down that mace. Let’s have a conversation. As intellectuals.”
“Die♡ You worthless, disgusting trash!♡”
After stepping into the world of Soul Academy, I often lamented my own weakness.
From the moment I chewed on my lips after losing in a sparring match to the time I felt powerless in the face of death.
I kept repeating to myself that I wished I were a little stronger.
And even now, I was lamenting my weakness.
If only I were a bit stronger, I could have sent the two trash right in front of me to the perverted deity!
No, seriously, thinking back on it makes me shudder.
When did that silly fox manage to sneak away with the towel I wiped my sweat with?!
And why the hell was that perverted apostle so desperate to get his hands on it!?
What’s wrong with this situation?
Why are there such crazy perverts surrounding me?!
“Um. Young lady.”
As I was seriously examining my own karma, the silly fox, who was lying down and serving as my chair, carefully spoke up.
“Uh. While it’s nice to receive a reward, can you at least return that towel?”
“Do you not have any shame, you perverted trash?♡ Shut up♡ Just hearing your voice makes me feel like throwing up!♡”
“Ugh. This is...”
As I raised my head, trying to ignore the trembling silly fox underneath me, I noticed the perverted apostle hastily lowered his head.
Why is someone who serves as an apostle for a goddess acting like such a lunatic?
Shouldn’t an apostle have at least a minimum level of reverence?
What would the goddess think if she saw him like this?
...Ah, right. I remember now. The goddess of beauty and art was also not quite normal.
What could one expect from a goddess known for her insatiable greed for beauty, who was called a nuisance crow despite her dazzling illustrations?
As I held my forehead and sighed, the perverted apostle glanced at me, as if realizing the madness of his actions.
Ha. Well, let’s think positively.
If I think about it differently, this gives me a reason to extort jewels from this perverted brat.
“Hey♡ Perverted brat♡”
“Did you call for me?!”
“I’m a super, super, super~ kind person, so♡ I’ll offer you a special chance to be forgiven for being the trash you are!♡”
“What should I do?! I, Prete! I will do anything in the name of the goddess I serve!”
“Well, I’ve heard that people really like the jewels made by someone like you, a disgusting pervert?♡”
As I propped my chin and brought up the topic of jewels, Prete blinked in surprise.
“What?♡ You, a perverted brat who tries to act like an artist, are saying that?♡”
“No, that’s not it. I mean, giving a piece of jewelry to the noble lady would be a reward for me, and I was wondering how much I should give.”
His words came out so naturally that they momentarily made my dizzy mind focus.
“Ha♡ You think I’d accept something made by a perverted brat like you?♡ You’re dreaming big!♡ Just understand your place and stay out of my way!♡”
“Really?! Lady! Please change your mind! At the very least, I’ll show you what I made!...”
Seeing him begging like a servant in a historical drama made me sigh involuntarily.
In the future, when I become much stronger than I am now.
Before heading out to deal with the evil deities, I should take care of the silly fox and the perverted apostle first.
That seems to be the right choice.