Chapter 58: Goddess Of Spider

Chapter 58

Chapter 58 : Goddess Of Spider

◆ Sword's Maiden Shirone

「Are you... sure about this?」

I unintentionally let out a verbal slip .

「Is something the matter, Shirone-san?」

Kyouka-san asked from my side .

While wearing a swimsuit, she was currently lying on top of a beach chair at the deck of the ship .

Her figure was exactly that of a young lady enjoying a summer vacation .

I was also doing the same as her, lying on a beach chair in my swimwear . However, I wondered whether it was really okay to do this?

We're currently sailing on the Quiche River .

The reason why we were visiting this place was to investigate it

The lizardmen were also riding on our ship .

It seemed that they were going to go to another location when we enter the labyrinth .

Apparently, they had detailed geography regarding the area around the labyrinth .

This is why after their conversation with Kuroki, they finally decided to help us with the investigation of the Quiche River .

In the first place, we actually didn't have to come here .

Regena was the one in charge of the lizardmen after all .

For some reason, the lizardmen called Regena, the "Dragon Priest" .

It wasn't like I wanted to know what it meant though . But for this reason, Regena was in charge of the investigation .

Frankly speaking, there was nothing for us to do here .

However, on the surface of things, this was 'our' investigation, Kuroki or the lizardmen were technically not here on paper, this was why we had to show our faces in this area .

We simply came here so that the lizardmen could do their job .

Without us, the knights or freedom fighters would have probably come here to immediately subjugate these lizardmen . As such, we didn't wish to cause too much disturbance .

This was why the best available choice we could do right now was cruise on the Quiche River in the name of investigation .

The Quiche River was a large river with many large boats that traversed its waters, this was an important trade route between the countries in the Minon Plain .

The Republic Ariadya was located in the estuary of the Quiche River .

Kaya-san readily prepared a ship for us to use .

In fact, the size of this ship might be bigger than the cruiser owned by Reiji-kun's family

Currently, the ship was anchored at the riverbanks close to the labyrinth .

We were currently enjoying the scenery while lazing about on the beach chairs .

The Quiche River flowed along the Minon Plain and was surrounded by beautiful scenery . This world has a far more natural element when compared to Japan, our birthplace .

「Milady, Shirone-sama . I've prepared this beverage for you . 」

Kaya-san brought some drinks for us from the kitchen of the ship .

Even at this point, she was still wearing her maid uniform instead of a swimsuit . I thought that she should've used this moment to take a break .

「Thanks, Kaya-san . 」

I received a porcelain cup from Kaya-san .

Because glass isn't widely used in this world . Most containers were normally made from metal, wood, or porcelain .

「You're welcome . 」

Kaya bowed gracefully in response .

The fruit juice she brought had a refreshing and nice taste .

「Kaya, How's the investigation going? I'm bored... There's no one here I can show this swimsuit to . 」

Kyouka-san said so with a bored tone .

We were wearing a bikini-type swimsuit right now .

However, Kyouka-san's body brought about a dangerous charm despite wearing the same kind of swimsuit as me . She had quite a dreamy figure that many men wanted .

By the way, this swimsuit was also made with special silk . It was the type that didn't absorb water .

The people who worked in the sea while doing their job would usually wear garment made from this silk .

Due to the western part of the continent being relatively warmer compared to the eastern part .

Clothing that was worn by women, except for the followers of Faeria's Faith, would usually expose quite a lot of skin .

According to Goddess Faeria's creed, it wasn't a good thing for a woman to expose most of their skin to people aside from their husband .

For this very same reason, women from Faeria's Faith at the western part of the continent wore clothes similar to women of eastern part of the continent .

This is why, speaking from their perspective, our current get-up was on the opposite end .

Since we weren't Goddess Faeria's believers, there was no problem in us wearing this kind of attire .

It isn't like I wore this kind of swimsuit cause I wanted to show it to someone, but... could it be different for Kyouka-san?

「How about showing your outfit to those gentlemen over there?」

Kaya-san said as she pointed at the back of the ship .

She was referring to Regena, Novis, and the men who were on the rear of the ship .

When I looked at her hand again, there was no doubt about it . She was pointing at them .

「Surely you jest, Kaya . Why should I reward those men who are weaker than onii-sama? In the first place, what are they even doing here?」

Kyouka-san responded with a cold tone . So this also meant that she was okay with it if it was a man stronger than Reiji-kun...

Novis and his company were also boarding the ship . They basically forced themself to come with us by pleading,「We'll show you that we're useful! Please allow us to come along with you . 」 .

Although we were hesitant at first, we eventually came to a conclusion that it was much better to have more people when sailing .

「Though I don't know the name of the other two people, it seems that the man called Novis has yet to give up on becoming your apprentice . 」

Kaya-san opened her mouth as she looked at me .

「Geh! Please pardon me from doing so... If he wants to learn about swordcraft, it should be much better to learn it from Kuroki . 」

To be honest, I wanted Novis to stop asking me to teach him . For starters, I wasn't all that good at teaching others . Kuroki is so much better than me in that regard .

「However... Shirone-sama, Kuroki-sama is currently hiding his identity . Don't you think it's impossible for him to teach swordcraft right now?」

「Well, there's also that, but... . 」

Kuroki was currently house-sitting in Teseshia .

The lizardmen were following Kuroki's orders . This was why it would be for the best if Kuroki was the one who continued ordering them .

Rena also stayed in Teseshia after she said that there was something she wanted to talk about with Kuroki .

This was why the matters of these lizardmen were left to Regena .

It seemed that Regena received some sort of magic that allowed her to move underwater .

With this ability, she went along with the lizardmen in the investigation of the river below .

Nevertheless, why did he appoint Regena for this duty? He could've asked for our help in this matter, it wasn't like we had something to do either...

「Come to think of it, Shirone-san . Can I ask you something?」

Kyouka-san said so as she looked at me .

「Is something the matter, Kyouka-san?」

「I heard that Kuroki-san hasn't only mastered the sword, but he can also use magic pretty well . 」

「Uhm... yes, he can use magic fairly well... Is something the matter with it?」

I didn't understand the underlying meaning behind Kyouka-san's statement .

「No, I suddenly had an idea when you were talking about teaching swordcraft . Can I ask Kuroki-san to teach me magic?」

Kyouka-san had a serious look on her face .

「Milady... . 」

Kaya-san looked at Kyouka-san with a surprised expression .

「I think that my situation is similar to that gentleman called Novis . I want to become stronger too... I don't want to become a hindrance anymore...」

Kyouka-san continued speaking with a crestfallen face .

She was the only one without any combat skills amongst us .

It seemed that she received magic lessons from Chiyuki-san before, however, there hasn't been any improvement at all .

As a result, she would always receive the house-sitting duty or things similar to it .

I never expected that Kyouka-san was worried about this matter .

「I see . Why does it have to be Kuroki though?」

I mean, she could ask for another lesson from Chiyuki-san, right? Why did it have to be Kuroki?

「Well... since you said that Kuroki-san is good when it comes to teaching other people . This was why I...」

「I understand now . Yes, I said that Kuroki is far better than me in teaching other people, however, I was talking about swordcraft . 」

Once in a while, children would come to my family dojo in order to be taught swordsmanship .

Back then, me and Kuroki would become their assistant instructors .

At the beginning, the children would head over towards me and ask for my guidance . But for some reason, a while later, they would instead go over to Kuroki .

I was so shocked when I saw it happen .

「It's okay! I'll make it work!」

Kyouka-san exclaimed as she grabbed my hands .

It was hard to refuse her request...

「I understand, Kyouka-san... I'll try to tell Kuroki about this matter . 」

「Thank you, Shirone-san!! I'll return this favor someday!!」

Kyouka-san had a happy expression on .

Well, I don't really know whether Kuroki would teach her or not . But I think it should be okay since Kuroki is a kind person after all .

Then again, what was he doing right now?

I suddenly remembered that Kuroki was currently housesitting along with Rena in Teseshia .

◆ Valkyrie, Shizufae

「DAMMIT! WHY CAN'T I TAKE A PEEK?!」

The Hero of Wind, Zefa, cursed with a loud voice .

This was because Shirone-sama and Kyouka-sama, both wearing a swimsuit, were resting on the ship's bow .

「What the hell are you talking about? Do you want to be killed by Kaya-sama?」

Big sis Keyna rebuked Zefa with an exhausted tone .

Kaya-sama was a really scary person... I also heard that she was as strong, if not, even more powerful than Chiyuki-sama .

I mean... if you had multiple lives, it still wouldn't be enough if you somehow angered that kind of person .

They were simply beyond our reach, we shouldn't even have any thoughts of doing something strange to them .

Anyhow, it seems that Shirone-sama managed to get the cooperation from the lizardmen while saving me from the labyrinth .

I mean, we're talking about lizardmen here, they're a race that wouldn't listen to humans unless we placed shackles or a collar on them .

And Zefa here was actually daring to try and peek on my benefactor .

「But... they're such beauties, you know? Don't you think that it's wrong if we, as gentlemen, don't even try to look at them? Am I right, Hero of Fire?」

Zefa suddenly dragged Novis into the conversation .

「No, I mean... . You're kind of correct...」

Novis hesitantly agreed with him .

「Give it up already... . Are you trying to incite Shirone-sama's wrath again?」

I rebuked Novis' words .

「Even so... Don't you think that it'll be your loss as a man if you wouldn't take a look at Kyouka-sama and Shirone-sama's current appearance? How should I say this... . 」

Novis said with pride, he apparently wasn't giving up on this .

「The hell are you talking about?」

I couldn't help but facepalm . This idiot will never learn from his mistake unless I point it out .

Though... It's not like I don't understand his feelings .

I mean, despite her huge breasts, Kyouka-sama has such a slender waist .

And though Shirone-sama loses in terms of breast size, her chest was still considered as cut above the rest by this world's standard . In addition, she also has a pair of long and slender legs . In fact, her figure was much more balanced than Kyouka-sama's .

Even I, who was the same gender as them, quite envied their well proportioned figures . This was why I understood his emotions of wanting to see their swimsuit figures .

However, it doesn't mean that I would let these idiots do that . Shirone-sama was my benefactor . I'll do everything I can to prevent these idiots from disturbing them .

It also seems she didn't meet the Dark Knight when she found me collapsed in the labyrinth .

But still... who knew what would have happened to me if she didn't find me at that time . Moreover, it was also thanks to Shirone-sama that my wound was treated by Goddess-sama herself .

I felt like the luckiest girl in the world for getting personal treatment from the super beautiful goddess .

It was said that Goddess Rena-sama was the epitome of beauty, and that there was nothing but gentle affection in her heart . I now know that this rumor about her was true after I met the person herself . [TL : ...]

I mean, it was already surprising in and of itself that I was able to meet the goddess herself .

This is why I've yet to properly show my gratitude to Shirone-sama .

I was right here at this very moment for the sake of repaying this favor to her .

Thus, I have imposed on myself with a duty to prevent those idiots — Also known as Novis and company — from trying to do something stupid .

Or so I thought when I came here by myself, for some reason though, Keyna-sama also tagged along with me .

My miscalculation, however, was the fact that the Hero of Water, Nephim, and the Hero of Wind, Zefa, also came along with us . It seemed that they tagged along for their own agendas .

Somehow, Novis seemed to hate this addition .

「Ha!」

A pillar of water suddenly appeared from the river's surface .

A man descended to the deck of the ship alongside this sudden situation .

It was Nephim, the Hero of Water . Since he could freely move underwater, he chose to dive along with the lizardmen into the river .

He then dried his drenched hair with a theatrical movement . His light blue hair danced beautifully as he shook his head .

Nephim was currently wearing a swimsuit for men that encased his well-toned body, and despite him being handsome as Reiji-sama, I had to say that Nephim's appearance was a cut above the rest of the human males in this world .

「... Fuuh . 」

After heaving a sigh, Nephim walked towards the starboard and kneeled on there . A ladder which descended toward the river was in front of him .

Shortly after, a woman appeared from the surface of the water around the ladder .

She was one of Kyouka-sama's and Shirone-sama's attendants, her name was Regena-san .

She volunteered herself to dive into the river to command the lizardmen in Shirone-sama and company's place .

I heard a rumor that Regena-san was a former princess of a certain country...

How did someone in her position end up becoming an attendant? Could it be that she had a rather spicy background?

However, she was definitely more useful than the male attendant who got punched by Novis, there was also the fact that she could command the lizardmen .

It also seemed that she could move underwater too, just like Nephim .

Regena-san grabbed onto the ladder, and then, she slowly climbed back up to the deck of the ship .

「Here, please take my hand, Regena . 」

Nephim stretched his hand as he said those words . Despite his offer, Regena ignored him while she nonchalantly continued climbing on the ladder .

Nephim, who got ignored, was smiling wryly .

Novis and Zefa were smiling gleefully at the situation . Good grief... these idiots...

「Uhm, please use this...」

I gave her a clean and dry cloth for her to wipe her body .

「Thank you very much...」

Regena-san bowed in response, she also showed a gentle smile when she did so .

As I looked at her wiping her body, I thought that she was a beautiful person too .

Chesnut-colored hair and porcelain-white skin... Though not as sexy as Shirone-sama or Kyouka-sama, her body had just the right curves .

The fact that she only had a swimsuit on also emphasized that fact even further .

Could it be that the girls who were working around Reiji-sama all had this kind of beauty?

It was to the point that I was starting to lose my confidence as a woman .

I mean... the woman who had the smallest chest in this ship was none other than me . I don't think I would ever wear a swimsuit around these kinds of super beauties, even if I wasn't Faeria's believer .

「This is quite...」

「Yeah...」

Zefa and Novis were ogling at Regena, the latter was still wiping her body .

I desperately endured the impulse to kick these idiots into the river .

「You guys... Please stop looking at my Regena with those dirty looks on your faces . 」

Nephim stood in front of Regena, shielding her from Novis and Zefa's sight .

「Ah! What the heck are you talking about? Stop trying to monopolize her for yourself!」

「In the first place, since when did Regena-san become yours?!」

The two idiots quickly snapped back at Nephim .

Nephim smiled as he looked at the two men .

「By the way, how about having a dinner with me, Regena?」

Nephim asked with a serious expression on his face .

It seemed like he was trying to woo Regena-san even when they were inside the river earlier .

Regena-san simply treated him coldly, almost to the point of ignoring him .

「Uhm... . Thanks for the offer, but I can't accept it since I already have a master* . 」[TL* : Could be heard or interpreted as "Husband"]

Regena-san, with a troubled look on her face, flat out rejected Novis .

Other than the idiot trio's reactions aside, even big sis Keyna had a surprised look on her face .

This also included me of course .

「Hee~ A husband, huh? You just dealt a critical blow to these guys . 」

Big sis Keyna commented as she observed Regena-san .

Regena-san was married, huh? Even though we were supposed to be the same age .

This part was what made me rather surprised .

「Regena-san has a husband*?! I wonder what kind of a person your husband* is...」 [TL : could be heard or interpreted as 'master']

I unintentionally asked this question .

Since Reiji-sama wasn't married yet, the husband she was referring to might not be him . I couldn't help but wonder what kind of person her husband was .

It made me extremely curious as the priestess of the Goddess of Marriage .

「He's an extremely, gentle and warm person...」

Regena-san replied with a gentle smile on her face .

She was truly enchanting at this moment .

I let out a groan when I heard her say this . Honestly speaking? I was jealous of her .

When I glanced to the side, I saw the Nephim's figure slumped down on the floor .

Poor guy... but with this, I guess one idiot is down for the count .

But I was really curious about the identity of Regena's husband, I mean... What made him so special that just a mention about him was enough for Regena-san to make such a face?

I really wanted to meet him someday .

◆ Dark Knight Kuroki

「Are you... sure about this?」

I unintentionally let out a verbal slip .

「Is something the matter, Kuroki?」

While linking her arm with mine, we walked together before Rena asked this question .

She was currently wearing a hood to hide her face .

Moreover, we were currently walking in the main streets of the Republic Ariadya . A transcendent beauty like Rena would be bound to cause a huge commotion if she people were to notice her .

Though, I think that she would still stand out even with her face hidden, fortunately, we were at the center of Faeria's faith, it was normal for women here to hide their faces .

「Well... . I mean, with Shirone and the others doing an investigation, is it really okay for us to do this?」

Shirone and company should be in the middle of investigating Quiche river right now .

Can we really stroll about without a care in the world like this?

Moreover, I was also worried about the lizardmen's conditions . They did tell me that they would stop trying to get their revenge on humans...

But still... I couldn't help but be anxious about this .

I mean they did start revering me as if I was their God . I originally didn't have any intention to save them, nor did I want to in the first place . I was plainly worried that their promise to me might backfire on them .

I felt disgusted due to my own indecision in this matter .

「It isn't like they forbade us to do anything . Let's just put our faith in them, moreover, isn't your apostle with them too?」

Rena said with a smile on her face .

This was also another thing that I was uneasy about . How did she know that Regena was my apostle? I mean... not even Shirone was aware of this fact .

Regena commanded the lizardmen in my place, they seemed to be quite obedient towards her too .

「Hah~ Come to think of it, is it really okay to sneak out like this?」

In a normal situation, Rena would've been surrounded by numerous bodyguards right now . However, she currently didn't really have them to protect her .

As for why we were strolling around right now, it's because Rena told me that she wanted to see the human world .

She didn't bring any bodyguard along since it would make us stand out in the crowd .

Nevertheless, I thought it should've been okay if we brought along one or two bodyguards . Rena seemed to detest this very idea .

As expected, her bodyguard wouldn't let her go without anyone to protect her either . Thus, Rena sneaked out of the inn, bringing me along to go with her .

「It's okay . I don't need any other bodyguard as long as I have you . Won't you become my knight just for today?」

Rena said as she pulled me closer to her .

Right now, I wasn't wearing my armor . My outfit only consisted of a normal set of clothes for daily use . I could clearly feel Rena's soft and bouncy breasts squishing on my left arm .

「Well... sure enough, it shouldn't be a problem for me to become your knight just for today, but... are you really sure about not bringing any of your bodyguards?」

I had to ask her this since she sneaked out .

I mean, she would naturally get rejected if she asked to go out alone .

As for the reason why I was accompanying Rena in her tour, it was to repay her for providing help in saving Shizufae .

Her simple request was to stroll in a human city with just me and her together .

It was still a mystery as to why she asked me of all people, aside from other matters, I had nothing to lose by accepting such an easy request . This was why I agreed with her .

「Don't worry about it . Rather than that, what's the matter with you? You've been walking with such a strange gait since a while ago . 」

Rena questioned with a curious look on her face .

DAMMIT! LIKE HELL I COULD TELL HER THAT IT WAS BECAUSE SHE WAS PRESSING HER CHEST ON MY ARM .

And thanks to that, I couldn't walk properly since a certain body part of mine became as hard as a rock .

「No, it's nothing... . Anyway, where are you going to take me?」

Ariadya was one of the most prominent metropolises in this world . I wonder where she was stringing me along...

「Oh my, isn't that your duty? You did a research about those kind of places on your own, right?」

「...Eh? How did you know?」

She was right, I did various investigations about the sightseeing spots in Republic Ariadya .

I mean, it was natural to research about these kinds of things if you came to a metropolis . I even bought a tour guide book . Thankfully, it was cheap thanks to the dwarves that made the printing tools .

However... How did she know that I have a tour guide book?

「Why you ask? It's because I saw the guide book when I entered your room . 」

Rena explained as if it was the most natural thing to do in the world .

「Ah, I see... Wait, no! YOU ENTERED MY ROOM!?」

「Yeah, should I not have?」

「It isn't on the matter that you 'shouldn't'...」

Where was my privacy? Though she shouldn't be able to find that... I still can't let my guard down .

「Well, don't mind such trivial matters, let's get going . Now then, where are you going to take me first?」

Rena muttered with her sweet and enchanting voice .

I swallowed any complaints I had when her face neared mine .

Okay then! To the back alley, I mean she doesn't seem to like this place . [TL: ... . Seriously]

...Cough, I was joking . Let's stop thinking about these kinds of silly ideas .

「Uhn, let see... . Which place should we visit first?」

I erased all the evil ideas I had while pondering about this thought .

The first place that came to my mind was the giant public bath .

Ariadya's giant public bath wasn't just a bathing facility, there were various amusements that were built around it . It might be the best choice to play around .

But... there's a problem . Since the giant public bath is dedicated to Faeria, it has an extreme restriction towards men . It's an inappropriate place to go since men and women are separated when we enter the area .

Because the arena was still closed down and the theatre has yet to raise its curtain, where should I take her?

「How about Traid's fountain?」

「Traid's fountain?」

「Yeah, it's a dwarven-made fountain which was created as the water facility terminal of this country . At the center of the fountain is a splendid sculpture of the Sea King; Trident is surrounded by beautiful mermaids . 」

Ariadya's water service facilities were made by the dwarves .

The Traid's fountain was made as its main terminal .

The Sea King, Trident, was a water god, the fountain was also built as an offering for him .

「Hu~hm, an offering for Trident, huh? I can't think too highly of the fountain that was made as an offering for THAT... I don't really mind as long as I come with you . 」

Having said that, a while later, we finally arrived at Traid's fountain .

It was an extremely splendid fountain . The water made from the service terminal looked as if it came from a natural spring . The sculpture of the Sea King, Trident, was located right in the center of Traid's fountain, it was surrounded by beautiful mermaids .

The splendid sculpture was crafted by dwarves based on a blueprint from a famous designer .

Traid's fountain was one of the most famous tourist attractions here . From the people's appearances alone, I knew that they were from outside of Ariadya .

「Kuroki . Do you know what they're doing?」

Rena asked me as she looked at some of the tourists doing something .

They were throwing a coin into the fountain .

「Ah, they're wishing for something . 」[TL : Wishing well]

「Wishing... for something?」

「Yeah, there's a certain belief here that says your wish might come true if you throw a coin into the fountain . Do you want to give it a try?」

Having said so, I took out a Teycam copper coin from my pocket .

Teycam was the currency issued by Republic Ariadya . The Ariad Union aside, it could also be used in the Holy Republic Lenaria and other regions .

「Humans sure are strange... You make a wish by throwing something like this?」

Rena said as she looked at the copper coin .

In fact, from Rena's point of view, currency was an unusual thing .

Divine beings never used money in the first place, nor did they ever need it .

They could get almost anything they wanted without even having to use something like money . If it was something they truly wanted to get, it would be an object that was too valuable to have a price tag attached to it . These were a few of the reasons why they didn't need money .

「By the way, there's also a superstition here that says when a man and woman throws a coin together, they will be blessed to be side by side forever . 」

Rena let out a surprised gasp when I told her this myth .

「I've never heard this kind of magic before . 」

Rena shook her head as if she couldn't believe what she just heard .

「It isn't magic... . But well... It's sort of like a notion that's spread amongst the humans . 」

I had no better words to explain this myth .

「This actually makes it even harder to understand...」

It seems that things like superstitions were nonsense for Rena .

「Uhm... I myself feel that it's okay to believe in myths like these sometimes . Well, at least I wouldn't dismiss it as complete nonsense out of nothing . 」

I placed my copper coin back into my pocket, it isn't like I could force her to believe in human superstitions either . But still, I felt kind of lonely inside .

「Wait a minute, Kuroki . It's true that I don't understand the logic behind this action, but it doesn't mean I don't want to do it .

Rena stopped me from keeping the copper coin .

「I see . 」

I took out the copper coin again with a wry smile on my face . Well, it's true that leaving this area without doing anything would defeat the purpose of coming here .

「Kuroki, don't you think that it's better if we threw a gold coin instead?」

「...EH!?」

I was speechless at what she just said, could it be that she didn't hear my explanation a while ago?

Refusing her right now would be like pouring cold water onto her enthusiasm .

I placed the copper coin in my pocket and took out a gold coin .

「Let's throw it together, Kuroki . 」

Rena's snow-white hand grasped on my hand that held the gold coin .

「E-Eh... Rena?」

Thus, just like this, the bewildered me threw the gold coin into the fountain with Rena .

The coin drew a parabolic orbit before dropping right in the center of the fountain .

「Fufufu, humans know how to make a good superstition . 」

Although her face was hidden beneath her hood, I knew that she was enjoying this .

I felt relieved knowing this .

To be honest, I had zero experience in this regard . Learning that she was enjoying her time was enough to make me feel elated .

But then again, was it really okay to do this with someone who wasn't Reiji? I mean... she was supposed to love him right?

Well, it doesn't really matter now, this kind of thinking will only spoil this rare moment of spending time together with a beauty .

「Kuroki, where are you going to take me next?」

「Let see...」

I started thinking about the next place to visit .

◆ Dark Knight Kuroki

「Is something the matter, Rena?」

After leaving Traid's fountain, we went to visit Ariadya's senate building, and Ariadya's port which was located in the southern part of the city .

There was a giant cold warehouse located there that was built to store the food ingredients .

After we enjoyed the ice cream sold around the area, Rena suddenly pulled me to follow her into a desolate alley .

And then, she quickly pulled off her hood as soon as we turned around the corner .

「Fuu... . Hiding my face with a hood for a long time is really suffocating . 」

Sure enough, she was wearing her hood ever since we came to this city . That might be the main reason why she feels it's suffocating .

However... we'll be troubled to no end if she doesn't wear her hood anymore .

I mean, she's already a head-turner even with it on .

The scale would basically explode once she takes the hood off in public .

Good grief, this Goddess is really troublesome .

「Are you okay, Rena?」

And yet, I was still worrying about her . She was a woman before being a Goddess, and I did tell her that I'd become her knight just for today . This is why it's my duty to protect her .

「Fufu, I'm just a little bit tired . 」

Rena said as she leaned against me .

Her moist eyes locked on me while her small and warm breath leaked out from her pink lips .

The beating in my heart wouldn't stop when I looked at her .

Her current expression... was bad for my heart .

No... she was basically chipping away whatever restraint I had left...

I don't think I would be able to hold back if you show me such an enchanted expression, O My Goddess-sama!!

- What are you waiting for, dude? There's no one here, it's your chance .

The demon and angel inside of me began quarreling .

The Demon Kuroki said: 「Just do it already! No one can find both of you in this place anyway . Look! The Goddess is clearly asking for it . Rip her clothes and she's all yours!」

Meanwhile, the Angel Kuroki voiced out: 「Demon, that's clearly wrong! A gentleman mustn't rip a woman's clothes . Don't you think that It's more exciting to do it with her clothes on?!」

FUU*UCK, THIS ANGEL IS A FU*CKING FALLEN ANGEL! HE'S ABSOLUTELY THE WORST SE*XUAL PREDATOR IN THE WORLD!

But with my alarm ringing non-stop since a while ago . This was definitely a death flag .

I mustn't give in to my lust, otherwise, I'd be dead meat .

In the first place, I absolutely couldn't trust this Goddess-sama .

Rena suddenly made an impish smile .

My brain was operating at top speed . But honestly speaking, I'm on the verge of giving in to my lust .

It was during that critical moment .

The air started trembling .

「This is... . a barrier?」

It was created to isolate the space around us from the rest of the world .

And then, I noticed someone heading towards us .

「To think that you'd come to a desolate place like this, it's almost as if you're asking to die in my hands... Goddess Rena . 」

The one who just spoke was a woman .

She seemed to be surprised to find me together with Rena . Judging from how the situation was unfolding, this woman was probably the person who erected the barrier .

Moreover, I knew this woman's identity .

「You're... Atlan-san, right?」

I've already met this woman before, she was Atlan, the wife of Tormalkis, a purveyor of Rena temple .

She was also the one who prepared an inn for us .

「Fufufu, I'd recognize you even if you hid your face, Rena! Now, it's time to vent my thousands years of grudges towards you!」

Atlan was wearing a stiff smile while announcing . It seemed like Atlan knew Rena .

I wonder... who was she?

「Rena, is she... Your acquaintance?」

Considering this Goddess' rotten personality, I wouldn't find it strange for her to have so many enemies .

「Honestly I don't really know her either . Uhm, who are you again?」

Rena looked at Atlan's face as she asked this question .

「Fufufu... You don't know me? Can you say that even after... SEEING THIS, RENA!?」

Atlan's lower half transformed after she said these words .

「A SPIDER!」

I couldn't hold myself back from screaming upon seeing this sudden change of the situation .

Atlan's lower half transformed into a giant spider's . Her face also transformed, it resembled that of an insect with sharp fangs growing from her mouth .

She wasn't human .

I raised my vigilance due to this unpleasant premonition .

The main reason was because I couldn't see through her disguise before .

I mean... she looked so much like a human . I never expected that someday I would meet someone whose disguise reached such perfection .

「No way... You are... . 」

Rena seemed to remember something as soon as she saw Atlan's transformation . As I thought, she probably knew Atlan in the past .

「Kukuku, surprised huh? Yeah, it's mo-」

「... Sorry, but who are you again?」

I tripped on my own foot after hearing Rena's words .

Atlan's reaction was similar to mine .

「You fucking old spinster! How dare you forget about me! Don't tell me you forgot about me, Atlankua!」

Atlan, or should I call her, Atlankua was glaring daggers at Rena .

「Just kidding, Atlankua . It's not like I could forget you even if I wanted to... So, is that all you wanted to say?」

Yeah, they're acquainted with each other . I wonder what kind of relationship they had in the past?

「I hate that fucking attitude of yours the most! How can you be so carefree after seducing my HUSBAND!」

Atlankua was hysteric .

「Hus... band...? Ah, that persistent god, huh? What kind of misunderstanding do you have? I don't ever remember seducing him . I should be the one complaining since he kept pestering me . 」

Rena replied calmly, almost like she was too used to this kind of dialogue .

「MY DEAR HUSBAND WOULD NEVER DO THAT KIND OF THIIIIING! YOU THIEF! YOU VIXEN! YOU THIS VIXEN WHO SEDUCED HIM! DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN ME!」

Atlankua's real face was like the combination of a human and insect's face . If I went by humanity's standard for beauty, then Rena won by a million miles .

I'm really curious now, what does her husband look like?

「If only you're aware of how ugly your own face is... How about you at least put a bit of effort to look a little bit prettier? Well, it's not like you can win against me no matter how much hard work you put in . 」

「WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!」

Rena kept smiling happily, while on the other hand, Atlankua was burning with rage .

Long story short, it seemed that Atlankua's lover was seduced by Rena in the past . Atlankua was enraged over this matter .

Even a third party like me was having a headache upon hearing about this drama .

It's just too stu— Whatever, it's not my business anyway .

「HAHAHAHA, FUGLY SPIDE~R! FUGLY SPIDE~R!」

「KIIIIIIIIIIIIII——————!」

Rena kept taunting Atlankua while hiding behind me . [TL : What is this? Grade school level quarrel?]

An elementary student-level quarrel between two Goddesses was unfolding right in front of my eyes .

If I showed this childish side of Rena to her priests, it might be enough to send them to the afterlife .

「Uuurgh! Well, it doesn't matter! Now listen to me, Rena! The one who lured your Hero of Light into the labyrinth is I! And that hero of yours is currently flirting around with labrys' daughter inside the labyrinth! HAHAHAHA, ISN'T IT VEXING KNOWING THAT YOUR MAN IS STOLEN BY ANOTHER?!」

Atlankua laughed as she told us this piece of information .

「I see... So Reiji is...」

Rena's tone was held back by emotion . She then glared at Atlankua, the angle of her eyebrows told me that she was truly pissed off right now .

My heart ached when I saw the expression on her face .

As I thought, Rena was Reiji's lover .

Because she loved him, it was only natural for her to keep worrying about Reiji . Could it be that she suppressed her own feelings and acted like nothing was happening?

This unpopular me, whose age is equal to almost no girlfriend until just a while ago, couldn't see through her facade at all .

I'm starting to regret my previous, rather crude treatment towards her, if only I knew this from the very beginning... I should've treated her a bit better before .

「HAHAHAHAHA, IT'S INFURIATING, RIGHT RENA? BUT YOUR FEELINGS ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT I FEEL... HUMPH! THAT RATHER HANDSOME "ORDINARY" HUMAN OVER THERE IS MORE SUITED FOR YOU!」

Atlankua was laughing while pointing at me .

I felt my heart was pricked when she called me an ordinary human .

'Ordinary human' huh...? Yeah, she might be right... I'm just a useless and insensitive bastard who can't even read a girl's mood after all...

「YOU SAID WHAT?! SAY THAT AGAIN!」

Rena screamed back at Atlankua .

「HOHOHO! I'LL SAY IT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!! THAT FRAIL-LOOKING-STICK-LIKE-MAN-THAT-SEEMS-LIKE-HE-COULDN'T-EVEN-CARRY-YOUR-LUGGAGE IS MORE SUITED TO BE WITH YOU!!!」

Atlankua pointed at me again .

...H-How rude .

I know that I wasn't handsome, but man, it hurts when someone says those words right in front of me . [TL : he's more concerned about the "slightly good looking" than the weak part]

Even if I look like this, I did my best to improve my appearance .

I always keep myself clean . I also occasionally trim and style my hair, could it be that doing these alone wasn't enough?

「We match really well...?」

Rwena's shoulder trembled .

Yup, she probably hated the fact that Atlanakua paired her with me . Perhaps everything she did so far—including excessive skinship—was for the sake of saving Reiji .

When I worriedly looked at Rena's face .

She was... . smiling?

「Uhm... Rena?」

Why did you look so delighted?

「WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE! WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING FOR, RENA!? SHOULDN'T YOU BE GETTING FRUSTRATED SINCE YOUR MAN GOT STOLEN!?」

「Yeah, you did get on my nerves when you suddenly intruded on our alone time . But... I think you're mistaken about something, Atlankua . It seems your brain is as rotten as your appearance . That must be the main reason why your husband was cheating on you . 」

Rena declared while looking at Atlankua with piercing cold eyes .

「KIIIIIIIIIII――――――! HOW DARE YOU! FINE, I'M GONNA KILL YOU! CURSE YOUR OWN STUPIDITY FOR WANDERING AROUND WITHOUT YOUR BODYGUARDS!」

「No bodyguards...? What a hopeless idiot! If you're talking about my knight, can't you see that he has always been by my side since the very beginning?」

Rena pointed at me .

Please, don't get me involved in this stupid quarrel .

「Humph! Do you think that pipsqueak is enough to stop me? Then, let me show you how I'll kill him! COME!」

Two giant shadows appeared behind Atlankua when she stretched out her hands .

And another two behind us .

「Golems?」

What appeared were metal golems . They were a four-armed two-metres tall golem with a weapon in each hand .

「Correct! This is a combat golem . It's a duplicate of the guardian golem made by Heibos to protect the entrance to the 5th floor of the labyrinth . They're as powerful as the original since they are made of the same materials . With these 4 golems and me, you have no chance of winning even with Goddess of Battle beside you!」

Atlankua was laughing .

「Atlankua, is this all you brought?」

Rena didn't even lose her composure .

「WHY?! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?! WHY ARE YOU NOT TREMBLING IN FEAR?! EVEN THOUGH YOU DON"T HAVE ANY BODYGUARDS AND IS ONLY ESCORTED BY THAT SLIGHTLY HANDSOME-LOOKING DUDE! EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE TRAPPED INSIDE MY BARRIER WITHOUT ANYONE WHO CAN HELP YOU! WHY CAN YOU MAKE THAT FACE IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION?! GOLEM! KILL THEM ALL!」

With her command, the four golems were now rushing towards us .

「...It can't be helped . 」

I summoned my sword and armor . The Demon Sword and the Dark Knight's armor crossed through space to heed my call .

I could summon them anytime I wanted .

「D-DARK KNIGHT?!」

Atlankua let out a dumbfounded yell when she saw me transform into a Dark Knight .

However, I ignored her reaction and made a beeline towards the enemy in front of me .

I parried the golem's sword with my own and destroyed its balance, this caused it to collide against another golem .

The deciding factor of a golem's prowess was its maker's ability and its material . Speaking of Heibos' golems aside, these ones didn't feel that strong at all .

In addition to being unable to perform small movements, it was also quite easy to read . I could easily win against these guys with my eyes closed .

After confirming that the two golems in the front were unable to move for a while, I turned around to the other two that were attacking from behind .

I cleaved the torso of the golem on the left right after dodging the attack that came from its four arms .

It might be made of special alloy, but the Demon Sword that I received from Modes could easily slice through it like a tofu .

After I took care of the golem on the left, the golem on the right was already attacking Rena .

I quickly parried its four arms and decapitated its head with my Demon Sword .

With these two out of the picture, I leaped toward the tangled golems from before .

It was quite simple, really, I parried the two golems' monotonous attacks with my sword, and while circling around them, I sliced their torsos .

When I was done with them, they were nothing but scrap metals now .

While I was doing all this, Rena didn't even move an inch from her original spot . What would you have done if my movement was restrained by Atlankua?

I'm happy that you put so much trust in my abilities but I'm not omnipotent... I wish you at least made things easier for me .

「No way... Those four golems... in just a moment...」

Atlankua's voice trembled .

I felt sorry for her... she might've been the creator of those golems, but they were just too weak to be my opponents .

「My bad, Atlankua . My knight is too strong for your metal scraps . 」

Rena laughed at Atlankua, she was clearly enjoying this landslide victory .

「DAMN IT! DIE WITH THESE STEEL THREADS OF MINE!」

Atlankua ripped the building around us along with the movement of her arms .

However, I caught her threads with my left hand .

「IMPOSSIBLE!? HOW CAN YOU CATCH MY THREADS?!」

「Sorry . These things are a hindrance after all...」

I caught the threads to prevent it from injuring Rena .

Atlankua moved her hands but her threads didn't budge at all .

「No way... . To think that this WEAK-looking man... is a terrifying Dark Knight . 」

Though I wanted to retort, I held back since she lowered her guard toward me thanks to that .

Atlankua didn't even consider me a threat . However, the result might be unpredictable if she started raising her guard against me .

But it was too late for her . I invoked my black flames .

My flames easily burned her threads .

Atlankua tried to run as soon as she knew that she had no chance in winning against me .

「I can't let you go! Venous Blood Rose's Bind!」

After I chanted the magic's aria, black rose briars appeared, binding Atlankua's body .

「That's impossible! This is supposed to be Zarxis's magic!!!」

Exactly, this was the magic Zarxis used back in Rox kingdom to bind Chiyuki and Rino .

I mastered this magic after studying it .

This added another reason for me to not let Atlankua off since she seemed to know the latest news about Zarxis .

「I won, Atlankua . 」

Rena walked until she arrived right before Atlankua, looking down on her .

「GUGUGUGU... . I never expected that you, out of all the gods, would be joining hands with the Demon King...」

Despite her screams, Atlankua couldn't free herself from the black rose bind .

Her guess was just half-correct though, we weren't joining hands . But I was just too lazy to explain that to her .

「You really are unlucky, huh? Atlankua . Currently, I'm far safer compared to when I was under the protection of thousands of angels . 」

Rena's sonorous laugh resounded in the vicinity .

===

◆ Sword's Maiden Shirone

We heard about what happened at Republic Ariadya after we regrouped with Kuroki and Rena in the inn .

「So that's what happened... . I failed to notice that she wasn't a human . 」

「Yes, we danced on her palm all along, milady . 」

「Yes... if things continued as it is, our plan is doomed to fail... 」

All of us agreed with Kyouka-san

Atlankua's disguise was perfect . Even I didn't realize that she wasn't a human being .

We were basically doomed if she kept hiding until the end . Thank god she made that last minute blunder .

「But you realized right away that Atlan was Atlankua right, Rena? Could it be that you left Teseshia along with Kuroki to lure her out?」

She was truly different from the rest of us, it seems that Rena was the only one who saw through Atlan's disguise . This was why she took Kuroki along with her .

As expected of the Goddess of War, she turned herself into bait to lure Atlankua out .

She even went as far as concealing her plan from the rest of us so as not to alert Atlankua .

I mean, Atlankua might have chosen to escape if she realized that we were acting strange .

Though I understand that she used the "To fool your enemy, you must start with your ally" tactic, but if possible, I wished that she told us about this plan beforehand .

「...EH?!」

However, Rena seemed to be surprised in hearing me praise her like this .

「...EH?!」

Could it be... was it really just a coincidence? In that case, why did she only take Kuroki along with her to Republic Ariadya?

「Y-Yes, it's exactly as you say! As expected of you, Shirone!!

「As I thought, that's a truly brilliant plan, Rena . 」

I nodded, completely agreeing with her .

I mean, that was the only reasonable explanation as to why Kuroki and Rena went to Ariadya together .

I mean, it's basically impossible for a transcendent beauty like Rena to go on a date with Kuroki .

I felt stupid for even considering the possibilities of them going on date .

「We are also done with our part . what do you think?」

「From what I heard from Regena, she and Kuroki should be meeting with the Lizardmen right now . 」

Regena was currently reporting her and the lizardmen's findings to Kuroki in a different room .

The lizardmen didn't want to report to anyone but Kuroki and Regena .

That's why they might not choose to report anything if we were around .

I haven't heard the specific details yet, but it seems they finally understand something . We could finally dive into the labyrinth .

There were so many people working together to save Reiji-kun and company . Even Goddess Rena was doing her best to save Reiji-kun . [TL : ... She's bloody doesn't care about that one]

We even got the help from Kuroki . This is why I was sure that Reiji-kun and everyone else would be alright .

「Please wait for me, everyone . I'll save you soon . 」

◆ Dark Knight Kuroki

「Thank you very much for your report, Regena, and you guys too, lizardmen . 」

「Don't worry about it, I will even cross a sea of fire if it's for you, master . 」

「W-we are undeserving of such praise . 」

Regena and the lizardmen bowed to me as they responded .

It was thanks to them that I gained understanding about the geography of the area surrounding the labyrinth .

The 5th floor in Reiji and company were trapped in wasn't perfect since it wasn't meant to be a prison to begin with .

Combined with the information extracted from Atlankua and blueprint from Heibos, I finally completed the method to capture this labyrinth .

「Wait a minute, Dark Knight! You say that you're going to release me once I spit out all the information that I know!」

The still-bound Atlankua yelled at me .

Atlankua really did tell me everything she knew .

It seemed that from the very beginning, she didn't pledge alliance with the evil god Labrys, their partnership was purely because they had the same goal, to capture Rena .

「My deepest gratitude for the new information, but I can't release you for the time being . I will have to send you to Nargol instead . 」

Atlankua seemed to be dissatisfied when I told her that .

I wish she would just be grateful since I didn't hand her over to Rena . I could only imagine what kind of ending she would have if I let Rena deal with her .

Another reason why I'm sending her to Nargol was that Modes wouldn't treat his sister too harshly .

Now that we have enough info in our hands, tomorrow was the day we were going to infiltrate the labyrinth .

To be honest, I was reluctant to go since the others see it as me going in to save Reiji .

This was what I truly felt .