45 - Chapter 42: 42[Departure]
The Goddess's hand pushed me into the portal.
After falling into the portal, I felt a sense of weightlessness for a while before being pulled into a void.
I emerged from a portal once more,
I let out an odd sound as I landed hard on my butt.
"Ugh!"
The spot where I landed was right in front of the Goddess's statue in the Chapel,
the very place where Aria had raped me.
There was still no sign of anyone.
Only silence filled the Chapel.
The light streaming through the stained glass and the silence in the Chapel
created such a peaceful atmosphere, it was as if everything that had just happened was merely a nightmare.
However, I soon realized that it was no nightmare.
In the deepest part of my mental world,
a memory box the Goddess had given me lay hidden, in a place so profound even I struggled to reach it.
As if to prove it wasn't a dream, an intensely hot sensation emanated from the box.
Yes, I must fulfill the mission given by the Goddess.
Just then, a notification window appeared before me:
[Your Coitus Stat has increased.]
[Your Incubus Level has increased.]
My Stats increased?
Why would they have increased?
[Stats Window]
【 Name 】
Yuria: Lv 94
【 Abilities 】
▷Strength: 92
▷Agility: 85
▷Stamina: 90
▷Mana: 81
▷Holy Power: 87 → 90
▷Coitus: 10 → 17 [Sealed value 50]
My Coitus Stat and Holy Power Stat had increased.
Hmm.
Could receiving memories alone affect my Stats?
And the word "Sealed" displayed next to it.
Judging by that word,
perhaps these stats are also sealed within the box the Goddess created.
But why did Holy Power also increase?
Is it a gift from the Goddess?
And another notification caught my eye.
[Your Incubus Level has increased.]
Incubus Lv. 3
-Strongly seduces surrounding women.
-Slightly increases Coitus Stat.
-Gains the ability to control women who are charmed by him.
It felt like an ominous new ability had been added, but
my Coitus Stat had increased enough for now.
With this level,
I wouldn't be raped by ordinary people.
The maids I'd seen in the castle had Coitus stats between 8 and 14.
Even an exceptionally talented one wouldn't exceed 17.
And since I now had the ability to control charmed women, as the third line indicated,
it wouldn't happen, but
I could safely assume I wouldn't be grabbed by a woman on the street, dragged into a dark alley, and fucked.
Okay, I've checked the changes.
As the Goddess said, I need to go to the World Tree.
In that case, there was only one person I needed to meet.
Cynthia, the Elf, the best archer in the party.
She had even served as an elder of the Elf village, so she would be of great help.
Cynthia, huh?
Come to think of it, this whole mess
started when Aria and I went to save her.
Cynthia's letter, asking for my help.
In the end, it was a trap.
A trap to lure Aria and me out of the Church.
Then, is Cynthia really safe?
There are two main possibilities:
Either Cynthia has already been captured,
or they got their information some other way.
It must be one of the two.
First, I need to find Cynthia.
Is there anyone who would know her whereabouts?
I should go out and look first.
Someone might have seen Cynthia leave.
So, I opened the Chapel door and stepped outside.
But was this really a coincidence?
I saw Cynthia earnestly questioning people.
What? Things are going better than I thought.
"Cynthia!"
In my joy, I called out to her loudly.
She paused for a moment when she saw me, then her eyes widened like saucers.
And Cynthia came running at an incredible speed.
Suddenly, Cynthia raised her voice and demanded,
"Yuria, where on earth did you go?!"
"I told you not to go anywhere and stay in your room! Is that so hard?"
"No, that's..."
"Do you know what happened on my way to meet Lily and Ella?"
"Huh?"
"Ugh, I was so worried when I came back and you weren't there."
Her hands trembled as she gripped my shoulders, and I could feel her anxiety and worry.
There was only one thing I could say to her.
"I'm sorry."
"Really... if you do this again, I'll be really angry."
"Understood. From now on, no matter what happens, I won't leave without a word."
Her trembling form told me everything:
how she must have felt searching the Church for me,
how much she'd worried, how much she cared.
"I'm truly sorry."
As I repeatedly apologized and started to understand the situation,
my guilt towards her only grew.
With that guilt and her trembling form,
I instinctively pulled her into a hug.
"Ugh."
"I won't make you worry again. I'm sorry."
Because of my small stature, it looked like I was clinging to her in an awkward pose, but what did it matter?
I held her in my arms and stroked her head.
I knew how reassuring it was just to feel each other's warmth like this.
Cynthia's trembling gradually subsided.
"Are you a little calmer now?"
"Yes."
"So, can I ask what happened when you went to meet Ella and Lily?"
"Well, on my way back from meeting Lily and Ella, Nibelheim, the ancient dragon, appeared and stopped me."
"What? Why on earth?"
Why would an ancient dragon, who had cut ties with the world and been in seclusion for thousands of years, suddenly appear?
"I don't know the details, but it seems like there was some kind of deal."
"So, you weren't hurt anywhere?"
I knew how powerful dragons were, having even encountered them as one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
"No, when I faced him, he wasn't that strong. Though he might have been hiding his power."
"I see. That's a relief."
"And then when I came back, you were gone?"
"The blanket was thrown on the floor, and the chairs were overturned. What do you think I thought when I saw that?"
I probably rushed out after seeing Aria being attacked,
but there was no room for excuses.
"Uh... that... I'm so-sorry!"
"Haa, as long as you're safe, it's fine. You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
"Nope, I'm perfectly fine!"
More importantly, I needed to get to the real reason I'd called her.
Should I tell her everything?
I thought about it for a moment, but decided against it.
It was better to keep these events a secret from Cynthia.
After all, telling her wouldn't solve anything.
It would only add unnecessary worry.
"Cynthia, I have a favor to ask."
I looked up at her with a slightly serious expression.
"What is it?"
"Actually, I received a divine oracle from the Goddess this time."
"Ah, so that's why you're coming out of the Chapel?"
"Uh-huh, that's right. So, the Goddess asked me to bring back the Essence of the World Tree."
"Essence of the World Tree?"
"Yes, I thought you, as an Elf, would know a lot about this."
"To receive the Essence of the World Tree, you first need to get the World Tree's permission."
"The World Tree's permission?"
"I'll tell you the details on our way to the Elf village."
"Alright."
"Shall we rest a bit today and depart tomorrow?"
"No, there's no time. Let's depart immediately tonight."
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"The Goddess told me to hurry as much as possible."
"Alright, if the Goddess said so, then it must be."
"Then let's prepare and meet back here in an hour."
"Okay, I understand."
With that, I began to pack some simple food, tools, and weapons.
This should be enough, right?
I'm no stranger to travel, so I slung on my bag and headed out to meet Cynthia.
Stepping out of the room, I noticed the surroundings were a bit noisy.
People inside the Church were running around frantically,
and some were sitting on the floor, staring up at the sky.
I listened closely to what one of them was saying.
"Th-the star, the star is gone!"
His voice was filled with dismay.
I looked up at the sky, which was shining brightly with starlight.
What on earth were these people looking at to say such a thing?
I approached the person and asked.
"Excuse me, but the entire sky is shining with starlight, so what do you mean the star is gone?"
"The Goddess's star, the star at the center of the world, is gone! Now... now the world will soon perish! The world has lost its center, and even the other stars can't find their way!"
"Aaaah, aaaah, Oh, Goddess, aaaah!"
The priest, plunged into despair, looked up at the sky again.
The Goddess's star disappearing didn't bode well.
I quickened my steps towards the meeting place.
I saw Cynthia already out and waiting.
"Cynthia!"
I quickly ran to her and told her what I had heard on the way.
"It seems the situation is getting worse, so we need to hurry a bit more."
"Yes, I heard enough here. They say the star symbolizing the Goddess has disappeared."
"It seems something has happened to the Goddess. Let's head to the World Tree quickly."
"Okay."
So, with just a single backpack and our weapons, we quickly left the castle walls.
Since both of us could travel faster on foot than by carriage, we proceeded that way, as usual.
Ah, come to think of it, Cynthia said she'd tell me how.
"Phew, so how do I receive that Essence?"
"You have to enter the Consciousness World of the World Tree."
"Consciousness World of the World Tree?"
"Yes, if you go inside the roots of the World Tree, there's a junction. You connect your consciousness through there."
"Hmm, I think I get it. So, I just have to trust you, Cynthia, right?"
"Ahem, o-of course! Just trust me!"
"And even if we're leaving at night, we still need to sleep. Let's stop by Hanel Village on the way and get some rest, even if it's just a short nap."
"But time is..."
"To connect with the World Tree, your body can't be in bad condition. Listen to me."
"Alright."
For now, I had no choice but to trust her words.