Chapter 147 – Aftermath (1)
17. Aftermath (1)
“There is nothing wrong with the body. I just healed the little things. But… On the mental side, you seem to need quite a bit of refinement.”
“… Right. Thank you. You must still be busy, but for taking care of me first.”
“No. Not to the point of being very busy. Even if I’m busy, I want to do Hendrick-sama’s request right away.”
Returning to Salem, we went straight to Raella’s Monastery. It made me feel a little uncomfortable because he was attacking like a hideous beggar, but who is Raella? Isn’t she the goddess of love and generosity? Rather than paying attention to our behavior, the nuns who followed him looked at Shay in my arms with pity.
Under their consideration, we were able to meet Sestia right away. Not only healing, but also a rest area was assigned. Now, after washing and changing clothes, he was looking at Shay, who was lying quietly with Sestia alone.
“As soon as I got back, I ran straight here and asked, how long has it been here?”
“I think it’s been about two months.”
“I think we’ve only been together for a few days… Has everything been okay?”
“Yes. The adaptation of the newly recruited sisters is almost over, and the investigation is coming to an end. If it had been another branch, it would have cut support right away, but isn’t it fortunate that the Salem branch won’t choke?”
“Uh…”
“Whoops.”
The dungeon was originally a separate world with only the entrance located in Salem, so I knew that the time ratio was different from the ground, but I didn’t know it would widen this much. It was a bigger gap than when I returned from District 1. Somehow, Sestia was more enthusiastic than I thought.
‘Then it will get worse when we go into District 3. What about District 4, which I’ve never been to before…’
“What do you think? Even while frowning like this.”
“No. Nothing.”
The face of Sestia, who gently rubbed my forehead with her index finger, was full of worry. Are you worried that I’m frowning? Kayana and Shay would be like that too, but somehow Cestia felt a little different from them. I have to say something tickling yet warm. A bloody laugh came out.
“Why?”
“No.”
“Huh, just say no every day.”
But it’s hard to say such words honestly, so I stroked Shay’s head for no reason.
“Maybe I won’t wake up until a day or two. Because it was so exhausted.”
“…”
“So leave this to me and Hendrick-sama get some rest too. Are the others resting too?”
“Umm, I want to rest here at all.”
“There are no extra beds and sofas in this room. Don’t be stubborn and take a break. You just came back from the dungeon. Yes?”
Cestia’s voice was soft and firm. She nodded calmly, feeling that if she didn’t listen to her, she would somehow feel guilty. She kissed Shay on the forehead one last time and then left the room…
“Oops…”
“Cestia?”
“Ah, no. Nothing. Oops…”
“Why suddenly? Where are you hurt? Uh?”
The rapidly pale Cestia covered her mouth and vomited. She was the same as she was just a moment ago, and she was very embarrassed because she was not the type to play pranks like this.
“Okay, that’s okay. Really. So no need to worry so much, ugh!!”
“Cestia!”
**
“Because it’s really, really okay. I must have eaten something wrong yesterday.”
“You mean? Suddenly?”
“No, that’s right. I guess I missed it.”
Hendrick helped the distraught Cestia and laid her down on her bed. She seemed to want water, so she brought it to me, but she immediately vomited it up. She was worried about the unknown, but Sestia stubbornly refused to take care of him.
“Wouldn’t there be side effects or something to pay for while healing?”
“Can it be? Raella is not that kind of person. I guess it was just because I was in really bad shape. Busy, tired… It’s nothing special, so don’t worry about me and get some rest. Hurry.”
“… Okay. I’ll take a break and come back.”
“You should go to Crusader Shay rather than me.”
“Anyway.”
There was concern in Hendrick’s hesitant eyes. Cestia, who caught it, felt better. She wanted to hold on to him a little longer, but that wasn’t going to happen. Because if I was exposed to that caring expression and voice more, I would cling to him. That was very embarrassing for him.
“Cordia.”
After Hendrick was completely out, Cestia took a deep breath and stroked her own abdomen.
“I will love you with all my heart this time. She is a mother, not a teacher. Still… Sorry in advance The person who becomes a father, maybe as a father, I may never see him.”
Her hand trembled slightly as she stroked her slender but slightly fleshy belly. She also became depressed in her expression. However, she quickly returned to her usual expression.
“If he, who is kind and caring, gets to know Cordia, he will surely feel a sense of responsibility. It’s such a happy and happy thing, but… I don’t want to get in the way of him who is already full of trials of pain. I’m sorry, Cordia. Because this is my mother She is not a hindrance let alone Cordia.”
Cestia squeezed her rosary.
“La Ella. Please feel sorry for this poor daughter… Whoops!”
**
[The eyes of fear are dead.]
[Reward: 60 gold coins, kaleidoscope, hearthstone, unknown fragment]
[A zone 2 clear reward will be given.]
[Reward: 120 Gold Coins, Great Step]
[No one died.]
[Additional rewards are given for returning all members.]
[Reward: 180 gold coins, adaptive random skill book (2), unknown idol]
[No one has been encroached on.]
[An additional reward for safe return is given.]
[Reward: 180 gold coins, positive features manifested and fixed]
I lay still and checked the messages. As it became much more difficult than Area 1, I could see that the rewards, especially the gold coins, jumped a lot. Among them, the most notable was the last reward, the ‘safe return reward’. The node death reward was expected, of course, but I didn’t expect to receive a reward because no one was encroached on. Because it hadn’t happened in The Long Terror.
‘Is this a happy miscalculation?’
There were some unpleasant and ominous rewards such as unidentified fragments and unidentified idols, but there were also pleasant rewards such as positive feature expression and fixation. It wasn’t even once, it was once for everyone. In my heart, I wanted to write it right away, but Shay got caught in her mind and was putting it on hold. No matter what anyone says, Shay was the best player in this District 2 boss battle, and she was also the one who was hurt the most, but isn’t it a bit much to open her reward without her? If you think about it backwards, this is correct.
“Shay… Cestia…”
Shay, who suffered more mentally than anyone else, and Cestia, who complained of incomprehensible nausea. I closed my eyes, sincerely concerned for their safety.
Contrary to the original mind of trying to take care of her at least through the night, I’m sorry to them, but it was such a sweet sleep.
**
“Boy.”
“…”
“Hey.”
“…”
“Hey.”
“No, no, no…”
Meanwhile, Shay, whom everyone is worried about, is not completely unconscious. To be precise, right after Hendrick and Cestia left the room, she started having a dream-like dream. And that dream was the clearest and most sacred in her life.
Because the goddess Justitia appeared very clearly.
To the goddess who appeared in her dream and talked to her in a friendly way, she barely recognized Shay as her dream and muttered…
“It’s not fake.”
“Huh. Stand, please Even if I enter Lord Justitia’s hall. No, ah It’s an honorable thing, but isn’t it too early to die yet?”
“You are not dead.”
“Yes? That, then what the heck.”
“Calm down for now.”
It was so vivid that I tried to think it was a dream, but it wasn’t. So I thought I’d see you when I died, but I’m not dead either. Shay was confused, but she tried to calm down because the goddess she respected told her to calm down. Then she was able to calm down quickly. It seems like a dream… Shay thought to herself.
“To be precise, it’s like I’ve invaded your mental world without permission. Even though you’re my warrior, it’s rare, and it could have a bad effect on you, so meeting me right now will feel like a dream to you. It’s a form you’re used to but doesn’t overwhelm you.”
“Ah… That, then this, hopefully timing? Are you trying to give me a revelation?”
“No. If it was going to be like that, I would have only raised my voice. Why would I have to go through such a cumbersome procedure? Anyway, can you stop talking and listen?”
“Sin, sorry! Lady Justitia!”
“Ugh.”
Eustitia crossed her arms and sighed.
‘I didn’t look like this when I watched… Hey, it’s my new money, so I can’t help it.’
Eustitia beckoned her, and there was her table and a pair of chairs. She then sat Shay in her hand-made chair, her back bent in a stiff posture. Shay didn’t know what to do with her body. She dared to get up from her chair and sit on her floor, saying that she couldn’t be at eye level with the goddess.
“Stop. I don’t like wasting time. It’s much more important how you look at me than how you look at me. Even if you get down on your knees and bow down to her for respect, it’s useless if you internally despise me and don’t trust me properly. That’s right no.”
“That’s right!”
“Okay. So sit up straight. Will you get angry if I stop talking?”
“Yes yes!”
Shay lifted her head up in her exasperation. The face of the goddess looking straight at her was so dazzling. She wanted to bow her head, but she held back.
“You must be wondering why I showed up, but listen carefully. If you don’t like it after listening to it, you can reject it. There will be no disadvantages to you for rejecting my words.”
“How dare you reject the word of the goddess.”
“Stop. Have you ever heard of it?”
“Ah yes!”
“Sooner or later, when your body gets better, I plan to borrow your body and descend for a while.”
“Yes eh?!”
“I think that just by descending on you, your level of handling your physical abilities and divine power will go up considerably. As long as you can stand it.”
“Go, go, go, go.”
“I am not forced. I’m suggesting it because recently you’ve become able to handle me even for a short while. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Yes yes.”
Shay nodded absently. She showed her courage in a small way.
“But Goddess… Why is it me? There are many people who are better than me…”
“It’s because you’re the one with the most potential while taking on the challenge of clearing the dungeon.”
“Ah.”
Shay inadvertently recalled Hendrick’s face.
“It is of course important to spread my will on earth and put it into practice, but it is more important to root out the dungeons, which can be called the axis of evil. It’s been so long since the dungeon has been there, and beings on the surface naturally accept it as part of this world. It’s different from this world, something very different.”
“Yes…”
“It wasn’t that there weren’t any kids like you, but they either gave up or died quickly. I can’t force it on my children. Then you caught my eye.”
If you can’t stand it and go crazy, die, or give up… I didn’t have to say that.
“Your mind isn’t in a good state right now, so it can’t get any better than this. Decide carefully. If anything, you can discuss it with your colleagues. Later, with a rosary in your hand, call me three times and pray…”
“… I will.”
“What?”
“Advent, please.”
“Did you hear me correctly?”
“Please! I’ll hold out as long as I can! Please!”
“No wait…”
“Ah… Perhaps my body is not good enough to descend…”
“It’s not like that.”
“With my own body, I wouldn’t dare to handle the Goddess… Yes…”
“No, listen to me!”
Justitia was taken aback.
