Chapter 198: The Goddess is Playing 4D Chess
In the desert, which turned very cold after nightfall, a stark contrast to the scorching day, this was basic knowledge in a desert world.
To prevent any accidents, Kobayashi had also brought many warm clothes.
However, this did not apply to the oasis.
Because there was a large amount of water here, after absorbing sufficient heat during the day, it would be released at night. Furthermore, the oasis's vegetation covered the island's surface, so the temperature difference on the island was not too great, and it was far more comfortable than in the desert.
Kobayashi walked out of the mansion's domed lobby and into the still-luxurious courtyard.
He didn't know where to go now.
Freya had not given him any tasks, nor had she told him he could leave. To be honest, he was a little idle right now.
I can't just wash myself white and go to her bedchamber, can I?
...Come to think of it, why not?
Just as he was thinking this, Freya flashed out from the balcony of the master bedroom on the top floor. The Goddess of Beauty, leaning against the railing, exuded a different kind of beauty and mystery under the bright moonlight. Just by standing there, she exuded a captivating aura.
The goddess swirled the wine glass in her hand and asked curiously, "What are you doing standing there?"
"...Admiring the moon?" he replied uncertainly.
Perhaps in the eyes of others, he really was admiring the moon. But in her eyes, he was probably just taking the opportunity to slack off. The willful goddess would most likely make some strange request.
And just as he had thought.
"Come up. Come to my bedchamber."
Freya lazily stretched her body, her slim-fit windbreaker outlining her stunning curves.
The goddess, exuding charm from every part of her body, was extending an invitation to a young and vigorous man. Who could withstand this?!
Don't tell me she's going to have me as an appetizer?
"As you command."
He accepted the god's invitation.
He walked along the white stone slabs, through the brightly lit long corridor, and up the stairs, which were covered with a soft carpet.
He ascended the stairs and arrived at the top floor.
Just as his left foot stepped into the corridor, a cold killing intent, accompanied by a dangerous gaze, landed on him. His footsteps paused, and his body tensed unnaturally.
The elven sigil on his neck issued a warning that stimulated his skin, causing his breathing to subconsciously slow, goosebumps to rise, and his back to unconsciously arch, entering a combat-ready mode.
RyuZU, even more so, took a step forward. The scythes under her skirt, which radiated a technological aura, opened up. The perfect attendant shielded the master she served behind her.
The tense atmosphere, as if swords were drawn, surrounded the corridor. It seemed as if a fierce battle would break out in the next second.
And the source of this dangerous aura was a figure standing guard outside the master bedroom.
He had an upright figure and was holding a long spear. A large hood covered his features, but he, with his excellent vision, could still see, besides the beastly pupils that were full of malice and killing intent, a pair of faintly visible cat ears on top of his head.
Seeing that the figure was as flat as could be, and was clearly a male, he pouted, his interest waning.
Cat girls are exciting. Cat boys are unnecessary.
However, a cat-person in the Freya Familia who used a long spear and had such a terrifying pressure and aura... it was needless to think to guess who he was.
—Allen Fromel.
He held the title of "City's Fastest," and was also Goddess Freya's "chariot." As a LV6, his strength was considerable.
"Allen."
The goddess seemed to have sensed the tense atmosphere outside. She softly called her Familia member's name, just as a master would stop a pet from baring its fangs at an outsider. And he, upon hearing her voice, slowly retracted his aura, and sure enough, he returned to his usual state from that of a bristling kitten.
It was just that his eyes were still staring deadly at him, as if to warn him not to make any strange moves, otherwise he would be killed in the next second.
This guy... he's not a cat person, he's a dog person, right? He's too overprotective.
He couldn't help but think.
And RyuZU said with a sharp tongue, "Master Kobayashi, his gaze seems to be full of hostility. It is said that a dog that is about to bite does not bark. To prevent you from being bitten, I suggest it is better to eliminate him now."
Well said, RyuZU!
He really wanted to agree to this request, but the other party was her subordinate. If he killed Allen, he would surely not be able to get away. And even though he was the one who had offended him first, she had only gently stopped him and had not reprimanded him too much. It was clear that the Goddess of Beauty was being protective of her own.
"Don't be like that, RyuZU. He's a cat."
"I forgot. A cat, when cornered, will also bite. I am sorry, Master Kobayashi. My analogy was inappropriate."
The master and servant were bantering back and forth, teasing him.
And the poor cat-person, apart from his eyes widening as he gritted his teeth with strong killing intent, could do nothing. Because he had not received her permission.
He couldn't help but sigh. These jealous kings were truly too much. They had a tendency to develop into yanderes. Only she could keep them in check.
Under Allen's "I want to kill you but I can't" gaze, he pushed open the door to her bedchamber and walked in alone.
Then, the door was slowly closed.
The only illumination in the room was the faint light provided by the magic stone table lamp. The orange light mingled with the night, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
He looked around, but did not see her.
Instead, behind a sheer curtain, he saw a graceful black shadow.
She seemed to be changing her clothes.
He couldn't help but widen his eyes, wanting to see the scene inside through the sheer curtain. At the same time, he also activated [Spectator], which could see through things.
Unfortunately, just like with Aqua, the gods seemed to have an anti-peeping protection. He couldn't see anything. In fact, because of the ability, it became even blurrier.
He shook his head in disappointment.
"What's wrong? Are you disappointed by my attire?"
At this moment, she walked out from behind the curtain.
—The goddess had descended.
The low-cut, sexy nightgown perfectly accentuated the roundness of her chest. Her fair, translucent skin was covered by a thin veil draped over her shoulders. But this, far from hiding her beauty, instead had a hazy, seductive quality.
The pale white, long skirt was tied at her waist, revealing a flat stomach and navel.
As she walked, her long, slender legs alternated. The black high heels under her feet made her even taller. Her long, silver hair cascaded down her back like a silver waterfall. Her stunning face and the slight curl of her lips carried an endless charm.
It was as if she were declaring to the world that she was the personification of beauty, that all concepts of beauty could be embodied in her.
It seemed that to receive her "beloved" Ari, she had gone all out.
"...Although I have not seen many goddesses, I can guarantee that you are the most beautiful of them all," he said, bowing in salute, and offering his most sincere blessing.
"Hehe. I'll accept your praise," she said, sitting on an armchair. After swapping the positions of her crossed, beautiful legs, she said to him, "Come here."
She motioned for him to stand by her side.
He stood to her right, and RyuZU stood to his right.
Normally, RyuZU should have stood to her left... but now it seemed, she had no intention of showing more respect to her. She was only his attendant.
Seeing this, she let out a light laugh but said nothing.
"It's about time."
After she had murmured this, the door was pushed open.
Ari, who walked into the room, had been completely transformed, shedding her previous pitiful appearance. Her originally messy hair had been neatly combed, and she wore a pure and innocent dress that was full of desert style. Her body seemed to have been washed carefully, and she had also been sprayed with a lot of perfume. From a distance, one could smell the faint, fresh scent of jasmine.
She was like a different person.
It seemed Ari and the servants had done as she had requested.
The goddess clapped her hands and said joyfully, "Welcome, Ari. You've become so beautiful."
"You flatter me," she said, shaking her head.
"As I thought. You deliberately dirtied your body before to avoid attracting attention, didn't you? Don't be so nervous. I'm just saying."
"Is there something you need of me?"
Since entering the room, her expression had been tense. It was not hard to see that she was wary of the goddess who was so fixated on her.
To this, she decided to talk about other things before getting to the main topic.
"Ari, are you dissatisfied with the current situation? Or do you harbor resentment?"
"...What?"
"What are your thoughts on the war between the two countries that has caused you to become a slave?"
"Hmm?!"
Ari looked up, her eyes wide, her expression clearly changing, but she still remained silent.
In contrast, Freya's smile deepened. She didn't mind her silence, but instead continued to throw out another question. "The fallen capital is still filled with tragic cries. What do you think of that?"
"..."
"All the members of the royal family have been executed. Only a few have survived. I wonder how the people of Shalzard feel now?"
"..."
After several questions in a row, she still responded with silence.
But her small body was trembling from time to time, as if she were desperately trying to suppress the emotions that were about to explode.
I've already told her. As long as she can bring the goddess pleasure, she can get a reward, even changing the outcome of this war.
Kobayashi sighed in his heart.
"I've learned from Bofman that the prince of Shalzard is named Aram LS Shalzard. He is the king's only son, about sixteen years old."
Freya still had a smile on her face. In contrast, the girl before her had her eyes tightly closed, as if she were enduring an ordeal.
After a brief silence, she said with full confidence, "Ari, you look very good dressed as a man. Let me think... if you were to dress up carefully, you would surely look just like a certain country's prince..."
Before she could finish, her expression became very grim.
It wasn't just that.
Her interrupted movement when she was about to pay respects to her, and the fact that only a member of the royal family would know that remaining silent when questioned by a god could prevent one's inner thoughts from being seen through, or even her appearance, which had just been exposed as a girl dressed as a man.
It all showed that her identity was not simple.
The divine questioning she had conducted was, in itself, a way of speaking to confirm the other's status. As for what kind of answer the other party would give... it hadn't been important from the beginning.
"When I first saw you, I felt a dignity in you that was different from ordinary people. A crouching... lion, waiting for the right moment?" She seemed to have remembered something, corrected herself, and then continued, "In other words, Prince Aram is not actually a male, but a female. Am I right, Ari?"
The Goddess of Beauty had seen through her essence from the very beginning.
But she still responded with silence, as if denying her reasoning. But everyone knew that this was probably the truth.
It was feared that when the country was invaded, some kind of mix-up had occurred, which had led to her falling into the hands of a slave trader, and then she had been brought to the slave district along with other fleeing refugees.
"Kobayashi, how was my reasoning? Did you also guess?" she asked, as if testing him.
He shrugged. "Unfortunately, I do not have your discerning eye. Although I had guessed that her identity was not simple, I hadn't expected it to be this not simple."
"Hehe, it's not good to lie, you know."
"...You honor me too much."
Clearly, he was lying, and she had seen through it.
On the one hand, she was saying that he had indeed discovered Ari's identity, and had even discovered that she was the prince who was nowhere to be found. On the other hand, she was also telling Ari that silence and lies were all useless in front of a god.
She raised the corners of her mouth and said with a hint of mischief, "If the news that Prince Aram is actually a princess were to spread, what do you think would happen to the situation?"
"...Are you threatening me?!"
The girl who had been silent all this time suddenly had her almond-shaped eyes widen. Both the atmosphere and her tone of voice had changed. Even if her figure was petite, she still exuded a dignity. As she had said, she was a person with a royal demeanor.
She, however, maintained her elegant sitting posture, and then said very frankly, "That's not it. I don't have the slightest intention of threatening you."
"...Huh?" Ari blinked, uncertain.
"To be frank, I'm not interested in these two countries, or even the war that's going on. The only one I care about is you, Ari. Only you."
The goddess's favor was on full display.
The girl, as if seeing some kind of abnormal existence, trembled slightly, and then looked at him, who was standing beside the goddess.
As expected, it's just as this man said. The goddess just likes and pursues fun.
Since that's the case...
Ari decided not to pretend to be a slave anymore. Instead, she firmly resisted her beauty, regained her royal demeanor, and said, "Goddess Freya, please give me back my freedom. I am truly grateful for your help. But I have something I must do! One day, I will surely repay your kindness, so...!"
Her expression was very stiff. It seemed she also understood how unreasonable her request was.
But—
"No problem," the goddess's reply was crisp and clear.
"...Hmm?"
"I have already heard the answer I wanted to hear. If there is a place you want to go, I will not stop you. Without a collar to bind you, you can act as you please."
"Hmm???"
Ari blinked her eyes continuously.
She had originally thought she would refuse, or propose some extremely difficult exchange condition. She had never expected her to agree so readily.
She was very satisfied with her expression.
She had not bought her with the intention of getting an obedient doll in the first place. It was all so that the girl before her would make the seed in her heart completely bloom with a light that was uniquely her own.
"But, you must fulfill the promise you just made. You must find a way to repay my kindness for saving your life."
"..."
She was very nervous at this moment.
She was like a sinner in a novel, preparing to sign a forbidden contract with a demon.
But at this point, she had no other choice.
"...Goddess from the outside world, I am truly grateful to you," she said, her thanks not from the heart.
At the same time, she also looked up at him, her eyes filled with obvious gratitude.
She probably thought that he had encouraged her to boldly state her appeal, which was why she had received the goddess's response, even though this response did not seem so good now.
Seeing this, she let out a light laugh. "Then let's end our chat here. Kobayashi, send this girl back to her room."
"As you command."
He shook the small bell at his side and left the room with Ari.
And as the girl was leaving, she caught a glimpse of her showing her a smile with a deep meaning. At the same time, a sentence from the man beside her reached her ear. "Don't relax. The goddess's willfulness has only just begun. But, if you can grasp it..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but she already understood what he meant, and her gaze gradually became resolute.
(End of Chapter)