I Healed the Cold Dark Goddess’s Loneliness, and Now She Won’t Let Me Go! - Chapter 2

When I came to, I was back in the lower levels of the original temple.

It seems I was sent back from that dark dimension where Reine had lured me before I even realized it. Honestly, my head is still fuzzy. Those cold eyes, that bone-chilling voice, and the sensation of hovering between life and death… but.

“…I’m alive.”

I had already prepared myself to die. Even though the whole thing felt surreal, returning to these stone walls and the world of moonlight made the reality of my survival finally sink in.

“…Alright, first things first: back to the village.”

I have to report to the villagers that Reine will likely continue her protection for the time being, even without a sacrifice. I’m not exactly thrilled to see them, but it’s a hurdle I can’t avoid.

As I descended the stairs with heavy steps, I replayed my conversation with Reine in my head.

“Humans who forget pain eventually forget gratitude and betray me.”

That’s what she said. Apparently, she only let me live because she wants to shove that reality in my face. In the game, she was like a mass of grudges cursing the entire world. But the Reine I just spoke to… well, she clearly doesn’t like humans, but it seemed more like deep-seated distrust than pure hatred.

“Wh—You! Why have you returned!?”

“…Yeah, I figured this would happen.”

As soon as I reached the bottom of the stairs, the villager acting as my escort-slash-watchman turned pale the moment he saw my face and rushed toward me. According to Mina, no one has ever survived being sacrificed to Reine, so I can’t really blame him for the reaction.

“Why…? Did you fail…!? Or did you run away…?”

“Haruno-san…!”

“Mi-Mina-chan!”

While I was agonizing over how to explain, a small shadow with tears streaming down her face ran straight at me.

“Wh-When I woke up, Haruno-san was already gone! I thought you had left without us even saying goodbye!”

“I-I’m sorry, okay? Look, we’ve only known each other a short time, right? I didn’t want you to take my departure so hard.”

The truth was that they had dragged me away while Mina was fast asleep, but my words weren’t a lie. I don’t want to be a source of trauma for her.

I patted her back, thinking about how I always seem to see her crying, when the rest of the villagers began to gather.

“What is the meaning of this…?”

“Why is the sacrifice back?”

“Did she fail!?”

“Oh no! The village is doomed…”

The return of a sacrifice was an unprecedented emergency. Seeing me, the villagers began to spiral into a state of semi-panic. Mina hugged me tighter. Everyone was terrified. I was the only one who could settle this.

“Um! Everyone!”

“Guest, what did Lady Reine say?”

The village chief stepped forward as the representative to ask what happened. I opened my mouth to explain and resolve the situation… but the words got stuck.

Could I really tell them the truth? “The Goddess almost smote me because I wasn’t a local, but after I complained, she decided to keep the status quo without sacrifices as an experiment just to watch you guys eventually turn into arrogant jerks.” …Probably not a great idea.

I don’t know exactly how they perceive Reine, and they might just deny that a Goddess would ever say such things. Even if they knew she was stern and difficult, the conversation might just shift to, “Okay, let’s sacrifice a proper villager next time.” If that happens, Mina ends up back on the chopping block. That defeats the whole purpose.

While I hesitated, the villagers’ anxiety continued to spread like wildfire.

“Wh-What are we going to do?! Everything in this village exists because of Lady Reine’s protection! If that’s gone…”

“The crops, the hunting, the gathering—it’s all Her Grace…!”

“If we’ve earned her wrath, this land will turn barren in an instant.”

Their level of anxiety was beyond normal; it was closer to pure despair.

“Is… is all of that really thanks to Lady Reine…?”

“…Yes. It’s true. Lady Reine is indispensable to us. We know… we know that the sacrifices are actually necessary.”

Mina answered my quiet question in a whisper. Even though she was happy I was safe, she understood that the current situation was grim.

“Um, everyone! I met Lady Reine!”

The moment I said it, a hush fell over the area. Every single eye was fixed on me. Even the people who were slumped in despair moments ago were now staring in silence. It was terrifying.

“I-Is it true…? Haruno-san, you actually met Lady Reine…?”

“Eh, ah, yeah.”

When I nodded in response to Mina’s timid question, a massive stir broke out among the crowd.

“She met Lady Reine!?”

“Even the Chief hasn’t been granted an audience…”

“And to return like this… is such a thing even possible!?”

…Apparently, simply meeting Reine face-to-face was a massive deal. Since I had been invited into her space so naturally, I thought it was a relatively common occurrence. This was unexpected, but I couldn’t back down now. Meeting her was the truth, after all.

“And, what did Lady Reine say…?”

“Well…”

Naturally, the Chief asked for details. This was the moment of truth. I had to hide Reine’s true intentions and give them a “nicely interpreted” version to settle the room. It was the only way.

“Lady Reine said that sacrifices are no longer necessary.”

“What?”

If I told them sacrifices were “meaningless,” it might cause them to lose faith in her. So, I decided to frame Reine as a benevolent deity.

“She said as long as the people do not forget their gratitude toward her, she will continue to grant her protection as always. She sent me back specifically to tell you all that!”

Reine’s actual intent was the exact opposite. She’s betting on the fact that people will betray her but on the surface, this wasn’t technically a lie. My heart was pounding as I waited for a reaction, but the silence stretched on. Just as I started to worry I’d stepped on a landmine, the Chief finally spoke.

“…Is that the truth?”

“…Yes. Lady Reine said that the people’s feelings of gratitude are what truly matters.”

It felt like I was spinning a total yarn at this point, but I looked the Chief straight in the eye with as much confidence as I could muster. Gradually, a different kind of murmuring began to spread.

“The words of Lady Reine… directly…”

“Has such a thing ever happened before…!?”

“Usually, we can only judge her will by the harvest or by disasters…”

“Come to think of it, that guest was wearing clothes we’ve never seen before…”

The look in their eyes shifted from shock to something like awe and then to reverence.

“Haruno-san… to be able to speak directly with Lady Reine…”

Mina looked up at me, her eyes shining with newfound respect.

“Does this mean she has been chosen by Lady Reine?”

“…A messenger of the Goddess…”

“The Shrine Maiden…!”

While I stood there dumbfounded, my status was being rapidly upgraded by the villagers. I tried to jump in and correct them, but it was too late.

“W-Wait a second… I’m not anything that grand…”

“Shrine Maiden!”

The Chief bowed deeply to me, and one by one, the other villagers followed suit. I felt a sudden urge to bolt. This title was way too heavy for a regular high school girl. However…

“Haruno-san, you were a Shrine Maiden all along…”

“M-Mina-chan, even you…?”

…Looking at the light in Mina’s eyes, I realized that if I took this role, I could prevent any other children from being sacrificed.

Plus, if I was the “Shrine Maiden,” I could guide the people so they don’t betray Reine.

“…I guess I have to do this.”

And so, as the villagers bowed before me, I officially declared myself their Shrine Maiden.