I Healed the Cold Dark Goddess’s Loneliness, and Now She Won’t Let Me Go! - Chapter 8

“Haruno-san, did something happen?”

I was staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought, in a room in the village chief’s house—specifically, Mina-chan’s room, where I’d basically moved in—when Mina-chan called out to me, looking worried.

“Hmm, just thinking about Lady Reine.”

To be precise, I was wondering why Lady Reine gives her protection to humans in the first place… but no, focus. If I’d thought about it, I should’ve realized that making a troubled face in front of Mina-chan would only make her worry. This wasn’t the place to get bogged down in deep thoughts.

“Is something wrong with Lady Reine…?”

“Uh… well…”

Since she’d seen right through me, I thought about just venting to her but Lady Reine did say she sees everything within her domain. If I consulted Mina-chan here, that “big-eared” goddess might overhear, and if she did, she’d probably get moody. I decided to play it off and was searching for an excuse when a loud shout echoed through the village.

“It’s Lord Sulug! Lord Sulug has arrived!”

“Really!?”

Even inside the room, I could feel the atmosphere of the village instantly reaching a boiling point.

…Wait, did they just say Sulug!?

Talk about perfect timing.

A crowd had already gathered in the village square. Standing at the center was a beautiful youth with a smile as bright as the sun. It was the God of Light, Sulug—the rival to Lady Reine—standing there looking exactly as he did in the original game.

“Lord Sulug…”

Mina-chan whispered beside me. Come to think of it, she had been pretty blunt before about how Lord Sulug was much more trustworthy than Lady Reine.

And honestly, just looking at the villagers’ reactions right now, you could tell how much he was adored. It was a night-and-day difference compared to Lady Reine.

“Is everyone doing well? Since this is Reine’s domain, there is a limit to what I can do, but if you are troubled by anything, I will lend you my strength.”

“No, my Lord! Thanks to Lady Reine’s protection, we are all living healthily!”

“That is good to hear. I shall give Reine my thanks on your behalf.”

Lord Sulug spoke to the villagers one by one, calling them by name and asking about their lives. He didn’t act like a distant “God”; he carried himself like an ideal prince loved by his people. I can’t help but think it over and over: yeah, Lady Reine stands no chance in a popularity contest. Still, the more I look, the more he is exactly the Sulug from the game. In the original, he was just a spiritual guide from start to finish, but his personality is identical. Since Lady Reine turned out to be so different from her game counterpart, seeing the world of Contrast like this again is actually kind of moving.

“Oh… is that Mina-kun over there?”

Sulug’s gaze shifted toward us. Upon recognizing Mina-chan, his face filled with genuine shock as he walked over.

“It has been a long time, Lord Sulug.”

“I… I never expected to see you again. But how…? The day of the ritual should have already passed…”

It seems Sulug knew all about Mina-chan and her circumstances. While he looked happy that she was alive, he couldn’t hide his confusion.

“It’s all… it’s all thanks to Haruno-san.”

“Haruno?”

As if answering his question, Mina-chan looked at me with those trademark sparkling eyes. Naturally, the gaze of every villager followed hers.

“And you are…?”

“Oh, uh, well—”

Just as I was fumbling for how to introduce myself under the sudden spotlight, Mina-chan began her enthusiastic explanation.

“This person is our Priestess! Haruno-san persuaded Lady Reine, abolished the sacrifices, and saved my life!”

“What…!?”

Sulug’s expression shifted. From shock to deep intrigue. His golden eyes locked onto me.

I could feel his interest pivot entirely in my direction. …Though, honestly, doesn’t Mina-chan give me a bit too much credit?

“—And so, I am planning to pay Reine a visit now. Haruno-kun, I would very much like for you to accompany me.”

“Eh? Ah, okay…”

Through a weird turn of events, I ended up heading toward Lady Reine’s temple alone with Lord Sulug. I wasn’t exactly thrilled. If a fight breaks out the second she sees his face, my life is in danger—but I couldn’t find a good excuse to say no, so I followed along.

“…You aren’t from around here, are you? Though you don’t belong to my domain, either.”

Sulug spoke up suddenly.

“…You can tell?”

“I make it a point to remember the faces of humans as much as possible. At least for the duration of their lives from birth to death.”

“Ev… everyone? All of them?”

“Excluding exceptions like yourself, that should be the case.”

Ugh, that’s some terrifying memory capacity and incredible diligence. I’m sure the population of this world is tiny compared to Earth’s, but that’s still an insane feat.

At the same time, I caught a glimpse of the secret to his popularity. A God who gives you protection, knows you individually, and treats you with such friendliness? Of course, people prefer him over. Wait, no, Lady Reine actually watches over the villagers and remembers them too. It’s just that people don’t realize it, and she doesn’t try to show it.

It’s kind of a waste, honestly.

“Ah, please, rest easy. I have no intention of prying into your origins. However, permit me to ask just one thing.”

Perhaps seeing my brooding face as anxiety over my identity being exposed, Sulug spoke to reassure me. Then, his expression turned serious.

“Did you… did you truly persuade her? Just how did you do it…?”

Persuasion. He’s talking about how I got Lady Reine to stop the sacrifice system. It seems Sulug knew about the sacrifices too, and being who he is, he definitely would have tried to stop it. In fact, he probably did try. But Lady Reine wouldn’t listen to him, yet some random girl like me shows up and succeeds so easily? Yeah, it’s only natural he’d be curious about me.

Though, the actual truth is pretty disappointing.

“Ahaha, well, calling it ‘persuasion’ isn’t exactly right…”

There was no point in lying here, so I told him about the bet Lady Reine forced on me. How she only changed her policy because she wants to wait and show me the moment humans forget their gratitude and betray her.

“I see…”

Sulug nodded deeply. His expression was complicated, a mix of understanding and bewilderment.

“I feel a bit guilty, like I’m tricking the villagers. Oh, but you won’t tell them, right!?”

“I won’t. Besides, the fact remains that you saved Mina-kun’s life. You undoubtedly deserve praise. However…”

“However?”

“I don’t mean to doubt you, but… even after that, you have interacted with Reine many times as a Priestess…?”

“Oh, yeah. I mean, I’m basically just barging in on my own. Lady Reine is actually quite kind, so I end up visiting her every day.”

“—”

Sulug’s eyes widened as he stared at my face. Was that… pure astonishment? He looked like he was seeing something utterly impossible.

“Um… hello?”

“No… it is nothing.”

Sulug looked away, but he was visibly shaken. Even in the game, I don’t think he ever had an “expression sprite” this rattled. Which part of what I just said hit him that hard?

While we were having that exchange, we reached the top of the temple stairs.

“…We’ve made it this far, but do you think Lady Reine will actually let you in?”

“The chances of that are quite slim.”

“I figured.”

Usually, when I come here and call out, Lady Reine invites me into the upper sanctum where she stays. I wondered if it would go that smoothly for Sulug, but as expected, it was a no-go.

“Then how are we going to—”

“Simple. If I am not invited, I shall simply let myself in.”

With that, Sulug raised his hand. A brilliant power, the polar opposite of Lady Reine’s spread from his palm, enveloping my vision. A moment later, we were standing in the upper sanctum, right in front of Lady Reine’s throne.