“So… this place…”
Dana opened her mouth, glancing around nervously, a stark contrast to her usual confident demeanor. For someone who had spent her life studying natural phenomena, the current situation felt completely foreign.
There were plenty of stories about this place.
Among the ancient saints, there were a few who were said to have been so devout that they could converse directly with the goddess—people like Fia, for instance.
But no matter how much they described it in words, or even if one of them had the skill to paint it, it wouldn’t compare to seeing it in person.
No painting, no matter how detailed, could ever convey the overwhelming grandeur of actually being here. Â
“You didn’t really cross over. Technically, this isn’t a place one can enter while alive. I borrowed your consciousness for a bit.
Someone explained it as ‘divine power’ or something along those lines, but that’s all there is to it. For now, think of it as all of you sharing the same dream, each viewing it from your own perspective.” Â
Even after hearing that explanation, countless questions flooded her mind.
How could a scene not present in her mind feel so vividly real?
Why were all the sensations within this consciousness so vivid and tangible?
Of course, asking further would likely yield the same dismissive response: “It’s the goddess’s power.” As a mage, even she couldn’t fully comprehend divine power.
“So, who wants to speak first?”
It was confusing.
Among them, the only one who could immediately accept the sight of the goddess was Fia. To the other three, the goddess’s appearance was… undeniably divine.
She exuded an aura of beauty and an untouchable presence. But still, she looked a bit different from how they had imagined her. Â
The image of the goddess described by the church was always lofty, almost unbearably authoritative. Her tone, as depicted in the scriptures, was always benevolent and archaic.
“That’s just to uphold the church’s authority. It’s more convenient for me, too, if people bow on their own.”
The goddess spoke as if she had read their thoughts.
“Anyway, we don’t have time, so let’s skip the formalities and get straight to the conversation. Who wants to start? Or should I decide for you?”
Tap, tap, tap
The goddess’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk. Kalia, watching this, felt as though the gesture conveyed not boredom but a subtle sense of impatience.
Of course, it was unthinkable that the goddess would reveal such an emotion. Â
…Or was it?
In truth, this was Kalia’s first time facing the goddess. Strictly speaking, only Fia and the hero had ever directly encountered her before.
Revealing anxiety was something even human nobles avoided doing. Surely, the exalted goddess wouldn’t express such an emotion so overtly, Kalia thought.
And as she was lost in those thoughts, her eyes met the goddess’s.
“Alright then, let’s start with your story,” the goddess said.
“Ah, yes!”
There was no knight in the kingdom higher-ranked than Kalia. In other words, she was one of the highest-ranking military figures in the realm.
No matter where she went, she was treated with the utmost respect, and there was no longer anyone before whom she needed to maintain a deferential stance. Â
But the being before her now was not merely a “person.”
Convince the goddess.
That was the task, as declared by the goddess herself. But how?
Cold sweat seemed to form on Kalia’s brow for the first time in a while, but she managed to open her mouth and begin speaking.
“…The hero, Shihyun… has accomplished a feat that no human has ever achieved before. In the kingdom—in fact, among all the people of Irellexia—there is no one who can diminish his accomplishments.
We owe him a tremendous debt, and it is our duty to repay it in full. That is why we hope to bring him back to our world… no, to your world, goddess.”
As Kalia concluded her words, correcting herself at the end, the goddess responded without hesitation.
“The price is not something you can carelessly decide. It was I, the goddess, who brought him here, and naturally, it is only right that I should pay the price as well.
And the price he desired has already been paid. He wished to return to the world he originally lived in, and so it was. He hoped to reunite with those he loved, and so it was.
Do you truly believe that he sought a high position in your world? In fact, granting him a title would have only burdened him with unwanted duties. Do you speak without understanding this at all?” Â
“…….”
Kalia could not respond. The goddess, who now spoke with dignity unlike before, left her at a loss for words.
Because it was the truth.
He had never desired anything from the world Kalia lived in.
He simply helped people because it was the right thing to do, and because he possessed the ability to do so. Perhaps it was because of his innate goodness that so many still remembered the hero, gathering to pray, thus bringing about such a miracle. Â
“But, but!”
Dana, who had been shrinking back, finally opened her mouth.
She clutched an old notebook tightly to her chest. It was a notebook written in the language of Shihyun’s world, one they had used while studying together.
“Even if the goddess has paid the price, that does not mean we have no debts. We have yet to properly repay him.
Everything we gave him in that world was merely a means to defeat the Demon King, and nothing more.
Now that we have the time and resources, we can offer him the proper reward he deserves. If we take our time and talk to him, we can give him what he truly desires.” Â
“You speak as if you know what he wants.”
At the goddess’s remark, Dana’s lips parted slightly.
She made a small movement as if to speak, but soon bowed her head helplessly.
What he wanted had never been gold, jewels, or power. Throughout the journey, his only sincere thought had been to defeat the Demon King.
Seeing Dana bow her head deeply, the goddess spoke again, her tone unhurried.
“…He said he was already a man who had died once.”
Startled by the sudden remark, Dana lifted her gaze to the goddess, her eyes filled with questions.
“He claimed that being able to live again and achieve such meaningful work made it a fulfilling life…..and that in itself was reward enough.”
“……”
Yes.
That was the kind of person he was.
Even if he had desired something afterward, no one would have blamed him. No, even if he had made an unreasonable request, who would have dared to question him?
“The words ‘don’t talk nonsense’ rose to my throat, but I couldn’t say it aloud. After all, it was because of me, the goddess, that he suffered so much….I couldn’t bring myself to curse him.”
But as she said this, the goddess’s eyes narrowed, as if reminiscing about a memory.
“Now then… next.”
The goddess’s gaze turned to Arna.
“Do you have something to say to me as well?”
“…….”
Under the weight of the goddess’s gaze, Arna bit her lower lip firmly.
Arna was silent for a long time. She had already spoken out against the goddess before. If the goddess had been watching over the hero, she must have seen that too.
Arna had criticized the goddess for preventing the soul of the deceased from finding peace, and for sending them to another world to bear an obligation. Now, she didn’t know what to say to the goddess.
After all, the world owed everything to that one soul who could neither rest nor escape the burden of duty.
Even Arna and the elves had become indebted to him for all their lives.
Ultimately, Arna knew that the goddess’s choice had been the right one.
“You’re right.”
Even though Arna hadn’t spoken a word, the goddess suddenly said that.
Arna, who had been looking down, was startled and looked up.
The goddess was quietly gazing at her, as if she knew exactly what she was thinking.
Then, slowly, the goddess spoke again.
“Your thoughts are correct.”
The gaze of the goddess as she said that seemed sad.
“He didn’t have the obligation to bear the weight of the world after living an innocent life and meeting an unfortunate death.
He simply accepted my request because he was an infinitely good person. No matter how much more I try to repay him, I could never repay that debt.
All I can hope for is that the reward I gave him brings him happiness in the life that remains.”
“…..”
Arna slowly lowered her gaze again. She had an inkling of what the goddess was about to say.
“But because of that, I hope his remaining life isn’t complicated. I hope he won’t get caught up in the power struggles and jealousy of your world. I wish for him to meet loved ones where he has been reborn, and live a happy life.”
The goddess’s voice was filled with sorrow.
Arna did not offer a single word of rebuttal.
After all, she was the one who had said that his soul should find peace.