"Ugh... this won't do..." After Lisbeth helped me satisfy my sexual urges and left, I began to feel frustrated and troubled.
Five days had passed since Ars was discharged from the hospital. And during this time, things inexplicably deviated from my plans.
After his discharge, Ars said he wanted to spend time with Lisbeth temporarily, suspending his adventurer work to rest. These past five days have been almost entirely spent on dates with Lisbeth.
I tried to intervene, but couldn't find an opportunity, and could only watch helplessly as the two of them acted alone.
I was grinding my teeth in frustration.
Lisbeth is clearly my female, how dare she?
But right now, I couldn't think of any legitimate reason to stop this. If they were on a mission, I could find a chance to intervene, but these two just spend all their time glued to the village… If Lisbeth were still a virgin and this happened, I'm afraid I'd go crazy watching this scene.
Thinking about it this way, it's fortunate that my rationality has already flown away.
"Even so, I have to find a way… what to do…" Fortunately, Lisbeth does come to the warehouse to help me satisfy my sexual desires in the evenings after sunset.
The problem is, perhaps influenced by our date, she always avoids eye contact, only using her hand to masturbate me before leaving, making my conquest of her virginity seem pointless.
I feel like she's deliberately avoiding me… therefore, my status bar remains unchanged.
No, when I checked today, I found that Ars's affection level has surpassed mine again, now at 50:49.
Although I thought it was still a tug-of-war, I didn't expect it to be reversed again like this.
Since things have come to this, why not just force it?
Now that it's confirmed this horse's body is suitable for bestiality, why hold back any longer?
I've already conquered a virgin like that, so if I slowly and forcefully push in now, Lisbeth should accept it, right?
I tried to imagine the scene of forcing it in again, but even from this angle, it wasn't going smoothly. I haven't seen her all day, and when she comes at night, she doesn't even look at me properly, just gives a brief "hmm" and then casually masturbates and runs away…
But I don't want that kind of scene, like raping someone I hate…
I just want to find a way to end this situation and trigger the event, but if I leave it alone, it seems like this situation will continue indefinitely.
Thanks to the reward from discovering the Hero Devourer, the money should be enough.
"Ugh, damn it…"
Feeling frustrated by not being able to think of a solution, I kicked my legs and fell asleep. I secretly hoped some kind of mandatory event would suddenly appear.
...... Morning of the sixth day.
Perhaps thanks to my wish from yesterday, Ars and Lisbeth came to my door, suggesting we complete a quest together.
They said Ars's health had almost fully recovered, and he could take on a light, casual daily quest, like a walk.
Ars…you idiot…I thanked Ars in my heart, while simultaneously accepting the offer while managing the expression on my horse's face.
"Hmm…still not found out? That guy's really persistent."
Arriving at the guild administration office, I found a notice prominently displayed, emphasizing the search for the Hero Devourer.
Usually, notices for casual quests that anyone could accept were posted.
But among those casual quest notices, there was a large notice highlighted in red.
The quests themselves were quite numerous on the administration's list; as long as it wasn't a mandatory emergency, the clerks would inform you of the available quests based on the guild's conditions.
The sheer scale of the notices suggests an urgent situation, yet a reluctance to enforce anything, implying a desire for everyone to step up their efforts.
Looks like that guy's got some serious evasion skills with his physique.
According to our reports, the search party, initially focused on the area around the labyrinth, has expanded to the entire territory of Radia, but still nothing… Ars, after searching everywhere, is now shaking his head repeatedly.
Since he's met with such a frustrating setback, he's probably given up completely.
The Hero Devourer seems to be completely out of our sights now.
"How about we start with something like this?" Ars said, pointing to a simple daily hunting quest notice.
Hunting small, harmful monsters that appear near villages—small enough for anyone with a bit of strength to handle with a pickaxe or something similar.
Essentially a chore for beginners, the pay is about the equivalent of a child's allowance, but it should be as easy as a stroll.
After confirming the quest, Sera walked towards the counter, smiling as she spoke to him.
"Ah, Mr. Ars is back! I heard you were so badly injured you had to go to the church for treatment, I was so worried!"
"Haha...bad luck. Thanks to this, I plan to check on my condition today and do some simple tasks."
"I see...Mr. Shimo, are you coming too?"
"Yes. That's what I'm planning...is there something you need?"
As soon as I asked, Sera tilted her head slightly, looking troubled.
"Um...actually, the church is looking for Mr. Shimo. They said if he comes, please pass on a message. It seems they have a favor to ask." The church needs something from me? What do they want to ask? More than that, I'm worried about letting Ars and Lisbeth go alone.
"Lisbeth and I are traveling together, mainly because we need a helper, besides wanting to familiarize ourselves with the environment before joining the church...to let me go to the church alone to accept a request or something..."
"Hmm...are you going to the church together today? Whether you accept or refuse the request, showing your face shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Is that alright? What do you think, Lisbeth?" "...Yes." She gave a brief reply, still avoiding eye contact. Judging from her expression, it didn't seem like dislike, more like a reluctant refusal. Ugh…
But since we've decided to go together first, we'll postpone our mission to the church for now. I really don't understand why they insisted on finding me.
So we arrived at the church. After explaining the situation to the nun who came out from the guild's management office, she said she would call Paul and guide us to a place similar to the reception room we'd visited before.
But for some reason, all the nuns we encountered turned pale as soon as they saw my face.
I tilted my head a couple of times, puzzled. After asking two of them, I learned that church personnel generally possess excellent aura perception abilities; the female nuns were probably frightened by my aura.
Ugh, my appearance is already fierce enough, and even my aura is like this. It seems I'd better not get too close to the church before I gain anthropomorphism.
After a short wait, Paul came in and greeted us.
"You've arrived, Mr. Shimo. Ars and Miss Lisbeth came along too. How are you feeling?"
"Yes. I was planning to stretch my legs a bit before taking on a simple task, but I heard you were looking for Shimo, so I came along to discuss our strategy."
"I see… Perfect timing. Actually, although I wanted to ask Mr. Shimo for a favor, it would have been even better if you two could be here." Paul coughed lightly and then began to explain the details of the request.
"Um… first of all… do you know how the search for the Hero Devourer is progressing?"
"Ah. No. Because I'm also one of the victims, and Ars's condition still needs to be monitored, I haven't even had time to look at the notices at the administration office…"
The sudden mention of the Hero Devourer?
This request sounds quite difficult… "I see. Let me explain the current situation. According to the information Miss Lisbeth provided to the management, members of the major guilds around Radia have dispersed to conduct searches. However, no trace has been found so far." I've heard this part from the guild management as well. "Several people claimed to have witnessed its figure along the way...
But it's said to have vanished suddenly, as if it disappeared into thin air.
Because there were multiple testimonies, yet only a few glimpses of its form without any concrete evidence, some even suspect it might have been affected by some kind of hallucinogenic spell."
Hmm, could it be a skill like blankness or illusion? That thing is really well-hidden. It's a miracle it survived two encounters.
"Although not definitively confirmed, given that it has been identified as a monster, our Goddess Church has begun operations, and the kingdom has officially issued a search and extermination request."
Even if they don't understand monsters, the Church is experts on them. If the Hero Devourer is truly a monster, wouldn't it be certain death the moment the Church intervenes?
"Preparations are mostly complete now. All that's left is to distribute the priests and nuns to the various investigation guilds… Actually, I'd like to ask Mr. Shimo to protect a nun."
...Huh?
Protect her?
Me?
Choose one from those nuns who tremble at the sight of me?
"Me? Although my divine beast attributes are high, I'm still a newbie adventurer…"
"It's not about expecting you to confront monsters head-on. I just hope that in a crisis, I can keep her away from danger, just like I did with Mr. Ars and Miss Lisbeth."
"Why do you need to do that…? Even if I'm fast, wouldn't other large guilds be safer?"
Hearing this, Paul closed his eyes, took a short breath, and then continued.
"It'll be a bit long, so please allow me to start from the beginning. Do you know about the Holy Maidens of the Goddess Church?"
Holy Maidens? Why bring this up all of a sudden?
"The Holy Maidens you're referring to are the female clergy representatives chosen by the Goddess Church, right?"
After Lisbeth asked on my behalf, Paul nodded. "Yes, that's right. Like His Holiness the Pope, candidates are selected from within the Church of Goddesses, based on a comparison of merit and ability. The power a Saintess wields within the Church of Goddesses is arguably equal to or second only to His Holiness the Pope."
If the Pope is the highest male authority in the Church of Goddesses, then the Saintess is the female one.
Suddenly, I remembered that beautiful nun who gave me an unprecedented reaction.
She said she was a candidate for Saintess?
Ah, could it be…? "Actually, the former saint passed away last year, and she is currently selecting candidates to verify their abilities. One of the candidates is actually the nun named Claire that Mr. Mo and Miss Lizbert met in their previous life." No wonder that beautiful nun… she seems to be quite a remarkable person.
"I want her… to become the saint."
Oh, so he wants to recommend her? Just as he was thinking this, Paul stood up and went to the window, looking outside as he continued. "Currently, there are two strong candidates for the Saintess... Claire and Sister Clarice from the capital. Purely in terms of ability, Claire is superior, but Sister Clarice, until recently, was an adventurer living as a nun affiliated with a guild. Therefore, she's a woman with a record of defeating numerous monsters." A clash of ability versus achievement? Regardless, judging from the descriptions alone, Clarice's achievements seem to give her an advantage. "Usually, Clarice, with her achievements, is chosen... but I always feel uneasy. From the few times I've seen her smile, I somehow sense a hidden ambition within her. In fact, the source of her recent spending is also suspicious. Her selection as Saintess makes me uneasy." Is it just a personal feeling that makes her undesirable? "That's true, after all, as a bishop, she still wields considerable influence within the church."
"My impression of her is just my personal feeling... but I still want to choose Claire as the saintess. I believe she is... the woman worthy of the title."
"The one worthy of the title almost fainted when she saw me."
"Could it be... that one..."
Lisbeth asked, Paul's face slightly flushed as he continued gazing out the window.
"...I first met her about 10 years ago, in the church of a small village I visited when I was still an adventurer..."
Paul's suddenly recalled past can be summarized as follows: During his adventures, while on a mission in a small village ravaged by monsters, he met her tending to the wounded.
After several exchanges, he was drawn to this selfless woman who cared for others, subsequently ending his adventures and returning to his position as a priestess of the Goddess Church, eventually rising to the rank of bishop due to his achievements during his adventures.
Ultimately, he was dispatched to Ladia along with her.
"I think...she's the kind of woman who could be my mother."
"Huh?"
"Uh, excuse me. She's the woman who wants to be my lover."
Wait a minute.
What did Paul just say?
Mother?
Could this guy...be the legendary mama's boy?
Judging from his fake cough, it's probably true...oh my god.
I never thought that the mama's boy I only saw online during my unemployed days would actually appear in front of me in real life.
I could laugh it off when I saw him online, but witnessing him say something like that to a woman who looks younger than him is truly chilling. "Ahem... In short, I want her to be chosen as the Saintess. She possesses the compassion and abilities befitting a saint, but ultimately lacks illustrious achievements, and her situation is somewhat unstable. Therefore, I hope to send her to participate in the search and extermination of the Hero Devourers to establish merit."
"But we still..."
"Yes. I understand. However, considering that when you all encountered the Hero Devourers before, Mr. Shi Mo successfully carried two people away from the pursuit. I want to ensure that even if we are in danger, we can escape. Initially, I considered other large guilds, but after all, visual impairment might actually be an obstacle..."
Hmm. In short, it's just a nominal participation, to be used as a fallback for escaping danger, right?
"After discovering the Hero Devourer, she will be responsible for treating the wounded from the rear. Please keep an eye on her, and if any danger is detected, evacuate her."
"Hmm... well..." Observing Ars and Lisbeth's reactions, they both seemed rather uninterested.
Ars didn't mind, but without Lisbeth, it was a bit... "This is ultimately just an extra task I personally entrusted to you all during the Hero Devourer mission, therefore the reward will be paid separately from my personal assets. The reward is 5 gold coins... If you are willing to accept, I will also help investigate the information about humanization skills that Mr. Shimo has been searching for through the Goddess Cult's intelligence network." What!? Information about humanization skills!? Seeing my bright smile as I looked at the two of them, Ars nodded with a wry smile, while Lisbeth gave a helpless look.
"Well... since this is the information you've been searching for, Shimo, as long as we agree to run away immediately if we feel danger..."
"Shimo, you haven't joined a guild yet. To participate in the Hero Devourer quest, you need to sign a temporary contract with a guild first. You've helped us a lot, so this time it's our turn to help you." Having obtained their permission, I nodded to Paul in agreement.
So, it was decided that I would go to the church the next morning to search for the Hero Devourer's trail with Sister Claire.