Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

"It's over. So, Welf, you've now dissolved your contract with me."

"...?"

"That means you can convert to any religion anytime, anywhere. From now on, you just need to join the denomination of the god you like."

It's not about sealing the [ability value], but rather preserving the power of the enhanced ability value, setting it to a state where it can be re-contracted, Phoebus explained. It's like waiting to convert to another god.

"However, my divine blood will continue to remain... which means I'm the one who will accept your virginity~"

"...Don't say strange things."

With a knowing look on his face, Welf finally responded to Phobos's joke in his usual tone.

The goddess chuckled and trembled as if she found it very amusing.

"Today, caravans from other countries will be passing through this forest. After you leave the kingdom with them, you can do whatever you want with them."

"What...what are you going to do? If we go back to the capital now, because of my mistake of running away..."

"If I'm not here, who's going to clean up your mess? There must be a huge commotion right now, both in the kingdom and among the clans."

"..."

"Don't worry, I'll make it look like I made Will and the others dance in my palm, that I instigated you to do all this. It's all Goddess Entertainment's fault. Since Ares's an idiot, he'll definitely believe it, right?"

"...Why would you go to such lengths for me?"

"Perhaps it's the whims of the gods. And then... yes... it's for the sake of adorable children, isn't it?"

With her neck tilted in thought, the beautiful goddess's long black hair slid down her neck.

"I'm actually quite happy to have a silly brat like you around. Besides, I'm tired of doing nothing all day under Ares."

Even if I'm punished and sent back to heaven, it doesn't matter," Phoebus chuckled.

"Ah, don't worry. Even if you're banished back to the 'Heavenly Realm,' I'll always be watching over you. Hehe."

"...That's meddling in other people's business."

then.

"Go, Welf. Live the life you want. Neither 'Klozó' nor the kingdom are shackles for you."

Even as Forbus held her tightly and stroked her head, it didn't bother Wilf; he revealed a calm smile he had never seen before.

"—Goodbye then, Welf"

This was their final conversation.

A few days later, a huge pillar of light shot straight into the sky from the direction of the capital of Lachia.

—I'm sorry, thank you.

Outside the kingdom's territory, on a small hill.

The boy stood alone, gazing up at the beautiful light, a single tear silently streaming down his face.

☆

"—The children here are really energetic!"

His red left eye was fixed on a scene in front of him: in the forging workshop where the furnace was roaring and the red-haired boy was fighting against the adults around the forging site.

"Ah, my goddess. I'm so sorry, you've been waiting so long for this visit, and yet you've come to see such a mess..."

"Oh my, isn't that what blacksmiths are like? I quite like him. By the way, who is he?"

"That was one day when someone suddenly appeared, saying, 'Let me be their lodging maid!'... Their name is probably an alias. Their blacksmithing skills are so-so, but they turned out to be quite difficult to deal with."

The sword-making city of Zorengam. A goddess who came to this city on a business trip to her contracted party visits the blacksmith shop with which she has a close relationship. Beneath a large eyepatch, her beautiful face reveals a narrowed left eye, intently watching the victorious young man diligently forging in front of the furnace.

"Hey, foreman. Could you leave that child with me?"

"Huh, huh? We're fine here... Is this really okay?"

"It's alright," the goddess smiled, waiting for the boy to finish forging.

After a while, she walked over to him, who had made a sword that was still rather rough.

"Hey, what's your name?"

The boy, his face covered in sweat, looked surprised at the sudden appearance of the divine being as he answered the question.

"...Welf"

"Just Welf? Doesn't he have a surname?"

"My surname... I don't want to say..."

"I see. So, Welf, would you like to join my [Family]?"

The boy, who had been saying "Huh?", now showed a look of astonishment.

"...Before you begin to persuade me, you should also give your name. There's no point in just asking someone to say their name."

"Oh dear, I'm sorry. I forgot."

Facing the boy's suspicious gaze, she smiled and said, "My apologies, goddess." And then—

My name is—

The path led forward by the goddess of the evil friend.

The young man had an encounter with a goddess with red hair and red eyes.

BD Bonus Novel BD6 Short Story: The Vow of an Encounter

The online translation is from the Kingdom of Light

Image source: uiop031

Translation: cleverchm

Ryu Leon was once a country girl living in the Fairy Realm.

Of course, she's not just a simple country girl. She's also part of a clan that has guarded the sacred tree of the secret realm for generations. Shortly after birth, she began her education as a fairy warrior. Whenever enemies invade, she goes out with the adults to fight them off. Even without divine favor, she can repel monsters that inhabit the ground with her bow and sword.

One day, Ryu and the other warriors once again repelled an attack by other races that had been entrenched in the vicinity.

"What a filthy bunch of orc merchants."

"See that? Their ugly faces are just as ugly as their hearts."

With a hooded face and a small body, her coat fluttered in the wind. As soon as she returned to the secret realm, the surrounding fairies began to mock the enemy she had just defeated.

This is a fairy tribe covered by dense branches. In this "age of gods"—when humans and demi-humans have deepened their interactions—there are still some proud fairies who disdain interacting with other races and have always lived in seclusion deep in the forest.

One of them is Ryu's hometown, which is isolated from the world and guards the sacred tree.

"..."

The other races were incredibly ugly, both inside and out, a stark contrast to their own radiant and beautiful people; they were utterly filthy.

Liu watched silently as his fellow countrymen mocked other races.

Ryu also knew that the fairy race was the most beautiful race in the lower world, and that they had high self-esteem, were germaphobic, and would not allow anyone they did not approve of to touch their skin.

However, looking at her beautiful compatriots, Ryu fell into deep thought.

—We who are all show and no substance are probably the ugliest.

Looking at the mockery that appeared on her beauty, looking at her fellow countrymen from the secret realm, looking at them, the more she looked at her fellow countrymen, the more doubts arose.

Ryu couldn't remember why she had this thought. She was already eleven years old, and the doubts she had harbored since childhood had taken root and sprouted over time. Now, those doubts had somehow transformed into disgust.

Among fairies with a strong sense of kinship, such thoughts would undoubtedly be considered heretical. But it was too late to undo the damage. Seeing the arrogant words uttered by each of her fellow fairies, Ryu felt incredibly ashamed and desperate, feeling that it damaged her self-esteem.

Young Ryu knew nothing. Having never seen the world, she only knew a small part of it. But she was certain of how extraordinary the scene before her was.

This made her consider leaving her family and clan.

She felt ashamed of her companions and ashamed of being a fairy.

She left the fairy realm and walked to a clear river. After clearing her throat, she noticed her reflection in the water.

Pointed ears, azure eyes, long, flowing golden hair, and the same delicate features as her companions in the secret realm.

Liu looked down at her tender hands, and on that day, she made up her mind.

"……farewell."

As night fell, Liu escaped from the fairy realm.

She took the "White Holy Stone" from the secret realm—a mineral that should be able to be exchanged for some travel expenses—and set off alone.

Gazing at the beautiful night sky of her beloved hometown, and looking back at the sacred tree in the forest she had protected since birth, Ryu bid farewell to them and embarked on her journey to the world.

Her thoughts had already wandered to the vast world.

She eagerly anticipated being freed from the shadow of the fairy.

but--

*

A light drizzle.

The sky was covered with dark clouds, and the hood on his head was already soaked. Accompanied by the dripping raindrops, he looked helplessly at a deserted path.

The labyrinth city of Orario.

Having left her hometown, Ryu arrives in Orario, known as the "center of the world." Confused by the outside world she sees for the first time, she comes to this labyrinthine city that even the secluded secret realms have heard of. After enduring many hardships, she finally sees the massive city walls and gates standing before her.

In Orario, a large number of gods, humans, and demi-humans have broken down racial barriers and gathered here.

Surely, she could find the treasure she had been searching for here—something she couldn't do in the Fairy Realm: encountering friends of other races and becoming irreplaceable companions. Looking at this city, a demonic lair teeming with monsters, including dungeons, Ryu felt a surge of anticipation.

However, Ryu's expectations were shattered in an instant.

Because faced with countless hands reaching out to her, she—

—Don't touch me!

Ryu rejected everyone who approached her without hesitation.

Whether it's a human trying to entice her to join a "familia," a drunken beastman, a dwarf merchant with a sinister smile, a boisterous Amazon prostitute, or a dwarf adventurer who sympathizes with her, regardless of whether they have good intentions or malice, Ryu will knock their hands away one by one.

Because she doesn't allow people she doesn't respect to touch her skin, that's Ryu's nature.

Deeply ingrained racial customs have also become one of Ryu's obsessions with cleanliness. Because she was raised by her self-righteous clan from the secret realm, as a price to pay, this subtle racial trait that accompanied her growth cannot be corrected.

To make matters worse, Ryu could no longer stand the curious stares that were gathering around her.

The curious, envious, and lustful gazes she had never encountered in the secret realm filled her with fear and confusion. Her beautiful appearance was the main reason, so now she dared not go out without wearing a hood. Because all the gazes had become the root of Ryu's "fear."

Now, Ryu's only hope is to seek help from his fellow clansmen whom he has never met.

But she didn't do that; her childish reserve became her final act of persistence.

Because of her disgust for fairies and herself, the girl completely cut off this way out.

"...It's utterly ridiculous."

Coming to her senses, Ryu had already wrapped herself up tightly in her coat and put on a mask.

Not only did she feel disgusted with her hometown and flee, but she was also shaken by fear of the outside world and shut herself off. Faced with this version of herself, Ryu could only helplessly mock herself.

too naive.

So funny.

Stopping in her tracks, looking at her face reflected in the puddles on the stone path, Liu felt the urge to stomp on them again.

The fear of the unfamiliar fueled her unhappiness. Perhaps she was the one prejudiced against others; this doubt gradually took hold of Ryu. All the hatred she felt for fairies weighed on her.

Liu stood alone in the middle of the road, bathed in the drizzle.

"Excuse me, what's wrong?"

At that moment, someone struck up a conversation with Ryu.

When I turned around, I saw a beautiful woman standing behind me.

This young woman looked even more beautiful than Ryu, who was a fairy. Her long, walnut-colored hair was elegantly tied back, and her eyes, like a vast starry sea, revealed a deep blue light. She was also wearing a graceful dress—a long gown.

The faint divine aura emanating from her proved that she was a transcendent being. She was probably out shopping too; a raincoat covered her head, she held a paper bag in her arms, and smiled at Ryu.

"goddess……"