Chapter 2: Audience

The priest asked, “Just in case, do you know how to return to the world I lived in?”

The priest replied, “Since you are a hero sent by God, only God would know.”

“Tsk, should I pray or something?”

I looked around with the thought that it wouldn’t hurt to try, but I couldn’t see any statues or symbols of God that should be in a temple.

All that was in this shabby temple was an old chair that clearly showed the traces of time and a small lectern for sermons.

Perhaps because it was a rarely visited place, the floor was full of footprints on the dust.

“It doesn’t seem like a popular religion.”

“Actually, it’s not.”

“Why? Is there some doctrine that says followers will be beheaded if they aren’t virgins?”

“What?! No way!! We preach the importance of premarital chastity and a man’s responsibility, but such radical teachings disappeared thousands of years ago!!”

“Is that really all?”

As the old man, who seemed to be the same age as my grandfather, nodded vigorously as if to prove his innocence, I felt pity for him.

I couldn’t argue any further when he swore that his words were true, and if they were false, he would live his next life washing the dishes of non-virgins.

Honestly, it was a little unexpected. I thought the doctrines would be equally crazy since the Goddess herself marked things like experience counts, talking about hymens and such.

“If that’s true, it’s quite a gentle doctrine.”

“Yes… I’m glad you understand.”

“In the world I lived in, there were crazy countries that beheaded people for talking to strangers of the opposite sex.”

It’s a bit cautious to say this after only seeing one building, but this world doesn’t seem like a world where ethics or human rights are well-developed.

Even in 21st-century Earth, such things happen in Islamic cultures like the Middle East, so I thought it would be worse in a world like this.

“…How…enviable.”

“What?”

“…It’s a tragic event that shouldn’t happen.”

He must be holding back because he’s powerless, but did he really want to do that? It hasn’t even been an hour since I came to this world, and I already hate it.

Especially those crazy people who worship the Goddess of Virginity.

“…So, there’s really no way to go back?”

Are you telling me to spend the rest of my life in this uncivilized land where I have no connections? Just when the anxiety I had been trying to ignore began to raise its head…

Just like the saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” my future wasn’t completely closed yet.

“…Actually, there is a way.”

“What is it?”

“The five Gods grant one wish to the hero who defeats the Demon King. You could use that wish to return home.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

The problem is, that loophole is too small.

“You can do it!! You have the blessing bestowed upon you by the Goddess, don’t you?”

“Blessing?”

Are you talking about this crappy ability to check someone’s experience count?

“This is a blessing?!”

My fists clenched involuntarily. It wasn’t like I was angry at Jarvis, but Jarvis must have thought that the direction of that anger was towards himself because he held out his hands and shouted urgently.

“C-Calm down!! The blessing grows with you!! I don’t know what blessing you received now, but it will surely be a powerful weapon to defeat the Demon King!!”

“Grow….”

Honestly, I don’t think this will become a proper ability even if it grows.

Right now, it’s an ability that shows the other person’s experience count, so if it grows, will it show how many ml of semen the other person has received?

‘It’s not some adult game…’

The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like an ability unrelated to purity and combat. But unfortunately, I didn’t have many options to choose from.

“…So, I just have to kill that Demon King?”

“Yes! Before that, you must first see His Majesty. You are the hero of the Vergina Kingdom, so he will support you.”

“Support…”

He seemed quite disappointed in me earlier, so will he really support me?

Didn’t he leave me here to calm my mind instead of taking me to the royal palace?

He won’t kick me out with some pocket change like some retro game king, but I can’t expect full support.

“…Let’s go for now. But where did that person go?”

“His Majesty said he was staying in the fortress city of Pitt, which is nearby, so we should go to Pitt first. I’ll guide the way.”

With those words, I stepped onto the land of this world for the first time with Jarvis leading the way.

Outside…honestly, there wasn’t much to see. It was just a landscape resembling a remote European village stretching to the horizon.

There were no multiple suns or strange creatures that could not be seen on Earth roaming freely, none of the characteristics of another world.

With a landscape that wouldn’t feel out of place on Earth, the little interest I had in this world disappeared.

“…This seems to be the countryside.”

“It’s shabby compared to the streets of the royal capital. The royal capital is a splendid city reminiscent of heaven.”

“Well….”

Judging by the footprints on the ground, it seemed like the king had ridden a horse-drawn carriage to this point.

It couldn’t be helped since the roads weren’t paved, but I could imagine what a city in a world where even the king rides a horse would be like, in a bad way.

“There are toilets here, right?”

“…Toilets?”

“What the…”

“Hahaha! I’m joking! Of course there are! However, this town doesn’t have a sewage system, so there aren’t the kind of toilets you’re talking about.”

I was worried that they would use chamber pots like in the Middle Ages and throw them out of the castle, but thankfully, it seemed like they had toilets.

“Let’s hurry. Actually, I need to pee right now.”

“It’s about a four-hour walk.”

“…Let’s just pee in the bushes.”

This d*mn countryside.

“This seems to be a fairly liberal world.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Just…look at the people passing by.”

The reason was that among the people I met while walking for almost four hours, excluding children, there was not a single virgin.

There’s a saying that people in the countryside are intimate regularly because there’s not much to do, but could it be that this saying also applies to this world?

I would usually overlook it, but when I saw a boy who looked like a middle or high school student with an experience count of three, my jaw dropped open.

“Are morals loose in this world?”

Even in Korea, where free love was widespread, it wasn’t this bad. Feeling it was strange, I asked, and Jarvis carefully opened his mouth.

“Since the influence of the church is weak, people tend to disregard the Goddess’ teachings.”

“Why is it weak?”

“Actually, this is the first time since the first generation that the Goddess of Purity has chosen a hero.”

I asked why, but no answer came. Only the Goddess would know the reason.

“We’ve arrived.”

After a journey, though calling four hours a journey felt too short, we arrived at the fortress city of Pitt.

Roughly estimating, the city was surrounded by walls about 5 meters high, and at the center was the main castle, the residence of the lord.

If the king was staying there, it would be the main castle. I stood in the line in front of the gate to enter the city.

I wasn’t expecting any special treatment, but this was a pitiful reception for a hero.

“I don’t have something like citizenship, is that okay?”

“His Majesty must have given instructions. And the entry procedure isn’t that complicated, so it’ll be fine.”

“I hope so, but…”

As we approached the gate, a murmuring sound suddenly came from the gate, and a knight wearing armor like something out of a movie approached us.

“……”

I understood why the term “visual r*pe” was coined, as blatant stares scanned my body.

The eyes that evaluated me seemed to ask, ‘Is this all?’ with a sneer and unconcealed disappointment deeply embedded within them.

“Ahem…”

Jarvis, who was watching from the side, cleared his throat, and the knight, finally averting his gaze, guided us, gesturing in our direction.

‘This place is no different.’

Guided by the knight, I entered the city and looked around for virgins, but, as expected, none were to be seen.

I’m definitely not someone obsessed with virginity, but isn’t this too much?

It’s not like they tax virgins, d*mn it, couldn’t at least one of the people passing by be a virgin?

Does this f*cking country dispatch a breeding man when someone reaches a certain age?

I swear on my ancestors’ graves that I’m not that kind of pathetic man obsessed with virginity, but I couldn’t help but be disappointed by this world’s disastrously low moral standards.

“This is the castle where His Majesty resides. Please be careful with your words and actions. (Experience Count: 6)”

“…Yes.”

We finally arrived at the main castle in the center of the fortress city and were granted an audience with the king after a complicated procedure.

It was rare for me to receive so much attention, so it was a bit uncomfortable to handle all the stares directed at me.

The king was flanked by his subjects and knights who had accompanied him for protection.

Beside the king was a beautiful woman wearing a small crown, who, despite being middle-aged, still retained her beauty. The moment I saw the experience count written above her head, I was shocked beyond words.

<Experience Count: 1>

“That b*tch…”

He married a virgin.