Unexpected Confessions and Divine Secrets

The “Tears of the Goddess” boasted an abundance of delicious food, and Domu, with her profound love for culinary delights, had even gone so far as to seek out rare, hidden recipes for her guildmates to prepare. Yet, the cheesecake she had just savored for dinner earned her heartfelt praise; even she, who had tasted countless delicacies, couldn’t resist a few extra bites.

Domu found herself pondering whether she was merely a game character or a truly existing person. If she was real, would overeating lead to weight gain? And if she did gain weight, would her equipment somehow make her fat disappear, much like it seemed to flatten her chest?

The cheesecake, however, was undeniably delicious, albeit a bit small. She decided to ask Soronna its price later and, once she earned money from mercenary tasks tomorrow, she would buy another one. Domu rested her arms on the table, cradling her cheeks in her hands, and gazed absently at Dove, who was currently enjoying a fruit salad.

“Dove, you shouldn’t eat too much at night; you’ll get fat,” Domu admonished, watching Dove clutch a fruit salad bowl larger than her own face. A sense of parental responsibility washed over her. Although she herself had eaten plenty, children, after all, might feel unwell if they ate too much late in the evening.

“It’s fine, Domu. If Dove likes it, let her eat a little more,” Soronna chimed in, happily resting her head on her arms, face nestled against the table. She gazed dreamily at Dove, who was valiantly tackling the fruit salad. “Everyone worked hard today, after all.”

‘What was this strange feeling?’ Domu mused. ‘A strict mother and a doting father… Wait, why did I cast myself as the strict mother? No, it should be the strict father and the doting mother. Ah, Soronna, this won’t do! Spoiling children prevents them from growing up healthy…’ Domu found herself lost in a whirlwind of chaotic thoughts.

“Mama, Dove is full! But… Dove… is a little sleepy…” Hearing Domu’s voice, Dove lifted her small head from the fruit bowl. Her eyelids fluttered, constantly closing only for her to force them open again, as if battling sleep itself. She seemed on the verge of drifting off at any moment.

“Oh! I’ll take Dove to my room to sleep,” Soronna quickly rose, carefully cradling Dove in her arms. “It seems she’s truly exhausted today. Domu, you should come too! We agreed to all sleep together tonight, remember?” she added, turning to Domu.

“…Are there no other rooms?” Domu asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

“Of-of course not! This inn only has two rooms left. We’ll take one, and Kase and Os will take the other,” Soronna stammered, seemingly nervous and avoiding Domu’s gaze.

“So there were only two left… Well, in that case, there’s really nothing we can do,” Domu murmured, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. If only two rooms remained, it wasn’t as if she was deliberately taking advantage. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had forgotten something important.

And Kase and Os were staying together? Domu glanced upstairs to see Kase sitting dejectedly on the floor, while Os knelt beside him, offering continuous comfort. With a knowing nod, Domu understood.

“Let’s go up first,” Soronna whispered to Domu. “Dove’s already asleep. We can take a bath later. It’s a shame we can’t go with Dove, but the bathhouse is really comfortable. We’ll take her tomorrow!”

Whether it was due to extreme fatigue or the soft warmth of Soronna’s embrace, Dove quickly drifted off to sleep while Soronna and Domu spoke.

****

They arrived at Soronna’s room, located at the very end of the inn’s second floor – a remarkably quiet space. A distinctly feminine fragrance permeated the air. It was Domu’s first time in a girl’s room, and she looked around with a touch of curiosity. A large wooden bed dominated the room, covered with an unknown mattress and a plush, velvety fabric that looked incredibly soft and smooth, much like a comforter. By the window stood a wooden desk, adorned with a thick book titled, “Liberate! The Squishy Kindergarten!” The title was certainly peculiar, but it was clear that Soronna had a fondness for children, judging by her interactions with Dove and this… kindergarten book.

Soronna gently placed Dove on the bed, tucking her in with a tender hand. She then turned, noticing Domu frowning in deep thought as she stared at the book on the desk.

As Domu remained lost in contemplation over the book, Soronna swiftly and softly approached, snatching the book from the desk and concealing it behind her back.

“Th-th-this… it’s nothing strange!” Soronna stammered, her face flushed crimson. She held the book behind her back with both hands, eyes tightly shut, shaking her head frantically. Her two pink ponytails swayed with her movements as she softly explained to Domu, “I won’t say anything! No matter what Domu asks, I won’t tell! I don’t have any peculiar hobbies! I just simply love children! Because children are so, so innocent. They offer the softest parts of their hearts without reservation. Even a mother’s gentle embrace or a soft whisper is the happiest thing for a child!”

“Soronna, you’ve already said it all, and I haven’t even asked anything…” Domu replied softly. Then, noticing Soronna’s ears instantly turn a vivid red, Domu chose to remain silent.

Without a word, Soronna placed the book from her hands into the desk’s cabinet. Then, like a child who had misbehaved, she stood beside the desk, head bowed, staring at her toes.

The brief silence filled Domu with a touch of awkwardness. While she didn’t believe anything serious had transpired, it clearly seemed to bother Soronna a great deal.

“Soronna, let’s go take a bath first,” Domu suggested, attempting to change the subject and ease the silent tension. “You’ve all gone to so much trouble today.”

Soronna remained silent, but she stepped forward, took Domu’s hand, and then, with her head still bowed, walked towards the door.

After a glance at the peacefully sleeping Dove, Domu gently closed the door and followed Soronna towards the bathroom.

****

Unbeknownst to the departed Domu and Soronna, Dove’s eyes suddenly fluttered open in the room. Her gaze was filled with constantly flickering data-like characters, and at the same time, Dove softly uttered a single sentence.

“Confirmed absorption of unknown energy. Core evolution initiated. Database updating, parsing code rewriting. ‘Future’ consciousness reviving… completion 3%”

Domu and Soronna arrived at the bathhouse changing room. Domu had genuinely not expected such a dilapidated-looking inn to house such a lavishly decorated bathroom. As Domu marveled at the high-end changing room, she suddenly heard Soronna address her.

“Um… your armor… is it alright?” Soronna asked. She had already shed her nun’s habit and was now reaching behind her back, intending to unfasten her undergarments.

“W-wait a minute, Soronna! I’m not mentally prepared yet!” While Domu was pleased that Soronna was speaking again, the impending situation made her, who hadn’t given it much thought initially, feel rather flustered.

“Eh?” Soronna looked at Domu, utterly bewildered. By now, she had removed the bow hairpins that held her twin ponytails, letting her pink hair cascade smoothly down her back. Her fair skin, tinged with a delicate blush of shyness, was revealed. Not only was her hair pink, but her bra and panties were also pink, the latter adorned with cute little bear patterns.

“Soronna, why don’t you go first today? I’ll wait until you’re done.” Domu wrestled with her inner turmoil. She was, after all, a man. Although she had lived as a female character in a game for several years, that was still within a game, vastly different from true reality. To be naked in front of a girl… Domu had fantasized about such things, but seeing another girl’s naked body in this manner, no matter how she thought about it, felt immoral!

Just as Domu turned her head away, trying not to look at Soronna’s body, she felt Soronna’s hand grasp her arm again.

“Domu… is it because you dislike me?” Soronna’s voice was barely a whisper, laden with suppressed emotion. “How could a laughable mortal, a pervert who likes children, ever be worthy of being friends with Lord Domu, a deity…”

Soronna’s words struck Domu with profound astonishment, accompanied by a pang in her heart. She couldn’t fathom why this cheerful, gentle girl would utter such things.

“That’s not it, Soronna!” Domu countered, turning to face her. She placed her hands on Soronna’s bare shoulders, looking earnestly into her eyes. “You, Kase, and Os are all my friends. Besides, I’m not a true deity…”

“But you did bestow Dove with a title that only a god could grant, didn’t you?” Soronna asked, her cheeks flushing slightly as she met Domu’s gaze, her curiosity piqued.

“To be precise, I was once an ordinary person,” Domu began. “But by a stroke of fate, I came into possession of a true divinity… so I might have gained some god-like abilities.” She mused that while her former profession in the game was a Death Knight and her race was Undead, she still considered herself an ordinary person. Moreover, while Domu knew it was unwise to reveal her information to outsiders in this unfamiliar world, as she now considered Soronna a friend, she didn’t want their identities to be distinct. Thus, Domu slightly withheld some truths but chose to tell Soronna the general situation.

“Divinity? Can humans truly possess the power of gods just by acquiring divinity?” Soronna murmured to herself, processing Domu’s words.

“Oh, right, Domu…” Soronna suddenly remembered something. Her face flushed crimson as she looked at Domu and asked, “How do you… feel about my liking children?”

“Hmm… if it were a man overtly showing an extreme fondness for children, it would indeed come across as rather perverted, perhaps even a little unsettling,” Domu mused. “But with Soronna, I can sense that your affection for Dove is genuine, untainted by anything else—purely heartfelt love. So, I don’t dislike you for it. Besides, I once heard a saying.” Domu paused for a moment.

“Eh? What saying?” Soronna asked, playing along perfectly.

“Anything a beautiful, adorable girl does is righteous!” Domu declared playfully, then gently ruffled Soronna’s pink hair.

“Beautiful… adorable… righteous...” Soronna murmured, her gaze shimmering as she watched Domu gently caress her hair. She observed Domu’s eyes, identical to Dove’s, her delicate nose, and her rosy, tender lips. Suddenly, Soronna felt her heart being repeatedly struck by some mysterious force, as if she were caught in an illusion, ceaselessly anticipating something.