Chapter 36: Inside

According to the doctrine of the Church of the Goddess of the Moon, the Goddess of the Moon bestows protection on women when they expose their skin.

Over the past few days, watching the women who frequent the Adventurer’s Guild, I have come to have a fairly open-minded view.

A world where you become stronger when you take off your skin.

Humans will do anything to become stronger.

Especially if it’s related to greed, revenge, etc., humans sometimes eliminate other humans or even switch to the side of the Demon King’s army in pursuit of power.

In the present age, that has simply changed to exposing their skin.

If you can gain power for free, then it’s right to expose your skin.

If there are no problems at all when exposing your skin.

For example, if you don’t get scratched by tree branches or if your skin is touched by fire or cold, then it’s definitely worth exposing your skin.

But even so, isn’t this a bit too much?

“Excuse me, warrior.”

“What is it? You impious one.”

“I admit that I am impious. I fully understand what the Goddess of the Moon says, but I have my own god that I believe in.”

“Hmm….”

As a result of my investigation, the Changwol Goddess Church does not arbitrarily reject heresy.

Heretics are also those who convert to listen to the words of the Changwol Goddess, not groups that immediately cut off their necks for believing in other gods.

“I see. You don’t follow the Changwol Goddess… But you are wrong.”

“What is wrong?”

“I am not an exhibitionist, I follow God.”

She seemed genuinely upset, but still showed her displeasure at what I said.

“Correct me. I am not an exhibitionist. This is the best way to receive the grace of the Changwol Goddess.”

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to just take off what you are wearing?”

“What are you dissatisfied with?”

“It means that others see you as a man. No matter how much it is the grace of the Goddess, isn’t this a bit excessive?”

“What? Excessive!”

The warrior of fire, Bearness, began to openly get angry at me.

“This is to receive a little more of the goddess’s grace! How dare you say such a thing!”

“No, that…”

“Even more so, if you’re an adventurer! Of course, as an adventurer, you should take care of your own body.”

“Excuse me, hero.”

Lucius stepped in front of me. At that, Bearness, who had been getting angry, immediately shut his mouth and stepped back.

“Is it possible that the heroes of the Holy Sword are somehow communicating with each other?”

I was nervous. There were already so many people gathered here, and if I were to say to Lucius, “I sense the power of the Holy Sword from you!”, the situation would become serious.

We haven’t even found any trace of Zephaar and Acedia yet, and if we were already exposed, they’d come looking for us. It’s not that they’re looking for me, or that they’ve found me, but it’s to block the variable called the Holy Sword of Wind.

“My master doesn’t really like to reveal his body. I fully understand the goddess’s protection, but my master thinks that a woman’s body is more beautiful when it’s covered.”

“Hmm…?”

At Lucius’s words, both Bearness and I felt puzzled. What the hell was that?

“Master said something about the ‘aesthetics of concealment.’ He said that situations where we can’t see properly normally, but can see at really important moments, are the ones where we can truly feel beauty and style.”

“That is…?”

“Because he thinks that confidently revealing yourself at truly important moments is also part of a woman’s style.”

“I-Is that truly important moment…?!”

Bearness’s face instantly turned red.

“S-are you talking about that moment?! Oh, indeed. If that’s the case, then I can completely understand…”

“Yes. It’s something you usually hide and only reveal at important moments. It’s good to confidently reveal yourself, but if you show it too often, there may be moments where its meaning fades.”

“I see…! You don’t always have to reveal it, right? It’s definitely important to reveal your true self only at important moments. I see… understand what you’re trying to say.”

It must be about the Holy Sword. It must be about the Holy Sword.

“And…”

Lucius approached Bearness. Bearness flinched and tensed, and I was nervous that Lucius might cause an accident. Could it be that he took out the holy sword and stabbed his stomach…?!

Whispered. Lucius simply whispered something in Bearness’s ear. Bearness then widened his eyes and looked me up and down once, and then began to nod heavily with a heavy face.

“I’m sorry, wizard. Bearness, I couldn’t control my anger for a moment and raised my voice.”

“Oh, no.”

What could be the reason for the sudden apology? What on earth did Lucius say?

Still, since he was the first to bow his head, it would be my loss if I got more irritated here.

“I’m sorry for speaking so carelessly. I’m sure there was a reason, but I spoke so carelessly while thinking only of myself.”

“No. I’m sure there were differences of opinion, but I think I was just being too opinionated.”

Fortunately, Bearness didn’t seem to be a woman who would just run wild.

“But.”

“Yes?”

“If you want to receive the protection of the Goddess of the Blue Moon, you should at least reveal a bit more skin in your top.”

“…”

As the hot temper subsided, the evangelist appeared. This was a body that could not receive the protection of the Goddess of the Blue Moon, but she continued to look at me with eyes that believed that faith was justice.

“If you have faith in the Goddess of the Blue Moon, you might be able to grow a bit more.”

“Yes?”

“Excuse me. I have to go investigate the orc village now. Ah.”

Bearness made the sign of the cross toward us and placed both hands on her stomach. Even though she put both hands together in prayer, their size was smaller than the individual lumps that showed off their presence.

“May you be blessed by the Goddess of the Blue Moon.”

Bearness left after saying those words. At the end, she looked at Lucius with regret in her eyes, and I thought that she had backed off because she liked Lucius.

“Ah, before you go.”

“?”

“But it could be dangerous, so I’ll give you this as a gift.”

Bearness put her two hands together and extended them in front of me.

Saaaa.

Warm energy flowed out of her and began to take shape, and soon it became a red bead and fell into my hand.

“What is this…?”

“If there is ever a moment of danger, if you shout ‘Protection of the Goddess of the Blue Moon!’, an incredibly powerful flame will rise from within and protect you all.”

“Huh?”

“I truly hope that the path you walk will be a cozy path illuminated by the blue moonlight. Then.”

With that, Bearness turned around and disappeared. I suddenly received the holy relic from her and was dumbfounded by her triumphant attitude as she left.

“… Why does she look like she has won against me?”

“Does she think she has succeeded in evangelizing?”

“Is that so?”

It was exactly as Lucius said.

“I am using this to gain faith and belief in the Goddess of the Blue Moon. You don’t think that is what you think, do you?”

“That may be true. She is trying to make you a follower of the Goddess of the Blue Moon…”

“Ha, that is ridiculous.”

It really annoys me, but I can’t just throw away the gift I received from the hero in front of so many people.

At times like this…

“Huh, huh! I can’t help it. I’ll take it since it’s given to me.”

“Master…”

“What, what! I can’t throw it away, so I’m just keeping it! Do you understand?! Do you understand!!”

Just yell at them and move on.

“Hey, why is everyone looking at me like that!!”

Ah. I want to die.

“…Tch.”

After distracting everyone for a bit, I grabbed the red jewel and left the group.

“No one is coming to steal this.”

“Because I know it’s meaningless. The elixir that the fire hero gave me is only effective against the witch.”

“What?”

“The hero prayed for the saintess. He told me to pray to the Goddess of the Moon, but it probably has the power of the holy sword in it.”

“…..”

That’s what I said. No matter how I looked at it, the power extracted from the Holy Sword of Fire remained, so I wondered if someone would chase us to steal it.

“Is he a good person…?”

“He’s a bit hasty, but he’s not a bad person. Rather, he’s too kind and it’s a problem.”

“He’s hot-tempered, but he’s good…?”

It doesn’t seem to fit, but I can’t really throw it away, so let’s keep it for now.

“So Lucius. What did you say that made Bearness quiet down?”

“It wasn’t anything. I just raised her spirits.”

“You talked badly about me?”

“……That wasn’t it….”

“Hmm, whatever, it’s okay. It was my mistake for saying something out of the blue. Thank you, Lucius.”

“….”

“What’s with that look in your eyes? Is it that weird that I said thank you?”

“Oh, no.” Lucius scratched his head, hesitant.

“I’m the kind of person who says thank you when I need to. I won’t do that again. I won’t say something out of the blue.”

I won’t panic no matter what happens in the future. Even if there were something worse than this.

At that time, on the way north.

“That’s because the Master is smaller than you. Ra.”

Bearness smiled slyly and bowed her head.

“Well, if that’s the case, then there’s nothing that can be done. Are you wearing these clothes to make people feel that way?”

Exhibitionism, was it?

“I knew I’d get caught. That witch has a good sense.”

That’s the truth. Faith is also the truth, but Bearness likes to confidently show off her beautiful body to others.

And.

“It’s also true that she wears these clothes to receive the power of the goddess.”

Krrrr.

Demons began to appear one by one on the forest path. They were the demons who had been eating the corpses of dead orcs in the forest to become stronger.

“If it’s for more strength, I’ll do anything.”

Hwaruk.

Bearness’s body was on fire. Her clothes were burning with a gorgeous red flame, and she surrounded herself with flames.

“In the name of the Goddess of the Moon.”

Hwaruk.

“Witch. One day, you too will know.”

Churp.

“… Women must proudly express themselves!”

Kwaaahhhh!!

A huge pillar of fire instantly engulfed the demons.