Chapter 161: Herbert's Request (35)

"Hmph. The blessings of a deity have never required the consent of mortals."

As Herbert had expected, the Ice Snow Goddess came out with a line dripping with domineering-CEO flavor.

From the Ice Snow Goddess's perspective, Herbert's rejection didn't diminish his charm in the slightest; on the contrary, it made him even more alluring.

Loyalty is always the trait a superior most craves in a subordinate.

No matter how brilliant and valiant one may be, it cannot compete with "absolute loyalty."

This reaction only further fueled Her desire to take Herbert into Her fold.

Snatch him away and reshape him into My form!

The love of stealing someone right out of another's arms has never been the exclusive privilege of any one gender.

Everyone enjoys it.

To seize from another, snatch the treasure they hold dear, stand tall upon it, and then watch them writhe in agony.

Hehe, now that's what I call thrilling!

And as the one being fought over, Herbert was at this moment "completely dumbfounded," utterly "unable to comprehend" why the goddess remained so interested in him even after being rejected.

Truly too baffling… pfft, cough cough!

He controlled his facial muscles, struggling to keep his expression in check, furrowed his brow, and put on a look of puzzlement.

"My lady, are you meaning to…"

The Ice Snow Goddess waved her hand imperiously and said calmly, "Enough, spare me the nonsense. The matter is settled."

"I won't make things difficult for you, nor will I demand you answer my blessing right now."

"Go ahead and follow through on your own plans in peace. One day, you'll understand who your faith truly belongs to."

Herbert hesitated, frowned, agonized, and finally, after a long silence, reluctantly chose to accept.

"Then… very well."

He raised his head, his whole being radiating the broken, shattered air of a man forced into vice, and sighed: "If that's all it is, then I can only thank you for your generous favor."

"Mm-hmm."

Seeing him in such a state, the Ice Snow Goddess appeared calm on the surface, but was in truth quite pleased with herself.

At the very last moment, Herbert still made an effort to "resist," stubbornly saying:

"Though I'm afraid it may disappoint you, I must make one thing clear — my feelings for that one will absolutely never change."

At this, the deity smiled with confidence: "Heh heh, time will give you the true answer."

At this point, the Hero Herbert had finally, just barely, weathered this sudden incident.

【Ding ding ding!】

【Quest "The Ice Snow Goddess's Stalking!" — Complete!】

【New Quest Opened — "The Ice Snow Goddess's Coveting!"】

Herbert was safe… for now.

Being targeted by a deity isn't necessarily a good thing, for it often stirs the river of fate and brings upon them calamities beyond prediction.

But neither is it necessarily a bad thing.

When the fate of the one being watched is strong enough, this upheaval will only make them grow stronger.

Herbert felt his fate must be a tough one.

After all, not just anyone can become an ally of a joke-deity.

In fact, everyone was quite satisfied with Herbert's quick-witted response.

In the Ice Snow Goddess's eyes, Herbert's loyalty was directed toward the deity who had granted him protection.

This was perfectly reasonable, and even reflected his quality of loyalty.

But in Nie Nasha's eyes, Herbert's words had been spoken entirely for Her to hear.

That loyalty was meant for Her!

【"Mm-mhm! You did well, that's exactly how it should be! Though next time, it'd be nice if you reacted a bit faster."】

【"Hmph, that one still wants to compete with me? Heh heh, once I'm free, I'll make Her understand exactly what She did wrong!"】

But in truth, Herbert's words hadn't been aimed at anyone in particular.

If one absolutely had to pick someone, it was probably directed at a certain not-so-famous hungry dragon sleeping soundly in his arms… though she couldn't hear it, of course.

But some words need not be spoken aloud.

And some words, even when spoken aloud, need not be heard by the other party.

It was enough that he knew it in his heart.

"Alright, speak up."

The Ice Snow Goddess landed back on the ice, hands on hips, looking at Herbert as she waited for his answer: "What reward do you want?"

At this point, Herbert fell somewhat silent.

Indeed — what should he ask for?

The performance was already over; he couldn't ask for Her blessing now, that would be slapping his own face…

But what could this goddess actually give him?

Wealth?

Establishing a stronghold did indeed require a great deal of wealth, but would milking Her for money be a bit out of character?

Besides, converting the Ice Snow Church's supplies into cash would probably take some effort.

Then how about a precious magical artifact?

The thought flickered for a moment before Herbert dismissed it.

Sending Her off with just a few trinkets would make it all seem a bit too cheap.

Since I've already decided to take a gamble, I might as well aim for something big...

"..."

Herbert lowered his head in thought, and his gaze naturally fell to where the Snow Goddess's jade-like, crystalline toes... were stepping.

Oh!!?

Ice!

Got it!

Herbert raised his head—halfway, then continued looking down at the goddess, and said respectfully:

"I hope that in the future, you can dispatch a team of priests to my territory, and for a short while, do not transmit any information to the outside world."

"Mm?"

The Snow Goddess blinked her eyes and asked curiously, "What are you trying to do?"

For Her, this was nothing at all, but this unusual request piqued Her interest.

Some unspeakable secret?

Herbert lowered his head slightly, motioning Her to look at his embrace. He patted Valentina's head and said softly:

"As you've seen, I'm different from the other Holy Knights... at least different from most of them."

"I don't see magical creatures as blasphemous heretics. They may be dangerous, but they aren't necessarily evil."

He stared at the deity, slowly uttering blasphemous words that could stir up a storm in the monastery, and even in the entire human world.

"Humans are a part of nature, and magical creatures... are the same."

"In nature's eyes, there is actually no difference between the two."

The Snow Goddess's eyes widened slightly. She was well aware of how fiercely this statement would be opposed in the world.

Not only humans, but magical creatures as well—the relationship between the two had never significantly improved.

Perhaps only some half-bloods might agree with such a view.

Without a doubt, the young man before Her was going against the tide of the world.

But he, after clearly understanding the cost of all this, still firmly chose to walk his path alone in silence.

"You..."

Herbert shook his head at the Snow Goddess, offering no further explanation.

He raised his head, gazing at the mountain range shrouded in mist year-round, and said in a voice that was soft but incomparably firm:

"I want to build a pure land where humans and magical creatures coexist, to create a space that should have existed but no one has ever tried to make."

"And that place is... right here."

(End of Chapter)