Chapter 239: Don't Want a Big Brother (4K)

"Why do you remain silent?"

Under Joanna's anxious gaze, Herbert kept probing, while Uniel stayed silent the whole time.

"Oh, is it that you don't like being called 'madam'? Then that truly is my失礼."

"Young Lady, why do you look so unhappy? Have I made you feel uncomfortable?"

Herbert watched the unsmiling Uniel with a smile, a hint of playfulness in his expression.

He chuckled softly, then turned his head and gave a kindly smile to the other priestesses.

"Not just this Young Lady — the same goes for all of you. If there's anything that makes you uncomfortable, please don't bear with it."

"Tell me directly. I'll do my best to correct it — I absolutely won't let any of you suffer the slightest grievance."

Herbert made a heartfelt vow, speaking promises that carried no binding weight at all.

Words without proof carry little credibility to begin with — no one would believe them.

But, thanks to his looks and the momentum of his earlier entrance, Herbert's credibility among these priestesses was extremely high.

They actually believed his promise — every face broke into a smile, and their demeanor visibly relaxed quite a bit.

Herbert felt the shift in the atmosphere, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly, just as he was preparing to continue exercising his player skills — the skin on his back was pinched and twisted.

"Hmph."

The mermaid Young Lady gave a discontented snort.

Fu Leimei, deeply displeased, tightened her fish tail around Herbert's waist, expressing her stance.

That's enough already!

Have some shame in front of people!

I'm still right here watching!

She didn't care whether Herbert had other companions, but they shouldn't be flaunted right in front of her!

Stop rubbing it in my face!

"Heh."

Herbert chuckled softly and shook his head, reaching down to pat the fish tail at his waist, his heart full of感慨.

That's it?

That's all it takes and you're done?

You can't handle even this much?

Then your self-control isn't much good either!

You still need to train, little sister.

Look at Nie Nasha — she hasn't said a word!

She's seen far, far more than you!

And far more explosive content than yours!

She didn't get worked up — so why are you already guarding your food?

【"Hmm?"】

A certain jester-god had been watching the show, but suddenly felt a wave of displeasure, sensing that she had been gravely offended once again.

【"I feel like you're thinking about something quite rude again."】

Wait — again?

Why did I say "again"?

"No, definitely not! That must be your imagination."

Herbert denied it flatly, even rebutting with a slightly hurt tone: "See, you've been sensitive again lately? Don't keep doubting your dear ally."

Never mind whether the other party believed it or not.

In any case, he believed it himself first!

Before deceiving others, one must first deceive oneself.

Nie Nasha was thrown into some hesitation by his attitude. After a moment's pause, she snorted: 【"... Hmph. Whether you thought it or not, you know perfectly well yourself!"】

Perfectly well?

Heh.

Then I really do know only too well.

But can I tell you the truth?!

The corner of Herbert's mouth lifted as he continued making small talk with the priestesses:

"Trust me — during your time in the Elda Territory, just treat this place as your own home and rest easy!"

"I absolutely won't let you down."

He went about winning over and soothing the priestesses' hearts with practiced ease, dismantling their psychological defenses bit by bit.

Meanwhile, Joanna kept anxiously rubbing her hands together, her gaze shifting back and forth between Herbert and Uniel.

Herbert... what exactly does he mean right now?

When he brought it up on purpose just now — did he discover Uniel's true identity?

But if that were the case, why mention it and then pay no further attention?

Raise it high, then set it down gently...

Suddenly, a possible thought flashed through Joanna's mind, and her eyes lit up.

Could it be!

Is Herbert making his stance clear?

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that was exactly what was going on.

Joanna didn't understand matters on the divine level, but she was certain these two beings must have some way of detecting each other.

And once she thought of it that way, everything became clear.

In other words, Herbert's earlier gesture was actually declaring that he had discovered the Winter Goddess's identity, but had no intention of exposing her!

No need to hide — I've found you.

But as long as you behave yourself, I won't deliberately expose your identity.

Everyone minds their own business, leaving each other in peace.

And the Winter Goddess's continued silence clearly showed tacit approval of this arrangement — a tacit understanding had been reached between the two great beings.

"…Gulp."

After figuring this out, Joanna couldn't help but swallow hard, feeling a chill run down her back.

Scary?

Yes, very scary!

Is this what divine-level scheming looks like?

Without a sound, several moves had already been exchanged, and we mortals hadn't noticed a thing.

Look at those bewitched sisters of mine!

Completely oblivious to the danger, already fully bewitched by Herbert's words!

Only because she was naturally clever and always sharp had she caught a glimpse of what was really going on.

"…"

And after working all this out, Joanna fell silent again, shaking her head to herself.

Even if she understood, what good was it?

She was nothing but a weak priestess, with no right to interfere with the gods.

After thinking this through clearly, she once again set her mind at ease.

Forget it!

Their open and covert struggles had nothing to do with her.

As a priestess of the Goddess of Ice and Snow, she should just carry out her own goddess's tasks and fulfill her duties.

Stay out of the rest.

"Ahem."

Joanna adjusted her mindset, gave a light cough, walked up to Herbert on her own initiative, bowed in greeting, and said with a natural smile:

"My lord, I was rude earlier and forgot to make introductions. Allow me to personally introduce the sisters on this trip to you now."

But just as Joanna finished introducing the others and was about to introduce Yunier, the young girl who had been silent all along suddenly came to life.

"I'm Yunier!"

She suddenly raised her head, looking at Herbert with full energy, and said loudly: "Big Brother, are you the boss around here?"

"Hm?"

Herbert was startled by this sudden ambush and instinctively stepped back half a pace.

Big Brother?

What the… no Big Brother!

If Herbert had only been slightly startled by her sudden burst of energy and lost his composure a little,

then what Joanna felt at this moment was pure fright.

"Hm!?"

She widened her eyes, staring at the radiant, innocent girl in disbelief.

??????

Big Brother!?

What on earth are you saying!?

Although she knew that "God's Favored Yunier" was only fifteen years old, so such an address and innocent demeanor posed no problem at all.

But…

But still!

My beloved Goddess!

Embodiment of Winter!

You…

Do you really not have any sense of dignity at all!?

As the only person present who vaguely guessed Yunier's true identity, Joanna bit hard on her lip, her expression looking somewhat twisted.

Her toes dug into the ground so hard she was on the verge of digging out a foundation big enough for ten people to live in.

At this moment, Joanna deeply regretted everything.

She would rather have known nothing at all.

Why did she have to ask about Yunier's identity back then? Why did she have to overthink? Why did she have to analyze Her identity together with Leila?

Why!?

What's the use of having such a good imagination!?

She really wanted to scream and then go mad without a care in the world.

But she couldn't.

She could only keep gritting her teeth, watching that lord perform with such an innocent, artless attitude.

The half-elf priestess suffered alone, nearly bursting from holding it all in.

On the other side, the mature young lord and the innocent young priestess chatted merrily.

Herbert shook his head, helplessly saying, "Young Lady Yuniel, don't call me Big Brother—you can call me Herbert."

"Oh, okay."

Yuniel didn't argue; she nodded obediently and asked further, "So, Big Brother is the strongest person here?"

"Don't call me Big Brother..."

Herbert's cheek twitched; he wanted to retort but didn't know where to begin. After hesitating, he let out a weak sigh.

Whatever.

Let her call him that if she wants.

"I'm not the strongest here—many people are stronger than I am."

He smiled, utterly unashamed, and said casually, "For example, Sophya—her strength surpasses mine."

Sophya:!?

"My Lord!? I, I I..."

The centaur lady was startled, flailing her arms wildly, trying awkwardly to explain.

But under Herbert's smiling gaze, she fell silent, raised her hand to cover her blushing cheeks, her horse tail swishing behind her.

Swish—swish—

"Sophya isn't just higher in realm than I am—her combat skills far exceed mine. She's someone I deeply admire."

"Besides, there's Fu Leimei."

As he spoke, Herbert turned slightly, presenting Fu Leimei to the group.

Meanwhile, the mermaid lady, though somewhat shy, behaved far better than the embarrassing centaur.

She remained calm, gave a slight nod to the group, and offered a simple gesture.

Where no one could see, her fingers kept poking Herbert's back, urging him to end this awkward display.

Poke—poke—poke-poke-poke-poke!

You!

Turn around right now!

"Her magic is astonishing. Thanks to her, this place has become so beautiful."

Herbert ignored Fu Leimei's small gestures, proudly displaying her for a long while before turning back with a beaming smile.

Yuniel blinked, puzzled yet curious, asking, "Then, Big Brother, why are you the lord?"

"Hmm, that's a good question. I'm neither strong nor clever."

Herbert pretended to think seriously, then winked and smiled, "The reason... might be that they're willing to believe in me."

"Believe?" The girl tilted her head, confused.

What kind of reason is that?

"Yes—believe! I carry their trust. They believe I can do better than they can."

Herbert chuckled, gently patted the top of the "Ten Thousand Whys" girl's head, and whispered, "And I will never betray them."

"I will become the finest lord, and build a home of our own."

"Now, they protect me."

"In the future, I will protect them."

The boy's pale gray eyes lowered, quietly watching the naive girl as he spoke the coldest words in the gentlest tone.

"I will uproot every threat to our peace, destroy every conspiracy that seeks to hinder us, and crush every enemy standing in our way."

"All of them."

After Herbert finished these weighty words, the atmosphere around them slowly shifted.

Not only did the overimaginative Joanna sense something was off—even the other young priestesses sensed something strange.

What's going on?

Why did it suddenly become so serious?

But before they could ponder further, Herbert—who had been serious just a moment ago—broke into a brilliant smile.

He winked at Yuniel and laughed, "How's that? Do you feel safer now? Do you think I'm a lord worth trusting?"

The girl blinked and said bluntly, "Big Brother, I think you're just talking big."

"Hahaha! You're right! Right now, these are just big words."

Herbert laughed heartily, ruffling her hair, and said, "But in the future, it'll be different."

After speaking, he released Yuniel and nodded to the others.

"Alright, you all get back to work. If you need any help, ask Sophya."

"By the way, that man over there—after you're settled, check his injuries and treat him."

"As for the rest of the details, arrange them yourselves."

After settling these minor matters, Herbert ended the small talk and turned away without hesitation.

Once Herbert turned his back on the others, his expression was no longer as carefree as before.

Nie Nasha had already noticed his unease; now she finally had a chance to ask: 【"What's wrong? Did you notice something?"】

"Hmm..."

He furrowed his brows slightly, his expression odd, his eyes filled with thought.

"That girl, Yuniel... something about her feels strange."

【"Strange?"】

Nie Nasha recalled, also uncertain: 【"I didn't notice anything unusual. Did you find something?"】

"No, there's no solid evidence, but there's just this vague unease… maybe I'm just too nervous."

Herbert recalled all the previous moments and felt the other's reaction carried a subtle oddness.

Was she too naive and sweet?

"Forget it. Even if the Snow Goddess has some tricks, they won't matter once we enter the Mist Mountains—she won't control us there."

Herbert didn't dwell on it, thinking it was just some little kitten's backup plan—so he had no intention of probing further.

A warning was enough; anything more would be excessive.

【"Then what are you planning to do next? Keep exploring the outer edges? Or try to recover the Spirit Pool?"】

"As for what's next… no rush. Since the priests have arrived, we might as well head back for a while."

Herbert exhaled softly and remarked:

"I've been out this long—if I don't go back, I'm afraid the Inquisitor General will send people into the mountains to find me."

Besides, I need to check on Young Lady Hungry Dragon's condition.

Don't let the child go hungry.

…

After Herbert left, the priest团 began their respective actions, working together to set up temporary shelters.

While everyone else worked with boundless energy, two individuals remained apart from the group.

One was the anxious leader Joanna, who carefully observed Unir's reactions.

The Winter Goddess had just been so blatantly threatened—surely she must be furious now?

The other, meanwhile, kept blinking rapidly, a faint, enigmatic smile lingering on her lips.

"She noticed me."

"And even threatened me?"

"This… hehe!"

Unir's face still wore a cheerful smile, but inside, she was profoundly—excited.

"This child is simply too fascinating!!!"

Some goddesses with peculiar tastes eagerly sniffed the air, feeling utterly invigorated!

"Sss, ha! Hehehe…"

(End of Chapter)