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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: A Glimmer of Hope
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“I want to die.”
That was the first thing Jeremy said upon regaining consciousness.
“Th-this… this monstrous abomination… Ugh…”
He looked down at his chest, then rolled his eyes back and fainted again.
Another ten minutes passed in front of the Labyrinth, with nothing happening, before Jeremy finally came to again.
“Wh-why am I not waking up from this dream? Right. This is a dream. A ridiculous nightmare. It can’t be explained if it’s a dream. There’s no way I could have become a woman…”
What would it feel like for a man to turn into a woman? I didn’t know. Frankly, I didn’t particularly want to know. It was obviously going to be utterly horrifying.
Still, we couldn’t waste time like this. I approached Jeremy.
“Jeremy. Pull yourself together.”
“N-no, Big Brother… This is impossible. I still have Anya. Anya likes me as a man, not as a woman. Anya is straight, not a lesbian. Anya is…”
“Anya is dead.”
“…Ah.”
Jeremy’s face turned ashen. He was slowly beginning to confront reality.
But I still remembered what Jeremy had said.
This would be his hope.
“And you said you’d bring the dead Anya back to life.”
“……!”
“You vowed to grow stronger and obtain the miracle of resurrection, which exists somewhere deep within the Labyrinth, didn’t you?”
“Th-that’s right.”
Jeremy slowly nodded. But his face was still rigid.
“But. If, if I grow strong, obtain the miracle, and revive Anya… even if the resurrected Anya won’t look at me, it would be meaningless…”
“Meaningless? By the time Anya is resurrected, you’ll be strong enough. At that point, would you not have enough money to remove a single Blessing?”
“Ah!”
That was right. Blessings and Curses could be removed. At the temple, no less.
The only problem was that the cost skyrocketed with each removal.
Just realizing that Blessings and Curses could be selectively removed instantly changed Jeremy’s complexion.
“F-first, I’ll get strong and resurrect Anya! Then I’ll remove the Blessing and turn back into a man!”
I nodded in response to Jeremy’s visibly excited words, as he found a new hope.
“Th-then I can be with Anya again!”
“Exactly. You’ve got a long way to go. Is this really the time for you to be despairing here?”
“No, it’s not!”
As if to make a mockery of his despair just moments before, Jeremy immediately regained his composure and stood up.
“To exterminate the Goblins, save Anya, and turn back into a man… the road ahead is too long…”
Jeremy closed his eyes tightly, repeating his goals to himself, then turned around, faced me, and bowed his head deeply.
“Thank you, Big Brother! You’ve really helped me snap out of it.”
“Good. That’s all that matters.”
It felt incredibly awkward to have a guy who was a man just moments ago, now a woman, bowing his head and calling me ‘Big Brother’. So I just nodded.
“*Cough*, how can a man’s goal be to turn back into a man… *Pfft*…”
I gave Densi, who had quietly burst into laughter behind me, a sharp rap on the head.
“Unh…”
Her reaction was so bizarre that even hitting her felt off.
“Wh-why did you hit me all of a sudden?”
“You don’t understand a man’s heart, you wicked woman.”
“Ah. Well, I suppose I understand. A man who was at the top of the dating pyramid, with women flocking to him just by existing, has plummeted to the bottom.”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
A man turns into a woman, and the first thing she thinks about is the dating market? Is that really what a normal human would think?
Where did the pride, the dignity of being a man, get thrown away?
‘If it were me, I’d just hold my breath and kill myself the moment I turned into a woman.’
Experience efficiency increase or whatever, none of that would matter. I’d probably just lose the will to live.
At the same time, I suddenly became aware of the danger of Blessings and Curses, which I had only vaguely sensed before.
‘One wrong one and you’re screwed.’
Thinking about it that way, even though his symbol of masculinity had vanished, replaced by a hole, and breasts had sprouted on his pectoral muscles, Jeremy still managed to regain his sanity by thinking of his girlfriend. It suddenly struck me how truly remarkable Jeremy was.
“Alright, let’s go! This isn’t the time for this. Let’s quickly return to the Labyrinth—”
“Where are you going, you crazy bastard? Not there!”
I stopped Jeremy, who, blinded by his desire to grow stronger, was about to enter the Labyrinth again.
I immediately revoked my previous thought. This guy was still not in his right mind.
“Excuse me, may I ask a question?”
After all that commotion in front of the Labyrinth portal, a man in a priest’s robe approached us.
‘Similar to the clothes Adolf wore?’
Adolf was a cleric. And in this Labyrinth City, there was only one organization that wore such attire.
“Greetings. I am Sorvel, an apprentice cleric of the Mother Goddess Faith.”
The Mother Goddess Faith. The big shots of the temple district located in the southern part of the Labyrinth City.
“M-man… *Sob*, I, I’m a man… I, I’m a maaaaaan…!”
“Um? Oh, yes…”
Sorvel’s face turned pale as he faced the woman who was weeping and crying out “Man, man,” a sight that made you want to distance yourself and pretend not to notice.
He began to slowly back away, making his initial approach seem pointless.
“My name is Balkan. Nice to meet you, Mr. Sorvel.”
“Ah, yes…! Nice to meet you, Mr. Balkan.”
As I grabbed Jeremy by the hair and stepped forward, Sorvel, seeing another man, looked a little relieved.
“What brings you here?”
“Ah, yes. Well, I observed from a distance that you seem to have received a Curse this time. Is that correct?”
‘So it was a sales pitch.’
What reason would there be for this commotion right in front of the Labyrinth portal? There were only two possibilities.
Either they obtained a Blessing and cheered, or they obtained a Curse and despaired.
If they obtained a Blessing, they’d go to the temple to confirm its details. If they obtained a Curse, they’d go to the temple to remove it.
Either way, it led back to the temple. Sorvel must be tasked with guiding such individuals to the temple.
“Hmm… if this is a Curse, it’s truly horrific, but if it’s a Blessing, it’s quite efficient…”
“Yes…?”
“Well, a man did turn into a woman.”
“Hahahahaha!”
“……”
“…………Ah. *Ahem*. *Cough*. *Hmm*… Oh dear…”
For a moment, a hint of mockery and pity flickered across Sorvel’s face.
It seemed this guy, too, wasn’t worried about a man’s dignity but rather his plummet in the dating market.
“D-don’t look at me like that… Please…”
“Hmm… It’s alright… More importantly, *cough*, *ahem*, *pfft*… Hang in there…”
Even the cleric was at a loss for words, simply offering a vague, unhelpful encouragement. Jeremy, hearing this non-comfort, became even more despondent.
“Still, don’t worry too much! Our Faith, blessed by the Mother Goddess, exists precisely to resolve such absurd and utterly horrific calamities!”
Perhaps it was his strong salesmanship, but Sorvel’s expression instantly shifted to that of a professional.
“Are you aware that the Adventurers’ Guild and the Mother Goddess Faith recently partnered to offer free Blessing identification for explorers?”
“Ah. Yes. I’m aware.”
I had occasionally heard about it when serving at Diana’s tavern.
— That stingy temple, either they’ve gone senile or completely mad. They’re offering free identification for Blessings and Curses now?!
— Oh, I heard that too. They even pay you to appraise Blessings and Curses that are unusual or newly discovered!
“As far as I know, a horrible and heinous Curse… *cough*, I mean, Blessing, that turns a man into a woman has never existed before. You’re quite lucky! If you come to the temple and have the Blessing details confirmed, we’ll even pay you 5 silver coins. And, of course, your other party members too!”
Sorvel said this, staring intently at us.
Jeremy was already listening closely, and Densi’s face showed curiosity.
Meanwhile, I was…
‘…This feels really off.’
I was feeling an immense sense of unease.
‘This is like selling your personal information for gift certificates or something…’
Of course, the temple could be considered the most trustworthy organization in the Labyrinth City.
Driven by their faith alone, they occasionally cared for the vulnerable on the streets, acting as one of the Labyrinth City’s living consciences.
But the groups that were tagging along with the temple bothered me a bit.
‘Adventurers’ Guild…’
Belluna’s face flashed in my mind, then dispersed. The weight of that head in my backpack suddenly felt incredibly heavy.
‘This is driving me crazy. My paranoia is getting too severe.’
I couldn’t properly trust anyone. I felt like I was losing my mind. Am I overthinking this? Who should I accept, and who should I keep away from?
Let’s try to think as simply as possible.
Do I need money right now? No.
Five silver coins was a significant amount, but I wasn’t in urgent need of money.
I did have lodging and meal expenses to repay Diana, but I could easily pay them back by continuing to work at the tavern and exploring the Labyrinth. I hadn’t even settled the things I’d obtained from the Labyrinth this time.
So, is there a reason to go to the temple? Yes.
I felt the weight of the staff and the cross necklace in my backpack.
Regardless, I had to inform the temple of Adolf’s death, as he belonged to them. That was the least a decent person could do.
Ultimately, I had to accompany them to the temple.
Then, do I, with my Status Window, really need to have my Blessings and Curses appraised?
In my personal opinion, yes.
[◆ Blessing of ???]
– ???
– Health +10, Strength +10, Agility +10
This unknown Blessing had been with me ever since I gained the ability to see the Status Window.
While I was enjoying the effects of the Blessing, I didn’t know its name, or exactly when, where, or how I obtained it.
Did I receive it when I first transmigrated to this world, or when the Status Window synchronized, or if not, what exactly was the nature of this Blessing?
‘If the temple, which has been in the business of Blessings and Curses for hundreds of years, appraises it, perhaps they can uncover the true nature of this Blessing?’
It was a plausible thought. Worth a try.
After contemplating, I opened my eyes to see Densi and Jeremy looking at me. Somehow, I had become the decision-maker among the three of us.
“What the hell, let’s just go for it.”
Sorvel smiled broadly.
***
“May the Mother Goddess bestow her immense Blessing upon this world, and may the Labyrinth soon be bathed in light…”
“Don’t you get bored spouting that nonsense?”
The nun, who had been quietly reciting a divine message, slowly opened her eyes.
A sacrilegious demon, clad entirely in black, stood before her.
“What’s the point of reciting divine messages word for word? When have they ever come true as spoken?”
“That is because we have not properly understood the will of the Mother Goddess. Her divine messages have always been correct. It was always us who were mistaken.”
“Anyone can say that. If you interpret it with every possible intention, even a passing dog’s bark could be a prophecy.”
“Why have you suddenly come here? To pick a fight?”
“No, not really.”
The demon pulled something from her pocket and tossed it in front of the nun.
The nun quietly manipulated the air with her wand, catching what the demon had thrown.
“A cross necklace?”
“Indeed. It’s the holy artifact you’ve been searching for, the one that finds the ‘suitable person’.”
“……!”
The nun quietly gasped.
“You must have gone to great lengths to bring it. Why are you giving away this precious holy artifact so freely? What is your objective?”
“Objective, you say…”
Just as the demon pondered for a moment.
*Knock! Knock!*
“Seraph Adeline. I have found a group that received a terrible and unusual Curse… no, Blessing.”
The apprentice cleric outside delivered the message.
“Oh dear. Unfortunately, our meeting ends here. My sister.”
“……”
“Make good use of it. I don’t know if there will be a suitable person among those who come to this cramped temple. Oh. When a suitable person approaches, the necklace will tremble wildly and let you know. Violently, like a magic dildo. *Pfft*.”
The demon, chuckling as she mocked Seraph, was already gone by the time a sliver of light from the window bars illuminated the room.
“Hoo.”
Seraph, who had let out a sigh for no particular reason, gazed at the necklace with a distasteful expression for a long time, then finally, carefully put it on.
The cross nestled itself in the center of her cleavage, as if finding its rightful place.
Regardless of the demon’s intentions, this was a holy artifact she had sought after, even venturing into the Labyrinth.
She wanted to test it out.
*Knock! Knock!*
“Seraph Adeline?”
Seraph clasped her hands together and offered a faint smile to greet her visitor. Creating such an artificial smile was now effortless.
“Yes. I’m ready. Please come in.”
With her permission, the heavy door vibrated open. As light streamed through the gap in the door, three figures entered.
A woman with a prickly demeanor, a woman with a face that looked like she was dying of injustice, and…
“Oh?”
“You are…”
VRRRRRR!
“Ugh…?!”
The holy artifact she had just put on vibrated wildly, stimulating Seraph’s chest.
Seraph looked in the direction the necklace was pointing, her face filled with surprise.
A towering height of what must have been two meters. So massive and solid that even wearing a large, crude greathelm didn’t look out of place on him—the body of a warrior, as if a fantasy that only existed in dreams had been brought directly into reality.
As a woman dedicated to the holy orders, it was certainly not a sight she was accustomed to, yet it was a body she had seen only once in her life.
‘A month ago, when I descended into the Labyrinth…!’
“It seems we meet again here, Cat Beastkin.”
As the man bowed his head and offered a greeting.
VRRRRRRR!
“Hmph?!”
“……”
With every movement he made, the necklace vibrated wildly.
As if he were the person she had been searching for all this time.
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