This Wasn’t an Erotic Game?

Chapter 35 - Please Grant My Prayer

『 Translator – Divinity 』

"Iomene... how was our daughter?"

As soon as I left the detached palace, I was practically kidnapped and brought before the Emperor.

The Emperor and Empress were both looking at me with intense expressions.

What should I do?

I couldn't just tell them, "Your daughter has a ton of self-harm scars on her body. She's as skinny as a zombie," right in front of them, could I?

"It seems like it will take some time to extract the fragment of the Evil God and completely heal her mind. I'll need to visit the princess often from now on. I've already taken care of the basic treatment."

"I heard you entered... without wearing a protective suit. Were you not harmed by the curse?"

"That's not the case. You don't have to worry too much."

The Emperor and Empress seemed impressed by my nonchalant attitude.

"Goddess of Grace, thank you for sending us the Saint. Truly... thank you."

"I am not a saint, Your Majesty. I am just Amael, a human. You can just call me by my name."

As Grandpa Yodel advised, I intended to firmly assert this every chance I got.

I'm not a saint!!

I'm not!!

But of course, they didn't seem to believe me.

"I beg you. If you can heal my daughter, I will pay any price. So..."

"I will do everything in my power."

"Ah! Saint!..."

The Empress, unable to hold back any longer, burst into tears and collapsed before me.

I hurriedly tried to help her up, but the Emperor, who should have been assisting me, just stood there, shedding tears along with her.

Ah.

Whatever.

I'm going to be hit by a curse and return to Korea soon anyway, so let's just leave it for now.

Besides, they've suffered for so long.

They must have spent the past sixteen years wondering if it would have been better to just kill their daughter.

Couldn't I at least comfort them for a bit?

"Don't grieve. I am here."

The person who will receive your daughter's curse and have their soul destroyed is right here.

"Saint!!... Saint!"

I carefully helped the sobbing Empress up.

Yes.

I'm going to be hit by a curse and return to Korea soon anyway.

Until then, I'll play the role of a saint to my heart's content.

I accepted the Emperor and Empress's tears and left the palace.

── 𓆩♱𓆪 ──

I returned to the Magic Tower Temple.

Soon, I would be cursed and return to Korea.

I probably wouldn't be able to use the erotic game skills anymore once I returned to Korea.

Because it was a bleak world without skills or magic.

So, before leaving, I tried to care for as many sick people as possible.

Since I wouldn't be able to use the skills anyway...

It would be good to use them as much as possible before leaving.

Perhaps because of the clinic...

The number of critically ill patients I had to see wasn't that high.

After finishing the day's healings around evening...

I was thinking about getting a meal because I was hungry, when...

"Saint!"

Erpa came to find me.

She had been visiting the temple and meeting with me whenever she had time lately.

It felt like she had completely fallen for me after the kiss incident.

"I-I made you some food today. Would you like to try it?"

She handed me a lunchbox.

Oh.

A lunchbox made by a woman!

Not bad.

We ate together in my room at the temple.

She must have put a lot of effort into it, because the food was delicious.

"How is it? Is it good?"

She asked that question over a dozen times while we were eating, as if she was anxious.

Each time, I smiled and nodded.

Honestly, what did the taste matter?

It was more important that such a beautiful woman had made me food.

After the meal...

We chatted about trivial things.

How we spent our day.

What had happened.

I thought I wasn't good at talking to women, but with her actively leading the conversation, it flowed smoothly.

Thinking about it, it's frustrating.

To leave this place where there's a woman who treats me so warmly and return to Korea, where women won't even want to talk to me…

The thought of living as a single forever in that world filled me with a sense of dread.

But what choice did I have?

It was better than hell.

"It's getting quite late. You must be tired after caring for the sick all day... Please get some rest, Saint."

Erpa said, waving her two right hands like a child.

"Yes, you should also hurry and get some rest, Erpa. Good night."

Despite my reply, she didn't leave.

Her four hands fidgeted as if she wanted something.

Her face was red.

"Um... could you perhaps..."

"Yes?"

"Before I leave... could you kiss me?"

Even a solitary loser like me would have to be an idiot not to understand after all this.

This woman was in love with me.

And not just love, but passionate love.

If it weren't for the prophecy that the Goddess would personally punish me...

Perhaps I would have accepted her love.

If a beauty like her likes me, rejecting her would make me an impotent fool.

I wouldn't hate cuddling with such a beautiful woman.

I would actually love it.

But what would happen if I accepted her love?

Soon, I would be cursed and sent back to Korea.

Since my very soul would be crossing over to another dimension, she would probably be left alone.

Thinking about that, I couldn't accept her love.

But I couldn't stay here either, could I?

If I gave up on returning to Korea and chose to stay here, it might be good now, but what would happen later?

When the whole world learned about my deception and tried to kill me...

What would Erpa do?

She would probably fight the world for me.

She would throw away her position and honor and fight for me until she died.

Miserably and terribly.

That's how she would die.

Of course, she might not die.

She was a very powerful witch.

But then the world would be destroyed.

The form and motive might be different, but just like the prophecy of destruction I saw, she would end up destroying the world.

And in that burned-out world…

Just the two of us, alone...

Would that truly be a happy ending?

I clenched my fists.

I had to reject her.

Not for me, but for her.

I had to hurt her feelings.

It was the same situation as the Emperor and Empress, who had to torture their daughter to save her.

The moment I thought that...

I had to stop myself from pushing her away.

I had witnessed how miserable Princess Iomene was.

Even if it was ultimately for her own good, if the process was agonizingly painful...

What good would the result be?

I didn't want to make that choice.

I approached Erpa.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her.

I could hear Erpa's heart pounding.

I pulled away from her.

And I stroked her hair as she smiled radiantly.

"Could you promise me one thing?"

"Yes. Yes, Saint. Anything..."

Erpa replied in a dreamy voice. I smiled at her and said,

"Love yourself more than you love me."

"What?"

"I want you to live a long, healthy, and beautiful life. I shouldn't be your priority over yourself. Do you understand? No matter what happens to me, you have to live your own life."

That was the best I could do.

Erpa looked at me with confusion.

I smiled at her.

You'll understand in time.

"Alright. Whatever the Saint says..."

Erpa said cautiously.

"It's late. Please be careful on your way back."

At my words, Erpa smiled radiantly and then rushed towards me, showering me with kisses.

Her kisses, playful yet filled with deep affection, made me feel a little sad.

Damn it.

Once I return to Korea, I'll never experience this again.

Why do I have to leave when there's a woman who likes me this much?

That goddamn Goddess.

I didn't even want to impersonate a saint!

I made the Lilia Church incredibly wealthy!

I healed the sick for free, improved the living environment, created jobs, I did everything!!

Why do I have to go to hell?!

I want to have a harem in this other world too!

I even have the perfect skills for a harem, dammit.

Why...

Whatever.

Let's just focus on avoiding hell.

"I'll come again when I have time! Let's go on a date next time, Saint!"

I nodded at her excited voice.

Love yourself more than you love me.

I meant those words sincerely.

That's the only way you'll be able to endure after I'm gone.

Erpa left the room.

In the empty room...

I sighed deeply.

I would be returning to Korea soon, but I wasn't entirely happy about it.

── 𓆩♱𓆪 ──

Erpa returned to her research room, her face flushed, and slowly sank to the floor, burying her face in her four hands.

She had kissed him.

And not just that, she had very actively kissed him of her own volition.

It was the first time this had ever happened.

She never thought she would fall so deeply for a man.

She truly never imagined it.

But she was incredibly happy.

To think that being in love could be this joyful.

She was overjoyed that the Saint had accepted her love.

With no one to share her joy with, she sat on the floor, wriggling with happiness for a long time, then carefully took out a scroll from her pocket.

It was a scroll inscribed with a contraception spell.

She looked down at it, her heart pounding.

"I'm crazy, Erpa. Crazy!"

Naturally, she had no experience with men.

No, wait.

It wasn't just that she lacked experience; the hideousness of her left side had prevented her from even holding hands with anyone.

So she didn't have the courage to actively suggest sleeping together, like a more experienced woman might.

Her courage had been exhausted with the bold kiss she had initiated earlier.

But...

'Soon. Someday. Surely.'

She carefully folded the contraception scroll and put it in her pocket.

In a corner of her research room, there was a small statue of the Goddess of Grace and a Bible.

She approached it, placed her hand on the Bible, and carefully prayed to the Goddess.

"Goddess, it's me again. I'm praying again today. Thank you for sending the Saint, for making me happy every day. Every day feels like a miracle thanks to your grace."

She had already received so much.

Her life was back on track, her career was thriving, and it was no exaggeration to say that everything she wanted had come true.

But humans are greedy.

So she was going to ask for one more thing.

"I have one more request. Please, please grant it."

She clasped her four hands together and prayed earnestly.

"Please let the Saint love me as much as I love him. Please let him see me as a woman someday and embrace me. Please let him love me for the rest of my life. And above all..."

Erpa grinned.

"I hope we can stay together for a long, long time, never leaving each other's side. Please, Goddess. Grant my prayer."

She made the sign of the cross and stood up. For some reason, it felt like the statue of the Goddess of Grace was smiling more brightly at her today.

Erpa smiled back.

She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that the Goddess would grant her prayer.