CH 124

After a while, Rita spoke to me with red eyes

“Miss Ariel. What can I do? For my mother.”

I succeeded in winning her empathy and cooperation.

I looked at Rita and opened my mouth.

“I need something to prove you’re Bellatrix’s daughter.”

Even if Draive summoned her again with necromancy, there was a high probability that Bellatrix wouldn’t recognize her, who was already a resident of Salerium.

I’ve heard that if souls have a specific color, all the dead in Salerium are grey.

“I… I have nothing like that.”

Rita lowered her head with a look of despair in her eyes.

She was handed over to Raid as an unborn soul and killed, there was no way she had anything of her.

I thought of the second plan.

“Then would you mind giving me some belongings you use often?”

Then Rita took off a clunky necklace she was wearing and handed it to me.

I clutched at it.

***

I opened my eyes. There was a bitter taste in my mouth. Like something fishy… Probably the taste of lithium holy stone.

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, sees you and breathes a sigh of relief.]

[The God of Art, Mond, looks at you for any injury.]

[The God of Love, Odyssey, sweeps his heart.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, whimpers and tries to rub his body against your leg.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, frowns and searches for his shoes.]

[The God of Death, Kairos, checks his name inscribed on his chair.]

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, hides his reddened eyes.]

I furrowed my eyebrows and tried to focus my blurry vision.

“Don’t overdo it.”

Soon, a low, soft sound came to my ears. I could see that Cass was by my side.

“I… It’s very cold.”

Chills broke out all over my body, perhaps because I had come back to life. Even when I was covered by the blanket, my lips trembled.

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, urges Cass to get into your bed.]

[The God of Love, Odyssey, agrees with Oman.]

His warm hand held my hand. And through his hand, a thick divine power came into my body.

Warm energy began to spread gradually from my hands to my body.

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, feels a little sorry.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, is disappointed.]

The Gods were eagerly seeking something else even in this situation.

‘Because they’re really the same.’

The bitter cold had subsided and I could feel my body warming up a bit.

“How much time has passed?”

“It’s been about twenty minutes.”

According to the books I’ve seen before and what Kairos said, originally, no living person could enter Salerium.

You have to go beyond the climax of death and step into death in order to enter Salerium. It’s a state that is clearly biased towards death rather than life.

At that level, even high-ranking priest-level divine powers won’t be able to revive me. It would be possible with my divine power, but I, who lost consciousness, couldn’t heal myself. So, the lithium stone played a big role.

Just when he felt like there was little chance of resuscitation of my heart, Cass guessed and fed me the lithium stone.

“Have you gotten anything?”

“Yes, maybe.”

I opened the All-Purpose pocket.

Before the Response, I asked Kairos for a blessing on the All-Purpose pocket, and thanks to that, I was able to use it in Salerium as well.

The versatile pocket with a small entrance could actually be used as an inventory to put things that fit in the pocket. There were few things of that size, so I used it mainly as a franc purse.

And as I expected, the All-Purpose pocket contained the necklace Rita gave me.

“Is that the thing of the dead?”

“Yes. To help Bellatrix recognize her real daughter.”

Bellatrix was still unable to come out of the great tragedy that Raid had designed. She won’t even know if she’s been fooled by him, or if she’s being fooled now.

[The God of Death, Kairos, sees the necklace and requests a meeting with the other Gods.]

[The other Gods respond to the meeting.]

“You really…”

I was looking at the necklace when I heard Cass’ voice.

As I raised my head, I met Cass’ gaze, who was looking at me with a complicated gaze.

“I don’t understand. What are you doing this for?”

I glanced at the golden chat window.

[Special Mission: Invite all existing Gods to your oracle. (7/8)]

[Special Reward: Great Wish]

So far, I have performed various missions that come to my mind. But this time, it wasn’t just because I thought I had to carry out the mission.

I wanted to help Bellatrix. The God of Lies who was once betrayed by humans, betrayed by a God, and now being tricked by Camilla.

I thought ‘what am I’, but I was convinced that helping her would be worth the risk.

“World peace?”

I looked at Cass and smiled lightly.

“It’s something like that.”

Cass, who looked at me for a long time at my words, let out a small sigh.

“I thought I wanted to give you the lithium stone as soon as you closed your eyes. This is the first time I realized how impatient I am.”

My heart jumped a little at those words.

‘You worried about me a lot. Cass.’

I looked at him and opened my mouth.

“However… Do you remember what I said earlier?”

I deliberately sounded a bit angry. Suddenly, Cass’ dark eyes seemed to move slightly.

“You kissed someone else’s forehead on your own, so shouldn’t the Marquis pay the price too?”

And before he could answer, I reached out and grabbed his ear.

My heart was beating fast.

I quickly leaned over and put my lips on his cheek. His cold, soft skin touched my lips.

Smack. When I kissed him and parted my lips, I saw his eyes quivering.

To be honest, it was a bit of an impulsive kiss. I’m grateful that he helped me, and I felt good about the goodnight kiss I received on the forehead. And I wanted to express my apologies to him for worrying about me.

‘Did I do it for nothing?’

Looking at Cass’ face, who had been standing still for a while because he had stiffened a bit, I felt a bit of regret.

It’s kind of a cold expression.

‘He’s not angry because I suddenly kissed him, is he?’

After a long silence, I turned my gaze to the other side.

‘Should I apologize…?’

And at that moment, his hand rested on my shoulder.

“Isn’t that too weak for a reward?”

I looked at Cass again.

His eyes were dark and looking at me.

My shoulders shuddered at the dangerous eyes that were different from before.

A faint smile crossed his lips as I nervously felt that I had to escape somehow.

“Thank you for coming back.”

‘Yeah, was that what he meant?’

It was a time when the tension was slightly relaxed in the changed atmosphere. His red lips came close to me. And those lips overlapped mine.

I froze in amazement as his lips cupped mine softly.

He smelled cool. Even in his exhaled breath.

Embarrassed, I struggled a little, but I didn’t feel the need to get rid of him. So I grabbed his wrist, which was holding my shoulder.

He pulled his upper body closer to me.

‘Is this what a kiss was?’

I, who had never been in a relationship, couldn’t have kissed.

A kiss that makes the nerves of the whole body stand up like this, shakes my mind as if my head is empty.

“…”

He quickly wrapped his arms around my neck.

His lips came over me, thicker, and we shared a quick breath.

My heart was beating fast.

[The meeting of the Gods has ended.]

[The Gods who discovered you belatedly turned over in surprise.]

[The desk in the meeting room is overturned.]

[The furniture in the meeting room flies around and becomes a mess.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, calls Van and Ren to ask for rewind, but is rejected.]

[The God of Love, Odyssey, tries a three-tiered tumbling.]

[The God of Art, Mond, collapses with foam on his mouth.]

[The God of Destruction, sharpens his teeth while making Hessed’s toes a mop.]

After a while, his lips fell off.

“…”

I let out a heavy breath.

Cass’ eyes, slightly wet, were on me.

“Ariel.”

He called my name in a low voice.

Crazy. Why are you so good at kissing and why is your voice so sexy?

I looked away as I felt like my face would explode if I looked at him any longer.

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, puts his hands together and prays for a hot night.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, fails to find the target of prayer.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, prays for himself.]

“Now… Let’s stop.”

‘I think it’s going to get really weird at this rate.’

Cass, who held out his hand at my words, hesitated and dropped his hand.

“I’ll be going in now.”

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, declares that he will never trust the God of Benevolence, Oman.]

My lips were burning, and the feeling of his touch still lingered like an afterimage.