The Goddess Is Obsessed With Me

"I love you..."

My voice, laced with caution, reverberates through the expansive, life-drained relic.

Decomposing demons, including Marlua, fill the air with a stomach-churning stench as they decay at an alarming rate.

"I love you, Harold... I need nothing more than to be with you..."

Her whisper, icy yet brimming with affection, gently torments my ears.

"Erina, please... I need a moment to think..."

My plea for understanding was genuine as I tried to share my feelings with her, but...

"Do you... hate me?"

Suddenly, she clings to me, her eyes welling with melancholy tears, leaving me lost for words.

My consciousness, already blurring under Marlua's influence, grows dim.

The dreadful odor from the rotting demon corpses amplifies my nausea, amid the chaos engulfing my thoughts. I long to escape outdoors for a breath of fresh air, but Erina, suddenly fervent, allows me no peace, persistently pressuring me.

"You do hate me... I'm always such a burden to you..."

She reflects genuinely on her actions, not intending to emotionally weigh me down, but sincerely voicing her self-loathing and regret.

Erina's behavior, though not malevolent, edges me closer to breaking.

True insanity is driven not by malicious actions, but by pure, unintentional harm.

Consider this: If someone acts maliciously with intent, you can counter and reason with them. However, when a disaster stems from a pure heart, devoid of malice, it leaves one speechless.

For example, parents will assuredly scold a child causing mischief and breaking things.

But if a child, in an earnest attempt to treat their hardworking parents, accidentally wreaks havoc in the kitchen, can the parents truly scold them with a clear conscience?

Unlikely.

If a child acts spitefully, that’s one thing. But if their actions, despite resulting in a mess, were meant to convey the deepest gratitude and respect, a mother would likely restrain her anger.

A child, recognizing their mistake, might weep and apologize sincerely. No parent could stay impassive in such a scenario.

If a naive child, innocent to the ways of the world, makes a misstep in trying to honor their parents, they might receive praise for their bravery instead of reprimand.

My predicament felt akin to this.

Erina professed she would do anything for me, seeking only my company in return.

Despite feeling oppressed by her intense demeanor, witnessing her descend into self-loathing made me question if she perceived herself as a burden to me.

Wouldn’t a simple nod have sufficed? Why so much dialogue?

Yet, the dark aura emanating from her prevented me from easily accepting her.

Her once vivid, ruby-red eyes had dimmed, and her voice, shaky with emotion, caused me to pull away from Erina.

"It's not that, just... calm down. I need you too."

I scrambled for words, trying to be accommodating, but it wasn't suitable for the situation.

"So, you're accepting me?! We'll be together forever, right?!! I'm so happy...!! Because Harold, you're all I need..."

However, each time I hinted at agreement, she would misconstrue it, intensifying my headache.

"No... not entirely..."

But to deny even a fragment of what Erina expressed...

"Ugh... So, it's not that much, right? Right? Because I've always been a burden to you, haven’t I? Honestly, you probably don’t care for me that much..."

Perhaps due to my clouded mind or murky emotions, she begins to weep bitterly, altering the atmosphere entirely. "To that extent..."

"So, you'll accept me?"

"...Why won't you answer? Am I not enough for you?"

My silence only complicates the situation further, pushing me to the brink of madness.

Erina's pressure is not merely verbal; it surpasses even what I felt from Marlua.

"Ugh... What the hell?!"

Her patience expended, Erina unsheathes her colossal sword in a fury, embedding it into the ground beside me, just barely sparing my head.

_Ching!_

The crisp ring of metal friction instinctively tells me that unless I respond soon, something irrevocable might occur.

"Answer me, now!"

"Ugh..."

As moments slip away, Erina's pressure escalates, and the fear I had stifled surges forward. At the end of my rope, I utter irrevocable words.

"Okay!! I'll be with Erina!!"

Having completed the dungeon exploration quest, our party barely makes it back to the main road. Once we reach the guild, it's apparent that everyone is in dreadful condition.

The once-confident gleam, reflective of determination and readiness for adversity, has vanished from their eyes. Every member appears as though they've toiled without rest for days on end. Clearly, not only our party but everyone has endured a trying time.

The overall ambiance signals a collective wish to simply crumble in exhaustion post-dungeon.

All but one person...

"Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~ ♪"

Erina, on the other hand, radiates sheer delight.

"Hehehe... Harold likes me..."

She has been murmuring this since earlier, clutching my arm like a pillow and refusing to release it.

Given the stark atmosphere contrast, we inevitably draw attention. However, she either doesn’t mind or remains blissfully unaware.

"Erina... We're drawing a lot of looks. Can you dial it down a bit...?"

Despite my sincere plea, she responds with a jubilant head shake.

"Hmm~ No~ Lovers naturally act this way, right? I don't mind."

But I do mind...

I never confirmed that we were lovers...

If I mention that now, the mood will undoubtedly shift again, won’t it?

Sigh...

Inwardly, I release a weary sigh. Despite all the cues, Erina displays no inkling of comprehension.

Why did I acquiesce to Erina in the dungeon? Surely, there was a better way... But the tension was too palpable to think coherently...

Regretting my past decision, I also recognize that it wasn’t entirely imprudent, given the circumstances.

"Harold and Erina, your rewards for the submitted loot are ready. Please approach the counter."

We both rise and make our way to the counter.

There, two substantial money bundles await, hefty enough to pose a bit of a challenge for one person.

"It's a bit heavy..."

"Huh? Heavy? Not at all."

While I grapple slightly, Erina effortlessly hoists her bundle with one hand, swaying it up and down.

Though she’s grown stronger due to recent events, a new worry emerges.

Up until now, she regarded us as friends, but...

"What should we do with this money? Should we start looking for a house to live in together?"

In her mind, we're practically on the brink of matrimony.

Much like a runaway truck, I'm unable to halt Erina’s acceleration of our relationship.

"Erina... I'm not denying our relationship, but please, let's take time to think things through..."

"Huh? I thought I was moving slowly?"

Our mental frameworks are so divergent that even maintaining a constructive dialogue proves challenging.

"Hmm... Harold... What transpired during just a single quest..."

After settling, I make a brief stop at the temple of Abne. As per usual, I send Erina out of the room first, carving out a moment to converse privately with the Goddess Abne.

"I'm genuinely curious as well... We navigated through the crisis and even converted it into an opportunity... but our coordination seems drastically misaligned after I damaged my ego..."

She then places a hand on her forehead as if troubled, takes a deep breath, and regards me with a serious gaze.

"Listen... she has achieved the inner maturity you desired and her abilities have been successfully awakened. However, she is solely fixated on you... From what I can discern, the concepts and thoughts deeply embedded in her psyche have become warped. Handling this may prove difficult for you..."

"Yes... I understand that..."

"But, if we consider her growth alone, her awakening is flawless. Even in the brief moment I sensed her presence, she possessed immeasurable power... power potent enough to challenge divine beings."

Our future journey might be smooth, but it seems my relationships will likely become convoluted in return.

"You will encounter numerous challenges, but whether it's to your liking or not, you must endure. That is the harsh, yet hopeful reality of mortal life."

Goddess Abne's words offered a measure of comfort.

"Sigh..."

I then opened the door to reality. As usual, I traversed the lengthy corridor, anxiety stirring about the unfolding future.

"Erina?"

Exiting the temple, I called to Erina, expecting her to be waiting at the entrance as usual.

"Erina...?"

She was nowhere in sight.

"Where could she have gone...?"

I extended my search for her. Her distinctive red hair typically made her easy to spot, yet she was nowhere to be found.

"Uh...?"

A crowd, huddled in one spot and murmuring about something significant, caught my attention.

"Excuse me... May I pass through..."

Curiosity piqued, I edged through the gathering. At its center was Erina.

"Erina? What in the world-"

"Say that one more time... Is that truly your belief?"

I attempted to call out to her, but her voice, laced with bitterness, interrupted me. She appeared to be confronting someone. Although I was unaware of the events that transpired during my absence, the atmosphere was undeniably charged.

Without identifying Erina’s adversary, I sensed that if her newly acquired power were provoked, the situation could escalate disastrously.

"Excuse me, I apologize. She’s with me, so-"

Attempting to defuse the situation, I stepped forward to identify Erina’s opponent, but once more, my words were abruptly halted.

"Why should I lie? Isn’t it more plausible that a human like you is the one spouting nonsense?"

The entity opposing Erina was someone with whom I was all too familiar.

"You may not recognize me, but you won't appreciate what’s coming next."

Drawing her sword, Erina issued a threat to 'her'.

"Ha! You, against me? Now that’s amusing."

With a roar of laughter, 'she' honed her gaze and unsheathed her claws. The person with whom Erina was embroiled in a dispute was...

"Perceive my presence, and..."

The Black Dragon, whom I knew all too well.

"Tremble... before Miru, the Eater of Darkness."