The Goddess Is Obsessed With Me

"Don't do this..."

It felt as if a ferocious beast was dripping saliva, baring its growling fangs right in front of my nose.

"No, if you want to embark on such an adventure, at least leave me some proof."

A coarse breath traveled through the void, touching my skin, and in my mind, it overlaid a situation where I was genuinely being driven into a corner by a wild creature.

Knowing vaguely the meaning behind her asking for proof, if I can't resolve this situation now, my unbreakable pride will surely break...

"Please calm down... this isn’t right..."

I tried to plead with the reason that might still exist in Erina, but all that returned was a captivating kiss.

"No, this is right. If we leave you here, my fate will undoubtedly flow in an unfavorable direction... I will be bound to the family as a noble and will have to send you away forever."

Her soft, warm lips stole mine, and only after my breath was forcefully taken by the hot heat could I finally inhale some fresh air.

"So, I have to bind myself to you quickly. If there's a life I'm responsible for, I can surely hold on!"

The things I was wearing were now so tattered that it was shameful to even call them clothes, and now it was a situation where I was on the verge of being taken by her, who was truly rampaging.

"So, give up now."

Like a lantern before the wind, I could offer no resistance to her, and persistently surrendering, negative thoughts dominated my mind.

"Ah..."

"Yeah, relax. If you loosen up, Harold will feel pretty good too."

Contrary to my will, my body had already realized that resisting was futile, and as I was gradually losing strength, I just closed my eyes, trying to accept everything when...

"Harold?! Good morning! I proposed something to mother last night, and there's good news-"

Thanks to the savior who appeared like a comet, I narrowly regained hope.

Seeing our spectacle, he scratched his head in shock - if it were usual, I would find it charming, but given the situation, his appearance in such a desperate moment almost seemed to cause the illusion of a flash bursting from behind him.

"Ah... um... Did I interrupt at a good time?"

Elbert, who appeared suddenly, stammered and cautiously asked, trying to close the door again, but I didn’t want to lose what might be the last opportunity.

"No, please tell me what the news is!!"

At my words, he re-opened the door, trying his best not to look this way, struggling with what to say first.

"Haah... You've been clueless since forever..."

From Erina's perspective, his appearance might have been more irritating; she forcefully quenched her anger, exhaling a deep sigh.

Fortunately, perhaps her mood cooled, Erina, who had me bound, covered my skin with a blanket and got out of bed.

"So, what's that good news, tell me quickly, will you?"

Whether she wanted to actively show that she was very uncomfortable now, or she couldn't control her emotions, she urged Elbert to reply with a somewhat sharp voice.

"Um... well..."

But even so, seeing Elbert continue to hesitate, perhaps she reached the limit of her patience, she shot a glare at him.

"Oh.. Oh!! That’s right!!"

He snapped his fingers in a somewhat pretentious manner, as if he was finally going to speak now.

"I proposed it again to mother while having another face-to-face conversation last night."

Then he utters a very welcome sound.

"Since it seems like the original purpose of keeping Erina in the mansion has been achieved, there shouldn’t be a problem."

I was immensely grateful to Elbert, who was speaking only what was very necessary to me as if it was a staged play.

When I first talked to her mother, I included content that aimed for adventure, and it seems that Elbert heard it and proposed it through his mother.

"But still, I can't just entrust something where you could die at any moment, so after sharing several opinions, we came up with one proposal."

Confidently raising three fingers, he shouts to us.

"It's to test you two! We will set three trials within reasonable limits, and if you solve them well, we will permit not only your engagement but also your adventure!"

I felt even too overwhelmed, as I was directly breaking through the development in the game that I had wanted so much. "Did you hear that, Erina? If things go as I said, we can return to our old daily life."

"Tch..."

She seemed quite disappointed upon hearing my words but clicked her tongue lightly, as if unable to refute, emitting a regretful vibe.

"So, when you're ready... come to our mother’s room. Each time, I'll convey the prepared trial situations."

Then, her words abruptly cut off, silence prevailed, and the stillness absorbed Erina's mood, making the air heavy.

"Um... It seems like this is all I can say right now, and... um... the act itself isn’t bad, but it would be better to communicate better."

Elbert, sensing what action might be taken, sensibly shared some apt advice and exited the room.

As soon as Elbert leaves, the silence persists, but it doesn’t last too long.

"Ugh, really... why does he come and ruin the mood at such a time?!"

As he fully departs, Erina’s emotions, which were held inside, explode. She screams into the void, her voice becoming hoarse.

"Whew... Harold?"

Then, as her gaze shifts back to me and the tension revives, she wipes her face with one hand and sighs.

"It was a good opportunity..."

It seemed she had abandoned the thought of overpowering me, so I give a slight smile of relief.

"We can return to adventuring through passing the trial, can't we...? Even if it’s about dealing with me, returning to our adventurous daily life would be better, right?"

I carefully circle around the words, unable to say outright that I would marry her.

"Just say you'll engage with me straightforwardly, won’t you? No... ugh... sigh, never mind..."

She looks at me with somewhat suspicious eyes but soon, having cooled down significantly from before, reluctantly nods.

"Ah... okay... I’m not particularly fond of it, but thinking far ahead, it’s not a good method if I force you here, so I’ll back off for now."

Fortunately, Erina agrees with me. I send her a cool smile and internally exhale a sigh of relief.

"But..."

Once again, a chilly vibe, like a cold wave, is emitted as she declares to me.

"Since mother has acknowledged it, there’s no reason for me to hold back anymore... I have my thoughts too, so if an opportunity arises next time, know that I will really have no mercy..."

Pointing at me with her index finger and speaking as if watching me, it was a bit eerie, but still, having barely overcome the crisis, I decided to be satisfied.

"Uh-huh!!"

I nod as hard as I can, letting out a sigh I’ve lost count of.

"Please consider my feelings too..."

I vaguely understood what she wanted to say but, having circumstances myself, I couldn’t respond outright.

Having somewhat sorted out the situation, I walked along the 2nd-floor corridor with Erina.

Given the mansion’s size fitting its stature, the corridor, which is endlessly sprawling whenever I look at it, was displayed.

The designs were also the same, so it was impossible to distinguish which room was which, and the employees, who diligently identified and worked on each and every one of the numerous rooms lined up in the corridor, were admirable.

"We’ve arrived. The tension always sneaks up on me whenever I open this door, though it's a little less since it’s the second time."

I don’t know if there’s a unique way of identifying rooms unique to Erina’s family, as to my eyes, she precisely points out a room among many seemingly identical doors.

Knock, knock, knock

The following knock sounds and a somewhat lighter voice compared to the first time was heard.

"Enter."

Permitting entry and cautiously opening the door, Erina conveys her business to her mother.

"Mother, I heard you will give an opportunity to continue adventuring."

However, regardless of this, seeing Erina, who has returned to her adventuring outfit, her mother expressed regret.

"I see, in the eyes of a mother, it’s more comfortable to see you in a dress than this outfit, but since I’ve said it, I must take responsibility."

Currently, Erina was in her outfit from when she adventured with me, wearing convenient iron armor, and her long, red hair was tied back into a ponytail again.

Having to overcome three trials, the dress was a luxury. So, she changed into her adventurer's outfit for a smoother journey.

"Yes, to get permission for both your relationship and adventures, you must overcome the three trials I've devised."

With that, she places three differently colored envelopes before her, resting her chin.

"The intensity of each is varied. While a trial might be so easy it’s almost wasteful of the name, and a mere whiff of a challenge, it might also be too much for just the two of you."

This dialogue, while not an exact match, is somewhat similar to what exists in the game.

As you could somewhat infer from the mother's words, each time this side story progressed, an element of 'luck' was needed.

That's because the trials weren't preset quests but a system where three quests were selected from an unspecified number of different quests for each character.

From something as simple as going out and picking up an acorn, to an extreme quest like subduing a dragon, the difficulty was somewhat random in nature.

Thus, users progressing through this story had to pray each time that they got a bit of an easier quest.

And that was precisely my current sentiment.

"Choose one that catches your eye."

Unable to predict at all what was contained in those letters, I had to pray that it was a quest I remembered or something of easy difficulty.

"I will choose this one for the first trial."

In the midst of radiating desperation, Erina boldly tears open an envelope that’s red like her hair.

"The trial..."

Unfolding the neatly folded paper and slowly moving her eyes down from the top, she soon reads all the content and smiles.

"What is this, mother? Really, the word trial is too good for this."

Reflecting my earnestness, I let out a deep sigh of relief at Erina’s smiling face, which seemed to suggest it was was an easy one.

The first trial seems to be a smooth journey -

"Go get blessings for your marriage from your respective goddesses. I’ll be back soon."

Eh...?

Oh.

This is a huge problem...

No, it’s a mega crisis...

""Even if you reside outside the kingdom, you stay too deep in the forest."

Pushing through the forest, she mutters to me, seemingly bored, increasingly hurrying her steps.

"Was it Eleona?" I had never personally heard of her before.

Currently, I was semi-forcibly being dragged towards the temple where Eleona was, by her.

The first trial was to each visit the god we worship, have our relationship acknowledged, and return.

In a typical case, it would be very easy because it's all within the kingdom, even if it's a bit annoying to walk around the villages where people live...

I guaranteed that this trial would be more arduous than any other trials we would face.

Worshipping my goddess was somewhat complicated but fine since the monsters appearing in the area were not threatening, but the problem was when I faced her directly.

"Is that it?"

At some point, Eleona’s temple came into view and Erina, happy, hastened her steps, but the more she did, the more my anxiety and tension amplified.

We really arrived... the place where my worshipped goddess was...

Just yesterday, due to unavoidable circumstances, I couldn't visit, so she was probably anxiously waiting for me.

So, when her believer finally shows up, accompanied by someone, and that person is a woman...

To Eleona, who reacts sensitively even hearing about other women, showing Erina directly would undoubtedly lead to a great catastrophe.

She who shudders with jealousy at just hearing about her, seeing her in person?

Moreover, to ask her to bless our engagement...

I shuddered at the mere imagination...

To the being who even enacted a law forbidding romance because of me, what future could there be speaking those words?

"Erina, wait a moment and listen to me."

Desperately, I restrained her just as she was about to open the temple door.

"Harold? What's the matter, you look so pale?"

Without knowing my circumstances, she, with an innocently ignorant face, formed a question mark above her head.

"I think it might be better if I go alone..."

If I go alone, there might be a way to sugar-coat things, there's a slight possibility, trying to find a breakthrough in this situation where no hope is visible. But,

"What are you talking about? The content of the trial was to face it 'together' and be blessed, wasn’t it?"

"No, still..."

"Wait a moment?!"

Without understanding my feelings, she forcefully pushes my hand away and continues. *Slide...!!*

Despite my plea, Erina coolly slides open the door to the temple.... The sound, more majestic and threatening than usual, drills into my ears, making my heart race. When the door opens, as always, the goddess I worship is sitting at the end of my view...

"Harold?! You didn’t come yesterday, but you finally show your face today? Come on in-"

"Hmm...?"

She, too, spots me immediately and calls out with a bright smile, but it cuts off midway.

As soon as she realizes Erina is by my side, her expression plummets into the abyss, and a painfully blatant emotion radiates even to where we are.

Erina, maintaining an unusual silence, steps into the temple, and with each step, the scowling face of Eleona becomes more vivid.

*Thud!*

Silence and silence intertwine, bringing about a heavy stillness; the only thing spreading through this expansive temple is the sound of mine and Erina’s footsteps. Standing in front of Eleona, Erina wears a faint smile, but it doesn’t feel genuine, as if she were a puppet without commands.

"Hmm? My faithful knight seems to have brought someone... who are you?"

Like two gunslingers from the Wild West facing off, the situation is silent and tense. Eleona is the first to break the silence with words.

But, disregarding Eleona’s words, Erina, still maintaining her smile, just stood there motionless.

"Did I not ask who you are? Are you deaf? Or are you so dim-witted you can’t understand even this?"

"Er... Erina... To the goddess..."

My eyes narrow at such brutally candid words, but strangely, Erina keeps her smile.

*Whoosh!*

Before I can sense it, something strange about her demeanor whispers in a tiny voice.

*Smack*

In the blink of an eye, my cheek is captured by someone, and...

"....?!!"

By the time I regain my senses, my lips are stolen by Erina.

"Pffft..."

Witnessing this, Eleona covers her gaping mouth, horrified, as if she’s seen something shockingly indescribable.

I am numb, stunned.

Seeing Erina, who lets out a refreshing sound as our lips part, I can’t seem to grasp what has just happened and become dumbfounded.

"Nice to meet you for the first time, goddess!"

Erina, finishing the brief kiss, blossoms into even a brighter smile than before, finally raising her voice.

Her voice is sweet as she speaks, but within, it carries a malice, taunting and provoking the other.

"My name is Erina, and..."

Holding me close, she declares a proclamation of war to Eleona.

"Please bless us! Harold and I are getting married!"