The Goddess Is Obsessed With Me

The appearance of Miru raised many questions, each forming a hovering question mark above my head. We had never told her where we were, yet she accurately found us and made her way into the heart of the Robias estate, the most prestigious noble house in the kingdom. The fact that she was here was clearly problematic, and it was obvious why, even without going into a detailed explanation. But personally, beyond all that, what intrigued me the most was the process by which she arrived here. I was extremely curious about how she managed to intrude and how she successfully made her way in, as if I were witnessing a magic trick. Everyone knows that every magic trick has its own hidden trick. However, knowing that didn't reveal the mystery behind the magic. The unpredictability, the unrealistic outcome, and the unimaginable truth were what made magic so enchanting. Miru's presence felt the same. Her appearance felt like watching magic, the process was intriguing, but without the wonder of a magic trick, it was just perplexing.

Erina, perhaps feeling the same way as me, looked at her a bit incredulously.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I mean... I can be helpful, right?"

It seemed like Miru expected a better reaction from us, as her face turned slightly apprehensive. It appeared she wasn't aware of the specific reason for our surprise. What was her motive for joining us without even knowing what we were up to? Although the situation was full of questions, her visibly anxious face made me feel like we should reassure her for now.

"Wait a minute... Maybe we misunderstood the situation. Can you answer my questions first?"

Miru, right? The name was so similar to the dragon I knew that I couldn't forget it.

"Mi...ru...? How did you know where we were and how did you get past the security?"

Hoping for some clarity, I threw these pressing questions at her.

"Huh? I just saw you guys while passing by."

The answer from Miru was so simple and straightforward that it was almost anticlimactic. She replied with such innocent candor that it felt absurd.

"That's all there is to it...?"

Erina, too, sought the truth from Miru, but the answer remained unchanged.

"Yeah, I saw you and your sister entering this mansion yesterday, and I thought I'd come over today to see what's up."

The truth that Miru presented was so unexpected and simple that it was almost deflating.

"Really...? Was it just a coincidence?"

The continuous coincidences with Miru were baffling, and I couldn't easily shake off the lingering doubts. But if she insisted so, what choice did we have but to believe her?

"I wonder what ties us together that we keep bumping into each other like this..."

Erina sighed, seemingly resigned.

"Sigh..."

I, too, exhaled, trying to suppress the overwhelming feeling of bewilderment.

Meeting so frequently, without any plans, and purely by chance felt miraculous and puzzling.

Is it really a series of coincidences? It felt too contrived...

However, considering the circumstances, we had no choice but to accept it.

"So, brother, it looks like you're going somewhere. Can I come along?"

With our questioning over, she boldly emphasized her earlier request.

Is she aware of our destination and is that why she's so confident...? "Judging by your attire, you're going on an adventure, right? I'm strong, so I can be a great help!" Miru anticipated our questions, answering as if she could read my thoughts.

Caught off guard, I remained silent for a moment, and an odd silence enveloped the room. The last challenge left for us was to capture the heretics. Although the quest's development was somewhat predictable, and Erina's presence ensured that we had enough power even with just the two of us.

"Although we appreciate your intentions, the upcoming situation might be too dangerous for you, and we can handle it on our own—" I tried to politely decline Miru's offer, but she interrupted.

"Just trust me this once! I am strong, okay? I'll definitely be useful!" Her sudden passionate plea caught me off guard. She seemed so desperate, as if a condemned person was making a last plea for mercy, and I found it hard to outright decline her.

"Please..." She didn't have a reason to beg us this much, making the situation even more complicated. If I left her alone any longer, she might even start to tear up. I felt I had no choice but to make a decision.

"Fine, do as you wish and follow us. Erina, is that okay?" I asked, considering accepting her offer.

"Really?! Thank you, brother!" Miru's face lit up with joy, her reaction resembling a delighted child. Her innocent smile made me feel, oddly enough, like I could understand how a father might feel.

"Harold..." Erina looked at me with a mixed expression, seemingly puzzled by my decision.

"I get it, but isn't it risky to confront fanatics who lack basic ethics with someone as young as Miru?" Erina whispered, ensuring Miru couldn't hear. Given the setting, the heretics were ruthless. Whether it was their different way of thinking or their different personality altogether, they were merciless, even to innocent people, including children and the elderly.

"Look at her, she's so desperate... If we decline, she might stubbornly follow us anyway. It's better to willingly accept her so that she doesn't hinder us later on," I tried to persuade Erina.

"Sigh... Alright, if you say so, Harold. I'll go along with it." As always, Erina agreed to my stubbornness, and I expressed my gratitude.

"Thank you, Erina... always."

Hearing my words, Erina's face turned a shade of red, and she averted her gaze. It was an odd atmosphere, but not entirely uncomfortable.

"You have no reason to thank me... I should be the one thanking you for always being there," she replied, shyly hunching her shoulders. The sight was somewhat endearing, and I felt my heart rate increase slightly.

"Huh?!" Miru seemed taken aback by our exchange.

"Could this be the beginning of how Erina was born...?" She muttered something under her breath, too soft for us to hear.

"Miru, what did you say?" I asked, genuinely curious about her comment.

"Oh, it's nothing! Since I'm joining you, let's get going!" She quickly changed the subject, avoiding answering directly.

"Let's go, Harold and Erina! Let's face it together!" Miru's enthusiasm was clear, even though she didn't know our objective or destination. Whether it was typical behavior for her age or simply naive, it was certainly a sight to behold.

So, unexpectedly, Miru joined us for our third challenge. I wondered if this was the right decision. A twinge of regret surfaced, but it felt like it was too late to change anything now. Although the place appeared ordinary at first glance, it felt different to me. Although it was the time when the sun should be high in the sky, tall buildings blocked its rays, casting only cool shadows on this path. I waited, watching a specific spot. This crossroad, a bit wider than a typical alley and less frequented by pedestrians, evoked faint memories as I approached.

"Harold, are you sure they're here? I don't understand why we came to this place," Erina said. From her perspective, my choice was questionable. I had led us here solely based on intuition without any solid evidence.

"I heard rumors about this place. If we wait here, we'll surely catch them," I replied. I couldn't tell her that I had seen this scene in a game, so I quickly came up with a plausible reason to convince her while I continued observing a specific building. If my memory served me right, that building was where the heretics held their meetings.

Normally, one would have to go through many complicated processes to find this place. Thankfully, since I was familiar with the game's plot, I could skip all those steps.

"Brother! Look, suspicious people are entering that building!" Miru whispered to me. I turned to look at the building she was pointing to.

"Harold! They're really here! You were right!" Erina exclaimed as several individuals cloaked in violet robes entered the building in an orderly manner. They looked exactly like the heretics I remembered from the game.

"It seems so," I replied with a smirk, readying myself for battle. However, now wasn't the right time. We could storm the building and capture several heretics, but patience might yield a bigger catch.

Waiting longer might increase the battle's difficulty, but the rewards after completing the quest would also be much greater. Most players, familiar with this strategy, would choose to wait and seize the opportunity to gain more rewards.

"Shouldn't we go in now? It seems like we have enough people to complete our mission," Erina suggested. She was right; if we could capture everyone inside, we'd succeed.

But, unpredictability was the real challenge. A sudden attack on the heretics could lead to chaos, allowing some to escape. The more people we had to confront, the more we needed a clear plan.

"Let's wait a bit more," I told Erina, signaling her to stay put.

However...

"If we don't go now, Miru might rush in on her own," Erina warned.

What?

Before I could react, Miru shouted, "Brother! I'll handle this! Watch me!" and dashed into the heretic's building.

Caught off guard, I froze for a moment. Then, a loud explosion and a burst of red light coming from the building snapped me back to reality.

"Erina, let's go!" Without wasting any more time, Erina and I rushed into the building. I couldn't understand why Miru had acted so recklessly, especially after I had told her to wait. Or maybe, while I was lost in thought, she had started her reckless move. Either way, I was completely caught off-guard, finding it hard to grasp the reality of the sudden situation.

Bang!!

"Miru?!"

Breaking through the door that seemed ready to be engulfed in flames, I entered the building. Regardless of any plan, I was more concerned about Miru's impulsive charge and called out her name.

"Brother, I'm here!"

Thankfully, her voice responded. Turning my head, a fierce gust of wind blew, and in an instant, the fiery scene turned to ashes and silence.

"See? I took care of them all!"

Her voice was innocent, but the scene before me was horrifically gruesome.

"Miru?"

Fortunately, despite the hellish inferno, there were no casualties. Everyone was temporarily unconscious, and while some had burn marks, no one was critically injured.

"Did I do well?!"

As if it had always been this way, she naturally hugged me, reveling in our closeness.

"Harold? What's going on?"

I felt a cold stare and a chilling whisper from Erina. Wait... it's a misunderstanding! I don't see her that way! I tried to smile reassuringly at Erina, but her anger didn't seem to diminish.

"Hehe, Brother's warmth is so comforting..."

Miru's voice grew nostalgic, making Erina's glare even colder. In such a tense situation, Miru's words only added fuel to the fire.

"Praise me! I'm the best, right? So, pat my head as much as you like!"

Her demanding tone made me even more anxious.

"Hold on, Miru?! Can you step back a bit?"

Sensing an imminent threat from Erina, I tried to gently push Miru away, but...

"Why? I helped, didn't I? So, at least that much reward is due!"

She clung to me even more tightly.

"Harold... You're not thinking of something horrible, are you?"

Both Erina and Miru were hard to deal with. It would take a long time to persuade just one of them, let alone both, and time was of the essence. I felt like giving up.

However...

"...?"

A subtle movement caught my eye. A heretic in a purple robe, using the building wall for support, struggled to stand.

"I'll curse you to take at least one life..."

With a sinister whisper, he aimed a dagger glowing with a terrifying violet hue at Miru.

"?! Danger!!"

The trajectory of the flying dagger was clear. If nothing changed, Miru would be its target.

"Look out!!"

Pushing her with all my might, my vision blurred...

Thud!

A horrifying sound of flesh tearing reached my ears.

"Miru, are you okay?!"

My vision cleared, and I checked on her. Thankfully, Miru seemed unharmed, and Erina appeared untouched by the dagger.

However...

"O... Brother...?"

"Harold...?"

The shocked expressions of the two were directed at me. Why were they looking at me like that? No one got hit by the knife, so everything's fine, right?

"Huh..?"

Only then did I realize the pain.

"Wh... what...?"

The ominous dagger hadn't struck Miru or Erina. But...

"Why...?"

By the time I came to my senses, the dagger was embedded directly in my heart.

What - Thud!

With my mind suddenly going cold, I heard the sound of something collapsing. And then, in an instant, everything went black.