Chapter 38
Chapter 38: Lewd Wisdom (2)
"I-I'm sorry. I won't do it again."
Monica was kneeling with her hands raised.
I picked up and flipped through this bizarre comic book she had apparently drawn.
A story about an overpowered butler who dedicates himself to his lady, leading to them falling in love.
The content itself wasn't particularly special.
That is, if the butler hadn't been modeled after me from my past life.
"......"
"Apostle... you see, well..."
"Enough. I understand. You can put your hands down now."
Monica lowered her hands and glanced around nervously, watching my reaction.
...I suppose I should be thankful it wasn't male-on-male content at least.
Now I understand why fan creations featuring real people were considered taboo in my past life.
A romance comic featuring a man who looks like me (albeit quite beautified) spouting cringeworthy lines.
Thud-
Unable to take any more, I closed the book.
"So. Is this book what you need?"
I turned to look at the Apostle of Wisdom who was awkwardly waiting beside me.
He was carefully observing how the Apostle of Courage, who had knocked him down earlier, was now apologizing to me like I was his superior.
"Uh... well..."
"My name is Ryan. Feel free to speak comfortably."
Despite being an Apostle of our Lady Constellation and the continent's wealthiest person, my public status was still that of a commoner Academy student.
Compared to noble-born Academy students and other Apostles, it was a somewhat inferior social standing.
It made sense for him to speak down to me.
"I-I... I mean... that is... yes, I am Pater who serves the Lewd Wisdom."
Lewd Wisdom...
That must be the Constellation name referring to the God of Wisdom.
...Wait a minute.
Lewd?
I recalled the Constellations I had met so far and the sins that had consumed them.
The Sacrifice That Fell To Sloth, the Magi-Engineer Consumed by Wrath, up to the Proud King of All Demons.
Sloth, Wrath, Pride.
Isn't Lust also one of these sins?
Then perhaps the 'Lewd' that modifies the God of Wisdom could be that sin.
[The Magi-Engineer Who Cast Off Wrath says there's a possibility, but asks if Lewd and Lust aren't different.]
-Well, that's true...
It becomes even stranger if she isn't corrupted by the sin of Lust.
A Constellation's name symbolizes both the concept and power of that god's divinity.
Unlike our investors who were consumed by sins, other gods often had concepts related to their lives sublimated into their Constellation names.
If the Goddess of Wisdom isn't influenced by sin, then the lewdness engraved in her divinity means it originated from within her.
In other words, it means she's a natural-born pervert despite being the Goddess of Wisdom, not even the Goddess of Love.
[The Magi-Engineer Who Cast Off Wrath nods, thinking that the Goddess of Wisdom probably isn't that much of a pervert.]
According to the Magi-Engineer, the Goddess of Wisdom is as much of a loner as our investors, if not more so.
She's never left her domain since ascending to godhood, so she's never even met or seen what the other gods look like.
Even the fact that she's a goddess was only revealed through her Apostles who act on her behalf on the ground.
-Then it would be best to make contact first, right?
[The Magi-Engineer Who Cast Off Wrath agrees that it would be good to make contact through that Apostle to gather information.]
[The Magi-Engineer Who Cast Off Wrath adds that we should still be sufficiently cautious since those Abyss creatures might appear in relation to that sin.]
-Understood.
I'm glad to have this god of magi-engineering by my side right now.
Except for when she makes strange jokes and laughs by herself, she was even more reliable than that Demon God.
-Please relay this information to the others for now.
"Um, Pater. I heard earlier that the Goddess of Wisdom needs this book."
"That's right."
"While this book was created and distributed by that female student over there, it features characters modeled after real people."
"Was it not about the Supervisor?"
He tilted his head while muttering about the Supervisor.
"Yes. And unfortunately, that person happens to be the one I serve. Therefore, I cannot simply hand over this book."
Since that person is me, I do have rights to it.
"I can pay money."
"What he wants isn't money."
Using an R-rated book featuring me as the protagonist as bait to approach a goddess.
This feels strange somehow.
"What do you want then?"
Pater pushed up his glasses, causing them to reflect the light with a flash.
"I would like to have a conversation with the Goddess of Wisdom whom you serve."
"...With her?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell me the reason?"
"While there's no complicated reason..."
I can't tell her Apostle that we're not even sure if the Goddess of Wisdom is actually a victim of the Abyss's sins.
"I have a question that I've been wanting to ask the master of Wisdom."
"Hmm..."
Pater stared at me with his arms crossed.
Is he suspicious of my stated reason?
"I suppose it's fine. However, this isn't something I can decide on my own. I'll have to ask her first."
He brought his right hand up to his ear.
"Yes. This is Pater. ...No, I found it. However, there's been a minor issue during acquisition... Yes. That's right. ...To the Lady Constellation... Yes, yes."
Though he held nothing in his hand, he started muttering as if having a conversation with someone.
I don't sense any magical effects.
Is this communication using divine power?
It doesn't seem like he's talking directly to the goddess... more likely communicating with a higher-ranking Apostle.
For the Goddess of Wisdom, remote communication wouldn't be strange.
"Good. She has given permission."
Pater lowered his hand from his ear and spoke.
"She will seek you out now."
The Goddess of Wisdom will seek me out?
How will she find me?
Especially for a goddess who never leaves her domain.
Woong-
Just then, my vision started to ripple.
"This is..."
In the swaying vision that felt like being heavily drunk, my consciousness began sinking deeply.
Flash-
When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in the middle of a vast temple shrouded in darkness.
...As expected of a god.
Perhaps I've been underestimating gods too much after seeing our somewhat lacking investors.
I suppose summoning a mere mortal to their own space would be nothing for them.
Woong!
The massive divine statue right in front of me.
That statue emitted a powerful light.
[I hear you have something to ask me.]
Could this be the avatar of the Goddess of Wisdom?
Her divine speech rang out, carrying enough reverence that it could have brought me to my knees if I wasn't already accustomed to gods.
"Yes, that's right."
[What is it you wish to ask?]
"Have you ever felt as if you were being controlled by some emotion? Like shackles constricting you, Lady Constellation?"
I tried to read her thoughts like I had with the Demon God before.
But there was no response.
I could read the Demon God's thoughts even when we first met, but not the Goddess of Wisdom's.
Is it because this is just an avatar rather than her true form? Or because she isn't consumed by sin?
[...Why do you ask such a thing?]
"I've recently encountered several Constellations... and discovered 'sins' consuming them. These sins were implanted during their ascension process and have been oppressing them."
[Oppression... oppression...]
She drew out the word as if something had struck a chord.
[Indeed. What became of those Constellations?]
"Through certain methods, they were able to remove the sins and return to their original state."
Since our Lady Constellation has stopped hiding my identity, I suppose it's fine to reveal this.
[Are you saying you have a way to break the shackles that bind gods?]
"Yes, that's right. Though not by my power alone. I am an Apostle of the God of Dreams."
[...Dream's Apostle?]
The divine statue tilted its head slightly at my answer.
"Yes, that's right."
[That cannot be. The God of Dreams would have no Apostles. There is nothing in this continent that I do not know. Unless... my shackles... Wait! Could it be!]
Excitement began seeping into her voice that had been steeped in boredom.
[Are you truly the Dream's Apostle! You speak no falsehoods!]
"...Yes? That's right..."
What's this? Why is she suddenly reacting like this?
Woong-
Light began gathering before me.
The glowing mass rose up, gradually transforming its shape into a human form.
Flash-
And from within emerged a woman who appeared to be in her late teens or early twenties, awkwardly spreading her arms.
"Th-Then show me! Show me the knowledge of the world beyond what I know!"
Unlike her earlier majestic divine speech, it was the delicate voice of a young girl.
I couldn't help but be surprised at the true form of the Goddess of Wisdom revealing herself.
Not just because of her sudden appearance, but because...
Creak-
I never could have imagined that the goddess would emerge with something long stuck in her lower half.
Drip-
Drip-