I'm a Goddess to Be Devoured by the Protagonist - Chapter 46

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 46
[ ( ᵕ_ᵕ̩̩ ) ]
But it was such a melancholy story.
Sirius dying. I didn’t even want to imagine it.
The moment I saw Sirius’s crying emoticon, my expression must have betrayed my dismay.
-I apologize for making you sad.
[The Listener of Wishes Drawing Trajectories says there’s no need to apologize.]
Sirius is human. Humans die someday.
But will I not die? Simply because I’ve possessed a god?
It was truly an inequitable state of affairs.
* * *
More than two months and two weeks had passed since the Possession.
It was time to go there soon.
Around this point in “The Luminous Journey,” a peculiar Mana Stone appears in the Mana Stone mine.
I didn’t need the Mana Stone itself. What I needed was the connection I could gain through it.
In the original work, Sirius obtained it by killing the owner. That wasn’t an option this time, so I had to find another way.
Sirius headed toward Garnet Village.
Garnet Village was near Ruby Village, so I could use a Teleportation Stone to get there and walk the rest of the way.
After using the Teleportation Stone in Ruby Village and walking for a while, Garnet Village appeared.
Clang! Clang!
As befitted a mining town, the sound of Pickaxes striking echoed from all directions.
Since there was nothing dangerous in the village, Sirius explored it with Vega.
-Ah. This place is finished too.
One of the miners let out a loud sigh.
Sirius approached him and asked.
-Why is that?
-Nothing’s come out in ages. Not even common stones. This place is done for.
The miner heaved a long breath.
-I heard they used to pull up all sorts of good things—Mana Stones and whatnot. Those days are long gone.
-I see.
That’s all happening so good things will come out.
From what the miner said, it seemed the Mana Stone hadn’t appeared yet.
I sent Sirius a Mission—to make him mine the Mana Stone directly from the mine.
But mining something in a mine doesn’t make it yours. You only have to think of the common mine-acquisition episodes in Light Novels to understand.
You have to buy the mine to own what’s inside it. A miner who finds something good will only get paid in coin, not the ore itself.
Before getting to work, Sirius brought Vega to an inn, then went toward the mine and looked around briefly.
That’s when he spotted someone dressed in servant’s clothes, oddly out of place in a mine, conversing with some of the miners.
-Are you in the service of Count Delphinium?
-Yes, that’s right.
The servant seemed curious about how Sirius had identified his employer, but Sirius didn’t satisfy his curiosity.
-I wish to purchase Mine No. 3.
-Oh, is that so?
The servant must have thought it fortunate that someone was willing to buy a mine from which no ore had emerged.
-I believe this price would be appropriate…….
-Yes. I wish to purchase it at that price.
-Really?! Ahem, excuse me.
The servant’s face brightened noticeably. He was evidently delighted at the prospect of receiving a generous bonus from the Count.
Everyone wins this way.
-So I just need to swing a Pickaxe like the miners, then?
[ ( ᐛ) ( 　ᐕ)₎₎ ]
The servant drove out all the miners, and Sirius alone ventured deeper into the empty mine.
He picked up an abandoned Pickaxe nearby and began striking at the rock face.
Clang! Clang!
But swinging the Pickaxe without technique proved ineffective.
After thinking for a moment, Sirius infused his Aura into the Pickaxe.
Crash!
With a single strike, a considerable amount of stone came free.
He didn’t need to worry about the Aura shattering the Mana Stone.
It was far too hard for that.
[Mission Success! Reward has been granted!]
[Bread × 1]
A few hours later, he succeeded in extracting a Mana Stone.
Though the mine had little light save for torches, the Mana Stone blazed with radiance.
With this alone, he could borrow the power of the new organization.
* * *
His next destination was the Magic Tower located in Spinel Village.
In “Your Journey,” the text had said the Magic Tower was open to all. There had been great conflict between the kingdom and mages in the past, but afterward the king came to respect their existence.
The real reason the Magic Tower remained open now, however, was money.
They profited handsomely by selling magical tools.
Knock, knock.
Sirius rapped on the Magic Tower’s door.
“Hello. I’ve come to offer some research materials.”
“Hello? What brings you to the Magic Tower?”
A cute girl who looked about ten years old poked her head through the gap in the doorway.
“I’ve brought something for you.”
“Oh, what is it?”
The girl’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked at Sirius. In answer, he drew a Mana Stone from his Subspace Pouch.
“Eek! Goodness! That’s a Mana Stone! And such an unusual aura radiating from it!”
The girl clapped her hands together, her eyes gleaming.
“How much do you want for it?”
“I’ll simply give it to you.”
“Really? Truly?”
“In exchange, I have one favor to ask. Would you be willing to grant it?”
“Of course, of course! I’ll make it work even if it shouldn’t!”
“I have an enemy I must face in the future. Will you help me defeat them?”
“Are they very strong?”
“Yes. Extremely strong.”
“I see.”
The girl’s smile never wavered. Clearly, she knew nothing of the Evil God’s existence.
Should I tell her about the Evil God, or shouldn’t I?
But mentioning the Evil God might cause confusion, so he decided to keep it secret for now.
“Shall we draw up a contract, then?”
The girl opened the door wide for Sirius and Vega, then began to turn away before pausing.
“Oh, that’s right. There’s nobody else in the tower, was there?”
She spoke as though she’d merely forgotten something trivial.
“Would you mind doing one more thing for me?”
Sirius nodded instead of answering.
“The mages in the tower have gone outside and haven’t come back. Could you bring them back? I need them here to draw up the contract.”
“Understood.”
“Thank you! They shouldn’t have left the village! Everyone wearing a white robe is a mage of the Magic Tower!”
The girl waved her hand at Sirius, then caught sight of Vega behind him and her eyes widened.
“Oh, you’re a friend! While that one goes to find the mages, won’t you play with me?”
The girl approached Vega with a sweet request.
“I… I am…”
Unaccustomed to girls his own age, Vega’s face flushed red.
The girl’s cuteness certainly had something to do with it.
“Come on, you’re not going to say no, are you? Playing with me would be fun.”
Just then, Sirius brought his hand to his mouth and whispered very quietly.
“O God.”
[ │ ᐕ)ﾉ ]
“Is that child dangerous?”
[ ( ᐛ )b ]
The girl then dragged Vega inside, and the door shut with a decisive click.
Rather than rescue Vega from the Magic Tower, Sirius left the tower. After all, God had assured him the child posed no danger.
It wasn’t long before he spotted a mage while surveying the village. A person in a white robe lay sprawled across a fence.
“Ughh, ugghhh.”
They were making sounds like a zombie. It was a truly peculiar sight.
“Let’s return to the tower.”
“Ughhhh? Tower?”
The mage had lost their senses entirely and could barely walk straight.
In the end, Sirius helped him up and led him away.
—Excellent! One already!
The moment Sirius brought the mage into the Magic Tower, the child spoke with unbridled excitement.
Behind him stood Vega, examining a Magical Tool that radiated an otherworldly glow. The two of them seemed to be having a wonderful time together.
With the child’s encouragement fading behind him, Sirius set out once more.
Thus he discovered the second mage.
—*Groan*.
The man had been sleeping in a hammock strung between two trees. Sirius deliberated whether to wake him, then simply hoisted him onto his back and brought him to the tower.
—Already two! Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!
And it was when he went searching for the third mage that everything became clear.
—No more overtime!! Start respecting mages’ human rights!!
At last, Sirius understood why every mage looked like this.
The mages were exhausted from overwork. They worked year-round without a single day off—what more needed saying.
—Return to the tower…….
—You think I’d go back to that hellhole?!
Sirius did not drag away those who refused. Instead, he chose to listen to their story.
—Why do you not wish to return?
—Because they work me to death with overtime every single day! Try pulling all-nighters like I do! See if you don’t end up like me!
The mage pointed at his own eyes. There was nothing remarkable about them except for the deep, heavy dark circles etched beneath them.
—Your condition appears quite dire.
—Exactly! And it’s all because of that man, the Magic Tower Master!
The mage’s teeth ground audibly.
—Betelgeuse, Betel!
The mage shouted in agitation.
—Please, calm yourself. You’re becoming far too agitated—
—Calm? How could I? That little bastard doesn’t even understand what overtime is! He knows everything else, but not that—he thinks work at night is just the natural order of things!

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————