I’m Sick of the Kind Protagonist, so I Might as Well Just Die - Chapter 65

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

#65
Perenustus walked and walked across the colossal arm, until in a single moment, I arrived at a space devoid of all substance. Yet even “devoid” was an imprecise description. They existed within a vast expanse where everything held no meaning whatsoever.
—How arrogant you are.
Perenustus’s eyes narrowed reflexively. The images I had witnessed moments before tangled and wavered across my retinas, dissolving into nothingness. Visual information that my brain refused to process assailed my perception and understanding without cessation.
—How presumptuous you are.
Immeasurable wheels tinged with amber rotated at different speeds and in different directions, layered beyond counting, condemning him. Every rotating surface bristled with eyeballs that glared at Perenustus. The countless eyes that had fixed their gaze upon him melted in the heat radiating from the colossal wings that appeared next, only to reform repeatedly.
—How audacious you are.
Six pairs of wings engulfed in pale blue flames fluttered with deliberate slowness. Beyond the flames that drifted like feathers, forms—whether hands, feet, or some fusion of both—moved with frantic purpose, their nature impossible to discern.
—How reckless you are.
Perenustus lifted his gaze, regarding the words directed at him not as reproach but as the highest praise.
“It has been long since we last met in this manner.”
—How irreverent you are.
When twelve voices cried out in unison, the empty space trembled precariously. It was not twelve voices but rather tens of thousands of sounds layered into one—a thunderous rebuke that struck him. The sound that should never be heard assailed his organs with pain rather than his ears. Yet the more it did so, the more brilliantly Perenustus smiled, drawing his lips upward.
—A mere creation, and yet.
—You dare.
Perenustus maintained his expression steadfastly even as violent tremors ascended and descended along his spine.
‘The Ancient Gods manifesting their forms directly means they are truly enraged. Though this proceeds according to plan, I should exercise some restraint.’
Having accepted every accusation in silence, Perenustus slowly opened his mouth.
“If my actions have caused you displeasure, I offer my sincerest apologies. I merely believed that you all were enjoying this immensely.”
As he offered his ostensibly respectful apology, he displayed numbers that glimmered with golden light.
“These figures represent the magnificent harvest obtained through your direct outpouring of wrath, astonishment, and joy. As a foolish young being with shallow understanding, I focused solely upon these numbers, failing to perceive the depths of your profound fury.”
The vibrations that had resonated through and around his body ceased momentarily. Perenustus read that silence and laughed inwardly.
‘These old fools are amusing. They enjoyed the spectacle thoroughly, yet now they throw tantrums as though I wouldn’t see through them.’
The space that had been briefly quiet began to vibrate more violently than before. It was not merely anger born from finding him disagreeable. They wished to deny his words but could not, and thus their fury erupted.
—You insolent creature.
“I shall interpret those words as praise for how thoroughly you enjoyed this.”
—…Separate from enjoyment, you have committed an unforgivable sin.
“I have?”
—A manager is forbidden from directly intervening in the Worlds…
The Ancient Gods fell silent all at once. Perenustus feigned confusion, waiting for them to continue. After a considerable pause, they spoke again, their words thunderous.
—Did you scheme for this very outcome and manipulate our permission!
Perenustus’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
“I cannot comprehend what you censure. I have never once violated your words. The inviolable laws of the Worlds remain perfectly intact and unblemished.”
—….
“Has not that flawless enjoyment been proven by the attention you yourselves have shown?”
Perenustus displayed the golden numbers once more. A crackling sound like grinding teeth roared like thunder before lightning in its truest form descended and shattered the numbers with spiteful brilliance.
—How presumptuous you are.
“A young god receives your summons and awaits the words you deign to speak.”
—You feign confidence, yet you must be prepared that there is no escape from our censure.
Perenustus furrowed his brow once more, as though unable to comprehend why he deserved punishment. With a derisive snort from the Ancient Gods, a formless and colorless oppressive weight constricted his body. It burned as though consuming him, yet simultaneously a cold so bitter it could freeze even that searing pain pierced through him, raking claws into his flesh.
—From this moment forward, every plan you devise
—will unravel in directions you never intended.
—This is the price for daring to insult an ancient existence with shallow schemes and shallow intent.
—A shackle you will never break, no matter what you do for the rest of your life.
Perenustus felt the Ancient Gods’ constraint coiling within his body, and his throat convulsed. The revulsion that welled up was far too vast to be contained by mere words like nausea. It was precisely the kind of punishment I had anticipated, yet experiencing it firsthand proved far more repugnant than I had steeled myself for.
‘Plans derailing…’
I had to admit they had chosen a penalty that grated against my nature more than anything else. But I had no intention of accepting it passively.
‘If I can analyze how it works, where it catches, and in what direction it flows, I can turn it against them. If I can reverse it, it becomes a weapon. Combined with Aurelia’s curse, it could become something far more formidable.’
Without question, I was the sort of person who moved through plans. The Ancient Gods themselves had created Perenustus this way, so they had simply delivered a punishment perfectly suited to their creation.
“I offer my sincerest gratitude for your magnanimous benevolence, great ones.”
Having bowed deeply, I straightened my waist and tilted my head slightly.
“My only concern is that, should I be unable to exert my full power due to this constraint, the harvest yield of the Worlds might decrease significantly, causing inconvenience to your greatness.”
The air, which had been vibrating with confidence, froze completely—as if they had not considered this.
“Though I’m certain you great ones are far more aware than I of how pathetically inefficient the Worlds of other gods lacking in planning and systematic order truly are.”
—Withdraw.
With a sound closer to an explosion than a vibration, my body was thrust backward. The moment I felt myself hurled into the distance, the empty space sealed shut. For an instant, countless eyes that could not be counted glared at me with murderous intent, then vanished like a midday nightmare.
When I opened my eyes, exhausted by the whipping flashes of light and darkness, I stood motionless outside the Academy’s buildings. Time had slipped away during my summons and their lecture, and it was now the dead of night without a single point of light. Standing alone in the pitch-black Academy Grounds, I clasped my hands behind my back and gazed upon the enormous tower I had created.
‘Until I can control this constraint, it would be wise not to enter the Worlds directly.’
The Ancient Gods had tasted the flavor of the Worlds I subtly manipulated and transformed—and they had found it exquisite. So even as they threw their tantrum, they would pay closer attention to my creation than to any other World henceforth.
‘There may be ways to turn this constraint against those old fools for their amusement, but that’s a problem for later. For now, I must carefully discern how this foreign element operates.’
As I habitually organized the order of my tasks, my thoughts naturally turned to Aurelia.
‘In any case, those old hags should view their creation more fondly, considering how tirelessly I work to entertain them.’
As I began to move, calculating the location of my beloved creation—Aurelia—I stopped dead in my tracks. It took a moment for me to fully comprehend whom I had just called beloved.
‘…Beloved, I said.’
It was difficult to accept that I had used such an expression while thinking of Aurelia, of all people.
‘Beloved? How absurd. How could the error that destroyed my Worlds possibly be beloved?’
My face contorted. No, it was a slip of the tongue. Even being generous, the best I could manage was ‘endearing.’ I pressed my hand against my mouth, forcing myself to accept this correction.
‘Endearing? What’s that supposed to mean!’
Like a child, I moved my hand away from my mouth and scrubbed my face roughly.

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