364 - The God of Wine, Festival, and Mayhem #2

Seureureuk-.

Bacchus, clad in a purple gown similar to his hair color, spun around me, holding a clinking wine glass.

He slowly scrutinized me from head to toe. Then, he nodded and exclaimed in admiration.

「Was the last time I saw you briefly on the summit of Delphi? You've become incredibly impressive since then. To take shape like this in such a short time, you'll become a proper god faster than me.」

He seemed to be praising me, it appeared.

As I've said repeatedly, I'm not very immune to praise. If it were insults, maybe, but praise is like dropping my guard and shaking my mental state with defense-ignoring damage.

But having gone through many things until now, I too had grown.

Just as there's no such thing as a free favor, praise often carries its own reasons and ulterior motives. The reason he was hyping me up like this must be because he had expectations of me.

Soon, Bacchus, facing me, spoke.

「I hear you're building a Temple these days and slowly expanding its size?」

"Yeah, I guess so. I was supposed to hold a worship service today, but all the Followers flocked somewhere else, so I couldn't."

I gestured around with my finger. Among the ladies sprawled here, quite a few were women who had previously visited my Temple grounds, the cemetery, for a shoulder massage.

━Bacchus-nim..., your grace is amaaaazing.... I'm getting druuuunk....

Hadn't they said they would serve me with gratitude for life? To express their thanks then, only to switch sides so completely now.

「Ah, my apologies for that. It wasn't really intentional. A god's prestige is something that cannot be hidden, you see.」

Bacchus spoke very humbly, but to my ears, it sounded like he was showing off. Of course, I understood.

If rumors spread that a god had descended in the deer forest, anyone would want to go and peek around at least once.

And I, too, had come here with that very thought.

I asked.

"So, what do you want to ask of me?"

「A favor?」

"Gods consume precious Karma to reveal themselves before humans, don't they? You wouldn't waste that just to see my face. Don't you have something you want to ask of me?"

That's why he was hyping me up and praising me, wasn't it?

As I awaited his assessment of my deduction, Bacchus narrowed his ominous purple, goat-like eyes and curled up both corners of his mouth.

「Well, this is sharper than I heard. You're right, my friend, I do have a favor to ask. But before I tell you, look around.」

Seureuk-.

Bacchus spread both his arms.

「I, Bacchus, personally descended upon this land, and not even a thousand people gathered. This is quite a serious matter, you see.」

"Really?"

「Normally, it wouldn't be strange for ten thousand people to gather. How many drinkers are there in this city? This place was originally a great city that Uncle Pluto and I ruled together, after all.」

Indeed.

Most of Sodomora's residents are drunkards.

Even if a Cult appeared, or a great fire broke out in the city, taverns selling alcohol were always thriving, and you could easily see drunkards sprawled on the streets.

As Bacchus said, this was once a great city that grew by serving Pluto, the God of the Underworld, and Bacchus.

Hearing it from Bacchus himself, considering that less than one percent of the city's population gathered here on Sunday, the city's holiday, it did seem like a rather small number.

It felt like fewer tickets sold than an idol concert.

「The Followers' faith has plummeted. This isn't just a problem for me, Bacchus. For several years, because no wars have broken out, Mars and Minerva are also losing their power.」

"Really?"

「Yes, purity and love have also fallen to laughter, so Venus and Diana are also losing power-. Well, anyway, overall, the gods' prestige is a mess.」

"I see."

「Since Byeokryeokje ascended the throne, the world has been too peaceful. There are no problems, and only a reign that seems destined to continue. This is the problem. It's too peaceful.」

The world is peaceful, he says. Honestly, having experienced the public safety of the 21st century, I couldn't really agree that this continent of Gaia was peaceful.

Nevertheless, I couldn't help but feel curious.

"Isn't it good if the world is peaceful?"

At my question, Bacchus raised the outer corner of one eyebrow. He looked as if to say, "What on earth are you talking about?" Had I said something wrong?

However, Bacchus soon spoke, as if having regained his composure.

「People only seek gods when there is hardship, fear, and terror.」

"Ah-. I get it. You're saying the gods are feeling troubled because they have nothing to do."

If all sickness and suffering disappeared from the world, would doctors be happy?

As humans, it's certainly something to rejoice about, but from the perspective of someone with the profession of a doctor, they might lose their job, so ironically, it might not be so welcome.

Not just doctors, but perhaps professions stemming from human anguish and suffering, like the police, are also similar?

To be honest, I'd never really considered such moral or philosophical questions, so I wasn't sure. Still, Bacchus's concerns seemed to resemble these issues.

「Life is too comfortable, so faith is gradually weakening, and respect for us is disappearing. Of course, there's also the reason we can no longer interfere with the Lower World.... Anyway, if things continue like this, we might also fall like the gods of the Winter Continent.」

Guuuk-.

At that moment, I felt Elfriede's grip on my back. The Winter Continent probably referred to Alfheim, Elfriede's homeland.

This continent is going to be ruined, he says.

I was just about to start sucking some sweet honey here, but if this was a sinking ship, my vision felt like it was blurring.

"So, what's this favor you want from me?"

「My friend, I'd like my brother to spread the divine deeds widely across this land. So that all who see it may feel fear and awe.」

How exactly does one do that?

As I slightly furrowed my brow at the very difficult request, Bacchus settled back onto his throne, woven from drunkards, and spoke.

「But still, the biggest problem is probably the suspicious ideology beginning to spread widely among the priests. The very priests who should serve and respect us the most have started to feel hostility towards us....」

"What's this suspicious ideology?"

「Even we don't know that. I'd like my brother to investigate it. It wouldn't be a bad thing for my brother, who is strengthening his divine authority-.」

Seureureuk-.

Bacchus's words grew softer and softer towards the end, until finally, the conversation abruptly cut off.

At that moment, I witnessed an astonishing sight: his body, seated on the chair, began to shimmer slowly with an opaque quality, like a heat haze or a shadow.

「Oh dear, no time. Anyway, please meet many priests. The reward for that will be one bottle of nectar that I can brew.」

"Oh, fuck. Is this for real? Nectar?"

Nectar, he says.

Isn't that an item that can break through my Strength stat of 15? So, as the God of Wine, he can brew nectar! I was so fucking happy I almost did a somersault.

* * *

Bacchus soon dispersed like a hazy smoke and vanished.

As he disappeared from his spot, all the drunkards who had been sprawled on the ground, moaning, suddenly came to their senses and clutched their heads.

"Ugh, what the. My head's a mess-."

Soon, Antiope also slowly rose from her spot, pressing her forehead.

Perhaps because Bacchus had left, his power, which had spread widely through this forest, also vanished, and everyone seemed to regain their senses.

Antiope, dusting off her body with a "tak-tak-" sound, spoke to me.

"More than that, to converse so casually with the great God Bacchus. You're truly amazing, Hassan!"

"You were watching that?"

"Yeah! My body might have collapsed, but my mind was clear. Everyone here probably saw it!"

Antiope pointed her finger at the women who were hastily getting dressed.

As soon as they caught my gaze, they trembled like rabbits exposed to a hunter and quickly hid among the trees and bushes.

"Anyway, this is no time to be dawdling. I need to meet the priests."

"The priests?"

I left the forest teeming with drunkards and turned to head back to my Temple, the cemetery.

As I was walking quickly to air out the smell of alcohol clinging to my body, Elfriede, who had been silent behind me for a while, slowly spoke.

"That god, Bacchus. He probably doesn't have much time left."

"What do you mean, 'not much time'?"

"Like Baldur's light, he's just slowly flickering. Perhaps all the gods of this continent are in a similar state to Bacchus. Maybe this continent will also be ruined, like Alfheim...."

"Is that for real?"

"I'm not certain, but they're targeting a young yet powerful, unstable god..., no, no-."

Elfriede rambled incoherently, but then ended her vague muttering and said no more.

Her face was extremely flushed, and she was breathing more and more heavily; it seemed that the effects of enduring Bacchus's domain for so long were finally kicking in.

Was she drunk?

Diling-.

『Name: Elfriede Desmund Lv. 35 → 37

Strength: 12

Agility: 11 → 12

Stamina: 12 → 13

Quirks: 《Sadism》 《Separation Anxiety》 《Atheist》

Condition: 《Cold Hands and Feet》 《Irregular Menstruation》』

I touched Elfriede's wrist, but apart from the fact that her level had risen by two, nothing specific about her status ailments seemed to come to mind.

Those Cold Hands and Feet and Irregular Menstruation just keep reappearing even after I treat them with acupressure. Do they respawn?

"I, I need to go in and rest a bit."

In the end, Elfriede, unable to endure her worsening condition, said she was returning to the inn at the North Gate.

I asked.

"Should I take you?"

"No. You're also the owner of a Temple. Didn't you say Sunday is the day of the Great Worship Service? All the more reason for you to be guarding your Temple's spot."

Indeed, it was as Elfriede said.

Today was Sunday.

The day when Followers, enjoying their holiday, poured into the streets, and all Temples held their largest worship services.

In other words, it was the peak season for the Temple business. Leaving Paranoy alone to manage things at such a time did make me a little worried.

Not knowing what might have happened, my vision felt a bit blurry.

In the end, Elfriede and I parted ways on Central Street; she headed north, and I headed to the Temple in the west.

"By any chance, do you know anything about this suspicious ideology or whatever that's spreading among the priests?"

I asked Antiope on the way, but she just shook her head, saying, 「Is it because of what God Bacchus said earlier? I don't really know anything specific.」

Then, Antiope said, "Ah-," as if something had just occurred to her.

"My sister might know. She's a priestess of the Mars Guild, so she can access places like the University of Theology."

"Ah, that's right."

It's something I often overlook, but Hippolyte is a priestess in her own right.

Perhaps I could get help from Hippolyte regarding this matter.

If I solve the priests' problem, I might be able to hire a few more priests as Temple managers, and even get a bottle of nectar.

Fuck, nectar, he says.

Just thinking that it could break through the limit of my Strength, which is stuck at 15, my muscles are already itching.

However, those thoughts vanished as if completely forgotten the moment I returned to the Temple. This was because my Temple grounds, upon my return, greeted me with a completely unexpected sight.

Footprints everywhere, and trash strewn all over the ground. The numerous stone towers Paranoy had diligently stacked, calling them altars, had also collapsed to the ground, now just scattered rocks.

At that, Antiope furrowed her brow and drew the short spear from her back.

"What the? Why is it so chaotic? Was there an attack?"

At this desolate and eerie sight, devoid of a single person, I couldn't help but be truly surprised. Did a cleanup crew come and go? What the hell happened here?

The first thing I looked for in this mess and cauldron of chaos was Paranoy.

Whatever it was, it was clear that something unpleasant had happened here, and there was a high probability that Paranoy, that strange Nymph, had been caught up in it and injured.

"Hey, Paranoy! Where are you?!"

So I shouted all over the wide cemetery grounds. Only then did I hear a rustling sound from Paranoy's office, the cemetery hut, visible in the distance.

Beolkkeok-.

Thus, the Door opened.

"Hassan-nim! I was waiting, waiting for you-imnidat...!"

What soon appeared was Paranoy, looking torn up all over.

His hair, which Luna or Antiope always neatly combed, was incredibly disheveled, and his mouse-gray robe, which he washed cleanly every day, was torn in places, showing wounds.

"Hey, what the fuck happened?!"

"The priests, the priests came and went-imnidat...! They were very, wicked and naughty girls-imnidat...! But, I chased them all away-imnidat...!"

Up close, Paranoy's face was covered in pinches and scratches from fingernails.

"Oh my, Senior, why are you so hurt?!"

Antiope shouted, seemingly surprised, upon seeing such a Paranoy.

"I'll put medicine on you!"

"Aeuuugh-."

"Ah, now that I look, you're not very hurt."

"No-imnidat...! It was truly, an epic battle that resulted in injuries-imnidat...! A holy war, no less, unfolded-imnidat...!!"

Paranoy slowly collapsed before me with an unnatural air.

"But, I, Paranoy, having the precious role of guarding the Temple's frontier, somehow managed to protect the keystone-imnidat.... I fought 17 to 1, and I protected it-imnidat...!!"

Such a Paranoy opened his mouth with a "Bueee-" sound and placed a round orb on my palm.

What Paranoy placed on my palm was the keystone, the central pillar of the Temple and altar, a precious treasure received from Ceres.

"I endured and protected it through any persecution-imnidat...!! They said they'd give me candy if I handed it over, but I absolutely did not-imnidat...!!"

I imagined Paranoy being tormented by numerous people. This guy was originally a Cultist with enough guts not to yield even to torture.

It seemed that rebellious spirit had manifested again this time.

"Heueueu.... It hurts-imnidat...!"

Finally, Paranoy collapsed to the floor with a thud.

"What the, Senior. You're not that hurt. It's just superficial scratches, isn't it? Something like this gets better if you just put some spit on it."

"Be, be quiet-imnidat...! I am, I am very injured-imnidat...! A holy war, no less, unfolded-imnidat...!!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Antiope, realizing Paranoy's injuries were nothing serious, pulled a comb from her waist and combed his hair. At that, Paranoy's body transformed, becoming surprisingly neat.

"Ta-da, back to normal, right?"

"Geueueu-!"

Now that I looked, it seemed that, as Antiope said, he was just a bit disheveled, but not seriously hurt.

But even so, I became curious about the identity of the bastards who had tormented this clumsy Nymph so cruelly.

Who on earth would come to a Temple and cause such a ruckus?

Aren't they afraid of divine punishment?

They must surely be wicked and terrible Nymph-haters.

"Paranoy, who on earth did this?"

"There, there they are-imnidat...!!"

Seureuk-.

At my words, Paranoy slowly raised his hand and pointed to the hut where he had been hiding.

Only then did I realize that someone was tied up and struggling inside.

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