Chapter 13: Contract and Price
[space_man][space_man]Eld glares coldly at Aleamia.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Then why didn’t you listen to our prayers!? How much we prayed when my parents told us to pray to the Goddess when our family was suffering!!”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”I see…… I had a feeling I was being disliked a little, but that’s what it was.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Aleamia says while yawning.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Simply put, there are two answers. One is that your hometown is not under my jurisdiction in the first place. Another Goddess of Protection is protecting it, so it’s no use asking me.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]The other is that your wish didn’t reach me. I don’t know why it didn’t reach me. Whether the Goddess’s processing capacity couldn’t keep up, or whether it couldn’t reach me because of the curse, I can’t confirm that now.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Eld looks down.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”……I’m sorry…… It’s pointless to tell you……”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Well, it can’t be helped. If you have an unreasonable experience, you’ll want to rely on someone, and if that’s not accepted, you’ll want to vent your anger.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]We goddesses have to accept such unreasonableness. Some goddesses become mentally and physically ill because of it.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Aleamia’s eyes look distant.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Now, now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, what are you going to do? The curse on you probably won’t affect you anymore, but it hasn’t yet affected your younger siblings. I can suppress it with my power.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Aleamia claps her hands and says, changing her mood.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Is it okay? I lashed out at you.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”It’s okay, it’s okay. As I said earlier, it’s also the Goddess’s role to accept that.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]She probably really doesn’t care. Aleamia says with a giggle.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”……Okay. I want you to…… protect my family……”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Understood. This will be a contract with the Goddess, so be careful because once you break it, you can’t make the same contract again.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Eld nods at her words.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”And…… once this contract is established, you won’t be able to leave this area.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”The Goddess’s price…… huh……”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]This time Aleamia nodded.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]According to records, there have been quite a few people who have made contracts with goddesses in the past. Even those who cannot see a Goddess can make a contract with her by constantly praying.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]And at the time of the contract, there is a price to be paid by the Goddess. It varies depending on the content of the contract, but the price Eld has to pay is being bound to this land.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Aleamia explains that this is to obtain the Goddess’s protection using Eld himself as a medium.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Being bound itself is not a problem. However, I want to know exactly how far I can travel.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Aleamia thinks for a moment and displays a map in the air. A large circle was drawn on the map.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”It’s about this area. I was able to set it to a fairly wide range, but what do you think?”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Looking at the map, it almost covers the territory he is currently in. He probably won’t be able to go home anymore. Still, it’s not a big price to pay if it means his younger siblings won’t be cursed.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”No problem. Let’s make the contract.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Aleamia nods and touches Eld’s Guidance Stone.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Under the name of Aleamia, the Goddess of Protection, I promise eternal protection from the curse cast upon Eld’s blood relatives.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]The Guidance Stone glows, and Eld feels the Goddess’s contract being inscribed within him.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Contract complete. As I said earlier, if you go outside the range of that circle, the contract will be automatically voided, so be careful.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]I’ve made it so that you can see the range if you look at the map, so use that as a reference.”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Aleamia sighs tiredly.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Oh, thank you……”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s my job. Haa……”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Aleamia yawns widely, looking sleepy.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”I seem to have used a little too much power…… I’m going to take a nap again……”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Just as she finishes speaking, Aleamia begins to snore.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Hey, hey! How do I get out of here!?”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Eld hurriedly approaches Aleamia, but when he realizes it, he’s back in the original cave.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Was…… was that a dream……?”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]When he activates Record to confirm, the Goddess’s contract was firmly in place.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”It wasn’t a dream…… Was it good……? Now……”
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Though troubled, Eld left the cave and returned to town once. After that, he investigated the cave several times, but since there was nothing particularly unusual, Eld concluded that he felt something strange because the Goddess had entered to take a nap.
[space_man]
[space_man][space_man]However, there was no way he could report such a thing to his client, so he reported through the Guild that there was no particular change, but that continued investigation might be necessary in the future.