He Was Telling the Truth!

Greg's heart lurched, and a chill sank through him.

He had made up the Goddess of Night on the spot, drawing on memories of a game from his previous life!

How was he supposed to know this world really had a Goddess of Night, much less anything about being her emissary?

Now I'm going to be exposed!

Victoria glanced at him, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You heard her. Come here and take the test."

Greg braced himself and made one last attempt to struggle. "M-my devotion to the goddess comes from the heart. Why should I need some outward ritual to prove it? This is an insult to my faith!"

Victoria said, "I'll count to three..."

Greg said, "Fine, I'll take the test. No need to threaten me like that."

Greg walked over as though marching to his death, his mind racing as he tried to devise an excuse for when he failed the test.

Running was out of the question. Even if he escaped now, he wouldn't survive for long.

With his current strength, he could survive here, but he couldn't possibly clear the Dungeon's first floor alone in a short time. He still needed these two women's help.

Attacking them underhandedly and leaving them here forever was even more out of the question. He still needed them to save the world, after all.

Sylvia motioned for Greg to stand still, then struggled to sit upright. Bringing her hands together before her chest, she began murmuring an ancient, tongue-twisting prayer.

A faint golden light emerged from her palms and gradually enveloped Greg's entire body.

Greg closed his eyes, already prepared to face the thunderous wrath awaiting someone who impersonated a divine emissary.

Yet the rebuke or attack he expected never came.

The warm golden light surrounding him seemed to encounter something of the same origin yet different the instant it touched his body, and its color began to change strangely.

The gold receded like an ebbing tide, replaced by a darkness so profound it seemed capable of swallowing all existence.

The pitch-black light gently enveloped Greg. Far from feeling sinister, it exuded an indescribable sense of ancient mystery.

Sylvia abruptly stopped chanting and covered her mouth, her gray-blue eyes widening in shock.

"The divine favor of night... so pure..."

She turned to Victoria in disbelief.

"He... he really is... an emissary of the Goddess of Night!"

Greg said, "...???"

An emissary of the Goddess of Night?

M-me?

He stared blankly at the unfamiliar layer of soft black light covering him, his mind utterly empty.

What the hell is going on?! I made it up! Why is it actually reacting?!

Victoria stared at the lingering light of dark divine favor. After a moment of silence, she finally looked away, the biting chill in her voice seeming to ease a little.

"...Looks like you're not rotten to the core after all. At least you didn't lie to us about this."

Although Greg had no idea what was happening, he played along.

"I'm glad you understand. So please stop looking at me like I'm garbage from now on. Deep down... I'm not a bad person."

Sylvia also let out a soft breath of relief. A hint of reassurance appeared on her pale face, and she clasped her hands before her chest as she murmured:

"Thank goodness... Since Senior Greg is an emissary of the Goddess of Night, he definitely wouldn't dare do... do that sort of thing to me."

Greg said, "Huh?"

Sylvia blinked at him in confusion. "Why do you look so puzzled, Senior Greg? Don't tell me... you're an emissary, but you don't know about this?"

Greg snapped out of his daze. "Oh! Well... You mean that, right? Of course I know about that! It's just..."

He let a suitably embarrassed look appear on his face at just the right moment.

"The traditions of the Goddess of the Night's Faith have been lost for so long. Many of the ancient taboos and divine punishments... I'm not too clear on the details anymore. Sylvia, if you know, could you... explain it to me?"

"M-me? You want me to explain!?"

Sylvia's cheeks flushed visibly crimson in an instant. She lowered her head, her fingers anxiously twisting the hem of her clothes. "It's actually... it's about..."

Greg prompted her from beside her. "What's wrong, Miss Sylvia? Is it something awkward to talk about? I'm genuinely just curious about this rule as an emissary of the Goddess of Night."

Sylvia said, "It's your..."

Greg said, "Did you say something after that? I couldn't quite hear you."

Under his persistent urging, even the tips of Sylvia's ears turned bright red.

Finally, as though surrendering, she squeezed her eyes shut and blurted out in a voice that sounded on the verge of tears:

"Your XX will be enveloped in holy light! You won't be able to use it for a year, and after that it'll disappear completely!"

Greg said, "?"

As soon as she finished shouting, Sylvia turned her burning face away, her voice taking on a note of embarrassed indignation.

"You're still so awful, Senior Greg... You didn't even do it, but you insisted on making me say something so... so embarrassing... Honestly!"

Greg remained silent for three full seconds.

"Haha, sorry... I'm going to the bathroom."

He turned and walked with slightly stiff steps behind a nearby boulder large enough to hide him from view.

After making sure no one was around, he took a deep breath and, with an absurd premonition, slowly lowered his waistband.

FUCK-MY-FUCKING-LIFE!!!!

It really is covered in holy light!!

A soft yet incredibly solid milky-white halo, exuding a faint sacred aura, tightly enveloped a certain vital part of him, as though it had been fitted with a seal of purity complete with its own hymn soundtrack.

"...Still."

Greg studied it for a few seconds, rubbing his chin with a complicated expression. "Why does it... actually look pretty cool? It's got that epic-tier equipment feel..."

A moment later, he returned to the campfire with heavy steps, his face bearing a faint sorrow and the world-weary air of someone who had renounced all earthly desires.

"I don't mean anything by this," he began in a distant voice. "I'm just... asking for a friend."

Victoria raised an eyebrow.

Greg continued in that low voice laden with untold stories. "If... and I mean if, someone were unfortunate enough to end up in this situation... would there really be... no way to change it?"

Victoria sneered, undisguised contempt filling her gray eyes.

"If he's your friend, he must be another irredeemable piece of scum. Wouldn't stopping scum like that from reproducing be a contribution to the world?"

"No!"

Greg suddenly grew agitated. His hands clenched into fists, and his eyes filled with the urgency and pain of someone defending a friend.

"That friend... he's nothing like me! He's truly... truly a pure, kind person! I'm sure some despicable villain must have plotted against him. That's the only reason... the only reason he'd suffer such a vicious curse!"

His performance was heartfelt, and even his eyes reddened slightly.

Sylvia was clearly moved by this profound friendship.

Remembering her own equally unbreakable bond with Victoria, she felt warmth well up in her heart, and her gaze toward Greg softened considerably.

"To think... there are other believers in the Goddess of Night besides you..."

She sighed softly, then offered a reassuring smile. "But please don't worry. This curse... can be lifted!"

"If the Church of Light's saintess performs a specific Purification Divine Art, she can dispel this Holy Light Seal."

At this point, Sylvia's tone suddenly grew somber.

"But as far as I know... the current saintess, much like most of the Church's upper ranks, seems to deeply dislike the Goddess of the Night Order, which once rivaled the Light Sect... so I'm afraid she wouldn't help your friend."

But her voice soon brightened again. "Still, that's all right! If... if your friend can wait a little longer..."

She straightened her back slightly. Though still somewhat weak, her eyes were bright and resolute.

"He can wait until I officially become the saintess, and I'll perform the divine art to lift his curse myself!"

Greg said, "..."

If you're the one purifying me, you'll probably purify my very existence out of the world while you're at it.

His mind began involuntarily playing out a future scene.

In a magnificent temple stood Sylvia, solemn and holy in the saintess's splendid robes.

He, Greg Sass, summoned his courage, stepped forward, and said quietly:

"Sylvia... Actually, I was the one who kissed you in the Dark River, but please believe me, it really was just to save you! Also... that friend I mentioned was actually me. So now, could you please help lift my curse? Hehe~"

Then the holy smile on Sylvia's face froze instantly, giving way to the fury of someone utterly betrayed and defiled. Blazing holy flame ignited in her eyes.

"I... I'd already decided to give everything I had to Victoria... You... monster! Pervert! Go to hell-!!!"

A second later, countless Arrows of Light imbued with fury and holiness would pierce him, earning him the CG achievement, "Purified on the spot for indecent assault on the day of the saintess's coronation."

"..."

Greg silently wiped his face.

It seemed relying on the future saintess was out of the question. That would be asking for death.

That left him with what seemed to be only one thorn-strewn path.

Before the troublesome current saintess stepped down in Act Six of the original story... he would have to find a way to make her personally lift this damned curse.