Chapter 192: Goddess! And a Ship Sailing on the Desert
"I wonder where my Odr (partner) is?"
The goddess was always murmuring softly.
In the center of the giant Labyrinth City of Orario, at the very top of the soaring skyscraper, Babel, was the symbol of privilege bestowed upon the main god of the Familia that reigned at the pinnacle. And the main god of this Familia was the personification of beauty.
—The Goddess of Beauty, Freya.
"I say, Ottar."
"...No."
"I haven't even said anything yet."
"It is still no. Because you are once again planning to go out in search of your 'destiny,' are you not?"
The Goddess's expression, a mix of grievance and coyness, made the heart of Orario's currently strongest warrior, the "Boar" Ottar, tighten.
—Here we go again.
This was an old ailment that Lady Freya suffered from time to time. She wanted to embark on a journey with no destination, to go out and find a companion to be by her side—her Odr.
But she had no sense of crisis, and her outings were always accompanied by a certain degree of commotion.
After all, when the Goddess of Beauty said she was "looking for a partner," it was an event equivalent to a war between Familias, and it drove the members of her own Familia crazy.
"Ottar, since when did you learn to speak to me like this?"
The goddess's divine pressure manifested slightly.
He had thought Ottar would back down, but he unexpectedly raised his head and looked her straight in the eye. "Under normal circumstances, I would never make such a mistake. However, this concerns a request you are about to make, Lady Freya. For the sake of your safety, we have an obligation to offer our counsel."
Although his tone and attitude were respectful, the unwavering meaning in his words was clear.
—You are the main god of the largest faction in Orario. Please have a little more self-respect.
Freya became even more depressed. It seemed she would not be able to get her Familia's consent.
This was, of course, to be expected.
Before, even though she was within Orario, she would wander around the giant city without a single escort. The entire Familia had to be mobilized to desperately search for her.
And the Loki Familia, seeing this formation, had mistaken them for plotting something, and a conflict had inadvertently broken out, which had almost turned into a major war between the two Familias.
By the way.
Lady Freya, seeing this tragic sight, had merely shown an embarrassed smile and offered a perfunctory apology. At the time, the Familia members hadn't been able to stop the enraged Loki from bringing her iron fist down on Freya's head.
If she were to travel alone, that kind of thing would surely happen again.
As a main god, she should understand this.
But...
She complained resentfully, "Ottar, you are right by my side, yet you refuse to understand my heart."
"Please, just endure it for a little while. Any other request, even if it costs us our lives, we will fulfill it for you," Ottar quickly tried to remedy the situation, while also conveying the thoughts of himself and the entire Familia.
"You all just want to lock me in a birdcage, just like those foolish gods in Tenkai who only wanted to confine me."
"Erk..."
The goddess's grievance left him speechless.
He truly wanted to relieve her worries, but his divine nature, which had been cultivated for hundreds of millions of years, made it impossible for a pallum like him to help.
The goddess said listlessly, "Leave me."
Ottar didn't speak, his brow furrowed tightly. He kept looking back at the resentful goddess as he left.
The beautiful Goddess of Beauty would never be satisfied with just one love.
No, even innumerable loves were the same.
At first glance, the chaos brought about by this amorousness seemed absurd and immoral, but this was also measuring her by the standards of the lower-world residents, humans. In the eyes of the gods, it was probably not just a fickle fancy.
Although his heart was complicated, he could understand.
Even though he wanted to respect her will, he still couldn't help but want to stop her.
However—
If she could really be stopped, then she wouldn't be the Goddess of Beauty, who symbolized freedom and passion.
"As long as I don't cause a commotion in Orario, it'll be fine, right?" Freya left a letter and quietly departed.
Some time ago, she had first gone to the Guild Headquarters, to the Guild Master's office, and had stated that she wanted to leave Orario.
This request was, of course, refused.
Even for her, the main god of one of the strongest Familias, she still needed an exit permit to leave.
However, she had threatened to expose the Guild Master's secret embezzlement, which had forced him to let her go.
Just like that, she had smoothly walked out of the Labyrinth City.
"Hehe, is my heart leaping for joy?" The goddess, having escaped her cage, had a bewitching face that revealed a stunning smile, like a bird yearning for the sky and a partner. She murmured softly, "So, where is my Odr?"
She followed her heart, guided by the words of her children, and decided to head southeast to find him.
Before entering the Kaos Desert, she had walked into a certain bar in search of a means of transportation.
Under the appraising gazes of the merchants, when her true identity was exposed, the entire bar was filled with those who clearly had indecent thoughts and actions.
And there, she had met a man.
—Bofman.
He had rudely pushed aside the people surrounding her, smoothly squeezing his massive body through the crowd. His face had a fawning, obsequious smile, and he had said that if she was heading east, she should just leave it to him. He would prepare a vehicle at the fastest possible speed.
Because he had offered to act as her travel guide free of charge, she had accepted his proposal.
Well, to get involved with the largest faction in the Labyrinth City was equivalent to a merchant obtaining enormous benefits. The reason for this was the famous motto that circulated in the merchant world: "Rather than currying favor with foolish kings and nobles, it is better to please a powerful god's Familia."
He must have been thinking the same thing.
Freya, who had thought this, had assumed that the vehicle he would prepare was just an ordinary camel. But she hadn't expected him to give her a surprise.
—A ship!
A medium-sized vessel with a hull made of wood and metal. Two masts stretched high into the sky, and the white sails, which were puffed out, were catching the westerly wind.
The bow of the ship was making a rustling sound as it advanced, high-spirited, to the southeast.
The goddess, standing on the deck, gazed out at the vast desert world and murmured to herself, "...To think there is such a ship that sails on the desert. It is so new and wondrous."
In the eyes of others, this must have been a very bizarre sight. A ship that should have been on the sea was actually sailing on the desert.
But as she was bathed in the dry gusts of wind, and with the novel scenery around her, it all showed that she was now sailing on the desert's equivalent of the sea.
—The Kaos Desert.
The sand dunes stretched endlessly, like a mountain range. The ship kicked up flying sand from the endless carpet of fine sand, which was then sucked into the sky as a dust storm. In the distance, the rocky wasteland that wavered in the heat... whether it was a real sight or a false mirage, it was impossible to know.
At this moment, a human male approached.
The man had dark skin and an unusually large and robust body. His face, which had a thick beard, wore the same fawning, obsequious smile as ever.
The newcomer was Bofman.
He was a little proud and smug, and as if he wanted to be praised, he asked, "Lady Freya, are you satisfied with this desert voyage?"
"It is indeed a novel feeling. At the very least, I never thought I would encounter such a new and strange thing outside of Orario," the goddess said, not stingy with her praise, expressing her satisfaction with his actions.
And this man, with a turban on his head and the appearance of a desert-dweller, was immediately overjoyed.
"You are too kind! I, Bofman Fazzil, am but a humble merchant, willing to do anything for you, Lady Freya! Ah! Just to be able to see with my own eyes the goddess who has shaken the mortal world with her divine power and unparalleled beauty is the greatest blessing from heaven! And now, to even be able to accompany you... I am simply too lucky! I believe the god who protects merchants must have shown me special favor!"
As expected of a merchant, to be able to say such overly-embellished flattery without blushing or getting out of breath.
She almost laughed out loud.
If it weren't for the fawning and desire that was so obvious even a child could see, she would indeed have thought more highly of him.
Unfortunately...
She gave him a small warning. "Bofman, I came to this desert to pass the time. I chose you purely out of appreciation for your talent. Since you have accepted this job, you must find a way to satisfy me."
"But of course, Lady Freya! Please leave everything to me, the richest man in this desert!" he said, puffing out his chest proudly, his confident appearance like that of a monkey in heat trying to prove itself.
This aura of despicable desire.
She couldn't help but frown slightly, then slowly smoothed it out.
Leaving aside his tendency to boast, she had indeed seen at a glance that he was a very talented merchant.
"Well then, I would like to first see the place in this vicinity where the most children come and go."
"As you command! Doh-ho-ho—"
Also, his strange way of speaking and his un-compliment-able laugh were inexplicably infuriating.
But as long as they could smoothly reach their destination, these were all small matters.
In any case, her heart was filled with anticipation. And as she was immersed in the beauty of the desert, a smile that was different from her queenly status in the Labyrinth City appeared on her face.
That smile, like that of a pure young girl... even Bofman had forgotten that he was just a servant of the goddess before him, and couldn't help but stare, bewitched.
So much so that he didn't even notice her question.
"By the way, I remember this ship was made by the magic-nation of Art-Luna, wasn't it?"
"Ah?! Y-yes! This ship is called the Sandsea Ship! It is a high-class vehicle that has only recently been introduced to the Kaos Desert from that country!"
He quickly came back to his senses and proudly explained the ship.
Besides Orario, the magic-nation of Art-Luna was also one of the world's major powers. This ship they had built could be said to be a giant magic item.
This was the world's first ship designed for the desert, created by the hands of dozens of magicians.
"Please believe me, Lady Freya! This is the fastest and best means of transportation in this desert! With its precise navigation, its performance and practicality far exceed that of riding a camel. After all, even if you ride a camel, there is still a chance of getting lost in the desert, don't you think?"
His words, inside and out, were all to show off his ship.
It was also understandable.
After all, this was the world's first ship designed for the desert, and it was precisely because of this that he had been able to firmly sit on the throne of the richest man in the Kaos Desert. And thanks to this ship, he had been able to catch her eye.
Thinking of it this way, was this ship his lucky ship?
A big grin curved under Bofman's thick beard.
But the goddess suddenly asked, "Then what if one were to walk in the desert?"
"...What?"
"I'm saying, not taking a ship, not riding a camel, not even relying on any means of transportation, but just walking in the desert with one's own two feet. In that case, would one be able to leave the desert?"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Bofman waved his hands wildly, his expression even twisting slightly.
She hadn't expected him to have such a big reaction.
"This desert is huge! Without a vehicle, with just one's own two feet, one would quickly be lost in a sandstorm! In that case, it would be absolutely, absolutely impossible to walk out!"
He was very agitated.
Because this was his exclusive domain, the domain he relied on for his livelihood. He would absolutely not allow others to refute or question him, even if the other party was a goddess!
He had his own pride!
However, the goddess pointed to the front of the ship and said, "But look. There are two figures over there."
"...Huh?!!!"
He hurriedly leaned over the railing. He was in such a rush that he almost fell off, but even so, it couldn't stop his heart from searching for the figures.
And when he saw the two cloaked figures in front of them, he couldn't help but curse, "Are those two idiots?! This is the desert! The biggest desert in the world! Even with a camel, and an experienced guide, there's still a high chance of getting lost! But those two actually came into the desert with nothing prepared! Do they not want to live?!"
"What if their camel was lost?"
"Impossible! An experienced person would have made preparations in advance in case their camel was lost! But those two have nothing on them! You can tell they're rookies at a glance! They're dead! I'm telling you!"
"Is that really so..."
She murmured softly. Her eyes had seen something interesting, and a thought arose in her heart.
"Could it be that he is the one I'm looking for?"
"What did you say?"
"Bofman, bring the ship closer."
"Lady Freya?!"
His mouth fell open in surprise. He really wanted to refuse, but her majestic gaze made his heart skip a beat. He had a feeling that if he refused, something bad would happen. A merchant's premonition was warning him.
There was no helping it. He could only grit his teeth, stomp his foot, and order the crew to change course and head towards the two figures.
The ship was very fast.
After a short while, it had overtaken the two and then stopped. The stopped ship kicked up a cloud of sand, enveloping it.
Bofman ordered someone to lower a rope ladder. He did not, however, obsequiously run down to welcome them. Lowering the rope ladder was already his biggest concession. In his eyes, the fact that these two rookies could board his ship was all thanks to the goddess's grace.
The two people below looked at the ship but were in no hurry to come up. Just as he was about to shout at them, with a "swoosh," two figures suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Waaah!"
He let out a cry of surprise and fell on his butt on the wooden deck, which made him cry out in pain.
And at this moment, the one in the lead took off his cloak.
It was a handsome young man.
He gave an elegant bow and said, "Thank you for extending a helping hand when I was lost. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kobayashi. I am a traveler."
(End of Chapter)