"Even so, your actions truly helped us. It was because of what you did that we managed to escape danger. So, please accept this—it's a small token of my gratitude."
As she spoke, Castorice once again drew a pouch from her waist. This time, the gems inside far outnumbered those she had previously offered to Ishtar.
The weight of it was clearly substantial.
Ahem! "As a goddess, I can't very well disappoint my devotees. Since this is your sincere offering, I'll gladly accept it! Heheh~ Of course, I won't be ungrateful either. If I happen to find you in danger, I won't hesitate to save you!"
And then, you'll give me even more gems as tribute... This girl must have quite the stash hidden away.
The thought of draining Castorice's little treasury and amassing a heap of gems for herself made the corners of Ishtar's lips curl into a faint, smug smile.
As a goddess, isn't it only natural to be a little self-indulgent?
On the other side, watching Ishtar accept the gems, Castorice's lips also curved into a subtle smile.
Just as I thought. Though she carries herself as a deity, the vessel she descended into belongs to a kind, tsundere girl.
That's why the Ishtar of today, despite her divine arrogance, also has that tsundere and compassionate side—completely different from the heavenly goddess of myth.
On the surface, she seemed to be acting in exchange for tribute, but in truth, Castorice was merely giving her a reason to act without losing face.
With a troublesome personality like a tsundere's, being too forceful only backfires. But once you learn to stroke her fur the right way, everything becomes much simpler.
Come to think of it, Castorice's current approach really did feel a bit like [redacted], and Ishtar hadn't even realized she was already being subtly [redacted] by Castorice!
"But still, I'm surprised you managed to bring so many people this far. That's quite impressive. Not that I'm interested in these humans, mind you! I only acted earlier to vent my anger, really!"
Having happily taken the gems, Ishtar seemed to feel that accepting them so bluntly was beneath her divine dignity, so she quickly changed the subject. By the end, she emphasized again, as if to remind Castorice, that her earlier intervention had been purely incidental.
"Of course, I understand what you mean, Ishtar."
Castorice responded with a polite smile, yet for some reason, Ishtar felt a hint of sarcasm lurking beneath her words.
But then she reconsidered—No, this child is my devoted follower, a truly good person! How could I doubt her?
"Anyway, let's meet again if fate allows, my faithful follower~"
Leaving those brief words behind, Ishtar mounted Maanna and vanished into the sky, heading who-knows-where.
Meanwhile, Castorice proceeded into the city.
Gazing upon the survivors before her, a trace of sorrow welled up deep in her eyes. The group, which had originally numbered over sixty, now stood at just over forty after the recent battle...
Though she understood that she couldn't protect them all and had braced herself for their deaths, when loss stared her in the face, she couldn't suppress the grief that surfaced.
After all, no matter how much one has endured, death remains a brutally cruel reality.
"Partings always come too soon... but you all did well."
She looked upon the broken remains laid respectfully on the ground—these valiant warriors had fought fiercely on the battlefield, yet all their comrades could bring back were their shattered bodies.
Under the fangs and claws of the magical beasts, they hadn't even been granted a dignified end.
With her keen perception, Castorice could sense that though they had died, their souls had not yet departed for the underworld.
"Though I cannot do more for you... let me at least see you on your final journey."
Gently, Castorice reached out, softly caressing the fractured souls drifting above.
In that moment, their spirits dispersed one after another, bound for the realm of the dead.
Just then, Castorice heard a faint, choked sob. Following the sound, she saw a young girl collapsed on the ground, and before her lay a body mangled almost beyond recognition.
The beast's claws had pierced his chest, shattering his ribs.
Though the boy wasn't yet completely gone, he lingered on the brink, barely clinging to life. With every strained breath, Castorice could see his body convulse in agony.
It was the searing pain from a broken rib stabbing into his lung.
Castorice remembered this boy—he was among the first survivors she had encountered, a life she had snatched from the jaws of death. Yet, in the end, his fate had arrived in another form.
"Rest easy. Your efforts were not in vain. She is safe now. Uruk will protect her, right up until the moment it falls."
Seeing the desperate plea in the boy's eyes, Castorice understood his question—he only wanted to know if his younger sister was safe.
Once she gave her clear reply, he seemed to relax noticeably.
Along with that relief, the light in his eyes began to fade.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt. Just... go to sleep. A good sleep is all you need now."
The boy's chest rose and fell violently; every breath tugged at his wounds, bringing unbearable pain.
It was a pity—Castorice was a saint who ushered in death, not a traveler on the path of Abundance who bestowed life. With injuries this severe, there was no saving him.
All she could offer him now was release, an end to his suffering.
After gently touching the boy's forehead, Castorice turned and walked away, ignoring the heartbroken sobs of the girl and the faint trace of resentment and confusion in her eyes.
"Aren't you going to explain?"
Ana, watching Castorice's lonely retreating figure, couldn't help but speak up.
"There's no need. She'll understand in time. Besides, what she needs now is to let her emotions out."
Castorice shook her head softly.
"...Fine, have it your way. Not my business anyway."
Ana pouted, pretending not to care, but her small figure stayed close to Castorice's side. Though she couldn't offer physical comfort, she seemed to be warming Castorice's heart in her own unique way.
"My apologies for interrupting this tender moment, but... Miss Castorice, Ana, it's time you both came with me to see King Gilgamesh."
Just as the two lapsed into tacit silence, Merlin approached, waving at them with a cheerful smile.
"Yeah, yeah, we know!"
Ana shot a glare at Merlin, and as she passed him, she couldn't resist leaping up to deliver a swift kick to his knee.
"Oww!"
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.