Chapter 163  : Khorkina

「Long time no see Akito-chan~」

「Y-yeah」

Khorkina came out to greet me and I was once again bewildered by her high-tension.

As usual her unbridled cheerfulness and sense of distance were crazy. It was only the second or third time we’d met and yet she acted like we were close friends who hadn’t met for years.

She was the only one in this world who called me Akito 「chan」.

「You’re the same as usual.」

「Akito-chan is as cool as always too.」

Khorkina lightly answered back but fell silent and scrutinized me.

She looked at my face and moved her head around while looking me up and down.

「What’s up?」

「It’s not like usual…you’re much cooler than you used to be. What happened?」

「Well that is……」

「We met~」

In my stead the Evil God answered from behind me.

It was strange but the aura the atmosphere she had…didn’t change even after she lost her powers.

It might’ve been my imagination but it felt stronger.

「You met huh~ and Akito-chan…who’s this person?」

「Poor child, clinging to the past even though there’s nothing left.」

「??? What are you talking about?」

Khorkina tilted her head as if to say 「I have no idea what this person is saying」.

「It’s nothing, don’t listen to her. Just lead us in.」

「Un, follow me.」

Khorkina said and began to guide us along.

We followed behind her and stepped foot inside the forest.

It resembled the forest around the Demon King’s Castle. It had a heavy feeling.

「Be careful Akito-chan, if you lose me you’ll be lost~」

「If I lose you?」

「Un if you lose me.」

「Is there something going on in this forest?」

「It’s~ a~ Se~cret~」

「I see」

I nodded with a wry smile.

There was definitely something but she wouldn’t speak.

Well, it was Khorkina after all it shouldn’t be a lie.

I decided to stay within 2 meters of her.

I decided to speak to the Evil God behind me.

I lowered my voice so Khorkina couldn’t hear.

「What did you mean by that 「Poor child」 thing?」

「What do you think?」

「Don’t question me back……hmm……」

I touched my chin and thought.」

「You said it suggestively but you wouldn’t just spout random stuff.」

「Smart child. So following that logic…」

「And you said they clung to the past. The past…The Age of Eternal Slaves?」

「Yes」

「Something happened in the past?」

「You’re asking another woman about other women’s pasts?」

「You’re their God right? Not just an ordinary woman.」

「Sly child. Someday you’ll get punished~」

Will I?

Basically it was as effective as saying I’d receive 「Divine Punishment」.

But right now there wasn’t a God in this world.

The Goddess took this chance to infiltrate my town and try living a normal life.

In summary I wouldn’t be receiving any punishment anytime soon.

「If there is a God then I offer my sincerest sentiments.」

I said while walking away. I clapped my hands twice and did a quick bow.

「What’s that?」

「It’s the praise for gods in my previous world. 「Join your hands twice and bow once」」

「How cheap」

「Well it’s basically to calm down things at the level of a land god though.」

I took out my DORECA and created something sweet.

I handed the Evil God a Rice cake stuffed with bean jam.

「That’s a little better.」

「You feel like telling me now?」

「Foolish child. It’s the fickle nature of a god.」

「You just eat without paying?」

「That’s what a god does.」

「…I’ll remember it.」

I decided to let it go even though she didn’t tell me anything. The reason for that was the sight of her stuffing her face with the cake made her look like a hamster. It was adorable.

***********************************************

Eternal Slaves looked like Elves from my world but that was the only trait they retained.

They were a race that held a strong service spirit.

A happiness from receiving orders and working alongside their children under the same Master.

Besides their appearances they didn’t feel anything like elves.

The Regrets.

They looked like Dark Elves.

Their silver hair and tan skin…many had sharp eyes that looked at the world with enmity.

I’d heard that they transform if they cannot find a Master after a certain number of years.

I felt some semblance of Elven nature from them.

We exited the forest with Khorkina.

There was a town.

A hidden town within the forest truly matched with my image of elves.

That was all well and good……but I had to ask.

「What is this place?」

「This is our country.」

「Country? Not a town?」

「Un, country. This is all of it.」

This is all……」

「This is much less than I thought. When I heard country I thought there would be more.」

「Couldn’t you just reverse calculate it based on the food you gave?」

「……I left that to Yuria.」

My third slave Yuria.

Her calm personality and talent for domestic affairs allowed me to leave such matters to her.

Yuria not mentioning it…but it’s also my fault for slacking…let’s leave that aside.

I see, so this is all there was.

It was outside of my expectations but there seemed to be a bit more than a hundred people.

Plus…

「The atmosphere is really heavy.」

I could feel the sharp gazes of several Regrets.

All of them seemed either angry or depressed.

That’s why the entire place felt heavy.

「This is really…」

「Well just a bit~」

「This is completely different from the image you and Svetlana gave me.」

「Well that’s…we sent out the two top cheerful girls as the forward line.」

「Top two!?」

I was surprised.

「You aside…Svetlana?」

Svetlana my sixth slave.

She had been a regret and got tangled in everything.

If you were to describe her…she was an unrefined military woman.

Her speech patterns were as such and her personality the same.

She wasn’t dark and depressed like all the Regrets here.

However, you definitely couldn’t mistake her as being cheerful.

With her personality Svetlana was…

「Un, the top two.」

「So basically the top number one and the runner up…」

「Either way~」

Khorkina laughed lightly.

I had thought of this before but I truly understood.

She was one of a kind amongst the Regrets.

At the same time I remembered the Evil God’s words.

Khorkina was hiding some sort of past.

That blinding brightness was hiding something.

It bothered me.