I Was Forced To Quit Being a Nun and Get Married Because of a Divine Oracle ~the Wise Prince Who I A

Chapter 52: Fighting Back

Sunflowers were in full bloom. The night sky was filled with stars, and a warm breeze blew. Cosmos flowers with pink petals swayed by the riverside.

Here, where seasons and day and night are ignored, one can meet beings that they would not normally encounter. I knew that. From behind the tall sunflowers, a woman with silver hair in a loose robe came.

It was the main god, Styx. Her expression showed a hint of confusion.

I’ll make the first move.

“I have something to talk to you about, main god Styx!”

However, Styx’s attitude was completely different from before and she seemed annoyed.

“Ugh… I thought I had my eye on you, but it seems like you didn’t like me very much.”

Perhaps it was because she overheard my conversation with Helios the other day, or maybe she didn’t like my attitude of drawing a line. She was sulky and seemed unhappy.

“Well, never mind. What? You’re not going to rely on my mercy, are you?”

I was also getting frustrated with Styx’s sulky behavior. I couldn’t hide my disappointment that she was such a god who couldn’t be understood.

So, I said a little more firmly.

“Yes, I have no intention of being at the mercy of your whims.”

I might be called ungrateful, but I thought I should be honest. Even though there is a difference between humans and gods, there should be sincerity between them. It would be troublesome if relationships were changed on a whim.

I asked Styx, who was pouting, with a scowl.

“Why didn’t you give Helios-sama your protection? Why do you favor only Thanasios-sama?”

Then, Styx said something outrageous, seemingly without any ill will.

“Isn’t it for Thanasios’s sake? I was thinking of making his younger brother his substitute, but I thought it would be safer for Thanasios if he was born first.”

(TL: Not sure I get it right: (A)Thanasios was supposed to be the firstborn and Helios the secondborn, but Styx switched the birth order, so Helios received the curse instead?)

Upon hearing that, I felt dizzy. This god is always thinking about Thanasios, which is fine, but she doesn’t care how much unhappiness she causes around him for that, and she doesn’t even seem to be aware of it.

I cannot agree with such innocent but also potentially evil thoughts. No matter how important Thanasios is, it’s not right.

“Do you understand how much Helios-sama cares about Thanasios-sama?”

“What does that have to do with me?”

Styx’s voice became firm as she didn’t like being blamed.

“Eleni, don’t misunderstand. You are not in a position to question me. I only gave you protection because it benefits Thanasios. Helios doesn’t need my protection.”

——Well, let’s change the approach.

I stopped looking up to Styx as a superior.

She’s just a child. A disobedient child. If I think that way, it’s important to persuade her.

“That’s not true. Okay? What if Thanasios-sama finds out about this?”

“He’ll be happy that I did everything for his sake, won’t he?”

That’s a terrible misunderstanding. Why doesn’t this god understand Thanasios?

“No, he won’t. He might start to dislike you, main god Styx.”

“Why? What for?”

“Let me say it again. Do you understand how much Thanasios-sama values Helios-sama? If he finds out that Helios-sama took on the curse instead of him, as per the will of the main god Styx, he will hate you for why you did such a thing.”

“Hate me? Thanasios? Eleni, what do you mean? I did it for Thanasios. Because Helios is…”

“Helios-sama is not a substitute for anything. He is Thanasios-sama’s irreplaceable and beloved older brother. If something terrible were to happen to him, Thanasios-sama would be devastated.”

Styx was extremely surprised and opened her mouth wide. She seemed to want to say that she had never thought of such a thing, but she might have understood my point of view to some extent.

As evidence, Styx still resisted.

“But Thanasios should understand. He is a devout person.”

“That’s why, the deeper the faith, the deeper the despair. You’ll stop believing in everything. What will happen if Thanasios-sama thinks that even believing in God won’t save him? Can this country survive like that?”

Styx closed her mouth and held her head, as if she understood. She may not be able to imagine Thanasios losing faith in herself, but she understood that it would affect the future of the country that worships her as a god.

After a while, Styx stamped her feet. I won’t say she looked like a child.

“Well, what should we do then? We can’t just give everything we want. There are limits, and even I can’t change the course that’s already set.”

“Even to give Helios-sama divine protection?”

“That’s easy, but what will you offer in return?”

Offer. I had forgotten that gods demand compensation in exchange for answering prayers.

“The protection to keep Helios safe from curses and the blessing to bring happiness to his life from now on. That’s all well and good, but it wouldn’t make sense to receive them without any compensation. Especially if it’s for someone who doesn’t believe in me, what would my followers think?”

That was a valid point. It was too convenient to receive the protection of the main god Styx without offering anything in return.

If that was the case, then something had to be paid. But what?

I couldn’t ask Thanasios or Helios about this because I didn’t want to let them know. The same went for the Styx Kingdom. So, the only option was for me, who knew about it and had directly asked for it, to pay for it.

I had one idea that might be a suitable compensation.

“Understood. Then, I will pay the compensation.”

“Oh… What will you offer?”

Styx showed a childish, expectant face with a grin.

Perhaps this god was pure. She might not be a wise person who thought deeply, but rather a motherly existence who watched over this world.

In response to her whimsical and thoughtless behavior, I decided to strike back like a cornered rat biting a cat.

“I will never have children in my lifetime. In exchange, please give Helios-sama your protection.”