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Chapter 346: The White Great Sage (Second Part)
Chapter 346: The White Great Sage (Second Part)
Author: Today November 25th is the day volume 5 of the manga comes out.**
The cover is Noah-sama and the Great Sage-sama!!
…Grrrrrr.
A low growl echoed.
There was a giant 3 headed beast in front of us, the Watchdog of Hades, Cerberus.
It doesn’t seem like it is going to let us go for nothing.
I unsheath the Sacred Treasure from my waist and take a battle stance.
Momo is scared.
As for Dia, it took a step forward to protect me.
The sharp eyes of Cerberus narrowed like a carnivore aiming for its prey.
(…Do we have no choice but to fight?) (Makoto)
I don’t think we can smooth things over with a conversation like with the ferryman at the Sanzu River.
We are talking about a beast that shows up in mythology.
“…Dia.” (Makoto)
“…Yes, Our King.” (Dia)
It is rare to hear Dia being so stiff here.
That must be how fearsome of an enemy it is.
I could feel with my skin the Divinity that Cerberus was clad in.
Momo grabbed onto my clothes and was trembling.
At that moment…
—“Muh, are you…the Apostle of the Goddess Noah?”
A calm voice resonated.
The bloodlust towards us stopped and the expression of Cerberus turned peaceful.
Could this voice possibly be from Cerberus?
“Yes, I am the Apostle of the Goddess Noah-sama, Takatsuki Makoto.” (Makoto)
I take one step to the front from Dia and Momo who were flustered, and introduce myself.
—“Nice to meet you. I am Cerberus, the one serving the king of Hades, Pluto-sama.”
“Y-Yes, I am aware.” (Makoto)
He greeted me politely.
—“I have been notified by Eir-sama that you would be coming. I shall guide you to mine lord.” (Cerberus)
“Eir-sama did?!” (Makoto)
“T-That’s a relief!” (Momo)
I was surprised and Momo showed a relieved expression.
We have been saved.
Thanks to Eir-sama, we managed to avoid fighting a Divine Beast.
—“Follow me, Apostle of Noah.” (Cerberus)
Cerberus turned around and headed deeper in.
Is it alright to leave his work as a gatekeeper? -is what I was thinking, but a double-headed dog appeared with Teleport.
And then, it sat down in front of the gate.
Looks like there’s a substitute for the gatekeeper.
Then, there shouldn’t be any need for me to worry, huh.
We followed after Cerberus.
We entered a huge jet black castle and advanced through a really wide corridor.
I don’t see the end of it.
It is a long long corridor that feels endless.
Our footsteps echoed.
Cerberus is barely making a sound with his footsteps despite having such a big body.
We walked in silence for a while, but I was bored by the silence, so I spoke to the Watchdog of Hades.
“Cerberus, do you know of Noah-sama?” (Makoto)
“Our King?!” (Dia)
“Makoto-sama?!” (Momo)
Dia and Momo were surprised for some reason.
Isn’t it fine to just talk for a bit?
—“Of course. She is a fearsome Goddess that was on the verge of causing a 3rd Divine Realm War against that Sun Goddess Althena-sama. There’s no way I would forget.” (Cerberus)
“I-I see…” (Makoto)
Looks like he doesn’t have that good of an impression of Noah-sama.
Let’s avoid this topic.
—“By the way, Apostle-dono of Noah, ye a Spirit User, right? A Salamander has been settling at the Scorching Hell and the Onis managing that place have been troubled. Can you talk to it?” (Cerberus)
“Eh?” (Makoto)
I looked at the Great Water Spirit in surprise.
“Dia, you know anything about that?” (Makoto)
“Our King, Salamanders don’t have much of a place on the Mortal Realm after all. It would be inside volcanoes at best. They often end up in the Scorching Hell of Hades when they have nothing to do.” (Dia)
“I-Is that so…?” (Makoto)
I didn’t know.
—“That’s troubling, Undine. The duty of you four main Great Spirits of nature should be together with the residents of the Mortal Realm, right?” (Cerberus)
“Hmph, I don’t know about a rule you Holy Gods decided on!” (Dia)
Dia faced away.
Cerberus-san looked at me as if saying ‘can’t you do something about it?’.
But I can’t just accept it readily with a ‘leave it to me’.
“This is unfortunate, but I have not gotten along with a Salamander yet…” (Makoto)
I can now see Great Fire Spirits due to the effect of having become a God, but I can’t make them listen to me.
It took me a long time to be able to freely request things from the Great Water Spirits.
It most likely won’t be so simple with the Great Fire Spirit.
But something unexpected came out from the mouth of Cerberus-san.
—“There’s no hurry. You can just do it within 100 years.” (Cerberus)
“Eh?” (Makoto)
“100 years?!” (Momo)
Momo, who was listening to the conversation with me, raised her voice in surprise.
“Uhm…isn’t the limit a bit too far?” (Makoto)
—“Hm? Is it? What do you think, Undine?” (Cerberus)
Cerberus-san tilted its heads and looked at the Great Water Spirit.
“Even if you look at me… 100 years just doesn’t click with me to begin with.” (Dia)
The Great Water Spirit scratched her cheek.
(T-This is the sense of time of mythological beings that live eternally…) (Makoto)
Momo and I were so baffled we couldn’t say anything.
That’s when I suddenly noticed.
Only the middle head of the Watchdog of Hades had short hair.
What happened?
“By the way…did the middle one have a haircut?” (Makoto)
I asked this casually.
Cerberus made a slightly dumbstruck face.
—“Muh? This…? A certain swordsman cut it off when I had been summoned on the Mortal Realm.” (Cerberus)
“Y-Your head was cut off?!” (Momo)
“By a mortal?!” (Dia)
Momo and the Great Water Spirit shouted loudly before I did.
“That…there’s an outrageous guy out there, huh.” (Makoto)
When I said this, Cerberus-san grinned.
—“Yeah, he was a young man with potential. I am looking forward to the future.” (Cerberus)
“So you are not angry even though your head was cut off?” (Makoto)
I asked in wonder.
—“Why should I get angry? A young man with promise showing up in the plan imposed by Althena-sama, Ladder to Heaven, is something to be truly joyful over. Also, my power was restrained to less than 1% of my original power due to the Trial Summon.” (Cerberus)
“I see…” (Makoto)
I don’t really get it, but it seems like Cerberus-san was happier by the fact that a strong swordsman showed up rather than his head being cut off.
That said, the plan of Althena-sama, huh.
If I remember correctly, it is to create a new God from the mortals…was it?
He must be quite the strong swordsman if he can sever the head of Cerberus.
Just when I was thinking about asking for more details…
—“You are about to be in the presence of Pluto-sama. Be careful not to be rude.” (Cerberus)
“G-Got it!” (Makoto)
I straighten my back at the voice of Cerberus-san.
Let’s move the miscellaneous thoughts elsewhere for now.
The one who I am going to be meeting is someone that’s probably even higher in ranking than Noah-sama.
I must not be rude.
*…Gih…Gih…Gih…Gih…Gih…Gih…*
A giant door at the corner of the corridor.
It was opening slowly.
Cerberus-san entered it before it finished opening completely.
Momo, the Great Water Spirit, and I followed after him.
The sound of the boots hitting the floor echoed.
What was at the other side of the door was a room so vast I couldn’t even see the walls.
There was a big throne at the center of the room.
There’s no one sitting at the throne.
Should I be waiting here? -is what I thought when…
— “My Lord, Pluto-sama, I have guided the Apostle of Noah, Takatsuki Makoto-dono, here.” (Cerberus)
The 3 heads of the Watchdog of Hades were lowered deeply.
I followed after him. I kneeled and lowered my head.
Momo hurriedly lowered her head and the Great Water Spirit did so too, reluctantly.
Time passed silently.
………………
……………
…………
It was only a few seconds.
But the atmosphere…clearly changed.
There was no sound, but I felt like ‘something’ was there in the throne that no one was in just a few moments ago.
“It is nice to see you have come, Apostle of Noah.”
The cold voice of a woman rang.
(…Woman?) (Makoto)
That’s weird.
The God King of Hades Pluto-sama should be a God.
I raised my head.
The one sitting at the throne was a beautiful Goddess with long black hair and cold eyes.
That inhuman beauty was the same as Noah-sama and Eir-sama.
However, she gave off a slightly cold impression.
She is the God King of Hades, Pluto-sama?
But that looks like a Goddess no matter how I see it though…?
— “Proserpina-sama?” (Cerberus)
Cerberus raised his voice, flustered.
I noticed with that name.
The queen of Hades, Proserpina-sama.
The wife of Pluto-sama.
“And so, what brings the Apostle of the just reinstated Old Goddess here?” (Proserpina)
I felt a faint mocking tone when she said Old Goddess.
It might be my imagination though.
“I have received Divinity from Noah-sama and have become a new God, my name is Takatsuki Makoto. I have come today to do my greetings. I have been entrusted with a letter by the Goddess.” (Makoto)
“Hmm, a letter, huh~.” (Proserpina)
“?!”
Just when I tried to take out the golden envelope entrusted to me by Noah-sama from my pocket, it was already in the hands of the Queen of Hades.
S-Since when…?
Proserpina-sama glanced at the envelope as if it were tiresome and tore it apart.
“…Eh?” (Makoto)
After a second of confusion, anger welled up in me.
This woman tore the letter of Noah-sama?
— “Proserpina-sama!!” (Cerberus)
Cerberus-san raised his voice loudly before I could say something.
“What is it, Cerberus? Raising your voice so loudly…” (Proserpina)
— “My apologies for overstepping here, but isn’t that way too ungrateful of an action?” (Cerberus)
“I already read the inside, so isn’t it fine? Basically, you have come here to do your greetings, and while at it, also want to return that vampire girl there into a human, right?” (Proserpina)
The Queen of Hades directed her gaze at Momo, and she trembled.
“““……”””
Momo, the Great Water Spirit, and I silently wait for her to continue speaking.
Honestly, her tearing apart the letter pissed me off, but I was dissuaded a bit with Cerberus-san getting angry for me.
What’s more important here are my original objectives: my greetings as the Apostle of my Goddess and the resurrection of Momo.
I must not lose sight of those.
“Well, fine. You went through the trouble of coming all the way from the Mortal Realm to Hades, so let’s honor that. I will allow her to revive.” (Proserpina)
The Queen of Hades easily said this.
Momo and I look at each other.
{Isn’t that great, Momo?!} (Makoto)
{Yes, Makoto-sama!} (Momo)
With this, Momo can return to being a human.
That said, the original plan was to meet Pluto-sama and get his permission though. Does that mean the queen also has the same authority?
I was curious about that, but as a greenhorn God, I felt apprehensive about asking Proserpina-sama.
Most of all, the resurrection of Momo has been accepted.
That’s enough.
“But there’s a condition.” (Proserpina)
The Queen of Hades said bluntly.
“…Condition?” (Makoto)
“…What kind?” (Momo)
Momo and I asked dubiously.
Proserpina-sama made a wicked smile.
I felt sickened by that face.
(She kind of…resembles the Moon Goddess Naia-sama…) (Makoto)
It reminded me of that prank loving Goddess.
“I will give you a trial. Cerberus…guide them to that place.” (Proserpina)
— “Proserpina-sama…could it be…” (Cerberus)
“That’s right. Let’s have them defeat that ‘problematic bunch’ that has been wreaking havoc in Hades recently.” (Proserpina)
— “Are you…serious there? Isn’t that a bit of an unreasonable challenge…?” (Cerberus)
“It is the duty of Gods to provide trials to the people who want their wishes fulfilled, you know? What inconvenience is there?” (Proserpina)
The conversation between the Queen of Hades and Cerberus-san continued.
What I can tell from this is that it isn’t heading in that good of a direction.
“Now, go! I won’t go back on my words.” (Proserpina)
— “Under…stood.” (Cerberus)
Cerberus-san tried to cling on, but he was pushed back by the Queen of Hades at the end.
— “Apostle-dono of Noah, over here.” (Cerberus)
Cerberus-san slowly left the room a bit downhearted here.
We followed after him.
“Uhm…what should we be doing from here on? What’s this ‘troublesome bunch’?” (Makoto)
I asked Cerberus-san after a while.
— “Monstrosities that have come from outside the universe have taken dwelling in the midpoint of Hades and Hell, Tartaros. They have apparently drifted here from an universe of a far dimension, and are giving us trouble. Defeating them is the trial of Proserpina-sama.” (Cerberus)
“Got it. This is to revive Momo. And so…what are these monstrosities?” (Makoto)
When I asked this, Cerberus-san hesitated for a bit before speaking.
— “The name is…the Trash Monstrosity: Chill Utas.” (Cerberus)
(Trash Monstrosity…?) (Makoto)
A name I haven’t heard before.
I look at Momo and the Great Water Spirit.
The two also shook their heads to the side.
It seems like they don’t know either.
“What’s so problematic about it?” (Makoto)
When I asked this, Cerberus-san said apologetically.
— “The special trait of Chill Utas is…immortality. In other words, it can’t be killed.” (Cerberus)
“Eh?” (Makoto)
Did I hear wrong?
— “In other words, what the trial of Proserpina-sama is: Defeat an immortal monstrosity.” (Cerberus)
“…What do you want me to do?” (Makoto)
— “My apologies.” (Cerberus)
Cerberus-san apologized.
…He is not the one at fault here.
What’s at fault here is the personality of that Queen of Hades.
Looks like I have to defeat an immortal monstrosity in order to revive Momo.
?Comment Response:
There were a lot of comments about Anna-san.
The story about her will come later.
There’s also the ‘promise’ after all.
]I thought the noisiest Spirit would be the Fire Spirit.
-Fire Spirits like festivals.
They are unruly once they begin partying, but they are normally docile.
Wind Spirits like talking.
They are always noisy.
?Author’s Comment:
The 5th volume of the manga is on sale.
The first appearance of the Great Sage-sama Momo when she was still dignified.
The number of characters appearing in the manga has increased and it is going well.
Also, it has been decided that volume 11 of Zero Believers will be published!!
…Meaning that I will be worked to death for a while.
Now then, let’s meet next time!