Chapter 293 ⤞ This Body Is Yours To Play With

Just as her smooth, bronze hand was about to touch Adam's cheek, he blocked it.

He grabbed her wrist and frowned, "Please show some restraint, Goddess Ishtar."

"What's wrong? Didn't you come here seeking pleasure? I am a Goddess, a divine being that mortals can only dream of. Yet you remain unsatisfied?"

Rather than showing anger at being blocked, Ishtar stepped forward, attempting to press herself against the Hero's chest. Her body emanated an alluring fragrance, and her gaze was captivating in its beauty.

She held absolute confidence that no man could resist her charms. Even the male Gods in heaven had fallen for her — how could this mortal be any different? He would surely be an easy conquest.

But she miscalculated.

Adam stepped back, keeping his distance, "Goddess Ishtar, I came here because I have matters to discuss with you, not for entertainment."

His tone carried a cold edge tinged with anger. This promiscuous Goddess repelled him.

Ishtar laughed as though she'd heard something amusing, "Hahaha, a Hero comes to the Entertainment District and claims he's here to discuss business? Do you expect me to believe that?"

The Goddess was stubborn, deaf to others' words, convinced everything would unfold according to her wishes.

Realizing that meaningful communication would be impossible, Adam abandoned reasoning with her and stated his purpose directly.

"Goddess Ishtar, I wish to take a prostitute away."

"Oh? No wonder I couldn't capture you — you already have someone else. I thought the Hero would be different." Her interest was clearly piqued, "Tell me, who has managed to capture the Hero's heart?"

"Sanjouno Haruhime."

"Hmm?" Ishtar's gaze sharpened, her expression shifting from coquettish to stern. The name had triggered her full attention, "I won't ask how you know her name, but I want to know why you wish to save her."

She sat properly on the sofa, finally displaying the dignity and authority of a Goddess — if she weren't completely nude.

But in the next moment, her lips curled into a flirtatious smile.

"Could it be, just as I thought, that the Hero has been captivated by a prostitute? Now that would be truly amusing."

Though her words were playful, inner displeasure seethed within her.

A mere mortal refusing a Goddess's advances? This was nothing short of an insult.

"Whatever you say." Adam had no intention of explaining.

Knowing Ishtar would never agree, he decided to move the conversation forward rather than waste time on trivial matters.

His dismissal only provoked her further. The Hero had rejected a Goddess in favor of a prostitute.

Did that mean she was worth less than a common courtesan?!

"You! Do you understand what you're saying?!" Ishtar snapped, "If word gets out that the Hero is consorting with a prostitute, your reputation in Orario will plummet!"

Her sudden show of concern seemed calculated — another attempt to sway the Hero's mind.

But Adam remained unmoved by her apparent goodwill.

"As I said before, I don't care what Goddess Ishtar thinks, and you're free to spread whatever news you wish." He stated firmly, "I only want Haruhime."

His composed demeanor — neither submissive nor arrogant — only stoked the fire in Ishtar's heart.

She wanted to possess the 『Hero』!

Not to prove her superiority over Freya, nor to spite the stoic Adam. She truly wanted to make the 『Hero』 hers.

Don't misunderstand! This wasn't love, but pure desire — like a child coveting a toy, like a collector eyeing a treasure. Just like Freya.

She knew that if she could bring Adam into her Familia, even without Haruhime as a tool, possessing the 『Hero』 alone would ensure her victory over Freya!

She just needed more time.

The hall fell silent. After Adam's declaration, Ishtar remained wordless, perhaps too enraged to speak.

Had his directness wounded her pride beyond recovery?

It didn't matter, she wouldn't agree anyway.

Just as Adam was thinking this, Ishtar said, "Alright, if you really want to take that child away."

"Hmm?"

"I said, it's possible." Ishtar repeated, tilting her head curiously, "But tell me, why do you want to save her? Have you fallen for her? I should warn you — though that child seems pure, I've arranged for her to experience pleasure several times already. Any notion of chastity would be meaningless."

Her words carried weight. To anyone harboring genuine feelings for Haruhime, they would have been devastating.

However, Adam, who held no such desires for the fox-girl, remained unmoved. Besides, he knew the truth — Haruhime had never taken any clients.

He maintained his composure, offering no explanation and letting Ishtar draw her own conclusions.

"It doesn't matter what her past is or what she's been through, I don't care."

"How decisive." Ishtar's interest piqued further, "Then let's discuss the terms for taking her away. You understand, she's a prostitute, and here in my territory — the Entertainment District — she must be ransomed."

This was customary. Throughout history, women in this profession had to pay substantial ransoms to regain their freedom.

But Adam knew better. Haruhime was too valuable as a tool for overthrowing the Freya Familia — this Goddess wouldn't release her easily.

Sure enough, Ishtar proposed an impossible condition.

"My condition is that you, Hero, join my Familia!" Ishtar pointed at him, "Join the Ishtar Familia, and I'll bestow that child upon you. What do you say?"

Bestow?

Adam instantly recognized the trap in her words. She was trying to get everything while giving nothing in return!

Her offer to "bestow" Haruhime was nothing but empty words. Even if he joined the Familia, Ishtar would keep Haruhime captive, ready to use her as a tool whenever needed.

In essence, she wanted everything while offering nothing in return.

But Ishtar wasn't finished with her proposition.

"Not only that, if you join the Ishtar Familia, you'll also get me! That's right, me!" She spread her arms, displaying her infinitely beautiful body completely before Adam, "This body is yours to play with!"

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