Chapter 1 That Goddess has a curse.

Belief and faith are different.

Belief is the acceptance of something, whether tangible or intangible, visible or invisible, virtuous or vile, concrete or abstract.

Faith, on the other hand, is the deep reverence for what one strongly believes in.

The gods exist through the beliefs of people, grow stronger from the faith of their followers, and bear the duty of granting hope to humanity when prayers are offered to…

Since Nos could remember, all she had ever seen was darkness.

She could not perceive the world through her eyes, yet her other senses were razor-sharp.

The taste of food when it deviated from its usual flavor, the peculiar scent clinging to her nanny upon returning to the room, the gentle breeze brushing her skin as people passed close by, and the unmistakable whispers of gossip, even when not uttered in her presence.

Those whispers always targeted her face.

The girl had bulging eyes that seemed too large for her sockets since infancy. Thus, she was deemed cursed by the gods, born incomplete and so hideously repulsive that people avoided even looking at her.

Eventually, her parents sent someone to kill her, ridding themselves of the disgrace she embodied—a life deemed worthless.

A mysterious assassin drove a weapon into her abdomen and left without ensuring the deed was done.

Though death was inevitable from such a wound, leaving her to bleed and suffer was an act of cruel malice beyond measure.

In the moments when her breath grew faint, the eight-year-old girl could only question the gods worshipped by people.

Why had they allowed her to be born unloved? Why had they given her a life devoid of light, unlike everyone else?

If...

If she could be granted a new life, she would want to see the world.

She longed for someone who would truly care for her, even just one person.

Just one—anyone. That alone would be enough.

She would give everything she had to that person, even if she herself held no worth.

...As if by a miracle, one God answered Nos's desperate plea.

That god bestowed upon her the 'Hero's Blessing'.

With it, Nos received miraculous healing. The pain in her body vanished, as though no one had ever harmed her. Her bulging eyes, once larger than her skull, slowly fused and adjusted to fit perfectly with her face.

After just a few days of recovery, she could finally open her eyelids—and, as if by magical wonder, she could see.

Shapes and colors she had never known before brought tears streaming down her cheeks. The sparkling light reflected in droplets that fell onto the carpet.

The images she had only imagined from touch before... The things called books, feather pens, a desk for keeping items, and a chair to sit on—they looked like this.

It was wonderful. So wonderful.

The god who saved her was named Eruza, one of the Four Great Gods.

The tales that described her as a being of unparalleled beauty, as if sculpted by the finest artist in the three realms, were no exaggeration.

Her long, braided hair in a deep shade of blue cascaded down to her waist. Her slender eyebrows framed her radiant blue eyes, and her high nose and soft, pink lips completed a face of striking elegance. With flawless, fair skin, a delicately sculpted oval face, and perfectly proportioned curves beneath her dark brown garments, every detail made those who gazed upon her feel ensnared, bewitched in an instant.

Nos had never seen another person before. The first she ever laid eyes upon was the Goddess Eruza. And yet, the sight of her was so enchanting, so captivating, that everything else seemed dull in comparison to the perfect beauty standing before her.

A high goddess…

In time, Nos learned many things from Eruza.

Years passed, and she grew.

She came to understand letters, trained in the use of weapons and studied books to hone various skills. She began to realize her destiny as a hero, chosen by the gods themselves.

A hero...

At first, the girl did not understand.

Eruza explained that it was all part of a wager among the Four Great Gods.

The laws of this world prohibited the gods from slaying the Demon Lord themselves. Thus, each god had to choose a human to act as their heroes, to face the demonic forces and attempt to bring down the Demon Lord.

Nos had to grow stronger quickly to declare herself a hero to the world, fulfilling the terms of the divine intervention that saved her life.

The girl once believed that the goddess had saved her out of kindness. But in truth, Eruza's mercy did not extend that far. She had given Nos a second chance at life—not out of compassion, but to craft her into a loyal servant, bound by fate.

"My Goddess, for you… am I just a tool?"

"Smart girl."

It was a compliment, accompanied by the first smile Nos had ever received—a smile adorning that perpetually stoic, beautiful face.

It was so sweet, so dazzling, that it stole her breath for a moment.

She even forgot the cruel truth embedded in that answer: she was nothing more than a tool to be used.

Nos pressed her lips together. "My Goddess, why don't you smile more often?"

Eruza had once told her that smiling was an expression of happiness, yet the goddess herself rarely smiled.

"Little girl, if you're happy with the life you've been given, then smile in my place."

The reply was effortless, deflecting the focus away from herself—aloof and cold, as always.

Nos bit her lip before responding, "Alright. I'll smile."

Because this world was so much more beautiful than darkness, Nos found joy in seeing the shapes and colors of everything around her. She was happy, every moment of every day.

Being used didn't matter.

Nos had already resolved to repay the one who saved her. After all, she was the sole person chosen by the Goddess Eruza.

Someone like her, who had nothing, had been entrusted with great expectations.

No matter how difficult the path became, she would persevere.

No matter the sacrifices required, she would gladly make them.

Because she was Eruza's tool—a goddess who valued nothing above the destruction of the Demon Lord.

Once, Nos overheard a group of adventurers passing by her house talking about other heroes. Comparing what she heard to her own experience, she realized that most heroes did not interact so closely with their gods as she did with Eruza.

Curious, she asked the goddess why she visited the human world every day.

Eruza simply explained that Nos was too young and inexperienced, requiring personal attention to teach her the basics—unlike the other heroes.

Was that... concern?

For a fleeting moment, warmth filled Nos's heart. A surge of happiness spread through her body as she thought that perhaps the goddess cared for her in some way—even if it was only as a tool.

Still, her questions did not fade so easily.

Did the goddess truly care for her? Did other followers receive such attention?

Driven by curiosity, Nos decided to disobey Eruza's instructions to train one day and secretly followed the goddess.

It turned out to be nothing like Nos had imagined. She had thought the goddess would return to her heavenly realm to rest, as the stories claimed gods could do in the blink of an eye. But Eruza never went anywhere near heaven.

Determined to uncover the truth, Nos began tailing the goddess without being detected.

To avoid raising suspicion, she diligently completed her assignments and training at a pace far faster than usual, creating the perfect alibi.

Through her observations, Nos realized that Eruza's abilities were not so different from those of humans. The goddess simply possessed an extraordinary breadth of knowledge accumulated over countless years and the ability to hear the prayers of devotees, appearing when summoned—just as she had when saving Nos.

With this knowledge, coupled with her careful tracking, Nos discovered something unexpected. The goddess often referred to herself as "El" when among others and lived and worked in the city, blending in as though she were human.

Six days a week, El worked, spending the seventh in a peculiar building tucked in a corner of the city. Every evening, she returned home to assign Nos more training before retiring for the night.

Her routine was almost mechanical.

El's appearance was identical to Eruza's—a cool, stoic demeanor. Occasionally, however, she would smile at women who approached her during her work hours.

Nos's heart twinged uncomfortably at the sight. It felt strange to see the goddess Eruza smiling at someone other than her. For the first time, she realized she was not as special to the goddess as she had thought.

But the following week, the goddess smiled at yet another woman, entirely ignoring the previous one.

This left Nos even more bewildered.

What did it mean?

The only thing that stood out was that Eruza entered the strange building with the "special" woman. Yet when they emerged, they kept their distance, behaving as though they were strangers.

Nos grew curious to the point where she couldn't bear it any longer, wondering what the goddess was doing in that place. So, she secretly followed to observe again on the seventh day.

There were guards stationed at the front of the building, so Nos used her stealth skills to infiltrate discreetly through one of the windows.

"Ah… ahhh… mmm!" Some sounds came from all directions when her feet touched the second floor.

It was mixed together to the point where it was almost indistinguishable. It was as if every room in this mysterious building was being done to a woman…

What was this place?

The girl tried to unlock a door and saw a man and a woman trying to fuse their bodies together… Their expressions were full of satisfaction…

It indicated that the source of the sound was not being attacked.

She then tried to take another step and saw a man and a man doing something similar to the previous couple.

"Mmm… mmm…!"

Nos believed that her hearing was sharp.

Even if it was a whistling sound with a different tone than usual, it was definitely the goddess Eruza.

Therefore, the petite eleven-year-old quickly nudged her toe toward the source of the sound and hastily broke the door latch, accidentally dropping it.

A piece of wood hit the floor in the room where two women were close not far away.

"Ahh!!" Just hearing the sweet and sensual sounds that came out was like being licked by her parched lips.

Eruza's naked body was fully visible to both eyes.

Her delicate skin was covered in sweat, the lotus bud was erect and teasing the soft yellow lamplight, the lower passage seemed to have been penetrated by another woman to the deepest point, and the sticky liquid from between her legs was flowing in a stream…

Although she did not know the meaning of these actions, Nos could understand one thing:

Her high goddess… was tainted with something impurity.

Her beautiful face flushed deeply as she was filled, her slender body trembling, enveloped by an intoxicating heat that exuded an irresistible allure.

"Little girl…" The goddess noticed her, but she seemed too drained to move.

Eruza, so weak and vulnerable…

A strange sensation churned within Nos's stomach, like a storm of emotions she couldn't quite name.

Without another thought, she fled the scene, her footsteps quick and unsteady. She rushed home, up the stairs, into her room, desperate to act as if nothing had happened—even though her mind was in utter turmoil.

What was that…?

What were those things...?

When Nos regained her composure, she recalled seeing Memory-Erasing Grass in the room where the goddess had intertwined with another.

It was with that very thing that Eruza ensured every woman distanced herself after their encounters...

That grass...

"Not long from now, you'll be eligible to register as an adventurer. So why have you disappointed me?" Eruza's voice suddenly echoed within the room, and her figure materialized, clad in a flowing white gown that exuded purity and divinity.

This was her true, godly form. Though her appearance seemed unchanged except for her attire, one detail stood out: black marks resembling lily petals climbed from her feet to her thighs.

Far from appearing as blemishes of corruption, they radiated a captivating allure, impossible to ignore.

It was said that gods could manifest anywhere. Eruza's sudden appearance made it clear she had recovered her strength and come to confront Nos directly.

Nos mulled over her words, biting her lip before asking, "My Goddess… will you erase my memory with that grass?"

Her transgression was clear: she had intruded upon something personal. She didn't deny her mistake, but the fear gnawed at her more deeply.

Fear... of returning to what she once was.

Fear... of being abandoned again.

"...Hero's Blessing protects you from poisons of that level. You won't forget what you've seen, no matter how much I might wish you could." Eruza replied, her clear blue eyes reflecting the eleven-year-old. "Then tell me why you disappointed me"

"Because…I want to know more about you"

"Then you should ask me"

"You hide so many things. I doubt you'd ever tell me something like this," Nos said, her voice laced with quiet frustration. As a hero chosen by the goddess Eruza herself, she could openly admit she was disheartened—disheartened that the goddess she revered refused to reveal anything to her.

"That is because you are still too young," came the calm, yet firm response.

Nos closed her eyes, suppressing the emotion rising within her. She didn't want this to end in discord. "I won't do this again… I'm sorry," she murmured. To her, the goddess was more important than anything else.

Eruza was her entire world… and for that reason, she didn't want to offend her.

For that reason, she would willingly remain blind to the truth—so long as she wasn't cast away.

"…" The goddess let out a sigh. "It's my fault for not sharing my story with you."

Nos's head snapped up; eyes wide in disbelief.

The goddess, always distant and aloof, always placing herself above others, was conceding to her?

"Little girl, you may have heard of me in legends. However, my identity has been shaped and reshaped over time by human belief," Eruza began, her voice softer than usual, which made Nos feel more at ease to listen. "Gods are born from belief, and we change according to those beliefs... In that way, the strong faith of people can act as both a blessing and a curse upon us."

Eruza reached for a book and placed it on Nos's lap. Its cover bore the title: The Mythology of the Four Great Gods.

"I am the Goddess of Boundary between humans and demons. Yet, at the same time, it is said I deceived the Demon Lord into forming the pact that established this boundary. Over the ages, that belief has twisted into a narrative that… I delight in deception and am cursed to engage in union every seven days."

…Nos couldn't understand how such beliefs had come to be.

Perhaps it was due to her beauty, described as so enchanting it could intoxicate.

Or the infatuation of followers who sought to see this purity tainted.

Or maybe... it was all these things.

"Is that why you must approach others every seven days? Can you not resist it at all?"

"I've tried. Unfortunately, my body succumbs to overwhelming desire... and in the end, it always leads to the same outcome." Eruza replied, her expression devoid of emotion. "As a god, I cannot allow mortals to become attached to me for long."

Thus, Memory-Erasing Grass served as a vital ingredient in the potion to erase temporary bonds, making it convenient to break the curse each time.

Because of this curse, Eruza stayed in the mortal realm, not in the heavens.

To find someone... to fulfill this cursed act.

It was almost as if she was playing the role the twisted beliefs had cast her in—the role of an alluring temptress, impossible to resist.

Even a childlike Nos, unfamiliar with the complexities of the world, had nearly fallen for the allure of her beauty—a beauty bound to descend into degradation every seven days.

"Why..." Nos struggled to swallow the lump in her throat. "Why only women?"

"I simply find no satisfaction in men," Eruza replied matter-of-factly, turning to open the door.

"Little girl, just do your job as my tool."

"..." Nos responded with a silent nod, the line between them clearly drawn.

Upon reflection, Nos realized how coldly Eruza utilized everything around her.

She trained Nos with a single-minded focus to slay the Demon Lord. She smiled at women only to satiate the desires brought by the curse.

Was there truly no emotion in anything the goddess did? Were gods entirely devoid of feeling?

Nos's mind wandered back to the expressions of joy she had seen on Eruza's face in that strange building...

She believed her goddess hid many emotions.

She wanted to see them more...

She wanted to see the goddess's true expressions and emotions, to be the one mortal the goddess would accept.

Even if her role as a tool to slay the Demon Lord defined her existence, this goal—to be truly seen by Eruza—was Nos…