Vol 3 Chapter 69: “An Unwanted Summoning to Another World”

When Horo regained consciousness, he found himself in a pitch-black room.

No, it wasn’t a room. There was nothing above or around him to block out light. To describe it accurately, it was a dark void—a space, or perhaps even a world.

Horo seemed to be sitting on something, though he couldn’t see what it was. Moreover, he couldn’t move his neck, hands, or even a single finger.

“Nice to meet you.”

As soon as those words were spoken, a figure became visible in the otherwise lightless void.

A woman appeared before Horo, her flaming red hair reminiscent of a blazing fire, her porcelain skin smooth as ceramic, and her eyes as crimson as blood. She was a vision of perfection, as if humanity had crafted its ideal form of a woman.

There was only one thing that detracted from her beauty: her utterly bored expression.

Her face seemed permanently fixed in an expression of tedium, and she showed no sign of breaking it.

“I am the Goddess of Love,” she said, her tone slightly brighter than her face suggested.

Horo couldn’t make sense of his current situation.
He didn’t understand where he was or what was happening.

The only thing he knew was that, just moments ago, he had been in dire straits.

Perhaps he had died? As this thought crossed his mind, the Goddess of Love spoke as if to deny it.

“I’ve transferred your body into this world. This isn’t the afterlife or a place of salvation—just a finished world.”

She explained that time here was severed from the flow of the world he came from, so there was no need to worry.

The goddess stepped closer to Horo.

“You don’t seem to understand the situation, but I’m not here for a long chat. I’m just going to do what I want.”

Her demeanor suggested she didn’t want to do anything at all, yet she firmly stated her intention.

“Even though time here is stopped, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re about to die in your world.”

The self-proclaimed goddess continued speaking matter-of-factly, ignoring Horo entirely.

Horo was overwhelmed, barely able to process what she was saying, but he understood one thing: the being before him wasn’t a fake.

It wasn’t just the impossible situation she had created—it was her presence.

She exuded the authority of a being above humans.

“That’s why I’ve decided to give you power.”

She spoke of magic, now reduced to just five remaining forms.

“I like you. This is the first time in human history I’ve felt this way.”

At her words, Horo finally began to comprehend.
The goddess had summoned him to this place to save him.

Love.
Whether it truly existed or not.

Even the goddess couldn’t say for sure.

“Even as the Goddess of Love, I don’t know for certain. But maybe, just maybe, such a feeling—something worthy of being called love—might exist.”

And she felt that possibility within Horo.

That was why she was granting him power.

It was akin to the reverence he had once held for Sukui—
Being chosen by a god.

Not only that, but to wield the power of a god.
With it, his ideals could be realized effortlessly.

“Fortunately, you’re a devout follower of a love-based religion, even to the point of being blessed. So, there shouldn’t be any issues. This way, even that priestess—”

“I don’t need it.”

The goddess’s somewhat excited words were cut off as Horo spoke firmly.

“Huh? You don’t need it?”

“That’s right.”

Why?
The goddess started to ask but stopped when she saw Horo’s expression.

It was the same as before his transfer.

If anything, his face seemed slightly colder.

No, it was restrained anger.

The Goddess of Love couldn’t comprehend it.

Her confusion was evident in her eyes, as if she had never experienced something not going according to her expectations.

“Um… why? Right now, you’re fighting a strong enemy and on the verge of losing your life, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Horo answered without hesitation.

Horo’s emotions wavered.

For the first time, the goddess showed a hint of surprise. Meanwhile, Horo, as though indifferent to the situation, let his irritation surface clearly.

“Then wouldn’t it be better if I accepted your power? Do you understand what you’re saying? A god—an existence my enemy could spend their entire life striving to meet without ever succeeding—is standing right in front of me.”

Her tone carried a casual indifference, as if she had only recently taken a mild interest in humanity.

Unable to suppress himself any longer, Horo slowly opened his mouth.

In a moment of crisis,
To be chosen by a god,
To be granted power,
To defeat the enemy.

“And solve everything with the power you’re so easily handing out?”

Horo felt irritation instead of gratitude.

Why? Even he didn’t know.

It was contradictory. His thoughts were in disarray, and he couldn’t make sense of his emotions.

Yet—

The words spilled from his mouth.

“Don’t mock me.”

His voice trembled.
Whether from anger or fear of opposing a god, he couldn’t tell.

“We’ve always worked hard! We’ve built everything up piece by piece!”

Magic, technology, combat techniques—
Incremental, almost imperceptible improvements repeated endlessly.

They had made things grow.
Even when unreasonable obstacles tore it all down.

“And now, you’re offering to hand it over from on high for something as fickle as a whim?”

Don’t joke with me.

Such unfairness, such irrationality—

“That’s exactly why we’ve worked so hard, isn’t it? To overcome things like that!”

The goddess’s eyes widened at Horo’s words.

But Horo knew.

He had always watched Sukui’s efforts.
He had seen her unwavering desire for equality.

There was no way he could accept some miraculous power, granted suddenly, to overcome a wall.

Because it was precisely her grounded, determined nature that made him believe in the possibility she represented.

“For the record, I did decide to recognize you after observing your actions so far.”

The goddess’s voice was calm but probing.

“Isn’t that the result of your accumulated efforts?”

“It’s a generous offer, and I am grateful,” Horo replied.

“But I don’t need it.”

He firmly refused.

“Even if I achieved my goals with that power, I…”

He paused.

“I wouldn’t be able to proudly tell my master that I did my best. And if that happens—”

He looked down briefly before continuing.

“Then the joy of being patted on the head by my master would disappear.”

“I see.”

For the first time, the goddess’s perpetually bored expression shifted slightly.

Her lips curved, just a little, into what could almost be called a smile.

“Well, I suppose that can’t be helped.”

It resembled a faint, bittersweet grin.

“A-ah, but, I’m still happy you spoke to me! That is, um—”

Realizing now that he had defiantly stood up to the very god he worshipped, Horo flustered, his voice trailing off in embarrassment.

“I understand. Then, if—”

She paused, her tone softening.

“If you overcome this battle, could you at least listen to what I have to say as proof that you’ve surpassed this wall?”

Horo fell silent for a moment, gazing at the goddess.

“Yes,” he said.

He answered with quiet resolve, his tone filled with gratitude.

The goddess slowly closed her eyes.

“Then, return now,” she murmured.

And with that, Horo was sent back.

As the goddess watched him go, she felt certain—
One day, he would save someone.