The Noble Lady of Lust

Chapter 439: Great Tragedy.

”It is an honor to be in your presence once again, my goddess.”

I really don’t know what’s going on in the world, but I’m truly fortunate to have been summoned by my goddess out of the blue.

Something like this is really beyond me. I wonder if I’m worthy enough to behold your presence.

”Well, little Phina. I see you’re still the same and haven’t become arrogant because of the power you gained.”

’Oh, my goddess called me by my nickname.’

I couldn’t be more moved; if she calls me that, it makes me feel closer to her and—

’No, I can’t think like that. That would be arrogant. My goddess was glad I wasn’t.’

”Ha, ha! You don’t have to worry about that, little Phina. There’s nothing wrong with us being close; it’s fine if you see me as a mother. In fact, that would be best. After all, it was I who gave you life in this world... you can call me Great Mother.”

”I really am not worthy of that.”

”You are very worthy. In fact, you have more than earned that right; you’ve only been in this world for three years, and on your own you created a unique art”

”Really?”

”Yes, and it’s something that deserves to be greatly rewarded. What I gave you before was hasty, and in fact, I plan to give you more today.”

My Great Mother says that, but no, I don’t really think I’ve done anything impressive.

It was just another art among many, in which I used firearms as inspiration.

But it’s so poorly made that I really can’t control it, and it caused me internal injuries, so now I can’t even use mana.

”I understand your doubts, little Phina, and in fact, this isn’t the first time someone has tried using firearms. Many reincarnated and transmigrated souls before you thought of it and adapted it, creating unique and powerful artifacts.”

I listened carefully to what my Great Mother had to say, knowing that she was using her valuable time to clear up the doubts I had.

”But what you created was a powerful art, and not only that, it’s a magical combat art. Sure, it’s flawed and requires a lot of refinement, but its potential is amazing.”

”Great Mother, aren’t you underestimating me...?”

”No, I’m not. Ha, ha. You know, my blessed ones and I are underestimated because we lack offensive power, but you’ve paved the way to change that. And magical combat arts are something I myself have rarely seen. Is this an achievement beyond what you think?”

”...”

I couldn’t believe it.

I didn’t think I’d done anything impressive. I know that combat arts generally involve circulating mana throughout the body and then releasing it to cause some unique effect due to that circulation.

But the only thing I did differently was to include the magical nervous system in the equation. Rather, I really don’t understand why the other arts don’t do this if it makes attacks and techniques more powerful.

”That’s what’s impressive, my little Phina. To begin with, you were only able to achieve this because you’re an anomaly in the way your power is growing. You’re talented in every aspect... People who possess this, aside from you, are very few in number both in this era and in past ones.”

”It’s all thanks to my goddess.”

”I’d like to take the credit, but that’s really your natural talent. That in itself deserves praise, but what I really didn’t expect is that your talent doesn’t end there. Developing an art like that can take many years—decades for the weak, generations of mortals for the powerful, and even entire eras... and you did something like that in just a few years.”

”Hm, my goddess, but I only followed the principles of other arts and breathing techniques.”

”Yes, that is what is most impressive. I saw your memories and how you drew inspiration from other lower-tier arts; you fused many things together and came up with ideas of your own that still leave me speechless. Even as a goddess who has lived through eras, I did not know the principle behind the creation of this kind of magical combat art. It has always been something other gods jealously guard... and you, on your own, deduced it and created one.”

”...?”

’Did I really do something that impressive?’

I still don’t quite grasp the magnitude of all this. I don’t think my Great Mother is incapable of doing something that a mere mortal like me could ever achieve.

’Oh!... maybe she’s saying that to motivate me even more. My Great Mother is even humbling herself like that for me... I couldn’t ask for more.’

I was truly motivated now.

”Ahem!, little Phina, in any case, what you did was commendable. To achieve something of that caliber in so few years...”

”But, Great Mother, using it almost left me crippled... and it’s just an attack—it lacks the fundamental aspect of martial arts, which is to make the practitioner strong...”

”Hm~ but you managed on your own to create a circulation system that incorporates magic; you’ve already done the hard part. Making it strengthen the body should be easier. Of course, it still needs refinement and improvements in control to make it usable. With your talent, in a few decades you could finish it, and even create other versions. That’s why I gave you that affinity: it will help speed up the process.”

”Oh! Great Mother, you think of everything.”

”Of course. I’ll also give you this seed of the concept of purification that will help you when necessary. After all, this art could be our trademark, which my greatest followers might come to use. Obviously, the concept of purification must exist within it.”

I don’t know what it is, but My Great Mother extended her hand and what looked like a pure white crystal appeared.

Before I could figure it out, it moved toward my forehead and vanished.

It must be the extra reward the Great Mother gave me. I don’t know what it does, but it must be something impressive.

”I understand, my goddess. I will not betray the trust placed in me. I will make this art something powerful and usable.”

”Good, good, that’s the attitude. Ha, ha, ha! Finally, something that frees us from that stigma of being mere support units. And the best part is that you didn’t even rely on the affinity for light that I exchanged with my brother... hmm... though my strongest followers lean more toward magical use... if I invest a little and try to balance the toughness of their bodies... or better yet, in the next generation... well, this is taking shape. Hahaha! You really are my best investment, little Phina.”

I really can’t grasp the level at which My Great Mother /_ \”

Great Mother seemed to be in a difficult situation. I really am sorry for becoming crippled; now I don’t even know if I can live up to the expectations placed on me.

”You don’t have to apologize, little Phina. I’ll try to find a way. Until then, avoid fighting as much as possible... hm, but come to think of it, given the amount of power that was felt even with divine mixed in there...”

”Great Mother, is something wrong?”

Great Mother suddenly began to mutter to herself. I thought something was wrong, or maybe I shouldn’t have interrupted her.

After all, she might be thinking about something far beyond my ability to understand.

”Hmm... well, another possibility has occurred to me: this is related to the original reason I called you here. You must be very confused, right? With everything that happened before I called you.”

”Yes, Great Mother.”

That my Great Mother understands me is a great honor. In fact, everything happened so suddenly that I don’t quite understand anything and I’m really confused.

One moment I was quietly doing homework with my friends, and the next there was a violent earthquake that lasted several minutes, followed by a strange voice saying things I didn’t understand.

Though I’m not complaining: after that, an oracle arrived that allowed me to meet my goddess.

And it wasn’t just me; among my friends, there are others favored by other gods who received the oracle to go to their respective gods.

I feel like something very big is happening, but I don’t know what it is. I was really filled with uncertainty, but just being here and seeing my Great Mother calms me down.

”Well, I’ll explain it to you calmly, little Phina. To begin with, in this middle world there was an incident—an event that made the world itself angry.”

”T-the world? Does the world have a life of its own?”

”Hmm, I suppose you could say so, in a way. But it’s not something you can understand right now. The important thing is that, because of that incident, a lot happened... It’s easier if you see it for yourself.”

The goddess extended her magnificent hand, and a projection of the world appeared.

The projection shifted, focusing on an area in the south. Then a specific region was highlighted.

It was a large map with multiple islands. To the south, one in particular stood out from the rest: there was a green dot marking it.

I recognized it immediately by its shape: it was the continent I was currently on.

It was the first time I’d ever seen a world map. At the academy, they’d only taught us the shapes of the continents in both my world and Middle-world, along with the surrounding regions.

What finally made me realize is that they aren’t just small islands—they’re entire continents.

”Yes, just as you think, that dot is where you are now. That is your continent. And everything you see is the territory encompassed by the Epic, but this map is from before the incident; this is the present.”

The projection began to change.

The islands seemed to sink as new ones began to float to the surface.

There were also other changes I couldn’t make out in detail.

But, as if in response to my confusion, close-ups of various regions appeared on the map, allowing me to see what those small changes were.

And so, several places began to zoom in and show themselves in detail, like branches sprouting from the ground, engulfing or transforming the terrain, and even connecting entire continents to one another.

Now I understand it better: if all that happened, it means that this continent was one of the few lucky ones that only experienced a strong earthquake; at least we weren’t swallowed up by the branches or the sea.

This incident truly caused many continents to disappear and many lives to be lost.

It was, without a doubt, a great tragedy.