I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 174

CHAPTER 174

‘Quite effective.’

After confirming that Hersus had fallen into a deep sleep, I looked down at what was in my hand. 

At first glance, it was just an ordinary stone that looked like a jewel. 

This was the gift Deron had given me, a deep slumber. 

‘I’ve only heard about it, but it’s my first time trying it out.’

Among the twelve gods, not even a lesser deity could fall asleep so quickly. 

He gave me something better than I expected. 

It would have been even better if he had given me a weapon to attack the gods directly. 

‘But still, Deron is one of the gods.’

It would have felt wrong to give something that could harm the gods of the divine realm with my own hands. 

This must have been Deron’s best option. 

“Wow, what did you do?” 

Pendrade started poking Hersus, who was asleep. 

That fearless guy, he’s going to wake him up like that. 

“If Hersus wakes up, you’ll deal with him.” 

“….” 

Pendrade quickly backed away. 

Even though he’s a dragon, he doesn’t want to face one of the twelve gods. 

“Master.” 

On the other hand, Lionel gazed at the deep sleep in my hand with calm eyes. 

“How many times can you use that? Three times? No, probably twice.” 

“That’s right.” 

I laughed as I tightly held the deep sleep. 

“This is probably the last time, right?” 

So the next god we encounter should be weaker. 

It would be troublesome if we encounter gods of another war or gods of the moon or sun. 

“Hmm.” 

Lionel approached for a moment and squinted his eyes. 

“Don’t worry too much. I can handle gods to some extent too.” 

“…You? Is that possible?” 

“Of course.” 

Lionel shrugged his shoulders. 

“Even though I look like this, I used to be a former evil god king.” 

“….Huh?” 

I blinked. This was the second shock following the fact that I was addicted to work. 

“Y-you, you mean you were an evil god king?” 

“Yes.” 

Lionel nodded with a lovely smile. 

“There were too many nuisances trying to find you, Master. Constantly, kings from different countries would come, and others would come telling me to marry a princess.” 

The pretty smile gradually faded. 

“It was annoying, so I killed them all.” 

“….” 

“And then I ended up becoming an evil god king.” 

Memories of my past life came back involuntarily. 

It hadn’t been a few days since I regained my memories. 

“The evil god king is attacking!!” 

“Run away!” 

My dear life ended abruptly. 

I must have died in the flames while trying to escape. 

“Master?” 

Lionel, who had no idea about this fact, grinned widely. 

“I…I didn’t kill much after that.” 

I thought he was angry about killing people just because he found it annoying. 

Lionel began to explain earnestly. 

“It’s true. If you, Master, didn’t seem to be in the mix, I wouldn’t have bothered, and I didn’t lay a hand on anyone after that.” 

…Well, it’s a relief that he realized, even if it’s late. 

“Master?” 

Seeing that I was silent, he was rolling his eyes while still crouching, trying to read my mood. 

“A-are you angry?” 

“….” 

“Please don’t be angry. I won’t become an evil god king again.” 

He was pleading now, tears even starting to form in his eyes. 

It seems like I can see his tail and ears, which aren’t moving.

“That, that. Look at that, can’t even get mad at such a pretty sight.” 

“Ugh.” 

I let out a heavy sigh, then reached out and firmly pinched Lionel’s cheeks. 

I don’t know if it’s because he’s young, but his cheeks are really, huh? 

They stick out so nicely. 

“Master, I’m a little embarrassed….” 

Though Lionel blushed, my touch showed no mercy. 

My long-held grudge would be settled with this. 

“Don’t do that anymore. Absolutely not, got it?” 

“Yes.” 

Lionel intentionally elongated his response, adding a tail to his words, and chuckled with twinkling eyes. 

“I won’t do anything like that again as long as you’re by my side, Master.” 

With that, he casually placed his hand on top of mine, which was holding his cheek, and lightly kissed my lips. 

“I swear.” 

With our gaze still locked, he just smiled with his eyes. 

“Alright.” 

I sighed deeply. What can I do? 

A master must embrace their disciple’s shortcomings. 

“Hey.” 

Suddenly, as I turned my head, Pendrade, who seemed somewhat uneasy, was pressing against my shoulder. 

“We knew about it, but it’s cringeworthy….” 

So what? 

“Let’s go.” 

Ignoring Pendrade’s complaint, I moved on. 

We had already entered deep into the temple. 

But there was no sign of the space where the Lord could be present. 

One fortunate thing was that I didn’t see any of the other twelve gods. 

We clashed with some lesser gods, but we were able to subdue them to some extent. 

“Where could he be?” 

I wiped the sweat off my chin as I breathed heavily. 

“Why is this temple so huge and ignorant? Pendrade, maybe.” 

I shut my mouth. 

Pendrade was staring off to one side with a grim expression. 

“…There’s a smell.” 

His voice, which until now had been gruff, turned dark and low, almost unbelievably so. 

“The smell of dragon blood.” 

Pendrade’s yellow eyes changed vertically. 

“I know this smell.” 

His body completely turned toward where his gaze was fixed. 

Without even blinking, Pendrade stared at one side as if he had forgotten how to breathe. 

And there, as if wondering why I hadn’t seen it until now, there was a giant door. 

“There it is!” 

A dragon in the divine realm? 

Surely that’s the ally of the evil gods.

I rushed forward to open the door, but… 

<You shouldn’t stop, should you?> 

A voice grabbed me. 

When I turned around, a middle-aged woman with long brown hair was standing there. 

I had never seen her in person, but I knew. 

I had heard her voice often. 

“…Detmé, right?”

Detmé was the one blocking the door to where the Lord was. 

Detmé opened her mouth again with a dark expression. 

<Go back now.> 

As she waved her arm, Lionel and Pendrade disappeared in an instant. 

“….!!” 

I was left floating in midair. 

And beneath me… 

“Sister, when are you coming….” 

Arkin, breathing heavily as he swung his sword. 

“She’ll be here soon, Your Highness.” 

Raven reassured him calmly.

“Everyone, move quickly! We must take care of everything before the Princess returns.” 

Liena was preparing to greet me. 

“No matter how I think about it, isn’t it clear that Lottie follows me more than you?” 

“….Brother, has dementia already set in? Looks like the throne belongs to me.” 

Leonard and Stella. 

“It’s boring without that kid….” 

“Indeed.” 

The Emperor and Empress. 

And then. 

“I have a bad feeling about this.” 

My father, with a weary face, sitting on the throne. 

“Gerol, we should send people to the temple of the Lord.” 

“What’s going on?” 

Gerol, the commander of the royal knights, smiled as he reassured my father. 

“It’s none other than the temple of the Lord. Moreover, the people we sent with her are skilled individuals.” 

“….” 

“Even Duke Lionel went with her. He will surely protect the Princess, even if it means risking his life.” 

“Yes, that’s right.” 

My father, who had risen, sat back on the throne. 

“But why do I feel so uneasy?”

Why.

The voices overlapped. 

Suddenly, the scene changed again. 

This time, I was at the Elven frontlines. 

And inside, my mother, who sent me to the divine realm, was looking at the entrance with a worried expression. 

“Why are you so worried?” 

I sighed, mixing my concerns into one breath. 

My mother’s face creased as if enduring terrible pain. 

“Please be safe, please….”

I can’t lose you twice.

“Ah….” 

Tears flowed. 

My precious ones, those I want to protect.

<If you give up and retreat now.>

Detmé whispered.

<I will protect them for you.>

I will return to my daily life as if nothing happened. 

I won’t have to make any more Nectar. 

The gods won’t reach out to me anymore. 

She will, she swear by her name, block the gods and protect me. 

It was a sweet whisper. 

While it might be difficult for other gods, it might be possible for Detmé. 

She only intervenes when necessary, and the gods usually listen to her opinions.

<Live your life.>

Detmé looked into my eyes. 

Her green eyes were filled only with worry.

<Among your people, with your love.>

“….”

<Live a happy yet uneasy life.>

Please. It was practically a plea. 

Please stop risky things and withdraw. 

An affectionate plea. 

I bit my lip. 

I wanted to say it right now. 

Honestly, the life Detmé was offering me was the life I had longed for. 

So. 

“I’m sorry, Detmé.” 

I declined. 

“I want to live my own life now.” 

With tears of affection, I smiled. 

“A life not held by anyone’s hands.”

If I were to hold Detmé’s hand now, I would immediately feel relieved. 

I would have the life I desired in my hands. 

But that would only mean transferring the control of my life from the Lord to Detmé. 

“So, I…”

I took a deep breath and looked at Detmé.

“I will sever ties with the Divine Realm this time.”

Crack-!!

With a loud noise, the scenery I was looking at shattered.

The faces of those worrying about me split into thousands and disappeared like dust.

<…So that’s your choice.>

“Yes.”

<Alright.>

Detmé let out a weak sigh. 

At the same time, I found myself back where I originally was.

“Master!”

“Hey, are you okay?”

Lionel and Pendrade rushed over.

“…!!”

Lionel immediately guarded Detmé.

I intervened as if to say there was no need for that, blocking him with my arm.

<I can’t pretend not to see you.>

Detmé slowly closed and then opened her eyes.

“But at the same time, I can’t stop you.”

“…Detmé.”

<As the god who has watched you the most from the sidelines.>

“….”

<Go.>

She turned her head.

<I won’t look the other way twice.>

With those words, Detmé disappeared somewhere.