Chapter 878: Eiji's Fear
The Axis Cult is actually quite small in scale.
Its influence pales in comparison to the Eris Church, which is revered as the state religion of the Belzerg Kingdom. Outside this town, it's rare to see followers of the Axis Cult, with their numbers totaling only around two to three hundred at most.
Yet their presence is surprisingly strong!
It's said that all believers of the Axis Cult are eccentrics, spoken of with such dread that they're likened to large non-combustible trash—whoever encounters them flees as if avoiding snakes or scorpions.
If you run into bandits in the wild, claiming to be a follower of the Axis Cult might just scare them off!
Moreover, years ago, the Demon Lord Army attempted to attack Arcanretia, but after their failure, not a single trace of the Demon Lord Army remains here—you can't even catch a glimpse of the word "demon"!
"Just average!"
Eiji revealed a reserved smile.
It was acceptable—just that their methods of inviting people to join the cult were a bit too diverse and fanatical. Essentially, it fell within the realm of scams and deceit, which he regarded as commonplace.
A young girl who was about to promote the cult happened to be captivated by his smile, instantly standing there dazed and forgetting what she was supposed to do.
The entire street fell silent, yet Eiji, standing at the center of attention, showed no sign of panic.
"How much is this?"
Treating the gazes around him like a spring breeze, Eiji stopped at a fruit stall and bought several large crystal pears that looked incredibly tempting to bite into.
After sharing a few with Darkness and Yu-yu, Eiji took a bite, chewed a few times, and spat out the peel.
"The peel has the male god's saliva on it!"
"Don't you dare take it! That peel is mine!"
"I'm going to enshrine that peel! Just seeing it will remind me of the male god! Ah, I'm dying!!"
A crowd of Axis Cult followers swarmed over, regardless of age or gender, all with green-eyed fervor, rushing toward the peel Eiji had spat on the ground.
Before long, one cult member couldn't resist throwing a punch, knocking a companion to the ground.
It was as if a switch had been flipped—others unanimously brandished their fists, and some even began chanting spells, turning the center of the street into a chaotic brawl.
"Are you okay?"
Darkness approached, asking Eiji with concern.
"Don't mind it. Some Axis Cult followers are just that perverted. You'll get used to it."
Eiji's face stiffened.
For a moment, he felt a deep, intense fear rising from the bottom of his heart.
Even when facing the demon dragon Nidhogg or Eris in her Earth Princess form, Eiji had never shown the slightest hesitation. Yet, when confronted with Axis Cult followers, he actually felt fear!
"Terrifying Axis Cult! I'm never coming back!"
Watching the Axis Cult members fighting over the pear peel nearby, Eiji's eyes revealed a look of dread, and he resolved in his heart.
No, absolutely no next time!
...
The three of them found an inn, booked a few rooms, and settled in.
Fortunately, the innkeeper wasn't a follower of the Axis Cult.
After setting down their luggage, Eiji changed into casual clothes and walked downstairs.
"All Eris devotees are ugly women!"
"Goddess Eris must be an ugly goddess too!"
At the entrance hallway, several children were throwing stones at her. Darkness neither dodged nor fought back, merely squatting there silently, enduring the violence from the children.
Her body trembled slightly.
"Go away! Go away! Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"
Seeing this scene, Yūyū quickly rushed forward and chased away the laughing children for Darkness.
"Are you alright, Miss Darkness?"
"How could she possibly be unwell? She'd be strange if she weren't delighted."
Eiji leisurely approached the two of them.
"Ha, haha! Even the children in this city are at this level?"
Darkness lifted her flushed face, her heavy breathing startling Yūyū.
What happened?
Why does Darkness look so happy?
Who am I? Where am I? What should I do?
Yūyū fell into confusion.
"Can't you just put away that charm?"
Eiji rolled his eyes, glaring irritably at Darkness.
"I refuse."
Darkness answered instantly, resolute and unwavering.
"If we ever make money in the future, let's buy a house in Arcanretia!"
She even began happily planning for the future.
Aren't you nobility? Why would you need to earn money to buy a house?
"What is wrong with this world?"
Eiji sighed deeply to the heavens.
Should he say this was truly a comedy-style isekai? He had never encountered so many weirdos in his entire life, yet here he had met a whole basketful at once!
"I'm going to the church to pick up Aqua and the others. Do you want to come along?"
Darkness stood up, her expression having returned to calm, yet her eyes brimmed with intense anticipation.
The church was the headquarters of the Axis Cult!
What kind of excessive abuse would she suffer there!
How exciting!
"No, I'm going to soak in the hot springs."
Eiji's face turned cold, overcome with a wave of trepidation.
The Axis Cult?
He would steer clear of them whenever he saw them from now on!
"What about you, Yūyū?"
"Eh? Ah, I'll pass too."
Yūyū smiled and waved her hand.
"Aren't you a bit..."
"What about me?"
Yūyū asked with a smile.
Have you given up on thinking?
"No, as long as you're happy."
Darkness nodded apologetically, then quickly left the inn.
"Yūyū, want to go soak in the hot springs?"
"Sure!"
Yūyū smiled and agreed.
The two brought their yukatas and headed together to the inn's attached hot spring. Nearly every inn in this city was built beside a hot spring, truly worthy of being called the hot spring capital.
"My, my, why so shy?"
Eiji entered the mixed-bathing section and began removing his clothes.
Yūyū, startled by his invitation to the mixed bath, hastily escaped into the women's bath.
With a towel wrapped around his waist, Eiji entered the hot spring area.
It was an open-air bath filled with steaming mist, the air thick with the pungent smell of sulfur. The temperature was at least twenty degrees higher than outside, making it exceptionally comfortable to bathe in this weather.
"Ha~!"
Eiji let out a long sigh and submerged himself in the hot spring water, warmth instantly spreading through his body.
"What's wrong?"
He turned his head, looking toward the two not far away, and said with a smile.
"Don't mind me. I'm just here to enjoy the hot springs too."
Not far away.
The man sat on the edge of the rock, his brown buzz cut and middle-aged appearance quite unremarkable, yet his well-developed muscles and towering stature gave him an imposing presence.
The other was a red-haired beauty with shoulder-length short hair that exuded a refreshing aura. Her striking yellow eyes, reminiscent of a feline's, were particularly captivating.
In terms of appearance alone, her features were impeccably symmetrical—her face both dashing and alluring, with beauty that rivaled that of a goddess.
And she was busty.
Goddess.jpg
They exchanged a glance, suspicion flickering in both their eyes.