The Reward for Saving The World is a Husband - Chapter 20
“Lady Elesha, we know that you are the last survivor of a world that has perished.”
The saintess bit her lower lip and then, summoning her courage, looked directly at me.
“And Ermitar, who went on an excursion to that world, you killed him, didn’t you?”
I widened my eyes in surprise. Elias didn’t seem to believe it at all, so how did the saintess know?
“Did you hear that from the god you serve?”
“That’s right.”
“What else did you hear?”
“That this world might start facing similar misfortunes to those of your world.”
I nodded.
“That makes sense.”
I had heard that the world where I was born and raised was once as prosperous as this place.
There were wars between countries, but there were no endless waves of terrifying monsters or cruel quests that dissolved human lives like sugar in water.
No one could predict when or how such things would start, as if by some cruel twist of fate.
At least this world had a god who could warn them through their prophet.
“Are you our savior, or the harbinger of our doom? Why have you come to this world?”
“Nothing.”
I thought for a moment before answering.
“After barely managing to defeat the Demon Dragon Ermitar, who turned half my world into a sea of fire, I was exhausted and fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in a completely different world.”
I told the truth without any lies. The god the saintess served could verify my words.
“…..Is that true?”
“Yes. Why would I lie in front of a saintess? I’d be found out quickly enough.”
My nonchalant answer seemed to ease some of the tension on the saintess’s face.
“Well, in that case, that’s a relief.”
“But tell me, if I were a being like the Demon Dragon, what were you planning to do? Drown me to death?”
The saintess was startled and quickly waved her hands.
“It’s not like that. If the conversation didn’t go well, we planned to seal you in the temple.”
“Seal? What does that mean?”
“It means to put you into a deep sleep. At least until this world is ready to face you.”
“That’s not possible.”
I frowned and splashed the water.
“Honestly, that wouldn’t work at all, and it would take at least a hundred years for you to be a match for me. By then, my pair’s life would be over.”
“Pair…? What does that mean?”
“It’s, well… in terms of this world’s customs, it’s like proposing marriage.”
“…What?”
“When you propose and it’s accepted, you live together as one for the rest of your lives and can have children.”
I tried to explain as kindly as I could, but the saintess’s bewildered expression didn’t change.
“Anyway, that’s what it is. My wish is to live peacefully and happily with my pair for the rest of our lives. I didn’t come to disrupt or destroy this prosperous world.”
Of course, I also had the goal of reviving my comrades who had turned into soul stones, but there was no need to mention that. I wasn’t sure yet if the necessary resources existed in this world.
“……”
After a long silence, the saintess finally spoke.
“Th-then… what if the person who is to be your pair refuses?”
“What?”
I unconsciously glared at the saintess for her ominous words.
“No one can predict matters between men and women… If he refuses, will you contribute to the destruction of this world?”
I couldn’t understand why they kept treating me, a pacifist, as a destroyer.
Of course, I would be very upset if Elias stubbornly refused to be my pair, but that didn’t mean I would destroy a perfectly fine world. That was a separate matter.
After a long pause, the saint, who had been watching me closely, asked cautiously.
“Could you tell me who it is?”
“Why?”