Chapter 618: Ritual of Light Interlude (2)

As time passed, Riley’s conversation with the goddess continued — drifting from heavy topics to things he thought she could safely answer.

Bit by bit, he gathered what he needed.

Maybe not everything, but enough for now.

He wanted to ask more — to dig deeper, to understand the truths hidden between her words — but he knew better.

Everything came with a price, especially when you were dealing with the forces that bound and rejected fate itself.

So instead, the tension slowly faded, and their talk turned lighter.

They began speaking about smaller things — meaningless, maybe, but strangely comforting.

About his days in the academy, about the people he’d met, and about how he saw the world from his own perspective.

In return, Eris shared a few glimpses of her own “life” inside her realm — what she does when time stretches endlessly, what she watches, what she wonders about when mortals sleep.

It was odd, really. For a being who created worlds, she sounded… almost human.

Riley found himself smiling more than once.

Even though gods were supposed to exist beyond mortal emotion, beyond boredom, beyond loneliness — he could tell.

Somewhere in her tone, behind those teasing smiles and elegant gestures, there was a quiet emptiness.

A longing, maybe.

The kind that comes from existing too long, seeing too much, and being unable to change any of it.

Honestly, talking to her made Riley realize something he hadn’t expected — that Eris felt more human, more real, than most people he’d ever met.

Of course, there was always the chance that she was simply mimicking human nature — copying warmth, laughter, emotion — because that’s what mortals found familiar.

But as he sat there, watching her sip tea under the endless golden sky, he didn’t think that was the case.

CRACK…!!!

The sound tore through the air like shattering glass.

Cracks spread rapidly across Riley’s body, glowing faintly with divine light.

Their conversation didn’t last much longer after that.

“Looks like my blessed maiden is reaching her limit…” the goddess said softly, a hint of disappointment in her voice, though her smile remained gentle.

Riley nodded, wincing slightly as another fracture ran down his arm.

Honestly, even he was a bit surprised the connection had lasted this long.

Staying inside Eris’s realm using Emilia’s divine power as an anchor was no small feat.

Now that he thought about it, he felt a twinge of guilt — she was probably shouldering most of the burden holding him here.

“Fufu~ once you return, please take good care of my dear daughter for me,” Eris said, setting her cup down with a light clink. “Although she might seem all bubbly and lively, she’s quite lonely at times. I’m sure you’re aware of how she feels about you. I’m not asking you to return her feelings, but at the very least… allow her to stay by your side, dear Riley.”

Riley smiled faintly, though the light in his chest began to flicker.

“…Don’t worry. I have no intention of breaking her heart, Goddess. That, I can assure you.”

“I see…” she murmured, her voice softer now. “But not breaking her heart could only lead to one thing… traversing such a path might be… difficult—”

“Well,” he interrupted, smirking despite the cracks crawling up his neck, “I’ve already gotten used to it by now”

Eris chuckled lightly. “Fufu~ spoken like a true manwhore.”

Riley groaned. “Please, don’t label me as that…”

Her laughter was airy, almost melodic, but for some reason it stung more coming from her.

As light began to shimmer across Riley’s skin, small trails of it rising like dust in the air, the goddess simply watched him.

Her expression was calm, but there was something deep behind her golden eyes — something like quiet curiosity.

Riley looked back at her, and for a moment, neither spoke. Then, before he even realized it, his lips moved on their own.

“…Eris,” he whispered.

The goddess blinked, her eyes widening just slightly in surprise. It wasn’t often someone dared to call her by name — not like that, not so naturally.

“Yes?” she replied softly, her voice carrying a faint warmth beneath its divine composure.

Riley hesitated.

For a second, he didn’t even know why he said it.

The thought had just surfaced, born from an impulse — from something human.

His body was already beginning to fade, divine light peeling him away piece by piece, but he still managed to smile faintly.

“Will you give me permission,” he said quietly, “to use your name directly? …Whenever it’s just the two of us.”

For a brief moment, silence filled the space between them. Then Eris laughed lightly, her tone bright and teasing.

“Fufu~ please, feel free to address me as you wish, dear. You have that much privilege with me. You can even call me mama if you want~”

Riley sighed. “Please stop.”

“Haha~”

But behind that teasing tone, she understood what he truly meant.

He wasn’t just being bold — it was his way of saying I’ll come back.

He wanted their next meeting to be something more — not between goddess and mortal, but something closer.

Friends, maybe.

Or something neither of them could quite define.

It was a strange, reckless thought… but Eris liked it.

The light around him began to intensify.

His form grew translucent as pieces of his essence returned to the mortal world.

Still, they didn’t look away.

Riley gave her one last look — a quiet smile beneath fading light.

“I’ll be going now,” he said softly. “Thanks for everything, Eris.”

“Yes,” she replied, her smile serene. “Until next time.”

As her hand lifted in a gentle wave, the brilliance consumed everything.

The warmth of her realm faded.

….

When Riley opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was Emilia’s face — her eyes wide, lips still pressed against his.

The connection severed as their kiss broke, the divine light scattering into the air around them like fading stars.

Emilia looked dazed — her eyes unfocused, her cheeks burning with a deep crimson blush.

Honestly, the way she was staring at Riley made one seriously question whether she was truly the ever-pure Saintess.

Especially dressed like that — in her tight, white ceremonial outfit that clung to her body a little too well.

“S-Senior…?” she mumbled weakly, her voice trembling.

“Junior,” Riley said gently, still trying to process everything himself. “Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes… I-I’m fine… I just—what happene—”

But before she could finish, the memories came rushing back all at once.

The kiss.

The warmth.

Her trembling hands pressed against him.

The things she did while channeling divine energy.

Her eyes widened in horror.

“W-What have I done!??”

Her entire face turned red — not the cute kind of blush, but the “bury me alive” kind.

The kiss, the way she’d touched him, and the fact that she’d planned everything down to that alluring saintess dress… none of it aligned with her holy image or the teachings she’d dedicated her life to.

Yet she’d done it anyway.

Her heart had moved before her mind could stop it. And now, no amount of prayer could undo what had already happened.

Panicking, she tried to step back, but stopped when she realized — their hands were still interlocked.

“P-Please let go of me, senior!” she squeaked, trying to tug her hand free.

“Ah… right,” Riley said awkwardly, quickly releasing her.

Emilia stumbled back, almost losing balance, but caught herself just in time.

She stood straight, her entire body tense and awkward, hands fidgeting as if she didn’t know what to do with them.

Running away now would only make things worse — she knew that much.

So she clasped her trembling hands in front of her chest, trying to act composed despite the heat burning in her cheeks.

“S-So…” she stammered, forcing a nervous laugh. “H-How did your conversation with the Great Mother g-go? H-Hehe… I-I’m sure you gained something valuable, right?”

SWIIISHHH!!!

A sudden rush of freezing wind cut through the room, sharp and biting.

Frost crawled along the ground in a perfect line between them.

Emilia froze, every hair on her body standing on end.

Slowly, she turned her head toward the source of the chill — and her heart dropped.

Standing by the doorway was a beautiful woman with long silver hair, her presence colder than the air itself.

“P-Princess…” Emilia whispered.

Snow — one of Riley’s ever-beloved fiancées — was staring at the two of them.

Her eyes, normally calm and graceful, were now devoid of warmth — empty, sharp, and deadly cold.

Riley sighed inwardly.

He could already feel the temperature in the room drop several degrees, the weight of Snow’s silent anger pressing down like a glacier.

He knew he needed to calm her down before things spiraled into something dramatic — and potentially lethal.

He parted his lips, about to speak—

“Riley…” Snow’s voice cut through the air, cold and soft enough to make the hair on his neck stand.

“Yes?” he answered cautiously.

“You’re not going to get any sleep later, okay?”

There was no anger in her tone. In fact, that made it worse.

“…Yes, ma’am,” he said quietly.

Internally, he sighed again.

Well, at least that’s all I’m getting for now…

It seemed Snow was far more understanding than he’d expected — or maybe she’d decided to postpone the real punishment until later.

Either way, he wasn’t going to press his luck.

Snow then turned her gaze toward Emilia, who looked like she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

“As for you, dear Saintess…” Snow said, her voice as smooth as ice. “How about we have a private conversation — just the two of us?”

“Y-Yeshh!!” Emilia squeaked, her entire body trembling as she clutched her skirt like a guilty child caught stealing from the temple offering box.

Her expression was so pitiful that Riley almost felt bad for her.

Almost.

But there was nothing he could do.

Snow didn’t have to say anything more — just one sharp, wordless glance from her was enough to tell him leave.

And he did.

Immediately.

As he stepped out of the room, he caught Emilia’s desperate, pleading eyes — wide, sparkling with the silent message of help me, please!

He gave her a small, reassuring smile — one that said, You’ll be fine.

Probably.

The door shut softly behind him, and the tension in the air finally snapped.

’Snow probably won’t take things too harshly,’ he thought to himself with a nervous chuckle as he walked away.

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