Chapter 226 Decisions
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The wives’ heated gazes did not cool down easily. One of them must have pushed my skills to react without thinking. Before I knew it, power had burst out of me.
”――Whoa, not bad.”
Escaping that crisis came down to a reflex I had trained deep into my bones. The punishment skill sent mana — magical energy — flowing into the crotch tattoo that marked a servant’s submission. It left them trembling with pleasure.
But that ability was rooted in the (Familial Workshop) — the special workshop that bonded me to my servants. I realized I had carelessly activated my skills right in front of the ‘dungeon core’ — the heart of the Labyrinth. I scrambled to bow low on the spot.
”M-my apologies—. P-please, I beg your forgiveness!” I pressed my forehead against the cold floor.
”No matter. In fact, your ingenuity is quite important to us.” Mataaha’s tone was cool and sharp.
Shelm had warned me before. Brandishing strange powers inside a goddess’s domain was very rude. I remembered that the usual punishment for that was execution. My blood ran cold. But for some reason, the goddess’s voice sounded admiring.
”Why are you surprised? This is not my divine home, you know. You seem to misunderstand. This space only stops skills to stop fights. If you broke through my expectations and used your skills anyway, why would I not be happy about your skill?”
I left the writhing Ashley and the others alone. When I dared to look up, a faint smile floated on her beautiful brown features.
I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I had avoided being killed on the spot. But now I had to figure out what the goddess wanted. It probably had something to do with me using the (Familial Workshop) power. When I asked with my eyes what that meant, she looked away coldly.
”Based on the skills you showed, the adjustments to the ‘dungeon core’ are complete. The same goes for you, does it not?” Mataaha asked.
”Unn♡ That goes without saying. I finished it the moment I gave the (Familial Workshop) to Yuuri-kun♡” Yui chirped. Her voice was sweet like syrup.
The goddess turned to face the ‘dungeon core.’ It kept changing shape as always. She had spoken to no one in particular, but only Yui seemed to understand.
”――Very well. You may ask questions.” the goddess commanded.
”Y-yes. …From both of your words, it sounds like you want to connect the ‘dungeon core’ and the (Familial Workshop) together.” I said. My voice shook.
At this point, a bad feeling began to grow. Mataaha saw my doubt and chose to answer.
I used her favor and asked for the truth behind the goddesses’ plan. Her divine power pointed at me again from those ring-shaped eyes.
”Yuuri. How much do you know about getting the right to rule a Labyrinth — an underground dungeon?” Mataaha’s gaze was sharp.
”I am sorry. Because of my position, I only know uncertain rumors. I knew you had to reach the lowest level where the ‘dungeon core’ lives. …The fact that common people get crushed by the Labyrinth’s flood of information — I only learned that from you just now.” I admitted.
At the very least, I had heard about the information overload. So I thought I would get permission by touching it directly. But the real ‘dungeon core’ was much more alive than I imagined. Its form looked like it could cause a serious accident if touched. That made me lose confidence.
To tell someone to operate such a complex machine at just one look — that was an unfair order.
When I put that anger into my question, her stoic, beautiful face lifted the corners of her mouth slightly.
”I see. We must also apologize for that. — As a starting point, most people who seek a Labyrinth are in a much worse situation than you. They have used up all their strength by the time they reach the bottom. Or they cannot keep their position unless they get the Labyrinth.”
Mataaha stopped after saying that much.
The bad feeling I had at first grew even bigger because of her roundabout way of speaking.
It was as if the goddess was afraid I would say no to her offer.
I looked into my own heart. I tried to understand why I could stay so calm in front of a being so far above me. It was because of Shelm’s friendly way. The way Mataaha chose her words. And most of all — I still had the strength to go back. I could still run away to the outside world with my wives.
If they wanted, they could take that away from me. But the fact that they did not threaten me with it made me feel like they respected my choice.
But because of that, this slow buildup of information was very frustrating.
Could I really say yes to what the goddess would surely ask?
The worry only grew during the long silence.
”――That is exactly why most people give up. But in your case, it cannot be that way, because of our plans. ――Yuuri. What I want to ask you is the same as other Labyrinth masters. Offer your body to the ‘dungeon core’. Ruling a Labyrinth happens when a person joins with the ‘dungeon core’.”
After a long silence, as if she had been waiting for me to sort out my feelings, Mataaha told the truth.
The words were not enough for me to fully understand. But no matter how I thought about it, it did not seem like the computers from my past life. Where you log in and then use it freely.
Did words like “offer” or “join” really mean what they sounded like? I put that doubt and disappointment into my eyes. This time, the goddess looked directly at me.
”Are you saying I must let my body be crushed by this crusher-like machine?” I demanded.
”There is a gap between what you think and the truth. A ‘dungeon core’ without an owner finds the soul of whoever touches it. It pulls it in as data right away. At that time, the body is taken apart and absorbed. But it does not come with physical pain.” Mataaha explained coldly.
I hoped, I prayed, that I had heard wrong. But when I asked the goddess again, the truth was far from what I had dreamed. Getting the Labyrinth really meant becoming one with the ‘dungeon core’.
There would be no physical pain. I was even told I could handle the strain on my soul. But that did not matter much. I was thankful for the preparation. But that one thing — losing my own body — was something I could never accept.
”I, I have come this far because my wives gave their whole lives to me! And now you tell me to lose the body I use to touch them!” I shouted. My voice was raw with anger.
I had ignored the danger to my life. I had accepted that they were hiding information from me. But that was only because I saw a future where I could live with Ashley and the others. If I had to throw that away, what was the point of getting the Labyrinth at all?
Of course, as Mataaha said, if I could use the Labyrinth’s power without feeling pain, it would help Marina more than anything. But not being able to comfort the bodies of those who became my servants — no, not being able to devour them as I pleased — was something I could never accept.
So I raised my voice at what I saw as a trick. But even at my angry words, Mataaha did not move an eyebrow. She kept persuading me in the same calm tone.
”――If you look at it in the short term, I agree with you. But if you use all of the Labyrinth’s functions — the ‘Abyss’ — you can create a copy of your body. It will be just a tool, but it is possible. You should use the (Familial Workshop) that you rely on to cover the time until you master that.”
”No, no! Even if it looks the same, it would be a fake! I have decided to have children with these girls! That wish cannot be fulfilled by a body that only gives fake pleasure!” I argued back.
The work of creating life is something people can never copy.
That stays true even if you borrow a god’s power. There is no way I could make them pregnant with a fake body I created. Even if they somehow became pregnant, I could never believe it was the same as a child made with this real body — the one my parents gave me.
”Hmm. Your feelings as a human are understandable. But if you say that, what about your servants? They have already rebuilt their bodies from nothing using skills. At the very least, Shelm agrees that the human body given by her original master has all its functions. Also, what about the effect of the skills themselves and the Divine Protection on the body? It is your right to have a narrow view. But whether you like it or not, humans have gone on making life while being affected by our divine power for thousands of years.”
”Th, that is—” I stopped.
But Mataaha cut off my words like they were just the cries of a weak human.
It was true. My dislike of having children with a self-made body might come from my past-life knowledge of genetics. If gods keep affecting the human body in this world, and it does not hurt later generations as something strange, then maybe this was the natural way of things.
But that was only because they were gods — beings who control even time and space. I wished they would not ask the same from a human who had only increased his power because of outside help.
I hesitated, wondering how to make them understand. I looked at my wives’ worried faces. Among them, only Yui looked back with the same strong belief as Mataaha.
”Yuuri-kun—, did you really think you could flirt with girls for free?” Yui asked. Her voice was quiet but sharp.
The look on her face was not the usual mockery that also sneered at others. I felt like I had seen those rainbow eyes before. They were desperately trying to tell me something. But no matter how I searched my memories, I could not remember why.
”――Yuuri-kun, you have already been given everything you need. It has limits now because you are doing it with the help of (Familial Workshop). But once you join with the ‘dungeon core,’ you will be able to use all of your power exactly as you wish.”
”Wait just a second…! As Mataaha-sama said, do you know how much time that would take? No matter how much power I have, I am just a human. Even if I left everyone behind to focus only on mastering that power, by the time I managed it, I would be completely alone. My mind would have worn away…!”
Accepting the goddesses’ terms and touching the ‘dungeon core’ meant there was no going back. To reach the peace with Ashley and the others that I had wanted for so long, I would have to spend an amount of time I could not imagine. During that time, the memories of my loved ones would surely fade. By the time I finally got my power, this love would be nothing more than a thin, weak shadow of what it used to be.
I tried to explain to the goddesses — who spoke with the cold logic of the divine — about the limits of being human. But there was no way such beings had the human heart needed to accept such weak complaints.
”That is exactly why ‘I’ am here, Yuuri-kun.” Yui smirked playfully. “…Hey, remember me and Ai. We gods can split our minds. In other words, Yuuri-kun, you only need to learn how to do that from the start. You can keep writing over your tired heart with the part of your mind that loves everyone. …Then, you can keep that first passion forever, while only the results of your training grow. It might take more than a few thousand years for you to reach the level we need. But I promise that, in the end, I will make sure everything you want stays in your hands. Not a single piece will be lost…!”2
Mataaha added with a cold, strong stare, “――The rest depends on your choice. I will not blame you if you refuse. But know that there will be no more special treatment from us. Also, if a person who meets our standards appears in the future, and their goals clash with yours, we will side with them.”
The goddesses’ strange demands still left the final choice in human hands.
Of course, the goddesses’ favor was not a free gift. So it was expected that if they found better talent, they would put them first. But by saying clearly that they would not take back what they had already given, they had truly handed over both the right to choose and the responsibility that came with it.
”That is, well, obviously how it would end up.” I muttered, scratching my head. “…Haha, but I would hate to see Ai or you looking at anyone other than me. You have been so good to me so far. If I got scared and ran away now, I feel like I would regret it forever.”
After Yui’s declaration in the name of her godhood, I looked toward Mataaha. She nodded back.
The reason they gave such huge rewards while forcing me onto such a deep, hard path was probably because the thing they wanted most was at the end of it. My heart had already been shaken when Yui asked me with that tearful face. But signing a contract without knowing all the terms would be foolish.
So I turned back to face Mataaha once more. The Goddess of the Labyrinth greeted the human who had stood up to her — even while facing something so far above him — with a smile.
”However, to make a decision, this is still not enough.” I met her eyes. “By making me train like a hermit, what is it that you all truly want?”
Right. In the end, if I did not know the goal, I could not see the whole picture. I had planned to hit the heart of the matter. I thought now was the time to get an answer. But at my bold question, the goddess let out a sigh. Her shoulders dropped, as if her energy had suddenly gone.
Even worse, a dry laugh came from beside her. I looked over. My beloved Yui had turned back into a wicked goddess.
”Puff-☆ Hermit…, you said hermit!” Yui giggled. Her tone was full of mockery. “We have gone this far to guide you by the hand. Do you really think all we want is a slightly strong pawn!?”
Mataaha answered with royal calm, “Indeed. Yuuri, I know your humility is a good thing in some ways. But do not lower what others expect of you. The only thing we want is a friend who can stand beside us as an equal. If it takes giving ourselves fully to you for a time, we two goddesses have no problem with that.”
”――That is right, Elder Brother.” A new voice joined in. It sounded just like the wicked goddess, but without her cruelty. “Please, take our hands. And become my true, real Elder Brother♡”
The voice that followed the Goddess of the Labyrinth’s words came from behind. It was the same voice as the wicked goddess who had been laughing so coldly. But there was no mockery for others in this tone. It was filled with deep respect.
I doubted my own ears for a moment. I turned around without thinking. Shelm stood there, wearing the thin cloth that was rare to see these days. Unlike Yui, who was lying down lazily, the younger goddess stood tall. She walked toward me with steady, certain steps.
—
Summary:
Yuuri stands before the goddess Mataaha in the Labyrinth, attempting to process the terrifying prospect of merging his own soul and body with the dungeon core to gain administrative authority. Despite his fierce resistance to losing his human form and his ability to father children, Mataaha dismisses his concerns as shortsighted. The scene closes with Yui delivering a cryptic, chilling reminder that his current power is merely a stepping stone toward a permanent, potentially irreversible transformation.
Yuuri debates with the goddesses regarding the immense time commitment required to master the power they offer, fearing the loss of his humanity and his bonds with those he loves. Yui proposes a solution involving the partitioning of consciousness, promising to help him retain his passion despite the thousands of years of training. The goddesses, including the newly arrived Shelm, ultimately press Yuuri to commit to this path to become their equal.
—
Trivia:
The ‘dungeon core’ automatically ingests the soul of anyone who touches it.
Merging with the core is an essential, standard requirement for becoming a Labyrinth master.
Creating a body as a ‘terminal’ is theoretically possible once the Labyrinth’s functions are fully mastered.
Yuuri’s hesitation is rooted in his past-life biological understanding, which the goddess views as a limiting human perspective.
The goddesses’ ability to partition their own consciousness serves as the mechanical basis for their proposed solution.
The goddesses explicitly confirm that their favor is transactional, not a charity, and they would prioritize other candidates if a better match appears.
Despite the goddesses’ manipulative nature, they have promised not to revoke benefits already granted to Yuuri.
Shelm’s appearance and tone differ significantly from Yui’s, despite them sharing a voice.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Mataaha – A labyrinth goddess with brown skin, silver eyes, and long black hair, she has a refined, majestic presence resembling a stern, intellectual Mikasa Ackerman. Armed with divine authority and a solemn cadence, she manages the Royal Capital Labyrinth with a sharp, mostly flat demeanor. This complex persona defines how she tests intruders, though she shares an easy familiarity with Yui.
• Shelm – Wicked Goddess, reincarnated Yuuri, manipulative, wants him to use his power.
• Ashley – Daughter of Count Alegria, this poised, dignified noblewoman once adventured in the Capital Labyrinth. Now a loyal attendant in Yuuri’s party, she stands by his side during the audience with Mataaha. Gracious and deferential, she secretly admires Yuuri and seeks to be his dressing aide. She forms deep bonds with others through her unwavering devotion and displays extreme politeness to her leader.
• Yuuri – An arrogant commoner who conquered the Labyrinth and leads the Familial Workshop, this male protagonist feigned being “Skillless” to hide high-level garment, intimacy, and Divine Protection skills. Dismissed by the Count, Roeni’s student is actually a master distribution mastermind. To withstand a dungeon core, Shelm granted him a grotesque tentacle ability. He fiercely dominates his party and wives, including Yui and Suzuri.
• Yui – Formerly a goddess, Yuuri’s human servant-bride is a silver-haired, pale young woman with rainbow eyes, a voluptuous form, and a red-black crotch tattoo. Though deeply lazy, selfish, and fond of tentacles, her expressive face flushes easily, and she is a cheerful, hyper-energetic companion. Currently lying unconscious in restrictive livery, she holds deep, fearless affection for Yuuri.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea and leader of the Marina-dono faction, this capable royal conquered the Labyrinth with her escort group. Now a golden-gauntlet-wearing adventurer serving a free-spirited goddess, she is designated to manage the Labyrinth as part of Yuuri’s party. She navigates dangerous depths while often misinterpreting complex mechanisms with a distinct, nervous intensity.
• Ai – A newly formed sub-divinity who manages the world’s Skills and serves as a high-level, party-connected power source. Her intense burst of divine “ki” almost bleached Yuuri’s wicked thoughts. She views Yuuri as an “Elder Brother,” declaring genuine affection and deep trust for him based on his sheer efficiency with her Skills.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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