What should I do if the hero is resurrected in the Monster Girl Encyclopedia?

Chapter 105 A Pinky Promise
"Want to go in and have a look?"

Seeing Mirad staring silently at the church of the fallen god, Siolitta quietly moved closer.

The entire Lilim was almost pressed against his arm.

She lifted herself lightly on her toes and slowly flew up, her warm breath brushing against his ear, her voice extremely low, as if discussing a huge secret.

"This is a one-time offer only,"

Hiolitta held Mirad's hand, swaying it from side to side. It was as if they were just two children plotting to sneak out on an adventure without the adults' knowledge.
"Let's sneak around... and take a look at the interior decorations of other churches. God is so magnanimous, He won't be angry with us, right?"

After she finished speaking, she couldn't help but chuckle, her laughter crisp and clear, her shoulders swaying as she gently bumped Mirad's arm.

"Lord Mirad, you're also very curious about the Fallen God's church, aren't you? Your gaze is so obvious—"

"You don't really want me to enter the church of the fallen god...why?"

Even through the thin fabric, Mirad could feel Hiolitta's overly supple body stiffen after he finished speaking.

"Your intentions are quite obvious. On the surface, you're encouraging me to go to church, but in reality, you're just trying to provoke my rebellious nature and make me leave."

Siolitta suddenly abandoned her unreasonable and argumentative mode and switched to Lilim's seductive mode... It's obvious that it won't be that simple.

Tilly, her plan thwarted, pouted, "Ugh... Actually, Lord Mirad, you fell for it too! I disguised myself so clumsily just to get you into the church of the Fallen God, to provoke your rebellious nature!"

…This is clearly a desperate attempt to salvage the situation after giving up on oneself.

Mirad watched with great interest as Hyolitta put on her stubborn act.
"...This will never end if we keep stirring things up. I do have a strange sense of familiarity with that church, but that's all. Whether I go in or not is irrelevant to me. But right now, I'm more curious about why you're stopping me than about the church itself."

"How can you assume I didn't consider the deeper layers of the game... Do you really think my mind can't even think a little further...? I'm so sad! But there's no particular reason. I just feel like you're not ready to face the truth yet..."

"Another vague warning like this?"

Mirad was amused by Hiolitta's stammering, "These kinds of mystical talk were not something those wild prophets in the mountains a thousand years ago, who claimed to be favored by the gods, would have bothered to say."

"Huh? Why? It's so good at creating a sense of mystery and the unknown..."

Mirad smiled. "Those with real talent are either truly chosen by a god to become unknowing heroes, or they have been seduced by demons to gain power. For them, demonstrating 'miracles' far beyond the norm is far more effective than words. Only those with little ability would try to create a false image through tricks and rhetoric."

Siolitta paused, then realized who the other person was implying. "...Lord Mirad, you're not implying I'm bluffing and empty-headed, are you? Although saying 'for your own good' is annoying and makes people feel self-righteous... I genuinely believe you shouldn't know the truth right now..."

"It sounds like you think I would have a mental breakdown if I knew 'that truth'."

Mirad already had many guesses about the affairs of the divine realm.

From the moment the Supreme God failed to respond for a long time, chaotic thoughts and speculations spread like wildfire in my mind.

…Every idea can be described as heretical and deviant.

Despite this, no god came to rebuke him.

"It's probably not that bad, but Lord Mirad will definitely be depressed for a while. Sigh, keeping you hanging on like this isn't a good idea... How did you feel about your simple walk around Miradria this morning?"

"It's developing quite well. If everything is true, then humans and monsters do seem to be able to coexist peacefully to some extent... I have no comment on that. And, I'm still not used to your monster habits."

It's more than just living in harmony.

For Mirad, this was already a rather euphemistic way of putting it.

As Mirad took the shortcut through a secluded alley, she noticed that her steps weren't necessarily in a straight line, but rather that she was unintentionally taking detours. After trying it several times, this observation was confirmed.

Considering the existence of magic that repels people, the answer becomes obvious.

"...It is a terrible waste of your magic to use it for this."

"There are always impatient people who can't wait to get home..."

Siolitta started off laughing, but her voice gradually became firm. "However, Lord Mirad, your ability to accept things is indeed stronger than I thought... So, after you have rescued everyone in Cretia, I will tell you the whole truth without hiding anything."

“My intuition tells me that if I just step into the church of that fallen god, everything I want to know will be revealed to me. Nevertheless, you want me to stay for you.”

The same is true.

His intuition, that almost precognitive instinct honed through countless life-or-death battles, was now clearly pointing to that tightly closed door.

He was convinced that the answer lay behind the door.

Mirad was so convinced that this was an instinctive judgment, which had saved him countless times on the battlefield, and he was sure it wouldn't be a deception this time either.

Hiolitta probed, a hint of nervousness in her voice, "Just... take it as well-intentioned advice from a fair-weather friend?"

Mirad remained silent for a moment.

He could imagine that Hiolitta's eyes, which lit up instantly at his simple "good," looked as if they were filled with stardust.

He wanted to say something, such as that true drinking buddies wouldn't act like you, saying you hate "it's for your own good" while actually making choices, clumsily and stubbornly pushing me in what you consider a safer direction.

Drinking buddies are noisy passersby at banquets, fleeting friendships formed when they are drunk and arm in arm, but which end when they go their separate ways. They only share the pleasure of the moment and never concern themselves with each other's future or choices.

But not Hiolitta.

From the moment she appeared, she used jokes to mask her true feelings and sophistry to conceal her concern.

Sometimes, these genuine feelings and concerns can inadvertently reveal their true nature. She might try to break through that barrier, but because of his rejection, she would obediently retreat beyond the boundary, pull out her own teeth and claws, put on the collar, and hand the other end to him.

When she stopped joking, stepped out of her immature fan persona, and seriously said, "I don't think you're ready yet," something changed.

"…it is good."

Mirad spoke, his voice not loud.

"At the very least, a pinky promise will do... Hmm? Lord Mirad, you've agreed?"

“I can get an answer by going into the church. I can get an answer by you telling me yourself, it’s just a matter of time.”

"Shall we pinky swear?"

"Pull it."

"Yay! Let's stick out our little fingers... Lord Mirad, why are you sticking out your middle finger?! You said in the story that this is an insulting gesture, how can you expect me not to see it?!"

Mirad looked into the eyes of the girl he had pinky-sworn with... and sure enough, there was starlight twinkling in them.

(End of this chapter)