A Brighter Future (Kuroinu)

On this day, Erebus became lively, and the reason was that a person had suddenly fallen from the sky. If it were just an ordinary person falling, they wouldn’t be so excited. However, the manner in which this person descended was far from ordinary.

Like a shooting star streaking across the sky, he plummeted toward Erebus. This led everyone at the time to believe it was some natural disaster, but just before landing, he came to a stop, hovering above the hands of the statue of their beloved goddess, Leliantia. With the disappearance of the radiance, a young man appeared before their eyes.

This unprecedented event led all the residents of Erebus to believe that this was an emissary of the goddess Leliantia or perhaps even her child. In any case, everyone deemed his identity extraordinary.

Furthermore, the matter escalated to the point where they believed it required the intervention of Celestine, the high elf who acted as the representative of the goddess herself. She personally appeared to quell the situation and unequivocally declared that the young man was indeed the goddess’s messenger.

The atmosphere in Erebus became fervent, as their hometown not only had the presence of Celestine, the goddess’s representative, but now also a messenger. This signified that they were truly blessed by the goddess.

As the central figure in this situation, Rhodes was currently lying on a soft, queen-sized bed. The room’s decor exuded a feminine atmosphere, and the owner of this room, Celestine, sat by the bed, watching over Rhodes, who had not yet awakened. Concern filled her gaze.

“Hmm~”

When Rhodes showed signs of waking up, a smile unconsciously graced Celestine’s face. She leaned forward slightly, and as Rhodes opened his eyes for the first time, he saw before him an elf with golden hair, a green plant-like headband, fair skin, and a well-endowed chest. Her appearance bore a striking resemblance to Leliantia, and for a moment, Rhodes almost thought he had somehow returned to his world.

“You’ve finally awakened. How do you feel? Is there anything uncomfortable with your body?”

Celestine’s voice was filled with concern. Rhodes found her voice captivating, and his gaze was irresistibly drawn to her, especially considering her snowy-white skin and revealing attire.

Do people in this otherworld wear such daring outfits!?

“Why are you having a nosebleed?! I… I’ll treat you right away!”

Seeing that Rhodes hadn’t responded and had even started to nosebleed, Celestine became nervous. She extended her hands toward Rhodes, and a green magic circle appeared. Lifeforce-filled magic immediately entered Rhodes’s body.

Even though there was nothing wrong with his body, when he felt the healing magic, Rhodes couldn’t help but make a sound, which brought him back to his senses.

“I’m fine now. There’s no need for further treatment.”

“Are you sure you’re really fine? If there’s any discomfort, you must tell me. Don’t keep everything to yourself, or your condition may worsen.”

Facing Celestine’s caring words, Rhodes felt embarrassed and not quite used to it. After all, being cared for by an elf who resembled Leliantia so closely would be touching to anyone.

“I… I understand. But who are you, and where is this place?”

“First, let’s clean up that nosebleed. I’ll explain everything slowly.”

Celestine gently wiped the blood from Rhodes’s nose with a handkerchief before starting to provide an explanation.

“I am Celestine Lucross, the chosen representative of the goddess Leliantia. You are currently in the city-state of Erebus, the place with the strongest faith in the goddess.”

“I see. But why am I here?”

“Because your appearance was so attention-grabbing. As soon as we noticed your arrival, I arranged for someone to bring you here. I’ve also learned about your situation from the goddess. You can stay here with me from now on.”

After Celestine finished wiping Rhodes’s nosebleed, her smile became even more enchanting. Rhodes found himself drawn to her, and her direct gaze, combined with her captivating appearance, left him somewhat mesmerized. However, he quickly realized his impoliteness and shifted his gaze to regain his composure.

“I apologize. By the way, I’m Rhodes, a newcomer to this otherworld. Nice to meet you, Miss Celestine.”

“Rhodes? That’s a lovely name. But you don’t need to use honorifics when speaking to me. Let’s just call each other by our names. I hope we can become closer. Is that alright?”

Celestine’s hand rested on the back of Rhodes’s hand, and her words and actions made Rhodes feel like this alluring elf had some special feelings for him. His heart raced even faster.

“I… I understand! Um, Celestine.”

“Hmm~?”

Celestine’s smile grew even brighter when she heard his response. Then, as she stood up, Rhodes could get a better look at her attire. It was at that moment he realized how daringly people in this otherworld dressed. He quickly covered his nose and averted his gaze.

“That Celestine… Why are you dressed like this? Don’t you think it’s too revealing? Why can’t you wear something that covers your body more?”

“Eh? Can we not talk about such embarrassing and scary things?”

“Huh?”

Since when did even suggesting someone wear a bit more clothing become scary? Could it be life-threatening?

“We elves dress like this. If we were to dress more modestly, it would greatly impact our way of life. Besides, is there really a problem with how I’m dressed?”

Celestine didn’t think there was anything wrong with her attire. In fact, she turned around in front of Rhodes, giving him a clearer and more detailed view, especially of the legs that were subtly exposed…

Nosebleed uncontrollably gushed from Rhodes’s nostrils. He felt that on his first day in this otherworld, he might end up returning to see the goddess Leliantia because of excessive blood loss.

“Why is this happening again? Rhodes! You have to hold on!”

Seeing Rhodes’s reaction, Celestine rushed over in alarm. Her sudden proximity to him made Rhodes feel like he was going to die right there.