Chapter 187 Punishment Confirmed!
I returned home with Angela. Fortunately, the world I knew had been completely restored.
"Goddess, we did it again!"
"Indeed, my woman is the best!"
"No, my woman is even, even better!"
After having some sweet talk with the Goddess for a moment, I looked back at Angela.
She nodded her head. It meant she was resolved.
As I entered the house, the women’s gazes gathered on me.
"Oh my, son, you’re here? Oh, oh my?"
As soon as they saw Angela behind me, the women, including Aunt, were all horrified.
A few of them seemed about to curse. I understood their feelings, but.
First, I cut them off.
I clapped my hands and gathered their attention.
"Alright, everyone, please pay attention."
Angela finally stepped forward. I looked around at the heroines.
The victimized heroines, who had just regained their senses, glared at Angela.
"Uh, uh-oh?"
"It’s her, that bitch! Fuck!"
"How dare a barbaric Mortal...."
The women were foaming at the mouth. I fully understood their feelings.
I would have been the same.
Towards Angela, who was bowing her head, the women were venting their rage. She shouldn’t have done such a thing. Angela probably didn’t know that.
In the first place, yanderes themselves aren’t normal. But now, it was different.
"How should I stop them?"
While I was contemplating, Angela bowed her head deeply.
"I’m sorry! It’s all my fault! For attacking all of you due to my stubbornness and causing mental and physical harm, I am deeply reflecting!"
"This fucking bitch, where... Huh?"
The women who were about to curse were suddenly flustered. Angela suddenly took off her clothes.
Even the excited women only tilted their heads at Angela’s actions.
After taking off all her clothes, she neatly folded them, placed them in front of her, and Angela even performed a dogeza.
"Due to my selfishness, I have caused irreparable harm to all of you. If you tell me to apologize until I die, I will."
At her sudden storm of apologies, the women were dumbfounded. If she had come out shamelessly, they would have been ready to pull her hair.
They couldn’t do that. Moreover, a naked dogeza! What a precious thing!
"But I also, after listening to Lucian’s advice, promise to reform myself. I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!"
Now the women wore confused expressions. It even felt like they were doubting if this was a dream or reality.
They all looked at me simultaneously. I merely shrugged my shoulders.
"Still, she apologizes well. Did it feel sincere?"
Instead of just blindly apologizing, she detailed what she did wrong and what she would do about it. She spoke in detail.
An apology should be at least this much. Even an apology letter sent to a judge would be lighter than this.
I rested my chin on my hand and nodded.
"Everyone, what are you going to do?"
The choice was up to the women. My Auntie stepped forward.
"First, Lucian. What happened here? Was the culprit the general store woman?"
I only nodded. The Goddess suddenly materialized and grabbed Angela’s neck.
"I shall kill you here!"
For the Goddess, who loves humans, to be enraged to that extent, it must be a serious matter. But I stopped her.
"Goddess, stop."
"But...!"
"When this is over, you said you’d leave it to me, didn’t you? I’m going to ask the women what they think here. How to deal with Angela. So please watch."
The Goddess and I had virtually given Angela a proper lesson.
The rest of the responsibility had to go to the other women.
"If it were you, could you calm down? Heuk. I’m asking if you could calm down!"
The Goddess was shedding tears. I hugged her.
"Even I wouldn’t be able to calm down. My beloved daughter was attacked, how could I?"
"Then don’t you know my heart better than anyone?"
"First, let’s hear Angela’s side. Whether we kill her or roast her. We’ll let this person speak for herself about how much she’s reflecting. Before a flawed law automatically forgives her, before humans who wield the law automatically go easy on her."
Honestly, I don’t believe in law. Law? It’s good to have it. But does it necessarily have to function absolutely, like now? That question arose.
The Goddess eventually sighed and released Angela. Angela, who was coughing, shook her head.
"Goddess, I... I was wrong."
"Ancient dark magic, and even wielding Kahlum. Where in the world would there be such a human?!"
The Goddess glared at Angela as if full of hatred. Then Horuz, who had regained her senses, stepped forward.
"Mother, that’s enough."
"What?"
The Goddess’s eyes widened. Horuz shook her head as if resigned.
"Although it hurts my pride, I fought that bitch head-on and lost. Kahlum was fierce."
Everyone was surprised. They thought she had been ambushed, but Horuz had actually been defeated by Angela in a head-on battle.
She gave a bitter laugh.
"Honestly, I was careless. Still... I thought I would win. That person devoured all space."
"Horuz...."
"As a goddess, I lost without setting an example. I admit it."
Horuz, who cleanly admitted what she had to admit. Anyway, that bitch-wannabe.
Always being careless when fighting. That was Horuz’s problem. If only she fixed that, she’d truly be the strongest.
"If Horuz admits defeat like that, how much has Angela powered up? No, is that even a plausible growth rate in the first place? Although she has the best talent, she’s almost on the level of a web novel protagonist?"
I was astonished. Still, I tried to maintain my composure.
Isn’t that an enviable talent?
Regardless of the field, even if one only has the talent to reach the peak instantly, they wouldn’t have trouble making a living.
They might have worries in life, but they would live an easy life enough to blow those worries away.
I was truly envious.
"Angela, are you okay? But this is a punishment you must receive."
"I know... It’s painful."
"It is painful. That’s how it should be. If you’ve done wrong and regret it, you’ll feel pain. Only those who are fake or don’t regret it can smile and shamelessly ask for leniency."
At that moment, the Goddess shook her head.
"How can this person compensate? Do you think that makes sense?"
"Even so, we can’t entrust private retribution to someone who is a god, can we? So let’s see this through our way."
"Our way?"
"Of course, if I had my way, I would want to privately punish all criminals in the world, but."
If the law cannot protect people, then people must protect people. At least, that’s what I thought.
My Auntie denied my words.
"Lucian, no matter what, that’s not right. It seems like you’re crossing the line."
"What’s not right? Do you think the law is perfect?"
"Not exactly, but everyone has a line. If you cross it yourself, wouldn’t that be wrong?"
"The law must protect victims. A Hero must protect humanity from evil. But what if these don’t function properly? Even just once?"
At my words, my Auntie closed her mouth. I shrugged and continued speaking.
"That’s when things go to hell. Innocent victims and sacrifices are created. Furthermore, this person cannot appeal anywhere, and no one compensates them. Even then, will you say private retribution is unconditionally bad?"
"But we are intellectuals...."
"Because we are intellectuals, do we receive lenient punishments based on flawed legal standards? Do we hire expensive legal representatives and win trials we should lose? If that’s the correct attitude as an intellectual, then I’ll give up."
I looked around at the women. There were various people here.
But at least I wanted to clearly convey my thoughts.
"Since it’s important, I’ll say it one more time. The law must protect victims. A law that cannot do that, I believe, has no value in being upheld."
"...So what are you going to do?"
"The part that needed to be upheld has already passed, so we should move on to compensation."
I approached the Goddess. Although I had given her a proper lesson first, she probably had the most pent-up rage.
"How you want to punish Angela. You might want to kill her, but as an intellectual, that doesn’t seem right. Horuz also admitted defeat, and Angela herself is begging like this."
It wasn’t asking for forgiveness. It was about making her take responsibility.
Between those who regret and potential criminals, what’s the difference?
It’s taking responsibility versus not. There are some people who, despite having illegal drugs and a prostitution system, ended up with a suspended sentence.
These people are said to be living well and prospering even now.
In contrast, there were also people who endlessly regretted the sins they committed and performed daily volunteer work.
How much responsibility one takes for the sins they committed, that was important.
I wanted to see this through Angela.
The Goddess pouted.
"How unfair. Knowing how much I love humans...."
"Then let others speak. How should we punish her? For your information, just a moment ago, with that big sis, we just finished fighting while destroying several dimensions and planets."
"What?!"
Did I say that for nothing? Never mind. It was meant to induce a decision.
Lumina stepped forward.
"Then let’s torment her like hell. Beat her like a dog, stab her, and piss on her face!"
Gazes gathered. Lumina, on the contrary, scanned Angela’s figure.
"Now that I see, her figure is good, and her face is pretty decent. There’s a hot spring, right? Let’s drag her there and torment her like hell among ourselves, how about that? Her body and mind!"
Is she perhaps Satan? She thought of that in such a short time?
Is that a genius, or a demon? You’re scary, Lumina.
The other women each agreed.
"That’s good? It’s groundbreaking!"
"So as long as we don’t kill her, it’s fine, right? Good!"
"It’s a shame to end it at that, but it is good."
On the contrary, Angela’s complexion, who was in the position of apologizing, turned pale.
"Hii, Hiiik...!"
Just in case, I asked everyone.
"Then do you all agree? Even those who are jurors and spectators can participate in this punishment."
"Hi, Hiiihik...!"
At my words, Angela was even more flustered. Horuz smiled and licked her lips suggestively. When she makes that kind of face, she’s really scary.
"Good. Let’s do that, you fucking bitch!"
"Then the Punishment has been confirmed. I will execute the punishment, so everyone, please come to the hot spring!"
I took the women to the world inside the ring. We went to the mansion on the first sky island and descended to the hot spring.
It feels like it’s been a long time since I came here. Standing before the hot spring, I winked at Horuz and Lumina.
"Stay still!"
"Good figure, young lady?"
Horuz and Lumina stripped Angela’s clothes and dragged her into the hot spring.
"Shall I watch this with amusement?"
Smiling wickedly, I followed behind.
