Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1960: Talking to the gods (3)

The temple I was heading toward was the same one I had been taken to during my initial arrival in the Merman Empire.

Dedicated to Aquaron, this sacred place was where I had previously obtained that specific relic. A significant amount of time had passed since my last visit, mainly because I had found no reason to return. After all, if I ever required an audience with the gods, there were far more efficient locations to visit.

Despite that, I had come today with a very particular inquiry for Aquaron.

As I reached the entrance, I noticed a group of priests standing there as if they had been anticipating my arrival. While they didn't seem to grasp the purpose of my visit, they clearly recognized me as the individual their deity had summoned once before.

Paying them no mind, I walked straight toward the inner sanctum. None of the priests attempted to block my path; they only stepped forward to offer a greeting out of recognition. They followed closely behind me, their faces etched with confusion since they were entirely in the dark regarding my intentions.

It appeared that Aquaron had neglected to provide them with any guidance.

I wondered if this was due to a lack of concern on the god's part, or if they simply had nothing to communicate. I had been waiting for some kind of sign from Aquaron for a while now, yet they had remained stubbornly silent.

Since they refused to initiate a conversation, I was left with no choice but to seek them out myself.

Pushing open the heavy temple doors, I looked back and stated, "I have to go in alone."

Though their expressions suggested a strong desire to follow, I remained unwavering. Ultimately, they were forced to respect my demand despite their obvious curiosity.

The priests seemed the most eager to enter, yet they managed to restrain themselves at the last moment.

The moment the doors shut behind me, I was instantly transported to the expected realm. Simultaneously, the figure I anticipated seeing manifested before me. However, their opening words were entirely unexpected.

"Go back, there’s nothing for you here."

This version of Aquaron was a far cry from the one I had encountered previously. Instead of being passive and complacent, this Aquaron was sharp, focused, and purposeful. The shift left me feeling quite bewildered.

"Is this the real you, or was the one I met before the real you?" I asked.

Aquaron offered no explanation for the change, but he did provide a response that caught me off guard once again.

"It isn’t the right time for you to know about this."

These were the exact words Aestum had used during our last conversation. For both of them to use the identical phrasing could not be a mere coincidence. Still, the idea of them collaborating was difficult to swallow, especially considering how Aestum and the kraken had behaved toward one another.

The resentment in their voices had felt far too genuine to be a simple performance.

"You’ve already gotten the answer that you’re looking for, so there’s no reason for you to remain here any longer," Aquaron declared abruptly while I was still trying to piece things together.

Because they held the power of a god and I was merely a mortal, I was powerless to resist as I was forcibly ejected from the realm. Before I could utter a single word, the world around me shifted.

When my vision cleared, I found myself standing back inside the temple. The behavior of these two gods made it glaringly obvious that there was a deeper narrative than what had been revealed to me.

The issue remained: if the gods chose silence, I lacked the means to compel them to speak. Even though I could wield divine energy, it did not grant me the status of a god. I knew from bitter experience that asking other deities for information was useless; they weren't prone to gossiping about their own kind.

Resigned to the fact that I could do nothing more, I turned and prepared to exit the temple. As I opened the doors, a wave of frustration washed over me.

"What happened?" the Merman King asked, stepping forward immediately. I could only respond with a slow shake of my head.

The crowd watched me with puzzled expressions. They couldn't grasp the meaning of my silence, but I was determined not to elaborate to avoid spreading further confusion. Since I was lost as well, the less I said, the better.

During this exchange, I kept a close eye on the kraken, searching for a reaction. Interestingly, the kraken didn't seem nearly as surprised as the others.

Since I refused to speak, there was nothing they could do but follow my lead. We eventually departed from the temple and began the journey back to the palace.

As we walked, I leaned toward the Merman King and whispered, "Keep an eye on those people that we’ve brought back with us."

He shot me a questioning look before asking, "Do you think that something will happen with them?"

"I don't expect them to act out," I replied, "but I have a feeling something beyond our control might occur."

The Merman King gave me another soul-searching look, but he eventually gave a firm nod of agreement.