Almost everyone on the streets waved to me as I rode out of town. I don't think that I had ever seen so many people all looking so full of life.
When I reached the outskirts, the greetings stopped, and the silence of the travel took over. Colding hoove steps and the shaking of bottles were all I had to listen to as the horse pulled the wagon, so I took the time to look around.
Even though this world was one that I had lived my entire last life in, I had never visited this part of the world. There was a chance that I could have traveled near this area, but nothing really stood out.
It had been over half a millennia since I had walked these plains, so it was very likely that most of the names of places might have changed in that time. Regardless, I would just have to rediscover the world, and once I got a map of where I was, I would be able to make more sense of where I was.
The other thing that was bothering me was Jessel.
I had no idea what was going on in that woman's head, but something significant must have happened. I really couldn't fathom what would make a Goddess give up her place in Heaven and her immortality.
"Stop!" the devil herself called up to me from up ahead.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" I groaned as I slowed down the mare to a complete stop, just before the horse was about to run her over.
"No, I am not kidding you! I have come down here to give you my help!" Jessel demanded, and I pulled the horse's reins to the side, and the mare started walking around the short woman.
"Sorry, not interested," I said as the horse started to go around the once-Goddess.
"Hey! Wait! I am actually here to help you! Why are you ignoring me?!" Jessel complained, balling her fists at her side.
While she did look cute, this was Jessel, and the woman had already caused me enough headaches without even barely doing anything. She wore a blue dress and some light gray armor over top of it, with a sword and shield on her back that her red hair flowed down.
"Listen, I don't know why you came down here, but if you think that I would trust you after everything you have done so far, you had better think again. I have no interest in a Goddess that wishes to talk down to me about responsibilities when you fail to attend to your own," I said as I walked the horse around her.
"Wait! So what, you are just going to leave me here?! I am no longer a Goddess! I am a mortal, and I could die!" Jessel argued, and I nodded.
"That is how mortals work. Too many pokes from a pointy thing, and you are taking a permanent dirt nappy nap," I laughed but stopped when I saw actual worry cross her face.
I stopped the wagon, not really sure what I was doing, and hopped down. I still didn't like this little witch, but something about how pathetic she looked right now was eating at me.
"What is the real reason that you gave up your Divinity?" I asked, looking down at Jessel.
"What does it matter?! You seem fine just to leave me to die!" Jessel complained, and I nodded, hopping down.
"True. I would have thought that you might become even just the slightest bit more humble, but I was wrong. Now, answer the question, or you can walk back to Brackfield or Melsbrook, and you can go deal with that asshole you set loose on the poor town. That you should be watching over, not putting in danger! You wonder why I have no patience for your games," I growled, and Jessel tried to step back from me, but I moved to hold our distance.
"I did it to come help what I have neglected, or at least try. Gaston and Thania told me that I needed to come back and re-ascend to my place in Heaven, or I was at the risk of losing my place altogether," Jessel grumbled, and I lifted my eyebrows in surprise.
"Hmm? That is surprising, but I can understand why. You have only been blessing one country, and now you have made the rest of the world much more dangerous. Are you serious about helping? Goddess or not, if you start to act up or put the others in danger, I will put you over my knee and spank your ass so hard you won't sit for a week!" I growled, squatting down to eye level with Jessel.
"What?! Spank me?! I will not let you do that to me!" Jessel complained, but I narrowed my eyes.
"Do you want to try it out that bad? I will put you over my knee right now!" I threatened, but then I looked up, feeling something was wrong.
"Aye! You're gonna hold her down so we can all have a turn?" A greasy voice asked as three men approached me, all coming from different directions.
"Yeah, look at that pale skin and small body! She looks like a fighter, so she will be the best type to break!" Another of the men said, and my blood started to heat up, but Jessel looked scared, and she grabbed my arm, to my surprise.
I guess that she would only be a level one since it looked like she came straight for me, so I could understand her worries. If I had been alone, I would have just used my Charisma to force them to leave, but these monsters decided to show their true colors to me.
"As much as I despise this little woman, men like you make me sick!" I growled and pointed my finger at them one at a time, activating Stunning Language, saying, "You're a stupid son of a bitch, you're a greasy bastard, and you are just a piece of shit!"