#558 The Woman Who Was Given Everything

A woman named Pandora came out of the box.

This situation is changing rapidly beyond our comprehension.

Pandora is a stunningly beautiful woman with dark hair, all the while clad in armor.

Her eyes are filled with ambition, and she looks just like a natural-born warrior.

“How many years has it been since I was sealed? Well, it doesn’t matter. Now that I have been released, it is time to restart my domination!” she declares sonorously. “This world is under my control! I am its ruler!”

“...”

“Ow!”

Letasreit hit her on the head again!

I told you not to do that!

“I’m so sorry she keeps hitting you!”

“Ugh... Who are you people? From the looks of it, you must belong to the human race.”

Pandora fixedly stares at me and Letasreit with a sly look on her face, and her mouth hangs open.

“No matter. If you are of the human race, you are the ones whom I will eventually rule. I can at least show mercy to my livestock-ow!”

“Hey, Letasreit!”

Why do you keep hitting her?

I mean, I can understand why—this Pandora woman gives off a bad vibe.

“Don’t you recognize me? Pandora? I am the most beloved of the gods, a heroine, and a saintess. Does that not ring any bells to you people?”

“N-No...”

“Hmm...It must’ve been a long time, then. It’s safe to assume that I’ve been sealed for at least a hundred years.”

Pandora mutters to herself.

I wonder if we can solve the mystery if we continue to listen to her?

“I will tell you first so that you may spin a tale of my legend in this land. My name is Pandora, the woman who was once the most beloved of the gods and to whom they gave every wonderful blessing imaginable!” she boasts. “I have been given various divine blessings. I am the most powerful of all. For example, this!”

Pandora draws the sword hanging from its scabbard and swings toward the ground. The ground cracks as if it is being hollowed.

“Ahhh!!! My freshly tilled land for sowing seeds!”

“I have received blessings from the glorious goddess of war, Athena, allowing me to master swordsmanship! I can split the earth and heavens with just one swing of my sword! Not only that!”

A raging flame shoots out from Pandora’s raised palm.

The flames spread on the ground, burning away Letasreit’s fields.

“Noo! The fertile soil we worked so hard on!!!”

“This is the fire blessing given to me by Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. Thanks to this power, I can manipulate flames like the demon race’s alchemy magic!”

Oh, the poor fields.

Even though there are hardly any crops growing in winter, still, the area Letasreit worked so hard to cultivate is ruined.

“I also received an indomitable body from the brutal god of war, Velesares, and can withstand any wound! From Artemis, the moon goddess, infallible archery skills! From Hermes, the gods’ secret messenger, the art of stealth that will allow me to escape from any enemy!”

“You weren’t exaggerating when you said they gave you a lot, huh?”

Hm? But wait...

Weren’t the gods and goddesses only supposed to give blessings once per person?

Why does she have so many of them?

When I pointed this out...

“Huh. So, times have changed. Or perhaps it must’ve been my influence.”

“Huh?”

“The gods and goddesses loved me so much that they gave me all kinds of blessings. Because of that, my power has exceeded theirs.”

“You mean to say...!”

I heard that the rule of “only one blessing per person” came to be because of a hero who was given unlimited power.

That hero became conceited and started a rebellion.

To prevent the same thing from happening a second time, it was decreed that no more than one blessing be given per person.

“So, you’re the hero from ancient times?! But I thought that was thousands of years ago!”

“Thousands of years?!”

Why are you surprised?

“H-Has it really been that long? Oh, well. If the world truly has changed, it’s looking better for me. If you can only have one blessing, no one can match me and my power!”

Pandora has dozens of blessings and blessings, yet the current generation can only be given one.

The difference in ability is as clear as day when compared.

“Above all, I have been granted by the great god Zeus eternal beauty and the privilege of never being harmed by any divine being! No one on this earth can kill me! In other words, I am invincible!”

Pandora laughs maniacally.

“No being can defeat me! Thousands of years ago, I was narrowly defeated by the intrusion of the gods from the underworld and the sea, but I won’t make the same mistake! This time, I’ll overthrow their intentions and claim my place as ruler of the entire world- Ackkk!”

Suddenly, Pandora lets out a disheveled shriek.

She was punched in the stomach so hard.

Once again, it was Letasreit, her expression livid.

“How DARE you ruin my fields!”

Right.

Pandora swung her sword and unleashed flames to give us a little demonstration, but Letasreit’s winter fields were ruined thanks to her.

It’s understandable that she’d lose her cool.

“Oogh... Who the hell do you think you are, hitting me like that?” 

“I don’t have a name to give to someone who destroys crops. The law of the farm... is death to those who devastate fields!”

Well, yeah.

I can sympathize with Letasreit, so I’ll leave her be.

“You’re a fool for picking a fight with me! I have received numerous blessings from the gods—I am a superhuman! If you want to go against me, I’d be more than happy to turn you into my first sacrifice after my resurre- Gah!” 

Another clean hit to her gut.

But the fact that she doesn’t fall to the ground from Letasreit’s punches is proof of her exceptional strength.

The power Letasreit gained from consuming beans is so extraordinary that if she punched me in the gut now, I would vomit up all my gastric juices and be unconscious till the next day.

“H-How... Velesares gave an indomitable body, so I should be able to withstand any attack...”

“No matter how tough you are, if you are hit with a greater force, you will still be crushed. It’s simple logic.”

“Kuh!”

Sensing that another punch would’ve been bad, Pandora takes a step back.

“I’m not going to keep letting you hit me without putting up a fight! Service time is over! The moment I start my counterattack, you’ll never have the chance to hit me again!” she says, pulling out the sword from her scabbard. “This is the holy sword Excalibur, given to me by the great god Zeus! With this unique and sacred blade paired with the mastery of swordsmanship I received from the goddess of war, Athena, I can cut down mountains! Your fate ends here!”

Pandora swings down her sword, but Letasreit easily blocks it with her arm.

“Huuuuuh?!”

Letasreit’s slender arm sheds not a single drop of blood, despite being hit by Excalibur’s? blade head-on.

“...Let me tell you something. You can’t live a life of just receiving.”

Letasreit started talking philosophically.

“No matter who it is, one cannot keep living without receiving something from others. I, too, lived a privileged life as a princess back at my castle: beautiful dresses, rings, all the luxuries you could imagine. When I came here, I still spent my days receiving help from many people...”

“How did you survive a blow from Excalibur?! ...I see now. You must’ve been bestowed a blessing too. A mighty one! Tell me, which god are you favored by?”

If I recall, Letasreit didn’t receive any blessing from the gods.

She was present at the time of the gods and goddesses’ get-together party, but she refused because no celestial god was present.

“That is why we must be thankful for what we are given. Only then can we fully own what is given to us. I am grateful to so many people on this farm, to Saint, Platy, Holly, the orcs and goblins, and many others... But above all, to the beans!”

I knew beans would come sooner or later.

“Learn to express your gratitude to everyone! Learn to share your blessings! Why do you think you can beat me when you don’t even do any of that?! Behold, my power born of gratitude for the farm! Letasreit MMA! Kuzu Ryu Sen!!!”

“Gaaaaaah!!!”

Letasreit’s blinding barrage of punches hit Pandora’s body mercilessly, blasting her off.

Not even the gods’ blessing was enough to protect Pandora. After suffering a lot of damage, she fainted, foaming at the mouth.

“Work for beans and be grateful to beans! Eat beans and learn what it’s like to be one!!!” snaps Letsareit.

Was she always this kind of character?