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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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I thought things had already changed quite a bit from the original novel.
In the vanguard position that should have been taken by Elin in the original novel, Elena stood wearing armor, holding a pure white sword and shield.
The wolf-shaped magical beast with horns on its head rushing towards us was a low-level soldier-grade magical beast.
Elena shouted as she blocked the claws of the wolf-shaped magical beast with the shield she created using the blessing “Holy Armaments” she received from Nephthys.
The magical beast that collided with the shield was repelled by the sacred light and tumbled on the forest floor.
And then, the pure white line drawn by the sword swung by Elena, emanating sacred energy, carved into the body of the magical beast.
It was an excellent strike, befitting the title of a saintess.
“Elin! Be careful over there!”
However, Elena couldn’t block all the wolves alone.
A few of the magical beasts passed by Elena, who was standing at the forefront, and rushed towards Elin, who was right behind her.
However, the magical beasts had chosen the wrong target to attack.
Terribly wrong.
“Overflow.”
With those words from Elin, the ground where the magical beasts were leaping towards Elin turned into a swamp-like liquid.
The magical beasts that began to sink into the swamp had all their flesh melt away, leaving only white bones as soon as they touched the liquid.
The blessing “Poison Ground” of Yuan had been activated.
– Awooo…!
The large magical beast, like the leader of the wolf beasts, had quick judgment.
Thinking that there was no chance of winning like this, it turned its body and started to run away.
But even that movement was as we had anticipated.
Livia leaped out from the shadows created by the trees.
She had used the blessing “Shadow Movement” to travel between shadows.
And then, an azure line cut through the air.
That single shot pierced the head of the magical beast with extreme precision.
“Clean.”
Livia had a small smile on her lips, as if proud of her skills.
I observed that scene casually and snapped the necks of a few magical beasts I was holding in the air in an instant.
Crack!
With a refreshing sound, the dead magical beasts fell to the ground.
This happened while Caiden was taking down a single magical beast.
“…It’s over. Senior Caiden.”
Caiden nodded his head glumly.
“Y-Yeah….”
This can’t be.
Am I useless?
Such thoughts were swirling on Caiden’s face.
But it couldn’t be helped.
Those girls, who were like the main heroines of the original novel, already had far superior skills compared to other students from the beginning of their first year.
I felt a little sorry for Caiden, who was feeling powerless alone among these monsters.
The three people who had taken down all the magical beasts seemed quite excited about their newly acquired powers.
In fact, this third evaluation also served as a test for the newly obtained blessings.
“This power is amazing. As expected of Lord Nephthys’ blessing. Just by holding a sword and shield, I feel strength surging through me!”
Elena said proudly, holding up the pure white sword and shield.
Although Nephthys’ true blessing was never properly depicted in the original novel since Elin was originally the saintess of Yuan, I had seen it in the background settings.
It was a valuable blessing that increased the basic stats not only of the wearer but also of the people nearby.
Thanks to that, even I, who was standing nearby, felt strength surging up as if my frail constitution had disappeared.
“Did I do well? Senior?”
In the meantime, Livia ran from afar and hugged me.
And she looked up at me with eyes seeking praise.
“You did well.”
At my light praise, Livia smiled brightly as if she was the happiest person in the world.
“Right? I did well, right? Hehe.”
Of course, there was someone who found it unpleasant.
“Why have you been clinging to the young lord since earlier?”
I thought it was peaceful.
Elin, who had been showing displeasure since entering the forest, finally confronted her.
[Constellation Gaunis pays attention to this conversation while opening a snack.]
“…What does it have to do with you? Senior isn’t saying anything either.”
Livia retorted, sticking even closer to me as if to show off.
“The young lord doesn’t usually say such things.”
Elin came closer and glared fiercely at Livia.
“You’re speaking as if Senior has hugged you before.”
Livia didn’t back down and fought back.
“He has!”
Elin, who reflexively said that, lost her words for a moment, then brought the back of her hand to her cheek as if to cool the heat rising in her face.
She seemed embarrassed.
And then, trailing off at the end, she finished her words.
“Way before you….”
“It must not have been anything special. I do more than that with Senior.”
When Livia said it as if it was ridiculous, Elin made an angry expression.
“Elin! Stop it! Remember the Lord’s words!”
As the situation quickly became tense, Elena intervened as if mediating.
“No. Not this time.”
But Elin confronted Livia as if she was determined to settle it this time.
“You remember this is being recorded, right?”
Caiden also quickly intervened as it seemed the fight would intensify.
However, Elin and Livia’s momentum didn’t seem to subside.
In the end, it seemed I was the only one who could stop these two here.
I had been pondering for a long time.
As I achieved the accomplishments, it was obvious that I would eventually have deep relationships with multiple heroines, and how I should deal with it then.
I sighed.
It was time to unravel the result of that contemplation.
“Both of you, stop. Both of you are precious to me.”
At my words, Livia and Elin’s gazes simultaneously turned to me.
I thought it might be too brazen, but now that it had come to this, there was only one way out.
“I said both of you are precious to me. Stop it.”
Brazenly moving forward.
As I met Elin’s wavering gaze and Livia’s unwavering gaze, my skin tingled slightly.
Elin, who was confused, and Livia, who seemed to be trying to come to terms with it.
I endured a moment of silence while receiving the complex gazes of the two.
Whatever.
At my words, Elin laughed hollowly as if she was dumbfounded.
On the other hand, Livia seemed to have sorted out her emotions and only reacted to the words that she was precious.
“You’re precious to me too, Senior!”
Saying that, Livia hugged me even tighter.
Perhaps because I kept feeling her warm body temperature, this situation was a bit hot.
“…Forget it. This is absurd.”
Elin turned her body with a sullen face.
She also looked hurt.
Elin mumbled something so softly that no one else could hear.
What Elin didn’t know was that I had the Sensory Expansion special ability.
“I was the first….”
Elin said, biting her lower lip slightly.
“To like you….”
Feeling like I had heard something I shouldn’t have, I felt a little guilty.
Sensory Expansion is good, but sometimes it’s like this.
[Constellation Gaunis asks if you’re okay.]
I shrugged my shoulders at Gaunis as if to show off.
Well, for now, it’s still at a stage where it can be resolved with words, so I should consider it okay, right?
“Elin… Young Lord. I’ll comfort Elin.”
Elena said to leave it to her and went to Elin and started saying something.
“Elin. What the young lord said….”
“I know that too.”
“It means he likes both of you, it’s by no means a bad thing!”
“That’s not comforting at all!”
Well done.
In the meantime, I glanced at Livia.
Although I said that earlier, I don’t want the heroines to have a bad relationship with each other.
“Livia. Can I ask you a favor?”
Livia tilted her head at my words.
“Yes. Anything for Senior!”
“I’d like you to treat Elin well too.”
At my words, the smile on Livia’s face slightly disappeared.
“…I’ll think about it.”
“Okay.”
That answer was enough.
At least she won’t be overtly hostile like before.
“…There are two types left. They’re super fast, so let’s hurry. At this rate, we might arrive first.”
Caiden forced out his words as if trying to break this unpleasant atmosphere.
But I knew.
About the incident that would occur before we reached the goal point.
I looked up at the sky.
It sounded like a crow was cawing from somewhere.
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The Raven King Subrak was thinking about the Demon King.
The place where the Demon King had polluted everything and created a space where magical beasts could live without persecution.
It existed on the same continent, but it was named after a landscape that seemed like a different world.
The Demon Realm.
From the highest place in that Demon Realm, a single woman reigned like a god.
Subrak could still vividly recall her as if dreaming.
“I worshiped her.”
Subrak tapped the mirror in front of him with his black fingers as if playing a melody.
In the Demon Realm, she was stronger than anyone and more noble than anyone.
She looked like a flower on an unreachable cliff.
A flower that no matter how much you wanted to covet, you couldn’t.
If such a woman had now become a plucked flower by someone.
If I can’t have her-
‘I will kill the one who plucked her.’
Subrak thought.
The Demon King wouldn’t want it, but Subrak intended to kill him.
The First Incident?
Why should he do such a thing to promote a fake hero?
“…But for now, I should only half-kill him.”
Subrak had prepared magical beasts several times stronger than originally planned.
Magical beasts so strong that no matter how outstanding the hero was, he couldn’t handle them.
Killing the hero was still inconvenient.
There were things to be obtained from the Demon King.
He planned to threaten the Demon King with the hero he had trampled down like that.
And the Demon King….
“A flower that has been plucked once has no meaning.”
He would also make the Demon King his puppet after taking away her power.
Subrak laughed-
Imagining the fulfilling power that would soon fill his body.
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