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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“Potatoes… again? Why?”
Yuseora’s undisguised disappointment stung. I wanted to buy something nicer today, but…
“It seems the regulations have gotten stricter because of the Masked Hero.”
Apparently, the curfew had been extended. By the time we got out, the restaurants were closing, so I had no choice but to buy some steamed potatoes and hurry back.
I felt bad for Yuseora, who had probably been looking forward to a delicious dinner after subsisting on potatoes and corn for breakfast and lunch, but it couldn’t be helped.
“I-It’s okay. It’s only for a few more days.”
She seemed to have accepted reality.
I looked at her biting into the potato and said, “At least these are new potatoes, not last year’s…”
“New potatoes, old potatoes…”
Munch
“The new potatoes are definitely tastier.”
Seeing her eat the potatoes without complaint, Elsie and I also started our late dinner. I wasn’t very hungry, having had a filling lunch with Elsie, but I couldn’t show it.
“So, I hear the Masked Hero operation is going well?”
I nodded.
“It seems the Royal Palace is finally taking notice.”
The Masked Hero was no longer just a rumor. The Royal Palace was officially paying attention. We had achieved our goal within the timeframe.
“Then next is…”
Yuseora’s gaze shifted to Elsie.
Elsie, while chewing on a potato, said, “Yes, it’s me.”
Until now, I had mainly played the role of the Masked Hero, but from now on, it was Elsie’s turn to carry out the operations.
“We’re all full, but it’s still dangerous to go out now, right?”
I nodded in agreement. This was when security was tightest. Even if Elsie could turn invisible using Optical Modulation, it was still dangerous.
“Let’s go out a little later.”
“Then what should we do until then?”
“Hmm…”
Elsie had already told Yuseora the fairy tale version of the Masked Hero story, not my bloody version. I had also told her about the Nameless King, so I was thinking of telling her the story of the Last Knight of the Lodreim kingdom.
“I’m curious about that historical Lodreim kingdom wrestling you mentioned last time.”
Cough!
Elsie started coughing, as if a potato had gone down the wrong pipe.
“Well, that’s…”
“Why? You said it’s a martial art that helps with operational capabilities. Isn’t it?”
Of course not. I’d just blurted it out in a moment of panic. But it seemed difficult to deny it now.
“Of course. Wrestling is a contest of strength, technique, and stamina.”
It wasn’t exactly wrong.
“But it’ll be difficult to teach you today. Elsie’s the one who really knows it, and she has to go out soon.”
“Hmm… you’re right. You said it was a historical Lodreim kingdom technique.”
Fortunately, Yuseora seemed convinced by my excuse. In the end, I decided to pass the time by telling her the story of the Last Hero of the Lodreim kingdom.
As time passed, and Yuseora started dozing off, Elsie said, “She falls asleep at this hour every time, like a child.”
Sometimes, she did seem like a child. So innocent. But that was good in its own way.
“Then, I’ll be going.”
As Elsie prepared to leave, I said, “Be careful.”
“Of course.”
In that instant, Elsie turned invisible. The Lodreim kingdom, always bright because the sun never set. Since she couldn’t use Shadow Cloak here, moving stealthily was entirely Elsie’s role. Especially now, with heightened security.
Creak.
The window opened and closed on its own. I drew the curtains. I wasn’t planning on sleeping until Elsie returned, but it was best to at least pretend.
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Tap…
‘Hmm?’
It seemed I’d dozed off. I opened my eyes, and the faint light filtering through the curtains illuminated the bed across from mine.
“Yuseora?”
She was sitting on the bed, looking at me. I was startled, and so was she.
“You surprised me!”
I asked her, “What are you doing awake in the middle of the night?”
“Well…”
She twirled her long hair with one hand and said, “I closed my eyes for a moment and fell asleep, but I woke up quickly. I was worried about Elsie, so I couldn’t fall asleep again.”
“That’s understandable. But why were you staring at me like that?”
“Because… you look interesting?”
Interesting? It almost sounded like an insult. But I knew she didn’t mean it that way.
“Interesting? What do you mean?”
“Well, you look like a man? You look different from me.”
“You and Elsie look different too.”
“That’s true.”
Her logic was baffling. Elsie was difficult to understand due to her eccentric preferences and impulsive nature, while Yuseora, although usually quite smart, was often surprisingly innocent in strange ways. It wasn’t a major problem, though.
“How long has Elsie been gone?”
“I don’t know. About 30 minutes since I woke up?”
Then at least more than 30 minutes had passed. It was about time for Elsie to return. But she was nowhere to be seen.
‘She didn’t get caught, did she?’
I had faith in Elsie, but I couldn’t help but worry. Until I heard voices.
“The Masked Hero… so many posters on the street…”
“Do you think it’s true?”
“Of course, it’s a lie. Even if he’s the Masked Hero…”
The voices were coming from the alley outside the window. It seemed Elsie was carrying out the operation smoothly. But their next words were a problem.
“Is this the place? The lodging for the recently arrived heroes.”
“If they’re not here, it’s confirmed.”
As expected, they were suspicious. The timing of the Masked Hero’s appearance coincided with our arrival. Even changing our hair color wasn’t enough to completely avoid suspicion.
‘We’re so close…’
We just had to hold out a little longer regarding the Masked Hero’s identity. We needed to overcome this crisis.
“Yuseora.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll teach you the historical Lodreim kingdom wrestling.”
“But you said Elsie had to be here…”
“I know a little.”
I climbed onto the bed where she was sitting.
“S-Sung Yoo-rang?”
She seemed flustered by my sudden boldness, but there was no time to waste. I could already hear them coming up the stairs.
‘What techniques were there again?’
I didn’t know much about wrestling. But Sung Yoo-rang’s memories contained a few famous wrestling techniques. I grabbed her arm and put my leg over her upper body.
“This is an armbar.”
“Kyaa!”
I succeeded in making Yuseora scream. But the scream was a little strange.
“Kyahung.”
Don’t make those weird noises.
Or… was it a good thing? I tightened my grip on her arm.
“Ah…!”
My instincts screamed danger. Her arm was between my legs. This was dangerous territory.
“This… is strangely pleasant,” Yuseora said. I ignored her strange preferences and released the armbar.
“Huh? That’s it?”
“Let’s change positions.”
I repositioned myself, putting her slender neck in the crook of my left arm. I hadn’t expected to use this on a woman, but I had limited options.
“This is a guillotine choke.”
“Gah! Hng…!”
She started making those weird noises again. Whispers came from outside the door.
“Isn’t she about to die?”
“What kind of techniques are armbar and guillotine choke?”
No, they weren’t strange techniques. It was Yuseora who was strange. Why was she enjoying this?
‘She’s much stronger than me…’ Yet, she was letting me choke her carotid artery without resistance.
“Hng…!” She was even drooling. Sensing real danger, I released the guillotine choke, and she slumped onto the bed.
“Haa…” Then, she sat up and said, “So you were doing such nice things secretly?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“It’s not fair if only you have fun. Now it’s my turn.”
I felt a life-threatening aura. But the presence outside the door hadn’t disappeared yet. It was probably best to let Yuseora do what she wanted.
“Is this how you do it?”
It was an armbar. Of course, she had no control over her strength, and I was engulfed in pain.
“Y-Yes! But ease up a little.”
“Like this?”
“Good, just like that.”
I finally had a moment to breathe.
“Hmm, this isn’t enough.”
The pain intensified, as if my arm was being ripped off.
I gritted my teeth and said, “It’s enough! Enough! Let’s change positions!”
I would soon regret those words.
The voices outside the door, after we changed positions, commented on my moans.
“The woman’s no pushover.”
“That’s a bit much, even for me…”
“Anyway, it’s clear there’s a man inside. Let’s go back.”
It seemed we had succeeded. But the guillotine choke was still locked in.
I pounded on the bed three times and shouted, “I surrender! I surrender!”
Clatter
The window opened. Elsie appeared.
“What are you two doing?”
The guillotine choke. From her perspective, it must have looked like I was on top of Yuseora, and she had her arm around my neck. Yuseora smiled brightly at the stunned Elsie and said, “Historical Lodreim kingdom.”
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