Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game – Chapter 86

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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News traveled fast. Otherworlders, drawn by the bounty, flooded the forest. The influx was far greater than when the reward was a mere 500,000 gold.

Likely because they didn’t need to kill him outright, inflicting significant damage was enough to earn a payout. This encouraged greater participation.

I hunted down every otherworlder who entered the forest. They were here to attack me, so there was no need for mercy. That made things simple.

I even interrogated a few, gleaning valuable information.

The Knights, the main force, were delaying their arrival. That was good news. It meant more time to… prepare.

The otherworlders had grown stronger, but they were still manageable. Their eagerness to attack made them easy targets.

I made good use of their dropped equipment. High-quality, expensive items went into my weapon pouch.

The armor, mostly useless to me, I piled in a corner.

Day Two was similar.

Even more otherworlders arrived. The first day had been mostly the reckless ones. Day Two was the real test.

Not that it mattered. I continued to hunt them down. I didn’t even need to wait in my cave.

Amdusias’s gift of enhanced hearing allowed me to locate and ambush them. I slaughtered dozens more that day, including a few streamers.

I felt like a serial killer, but they were all otherworlders, so I felt no remorse.

Day Three was challenging.

A group of thirty A-rank adventurers arrived. Well-equipped, some even carried holy water.

Even for me, overpowering thirty skilled fighters would be difficult. Numbers were a force to be reckoned with.

But that was all they had. Their experience and fighting spirit paled in comparison to seasoned A-rank adventurers. It was the limitation of otherworlders.

They could increase their stats, but true mastery took time.

The solution was simple.

Overwhelm them with a decisive blow. Momentum was key in any fight.

“This crazy…!”

“Kill him! Kill him!”

Taking down three of them in the initial clash shifted the momentum. I sustained some injuries, but I didn’t care. Even my spilled blood was a weapon.

I somehow survived Day Three.

Day Four was easier.

The aftermath of the thirty A-rank massacre had deterred others. Fewer otherworlders entered the forest.

I considered burning down the goblin huts again, but decided against it. I felt a little guilty after four times, and it wouldn’t make much difference at this point.

Instead, I burned the armor the otherworlders had dropped. It was mostly female armor, useless to me. Better to destroy it completely.

Crackle! Pop!

The leather and cloth armor turned to ash. The metal armor, which wouldn’t burn, I tossed towards the goblin village.

Goblins in plate armor… Some of their huts were even made of stone now. Hopefully, it would help them defend against intruders.

Day Four passed with only a few skirmishes.

Day Five brought an unusual visitor.

“Hey…! Yor… are you alive…!!”

The voice was distant, but familiar.

I grabbed my weapons and headed towards the sound. If it was an intruder, I’d kill them.

“Whoa…”

Two women stood there. Familiar faces, but unwelcome ones.

Sephir, the Fifth District Manager, and Niki Tanesia.

Lemegeton’s officers were here, in my forest.

“You’re a bloody mess. At least wipe the blood off your clothes. I would have run if I hadn’t recognized you.”

“Niki… don’t provoke him. We’re here to talk. Be polite.”

I wasn’t sure how to react, so I maintained my guard.

“If I hadn’t recognized you, you’d be dead already. …So, what brings you here?”

“You probably guessed. We’re here to recruit you.”

Sephir’s words made me frown.

“Recruit me again? You never give up. I’ve already told you my answer.”

“Yes, you always refuse. But isn’t the situation different now?”

“…That’s…”

I was momentarily speechless. She was right. The situation had changed drastically. The Knights could arrive at any moment.

I wasn’t sure I could defeat them. No, I was probably going to die.

The Knights’ reputation preceded them. The Empire’s guardians, humanity’s first line of defense.

A group of monsters were coming for me.

Their offer carried weight now. Joining Lemegeton would at least guarantee my survival.

“…”

But I still hesitated. I couldn’t explain why, not even to myself.

“…Well…”

My response was noncommittal.

Niki, displeased with my hesitation, frowned.

“Why? Are you going to give me that same bullshit about not serving demons? Get real.”

“…”

“Wake up. You’re not in a position to be picky. You need to survive.”

She was right. But her words grated on my nerves.

I frowned and spoke.

“This is your fault, isn’t it?”

“…What?”

“If that damn Dantalion hadn’t come here and exposed me, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Ugh, that’s…”

Niki backed down.

It was true. The subjugation decree was a direct result of Dantalion’s forced coming out. I couldn’t feel any goodwill towards Lemegeton.

It was an excuse, but it explained my reluctance. Partially. It didn’t fully address the unease I felt.

Niki defended herself.

Dantalion had acted alone.

District Managers had autonomy, and she couldn’t control him. Various excuses, but the underlying message was clear. She wasn’t responsible.

She was probably telling the truth. She seemed to dislike Harold, especially.

But it wasn’t a good look, making excuses in front of the person she’d wronged.

“Stop it, Niki.”

Sephir intervened, stopping Niki’s rambling. She knew it was pointless.

She bowed her head and apologized.

“First… I apologize. We can’t deny that our mistake led to this situation. But this isn’t a bad offer for you.”

She continued.

“We promise you good treatment and a comfortable environment. With your talent, you could even become a District Manager. Are you still refusing?”

“…Yes.”

“…I understand. Then at least take this.”

Sephir sighed and produced a piece of paper.

Pierce.

She created an ice shard and pricked her finger, drawing blood.

She winced slightly as she began to draw on the paper. A complex, geometric pattern.

Niki, watching her, scoffed.

“Huh, you’re even giving him that? He’s being treated like royalty.”

I watched intently. The pattern was familiar. I’d seen it before.

‘Where…?’

I searched my memories.

I remembered.

A Lemegeton cultist named Lian had drawn that same pattern before she died.

Sephir finished the pattern and handed me the paper.

“Here. A means of contact. In an emergency, draw this pattern with your blood and infuse it with mana. The Second District Manager will receive it.”

“…Thank you.”

I accepted the paper. It was a lifeline, of sorts. A slightly rotten one, perhaps. But if things got truly desperate, I’d have to grab it.

I was actually grateful. They’d shared valuable information, even though I was an outsider.

Even Niki, despite her abrasive personality, had given me useful information in the past.

They turned to leave.

“Then we’ll take our leave. Please contact us soon…”

“What are you going to do now?”

Niki’s question.

I answered.

“I don’t know… I’ll face them.”

“Seriously? They have a Knight Commander. Even we run from those. What are you going to do alone?”

“Don’t worry. I have an escape route.”

“It’s not about worrying… Whatever. We’re leaving.”

The Lemegeton members departed as quietly as they’d arrived.

I spent the rest of the day dealing with a few otherworlder intruders.

Day Six arrived.

The day the Knights invaded the forest.

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