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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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“….”
Ophelia parted the curtains and looked out at the clearing in front of the inn. The clang of steel echoed through the air.
Two figures, reunited after a long time, were sparring. Lyla, the dragonoid warrior, swung her battle-axe, the whooshing sound audible even from inside the inn.
Each time the axe struck the ground, it felt like an earthquake. Elliot, facing her, was incredibly calm.
He parried her attacks, deflecting the axe and stepping inside her guard. His movements were unrefined, but skilled.
The onlookers were captivated by their display of martial prowess. And so was Ophelia, watching from the second floor.
“He’s good.”
Their spar resembled the battle between the giant and the boy from the scriptures. A passage she had copied countless times in the punishment room.
In the scriptures, the boy, skilled with a slingshot, had won. The spar ended the same way.
Thud.
Lyla’s massive body fell backward, struck squarely in the chest by the flat of Elliot’s sword.
She got up, slightly embarrassed, and hugged Elliot without even bothering to dust herself off. The crowd applauded their display of camaraderie.
“…That overgrown lizard.”
Ophelia muttered, frowning. She disliked commoners, but she wasn’t prejudiced against other races. But she felt a strong sense of dislike towards Lyla, the red lizard.
Was it her dragon-like appearance? Her sly tone of voice? She didn’t know. But she hated how friendly she was with Elliot.
“….”
She felt a strange pang in her chest. What was this feeling? This unpleasant, almost suffocating feeling. An inexplicable emotion. Ophelia crushed the cheap brooch in her hand.
Jealousy! A woman is filled with jealousy!
Emily’s words, as always, echoed in her mind.
“Damn it.”
After the spar, I washed myself at the nearby well. Shirtless, with a towel draped around my waist, I stretched.
“You haven’t lost your touch.”
Lyla said, approaching me with a smile and crossing her arms.
“You’re even stronger than you were in the north. Being a paladin suits you.”
“Somewhat. Though it’s not as exciting as fighting monsters.”
“Haha, that’s true.”
Lyla asked as I gathered my belongings,
“Are you ready to leave?”
“Yes.”
Azar de Albrecht, the Golden Lion. According to Lyla, Azar, a reliable companion in the game, was now a commander in the Demon King’s army.
I was prepared for any kind of personality change, considering Ophelia and Titania.
But a traitor? I hadn’t anticipated that. How could someone with a Mark bestowed by a benevolent god join the Demon King’s army?
“Lavre is currently under lockdown. No one can enter or leave. We don’t even know what’s happening inside.”
“Is it true that he’s become a commander in the Demon King’s army?”
“Yes. The territory is guarded by demons. Mages have confirmed the presence of dark magic, and an administrator who went to investigate was detained. More importantly, Azar himself declared his allegiance to the Demon King.”
“And the government is doing nothing?”
“Politics in Auriga are complicated. They value freedom above all else.”
“….”
“It’s going to be dangerous. Are you still going?”
“I have no choice.”
I had decided to go to Lavre, regardless. Even if I couldn’t recruit Azar, it didn’t matter. This kind of deviation couldn’t be explained by a simple personality change.
‘Transmigrators.’
It had to be the transmigrators with stigmas. It wouldn’t be surprising if they were influencing the named characters.
They hadn’t targeted Ophelia or Emily because they had powerful backers, the Pope and the Archmage, making them difficult to approach.
But most of the other Mark bearers were mercenaries or wandering mages. It would be easy for the transmigrators to attack or manipulate them.
Some of the named characters might already be dead or have switched sides. I needed to find out what was happening to them. I would send a letter to the Intelligence through the Adventurers’ Guild today.
I frowned, rubbing my temples.
“This is… too difficult.”
Was this hell mode? No, it was beyond even lunatic difficulty.
As I sighed, Lyla placed her hand on my shoulder and gestured towards the inn. Ophelia was watching us from the window. She scowled and closed the curtains when our eyes met.
She had been like this for the past few days, treating Lyla like a stray cat.
Was she afraid of her? Or did she simply dislike her?
“She’s cute.”
“She’s a child.”
“You’re a child too, by my standards.”
Lyla said, then smiled wryly.
“It seems the Saintess doesn’t like me.”
“She has a terrible personality. She hates everyone.”
“It’s not like that.”
Lyla chuckled and ruffled my hair. I glared at her, and she slapped me on the back.
“You’re still terrible at reading people, aren’t you?”
“What are you talking about?”
Lyla simply smiled mysteriously.
“Don’t be too harsh on the Saintess.”
“Why? Are you afraid of the Pope?”
“Haha. That’s not what I mean. Just… try to understand her feelings.”
“What feelings?”
“Do you really think she’s following you because she hates you?”
“….”
I studied Lyla’s expression, but it was difficult to read a dragonoid’s emotions. I gave up and started walking.
“Tsk.”
I knew that much. She might have been a villain, but she wasn’t entirely bad. She was just… awkward at expressing her feelings.
I could now understand what Belwin had said about her having a comfortable life but an uncomfortable mind. The image of the punishment room made my blood boil. And I felt guilty, thinking about the young Ophelia being abused in that place.
She hadn’t chosen to be the Saintess, and I had been a part of her torment. I…
Click.
“I’m coming in.”
I opened the door and announced my presence. Ophelia, who was fiddling with her brooch, looked up and her eyes widened.
“Y-you idiot! Put some clothes on!”
“Ah.”
“Pervert!”
Ophelia’s face turned crimson as she threw the brooch at me. I dodged it easily. I wrapped the towel around my waist, covering myself.
“Ophelia, we’re leaving soon. Get ready.”
“Ugh. Are we going to beat up that bastard who joined the Demon King’s army?”
“Something like that.”
“You’re asking for trouble.”
“I’m the hero, aren’t I?”
Ophelia chuckled at my words. I chuckled as well, embarrassed by the title. Ophelia gestured towards the window.
“Is that lizard coming with us?”
“Yes. And it’s not a lizard. It’s Lyla.”
“….”
Ophelia pouted and turned away. I sat down beside her. It seemed like a good time to talk.
“Are you… afraid of Lyla?”
“Are you crazy? I’d be more afraid of a dragon than that overgrown lizard.”
“You were trembling like a leaf when you first met her.”
“Th-that was because of the temperature difference!”
Ophelia yelled, and I rested my chin on my hand.
“Ophelia.”
“What.”
“Lyla might look intimidating, but she’s a good person. You should try to be friends with her.”
“I know, you bastard.”
“You tend to see everyone as an enemy.”
“….”
“And more importantly, Lyla is my friend.”
I wanted them to get along. Ophelia looked down at her hands.
“Then…”
“Yes?”
“What about… me?”
“….”
I looked at Ophelia, wondering what she meant. She was looking at me expectantly.
“Am I… not your friend?”
Shame was evident in her expression. It was an unusual question for her to ask. I honestly hadn’t expected her to say that.
Had she been thinking about this for the past few days? I hadn’t realized. I hid my surprise and replied,
“Of course you are. You’re my friend.”
“…Then…”
Ophelia said,
“What if I wasn’t the Saintess? What if you weren’t the hero? What would happen then?”
I tried to understand her question, but her silver hair obscured her expression. I shrugged.
“That’s a meaningless hypothetical.”
“…I suppose so.”
“It is. But…”
I hesitated for a moment, then placed my hand over hers. Ophelia flinched.
“Regardless of the circumstances, I’m indebted to you. I swore a geas before God.”
“…That’s right.”
“Let’s defeat the Demon King. A Saintess who defeats the Demon King… she could even overthrow the Pope and the Holy City. And when that happens, I, as the hero, will help you.”
“….”
The physical contact seemed to have a significant effect. She didn’t respond, but she seemed pleased with my words.
“Let’s pack our things and leave.”
“O-okay.”
Her sudden docility was… unsettling.
The road to Lavre was blocked, so we couldn’t hire a carriage. And crossing the vast desert on foot was suicide.
So, we chose a compromise.
“Thank you, mercenaries, for escorting us.”
We joined a merchant caravan heading towards a town halfway to Lavre. It was a commission arranged by the Adventurers’ Guild.
Merchant caravans were the backbone of Auriga’s economy, so escort missions were well-paid and popular. And Lyla, a rank four adventurer, had no trouble securing such a commission.
‘What? Why do I have to travel with these filthy merchants?! We can just hire a carriage!’
‘We need to save money.’
Ophelia had vehemently protested, but I hadn’t budged. So now, I was yawning, looking at the endless desert stretching out to the horizon.
Ophelia, on the other hand, was lying in the back of the wagon, groaning. She was suffering from motion sickness.
Lyla had offered her some herbs, but they hadn’t helped.
“They should be appearing soon.”
I muttered, pulling the blanket over me. The Auriga Desert was teeming with monsters. I had seen dozens of them in the game, including orcs, goblins, and sandworms. And it wasn’t just monsters.
The Auriga bandits were notorious even in the Empire. But we hadn’t been attacked by bandits on our way to Lavre. Since Azar had become a commander in the Demon King’s army, the bandits avoided the roads near Lavre.
Monsters, however, were a different story.
“Kee? Kree?”
“Oh, goblins.”
“Goblins, indeed.”
Two days into our journey, we encountered our first monsters. Creatures not found in the Holy City or the Empire. Monsters were different from demons.
Unlike demons, born from miasma, these were simply products of evolution. And goblins were weak, dim-witted, and slightly violent animals.
“I’ll handle this.”
Lyla grinned, reaching for her battle-axe, but I stopped her. I looked at Ophelia, who was sulking in the back of the wagon.
“What? Can’t you see I’m feeling sick?”
“I can. That’s why you should get out.”
“Why?”
“There are monsters.”
Ophelia frowned and looked ahead. Sand goblins. Small, imp-like creatures with yellowish skin and loincloths. Three of them. Ophelia seemed intrigued, but her motion sickness was worse, so she lowered her head.
“So what? They’re nothing to you.”
“Yes, they might be nothing to me, but they’re not nothing to you. I’m looking forward to a thrilling battle.”
“Huh?”
I lifted Ophelia and placed her in front of the goblins, then handed her my sword.
She looked at me, then at the goblins, completely bewildered, holding my sword.
“W-what are you doing?!”
“You deal with them.”
“How can I deal with them?!”
I stepped back and crossed my arms. The goblins, naturally, approached the seemingly weaker Ophelia.
“They’re coming at me! They’re going to kill me!”
“Yes, it appears so.”
This was the reason I had chosen the caravan escort mission instead of hiring a carriage.
I wanted Ophelia to gain some real-world experience.
“You’re insane.”
I grinned, and Lyla, looking at me with a disgusted expression, said,
“You bastard.”
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m still new to translating as this is my second novel to pick up, so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
