Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.17 – Irene Windler is a Villainess? (3)
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'This... this wasn't part of my plan...'
The girl was flustered, and the ghost shouted in anger.
'...Isn't "premature ejaculator" not the term to use here?'
'H-how would I know!'
'!!?'
Irene Windler nearly grabbed the back of her neck.
Who was the one who picked the fight first, yet how could they be so shameless?
She wanted to start a full-blown argument if she could.
"Knight, look over there. Miss Levi is giving a speech!"
"Gomsooni does speak well."
"Does that mean she wins?"
"Debates aren't really about winning or losing, but logically and by the crowd's reaction, Gomsooni has the clear positive edge, so she probably won."
"Hehe!"
For now, the intruder's presence took priority.
The maid giggling away.
If anyone else smiled like that, they'd seem a bit slow, but as a human vitamin boasting 100% positivity and purity, her innate goodness naturally drew smiles from onlookers.
Leira Winter.
The pretty maid with flaxen hair that suited her especially well was glued right to Lee Han's side, watching the debate, and Lee Han responded appropriately.
...For the record, Irene Windler was all alone, pathetically munching on the pretzel Lee Han had given her.
'I can't even resent the maid... damn! Why is this pretzel so delicious!'
And so, most of the pretzels Lee Han had bought for Bear No. 7 ended up in Irene Windler's stomach.
The next day, her screaming at the sight of her swollen face was a foregone conclusion.
Originally, Irene had dreamed of a date disguised as a coincidence, but the world has a way of not going according to plan.
It was none other than Irene's blunder in forgetting the maid who was always glued to his side.
"Don't you rest, maid?"
"I'm the knight's exclusive maid, so it's only natural that I stick around all the time, right?"
"Ah, but you weren't there earlier..."
"Hehe, I had housework, so it couldn't be helped. Ah, Knight! Today while cleaning, no furniture broke! Lucky, huh?"
"It's supposed to not break in the first place, so I don't know why you're so happy."
"But the hammer broke. It fell on my head, and I couldn't dodge it, so I accidentally snapped it... sorry..."
"...Shall we go see our priest first?"
"Why?"
"......"
The iron-headed—no, steel-headed maid who broke the hammer that fell on her head without a scratch on hers ended up joining them through this process, and Irene wailed inwardly like a dog.
However.
"Doesn't Miss Irene need to study?"
"I do have an exam coming up, but I've studied ahead, so whatever."
"Wow! As expected of the top student! So cool!"
"W-what..."
"Miss Irene seems like such an amazing person. Pretty, smart, good at cooking, always trying to learn what she doesn't know...! You're really incredible."
"...Maid, by any chance, is there something you want?"
"Nope?"
Leira Winter was a woman you couldn't hate even if you tried.
As mentioned before, she was like a pure human vitamin.
If she had a tail, it'd probably be wagging non-stop right now—like a Golden Retriever.
Every word was 1,000% pure sincerity, no flattery at all, so unless your personality was hopelessly twisted, your defenses would naturally crumble.
Even if her brains were lacking, it was a natural talent that proved how she earned the princess's trust.
For such a Golden Retriever to disarm Irene Windler took just 10 minutes.
'You think you could hate someone like her?'
The ghost, who always promptly retorted, was speechless for the first time.
Leira Winter.
She was a formidable opponent even for the ghost.
"Th-thank you, instructor. For coming all this way yourself."
Levi Polt bowed her head shyly.
Lee Han grumbled that there was no need to thank him for something like this, but handed her a flower anyway.
The red rose contrasted nicely against the girl's hair.
"I came because I had time. No need to thank me. More importantly, you had pretty good eloquence up there."
"W-what. I just said what I knew. It was nothing special."
"That's what makes it impressive."
"Right, Levi! You were great!"
"Miss Levi, that was cool. Even if I didn't get the topic at all!"
"...Haha."
Levi Polt wrapped up the debate with high marks.
Her eloquence was a given, but she was the type to produce results proportional to her efforts in studying.
Some people study but fail to perform, while others yield exactly as much as they've prepared.
In that sense, Levi Polt was undoubtedly an outstanding hard worker and a promising talent with a bright future.
She always got the job done, no matter what was assigned to her.
"If you're free, let's grab a meal together sometime."
"Th-then, can I stick around for the next debate too? There's someone I really want to see..."
"Hoo, a guy?"
"N-no! Not like that!"
Levi Polt raised her voice unusually in a fluster.
However, her panic only fueled suspicion, and the knight's gaze narrowed.
'Is spring coming for Gomsooni too?'
Is romance blooming for the girl as well?
This was the moment when a flawed adult—uninterested in his own love life but fascinated by others'—felt a pleased smile forming, but the next debaters appeared in the hall.
"...Girls?"
Disappointment spread across Lee Han's face.
"Th-that's what I was saying. It's not like that..."
Levi Polt grumbled awkwardly in a whisper.
"The one I wanted to see is her. Lady Karin."
"Hmm, you mean that one?"
"You nailed it? Do you already know her?"
"Nah, she just stands out with a totally different aura."
He had precisely identified the person Levi was interested in.
And rightly so—there was a woman who particularly caught the eye.
It would have been stranger if he hadn't noticed.
'Now that's a flashy color.'
A cadet with striking deep purple hair and eyes.
She gave off a strong beauty vibe at first glance, and the more you looked, the more a fresh charm seeped in.
But what hit harder than her looks was Karin’s overwhelming presence.
An unrivaled aura reminiscent of a modern top star.
"Lady Karin Allensia de Guinevere. Daughter of the current prime minister, no less."
"Impressive lineage."
"She's not just impressive by birth. She's brilliant—brilliant enough to debate renowned scholars. Her intellect is top-tier."
"...You know a lot about her?"
"Among girls my age, there's no one who doesn't admire her. Ah, of course, Lady Irene is an object of admiration too!"
"......Her?"
"Yes! She's the top of the magic department, and daughter of the Galahad family."
"......"
...The sickly chick is an idol?
Lee Han was left dumbfounded, wondering what was admirable about mages.
Mages were the type you didn't want to treat well—why didn't people get that?
'Young folks' sensibilities are hard to grasp...'
While Lee Han wore a dubious expression, the debate began, and a hushed atmosphere settled in.
And shortly after.
"...Was this Purple's solo concert or what?"
Lee Han looked even more dubious for a different reason.
"P-Purple...?"
Ignoring Levi Polt's protest, Lee Han observed the venue's atmosphere in real time—everyone's attention laser-focused on Purple, aka Karin.
...A provocative topic.
Britannia kingdom remnants were still causing riots, and their citizens could rise up in revolt at any moment.
The heated debates on how to handle Britannia—swallowed up over the past three years—raged even among the upper crust, making it a thorny issue that had the kingdom in an uproar.
And they were tackling that sensitive topic right here, with the prime minister's daughter on the 'opposition' side, no less.
Talk about...
"Gutsy move, huh? Don't you think?"
"......"
"Don't play dumb. I'm asking you."
"...A-asking me?"
"Yeah, you."
"......"
"Stop pretending to be an idiot. I get you're trying to act like you have nothing to do with Purple, but your worry is showing plain as day."
"......"
"And what's with that 'caught red-handed' face while staring so suspiciously? You shady bastard."
"......"
Lee Han glanced at the boy sitting next to him, staring blankly.
He looked somewhat effeminate.
But Lee Han's eyes gleamed as a sneer curled his lips.
This guy...
'He sat next to me and whispered [Status], didn’t he?'
Lee Han's ears hadn't missed even that tiny mumble, and he instantly intuited it.
'This is the one.'
...Who has the status window.
Derek was sweating bullets.
Extremely timid, even facing acquaintances was tough for him.
So the current situation—face-to-face with a total stranger—was pure terror, but he was sweating far more than usual.
The reason?
Nothing else.
'Th-this... are these human specs?'
The opponent's status, checked via <Status Skill>, was so astonishing it sent chills down his spine.
A jaw-dropping sight, even on second look.
Seven traits!?
Considering normal humans rarely exceed three traits no matter what, this was absurd.
Traits were determined by one's 'years,' 'efforts,' 'trials,' and 'pain'—hence why most had few.
But seven?
Was he tortured since birth or something?
'N-not just the number... the levels are all insanely high...?'
Elite knights averaged trait levels of 3 to 4 at best—enough to faint over.
In game terms, Lv.4 was a fully 4th-jobbed character.
Yet this guy had a 'Lv.7'.
Meaning he was a 7th-jobbed warrior.
Lv.5 was knight commander level for a territory.
Lv.6 was champion class worthy of representing a territory.
Lv.7 was...!
'Hero class.'
A hidden class rare even in this 'game'!
But Derek, who knew all hero classes, had never heard of a hero character named Lee Han.
Before that...!?
'Why is the species ??? Adamantine Ascetic? This isn't wuxia..., and Spell Slaughterer? That's a hidden trait requiring killing at least 30 mages to unlock, and he maxed it to Lv.5...?!'
How many mages did he have to slaughter to level that up?
Derek belatedly gulped at spotting the unique trait 'Artisan's Talent,' which granted special gifts to the untalented.
He still couldn't fathom why even he, a [Developer], was seeing traits and a hero class he'd never encountered.
'Fucking scary.'
This guy had clearly massacred over a hundred mages without breaking a sweat.
......Derek instinctively averted his eyes.