Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Knight of the Lily Constellation and [20th Floor Gateway Trial]
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We passed the frozen peak and arrived at the village guarded by the snow women.
They didn't attack us. Instead, they welcomed us.
They were even warm enough to let us greet their families, but I had to grumble that it would've been a nice sight if it weren't for the men and women frozen solid.
They seem to be alive in that state.
Shouldn't have asked.
Truly a mapping specialist guild.
I sincerely praised their insane scouting skills and stepped inside.
My body was immediately wrapped in gold and teleported away.
The second gateway.
System windows popped up side by side.
Unlike last time, classical music flowed softly like BGM.
The gateway's form wasn't drab like before either—it was a beautiful bridge made of white.
"We called it the hill in front of the gateway, right?"
"There it is."
The two knights sat on the hill, enjoying sandwiches.
No mouths, yet they crunched food against their helmets.
Watching that absurd sight from below, they noticed us too.
'...What should we do?'
'I'll handle it, so hang back.'
'Yes.'
I pulled Ceres back.
The constellation who finished eating first approached me.
True to Pure Love's word, a knight gleaming pure white.
Definitely the [Knight of the Lily] from the system window just now.
"Greetings, stranger. Just to be sure, may I take your presence here as meaning you're a challenger?"
"Yes. That's right."
As I nodded, the BGM turned gloomy, and he thrust his head forward.
Still a full-plate knight, but his entire armor was white, and a bright yellow plume fluttered.
"I see. Then one more question. This is deeply personal, so don't take offense."
"A personal question?"
"Indeed. A vital matter to gauge your beliefs."
'What beliefs out of nowhere? Not politics, I hope?'
I glanced behind the yellow plume, wondering.
The Knight of Pure Love landed late, flailing his arms and legs.
"~~~~!!! ~~~~~~~~!?!?!!"
A bizarre gesture.
Conveying something to me.
As if saying, 'Just play along with him!'
I faced off against the Knight of the Lily.
"Let's hear the question first."
"Simple enough. Do you like lilies, stranger?"
"Of course the kind between women. Beautiful women connecting spiritually, setting aside base lust—a platonic love. Doesn't it thrill you?"
I realized it from that one line.
'This guy's a weirdo too~.'
Not surprising.
He drew his rapier and moved gracefully, but something felt vulgar.
"Uh, yeah, no reason to hate it..."
"As I thought~!?"
Fuck.
Don't shove your face in mine.
"Heh heh. Indeed! I smelled the scent of white flowers wafting from the woman with you! Like circling a flower garden full of nectar, so I figured you were one of us too—!"
Even as I grimaced, he twirled his rapier like he was dancing.
"Heh heh. I can't stand men barging into lilies. Imagine women tangled in bliss, then some drab guy crashes in. The moment that filthy thing pierces a pristine woman's purity, her hymen tears—and so does my heart!"
What a thin, moist heart that must be.
First time seeing a lunatic express his heartbreak as a hymen.
"Are you truly an ally?"
"Not quite allies, but no reason to be enemies."
"Oh? Really?"
The rapier pointed at me.
The once-dancing Knight of the Lily now flickered red eyes from his dark helm.
"Yet her body reeks of man. The pure white should be clean and fresh, but it's splattered with filth plain as day... How revolting."
Thud thud thud.
The knight approached. His red eyes glowed brighter.
I'd done nothing wrong, yet he thrust his rapier as if to kill me on the spot.
"We have factions even among lily knights, but I especially value spiritual bonds. Horrid hybrids like the [Futanari Faction] giggle about women turning monkey-like in male pleasure... Ah, aaaa, those damned heretics~~~!!!"
His tone rose.
He went berserk.
"What makes it okay just because it's on a woman...! If a woman drowns in male lust and her mind's tainted, isn't she basically a man!?
Don't you know why purity's called purity? This is no-man's land! Floral scents tickling the nose, love overflowing between touching hands—that's true white! Argh, so tragic! Why won't the world understand my heart!"
Whoosh!
The madman bared his teeth.
His helmet rattled like a boiling kettle.
"I can't forgive you..."
"What the hell! Why are you flipping out like this!?"
"That vile thing making monkey noises in a woman. Your pathetic fantasy crossing gender lines to your same-sex love... Tainting a woman's courage...! That loathsome rod steeped in lustful white filth—I can't stand it~~~!!"
Clatter clatter clatter clatter!!!!
The knight thrust his helmet forward to sniff.
Clearly smelling Ceres's scent on me.
"Haa, haa, aaaaaaah!!! Yes, it's youuuu!!! The intruder defiling the pure lily world—you deserve death~~!! How dare youuu~! Commit the unforgivable 'dick intrusion' and 'cover fraud' in lily territory~~~!!!!"
With the boiling kettle sound, the Knight of the Lily charged.
No joke—he meant to kill me. The Knight of Pure Love intervened.
"Woooooh~!? Stop, you idiotttt! This challenger did nothing wronnnggg~!!"
"GyaAAAAH!!! I'll kill him! That damned stick! I'll ram my special rapier into his urethra a hundred times~~~!!"
Swoooosh!
The rapier's tip grazed my nose.
If the Knight of Pure Love hadn't held him back from behind, I'd have been seriously hurt.
"Urgh! Oh~!? Challenger! It's been ages! To think you'd reach the 20th floor so soon! Even my profound insight couldn't predict such a swift reunion~!!"
'That "insight" looks like a knothole.'
Their power seemed even; the Knight of the Lily couldn't break free.
Regardless of my inner curse, I was genuinely grateful he'd reined in the lunatic.
"Keeet~!? Let go! This guy! This intruder on women's love!!! A wicked fiend disrupting pure love! Didn't he invade your domain too!?"
"That's why this challenger's an ally! Walking the same royal road as us! On my honor as Knight of Pure Love, he wouldn't do such a thing!"
"Then why does that kid behind reek of male!?! Explain now, or I'll skewer youuuu!!"
Whirrr!
He swung the rapier again, rattling and rampaging.
The Knight of Pure Love blocked him, so no stabbing danger, but for the gateway, I needed to explain.
But how do you explain this?
"Hold on. Can I explain?"
"You sure?"
"Yes. I'm clearly the culprit no matter how you look at it."
Ceres stepped forward.
She bowed politely to the Knight of the Lily.
"You're angry because I shared my body with Chang-gi, right?"
"...Yes! You must have another woman in your arms!"
"How did you know?"
"The smell!"
"No need for details! More importantly, explain why you'd sleep with a man with such feelings!"
Ceres pondered briefly, then steeled herself.
"Before I justify, let me say this: none of this is Chang-gi's fault."
"What?"
She stepped further forward.
"To clear the misunderstanding and atone, please hear how foolish I was."
She earnestly explained the past four days' events.
"Sorry."
The bright yellow plume bowed.
"Whenever this topic comes up, I lose my mind."
By the story's end, we were in a fairy-tale world together.
Surrounded by a background of crayon-drawn flowers fluttering about, at a small table.
"To sum up, no blond tanned guy crashed the lily party. A blond tanned woman crashed the straight romance?"
The Knight of Pure Love let out a hollow laugh at the ridiculous situation.
"Blond yes, but no tan."
"Same difference. First time seeing a woman go after an NTR."
Anyway, the misunderstanding cleared. The constellation crossed his arms and sighed.
"To think another woman would barge into the couple I was rooting for... Harem or yuri NTR...?"
"No-harem faction, by chance?"
"Was a century ago. Now guys claim pure love with 100 girlfriends—it's cute! And the challenger's the victim, so totally OK~!"
Lunatic.
The Knight of Pure Love laughed heartily as ever.
He served me burdock tea again, which I sipped to wet my throat.
"Welcome to the 20th floor. Allow me to reintroduce: I am the Knight of the Lily. Champion of women's love across gender barriers."
"Why are you with the Knight of Pure Love?"
"That fool botched things on the 10th floor. The Tower Lord was pissed... not really, but I was dispatched to supervise."
That incident.
Helped a ton.
"You've come to conquer the 20th-floor gateway?"
"Yes."
As I nodded, the Knight of Pure Love scratched his red plume.
"Gateway conquest... Hm. Isn't that too hasty?"
"Agreed. Reaching here means basics are covered. But gateways are a whole other beast—you know that."
Pace too fast.
From their view, it looks like we rushed in right after mapping.
We did.
Charging straight for the 20th floor.
"Not diving in right away. Marked transfer points up to 19, so here for gimmick info."
"Ah, prep visit?"
"Plus, after that past incident, worried the gateway might've changed."
Nod.
"Fair reason. As expected of my pick."
"You can explain, right? No detour penalty...?"
The yellow plume shook vigorously.
"Fine. Explaining gateways is a constellation's duty. This one's gimmick unchanged—matches what you know."
"To be safe, could you explain again?"
"Gladly. Apology for my rudeness—I'll explain personally."
"-Leaving the gatekeeper aside!?"
"Can't trust you with the current challenger—might slip useful info. As supervisor, I'll be thorough."
"Urgh~!"
Pure Love slumped over the table. The Knight of the Lily took over the explanation.
Just like the 10th floor, horrific details unrelated to the gatekeeper constellation.