A Place That Feels Distant
A Place That Feels Distant
Today was truly busy.
From seeing the King tremble at Kylon's words, revealing that he was the one holding the Saintess, and then eventually giving up, saying he understood, to starting the adventure with the companions gathered in front of the Royal Castle.
There was a lot to pay attention to, and it was a day with many things to do, so I was already exhausted.
With Flora, the Supreme Mage, Agnes, the Noble Knight, and Linda, the accomplished Mutuga, there were more people talking, so my own words naturally decreased.
Now that it was evening, we left the village to camp, and while preparing dinner outside, I was able to fully grasp the personalities of the four new companions.
Kylon, the Hero, and Flora, goes without saying; Agnes, she was a woman who showed restraint. And Linda was a woman who showed a generous and hearty personality.
Of course, no matter what personality or character they had, to me, they were just stuck as the image of 'humiliation conditioning' that came with their introduction images, making their characterization feel a bit thin.
No matter what their personality was, thinking of them being fucked by a dick, making dazed expressions, and enjoying their respective plays, just made me groan involuntarily.
"Kylon, you're surprisingly good at cooking, aren't you?"
Linda held her bowl and slurped the soup inside, then widened her eyes and told Kylon so. Kylon then chuckled, as if it was nothing, and replied.
"Well, it's basic."
Why is that basic?
I don't know how to cook.
Thinking that, I stared blankly at the bowl given to me.
I had taken a bite earlier, but I didn't really taste anything.
Flora was busy chuckling as if it were nothing, and Agnes politely said it was delicious and that she had eaten well, slightly lifting her bowl.
No matter what their reactions were, I could accept that it seemed to taste good, but the more I saw their reactions, the less I could understand.
It was a popular taste, and I wondered if only my taste buds were different, so my glabellum furrowed involuntarily.
In the bowl in my hand, the amount of soup was still sloshing around, undiminished.
I just tasted the faint flavor again and let out a deep sigh, when Kylon, who had slurped down his bowl next to me, glared at me.
"...Saintess-nim, is it not to your taste?"
"Ah... I just don't have an appetite. Thank you for your concern."
The Hero and the companions all spoke informally, but I couldn't speak informally with everyone.
I wondered if that was the Saintess's sense of distance, so unless I was alone with Kylon, I just let it be, and drifted around the edges.
Anyway, with Kylon's fuck-sluts 1, 2, and 3, even if I raised their Favorability Score and saw their true feelings or affectionate personalities, thinking of them later being fucked by Kylon and crying out, I felt such a strong sense of dissonance that it was hard to say anything more.
So, even while feeling like I was drifting, I tried not to approach them unnecessarily.
As I put the bland soup in my mouth, the seasoning, or lack thereof, was so bad it made me wonder if just drinking water would be better, tormenting my mouth.
After furrowing my glabellum and swallowing, and exhaling, everyone had finished their meal and was returning their empty bowls to Kylon.
Once the meal was over, Kylon cleared all the empty bowls, and then cautiously called Linda.
"Linda. Can you come here for a moment?"
"Oh, of course I can."
Seeing her give a straightforward answer, smile, and stand up, I scratched my neck.
It's finally starting.
Because he couldn't acquire the Hypnosis Tool he originally intended to get, Kylon's plan to start with Flora for hypnosis conditioning went awry, so it seemed he was going to conquer Linda first, following the game's original flow.
I, who had scratched my neck with my long nails, took a seat in one of the two tents already set up for sleeping.
Then Agnes and Flora, who had come in with me, cautiously sat down and began to talk.
"Flora, you said you were the Supreme Mage, didn't you? Does that mean there are few mages in this Holy Kingdom who can rival you?"
"Yes, I am Flora, the Supreme Mage! As expected of a Noble Knight-nim, you know a thing or two, don't you?"
At Agnes's voice, which was praising her, Flora seemed pleased, and hummed, raising the corners of her mouth.
Looking at that appearance, it seemed to reveal the image of a child who hated to lose.
I knew she was over twenty, but I wondered if her mental age hadn't grown because she had been cooped up doing research all the time, and I stared blankly at their conversation, scratching my neck.
I had intended to just watch quietly, but this time, Agnes's words were directed at me.
"Saintess-nim, I heard you are a being who originally gained power for the Hero, but if you don't mind, may I ask how much power you can use?"
I didn't expect to suddenly be asked a question, but I thought I should answer the question I heard, so I carefully pondered it.
A question about my abilities, I didn't even know the limits of my own abilities.
Rather, if Kylon, who had cleared all the stories at times like this and knew the characters' settings, had been next to me, he would have been able to answer this question readily.
As for me, who didn't know if my abilities had no limits from the start or if they were abilities that gradually evolved, there were limits to the answers I could give if asked about my abilities, so I gave a bitter smile and replied.
"Indeed... I haven't been a Saintess for long, so I'm not sure..."
Agnes, who was staring at me, dressed not in the black Nun's Habit I wore until yesterday, but in luxurious white fabric embroidered with gold thread, listened to my answer and then nodded.
"I see. Since the power of the Goddess-nim we believe in is made of faith, I believe that as a Saintess-nim, you must possess endless power."
Ah, I can't say 'I don't have faith,' so I just gave a dry laugh and an awkward reply to her words.
I wished Kylon would come back soon.
The sense of distance everyone felt when dealing with me felt uncomfortable to me.
Of course, because of the prestige of being the Saintess-nim of the Holy Kingdom, I felt like everyone kept their distance, and tried to be formal.
*
Thanks to arriving a little earlier than the game's starting time, I was able to significantly shorten the time needed to prepare things or gather companions.
I had to unfold a salvation narrative for the imprisoned Saintess, but that had already been replaced by another Possessor, so we became close without needing to build any Favorability Score, which was also comforting.
Moreover, instead of just a saintly appearance, she alternated between ordinary grumbling and saintly demeanor, which was even more arousing.
No, more than that, from the moment I reduced the time to gather other companions and set out on this adventure, it became a sufficient advantage for me.
Although there wasn't a time limit to reach the Demon King's Castle, having ample time to conquer it right away was a good thing, so there was no reason to refuse.
Perhaps I could finish quickly, but couldn't break the order, so it was a shame I couldn't get the Hypnosis Tool and enjoy hypnosis sex with Flora, but still, rather than taking the easy path from the start, I thought it would be better to conquer them one by one as a build-up, and stood with Linda.
The reason I brought Linda was simply one of the build-ups that appeared in the game.
No matter how much of an Adult Game it was, games that started with rape from the beginning were rare.
Because there's nothing more unrewarding than a strategy where they just cum all over the place and pant with hearts in their eyes just because they're raped.
"So Kylon, I just need to help you with training as you asked, right?"
"Uh, yeah. I want to learn martial arts without weapons."
Linda, who was so cool and sharp-witted she might be mistaken for a man, wearing leggings that clung to her body, covering her chest and revealing her hips, stretched and grinned.
Her '11-line abs,' which were hard for women to achieve, were revealed without reservation, and minor scars, as if she had experienced many hardships doing various adventurer jobs, caught my eye.
Her slightly tanned, bronzed skin was so captivating that I raised the corners of my mouth and took in her appearance.
First, I gain her favor under the pretext of training.
The reason was simple: Linda the Mutuga's belief was that a human body could overcome a sword.
In such a situation, the Hero doesn't fully trust weapons and wants to learn martial arts? That fact alone meant Linda was slowly opening her heart.
"...I'll learn from you."
I said that, and Linda, who had slightly raised the corners of her mouth at my words, nodded, her dark brown hair tied up fluttering.
"Then, here I come!"
Her foot, taking a big leap, *seongkeum*, instantly closed the distance between us.
And at the same time, Linda's bandaged hand came straight towards my stomach to strike.
Although I had possessed the Hero's body, I had never actually fought before, so I felt that even this good Hero's body was ultimately like 'a pearl necklace on a pig's neck'.
"Gah!"
With a single swift blow to the abdomen, I felt like my breath was taken away.
Linda, who had struck my stomach with her fist, was straightforwardly pressing on and starting her lecture.
"Alright, alright! Watch your opponent's fist until the very end!"
Linda said that, and at the same time, moved her foot with a *pit*.
I tried my best to roll my eyes and widen my field of vision, and put up my guard.
However, since I had never actually boxed, I couldn't get a proper stance, so at Linda's sight, supporting herself on one leg and spinning to deliver a kick, I could only follow with my eyes, unable to move my body.
"This is why your body should always be warmed up. Normally, as you fight, you'll gradually get better, but the beginning is the most important, so it's better to warm up your body beforehand."
"I've learned well."
After rubbing my right forearm, which had gone numb from her kick, I gave a bitter smile and nodded.
Thinking that I should ask Veronica for healing when we returned, I stood up straight again and looked at her.
The training event was meant to gain her favor by showing agreement with her beliefs, but that was merely an opportunity to get closer; the physical contact made through training was the most important moment.
Beyond the game, one could raise the next Favorability Score by simply choosing the option to show determination and keep challenging, and subtly induce physical contact, but at this moment, in this situation unfolding in reality, it truly felt like my will was being tested, to the point of being arduous.
"Then, again?"
The 'retry' line. Hearing those words, I raised the corners of my mouth and nodded.
"Good, I don't dislike persistent people."
I looked at Linda's satisfied smile, wiped my sweat, and tried to withstand her attacks once more.