Chapter 218
Chapter 218
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: 63. The Reason the Father-in-Law Opposed His Son-in-Law
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What's the scariest thing about a strategist?
A brilliant intellect? Or the judgment to read an opponent's every move?
No, you need to focus on something else.
The unexpected play.
In truth, the most terrifying thing about a strategist is their ability to pull off strategies no one could ever imagine.
Right now, I'm playing chess with Ki-seok again.
We're replaying the match that ended in a stalemate draw.
After several moments of wondering why I didn't just resign here, I started losing pieces one by one, falling into a numerically disadvantaged position.
"...In summary, I need to work toward achieving the 'Grand Route'."
Kwon Ki-seok leaned back in his chair.
He had his legs crossed, deep in thought about the information I'd shared.
"Yeah, I can see status windows, and people's Love Meters pop up."
The truth I hadn't even revealed to Pine Granasia.
To ensure her happiness, I had to protect the love of the key figures.
The moment I said it, I'd also reveal that this world was made into a game and distributed to another world.
"But... if we don't deal with Magic Hat, it seems like Pine will become the Saintess."
A pang of frustration made me fidget with my fingers.
What the hell was this prophecy about? Why did she have to become the Nameless Saintess?
Reviving the dead.
I let out a long sigh.
The Demon Kings of the Hero Cult all seemed to move toward one goal.
The heroes here had fallen into demon kings because of losing their loved ones.
But why had Fantasia Games created games like [Knight Heart] and [Black Heart], dragging me and Ki-seok into this?
"If this world is real and not a game, Pine shouldn't become the Nameless Saintess."
"That's why you're telling me. Good call."
The Saintess who had been like a blank sheet of pure white staff paper, without even a name.
The girl who couldn't remember her past, no matter if you asked about close friends or family, and would just make a sad face.
The Sage's future prophecy said she'd die.
In the future ten years from now, her death at the hands of a Demon King was set in stone.
Even after I defeated the Truth Demon King Magic Hat after countless challenges, it was a misfortune I couldn't change.
That's why I was meeting this guy alone now, trying to twist it.
"...Soo-hyun. Do you know the easiest way to uncover hidden information from the other side?"
Ki-seok, who had listened to everything intently, tossed a question my way.
A leading question to make me find the answer myself.
When I pieced together everything I'd experienced wandering the temples, there were still so many secrets I didn't know.
A tangle of contradictions between past, future, and present.
I habitually rested my hand on my chin, lost in thought.
I'd met my late father at the Tardeun Temple.
At the Akasha Temple, there was a memo stained with blood written by Pine from another worldline.
And at the Pantos Temple, there was a Saintess who knew me.
"...Find the contradictory information?"
"Exactly. As expected from the guild master I know."
Thud. With a dull sound, I moved the black knight.
When I gave the answer I'd often heard from Ki-seok before, he smiled faintly.
Bluffing.
In guild wars, you had to discern truth from lies among the opponent's information.
"This is basic now. I've learned plenty from you, Ki-seok."
The pillar husband was one of the most expert people I knew in this field.
Together, we devised ingenious strategies no one could imagine.
"So, the reason we possessed these bodies was to avoid creating contradictions with the original story?"
He pointed out the part I'd overlooked so far.
Ki-seok moved his white bishop, putting my black king in check.
"What... do you mean?"
"Simple story, Soo-hyun."
Ki-seok blocked my escape with a rook as I dodged the check.
True to his nickname 'Northern Archduchess's Husband,' he was utterly thorough.
"...Someone truly trying not to create 'contradictions' wouldn't say things like that."
"No. Then why give us the demonization penalty?"
I narrowed my eyes, giving Ki-seok a suspicious look.
Those gods had tried to stop me during my fights with the Demon Kings.
"If I hadn't possessed this body, I couldn't have cured Sophitia's heart condition. I have no penalties."
"..."
He captured my black queen and curled his lip into a smirk.
Ki-seok had prepared the elixir in advance to cure the Northern Archduchess's chronic illness.
Even after facing off against Magic Hat, he said no warning windows appeared.
He'd created the same contradictions, but no demonization penalty for him.
No status window showing Love Meters either.
"...They were testing me?"
When I voiced the answer, the pillar husband nodded slightly.
He moved his white queen and continued.
"Right. They probably intended to test you mostly."
Kwon Ki-seok delivered checkmate right after.
The black king captured by the white queen overlapped with someone in my mind.
The possessive princess with pure white wolf ears and tail—Pine Granasia.
"Puhahaha!"
Kwon Ki-seok burst into laughter upon hearing the story.
With the chess game ending in his victory, we were chatting a bit.
Even when I demanded a rematch several times, he refused with, 'You're terrible at this.'
"...You mistook the Saintess for the crown prince at first? You knew she was a woman but didn't remove the important helmet?"
"Yeah, the helmet was separate and couldn't be removed."
Instead, Ki-seok listened to my romance story with Pine, smiling warmly.
The days we missed each other because we didn't know each other's identities.
Thinking back to how my heart only raced at Pine's actions at first, we could have figured it out sooner.
"Your saintess fetish has leveled up. Should I call it princess fetish now?"
"...Don't say that in front of Pine."
Having learned she was the princess of the Granasia Empire, Ki-seok started calling me by even weirder nicknames.
"Oh, right. How are you going to convince Emperor Locke?"
"...I nearly died, but he permitted it on the condition I take down all the Hero Cult's Demon Kings."
He tilted his head, looking incredulous.
"...What? Wolfkin marrying humans is tough, you know?"
"Why...?"
Like I'd ever get approval from Locke Granasia.
I'd barely gotten permission after fighting the emperor at the sports festival. Did he not trust me?
"You know how wolfkin pour everything into the one they love...?"
"Well... yeah, that makes sense after hearing the explanation."
Ki-seok trailed off, as if it was hard to say.
It was new information. Pine, the Nameless Saintess, had no knowledge of wolfkin.
I deliberately didn't look it up to avoid spoilers.
Come to think of it, I'd heard that wrapping someone with their tail was for spouses or lovers.
"It's not that simple, Soo-hyun."
I'd seen her possessive side plenty without knowing. But why was that a problem? It seemed more good than dangerous.
"Wolfkin have days when they turn beastly. But if they fall for a human who's not wolfkin..."
The race that grows endlessly strong to share everything with their beloved.
As Kwon Ki-seok explained about wolfkin, he patted my shoulder.
"...It's every day. It syncs to the person."
"......"
So that's why Emperor Locke got so angry.
It wasn't just because I was a commoner or from another world.
"If she eats you and gets full, she might calm down..."
A chill ran down my spine.
Feeling like someone was glaring at me, I jumped to my feet.
"Eat well, Soo-hyun. Don't worry about the Love Meter with Archduchess Sophitia."
Ki-seok looked at me with pitying eyes, bidding farewell half in worry, half in encouragement.
So the father-in-law had acted like he wanted to kill his son-in-law for a different reason.
As I hurriedly prepared to leave and return to the academy.
"Knight. There you are."
"...Pine."
The same room as last time in the north.
In a completely different atmosphere and air, Pine hugged me from behind.
There should have been a sound of footsteps, but she'd sneaked up—maybe using invisibility magic.
Her tail wrapped around my legs, preventing escape.
"Soo-hyun. Do I seem... different somehow?"
A seductive chuckle. Her hot breath tickled my ear.
Even in different bodies, it felt like we were one, tangled together.
"You're... incredibly... beautiful today."
"Praise me more. More."
Perfume? An intense rose scent from her body.
Her under-eyes sparkled, her rose-red lips captivating my gaze.
Why the makeup...? And formal speech too...
Pine's makeup was only for official occasions as far as I'd seen.
Social balls. And only important ones.
"You're so pretty... I could fall for you at first sight."
"Hehe, really?"
I confessed honestly. She curved her eyes into a smile.
With her wolf ears folded back, Pine looked utterly adorable.
"I like the praise, so here's a reward, Soo-hyun."
Then, she pushed my chest, sitting me on the bed behind.
"...This way, the height difference doesn't matter."
She let out a soft laugh, like her plan had succeeded.
Her sparkling golden eyes drew closer.
"...Ah."
A pecking kiss.
Where did she learn this? Pine pressed her lips with a smack, smooch.
Softer than soft—marshmallow-like.
Even though we'd kissed before, the sweetness was always new to me.
Pine kept her eyes open even as our lips met.
...Is it going as Ki-seok said?
True to a wolf, she kissed fervently, like she wanted to devour me.
The pecks repeated, the gap closing, the kiss lengthening.
With no reaction from me, she pushed my chest again, knocking me down.
"Not the Saintess... just look at me, Soo-hyun..."
Thud. I lay on the bed.
The racial strength difference. My arms pinned, unable to resist easily.
"Think only... mmph... of me..."
She straddled me on the fluffy bed.
Now mixing tongues and saliva in a deep kiss.
Her possessiveness overflowed. Her small tongue ravaging me burned my brain to cinders.
"Pine, more than the Saintess... I want... you..."
"Still... I'm... anxious..."
Her snowy white hair trailed, tickling my cheek.
The more anxious she felt, the more she craved love from me for reassurance.
"I... love you more than anyone. More than future me."
Pine shyly confessed her love.
She curved her eyes, pushing her tongue deeper.
Her golden eyes, hazy with joy.
All of me reflected in those eyes.
"......"
Silence.
Only our shared breaths echoed.
As the deep kiss continued, her wolf tail binding my legs slowly loosened.
Whew, looks like she'll let it go without anything crazy. As I relaxed.
"...Pine?"
What snapped me from my rose-scented haze was a tiny pain on my lip.
"S-Sorry... I didn't mean to... Did you hate it...?"
Pine, face beet red.
Embarrassed, she buried her face in my chest.
Only then did I realize she'd bitten my lip with her teeth.
A mark from her intense possessiveness.
A badge reminding me I belonged to Princess Pine Granasia.
"...I loved it, Pine."
The faint pain on my lip made it feel real, not a dream.
"……!!"
Hearing my confession, Pine jolted up.
Her arms and legs jerked like a broken wooden doll. Her left arm and leg moved together unnaturally.
Then, thunk. A dull sound.
She'd tried to rush out without opening the door and crashed.
"R-Right... doors need to be... opened..."
"Pine, take it slow..."
I advised out of worry.
But crack. The door hinges ripped off.
"S-See you later, Soo-hyun."
She tried to act fine, but her embarrassment was already obvious.
The kiss probably took immense courage to attempt.