Chapter 1: Betrayed by the Party Members I Trusted (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1: Betrayed by the Party Members I Trusted (1)
It lacked realism, but it wasn't exactly an unfamiliar trope.
As is usually the case, I woke up from a deep sleep to find myself dropped into a remote, alien world in my own body.
I had even been granted something called a Status Window.
[Name: Choi Sihyeon]
[Age: 17]
[Level: 1]
[Job: Knight Cadet]
…
A long list of skills and stats followed, but they only served to inform me that I was currently among the weakest of the weak—hardly a welcome revelation.
For the first two days, the fear of being left alone in this sudden, strange world and the uncertainty of my future kept me trembling in anxiety, avoiding people at all costs.
But what was far more unsettling than that…
—Hello there~?
…was the woman’s voice that echoed in my head every time my body became aroused.
Introducing herself as the Goddess Elina, she claimed she had summoned me out of curiosity regarding the Demonic Energy she sensed within me.
—But why are you holding back? You’ve been born with so much Demonic Energy that even the Demon Race would be jealous. As a mere human, shouldn't you be thinking about how to use it properly? Don't you agree?
—If you're worried about others, don't be. This Goddess will personally watch over you. Just ignore the guards and grab any woman you want.
—Honestly, because of the Demonic Energy, just the sound of a woman breathing is enough to drive you crazy right now, isn't it? So don't struggle to hold back that hard-on of yours; just go ahead and fuck them to your heart's content~♥
It was just as she said.
For some reason, from the moment I opened my eyes in this other world, my body had become strange.
Scents, gazes, the sound of breathing—everything.
I had become a madman who went into heat over every little thing about a woman.
If I had heard Elina’s voice for just a few more days, I likely would have ended up signing the contract she held out to me.
—Choi Sihyeon.
Fortunately, I was able to avoid the worst-case scenario by hearing the voice of another Goddess just in time.
It was true that my arousal was becoming unbearable, but I didn't want to become a villain who indiscriminately violated women.
And so, I accepted a contract with the Goddess Elysia, who reached out to apologize for the sudden summons to this world.
Her subsequent proposal was also to my liking.
The deal was that if I joined the Hero Party as a knight and used my Demonic Energy to help subjugate the Demon King, she would return me to my original world.
[Class Change Quest]
[You must pass the trial to become an honorable knight.]
[Reward: Class Change to Knight]
Having virtually no reason to refuse, I picked up a wooden sword for the first time in my life and began swinging it recklessly.
It was certainly an inefficient way to level up.
The system notifications also informed me that forming a party with others and taking on missions from the Adventurer's Guild or hunting monsters would be more efficient for leveling, but I gritted my teeth and ignored them.
Even just hearing a Goddess's voice made me so aroused that I thought about ravishing her; if I had traveled with a Priestess—an essential part of any party—I felt certain I would have committed some unspeakable act.
Perhaps the system grew tired of my stubbornness, because after about six months, those notifications stopped appearing.
Three years later, once I reached adulthood, my desire for the opposite sex became somewhat manageable.
Having finally attained the bearing of a proper Knight Cadet, I successfully completed my Class Change Quest and joined the Hero Party—which I intended to be my first and last party.
However, there was one major problem: every other member of the party was a woman.
And, perhaps it was a characteristic of this other world, but every single one of them possessed the kind of beauty that would turn heads anywhere.
The Hero, Choi Yerin.
The Beastkin Mage, Yuliana.
The Elf Archer, Frey.
The Saintess, Aris.
As their names suggested, it was a relief that there was someone else from Earth like me, but given the nature of my body, I knew I could never be truly comfortable around them, no matter how much time passed.
Nevertheless, keeping my sole focus on the goal of returning to Earth, I did my absolute best to be of help to everyone in my own way.
After a journey that lasted two years, we succeeded in slaying the Demon King and returned in triumph.
Even after that, no major problems arose.
The rewards promised by the Empire were a noble title, a vast sum of money—enough to live in luxury for a lifetime—and a territory with a Grand Mansion.
Furthermore, we were able to secure all sorts of luxury goods and hefty rewards through the Church, the Magic Tower, and the Adventurer's Guild. On our final day before parting ways, we enjoyed a lavish feast and declared the dissolution of the Hero Party, promising to meet again.
With that, my role in this other world had come to an end. I finished all my preparations to return without regret and was spending a sort of vacation in my mansion.
However.
"Lord Choi Sihyeon. I hope you have been well."
The Goddess did not want such a cliché ending.
"Five days ago, the Goddess Elysia sent a message to you through Saintess Aris."
Seri, a priestess I had met when I first visited the Irem Religious Order to see Saintess Aris, came to find me.
This happened just one day before my promised return to Earth.
"I can't go back to Earth...?"
She had come to deliver the news that the outcome I desired would not happen.
"Yes. She said it is impossible for you to return to the world you originally came from."
"……."
Just looking at the look of embarrassment on Seri's face as she sat across from me on the sofa, I could tell that I wasn't managing my expression at all.
"Lord Sihyeon..."
After watching my reaction for a long while, she called out to me tentatively.
But I didn't have the slightest desire to continue the conversation with her.
The sense of betrayal from those I had trusted was too great.
"Please, do not be too disappointed. Saintess Aris and your other comrades are aware of your situation, so if you all put your heads together, I'm sure a good solution—"
"So, what you're saying is that they've been deceiving me from the very beginning. Isn't that right?"
"Th-that is..."
That was the content of the letter.
Since the early days of the Hero Party's formation, they had already requested help from the Magic Tower and the World Tree to find a way to send me back to Earth.
And it was written that the party members had been sharing that process all along.
"It is... true that everyone deceived you. However, they only kept it from you because they thought you might be greatly disappointed. It is an undeniable fact that everyone worked hard for your sake."
Well, as Seri said, I could understand up to that point.
My Demonic Energy was essential for subjugating the Demon King, so one could argue they chose not to tell me out of fear that my will might break.
Of course, that was only if the claim that there was absolutely no way to send me back to Earth was true.
Based on the dreams Elina had shown me every time I fell asleep during our journey to the Demon King's Castle, the possibility that the claim of being unable to return me was a lie had become very high.
[Aris. What happens to Sihyeon once we disband the party like this? Is it the same as what you said two years ago?]
[Yes. It’s exactly as I told you at the very beginning. Lord Sihyeon will stay here with all of us. From now on, forever.]
[Hmm. Then wouldn't it be better to follow Yuliana's suggestion and ask the Tower Master to seal his power? If he finds out later through the Goddess that he actually could have returned to Earth, there's no telling what he might do.]
[I understand your point, Yerin, but a seal is too dangerous. We don't even know if the Tower Master, who is an Elf, would want to get involved in human affairs... If Lord Sihyeon were to react with strong resentment and the Demonic Energy inside him went berserk, it would lead to an uncontrollable disaster. For now, it's best to inform him that everyone tried their best but couldn't find a way.]
[Did the Goddess and the Church agree to this?]
[Yes. I've told the other party members the same thing, and they all agreed.]
[Right... I see.]
[You look uncomfortable, Yerin.]
[I can't help it. In the end, it means we've been deceiving Sihyeon from start to finish... That's why I was wondering... what if we just honestly told him our situation? What do you think?]
[That won't do. You saw it too, Yerin. Even while he was asleep, Lord Sihyeon was emitting strong Demonic Energy while in contact with that fallen Goddess. On top of that, he never tried to get close to any of the party members. He refused to meet our eyes or speak with us up close... Perhaps...]
[His judgment might already be clouded by the Demonic Energy. Well, I felt it too. The feeling that he was becoming increasingly suspicious of us grew stronger as time went on.]
[Exactly. It's a terrible thing to do to Lord Sihyeon, but... let's keep this buried. For everyone's sake, this is the best way.]
Just as those two said, perhaps the current me was also trying to believe Elina's dreams because of the Demonic Energy.
There was a high possibility that the dreams had been manipulated.
However...
[Lord Sihyeon. I hope we can all meet again at the Magic Tower. If we look for a way there again, I'm sure you'll be able to return to your hometown.]
Because the location written at the very end of the letter happened to be the Magic Tower, I didn't think I would feel too bad even if it was the Demonic Energy that had made me feel this way.