Chapter 324
Chapter 324
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 324
Chapter Title: Siwoo; Romance Manipulation Squad (9)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The renowned Japanese political theorist, Hikigaya Hachiman, once said: If you want unity within a community, make yourself the enemy from outside. That way, you can create a world where no one gets hurt. His call to sacrifice oneself for the sake of all hit hard with someone as selfish as me.
'Forgive me, Siwoo... This is the last time.'
And so, I resolved to become the villain.
I swore to be the two villains tormenting Siwoo and Joseph.
It was truly heartbreaking to earn their hatred, but I could endure it imagining their happy future together. I'd only ever been on the receiving end, so it was time to give back. Today, Siwoo mattered more than me.
"No walking. Two more laps. Execute."
""Execute...""
"Voices too quiet. Four more laps. Execute."
""Execute!!""
So, donning a red cap I'd scrounged up somewhere, I drove Siwoo and Joseph with a heart that felt like it was tearing apart.
"Is that all the volume you've got? Six laps."
""Execuuute!""
"Louder, eight laps."
""Execuuuute!!""
No... It wasn't like I was mad at Siwoo the total pushover or anything... The toughest instructors are always the most hated, right? Reviving old memories, I returned to my soldier days and did my utmost to be a monstrous villain.
"You think you can look down on your drill sergeant as a porter?"
""No, sir!""
"You resent your drill sergeant for making you train?"
""No, sirrr!""
"Then without another word, eight more laps. Execute."
""Execuuuute!!""
Our protagonist vented his complaints at me for suddenly imposing this training... So what? Who asked him to join? At my threat that he'd be out if he couldn't keep up, Siwoo bit his lip and changed his attitude.
Joseph, on the other hand, surprisingly threw himself into the training without a single gripe. But with his frail body, he looked precarious from the start. He might not show it, but his stiff expression made it clear he was cursing me inside.
Whew... Is this the villain's pain?
My gut twisted, but if this was all for a 'world without hurt,' I could overcome this level of malice. Hachiman-sensei had walked this path too. I couldn't run away scared now.
"Stop midway, and you start over from the beginning. Understood?"
""Uwaaaah!""
Of course, whether this would spark affection between them was anyone's guess.
But Siwoo's such a sensitive guy. So shouldn't we start by getting them to bond? Hoping for a love born from battlefield camaraderie, I hid my true feelings and blew the whistle.
-Tweet, tweeeet!
"Good. Five-minute break."
"Huff... huff..."
"Haa... Thanks, haa..."
One thing to watch out for: Siwoo's endurance defies imagination as a total pushover. The guy who goes berserk alone after losing a spar to a porter. Even in training, cross the line and we risk resetting everything.
"Siwoo, here's a towel and ice water. Hehe, that must've been tough, right?"
"Ah, Rachel... Nah, to get strong, this much is a breeze!"
So I had Sophia dangle a carrot for the hardworking Siwoo. Guys always show off in front of girls they like. No matter how exhausted, with Sophia watching, Siwoo would definitely train hard.
"Here you go, Joseph. Yours too."
"Haaa... Thanks, Rachel. You saved my life."
The problem was Joseph, dragged into this through no fault of his own... Would he be okay?
Seeing him shed his sweat-soaked robe and gasp for breath tugged at my heart. It was all because of Siwoo that he was suffering like this. He followed along quietly without complaint, seeming like a good guy, but I worried he'd suddenly quit.
-Tweet, tweeeet!
"Your drill sergeant is disappointed in you all today. But I believe tomorrow will be different. Final training, then personal maintenance time. Dismissed."
Hmm, so no need to push too hard on day one?
Settling for this much considering Joseph, I took Sophia and headed back to the inn. Making them do final training was my little consideration to give them time to talk behind my back.
I'm shocked. He can make that serious face too.
I thought he was just all fun and breezy, but Dirk at work(?) was a completely different person. So strict and methodical! Caught off guard by this unexpected side, I fell for Dirk all over again.
Play when it's time to play, work when it's time to work—that's the wandering knight from novels I always admired. And that face... those muscles... Way hotter than the illustrations! Dirk really is the coolest guy I've ever met.
"Haa, haa... Uwaaaah!"
So I need to step it up too!
Inspired by Dirk, I gritted my teeth and ran laps around the empty lot.
"Joseph! Huff... Keep your shoulders back even if it's hard! It'll hurt less!"
"Yeah, got it!"
Honestly, I didn't want to do it... but his words about dragging the party down with poor stamina stuck with me, so I couldn't stop. And if I show effort here... Dirk might pat my head! Recalling the youngest knight getting rewarded by the wandering knight in the novel, I pushed through the pain without quitting.
-Tweet, tweeeet!
"Your drill sergeant is disappointed in you all today. But I believe tomorrow will be different. Final training, then personal maintenance time. Dismissed."
...Even if nothing happened today, hard work will earn rewards, right? Thinking I should learn memory magic for that, I wobbled through stretches.
"Dirk's too much... Isn't it ridiculous?"
"Hm?"
"Dirk just stood there the whole training. If he's gonna do it, he should join us, right? He's in our party too. Porters don't need less stamina, so honestly, it kinda sucked. Don't you think?"
But out of nowhere, Siwoo started badmouthing Dirk. Come to think of it, he griped and complained at the start too. First impressions were good, but maybe he's got some personality flaws.
"Dirk is Dirk, we're us. Our lack of basic stamina is fact, so no reason for complaints. Dirk planned this training for us. We should be grateful."
"Ugh... But wasn't it a bit over the top? Yelling just for quiet voices."
"Raising your voice is courtesy to the instructor. Plus, shouting stimulates the body. Knight orders use it for rookies—no issue."
"Really? ...Knight orders do that too. Didn't know."
"We fell short of Dirk's expectations, so instead of complaining, we should be ashamed. Aren't we the party aiming for manticores? We need to get stronger here."
"Yeah... Guess I was thinking too negatively. Thanks, Joseph. You opened my eyes."
"But Siwoo, you in pain? Head's been down. But didn't you just advise keeping shoulders back despite the hardship?"
"Huh? Oh, this is... Right! Haha... Wasn't trying to look at legs or anything, ahem, guess I slumped without noticing from exhaustion. Fixing it now! Haha..."
He's not a bad guy after all—points it out, and he fixes right away. Seeing Siwoo drop the gossip and lift his head, he really fits Dirk's party.
"Mm, thanks for suggesting we bathe together, but I have somewhere to be right now."
"What? Like that?"
"Yes. I'll head out first then."
After final training, heading back to the inn, Siwoo made a bewildering proposal. Let's hit the baths to bond, he said. Couldn't make sense of his mutter about confirming something there, but anyway, I firmly turned him down.
I want to undo the male transformation at bath time. And bathing with a guy is too awkward... Leaving Siwoo behind, I returned to the room I'd been staying in up till yesterday.
-Click
"Fwew... My real body's so much comfier."
Then, a familiar-sounding voice came from the next room over.
-Haa, ungh... Aaang!
-Aang! Haaaang!
Isn't that... Rachel's voice?
Panicking at her unmistakable tone, I immediately summoned a familiar with magic and sent it next door. She sounded in pain—clearly something bad was happening. Had to grasp the situation fast and rescue her.
-Too big... Aang!
-Oppa... Hnngh!
But shockingly... what the familiar showed me was naked Rachel with... naked Dirk on top of her.
What the hell is this? My mind went blank; I was speechless. More shocking than their nudity was Dirk tormenting Rachel. Felt betrayed by the Dirk I trusted.
Dirk... Was he a bad guy after all?
Making a saintess like Rachel moan... Seeing her wince and look pained soured my mood. Thought he was a cool wandering knight... but the Dirk next door was a scummy thug abusing women.
-Mor, haa... Pound harder, oppa!
-Unngh! Haa... Feels so gooood!
Wh-what's that? Rachel, who'd been tearing up in agony, hugged Dirk and confessed she loved it. Her faint smile didn't look like a lie at all.
Could Rachel... enjoy the pain?
So Dirk's reluctantly helping her?
"Haa... Haaa..."
Mind in chaos, I silently spied on the pair next door. But for some reason, as time passed, a itch started building between my legs.