Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: How to Steal the Protagonist's Woman
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Blink, blink, blink.
A small light was repeatedly flashing on the Ruby.
"…."
"…."
[….]
Me, Viola, Armonia, and even my own identity—all of us fell silent.
Everyone except one bastard.
That goddamn vlog….
I'd been watching that bastard nonstop since earlier, and he was on another level—straight out of Jekyll and Hyde.
He was a completely different person from the intel I'd gathered.
That guy with the bright smile? The moment he shows up, he'll beat me to a pulp, grind me into burger meat, and deep-fry me in hellfire.
I ran the calculations in my head as best I could and came up with one feasible outcome.
'Armonia.'
'Let's stick to the original plan. Any response from Zodiac on our proposal yet?'
'What is it?'
Advice and Enel. Could I really overcome that handicap without those two?
But there was no other way.
'Got it. Go quick and come back!'
With that, Armonia's comms cut off.
Just as she said, a status window appeared above Viola's head, and one above mine too.
I confirmed the connection was severed and looked at Viola.
Her face had gone deathly pale—she looked like a completely different person from the Viola I knew.
Viola clung to me, gazing up with desperate eyes as she opened her mouth.
"We have to leave now! If—if my brother finds out… I don't care what happens to me…."
Even as she told me to go, Viola's arms tightened around my waist.
She didn't want to let go.
I wrapped both arms around her head and said,
"Viola, let's leave together."
"Huh?"
I finished telling her the story I'd held back on earlier.
The original plan was to stay here with Viola (and tutor on the side), confirm the Zodiac commission's success, get the Enel upfront, and head back to Kivotos with her.
I'd meant to seduce her gradually and take her along… but there was no time for that now.
This plan hinged on Viola coming with me.
If she didn't, it was pointless.
But I was confident she would.
Her longing for the outside world, her desire to escape her brother, the way everyone around her turned a blind eye.
I believed she'd follow the man who solved all that for her.
"Yes! I'll go with you, Suho!"
"Thank you for trusting me."
"But… what about my brother…."
"Don't worry. I'll handle everything."
To ease her concerns, I kissed her.
As I turned to leave, Viola looked at me with fearful eyes, begging me not to go.
A bunch of sudden events had piled up, leaving her anxious.
I understood, but today's task was crucial.
I promised to come back tomorrow and somehow managed to slip out.
Before I left, Viola made sure I could freely use the secret passage and begged me to come back for sure.
Outside, night had given way to early dawn.
I headed back to the Village Chief's house.
Not climbing through the window this time—I used the key he'd given me yesterday and unlocked the door.
Click.
"Even in his own house, he locks the door to someone else's room so damn well…."
I slipped carefully inside.
According to the old lady, the chief knew something.
So maybe, for his own sake, he'd left some records or whatever.
"I know it's upstairs, but…."
Upstairs, there were three rooms.
But the chief's was obvious at a glance.
"No way… who puts a sign on their own bedroom door saying 'Village Chief'…."
He must really love that title.
I tried the doorknob lightly.
It opened.
He didn't even lock his own door.
Figured as long as he locked mine, all was good….
The moment I stepped in, a snoring sound hit me.
Snort!
"Haa…."
I was already missing Armonia.
She probably doesn't snore… though if she did, it'd be cute.
Snoooort!
Hated that sound so much I had to find something quick.
I shook off stray thoughts and activated the mana stone from the militia girl.
Whirr.
The sudden light was blinding—like a cheeky sun fist.
Shit! Way too bright! Won't he notice!?
Snoooort!
"…."
Just in case, I grabbed what looked like a rag from nearby and draped it over the chief's eyes.
Snoooort!
"…."
A sound I hated as much as the hero bastard's vlog.
Anyway, time to search.
Thud, clack, scrape, thump….
Snoooort!!
"…Let's just search freely."
Looking at him, I could feel how peaceful this village really was.
Hell, even I, living in a big city, would wake up at any night noise thinking my sister was stealing my cash again.
While rummaging, I opened the wardrobe—clothes, and behind them, a safe.
The safe was rusty iron.
"Okay~ Armonia, the safe key… shit."
Fuck… no Armonia.
And this thing was way too heavy to just carry off.
"Well, there's gotta be a key."
I searched the room again.
And what came out was….
"No way, shit, why does the chief have this…."
A lockpick.
Simply put, a tool for picking locks.
And it came from the chief's house.
No key, though….
"Wait…."
I checked the chief's traits, and two stood out.
"Crazy… no way he opens it with this instead of a key?"
The lockpick was in good shape too—clearly maintained.
A thieving chief with lockpicking skills.
World's full of all kinds, but damn….
Anyway… screwed. Came all this way for nothing.
The safe meant treasures or docs inside….
On a whim, I stuck the lockpick in the keyhole and fiddled.
"Damn it… how do you even… huh?"
A new trait added to me.
With Old Lockpicking unlocked, opening the safe was a breeze.
I'd never used a lockpick before, but my hands moved on their own.
"Gotta consult Armonia later. Though she probably doesn't know either…."
Whatever this was, the safe's contents mattered now.
I peered inside.
Two fake Crystal Pearls greeted me upfront.
The rest were precious metals piled at the bottom.
"These are probably real.... Ah! Here it is."
Inside the jewelry, quite a few documents were lined up.
After reading them, I could roughly tell what kind of documents they were.
They were diaries.
"What, he has a family, but he's been living here alone."
His daughter had married the lord's son, and his son was serving as a manager overseeing the lord's land. His wife also seemed to be living well in the fief.
Looking at most of the diary entries, he seemed to want to leave this place as soon as possible..
"Hmm… nothing special. Oh?"
Older ones were less diary, more ledger-like.
And those listed….
"You psychopath.... how many people did you kill?"
The names of the people the Hero killed and the details of the incidents were written there.
It wasn't just here; incidents that occurred in the fief were also recorded.
Even at a glance, it looked like dozens... no, hundreds.
"Let's take this first."
I grabbed one of the chief's shirts, stuffed in the metals and diaries, tied it into a bundle, and slipped out.
Leaving the Crystal Pearls behind….
I stashed the stolen goods near the secret passage in the woods and went to bed.
When I woke up and came out to the living room, the village chief was waiting for me with a blunt expression.
"Make breakfast."
Shit, the chief says it like it's obvious.
But I can't use Enel right now!
"I'm sorry. I'm not feeling very well today, but I'll definitely do it for you tomorrow."
"Tch… useless, useless! Fine."
The chief stomped upstairs and slammed the door.
"Ugh, piece of trash…."
Fortunately, it seemed he hadn't checked the state of the safe yet.
He wouldn't open the safe in his own house every single time....
I left the house, took the bundle of the chief's clothes I had hidden yesterday, and went outside the village.
I went to find the old woman.
As soon as the old woman saw me, she glared with displeased eyes.
"What is it today?"
"I came because there is something I want to tell you."
"…."
"…."
"No, for heaven's sake, why should I...."
"You'll like it, I promise."
"Sigh... fine! Go on now...."
I parted with the old lady and headed to the village.
-30 minutes later, village-
Shaking off the women who kept clinging to me in the village, I finally managed to meet the militia girl.
I lured the delighted She-Hulk to a corner and started talking.
"Looks like I have time today. Some drinks maybe…."
"Oooooong!!"
Crazy!
Thanks to the She-Hulk suddenly letting out a Lion's Roar, the nearby wooden houses vibrated.
Animals in alleys freaked out like an earthquake hit, people rushed out like a war alarm blared.
I barely calmed the militia girl and said we'd meet outside the village later.
I told her to come to where the old woman lived.
"W-wait! Why not just drink at the tavern?"
"Lately, other people have been interfering.... I'd rather it be just the two of us...."
Fuck, I don't wanna!
I fucking don't want to!!
Why do I have to awkwardly hit on She-Hulk like this?
But it worked.
"Oooooong!!!"
The booming voice, like the one that sounds the moment a cursed sword is released in a famous old arcade game, filled the village.
In terms of raw physical power, I felt like I could personally rip and release about a hundred cursed swords with my bare hands.
"Ah, and also...."
"…."
"…."
"Yeah! I'll come find you later!! Haha~!!"
"See you then."
"Heeheeheeheee!!"
Satan's militia girl….
By midnight drinking with her, I might not be myself anymore….
Not that I'd drink anyway.
I immediately headed to Viola's via the secret passage.
Viola ran to me the second I arrived.
"I was worried you wouldn't come…."
"As if."
I kissed her and explained everything.
I told her that a friend of mine was coming to take us away, and if we followed that friend, the Hero wouldn't be able to chase us.
"I see…."
Viola had a smiling face, but on the other hand, she seemed to have an uneasy heart..
They were family she'd lived with her whole life.
Especially with her Maternal Love trait, it wasn't an easy choice.
Just that Unwavering Loyalty won out stronger.
Moreover, the Hero's psychotic behavior must have played a part in eating away at that [Maternal instincts]
Still hugging Viola, I gently took her left hand.
"Viola…."
"Yes?"
"I love you… truly."
"Sniff… how… I love it so much."
"Thank you for believing in me."
"I… I love you too."
As I kissed her, I cheered inwardly.
'My first love Philia… thank you! Now I can forget you. My first woman is Viola!!'