Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: How to Steal the Protagonist's Woman
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Armonia had created a title for me to commemorate the company name change.
COO of NTL Corporation.
Our company now had two employees.
The moment I stepped into my office, I couldn't help but gasp.
A lavish desk, guest sofas, tables, and bookshelves—office furniture of every kind was arranged in a glittering display.
There was even a luxurious bed.
"Huh? Is this my room? Am I supposed to sleep here?"
"No. A separate private room has been prepared for you, Su-ho-nim. I simply included everything possible for your rest while you attend to your duties. For your information, the door next to you leads to the bathroom."
"Whoa... the bathroom's about the same size as the office..."
As I settled into the COO desk chair, Armonia stood beside me and began her explanation.
She was clearly the CEO, yet her expression didn't change as she acted just like a secretary.
"I'm sorry to dive right in, but allow me to brief you on the commission."
"Well, as they say, rip the band-aid off quick."
"First, I'll explain how we'll proceed with the commission."
A large screen flickered to life in front of my desk, much like the one in Armonia's office.
"First, we designate the destination based on the materials provided by the client. Then, using Enel, we create an identity that fits the era and background, insert your information into it, and forcibly synchronize you with the surroundings."
"Huh? You mean, like some kind of brainwashing?"
"Essentially, yes. However, please keep in mind that the amount of Enel required increases exponentially the closer the identity is to the protagonist."
"...Got it."
Damn Enel.
Armonia continued her explanation.
"After that, we transport you to the location. You communicate with me and use Enel as needed to win over the protagonist's woman."
"So, we heading out right now?"
"Yes, however, there is one thing you must bear in mind."
"Yeah, let's hear it."
"We only have 2,000 Enel on hand. Even this is the advance payment we received. I expect the first mission to be quite grueling."
How should I put it... Armonia's expression remained entirely unchanged, but she was practically radiating a sense of apology.
"Well, I already heard it was going to be tough. Let's go~"
"I will return to my office to finish preparations and then head to the warp room."
"I apologize for keeping you waiting."
"...Whoa."
Standing before me was Armonia, changed into her captain's uniform.
A white-based captain's hat and uniform adorned with black patterns.
She looked like a completely different person.
I absolutely had to get her to wear that.
Having found a new goal, I stepped energetically into the warp pod.
Inside a cylinder glowing with blue light.
Wow, anyone would think I was some hero deploying to save the world.
NTL-Unit 01, mobility check complete!
[The destination is Krell Village on the Illunia Continent. The village population is estimated to be around 1,000 people.]
[Su-ho-nim's identity is that of a traveling merchant who has crossed the desert.]
[Krell Village is the village where the protagonist was born. Currently, thanks to the support of the lord, they enjoy a prosperous life comparable to that of the landed nobility.]
[However, according to information from the Demon King's side, the Hero has no lovers at all, yet he visits Krell Village once every month or two, even during the war. Despite it being a three-week journey by horse, he visits without hesitation.]
[And the final piece of information was a report that he has a lover in Krell Village. However, this cannot be fully trusted. The reliability of the information may be low.]
[The primary goal of this mission is to win the heart of the lover the protagonist loves in Krell Village, where the possibility exists, thereby shaking the protagonist's heart and weakening the anti-Demon King forces.]
[Fortunately, identity forgery is unnecessary for this request, so the initial cost will only be the 800 Enel used for transport.]
[As soon as further information arrives, I will notify you via communication.]
[If you wish to speak to me, you may speak into the air, or if others are present, you may speak to me through your inner thoughts.]
"So you're watching everything I do, like The Truman Show? That's actually a bit exciting."
[...Inner thoughts that you specifically do not wish to share with me will not be transmitted, so you need not worry about discomfort.]
"Oh, a convenient telepathy."
[This request is the last chance for our... N...TL Corporation. I wish you the best of luck.]
I looked at Armonia with a smile.
The thought of shaking the iron lady Armonia's heart, even a little, felt good.
NTL Corporation—damn good name.
Armonia finished the briefing and began operating the machinery solo—work that would normally take multiple people.
Hundreds of buttons, pressed, toggled, and input with ninja-like precision that even a clone jutsu couldn't match.
She's seriously badass...
And with that, the warp activated.
The particles in front of my eyes were putting on a goddamn show.
Unlike my prior warp experience, I felt a slight thrill wondering where I would land.
Outside the village? Right in the middle? Heh, the women's bathhouse would be hilarious.
I'm not interested in real-world women, but I love the situations that happen in eroge.
Fwosh!
"Ugh!"
I shielded my eyes with my arm from the sudden light.
A scorching heat, shimmering haze.
Right... this is...
A Desert.
I was dressed in Arabian attire.
But that hardly mattered.
Within ten seconds of arriving, I was experiencing the sensation of my face literally burning.
I spoke to Armonia through the communication link.
'Um... Armonia-ssi? My face is burning.'
[My apologies. There seems to have been some error. That location should have definitely been a forest near the village...]
Twenty seconds in, and I felt like I was about to enter a Ghost Rider transformation scene.
Eek~ Haaa~ Heek hahhh~
Right now, I had zero composure.
"...Shit, am I actually gonna die?"
No joke, I actually feel like I'm dying here.
Poof.
"Huh?"
A parasol and water jug appeared out of nowhere.
[For now, I have arbitrarily used 1 Enel to create water and a lightweight parasol.]
"Fuuu... saved."
Lord Enel, I shall never forget the taste of the water you provided.
Gulp gulp.
"Phaa..."
My lungs were on fire, but the cold water inside made me feel alive.
Shit, even in the army, I didn't crave water this bad until day two.
[I am sorry. This was my oversight. My mistake.]
"Phew... The info came from the client anyway, right?"
[...Yes.]
"Then we're good. Let's sort this mess. You didn't drop me on another continent, did you?"
Because if so, I'm totally fucked.
[That is not the case. Based on my current findings, the location was originally a forest near the village, but it seems desertification has progressed. Because of that, the village itself seems to have moved.]
"Well, I guess you can't exactly live on top of a desert. Then, do you know which direction I should go?"
[For now, head east. I will find more information as quickly as possible.]
"Got it~ Well, I don't want to die, so let's get moving."
[...I am truly sorr—]
I cut Armonia off.
"No apologies."
[...Pardon?]
"It's already started, and as long as you don't make a mistake next time, it's fine."
[Yes, I understand. ......Thank you.]
"Yeah, that's more like it."
Heh heh heh. Teasing her with this later during sex should be fun.
With such trashy thoughts, my steps lightened a bit.
Two days passed.
Walking for just thirty minutes was as grueling as a 40-kilometer forced march.
And I endured it for two days.
And then, I reached the forest.
"...I'm dying."
No joke, I felt like I was actually going to die, so the moment I reached a spot with some shade, I just collapsed.
[Su-ho-nim! Someone is coming. You must wake up!]
"...I don't care. It'll work out somehow."
If it's a person coming, why should I care?
It's not like I have anything worth stealing.
[Su-ho-ni...]
My vision blurred.
Then a woman appeared before me.
"Ar...e y...kay?"
I couldn't hear the voice, but there was a woman who looked like my first love..
Did you come to greet me because I died?
Without realizing it, I grabbed her hand.
"Philia..."
And then I lost consciousness.
[Su-h..]
So sleepy...
[Su-ho-n..]
So sleepy...
[Su-ho-nim!!]
"Wow! Holy shit, you scared me!"
Startled awake, I sat up and scanned around.
"What? Where am I?"
[I was very worried because you wouldn't wake up.]
"Armonia? What is this place? I remember crossing the desert and reaching the forest."
[You fainted as soon as you entered the forest. Fortunately, a village resident found and rescued you.]
"Thank god it wasn't a monster."
A world with Hero and Demon King must have monsters.
For a split second, I imagined getting raped by a female orc.
"...I guess I've really lost my mind."
"Never mind. So, is this Krell?"
"Huh? Why?"
"..."
Wait, did the village chief just rape me?
"Phew..."
I let out a sigh of relief.
For a moment, I feared my life story adding interspecies or gay genres.
"Armonia, give me the rundown."
[Understood.]
She recapped what I knew, then updated on new developments.
"Enel... Nice. That stuff is seriously amazing."
Crossing the desert let me truly appreciate the greatness of Enel.
Cold water when needed, and even food created in a tent.
The total Enel used while crossing the desert was 10.
Without Enel, I'd probably be screaming "Hail to the Sun" while burning alive.
She also explained why we had dropped into the desert.
The Demon King's army had obtained the map of this terrain several decades ago.
In other words, desertification had progressed over a long period, and it was presumed that the village had migrated as a whole.
Moreover, since the Demon King's army was at war with the anti-Demon King forces, they had no leisure to check on a remote village like this.
Thud, thud, thud.
Someone entered without knocking.
His appearance screamed "village chief."
"You alright?"
"Yes... but where is this...?"
I knew, but played polite and chatted.
Crell Village, we saved you, be grateful, blah blah.
Then the unexpected line.
"Now that you're up, get out of the village."
"Pardon?"
"Deaf? Tsk tsk, can't understand plain speech."
Dismissing my simple question like I'm an idiot.
Rage boiled from my chest.
'This old fuck wants to die...'
'I know...'
First, intel on this geezer.
'Armonia, tell me this old man's Trait.'
Reading my inner thoughts, Armonia displayed the village chief's status window before my eyes.
A village chief with [Kleptomania]?
But that wasn't the important part.
[Greed].
'Armonia, what jewels have value on this continent?'
[There is something called a Crystal Pearl. It is a rare gem that can only be obtained from the sea, and it is known to be even harder to find here in the inland.]
'How much Enel does it cost to make one?'
[983 Enel.]
Shit, that's way too expensive...
'What about a fake?'
[A counterfeit is 12 Enel.]
'Make one of those.'
Poof.
When a fist-sized Crystal Pearl suddenly appeared in my hand, the chief was startled.
"Eek! What the—?!"
"Do you know what a Crystal Pearl is?"
"O-Of course."
"I will give this to you. Please let me stay for a while. I'll give you another one when I leave."
I handed the counterfeit to the chief with an indifferent expression.
The look in his eyes was likely wondering where on earth I got this.
Because when he searched my body earlier, not a single penny had come out.
"B-But how did you just pull this out?"
"It's a kind of item storage magic. I cannot tell you any more than that."
"A-Ahem. I-I see. You must have suffered greatly crossing the desert. You may stay for a while."
"Ex-Excuse me."
The chief ignored my words and hurried out of the room.
"...Damn, I'm hungry. He could have at least given me some food."