The Dark Fantasy Hero Possessed into a Romance Fantasy (3)
Rumble—rumble—
The carriage shook with a rattling noise.
I'm so tired...
Serena's waist and hips ached, her body stiff and sore, making it hard to endure.
The carriage she'd ridden before was worlds apart from this military one in terms of comfort.
It was like the difference between a pillow stuffed with soft duck feathers and rolling naked over a gravel bed.
She'd thought they'd stop at a village midway to rest a bit,
but Zeke showed no sign of it.
Whenever they passed a village, he'd only stop to buy simple snacks or wash up.
Each time, he'd curse out the "general who ate so well."
What's that? What did they eat so well?
Serena couldn't make sense of it, but she could tell he wasn't at ease.
And that he didn't like this situation any more than she did.
Sleeping in the carriage probably wasn't something he wanted either.
Is he a fallen noble? He hasn't laid a finger on me this whole time...
That day, Serena had steeled herself to reject any advances from him and opened the carriage door.
But Zeke was snoring away, not giving a damn about her.
She felt relieved at first, but it stung her pride hard.
Enough to make her doubt if all those voices praising her looks and character had been lies!
Serena had to cool her flushed face while stealing glances at him alone.
Suddenly, she recalled something her mother once said.
"Our Serena is so cute and smart, but I'm worried about her wild imagination. So, where did you hide that book? You can't read it yet."
"Hehe, did I hide a book?"
"It's under the bed. Where... Oh, this many?!"
"Ah, nooo!!! At least spare me the northern hunk's lower half!"
Ugh...
Thinking back now, she was clearly out of her mind that day.
No matter how romantic the mood by the campfire at night,
no matter how she'd longed for a northern noble,
no matter how perfectly he matched her type in looks,
no matter that he'd saved her from being ravaged by goblins!
No! That's enough reason to misunderstand!
Thanks to her father, Serena had almost no immunity to men her age.
For her, a chance meeting with a rugged, masculine man like Zeke Clayman was bound to feel special.
The image of romance novel heroes she'd piled up like mountains overlapped softly with Zeke's face.
Gulp.
She swallowed.
Oh no. Fantasizing again. Stop it.
Anyway, that day's expectations and misunderstandings were enough to leave her undergarments soaked stiff every night.
Instructor didn't even think about it! I got ahead of myself and flew to another planet... So embarrassing. All because of those novels!
Her face flushed again at the memory, so Serena took deep breaths to calm herself.
She'd concluded it was all her own delusion and misunderstanding, but something still felt off.
He was too cautious, like he had zero interest in her.
Does he hate me? No, that can't be... Weren't men supposed to lose their minds around beauties like me? What if... he likes men or something!?
Having grown up showered in love from her father, mother, and brother,
Serena had never imagined anyone could dislike her.
Except one person.
Ah, Iriel Yustia. Exclude that woman.
Serena even went so far as to suspect Zeke's tastes.
Then it hit her—he was broke.
Her fantasy circuits started overheating.
Instructor's keeping his distance because he's embarrassed around me.
But what if he felt sorry for not being able to afford an inn because of his lack of money?
And as a fallen noble with no money or power,
he was ashamed to owe a debt to a refined lady like her?
Plus, northerners don't express their true feelings well. They seem cold but are warm inside.
If so, she could understand.
Serena nodded with magnanimous tolerance.
"Ahem! Instructor!"
Ahem. Ahem. Clearing her throat, Serena called out to Zeke, who wore a sullen expression.
His sharp eyes turned to her.
"You still don't plan to accept my help?"
"Correct."
"Even though you're broke?"
"..."
Zeke eyed the girl before him with annoyance.
What? Is she picking a fight?
It was absurd.
This freeloading leech who hadn't paid for a single meal—what the hell was she saying?
He wondered where her conscience had gone.
He was already pissed about the money "he" had donated to the army,
and now this made his mood sour even more.
As he opened his mouth to snap back, Serena added,
"Then, how about this."
"What?"
"Once we reach Lamieli, just take the money. I won't force anything else. Honestly, I'd love to host you at our mansion! But you don't seem to want that."
Serena's sky-blue eyes sparkled confidently, as if to say, How's that? Pretty good, right?
Zeke's face twisted.
What a pain in the ass!
He really wanted to shake off this clingy slug somehow.
They'd already had conversations like this dozens of times.
Damn, maybe I shouldn't have saved her. Can I return this stray dog?
She seemed like she'd stick to him until they reached their destination,
or even after.
Sigh, wouldn't it be best if we just parted cleanly?
"Hehehe. No need to be shy. I'll definitely repay you, Instructor!"
"If you wanna give it so bad, hand it over now."
"Ciela usually manages the money, so I don't have any now! I'll give it to you at the mansion!"
Serena's smug expression grated on Zeke's nerves.
Pop.
A vein bulged on Zeke's forehead.
Fine. If you're that confident, let's check. How pure is that soul of yours?
Zeke glared at Serena.
He gathered the surrounding mana intensely with his eyes.
Nothing beat it for gauging a soul's purity and character.
Skill activated.
This wasn't the mana-rich Dave Continent anymore, so it strained him a bit,
but as his go-to skill for distinguishing enemies,
he could manage with minimal mana.
What the— this girl.
But soon, Zeke's face went slack in shock.
Whoosh.
A halo bloomed behind Serena, filling the carriage.
Dazzling purity that hurt the eyes.
A soul that seemed almost holy.
Could a person's character be this clean?
Goosebumps prickled Zeke's arms.
It was a light he'd never seen in the dark fantasy world.
Where angels and saints were busy falling to corruption.
No, that's not the point.
Zeke closed his gaping mouth and analyzed her light.
Gratitude:30%
Purity:25%
Goodwill:10%
Tenacity:10%
Slight Affection?:5%
Sense of Duty:5%
Responsibility:3%
Pity:2%
He was stunned.
None of the emotions he'd been wary of were there.
Ah... um... really...? Can I... hope...?
The way he looked at Serena softened just a bit.
Then his vision went black.
Thud.
"You killed an angel! You killed the hope of this Dave Continent!"
"Nooo!! That angel bitch was already corrupted!"
"Liar!! Don't lie! You're always—"
"Fuck, why won't you believe me! We ate that chicken together just now! You said the demonic flavor was a nice twist!"
The so-called saint before him had fried up fallen angel wings into chicken,
then thrown a total fit.
Even when he told her the angel was already corrupted, she wouldn't believe it.
And this bitch was showing signs of corruption herself.
Her character had started pure, so he'd tried to hold onto it,
but here we were.
The saint summoned holy power, her golden hair and eyes gleaming as she drew her sword.
Zeke placed his hand on the sword at his waist.
"Ha, fuck. You really gonna go this far? Gotta see blood? You know what happens when I draw my blade!"
"Remember that girl you killed before?"
"Bitch, watch your mouth."
"Zeke... you really..."
Flash—
"Gasp...! Haah. Haaah."
Zeke jolted awake in the carriage.
It was still predawn, the sky not yet light.
His back was soaked in cold sweat, his whole body trembling.
Ha, fuck... Aftereffect on my eyes? Body's in rough shape—once a month max...
Probably the thin mana of this romance fantasy world.
After slaying goblins without full recovery, using Judgment Eye had wrecked him.
Thanks to that, he was dreaming of the dark fantasy world again, which he hadn't since returning to Earth.
Zeke calmed his racing heart.
Of all things, her dream... Hm? This is...
Suddenly, he felt something damp on his forehead and touched it.
A wet cloth.
The one he'd wrapped around Serena's arm.
Zeke stared at her sleeping across from him.
This girl who insisted on repaying a life debt with her shining eyes.
A huge pain, yeah, a massive pain in the ass.
Honestly, though,
a corner of his heart didn't hate it.
He'd just pushed her away because he couldn't trust it.
Maybe that's why he'd pushed himself to check, even at risk.
In the old world, he rarely used this ability on humans.
Too afraid of hoping and being disappointed.
Since she'd clung so persistently,
he'd gone ahead and used it—and confirmed her shining soul.
That pure light still lingered in his eyes.
Even if it left him passed out like a fool.
Still,
Can I really trust it...?
No matter how pure her soul, Zeke couldn't believe without doubt.
His brutal, painful past had made solitude normal.
The previous dark fantasy world was ruled by the Demon King across the continent.
Even in such a grim setting, not everyone was a monster,
so as a hero, he'd inevitably save suffering humans, intended or not.
Honestly, Zeke had hoped at first too.
Save a damsel, get thanks, spark hope—the classic tale...
But they mostly demanded elixirs or pouches in return.
The saint had seemed trustworthy, but even she broke and fell in that wretched world.
But this was romance fantasy.
Monsters existed, but no continent-ruling Demon King.
No that mad bastard either.
And by genre, good and evil were clearly divided.
Serena was definitely one of the "good ones."
Right, this isn't dark fantasy. It's romance fantasy.
Zeke realized he was still trapped in the past's shadows.
But... even so... a broken wreck like me with such a pure soul...
As he gazed at Serena with turmoil, her eyes fluttered open.
"Mm? You're up? Feeling better?"
"Yeah, fine."
Serena beamed at his words.
"Hehe. Good thing. I got to help this time."
That laugh suddenly reminded Zeke of the girl he couldn't save in the dark fantasy world.
Probably because of the saint's words in the dream.
To him, sharpened by betrayal and use,
the girl who brought him things with a bright smile.
"Mister, feeling better? Hehe, eat this. Picked it from the mountain earlier."
"Scram."
"Aw, I heard your stomach growl! Hihi. Here, eat up and cheer up!"
Even after "scram," she'd kept coming,
shoving withered fruits into his hand.
But days later, she was dragged to the Demon King,
infused with demonic energy, no longer human.
Zeke had killed her.
"Instructor?"
Serena looked puzzled.
Zeke's lips parted slowly.
"Thanks. And sorry..."
"Huh?"
"But I don't need this."
Serena jolted awake, sleep gone.
She'd never imagined such words from him.
Staring piercingly by day, shocked expression,
then suddenly passing out.
She'd been terrified, heart dropping.
As he lay sweating and groaning,
she'd wiped his brow till night,
unwrapped the cloth from her arm, soaked it, cooled his fevered head.
As she stared at him blankly,
Zeke tied the wet cloth back on her arm with his usual stoic face.
Wha... what!?
Serena's face flushed bright red.