Chapter 149: Wavel
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 149: Wavel
Even if it was a secret villa in a remote area with no passing cars, the building was still exploding and collapsing.
With all that commotion, it wouldn't be long before people started to gather.
No, since the NIS was involved in this incident, they would move even faster.
We needed to get out of here before that.
After watching the villa collapse for a moment, we headed back into the forest.
We picked up the pace, prioritizing getting out of Yangpyeong.
About thirty minutes later, I checked a map app and saw we were no longer in Yangpyeong, but Namyangju.
It seemed we didn't need to run anymore, so we slowed down and strolled leisurely through the quiet forest.
“Master.”
“What is it?”
The forest was so quiet you couldn't even hear the chirping of insects.
Thanks to the insect repellent I'd sprayed, there were no mosquitoes around, making it quite pleasant.
Noel, who was walking behind me, gently hugged my arm.
“Master, are you going to marry that woman from before?”
“What?”
I stopped in my tracks, unable to believe what I'd just heard.
A quick glance at Noel's face showed she was completely serious.
“By 'that woman,' do you mean Choi Hyena? The one with red hair?”
“Yes.”
“...Why do you think that?”
“You said you promised to get engaged. Doesn't that mean you'll eventually get married?”
“Well... I guess so.”
After I graduate from the Magic Tower, we'll have an engagement ceremony, and when we're of a suitable age, we'll get married.
As long as neither of us has a change of heart, things will proceed as planned.
At least, I had no intention of breaking off the engagement with Choi Hyena. She probably felt the same way.
“Hmm...”
After hugging my arm tightly for a while, Noel suddenly let go and scurried to stand in front of me.
“I want to use my Wish Right now.”
“...Wish Right? Wasn't it a favor?”
“Same difference.”
The moment Noel threw off the mask covering her face, the clouds blanketing the sky drifted away on the wind.
A full moon rose in the dark night sky.
Moonlight poured gently through the branches, illuminating us.
“Please kiss me. Like lovers.”
Noel quietly stood on her tiptoes and closed her eyes.
“...What?”
I was flustered by the sudden, completely unexpected request.
“Hurry.”
“Well, I...”
“What's wrong? We kiss all the time.”
“That's true, but...”
Sigh. I let out a short breath inwardly.
My mind was a mess because I knew what she meant by asking for a kiss "like lovers.”
But I didn't dislike her feelings. In fact, it felt good, almost to the point of making me feel smug.
I was flustered, but I didn't hesitate for long.
I quietly closed my eyes and pressed my lips to Noel's.
It wasn't the kind of devouring kiss we usually shared, but a fresh, innocent one.
That was all it was.
“Heh, hehe...”
But strangely, my heart pounded as if it were about to burst.
It seemed to be the same for Noel; she hid her beet-red face and hurried ahead of me.
“...What a strange feeling.”
But it definitely wasn't a bad feeling.
I could say that for sure.
Tiring—
Just as I was savoring the lightheaded feeling, as if I'd had a drink, a familiar sound rang out and a screen appeared before my eyes.
[A sweet kiss after a campfire on a hot summer night! You're practically the protagonist of a romantic comedy novel!]
[Would you like to register Noel Ronnidella as a match?]
[Y/N]
“...What?”
*
[Name: Noel Ronnidella
Age: 20
Race: Toin Tribe
Affiliation: EB-17
Occupation: Successor to the Head Shamaness of the Ronnidella Tribe
Disposition: Strong, Cheerful, Big Eater, Friendly, Optimistic]
[Favorability Change
Noel Ronnidella 0♡ → 90♡]
[Bond Level Change
Noel Ronnidella Lv.0 → Lv.1]
[You cannot acquire coins from relationships with individuals not met through the Another World Dating App.]
[Congratulations on reaching 5 matches!]
[You have been awarded 3,000 Coins.]
Back home, I lay on the sofa and checked the screen.
To get straight to the point, I registered Noel as a match. It was a bit out of the blue, but there was no reason not to.
That brought the total number of matches to five: Iris, Cheon Yeo-hwa, Choi Hyena, Yoo Sowol, and Noel.
I'd received coins as a reward, but that wasn't what was important right now.
“Why was Noel only just now registered as a match?”
Choi Hyena and Yoo Sowol were registered after I had sex with them.
But Noel wasn't.
“...Does everyone have different conditions?”
Maybe sex was just a secondary condition, and it was a coincidence that the conditions were met for Choi Hyena and Yoo Sowol that way.
Thinking about it like that, things started to make a bit more sense.
“Well... is it a relief that I figured it out now?”
I'd gotten the five-match reward, and it was an undeniable fact that the rewards increased as the number of matches grew.
This reward was just coins, but so far, the rewards had been app function updates.
'To get stronger quickly, it's more efficient to get additional app functions.'
Anyway, I felt it was about time to start a new match.
But before that, I found myself wanting to see Iris.
“Should I tell Noel before I go?”
But considering time stops while I'm in another world, I figured there was no need to.
Besides, to take Noel to another world, I'd have to unsummon her and then summon her again.
If I unsummoned her now, I wouldn't be able to summon her again for a week, and I couldn't wait that long.
[Would you like to rematch with Iris Remeria Baiart Peledeia?]
[Y/N]
[Y]
*
Instead of the full moon, a sun hanging in the sky and a vast meadow spread out before my eyes.
The scenery changed in an instant, but I was used to it by now, so it wasn't particularly surprising.
Instead.
“Hyun-woo?”
Skin as clear and transparent as fresh snow, beautiful eyes, and hair that flowed like molten gold.
When I turned my head, Iris was there, looking at me.
“I'm back.”
“...Welcome back.”
Seeing Iris greet me with a smile brighter than the sun, I felt a sense of peace settle deep within me.
But I couldn't help the lust that stirred when I looked at her face and chest.
I had no intention of having sex with Iris in a field like this, so I checked the remaining time to distract myself.
[Time Remaining: 335:55]
The match time had increased again. This time, it was two weeks.
[Would you like to change the display format?]
[Y/N]
“Hm?”
Just as I was staring at the remaining time, another screen popped up.
I pressed the accept button without much thought.
[Y]
[Time Remaining: 13 days 23 hours 55 minutes]
“That's easier to read than before.”
I swiped the screen away, walked over to Iris, and pulled her into an embrace. The very idea of distracting myself when I'd come because I missed her was ridiculous.
“Hyun-woo?”
Surprised by the sudden hug, Iris stared at me with her emerald eyes.
“I missed you.”
“...I missed you, too.”
Iris immediately broke into a wide smile and hugged me back. Since time was stopped for her, she hadn't even experienced us being apart, but I was grateful that she said she missed me for my sake.
We held each other for a long time, engraving each other's warmth and scent into our memories.
*
We found a spot in the meadow and enjoyed an early lunch, savoring the picnic atmosphere.
Iris smiled, seeming to enjoy the vegan burger topped with various sauces and a soy patty.
'First, I need to meet the Lord of Wavel.'
To get to the Santala Kingdom and remove Iris's seal, we had to pass through the Veilhaven Republic, the Nivia Kingdom, and the Orsia Duchy.
But before that, for the safety of Luna and Ellie, whom I'd left behind in the Great Forest, I needed to meet the lord of the border city of Wavel and get him to control the slave hunting activities within the forest.
'I want to negotiate as peacefully as possible...'
But for some reason, I had a feeling he wouldn't listen meekly.
Still, I wanted to leave violence as a last resort.
To deal with the lord and ensure Luna and Ellie's safety, I would have to wipe out the entire city of Wavel to eliminate any future trouble, but there were too many innocent people for that.
'I should leave the negotiations to Iris.'
Iris, who had ruled Peledeia for hundreds of years, would be much better at it than me, whose idea of negotiation is closer to intimidation.
After finishing our early lunch, we started walking along the well-paved road toward Wavel, visible in the distance.
Of course, it wasn't as close as it looked.
That just meant the city of Wavel was massive.
The fact that it had the largest slave market in the entire southern continent probably meant it was quite wealthy.
But since neither Iris nor I were ordinary people, our travel speed was naturally fast.
After about an hour of walking, we began to see more carriages and people on the road.
To prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, Iris had used her magic to shorten her ears, slightly alter her appearance, and pull her hood down low.
Of course, even with her appearance changed, she was still ridiculously beautiful. She couldn't change it any more than this, as the duration of the spell would become too short.
After walking for another thirty minutes, we came across a long line.
“What's this line for?”
“Perhaps it's the line for the checkpoint? You probably have to be inspected by the guards to enter the city.”
“Ah.”
I'd seen this sort of thing often in fantasy novels.
'Man, this line is long... Even the line for the Viking ride at an amusement park during school trip season would be shorter than this.'
On top of that, the line was moving incredibly slowly. At this rate, it looked like we'd have to wait for two or three hours.
It was a bit daunting, but I wasn't a noble with a Magic Pass, nor did I have any money to bribe the guards, so we had no choice but to wait.
I did have a few silver coins I'd taken from the slave hunters in the forest, but I couldn't use them rashly, not knowing what might happen inside the city.
“I guess we have no choice but to wait. Tell me if you get tired. I'll pull out a chair for you.”
“Hehe, this is fine. More than that, this is the first time in my life I've ever stood in a line like this, so I'm a little nervous.”
Iris, with her hood pulled down low, seemed somewhat excited.
It seemed the former queen found this "commoner experience" fascinating.
And so, with the passing clouds and the people of this fantasy world as our backdrop, Iris and I passed the time chatting about this and that.
Thanks to magic, we didn't have to worry about others overhearing our conversation.
After about an hour, the line had shortened noticeably. It seemed the inspections were proceeding faster than I thought.
“Whoa...”
Seen up close, the walls of Wavel were enormous. They looked to be at least ten meters high.
“Next.”
Finally, it was our turn.
At the checkpoint, a portly-looking man and a scrawny man stood clad in armor.
“State your purpose of visit and present your identification.”
“I don't have any identification, and as for my purpose, I don't really have one other than to visit Wavel.”
“If you have no identification, you must pay the toll.”
“How much?”
“Five copper coins.”
There was no way a primitive fantasy world like this would have a proper identification system.
It seemed like a scheme to make money by selling identification.
“That's expensive.”
“Then get lost. If the woman next to you wants to enter as well, it's ten copper coins.”
It was a waste, but they were copper coins, not silver. I could afford that much.
I took ten copper coins from my pocket and handed them to the guard.
The guard then asked for our names and ages and recorded them on some sort of paper-like material.
Just as I was feeling relieved that the inspection was over...
“Hey, you, the woman. Take off your hood.”
The scrawny guard pointed a finger at Iris.
'Tsk.'
I hadn't expected them to check faces in this primitive fantasy world.
Then again, it would be a problem if a wanted criminal slipped through, so I guess it was a necessary procedure.
“...My wife has a scar on her face. Could you just let it slide?”
I discreetly handed the guard two copper coins.
“Don't try any funny business.”
But the man roughly slapped my hand away and growled.
He looked like a corrupt official but was being unnecessarily diligent.
“Last time, some bastards like you who tried to sneak in caused trouble inside the city, and I got my pay cut for six months!”
So he wasn't being diligent, just cautious because of the pay cut.
We were deliberately keeping the hood on because of the attention we might draw.
“...No choice, Iris.”
Iris carefully removed her hood.
Gasps could be heard from all around.
I quickly had her put the hood back on.
“Is that enough? I'd appreciate it if you'd let us pass.”
A good number of people had seen Iris. Trouble was now almost guaranteed once we were inside the city.
“No, I don't think so.”
“...What?”
The portly man gave a sleazy smile.
“I think I've seen that face on a wanted poster. It seems this woman will have to be taken in for separate questioning.”
“That's right. The husband can go on into the city first.”
Their eyes were filled with a filthy, disgusting lust.
Thanks to them, my mood soured completely.
“Haaah...”
I let out a sigh filled with various emotions and stepped toward the guards.
“W-what is it!”
“Are you trying to resist?!”
Seeing them get angry with such audacity, I felt once again that there was absolutely no need to hold back.
“You just insulted my wife.”
It's a taboo that's unacceptable for a man, but right now, I wasn't just a man; I was Iris's husband.
No, if I had my way, I'd tie them up limb by limb and torture them until they died of shock. I was ending it with just this.
There could be no more merciful punishment.
I threw a kick at the portly bastard.
He didn't even register the kick coming before my shin slammed directly into his crotch.
CRUNCH. I felt something get crushed and heard a sound that should never be heard.
“?!!!”
Thud. The guard collapsed from the shock and pain.
“Don't worry, I made sure to burst both of them.”
“Ghk, gggk...!”
The guard couldn't even let out a proper scream before he passed out.
A moment later, blood began to drip from between the guard's legs.
The other guard, who had watched this happen from the side, screamed with a terrified face.
“A-assaulting a guaaaaard!!!”