Chapter 498: A Night Stroll
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 498: A Night Stroll
When the elevator doors opened, I came face to face with Yoo Ah-rin, who was already inside.
Her outfit was simple.
A thin cardigan, a tank top, and baggy sweatpants.
There was nothing particularly special about it, but on Yoo Ah-rin, with her model-like proportions and figure, it looked like a page out of a fashion magazine.
“Where are you going?”
“Um… I was just going to go for a short walk…”
“Now?”
I checked my watch.
7:20 PM.
There was still plenty of time before the 10 PM curfew, but security had been tightened significantly after word got out late that players from Gehenna had infiltrated Sanctelium last night.
I’d even had to go through a security check just to get from the portal in the city center to the hotel.
On top of that, the residents seemed to have sensed the tense atmosphere, as there were noticeably fewer people on the streets than usual.
With the entire city on edge, the right thing to do was to stop her.
But—
‘...Well, does it matter?’
The moment I saw the cross hanging around Yoo Ah-rin’s neck, I remembered something I’d forgotten.
It was a pass of sorts, given to us by Lianbel, the vice-captain of the Celis Holy Knights, to wear during our stay.
If she showed it to the Holy Knights on patrol, they would let her pass without any trouble.
The only reason I’d been stopped was that I had been leaping across rooftops in my hurry to get back.
“Just don’t be too late. They might still arrest you after 10 PM, even with the pass.”
Among the Holy Knights were several hardasses who treated the rules as if they were a part of their very being.
It was best not to give people like that any reason to get involved in the first place.
I gave Yoo Ah-rin’s head a light pat and was about to step into the elevator when I stopped.
“Ah, right.”
I paused and opened my storage.
Then, I turned around, took out the Wind Dragon Sword I had received as payment from the Astrein family, and tossed it to Yoo Ah-rin.
Clank—
The sword flew in a smooth arc and landed perfectly in her arms.
As if it already knew who its master was.
“...What’s this?”
“A gift from a master to his disciple. Unless there’s a special reason not to, use that from now on. It won’t be easy to find a better sword than that on the lower floors.”
In terms of performance alone, there were plenty of good swords out there.
But for the current Yoo Ah-rin, the Wind Dragon Sword was the most suitable choice.
Assuming, of course, that her goal wasn't to just settle for her current position.
“Ah… th-thank you…”
Yoo Ah-rin bowed her head, her face blushing, a rare sight.
The slight tremble at the corners of her lips made it obvious how happy she was.
It was hard to believe this was the same person who showed not even a sliver of interest when she went shopping for clothes or makeup with the other women.
“If you’re grateful, then work hard. I’m going to train you even harder from now on. I can’t stand to see my disciple getting beaten up.”
“...”
Yoo Ah-rin nodded silently.
Leaving her behind, I pressed the elevator button.
Through the slowly closing doors, I caught a glimpse of Yoo Ah-rin’s eyes, which seemed unusually lost in thought.
Thud—
As the doors closed, I quietly clicked my tongue.
“...Of all the things to pop up.”
I leaned against the wall and frowned.
If that Gehenna woman Yoo Ah-rin had fought in the dungeon had been just a little weaker, the two of them could have had a decent fight before I arrived.
If that had happened, Yoo Ah-rin’s confidence wouldn’t have hit rock bottom like this.
You could only call it bad luck.
Yoo Ah-rin had clearly not only reached the limits of her performance but had also surpassed them.
It was truly a remarkable talent.
The problem was that her opponent was two steps above her.
Tap, tap, tap.
“...This has become a headache.”
Now that she had reached the Peak Realm and her talent was beginning to blossom, this blow to her confidence was critical.
To overcome this situation, she had no choice but to fight and win against an opponent at least one step above her.
The problem was, if by some chance she lost…
‘Not only her confidence but the growth curve she’s maintained so far would plummet.’
Press, press—
Facing this troublesome situation, I gently pressed the corners of my eyes and began to re-evaluate my plans.
With the 10th floor just around the corner, the thought that I couldn't just stand by as the clan leader filled my mind.
*
After the elevator doors closed, Yoo Ah-rin stood there blankly for a long time.
Normally, she would have rushed to the training grounds to test the performance of her new sword, but she couldn't bring herself to do it right now.
Thump, thump, thump, thump—
Kang Hyun-woo, distracted by other thoughts, hadn't noticed at all, but her heart was pounding as if it were about to burst.
It was the first time in Yoo Ah-rin’s entire life that she had lost her composure to an emotion other than anger.
“Excuse me, miss…? Are you alright?”
A hotel employee, puzzled by Yoo Ah-rin’s face, which was flushed as red as a ripe persimmon, approached her.
Tatatak!
Without a second glance, Yoo Ah-rin bolted out of the hotel.
She ran across the street and into a deserted alley before she could finally stop.
“Hah, hah, hah…!”
Why was this happening?
Normally, she should have been fine, but her breathing grew ragged.
Despite the cool night air, her flushed head showed no signs of cooling down.
If anything, it felt like it was getting hotter.
It worsened every time Kang Hyun-woo’s face came to mind, and now, she couldn't get the memory of him grabbing her chest and teasing her in the dungeon out of her head.
It should have been unpleasant.
That would have been normal.
“...What is wrong with me.”
Yoo Ah-rin squatted down and buried her face in her knees.
Just a few days ago, when she saw Kang Hyun-woo and Lucifer having sex, she had been only slightly flustered, with no strong feelings about it.
But if she were to witness that scene again now, could she really accept it as calmly as she did back then?
Could she face Kang Hyun-woo as if nothing had happened and focus solely on her training?
Dong— Dong—
Even as the bells announcing the curfew echoed throughout the city, Yoo Ah-rin couldn't find an answer to her questions.
An emotion she had never felt before was softly blooming in her heart.
It was the moment an impurity seeped into the barren life she had lived solely for her family's revenge.
*
Ding—
—The doors are opening.
I stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hallway toward my room.
Perhaps because there were so few players on this floor, the corridor was dead silent.
‘The other floors always have a couple of people getting affectionate, but not here.’
Of course, that also meant there were no guys with a death wish hitting on my women, which was convenient and nice.
Beating them half to death every time could lead to accumulating bad karma if I wasn't careful, so I tried to aim for… no, avoid that as much as possible.
Click—
I opened the door with my key card and tilted my head at the sight of the dark room.
It was strangely quiet.
After changing into slippers, I walked toward the source of the presence I felt.
“...Lucy?”
Lucifer was sitting by the window, drinking wine.
I couldn't imagine how much she’d had by herself; the table was covered with empty bottles, and her face was bright red.
“Seriously, you drank all this by yourself? Without any snacks?”
I took a water bottle from my storage, opened it, and handed it to her.
But instead of taking the bottle, Lucifer just stared at me silently.
Beyond her violet eyes, a complex emotion that was hard to define in a single word swirled quietly.
“Haaah…”
Flinch!
At Lucifer’s deep sigh, I couldn't help but shudder reflexively.
How should I put it?
I hadn't done anything wrong, but I felt like a married man who spends all day sweating and worrying over a single text from his wife that says, ‘We need to talk when you get home.’
Moreover, the sight of her with her arms crossed, wearing a coat she must have gotten from somewhere, made me even more nervous.
“...What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“...”
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
The courage I had barely managed to muster crumbled in vain at the simple tap of her fingers.
Just as I was breaking into a cold sweat, worrying that I might be hit with the disastrous punishment of a one-week sex ban…
“...Here.”
“...?”
“...Don’t just stand there gawking. Take it.”
Clank—
I looked back and forth between the leash in my hand and Lucifer, who had stood up from her seat.
I couldn't readily understand what was happening. It was as if my cognitive abilities had reached their limit.
Lucifer glared at me with a murderous look and raised her voice.
“You’re the one who said you wanted to do this!!”
“...”
Could it be…?
As if possessed, I slowly reached out and undid the front of Lucifer’s coat.
The moment I did, a perfectly white, naked body, so beautiful it took my breath away, came into view.
As a heavy silence descended, I took a step toward Lucifer, leash in hand.
Click—
With the sound of something locking into place, a collar was fastened around Lucifer’s neck.
「The Constellation, ‘Herald of the Pure Lily,’ is appalled.」
「The Constellation, ‘Herald of the Pure Lily,’ rubs its eyes.」
「The Constellation, ‘Herald of the Pure Lily,’ is left speechless.」
Ignoring the intrusion of the clueless spectator, I stroked the collar.
Having come this far, there was only one thing left for me to do.
*
Sanctelium was a city where an old-fashioned law was enforced: a curfew at 10 PM.
Naturally, the only ones roaming the streets at night were the patrolling Holy Knights.
Of course, on a normal day, quite a few people would sneak around, avoiding the knights' eyes, but today was an exception.
Word had gotten out that a player from Gehenna had secretly infiltrated Sanctelium, and as a result, two to three times the usual number of Holy Knights were patrolling every corner of the city.
But on this dark night, with clouds obscuring even the moonlight, there were brave souls wandering the heavily guarded streets of Sanctelium.
Yank!
“Ngh…! P-pull a little gentler…!”
They were none other than Kang Hyun-woo and Lucifer.
Lucifer was being helplessly dragged along by the leash pulling at her body.
Kang Hyun-woo smiled as he watched her.
“We’re almost there.”
“Y-you said that before…”
“I mean it this time.”
As Kang Hyun-woo said that and came to a stop, Lucifer slowly raised her head and looked around.
It was a dark alley that didn't seem to have anything special about it.
‘Why on earth did we come here?’ The question flashed through Lucifer’s mind.
“Alright, now take it off.”
“...”
At that moment, Lucifer wore an expression that said, the time has finally come.
After negotiating with Kang Hyun-woo, she had been allowed to wear the coat from the hotel to this point.
Of course, she wasn't wearing a single piece of underwear underneath, but the comfort the coat provided was no different from that of a stranded person surviving on a snowy mountain with only a single jacket.
But now, she had to take even that off.
Could she have ever imagined this just a few months ago?
That she, who once fulfilled her heavenly duties as the most noble of angels, would be doing something so…
‘Something so lewd…!’
Lucifer bit her lip hard.
She felt like she would drown in the shame welling up from deep within her heart.
If she could, she wanted to quit right this instant, but…
‘I-I promised Hyun-woo…’
For Lucifer, who had now become not a warrior but a woman, such an option had never existed in the first place.
Most importantly, a romance book she had stumbled upon in a bookstore on the street had said this:
—A woman who acts selfishly will be disliked.
The moment she read that line, she felt a shock as if she'd been hit in the back of the head with a bat.
That was all the more reason she couldn't give up here.
Rustle, thud—
And so, Lucifer took off even her last remaining coat.