Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Outing (2)
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◆
“Lady.”
“Call me Hero. It sounds lowly otherwise.”
“⋯⋯Ah, yes.”
With those words, a cold air once again filled the carriage.
Carlyle awkwardly looked at Gray.
Her sullen expression as she stared out the carriage window screamed that she had no intention of building any rapport with him.
‘The dress and ring worked, but she doesn’t look any happier?’
[That’s her looking pleased.]
‘That?’
[She’s sharing the same space with you, isn’t she?]
‘⋯⋯What?’
[If she truly disliked you, she’d have already smashed your face in.]
‘⋯⋯.’
[Why not try talking to her? She might actually respond now.]
Her way of thinking was utterly different from an ordinary person’s.
Carlyle mulled over that impression as he opened his mouth to the Gray who was coldly gazing out the window.
“Hero.”
“⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯Hero.”
When he called her repeatedly, Gray furrowed her brow sharply and turned to look at him.
“You’re not scared of me at all.”
“⋯⋯Pardon?”
“Normally, people who take a hit from me cower and grovel on their own. You’re the first besides Father who doesn’t.”
“⋯⋯.”
Well, that made sense.
It wasn’t just any blow—it was a strike from humanity’s strongest. It’d be weirder if fear didn’t get seared into someone after that.
“I don’t like it.”
“What about me, exactly?”
“You act like you’re used to me. Like you and I are equals or something.”
A statement straight out of someone fueled by a sense of chosen superiority.
As Carlyle gave a wry smile and thought that over, Gray propped her chin on her hand and leaned toward him.
“Actually, the more I look, the more odd things I notice.”
“Pardon?”
No sooner had she spoken.
A few strands of hair slipped from the tip of Carlyle’s head.
The ends were cleanly sliced, as if by a sword.
“⋯⋯.”
He hadn’t seen it at all.
Death.
It had flickered right in front of his nose just moments ago.
“See? You didn’t even react.”
Gray said flatly, casually tossing an invisible sword onto the seat beside her—he hadn’t even seen when she’d drawn it.
“How did a guy like you figure out my weaknesses?”
“Well, I got lucky—”
“—spare me the nonsense. You’re not some completely ordinary guy to begin with.”
She cut him off in that same blunt tone.
“Your pupils didn’t dilate, your pulse is steady. Heart rate didn’t even spike.”
“⋯⋯Pardon?”
“Unless you’re an idiot, you know I could kill you easily right now. And yet.”
Gray’s eyes slowly turned to Carlyle.
Unconcealed curiosity lingered at the corners.
“You still aren’t scared of me. Not one bit. Even after that.”
“⋯⋯.”
“You’re not afraid of death, are you?”
“—”
“You don’t seem trained in combat, but you have no fear of death. You’re truly strange.”
⋯⋯What should he say?
“You act like someone who’s died a ton already. Fundamentally⋯⋯twisted somehow.”
No matter how small, young, and swayed by dresses and rings she was.
Her essence was undeniably that of a hero.
Her insight pierced straight to a person’s core with just a glance.
Even in a first-time loop where they’d just met, this extraordinary ability was always the same as he remembered.
‘⋯⋯Well, still.’
The fact that she was growing more interested in him now was a good sign.
Observation to gather information was essential for building any relationship, wasn’t it?
Carlyle shrugged as he listened quietly.
“That’s why I came to see the person who turned me into a wreck, isn’t it? Because I’m strange like that.”
“⋯⋯.”
“I got a request from the Grand Duke. To take care of you, Hero.”
Gray’s face crumpled.
“Just so you know, don’t get any ideas about climbing the ranks. Father thinks I need a companion, but I’m fine on my own.”
Her tone was enough to make anyone listening break out in hives.
She reacted to an offer of help like it was a suggestion to eat boiled shoes together.
Any normal person would shrink away from that arrogance the moment they heard it.
Yes.
Any normal person.
Not Carlyle, who had grasped how to “handle” the hero through countless regressions.
“Hero.”
“What?”
He’d expected that reaction the instant she heard the offer.
Trying to appeal to basic human empathy or common sense with this prickly hero was for newbies who hadn’t dealt with her much yet.
Let’s see.
The most fitting line to keep her interest going.
“You’ll regret throwing me out.”
Without being rude.
Just the right prod at her pride.
“⋯⋯What?”
“No one can conquer every field in the world, Hero. Not even you.”
Gray snorted in disbelief.
“What’re you getting at?”
“I’m saying I can be useful. I guarantee it.”
“I told you not to climb. Even if there’s something I can’t do—which there isn’t—think you can?”
“Yes.”
Her words caught in her throat for a moment at the sheer confidence.
“I can do what you can’t.”
And it was true.
In the previous loop, taming the hero inside that Holy Sword into something more human was entirely his doing.
Something Gray could never have done alone.
“⋯⋯.”
Gray’s eyes narrowed.
She glared at Carlyle for a long while.
“Then, how about this one promise.”
As the carriage slowed to a stop, Carlyle continued calmly.
“No matter what happens, I intend to look out for you, Hero.”
That was his fated debt, after all.
To aid the hero and save the world.
“If you don’t like it, toss me aside anytime. But try keeping me around once.”
He was confident.
Winning the hero’s favor was something he’d worked toward through endless attempts.
“⋯⋯.”
Gray fell silent as she listened.
And kept silent.
Continuously.
As if she couldn’t comprehend it, like she didn’t know what to do with this unfamiliar sensation.
“⋯⋯Ridiculous.”
Only after a long pause did those words growl out, and Carlyle smiled brightly.
Her tone was still rough.
‘Sharp as ever.’
This was passing grade.
As seen just now, she possessed extraordinary insight.
She’d probably sensed there wasn’t a shred of falsehood in his words with that ability.
At the very least, it’d keep her intrigued enough to scrutinize what gave him such confidence.
Realizing the carriage was slowing, Carlyle nodded and spoke up.
“Looks like we’ve arrived. Shall we go pick out that gift I mentioned, Hero?”
At his words, Gray furrowed her brow slightly and grumbled curtly.
“Call me Lady.”
“Pardon?”
“You’re going to serve me like a servant from now on.”
With that, the hero strode proudly out of the carriage.
“⋯⋯.”
[⋯⋯.]
Carlyle stared blankly at her back before turning to the Holy Sword.
“Hero.”
[Yes?]
“That was her saying she’ll take me as a companion, right? Even if her wording’s rough.”
[It appears so.]
“⋯⋯Weren’t you usually harder to convince?”
Maybe it was her youth making her softer than the adult Gray he’d met.
And though it was probably his imagination.
She’d seemed a little embarrassed too.
[She should be.]
Stumbling words floated from the Holy Sword.
The voice conjured an image of the sword blushing if it had a face.
“What nonsense is that?”
Embarrassed?
Carlyle let out a hollow laugh as he mulled it over.
The hero, of all people?
[⋯⋯Do you have zero awareness of what you just said?]
“Pardon?”
He didn’t think it was anything grand.
To save the world, her help was essential anyway.
So he’d just stay by her side and help, and she could use him until she got sick of him and toss him out.
It was what he’d done every loop. First time saying it outright, though.
“⋯⋯Why would that embarrass her?”
[You.]
“Pardon?”
[How about dunking your head in a dish of water and calling it suicide?]
“⋯⋯.”
[Feels like that’d be more beneficial right now.]
Why the sudden antagonism?
◆
[System Message]
◆ Trait ‘Hero’s Companion’ has activated.
◆ Part of the ‘Reformation List’ has been updated!
[ ★ Human Hatred 100% → 95% ]
◆ Reward granted!
◆ Check the Trait tab!
[System Message]
◆ [Quest: Hero’s Companion] completed.
◆ 1 use of ‘Command Right’ granted!
“⋯⋯Oh.”
Seeing the window pop up before him, Carlyle let out a small exclamation.
Convincing the hero to accept him as a companion had netted two rewards. Both solid wins—nothing to complain about.
Notably.
'Her Human Hatred decreased.'
Carlyle chuckled at the line.
His steadfast approach despite her rejection of others must have sparked some change in her heart.
She might’ve secretly wanted a companion after all.
“Whoa.”
Lost in the window, he nearly bumped into someone ahead.
The capital Kagenov was always bustling. For a lowly knight trainee from a remote outpost, it was a rare sight.
“Hurry up!”
The hero lady ahead glanced back and called out in a petulant voice.
Carlyle gave a wry smile and followed obediently.
[⋯⋯It’s been a while.]
In the meantime, a voice thick with nostalgia rose from the Holy Sword.
[After the Hell invasion, I never saw it this lively again.]
“It is flashy.”
Even for Carlyle, it was a first.
The empire at the start of his regressions was always on the brink of collapse.
Population density-wise, it rivaled big cities on Earth before his possession.
And in such a crowded place.
[A pest has latched on.]
“⋯⋯Pardon?”
The absurdity hit him.
[Tail. Watching us since we left the carriage.]
“⋯⋯.”
Carlyle glanced around casually.
People packed everywhere.
“Where?”
[600 paces out.]
“⋯⋯You can sense a tail from that distance?”
[Back in my battlefield days, I memorized the footsteps of tens of thousands. This is nothing.]
“⋯⋯.”
This Holy Sword.
Insanely competent.
Carlyle sighed, piecing it together.
Whoever sent them, tailing him meant no good intentions.
‘The Hero…’
He glanced at the hero ahead.
She hadn’t noticed yet, from the look of it.
Gazing at dress shops around with sparkling eyes.
[So immature.]
“You can’t compare her to you right now.”
At a rough guess, a decade-plus separated them.
Comparing a finished hero to an unfinished one was harsh, honestly.
Either way, good opportunity.
“Time to score some points.”
[How? You have zero combat ability.]
“You figure that out from now on.”
[⋯⋯.]
As grinding teeth echoed from the Holy Sword, Carlyle smirked.
Talk was cheap—he wasn’t planning to do nothing.
A reward had just dropped. Using it right could make this easy.
[System Message]
◆ Confirming reward!
“⋯⋯.”
Frankly.
It felt beyond just easy.
Carlyle stared blankly at the reward for a moment.
“Hero.”
[Yes?]
“⋯⋯Might score those points easier than I thought?”
And he wasn’t wrong.
[ You may unlock 1 function of the ‘Holy Sword’. ]
[ The ‘Holy Sword’ is the source of the hero’s power. You may use the hero’s authority! ]
Carlyle Bellfast.
Untrained knight trainee of the imperial order.
⋯⋯Had gained the chance to mimic humanity’s strongest power.