Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 404: The Hero Climaxes in Defeat Again Today[R-18] (7)

I wanted to head straight for the village where the Hero was said to be. But things had gotten bigger than I expected.

Perhaps they'd heard rumors of the demon's appearance, but word had unexpectedly reached the royal family, and many nobles and priests were now flocking here.

‘Then again, according to the original story, this was supposed to be a peaceful time. An incident of this scale was bound to attract attention.’

Gaining fame wasn't a bad thing. The problem was, I hadn't expected it to become such a hassle so quickly.

Besides, the rumors were spreading strangely fast. Unbelievably so for a medieval setting. I had to assume someone was intentionally leaking information.

"What a pain."

I muttered with a dry laugh. Beside me, Eric added in an amused tone.

"But this incident will surely spread your Lordship's fame even further."

"Fame is all well and good. The problem is the insects that follow, trying to leech off it."

"Haha. Surely no such insects would dare approach you, my Lord."

"Human beings have a way of crawling up the ladder the moment they see an opportunity. More importantly, did you send the men I ordered?"

"Yes. They should have arrived by today."

There were no rumors yet of the Hero having awakened. That meant I could get to them before the religious orders made their move. So, even if I couldn't go myself, I had to send someone to make first contact. However—

"My Lord!"

A soldier ran up, panting as he reported.

"Baron Hiram Dello requests an audience."

The moment I heard that name, a smirk twisted my lips.

Hiram Dello.

A noble so infamous that the game's original creators went out of their way to make a separate CG just to 'warn' players about him. He used his power as a weapon to kidnap women, break them in with drugs, and shatter them until they were broken. If the player chose the female Hero, they would face a series of cruel scenarios that are hard to describe, including drug-based conditioning and an impregnation route.

"An annoying one has shown up."

As the man in charge of this territory, it was only natural for him to show his face. The problem was his personality.

The man was not one to leave his post easily. He never left his territory unless he was engrossed in listening to a woman's screams or conditioning someone he had locked up.

And now, a man like that had come to see me in person.

"Let him in."

"Yes, sir."

The soldier bowed and withdrew. A moment later, heavy, ponderous footsteps were followed by a knock on the door.

"Enter."

Click—

The heavy door opened, revealing a monstrous body beyond it.

A massive frame easily over two meters tall. A belly and neck swollen to the point of bursting. He knelt and shouted in a loud voice.

"I greet the great ruler of the South, His Excellency, Marquis Alcladion!"

Instead of answering, I simply blinked.

The NPC I had once only seen on a game screen, the one labeled 'The NPC players should never trust,' was now right in front of me.

"So, Baron. You wished to see ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me?"

"Heeheehee! Yes! To be given the chance to prostrate myself before such a noble person is the highest honor!"

"Cut the useless flattery and get to the point."

Hiram's eyelids rose slowly.

"Your Excellency... In fact, I have prepared a small gift."

"A gift?"

"Yes. May I be so bold as to present it?"

I gave a slight nod of my chin.

"Bring it in."

Hiram clapped his hands a couple of times, and a woman with a gag in her mouth was dragged in by two soldiers, bound by a collar and ankle shackles.

Dark skin.

Pointed ears.

And crimson eyes.

‘...What are you doing captured here?’

I stared in disbelief at the bound dark elf.

The woman who appeared in the main game under the name 'Ivril.' A member of the Hero's party, a woman who always wore a cynical expression, and who was also famous in the community for her tentacle porn scenes.

I opened my mouth, pretending to know nothing.

"A dark elf?"

"Hehehe! As expected of Your Excellency. To recognize her at a glance, you truly have a discerning eye. She is a rare, pure-blooded dark elf."

"That... is the gift?"

"Yes! That is correct!"

Hiram nodded, his face full of anticipation.

After a sidelong glance at him, I tossed out a low remark.

"Hmm. Baron."

"Yes, Your Excellency?"

"I don't touch women who aren't virgins. You haven't laid a hand on her, have you?"

As if he had been waiting for that question, Hiram licked his lips moistly and grinned.

"Heeheehee, of course not! How could I offer a sullied woman to someone so esteemed? This girl has been kept completely bound, her purity perfectly intact. She has yet to awaken to pleasure at all."

I looked at Ivril again.

Her glaring eyes were filled with contempt and hostility.

‘To think she just rolled right into my lap... Couldn't be better.’

But there was no way it could be this easy. I couldn't understand why Hiram, that fat, disgusting bastard, would offer such a beauty as a gift without touching her himself.

He had to have some ulterior motive. I didn't know if it was a show to score points with me or if he had a deeper scheme in mind.

‘This Hiram bastard... he's a better guy than I thought.’

Without so much as raising an eyebrow, I said, "Hmm, I can't accept such a fine gift for free. Is there something you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠want?"

Hiram, his face looking as if he were salivating, placed both hands on the floor.

"Heeheehee... I desire only one thing. Your Lordship's favor is all I ask."

At that, I let out a short, derisive snort.

I had no interest to spare for any man, especially not for a disgusting lump of greed like him.

But if he planned on bringing more 'gifts' like this in the future, I supposed I could spare him a glance the size of an ant's dropping.

"Fine. Your effort is commendable. If you manage to please me again next time... I might just remember you."

"It is an honor, Your Excellency!"

Hiram bowed so low his face touched the floor.

Paying Hiram no more mind, I slowly walked over to Ivril.

-Clank.

As my fingertips lightly tugged the chain, her collar shook faintly, and her body swayed.

The sound of shackles dragging at her feet. And before me, red eyes blazing with fury, looking up at me.

Without a word, I reached out a finger. I slowly lifted her chin.

"Even for a dark elf, you're still an elf. Your beauty is truly admirable."

"Kgh...!"

Just then, Hiram added with a grin from behind me.

"Heeheehee... My Lord, you must be careful. That bitch is fiercer than she looks... I lost many of my slaves capturing her."

"Is that so."

I snorted and slowly sat back down in my seat. But then Hiram fumbled inside his robes and pulled something out.

A piece of paper stamped with a small, round crest. And a red-colored seal.

"What is that?"

"Heeheehee... This is a slave seal. If you press this onto her forehead, stomach, or lower body, she will become a complete slave."

Hiram carefully presented the seal with both hands. I took it, my eyes narrowed.

I held the seal nonchalantly and muttered lightly.

"Baron, you're more generous than you look."

"Heeheehee, you praise me too highly, Your Excellency."

"Yes, I suppose I should reward you."

Hiram's eyes gleamed. I continued with a relaxed smile.

"If you ever run into any trouble... I'll help you out, just once. But that excludes anything illegal. You understand that much, don't you?"

"Yes! Of course, my Lord! I only ever operate within the bounds ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the law!"

"Good. You may leave now."

"Yes!"

Hiram exited with a stooped bow and a servile grin. After confirming the sound of the door closing, I slowly turned my head.

Now, only three people remained in the room: the chained dark elf, me, and Eric.

I quietly gathered my internal energy at my fingertips. An invisibly thin aura spread from my fingers, and one by one, the iron chains binding Ivril were severed.

Startled, Eric rushed over.

"My Lord! That's too dangerous!"

"It's fine."

When I spoke firmly, Eric could say no more.

And the moment the last chain broke, an explosive killing intent shot toward me.

"Die...!"

Just as I expected. In her hand was a small piece of metal she had hidden, and she flew at my neck with incredible agility and angle.

But I didn't dodge.

I snatched her wrist, twisted my body, and slammed her to the floor while she was still in mid-air.

—Thwack!

A heavy impact echoed from behind her. As if her breath had been knocked out of her, Ivril gasped.

"Kgh... Khaaak..."

"I have no intention of harming you."

Ivril's shoulders flinched.

"So calm down."

I let go of her wrist and slowly stood up. Lying on the floor, she looked up at me and asked in a low voice.

"...Are you going to let me go?"

"No."

"...Grrr... Then you're no different from that pig bastard!"

Ivril clenched her teeth. A look mixed with rage and disgust was fixed on me.

"If I let you go now, you'll just get caught again and fall into the hands of someone even crueler."

Her expression hardened. Unable to say anything, her lips just trembled.

"By the looks of it... you haven't eaten properly in days. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Stay by my side for now. Recover your strength, and when the time comes, I'll take you wherever you want to go."

"......Really?"

Ivril's gaze changed. Though suspicion still lingered, she was swayed by my offer.

I nodded silently and threw out my final words.

"Yes. I swear it on my name as Marquis Jin Alcladion."

"...Fine. You don't seem like the type to lie. I can smell... the scent of spirits on you. I'll trust you."

I quietly held out my hand. Ivril glanced at it once, then carefully, slowly, placed her hand in mine.

"What's your name?"

"...Ivril."

"A pretty name."

"...Mm... Thanks. More importantly..."

Her ears turned slightly red.

"...Give me food. I'm starving..."

"Alright."

I took out some food from my inventory and handed it to her. Ivril's eyes sparkled as she began to inhale the food in an instant.

Watching her, I slowly twisted my lips into a smirk. The reason I didn't just fuck her right away like I usually would was simple.

‘Forcibly conditioning her to find out the location of the dark elf village is one way to do it…’

But I slowly shook my head. That would be too boring.

‘I'd rather... make her fall for me like in a pure love story, and then watch her offer up her own kind to me with her own hands.’

The sight of her selling out her own people, all while believing it's for love. Her eyes, feeling no guilt for her betrayal, instead sinking deeper into depravity just to stay by my side.

That's what I wanted to see. That would be far more stimulating.

*

Two days later.

"They're not there?"

"No, sir. Neither the woman nor the man you mentioned... no such people existed in the village at all."

The knight I had sent to Ruen Village had returned. And the report from his lips made my brow slowly furrow.

‘...Strange.’

At this point in time, the Hero should still have been in the village. But the report I received was completely different.

They simply didn't exist. It was as if they had vanished completely, as if such people had never been there in the first place.

‘Now that this isn't a game... but a real world, has the framework been twisted somewhere?’

It was hard to judge at this point. But one thing was certain.

The Hero's companion existed.

The proof was the dark elf, Ivril, currently napping lazily beside me.

"...Tsk."

I clicked my tongue. Things were well and truly twisted.

"Tell Vice Commander Eric to prepare to return to my territory by the end of the day."

"Understood."

As the knight withdrew, a familiar voice drifted from the empty air.

"Looks like something's gone wrong?"

It was Bi-yeon. She was currently hidden from others' sight and seemed to have just returned from a look around outside. Floating in the air with her arms crossed as if swimming, she leaned over my shoulder.

"Yeah."

I replied curtly, closing my eyes.

"Looks like my master's got another headache~"

"It doesn't matter. If they're not there, I'll just readjust my plans accordingly."

"By the way, when are you going back to the real world?"

"You stole my essence, so I'm looking for a way to get strong again."

At that, Bi-yeon chuckled and poked my head with her finger.

"If you went back to reality now, you could probably just use me to cut down that Alexander guy, no problem. Or maybe... you're just dragging this out because you want to fuck some new women?"

"...Ahem, no."

"No? It's so obvious. And another thing—"

Bi-yeon rested her chin on her hand, narrowed her eyes, and said, "When you're with me, can you drop that stuffy way of talking? It seriously gives me the creeps."

"What kind of tone is that for a master, you wench?"

"A master should act like a master. You're just my food pantry, aren't you? Hurry up and go back to reality. The chicken in your inventory is starting to run low."

"That's because you ate it all!"

"Hmph, I only ate three meals a day, you know?"

I put a hand to my forehead and sighed slowly.

‘This pig...’

I've let her run free until now, and she's completely forgotten her place, doing whatever she pleases.

It was about time she received some serious etiquette training.

As if reading my mind, she glared at me and said, "Just you try and lay a hand on my body. I might actually cut off one of your arms, you know?"

"...Sooner or later, I'll make that mouth of yours say 'Master.'"

Bi-yeon's eyes curved slightly. With the corners of her mouth turned up, she spoke as if she found the whole thing amusing.

"Pfft. You? To me?"