Stigma is Activated
Laura Crown was lost in thought.
Just moments ago, the man before her had looked like a demon.
In fact, even when Lydia Straw had been dragged in, people were shouting his name back and forth with that of a Variant.
As if they were fleeing from both.
But...
Laura recalled the words Lydia had spoken.
To not leave the outside for the sake of the people.
That was the mindset only someone in a high position could hold.
Was all of this truly to save many people?
If so, why did this man scatter such ominous energy as he walked?
As Laura pondered that, something suddenly flew toward Aiden Starfive.
With a clinking sound, a single coin spun through the air and landed in her hand.
Then, without a word, he continued walking forward.
Aiden Starfive, who had thrown her a coin exactly as she had asked.
Maybe he really was a good guy after all.
Thinking that, Laura Crown followed behind him.
“Um... When you normally hire someone, you usually pay around thirty golds...”
“...”
The instant he spoke, Aiden Starfive glared at her with his terrifying aura.
“...But I’ll let it slide this time.”
Maybe not a good guy after all.
What? I was trying to give him money, but why the sudden attitude?
Did I look like I didn’t even have ten golds?
I’m fine with having no money.
But as the daughter of a noble house, a closer look showed I actually had quite a bit on me.
It seemed a normal commoner’s daily living expense was about five to seven golds.
Thinking about it, he was boldly demanding a whole week’s worth of a commoner’s budget? How heartless.
While I was walking and thinking that,
“...”
a foul stench hit my nose.
As if we had agreed, all three of us covered our noses.
Wait, I couldn’t cover mine.
Dread
[Dread is active!]
[Those under Dread do not cover their noses at bad smells!]
That’s absurd.
Couldn’t you at least give immunity to the stench? What kind of trick is this?
Thanks to that, the two held their noses while I stood tall, my face calm, but inside constantly gagging, we kept walking forward.
“...It seems we really did come to the right place.”
“Eh, e-ey, Aiden... Starfive-nim really is different. You’re completely fine!”
Laura muttered calmly while Lydia shone with eyes as she looked at me.
No, I was about to go crazy. I wanted to puke.
With every step, the stench grew worse, and soon everyone had fallen silent, unwilling to say even a word.
“We’re almost there.”
Laura Crown muttered while fiddling with the coin.
“I’ll support you too.”
Lydia raised her hands with eyes wide open, faint light flowing from her palms.
Oh no.
“Woman.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t use your holy power recklessly.”
“Ah, yes...!”
Lydia hastily extinguished her holy power in response to my words.
Lydia Straw must not use her holy power.
I recalled Lydia.
When the protagonist arrived, Lydia had already been in a very fragile mental state.
She sometimes smiled like a saint and helped others, but at other times acted like a demon, showing complete indifference to others’ emotions.
In the game, unless she did something special, she would either explode into rage or sink into depression.
I remembered that her kind and gentle side only appeared when she was in a very good mood or when her mind was clear.
Anyway, I had a reason for telling Lydia not to use her holy power.
Lydia’s periodic outbursts were <intense emotions>.
That is, every time she used her ability, her emotions would spike and she would do crazy things.
But that “occasionally” was the problem.
If she suddenly became depressed, she might refuse treatment, and if she was too happy, she might give treatment to others without needing it.
Ultimately, tension management was needed, and if it had been easy, Lydia wouldn’t have been called a crazy person.
A classic high-risk, high-reward character.
The risk was the game crashing, that’s why.
I wonder what happened during that whole year after Aiden died.
No, why am I worrying about a bomb?
I’m already worried about the bomb I’m carrying— _ _ _
“You are never to use your holy power.”
“I’m fine—”
“Shut up.”
I cut off Lydia’s attempt to say more.
“Stop acting arrogant when you can’t even manage yourself.”
Lydia opened and closed her mouth for a moment, then slowly nodded her head.
“...Yes, I understand.”
Good. One bomb is secured.
I turned my gaze to Laura.
She was looking at me with a strange expression.
Why this time too?
“Rumble...”
The floor shook with the sound of thunder.
Thunder and shaking floor?
My head spun wildly.
If this place was a disguise, that sound was the only one.
“Everyone, take cover—”
Before I could finish,
“Kwaaaaa!”
A torrent of liquid poured out at terrifying speed ahead.
Stomach acid.
“Kuk...!”
Laura dropped the coins she was holding and stared wide-eyed at the wave of acid in front of her.
I should have done a quick slash right now—
I put strength in my ankle and a dull pain arose as the status window popped up.
My ankle feels uncomfortable.
It imposes a burden on techniques using legs and ankles.
[Debuff: Sprain]
[The ankle is uncomfortable. It burdens techniques that use legs and ankles.]
Was the wound from last time’s practice still not healed?
Even after drinking a potion in the room, the debuff only went up to this level?
Could the timing be right?
While I was thinking that,
“Hik...!”
A white curtain suddenly spread ahead,
“Kung!”
a massive wave of stomach acid collided.
“I-I’m fine!”
Lydia Straw stood with both hands spread before us, eyes bulging.
“I can... block it...!”
Her pupils were beginning to turn pitch black.
That was proof she had activated her stigma.
I had told her not to use her holy power, but...
“Ugh... Hic... Hic...!”
And then, from the backlash, Lydia suddenly began to cry.
Her emotions were soaring from using her stigma.
Right now... sadness?
No, not now.
I continued walking while quickly organizing my thoughts.
Quick slash was impossible.
Then...
“Move.”
“Yes?”
I lifted my sword.
The skills Cursed Swordsmanship had were few.
But they were simple. Just need to put in strength.
The result was just that the damage was devastatingly strong and the body took some damage.
I took a deep breath.
A simple stance, raising the sword above my head.
Only one thing. A stance meant only for striking down.
“Release the barrier on my signal.”
“Hic, but...”
“Sarcasm?”
“Ah, no...”
Lydia nodded and raised her hand.
Hoo, I took a deep breath.
Done.
“Release.”
“Yes!”
Her pupils returned to normal and the barrier vanished as the massive wave of stomach acid surged toward us once more.
Cold sweat poured down.
I was terrified to death.
I wanted to use One-Strike Enhancement, but it couldn’t be done now.
But my body showed no sign of the threat, standing steady as I faced the wave straight on.
“Kwaaaaa!”
Looking at the pouring stomach acid, I swung the sword from top to bottom.
If Quick Slash was a technique that sliced using leg strength, this technique sliced using upper-body strength.
A technique that valued power over speed.
Heavy Strike.
With the sound of the sword slicing through the air lightly,
“Kwaaak!”
a tearing sound of air filled the air,
“Paang!”
the wave of stomach acid split in half.
*
A miracle.
Lydia Straw could express it no other way.
She knew it herself.
Strong holy knights could slice waves or waterfalls with their swords, she had seen a holy knight swing a mace once and shatter a boulder.
But hearing that a commoner could slice a wave or waterfall in one strike? She had never heard of it.
“Chwaaaak!”
The split wave of stomach acid passed by us.
And before long, the stench filled the air.
But no one was injured.
She looked up and saw the man.
“...Hoo.”
He took a deep breath and lowered his arms,
“...”
biting his lip slightly.
He seemed pained in some ways, and dissatisfied with the result in others.
Naturally, Lydia rushed over to treat him,
“Don’t come.”
His low voice stopped her steps.
Then the man took out a potion and drank it.
Was his holy power lacking?
While thinking that, Lydia was about to look at her own hand,
“This... What is...”
I passed Laura Crown’s bewildered voice from behind.
Lydia thought that as she recalled her childhood.
The fairy tales her parents read her were always the same.
When the world was in danger, a savior who always appeared and rescued people.
Sometimes a knight, sometimes a priest, sometimes a thief.
But they were always called by the same name.
“...Hero.”
Lydia muttered in a small voice.
*
The status window floated before my eyes.
Muscle Damage: The muscles are injured.
Appropriate treatment is needed. Ignoring continuous movement will cause permanent injury.
[Debuff: Muscle Damage Acquired]
[Muscle Damage: Muscles are injured. Appropriate treatment is required. Ignoring it and continuing movement may cause permanent injury. Please be careful.]
I was gripping my injured arm tightly, brows furrowed.
No recovery with holy power, how infuriating.
With a trembling arm, I slowly poured the potion into my mouth.
“Debuff: Muscle Damage is slightly relieved.”
The potion had little effect.
Did Cursed Swordsmanship even have such traits in the game?
No, that wasn’t important right now.
I tossed the empty potion bottle aside and scanned the surroundings.
I needed to get a superior potion or something. Why were there so few around?
Environmental bosses, as always, strike the strongest attack when the threat is closest.
That meant the environmental boss had felt the greatest threat from our recent approach.
And...
“...”
“Thump, thump!”
I found a beating heart in front of me.
Next to it, students lay on the ground.
Were they all captured?
I glanced at their conditions.
Their clothes were melted in places and burn marks covered their bodies from the acid, but everyone was still alive.
LT__starving... starving...>
LT__Mom, I’m hungry...>
The heart kept whispering something endlessly.
Hunger
Hunger
Hunger
Hunger
[Hunger is approaching!]
But your strong mental strength endures it!
[Greater hunger is approaching!]
But your strong mental strength endures it!
[Hunger that human mental strength cannot withstand is approaching!]
But your strong mental strength endures it!
“...Found it.”
I drew my sword and opened my mouth.
That’s why I had been saving One-Strike Enhancement.
The heart was trembling like it was shaking.