Chapter 235
Chapter 235
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Fatigue
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Ye So-cheon, the Sword Empress, and Master had all left.
Even the Saintess, though she had no physical form.
It was inevitable that the house, which had been bustling just a few hours earlier, would fall eerily silent in an instant.
To fill the space once occupied by the sounds of six people plus one with just three of us, we'd have to chatter nonstop without a break—but there wasn't even much to talk about.
'Saintess. You're really gone?'
[...]
'The shop window opens up fine, though...'
I was savoring a rare moment of calm in my now-idle mind.
It had been a bit annoying at times, but there was always someone who'd respond whenever I spoke up, constantly lingering in my head. Now that she was gone...
'Feels completely freeing.'
It was a sense of liberation I hadn't felt in ages.
Well, calling it "responding nicely" was putting it kindly—she'd been monitoring my every move and even my thoughts. After two years of that, finally breaking free felt amazing.
She hadn't completely cut off the channel from me, so she could still see my face, but that meant she couldn't read my thoughts anymore, right?
Playing TRPGs in my head during boring times had been pretty fun, but anyway, I couldn't help feeling refreshed after so long.
With the Saintess gone, this was my chance to figure out how to break this contract.
First, I needed to dissect the structure of the contract itself...
...
'How?'
Come to think of it, what did I even know? How was I supposed to dissect anything?
It was like trying to figure out a computer's internals without even knowing what a screwdriver was.
I could only sense that my soul was bound by the contract—nothing more, no details on how it worked.
So figuring it out alone was impossible. I needed to ask someone who knew about souls...
'...Who?'
Another roadblock.
There was no one to ask.
The contract wasn't some murim thing or fantasy staple—it was even harder to find someone familiar with it. I doubted there were many in this world who cultivated souls anyway.
Maybe someone at a very high realm could give a hint, but the problem was they had all just left.
'...Whatever.'
I half-gave up and flopped down on the living room chair.
Even if I wanted to struggle, I needed at least a mouse hole to claw at. Give me a spoon at minimum so I could try chiseling through the wall and escaping.
With nothing at all, scratching at the wall with my nails wouldn't cut it. I'd just grow old and die in that prison cell.
"Haa..."
A sigh escaped me naturally.
Truth be told, I had no idea what to do.
The moment I got dragged to the Saintess's world, my life was over.
All my connections in this world would end, and it wouldn't be living normally in some other world—it'd be devolving into a life spanning decades or centuries as a breeding stallion.
With only men like me, and even the children born there likely lacking males, a little thought made the severity clear.
If I were some saintly paragon willing to sacrifice my body to sustain another world, fine—but who believes a promise of ten minutes of sunlight a year?
'What the hell am I supposed to do...'
Thinking about the Saintess just piled on more stress the deeper I went.
You know that feeling, right? During exam season, you hate studying but know you should, yet it's so agonizing you really don't want to, and all those emotions clash in your head, stress bubbling up.
That was my situation exactly.
Most voices would call me insane for even considering that life, though a few pitied me, wondering what desperation drove me to it.
In truth, I had received a lot of help from the Saintess, and there were debts of gratitude to repay.
Anyway...
'...I'm just gonna rest today.'
The fatigue from yesterday hadn't fully lifted.
Master's shocking confession... mingling with her in front of everyone... then the Heavenly Demon showing up out of nowhere, announcing the Ice Palace's collapse, and leaving...
All that in one day.
My mind couldn't help but be overwhelmed.
No matter how deep a sleep I'd gotten, no matter that sleep is the best medicine, it wouldn't erase all the stress. Otherwise, mental illness wouldn't exist.
Besides, it wasn't the bone-deep exhaustion that screamed for more sleep—it was the kind urging me to try something new.
-Clunk!
"Little lady. Wanna go for a walk?"
"Suddenly?"
"I feel like I need some fresh air."
Dang Ayoung, who had been brushing her hair in her room, chuckled softly, set down the comb, and headed to the wardrobe.
"Well, if my husband wants to go out, how can I say no? Can't just let you wander alone and risk some trouble."
"I'm not your husband yet."
"We haven't had the formal ceremony, but we're basically there already..."
"Hey."
"...Tch. You're surprisingly stingy about it."
For convenience, I'd been thinking of Dang Ayoung, Ye So-cheon, and the Sword Empress as my wives, but strictly speaking, we hadn't held a proper ceremony yet.
We were living together and sharing beds, so it was practically a marriage, but nothing official.
No proposals either.
'Wait, what is she on about?'
I was supposed to be the one proposing—why was she thinking about receiving one?
But now with Master making it four... how do you even propose?
All at once?
"Anyway, no marriage talk until everything settles and life calms down. Still gotta deal with the Blood Cult and the Heavenly Demon issue."
"You said before that as long as Master approved, you'd do it right away."
"Life's unpredictable—no one knows what'll happen. Plans need adjusting based on circumstances..."
"Yeah, yeah, got it. Now get out so I can change into my outing clothes."
Hearing her, I stopped mid-sentence, turned, and headed out of the room.
"Wait! Normally you'd help out here or watch shyly! That's how it's supposed to go! Leaving so coldly? Really?!"
"You told me to go."
"Hmph! Fine, I'm mad now. Just hurry up and leave."
...Three years together, and women's hearts still baffled me.
Seeing her change clothes wouldn't excite me anyway.
I'd watched her countless times after rolling in bed all night, then draping clothes over her morning-after state while promising breakfast.
"Ah... but tonight... where will you... sleep...?"
"...?"
"I-it's rare that everyone's gone..."
"...There's still one outside."
"Ahaha, right, I forgot. People really should sleep in their own rooms."
In that moment, Dang Ayoung—hoping to seize the chance with others away—remembered the Sword Empress's disciple voluntarily tied up in the living room and backed off.
...Had she built up lust after nearly dying?
They say people instinctively crave reproduction near death. Wonder if that applied here.
A pure, innocent heroine type overflowing with desire on the sly.
I'd endured it because of my stamina—if I were average, I'd have died from exhaustion long ago.
Who knows. If mine faltered, she might force some aphrodisiac on me.
We'd tried unique plays with drugs before...
'Ugh...'
Thinking back still set off alarm bells in my head—dangerous times.
After leaving Dang Ayoung's room, I waited in the living room, glancing at the Sword Empress's bound disciple. She spoke first.
"Heading out?"
"Yeah, got some errands."
"Then I'll guard the house. Safe travels. Ah, n-not that it's my house or anything—if thieves come, I'll handle them."
"...In that state?"
As mentioned, the Sword Empress's disciple was tied up.
Arms bound behind her back at the wrists—she could barely stand properly, yet she claimed she'd catch thieves like that.
"I can! Warriors train to maintain minimum combat ability even when restrained! Full power's impossible, but a thief? Easy!"
"...I don't buy it."
"Urgh... Fine, watch this!"
-Whoosh!
-Thud!
"Eek!"
"See? Even just using my legs, I can pin you down like this!"
In the blink of an eye, she'd tackled me like some wrestling move.
Now my view was the ceiling... and...
"..."
-Squish
Uh...
Get it together, Dan Yuseong.
Body's an adult, but inside, still a kid.
"...Okay, got it. Now get off."
"Ah, ack! S-sorry! I didn't mean it like th—"
"..."
Did she even realize what she'd just done?
She seemed totally oblivious to the sexual aspect.
'Haa...'
I'd sworn not to add more women, yet they kept flocking around me.
Made me wonder if I had some magnet for them.
"I'm ready. If you're good, let's head out..."
And right on cue, Dang Ayoung emerged to find us still disentangled.
"......"
"It's a misunderstanding—don't look at me like that."
It took a solid five minutes to convince Dang Ayoung, whose expression had soured oddly.