The Fraudulent Protagonist Met a Fraudulent Character (1)
Ju Joyeon stared blankly at the notification window before him.
There is a Dominator before you.
The notification had appeared because of his title, which allowed him to recognize other Dominators. However, while Ju Joyeon had heard the term "Dominator" several times before, he still didn't fully understand what it meant.
In my dreams, the Ability God clearly told me I was the successor to a Dominator... So does that mean this woman is a Dominator?
Ju Joyeon tore his gaze from the notification and looked at Lily Cubus, the priestess who had introduced herself as an assistant to the bishop. She was the Dominator his title had instinctively revealed to him.
Lily Cubus noticed his stare and offered a light, smiling glance.
I became a successor by reading the forbidden texts of the Lewin family... She's definitely not from the Lewin family. So there can be multiple Dominators?
While Ju Joyeon was lost in speculation, he felt someone tugging on his left arm.
"Hey, Joyeon. Stop spacing out. I'm calling you."
It was Arty, who had linked arms with him. She was pulling on his arm with a strangely displeased expression.
Why does she look like that?
"...I'm Ju Joyeon. Nice to meet you~"
Since he didn't know how to react to a Dominator and it seemed the other party had no idea about his identity either, Ju Joyeon simply bowed his head politely to greet Duke Ronald. Fortunately, the bishop seemed to understand why Ju Joyeon had been standing there dazed and nodded with a smile.
"You're at that age. Still, it would be good if you didn't forget the person beside you. Now, shall we go inside?"
What does that mean...? Why would I forget about Arty...
****
Ju Joyeon and his companions' schedule inside the temple proceeded smoothly without any issues. First, they toured the interior of the temple, which had the atmosphere of a grand foreign cathedral, their eyes sparkling with curiosity. They quietly marveled at the worshippers praying in groups. They stared blankly at the paintings hanging on the walls, unable to understand them. Arty got scolded for trying to eat the bread used in mass. Next came the confirmation of Ju Joyeon's cursed item, the Incomprehensible Shackles, in the bishop's office.
And finally—
"This is impossible. I cannot lift the curse on this item with my power."
"Even with your power as bishop, it can't be done?"
"I'm sorry, but the blessings of the Curia Church are for healing, not for dispelling curses. A curse this powerful cannot be lifted by us."
"Is the item that powerful?"
"It's not so much powerful as it is simple and crude. If it were a slightly more complex curse, perhaps... but this would be difficult to remove unless it's a church that specializes in curse dispelling."
In the end, Ju Joyeon realized that lifting the curse—the main reason he had come to Neveiria—was practically impossible.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of help."
"No, it's fine. I never expected you to help me this much in the first place."
"Hahaha. Those who deserve repayment must be helped wholeheartedly. That is why... Felix, bring what we prepared."
"Yes."
At Duke Ronald's words, Felix handed Ju Joyeon a small letter.
"This is a letter of introduction bearing my seal. If you visit the church of the god Divils, brother to Curia and granter of healing blessings, show them this. It will surely help you."
"Eh... Are you sure it's okay to do this much for me?"
"Our meeting today is... fate, I believe. Don't feel too burdened. After all, this is merely a small act of goodwill on my part."
"Hmm... Thank you. I really appreciate everything today. I'll come again if I get the chance."
"You are always welcome."
With only a single letter of introduction as their result, Ju Joyeon and his party left the temple, escorted by Duke Ronald, Felix, and Lily Cubus.
"Aah~ So I can't get rid of this damn iron ball~ Well, can't be helped."
"Still, the letter of introduction we can use at the Divils Church is a great gain. Unlike the Curia Church, it's a small order, which makes it quite closed off."
"Really? If you say so, Lara, then it must be... Anyway, the temple was really impressive. It felt like going abroad."
Though they hadn't achieved their goal, Ju Joyeon didn't seem particularly disappointed. He simply enjoyed the act of adventuring itself.
"You're right. This is already my third time visiting the Curia Temple, yet it still amazes me. It's a shame we couldn't see the garden... but honestly, seeing someone more beautiful than the garden was satisfying enough. Ahaha."
"Rion, you thought so too? Me too."
"Hoo~? Mugido. You're being quite bold even though I'm right here?"
"Urk.. Y-yes, Neisila. I just meant her appearance was a bit... You know you're the only one for me, right?"
"I don't know? I don't get it at all."
The Rion Party began complimenting something. But while Ju Joyeon knew the temple itself was grand, he hadn't noticed anything particularly remarkable beyond that, so he couldn't understand what they were talking about. Eventually, he decided to ask Arty beside him.
"Beautiful? What was beautiful?"
"...You have to ask?"
Arty looked up at him with an inexplicably angry expression.
"I'm asking because I don't know. If I knew, I wouldn't have asked."
"...Lily Cubus. The female priest assisting the bishop."
"Lily Cubus?"
When Arty mentioned Lily Cubus—who had been standing silently behind the bishop after introducing herself—Ju Joyeon looked at Tiasia with a puzzled expression.
"Why is she suddenly coming up?"
"Why? Because she's pretty."
"What... What are you even saying?"
While Lily Cubus wasn't ordinary-looking, she certainly wasn't beautiful enough for someone as stunning as Arty to call her "pretty." Yet Arty continued to press him, clearly displeased with his reaction.
"You think so too, don't you? That's why you were staring at her like an idiot earlier."
"What? Staring like an idiot? Me?"
"Yeah. You did."
"No, I didn't at all."
"Don't lie. You thought she was prettier, right?"
Annoyed by Arty's persistent questioning, Ju Joyeon blurted out his honest thoughts.
"I told you no! You're way prettier, so why would I stare at someone like her like an idiot?!"
"......What?"
"I said you're prettier! Much, much prettier!! I don't care about her at all! Got it?!"
"......Ah, I see... That's fine then..."
Unlike Ju Joyeon, who was shouting in irritation, Arty's mood had completely lifted. She leaned her head against his shoulder, unable to hide her smile. Watching them, Neisila and Mugido exchanged glances.
"Those two are just pretending to date, right?"
"Why aren't they actually dating?"
****
After finishing his business at the temple, Ju Joyeon decided to explore the city separately from Rion's party, claiming there were still many things he wanted to see.
"As the guards mentioned when we first arrived, since Luna has vouched for your identity, please contact us if any issues arise."
"Don't worry. I'll return to the lodging by evening."
Most places Ju Joyeon had seen so far had been ruined or heavily damaged due to the world fusion, but Neveiria seemed to have been cleaned up neatly—it was cleaner than anywhere else he had visited.
While wandering around, Ju Joyeon took a break at an outdoor terrace of a café in the central square of Neveiria. Tiasia, who had told Ju Joyeon and Arty to wait, went to the counter and returned with drinks.
Arty immediately set down the drink Tiasia handed her on the table and pulled out the mana reactor from her pocket dimension to tinker with it.
"What's this?"
"What I brought for Master is 100% fresh fruit juice. For Arty, I ordered honey milk tea. I thought it might be to her liking."
"Mmm~ It's good. I like carbonated drinks, but I guess they don't have those in this world?"
"Carbonated...? What's that?"
"They do. I'll tell you later if I get the chance."
Ju Joyeon set down his own drink on the table. Arty's gaze followed it, and he took the opportunity to ask Tiasia something that had been on his mind.
"Lara, do you know what a Dominator is?"
"......? What do you mean... Aren't you the Dominator, Master?"
Tiasia looked confused, as if she couldn't understand why he was even asking.
"I am, but honestly, I don't know anything about Dominators. I just got lucky and obtained the forbidden texts of the Lewin family. I'm from the modern world, after all."
"Ah, I see... So you truly don't know about the existence of Dominators, Master. I assumed you would..."
Tiasia straightened her posture and began explaining Dominators to him.
"To understand Dominators, you first need to know about the special beings that exist in the magic world."
"Special beings?"
"Yes. Beings that cannot be understood through normal means. Those who transcend limits solely through talent, while others gain power through effort and experience. People call them geniuses, heroes, or monsters."
There were those who could draw out aura without ever having held a sword. Beings whose physical abilities allowed them to uproot massive trees with raw strength alone. Beings who could see through every weakness and unleash unavoidable attacks. Beings who could revive those on the brink of death simply by channeling mana, as if chosen by the gods.
Among such beings, the relatively ordinary ones were called geniuses, those who became adventurers were called heroes, and those who turned to evil were called monsters.
"And among them, the seven absolute beings who influenced the world so greatly that no one could ignore them were the Dominators."
"Influenced the world greatly? You mean strong people?"
"No. It's not just about being strong. They are the ones who shaped the history of the magic world. In other words, they moved the world."
"Hmm~ Can you explain it more simply? I'm not really getting it."
At Ju Joyeon's request, Tiasia nodded and continued.
"The Dominators were called the Dominators of Soul, Mana, War, Beasts, Reason, Wounds, and Peace. Each caused major events so significant that no one on the continent was unaware of them. The most famous story is that of 'Peacesign,' the first Dominator and the Dominator of Peace, from 1,200 years ago. He had no combat ability whatsoever, yet through words and diplomacy alone, he unified half the continent."
"Eh... Unifying the continent?"
Ju Joyeon tried to imagine how vast half of the continent he lived on truly was.
"...Unifying through diplomacy alone? What did he do to make that possible?"
"That's why they're called Dominators—because they make the impossible possible. And the Dominator of Peace didn't stop there; he ruled his nation peacefully for a thousand years."
"Wait a second. Ruling for a thousand years? Was Peacesign even human? How could he rule for that long?"
"Just like you now, Master, the title of Dominator of Peace was passed down through Peacesign's descendants. Whenever the nation was in turmoil, an exceptionally talented heir would appear and perfectly control the conflicts, just like the first Dominator of Peace."
Ju Joyeon diligently organized Tiasia's words in his mind. Peacesign, who appeared 1,200 years ago, was extraordinarily gifted. Through words alone, he unified half the continent and ruled a vast nation peacefully for 1,000 years. This was possible because he was the Dominator of Peace, and his descendants were also exceptional enough to be called Dominators of Peace.
"Hmm~ I understand about the Dominator of Peace for now. So, did the other Dominators all appear 1,200 years ago too?"
"Not exactly. While Peacesign was the first to be called a Dominator, the others began to gain recognition around 500 years ago during a great war."
"500 years ago~? What was it again? I think I've heard of it before."
Ju Joyeon wracked his sluggish brain, trying to recall what he had studied about the magic world back at the hideout.
"Ah! It was the 'Demon War'!"
"That's right! As expected of you, Master. I'm impressed you remembered. The Demon War was a century-long conflict where the Glass Pandora Empire and numerous demi-human races united to repel the demon race invading from the demon realm. During those 100 years, beings called Dominators began to stand out."
As Ju Joyeon's questions about Dominators rapidly expanded into a history lesson, he changed the subject to stop Tiasia's lecture.
"Hmm~ I see. But what if there's a Dominator nearby besides me?"
"Pardon? That would be a descendant of a Dominator, or someone who inherited the ability like you, wouldn't it?"
"...That's it. That's exactly it. As expected of you, Lara. You're smart. Well, since I only read a book and became a successor, others could become Dominators the same way."
"Thank you for the compliment... But why are you suddenly asking about Dominators..."
"Huh? Oh, I just met one."
".... What?"
"I met one just now. What was her name again? Something-bus?"
"Are you perhaps referring to Lily Cubus?"
"Ah, right. That was her name. She's a Dominator."
While Ju Joyeon spoke as if it were nothing special, Tiasia's already pale face grew even paler.
"L-Lily Cubus is a Dominator? Is that true?"
"I have a title that lets me confirm whether someone is a Dominator or not. It only tells me if they are or aren't."
"She isn't dangerous or anything, is she?"
"Probably fine? She doesn't even know I'm a Dominator's successor in the first place."
Having obtained all the information he wanted, Ju Joyeon casually picked up his drink again as if he had no particular thoughts on the matter.
"Mmm? Whoa~ It's sweet. What is this? This isn't mine, is it?"
Surprised by the completely different sweetness from what he had been drinking, Ju Joyeon checked the empty table for his drink, but it was nowhere to be seen. When he looked around a bit more, he spotted Arty frozen with a straw in her mouth.
...Tiasia bought two drinks. One for Arty and one for me. If this isn't mine...
"...Whose drink are you drinking right now?"
Arty rolled her eyes around before honestly admitting—
"......Yours."
"...Why are you drinking mine?"
"I-I just wanted to try it."
"Just try it? There's less than half left in what I'm seeing."
".....Sorry."
"Ha... Give it here."
"Can't we just switch? I've already drunk most of it..."
"No. This is too sweet. Hand it over."
Ju Joyeon snatched his drink from Arty's hand and offered her the one he had been holding.
"...I don't mind."
"Huh? What?"
"Nothing. It's nothing."
Arty shook her head and put the straw in her mouth.