Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Hero TS?
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"Alright, let's call it a day here. Red Tower Lord? We'll schedule the rest with the other Tower Lords."
"Eh, I don't mind. Oh, and I'm gonna slack off here for a bit?"
"Haha, go right ahead."
He gave a smiling reply to the Red Tower Lord, then turned to Ariana.
"The Saintess is welcome to stay and relax as well. I have other matters to attend to."
"...Understood. Is?"
Ariana called out to me with a smile, watching Blind leave the room with Belinda and the Red Tower Lord in tow.
She looked the same as always at a glance, but for some reason, she seemed absolutely furious to me.
"Shall we head back to bed? Is still needs his rest, you know?"
"Ah, I'm fine—"
"Exactly! Even the Saintess says so. Come on, let's get you back in bed."
"But the Saintess's escort—"
"...I'll take care of Is, so Lady Phrelia, you can head back now."
"Hey, come on! He's my lifesaver—I should be the one looking after him!"
"No, I'm not the patient; I'm the escort—"
"...If it's nursing, wouldn't the Saintess be better at it?"
"A Saintess is raised delicately and only good at healing with holy power—what about all the other stuff? Just rest easy! I'll handle it!"
Wrong. They'd both completely forgotten I was the escort.
"Hehe, what if I do it?"
"Ahaha, I said I'll do it."
"It's fine."
"I said I'll do it."
"I'm grateful, but I'll pass."
"Ahaha, no means no."
"Hehehe..."
"Ahaha..."
...
"Ah, fuck!"
Suddenly, as a strange tension hung in the air, Ruin slammed his desk and shot to his feet.
He stomped toward the door and flung it open roughly.
"Fuck you, Lib!!"
-Tatatatatat.
"Yes, Hero!"
Despite the tall staircase, Lib High Priest appeared at the door in under five seconds.
Ruin jabbed a finger at me and yelled.
"Nurse that bastard!"
"Pardon?"
"I can't stand watching that shit, so you do it. You don't have anything else to do anyway, right?"
"I have nothing to do? I'm here by order of the higher-ups to guard the Hero—"
"Who the hell are those higher-ups? The Pope?"
"Higher than that."
"Fuck, that pisses me off even more. Just fuck off already. My head's killing me as it is..."
Ruin glared at me with blazing eyes.
"...Fuck, why only you."
He muttered something incomprehensible, shoved Lib High Priest aside, and stormed out.
-Thud!
"Ow."
Lib High Priest collapsed limply to the floor, and our eyes met.
"...Well, I'll do my best?"
He flashed a light smile and gave a thumbs-up. I immediately hopped on board and decided to let Lib High Priest nurse me.
"Useless, Hero..."
"Hmm, our plans fell apart..."
I felt the two women's stares from behind but gritted my teeth, ignored them, linked arms with Lib High Priest, and hurried out the door.
-Click.
"Phew..."
"Haha, no idea what was going on, but it looks like you were in quite the bind."
"Ah, yes... Both of them are so kind-hearted that they insisted on nursing a mere Holy Knight like me. I appreciate it, but with me collapsed as the escort, it's already a nuisance—how could I impose even more by having one of them nurse me too?"
"Haha, don't worry about that. The higher-ups will understand after your fight with the Black Knight. As for the nursing... the Hero's right; if he says fuck off, that's my job. No need to fret."
"I see... But I'm really fine—cough cough!"
"Oh dear, coughing again. No blood, but you definitely need rest."
"No way, this can't—Cough cough! Ugh!"
"Whoa! With the coughing fit starting up like this, you really need to rest! Let's go!"
For some reason, while walking the corridor with Lib High Priest, I suddenly started coughing uncontrollably, so I ended up being led back to the sickroom and lying in bed again.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "What the hell? You stole it from me because of you!"
Phrelia puffed her cheeks, blatantly signaling I'm mad.
Ariana gave her the same smile as always.
"My, stole? Is isn't Lady Phrelia's property, you know?"
"That's not what I mean!"
Phrelia planted her hands on her hips.
"You two are always stuck together anyway! Can't you give me a chance too?"
"What are you planning to do stuck to Is? Is is my escort. Being with me is his job."
"Ugh, this sucks! Give Is his freedom!"
Phrelia jeered at Ariana.
Ariana stared at her blankly, then sighed pityingly.
"Sigh... I want to give Is some free time too. What escort works all day except when sleeping? I heard even the previous direct Holy Knight only worked half the day."
"You mean...?"
"Normally, the Saintess gives free time flexibly, and the direct Holy Knight rests then. But Is won't listen no matter how much I tell him to rest. Something about not knowing when trouble might strike."
"Whoa... Such a stickler..."
"Well, that's one of his good points. Anyway!"
Ariana's face slackened thinking of Is for a moment, then snapped back. She pointed at Phrelia and shouted.
"I wish you wouldn't keep glomping onto my Is! It's troubling him!"
"But that's the fun part..."
"Skinship between lovers is one thing, but you two aren't even friends—just acquaintances!"
"Eee, elves don't know human common sense~"
"You're half-human!"
"Half-elf though?"
"Argh...!"
Ariana's face turned beet red as she kept getting dragged in.
She trembled all over in anger, then took a deep breath to calm down.
"Hooo...! Fine, I don't mind other women approaching Is, as long as they don't cause trouble."
"Yay!"
"But not you."
"Huh? Why?"
Phrelia looked at her with confusion.
Ariana met her eyes straight on and said.
"Because you don't like Is."
Ariana asked as if it were obvious.
"..."
In that instant, the life drained from Phrelia's eyes.
Then she asked softly.
"How did you know?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Anywhere uncomfortable?"
"Ah, no. Thankfully, no more coughing."
"Good. Nothing beats rest for recovery, right?"
"Is that so..."
Did my body really take that much strain without me noticing?
But really, until we left the room with Lib High Priest, aside from mild muscle aches, I felt fine?
"Illnesses and death come suddenly. When your body sends danger signals, you need deep rest, brother."
"I see..."
"Yes. Rest includes physical, but also mental. How about emptying your mind and relaxing just for today?"
"Empty my mind..."
That's tricky.
I'm in the magic city of Ilunite right now.
A place where events could pop up anytime.
'There might be variables this time too.'
With the Black Knight defeated earlier than expected, there are too many factors to consider.
Need to track down the Black Knight's fleeing comrade, the Face Stealer, and wipe out the cartel that rules Ilunite's back alleys, exploiting the chaos he caused.
The big twist will come at the very end anyway, so ignore that... Prioritize the most important first.
The wisest heroine, Phrelia Forestian.
As a mage, she's wise... but this world has too many problems wisdom alone can't solve.
She's stuck on one such unsolvable issue, searching for a solution... That's when the protagonist appears to help.
So right now, I need to help Ruin solve Phrelia's problem.
And the solution is...
-Bang bang bang!
"Hm?"
"Yeah?"
Suddenly, someone pounded on the door hard.
Lib High Priest told me to stay put and approached the door.
He reached for the knob, and as he went to open it...
-Boom!
"Ugh."
The entire door flew off, sandwiching Lib High Priest between it and the wall.
Thinking it was an attacker, I grabbed the shotel by the bed and checked the intruder's identity.
"...Who?"
Black hair, red eyes, sharp beauty that screamed bad temper.
A woman beautiful enough to rival the heroines was huffing and puffing in rage.
"...Who are you?"
I'd never seen her in the game, so I demanded her identity.
She shouted in a beautiful voice.
"It's me, Ruin!"
"...?"
What the hell is this bullshit.