Chapter 439: Don't Look
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 439: Don't Look
"You lecher! Get your filthy hands off her!"
Accompanied by a furious, feminine cry, the standard-issue longsword shifted its trajectory with lethal precision, thrusting toward Muen, who had been trying his best to protect Liya.
"Huh?"
Muen hadn't even had time to process the word "lecher" before he was forced to react to the sudden assault.
However, the abrupt change in the sword's path made his response a fraction of a second too slow.
Muen seized that fleeting opening, throwing his body to the side and successfully pulling Liya out of the assassin’s line of fire.
But because of that desperate dodge, he and Liya ended up holding each other even tighter. In fact, Liya’s towering peaks were crushed firmly against Muen’s solid pectorals.
From the "assassin’s" perspective, the suggestive deformation caused by the pressure was clearly visible.
In the heat of the moment, Liya had instinctively reached out with her delicate hands to hook around Muen’s neck. The fragrant breath she exhaled brushed against Muen’s face, mere inches away.
They looked exactly like a pair of star-crossed lovers in a passionate embrace, moments away from losing themselves in a deep kiss.
"You... you bastard... right in front of me, you actually..."
The black mist surrounding the figure began to boil visibly. It was like a corporate slave returning home after a grueling day only to find a pair of men’s leather shoes at the door, hearing familiar yet strange sounds from the bedroom. Fury nearly pierced through the black fog, erupting outward.
The "assassin" refused to give up, gripping the sword to strike again.
Unfortunately, this time, the attempt failed as well.
The scene shifted as the beautiful figure clinging to Muen’s neck actively stepped in front of him, shielding him from the "assassin."
"Liya!"
Muen nervously tried to pull Liya back, but she simply turned her head and gave him a reassuring smile. Then, her gaze swept suspiciously over the black mist in front of them.
After a moment of hesitation, Liya spoke softly:
"Ariel?"
"..."
"Huh?"
What started as a tentative question hit the small interior of the Sacred Carriage like a bolt from the blue.
The figure within the black mist froze instantly.
Muen was stunned for a second before a violent shiver ran through him. The small hand of Liya’s that he was holding suddenly felt like it was surging with high-voltage electricity, giving him the thrill of dancing on the edge of death.
The assassin is Ariel?
How is that possible?
Muen’s mind instinctively rejected the possibility.
Granted, the voice did sound familiar, and if it were Ariel, the "lecher" comment made perfect sense.
But why would Ariel be here?
How did she become an enemy assassin?
And why would she want to assassinate Liya?
These logically inconsistent questions all tried to overturn the reality before his eyes.
Unfortunately... reality was reality.
No matter how bizarre, it was an irrefutable truth.
Under the tense gaze of two pairs of eyes, the black mist shrouding the "assassin" gradually dissipated, finally revealing the face hidden within.
A face that grew on you, slightly upturned willow-leaf brows, eyes filled with determination and confidence, a mouth that often curled into a roguish smile, and... that genuine, certified flat chest.
That’s right. The "assassin" before them was the one and only, one-hundred-percent authentic, zero-additive Destined Protagonist of this world, the representative of the female Soaring Phoenix archetype... and Liya’s childhood friend, the alpha lesbian who had been pining for her for a long time.
—Ariel Bugard.
Muen’s mouth slowly fell open, wide enough to fit a goose egg. He looked at Liya beside him (the object of Ariel’s desire), his eye twitching in sheer panic.
"Ariel? Why are you here?"
Though she had guessed it moments ago, seeing Ariel’s familiar face still left Liya somewhat dazed. She blinked and asked curiously:
"Did something happen? Are you okay?"
"I’m fine. We can catch up later."
Ariel gritted her teeth and raised her longsword again, pointing it straight at Muen.
"First, let me chop off this lecher’s pig trotters!"
"No!"
Liya stood up quickly, shielding Muen without a second thought. She said seriously:
"Ariel, you can’t do that!"
"Liya, you..."
Ariel’s body swayed as if she had been struck by lightning.
"You’re actually protecting him? Even though he was just molesting you? You two were so close... I’ve never even... Why? Is it because..."
"Muen wasn't molesting me!"
Liya puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. "Ariel, you’ve misunderstood!"
"Misunderstood?"
Ariel’s eyes widened, unable to comprehend. "You were hugging! If that’s not molesting, don’t tell me it was you who—"
"Ahem."
Sensing that things were spiraling out of control and that he needed to take the initiative—lest he be sacrificed to the heavens by this Soaring Phoenix—Muen cleared his throat loudly, interrupting Ariel.
Muen inconspicuously withdrew his "filthy paws" and straightened his collar, speaking with righteous indignation:
"Miss Ariel, Liya is right. You’ve misunderstood. I did not commit any lecherous acts toward her."
After all, it’s only molestation if it’s one-sided. If it’s consensual, how can you call it molestation?
At most, it’s flirting.
"Please, calm down," Muen advised.
"Not molesting?"
Ariel’s brows furrowed as she stared warily at Muen. "But I just saw you..."
"I was protecting Liya."
Muen puffed out his chest. There wasn't a hint of a lie in that statement.
"Protecting Liya... You? Why? By what right?"
"By the right that I am now a Church-appointed Honorary Holy Knight! My duty is to protect Her Highness the Saintess’s safety at all times!"
"Honorary Holy Knight?"
Doubt remained in Ariel’s eyes, but the badge on Muen’s chest, embossed with the Church’s insignia, certainly looked authentic.
"Wait... what?"
As Ariel scrutinized the badge, looking for a flaw... certain words Muen had just uttered began to echo uncontrollably in her mind.
They forced her to consider the questions she hadn't had the luxury to think about until now.
"Her Highness the Saintess? Who... who are you calling the Saintess?"
Ariel looked at Muen, asking each word with a flat, toneless voice.
"Huh? Who is the Saintess?"
Muen paused, then looked at Ariel’s genuinely bewildered expression. His brow arched. The source of the logical dissonance he had felt earlier finally became clear.
"The Saintess... is Liya, of course. This is the Saintess’s procession, and this is her Sacred Carriage. There’s no one in here but Liya and me. It’s not like I’m the Saintess."
Ariel’s slender frame shuddered.
"Speaking of which..."
Muen rubbed his chin, observing the current Ariel with a strange expression. "The only reason I reacted that way was because an assassin suddenly attacked. Regarding that, shouldn't you be the one explaining yourself, Miss 'Assassin'?"
Ariel shuddered again.
"That’s right, that’s right."
Liya also looked completely puzzled, following up with: "Why would you do this, Ariel? Did I do something to make you hate me?"
"..."
Finally, Ariel’s body began to tremble violently.
She slowly turned around, gazing once more at the childhood friend she hadn't seen in so long, the one she had missed so dearly.
Now that her anger had faded, she could finally see the figure clearly.
This was a reunion after a long separation, a scene that should have brought her immense joy. But why did the current reality look so utterly different from what she had imagined?
Shouldn't they have met at the end of an alleyway under the setting sun, by a babbling brook, or on opposite sides of an ancient stone bridge?
In that vision, Liya would be wearing a flowing white dress, her eyes shimmering with tears of joy.
And Ariel would be dressed in a dashing, tailored suit, a freshly picked rose pinned to her chest, her smile tender.
They would wave to each other across the bridge as the wind chimes under the eaves tinkled. No words would be needed; everything would be understood in the silence.
—Wasn't that how it was supposed to be?
But now.
But at this moment.
Liya was indeed in a flowing white dress, and that gown was more stunning than anything Ariel had ever seen.
Not only that, she was enveloped in the halo of the title "Saintess," a status that made Ariel feel utterly out of place.
And what about herself?
Ariel looked down at her own body.
The carefully selected suit she had worn was now tattered and torn from the previous battles.
—There was no helping it. After all, she had faced two Fifth-Tier Martial Artists, a Radiant-Tier Mage, and over a dozen Fourth-Tier experts. Even for her, winning was a narrow victory.
If she hadn't suddenly tapped into her potential during the fight and achieved a minor breakthrough in her realm, she probably would have died there.
The price of that victory... was her current, pathetic state.
The ruined clothes were one thing, but in the reflection of her longsword, she saw her hair was a mess and her eyes were bloodshot. Due to the side effects of a certain forbidden technique, pitch-black veins like tiny snakes crawled from her collar up to her neck, looking absolutely hideous.
In stark contrast stood that annoying fellow beside Liya.
He was also wearing a man’s formal suit, but it fit him perfectly. His tall, upright frame filled out the silhouette of the garment. The golden collar and cuffs highlighted his nobility, and the exquisite lines of the custom-made suit far surpassed the mass-produced trash she had picked up at a roadside shop.
Combined with his sun-kissed golden hair and handsome face, he actually looked more suited to stand by the girl’s side than she did...
It was bad enough to make such a pathetic entrance, but to have a perfect counter-example standing right there?
Was there anything more tragic in this world?
After a brief silence, Ariel, looking as if all strength had left her, moved her lips and finally spoke:
"Liya, I..."
BOOM!
Before she could finish, a thunderous roar caused all three people in the carriage to freeze.
Outside the silk curtains, the sky suddenly brightened. A certain Absolute Forbidden Seal that had spanned the horizon vanished completely, accompanied by a weary sigh.
Then, a gale swept through.
The white silk covering the Great Palanquin was blown wide open.
The three of them looked up simultaneously to find that, at some point, knights in gleaming silver armor had surrounded the Sacred Carriage in thick, concentric circles.
Leading them was Xier, the man who had briefly clashed with Ariel. He stood outside the palanquin, glaring at Ariel inside as if he had been personally insulted. He raised his longsword in a fury.
"All units! Capture this villain who dared disturb the Saintess and attempt an assassination!"
"Wash away the shame of the Temple Knights, right here, right now!"
"Charge!"
Amidst the deafening roars, Muen and Liya watched in shock as countless golden restriction chains descended from the sky. For a moment, the air was filled with shimmering gold—a truly spectacular sight.
The two of them were momentarily speechless.
Ariel, on the other hand, looked like she was about to burst into tears.
So... there was something more tragic.
Unfortunately, she no longer had the strength to resist.
As she was pinned ruthlessly to the floor, she covered her face with her hands, a pained and helpless expression visible through her fingers. Under Liya’s stunned and bewildered gaze, Ariel forced a tearful smile while shaking her head violently.
"Ugh... Liya, don't look. Don't look at me..."
"Waaaah... it hurts... please... don't look at me..."