Chapter 197: It Was a Lie.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 197: It Was a Lie.
Liriel Rubenia.
I focused on the fact that her surname was Rubenia.
A surname identical to the name of a god.
It seemed this was one of the biggest reasons why I hadn't been able to hear her name until now.
Well... I suppose there’s some kind of divine protection involved.
But seriously, I was getting so much just for obtaining one Holy Sword.
I didn't mean to belittle it, but the benefits gained from pulling out a single sword were absurd. It was a system that dumped an enormous reward on one person after a simple mission.
Like sweet treats prepared specifically for a protagonist.
Clearly, these were things Kim Min-su was supposed to enjoy.
By obtaining the Holy Sword, I can use Divine Power, hold the Saintess's life in my hands, get closer to her by knowing her real name, and even gain recognition as a Hero.
Just listing them off the top of my head, there were four.
And not a single one of those four could be taken lightly.
Well, I’m the one who pulled it out, so whatever.
Since the result was already decided, it was foolish to keep imagining different outcomes.
What if Kim Min-su had taken it? Honestly, it might not have mattered.
The moment he tried to pull the Holy Sword, I would have made the same attempt, and I wouldn't have failed.
Whether one could change a fixed situation or not—that was the decisive difference between me and Kim Min-su.
"Hero? I mean, Tae-yang?"
The Saintess—no, Liriel—called out to me with concern when I stopped talking after hearing her name.
"Can you still not hear my name?"
"Ah, no. I heard it. Liriel Rubenia. It’s a beautiful name."
"Thank you. Lord Rubenia gave it to me, and he has quite the sense of style."
The way Liriel spoke of Rubenia felt very different from how Perkus spoke of him.
When Perkus mentioned him, he sounded like a dignified god.
But when Liriel mentioned Rubenia, it felt more like... a warm, fatherly figure.
Both Perkus and Rubenia basically treat the Saintess like a daughter.
That’s probably why they had her live at the top of Akabellum, the safest place, and set up so many defenses.
Now I understood why Perkus had discarded Kim Min-su so ruthlessly the moment his Hero status was revoked.
His precious daughter had almost fallen into the hands of some weirdo.
It would have been abnormal not to be angry.
"But why can't I pull the Holy Sword out properly?"
I cleared my thoughts and asked the question that was bothering me.
Given the atmosphere, why was the Holy Sword still stuck in the stone even though I had become the Hero?
Calling it "stuck like a scabbard" was one way to put it, but from another perspective, it was no different from an ultra-thin condom.
As I was rubbing the Holy Sword here and there, wondering why it wouldn't budge, Liriel spoke up.
"Well, I’m not quite sure. But, um... if you rub it too... too hard, then..."
"Pardon?"
After saying she didn't know, her lips faltered and her thighs rubbed together.
Unlike before, she kept her head bowed low, and I couldn't figure out what was going on.
"It’s just that... the Holy Sword is connected to me, right? Actually, there’s one more thing it’s connected to... in terms of Divine Power... but if my mental strength weakens, then..."
It affects my physical body too.
Liriel’s face grew increasingly red as she spoke.
I understood exactly what she was implying.
Are you kidding me?
She had said only Divine Power was connected; I had never heard of a setting like this.
But at the same time, it explained why it had to be this way.
If Kim Min-su had pulled the Holy Sword...
How else could a loser like him seduce the Saintess?
It must be some kind of device for Kim Min-su.
There’s always a reason why most heroines are virgins yet act like nymphos at the same time.
Similarly, it seemed a similar system had been applied to the Saintess.
"Does that even make sense? Isn't this... isn't this giving way too much away unilaterally?"
Just because of this sword?
I felt both absurd and angry. Just because she was the Saintess, she had to give everything to the Hero regardless of her own will.
At my anger, Liriel gave a small smile and spoke.
"That’s why we don't just choose anyone. And honestly, if you think like that, there’s no end to it. We wouldn't be able to entrust the sword to anyone."
And if that happened, we wouldn't be able to do anything when a Hero is truly needed.
Liriel stood up and slowly approached me.
"Even so. This is nonsense."
"You know very well what it means to not give your heart."
What?
It was as if she could see right through my love life.
I couldn't give any answer to that and simply nodded.
"And, Tae-yang."
"Yes?"
"While you were speaking... I think you gripped it a bit too hard..."
"Ah..."
I must have unconsciously tightened my grip on the sword while I was getting angry.
As she said that, she hurriedly sat back down on the bed.
It seemed that the more force I used, the more her erogenous zones were stimulated.
I don't need a feature like this.
Kim Min-su needed it because he could never seduce anyone on his own.
But for me, it was an unnecessary function.
It felt incredibly unpleasant, like I was holding some kind of hypnosis app, especially since I couldn't even use Divine Power because the sword wasn't fully drawn.
"But it’s only temporary! Once I recover my strength, this won't happen anymore, so you don't have to worry too much."
I’m surprised myself since it’s the first time I’ve lost this much power, but in the end, it’s all good, right?
Liriel smiled brightly as she said that.
She was basically saying "all's well that ends well."
There was no point in arguing further, so I just agreed.
"That’s all I have to say for now! You must be very tired, and I’m sorry if I kept you for too long."
"Not at all. Of course we had to meet. I gained a lot of information thanks to you."
"Then I’ll see you tomorrow! Hero."
She told me to get some rest and personally walked me to the door to see me off.
Now for the impact.
I had learned the hidden secret of the Holy Sword, and my position as the Hero was confirmed.
This meant all the preparations to get closer to the Saintess were complete.
"Saintess, I will never... use the Holy Sword in a strange way. I will definitely take responsibility, so please don't worry."
A final line full of charisma.
Upon hearing those words, the Saintess let out a soft laugh and nodded.
That’s enough. Let’s go.
I needed to go home, organize my rewards, and check the notification window that had been blinking in the corner of my vision.
Wait a second.
Before leaving the Saintess's room, I activated a skill one last time.
[Deep Eyes activated! You gaze intently at the Saintess!]
Being able to hear her name meant I could check her information.
It works.
No message appeared saying I was rejected.
I headed home while reading Liriel's information.
+++++++++++++++++
"Is... is he gone?"
As soon as Baek Tae-yang left the room, Liriel rushed to the bed and collapsed onto it.
Being a shut-in by nature, meeting a stranger always exhausted her immediately.
But that wasn't the only reason this time.
I’m crazy! Why did I tell a lie like that?!
Liriel Rubenia.
For twenty-three years, she had lived the life of a Saintess in silence, without a single person even properly hearing her name.
The only men she ever met were Perkus and Baelson.
The moment that life ended, her instincts as a woman had awakened.
Why is my heart fluttering so much for a man who already has so many girlfriends...
The claim that the Holy Sword affected her physical body? Of course, it was a lie.
There was no way Rubenia would have included a setting that sounded like it came straight out of an adult manga.
However, the part about her rubbing her legs together was real.
"Aaaaah!"
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Liriel kicked her legs against the duvet, taking her frustration out on her poor pillow.
It was my first time seeing a man’s bare face.
She didn't count Perkus as a man.
He’s... he’s really handsome...
Her favorite part was his eyes.
Delinquent-like eyes that looked like they could swallow a person whole and never let them go.
And there was so much more.
The muscles clearly visible on his arms and the veins on the back of his hands.
Plus, their matching white hair that looked like a couple's dye job.
The fact that it wasn't dyed but their natural hair color made it even better.
No, what do you mean 'better'? Get a grip!
It was just the sense of liberation.
Someone finally heard her name, and his face was just... just...!
"Wh-why would a playboy make such a serious face when saying he’ll take responsibility..."
Liriel already knew about Baek Tae-yang's love life through Kim Min-su's posts.
Because of that, she knew exactly how many women Baek Tae-yang had.
"Saying he’ll take responsibility and all that..."
Recalling the moments she had just shared with Baek Tae-yang, she worried if she had been too dramatic.
The moment she heard Baek Tae-yang was the Hero, she wanted to jump for joy, but she had held it in.
She had taken so many deep breaths to calm herself down before he entered the room.
More times than anyone could imagine.
Liriel slowly calmed her emotions and, with a lingering sense of disbelief, reached her hand down.
Squelch.
Her inner thighs and fingers were already soaking wet, as if they had been ready for a long time.
To think she was like this just from sitting there and doing nothing.
No way!
Liriel’s eyes widened as she turned her gaze to the spot where she had been sitting while talking to Baek Tae-yang.
"Kyaaa! I must be insane!"
Just as she feared, the bedsheet where she had sat...
Was slightly damp.