episode_0029

It’s a shame I couldn’t test the power of violet.

All eyes were on me, so I just suppressed my presence and slipped outside.

Old Man Volkan had disappeared somewhere, and with nothing else to do, I headed back to the inn when—

“Oh my, hello ther—” “……”

Execution Princess Lucia came into view.

But calling a villainess an “execution princess”?

‘This girl really got the short end of the stick.’

I studied Lucia.

Her blood-red hair and crimson eyes. Her pupils, shaped almost like hearts, gazed at me with what seemed like adoration.

‘…Has the intensity of her obsession grown stronger?’

Why is she like this all of a sudden?

I seriously wondered if this “violet” power had some kind of mesmerizing effect on people.

“Your eye color has changed?” “I leveled up in the labyrinth and got a gift.” “Some gifts do affect the user’s body, I hear. It seems you received quite a good one.” “Is it good?” “Gifts that cause changes are all related to attributes. Attributes come with weaknesses, but most amplify strengths even more.”

Lucia smiled sweetly as she spoke.

Her voice was enchanting, painting a pretty picture.

I looked at her.

I knew she was obsessed with me. I knew she was called a villainess.

But every time I saw her like this, I couldn’t help but waver. She was beautiful in every way.

‘Well, there’s always a reason people call her a villainess.’

Even if she got engaged to some weird guy, and even if that guy was being strung along by some shady woman—

None of that really concerned me.

It didn’t seem like things would stay that way anyway.

“Oh? Yuseong-ssi?”

Erme’s voice.

Her outfit was different from usual—a short skirt that accentuated her curves and a blouse.

‘Suspicious.’

Where was she going, all dressed up like that?

Erme beamed as she approached me, then suddenly flinched.

“Oh? Your eye color changed? Did you level up? That’s incredibly fast.”

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at me. Still smiling, she glanced at Lucia and her expression stiffened for a split second.

But only for a moment.

“And who is this?” “I just stopped by because I like this place. No need to worry so much.”

…That sounded a lot like, “Don’t worry about it.”

“But what’s with the outfit? Going out somewhere fun?”

Lucia smirked as she looked at Erme. Erme, in turn, grinned and linked her arm with mine.

“Well, we have a date today.” “A d-date?”

For the first time, Lucia’s composure cracked. Her face stiffened, her gaze turning icy.

“Yes, a date. I was told you’d be in the labyrinth for a bit today, so I prepared hard. Luckily, the timing worked out.”

Erme smiled brightly. But for some reason, unease crept in.

It felt like she was picking a fight with Lucia.

‘She wouldn’t do that, right?’

Erme was a fairly rational woman.

“Shall we go on our date, then? I found a nice place. Oh, you must be tired after the labyrinth—I’m sorry, I wasn’t considerate enough. How about a bath first, then a meal together at a good spot? Hm?”

She cooed, laying on the charm.

In any normal situation, a man would’ve folded—but since we were party members, I humored her.

‘Still feels a bit off, though.’

A bath first.

—Spineless man.

Risiel’s voice echoed in my head.

—Should I just disappear somewhere? I suppose it doesn’t matter if I stay in your room.

‘That won’t happen.’

—That female looks like she’s just waiting for an opening. The moment she gets one, she might devour you.

I chuckled at Risiel’s reproachful tone.

‘No way.’

Even if it’s a “nice place,” we’re just going to buy arrows. She must mean a genuinely good shop.

‘Is she worried Lucia will take me away?’

Is this what they call a woman’s intuition?

Knowing Lucia’s obsession with me, she’s probably just trying to protect a party member as the party leader.

—Hmm…

Risiel, hearing my thoughts, made an indescribably complicated expression.

Leaving her be, I headed into the bath.

‘This era is more comfortable than I thought.’

It had most modern conveniences—baths, hygienic meals, decent-tasting food.

Living in this world didn’t seem so bad.

‘The problem is this world is doomed to perish.’

My friend’s words resurfaced.

That bastard had gone all out to drag me into that game. And he succeeded—now I’m stuck here.

Looking back, it’s just sigh-inducing.

All this suffering because of him.

Honestly, part of me just wants to let Lucia obsess over me and ride it out.

‘Annihilation, huh…’

What happens when the world ends?

Nothing would remain—that’s annihilation. Wouldn’t that mean a peaceful death?

If so, I’d prefer a quiet end.

‘Not that it’ll be that easy, of course.’

I’ll struggle to the very end. What else can I do?

Erme seemed to be in a good mood.

Was it because Lucia wasn’t around?

Either way, our destination was a massive workshop. I’d expected to visit the dwarf with the [Master] title, but—

“That one specializes in swords. He doesn’t handle special arrows or bows. Ah, if you ever need a sword, I’d recommend him.” “Oh?” “That’s the way it is. Today, we’re going here instead.”

Still smiling, Erme tugged my arm and chattered away.

Most of it was about herself.

“I grew up in the countryside. A former knight there taught me swordsmanship.” “No wonder your balance is good.” “People think knights are either aggressive or defensive, but it depends on the person. Most focus on solid fundamentals and balance.”

Her eyes sparkled when talking about swords.

A rare preference for a woman. But it wasn’t a bad thing—being passionate about one’s craft never is.

“This is the workshop.”

The place Erme led me to was like a massive factory.

Plenty of adventurers were around, most seeming mid-to-high rank.

‘With this many adventurers, it must be famous.’

Further inside, even more adventurers crowded the space.

Maybe because of the crowd, Erme’s grip on my arm loosened slightly.

I unhooked our arms and took her hand instead.

“Eh, e-eh?!”

Erme made a dumbfounded noise.

“Oho, what a fiery couple.”

A familiar voice sounded from somewhere.

Turning, I saw Volkan whistling.

So this is where the old man disappeared to?

“What do you want?” “Came to fix the training dummies you wrecked. Then I saw something amusing, so I thought I’d liven things up.”

This is amusing?

Holding hands in a crowd?

I gave him a look, and Volkan pitied Erme with his eyes.

“You’ve got exceptional talent in combat, but none in this area. Or rather, maybe too much talent.”

Volkan stroked his beard, lost in thought. What was he even talking about?

“Anyway, why are you here?” “To buy a bow and arrows.”

I left out the “date” part.

If I mentioned it, he’d definitely smirk and tease me.

“Hmm, not here for a date? The girl seems to think otherwise.” “Then let’s say it’s a date with a side of shopping.” “Hah! You shameless little bastard.”

Volkan suddenly cursed. I hadn’t done anything to deserve being called that.

Whatever.

“By the way, what kind of bow do you use? I’ve never seen you fight as a rear guard.”

At his question, I fell into serious thought. Bow size wasn’t a major drawback for me.

Longbows required strength but had high power and range. Shortbows were better for rapid fire.

At this point, with mana usage, the difference wasn’t huge.

‘Maybe a shortbow?’

When using hidden spaces, I always pulled things from my coat.

Or created variables in 1v1 situations where others could see.

Watching me ponder, Volkan scoffed.

“…What’s there to think about with a bow?” “Just deciding which type suits me.” “Which type? You just shoot, don’t you?” “Yeah, I just shoot.” “…Sounds like something any amateur would say.”

Volkan gave me a strange look.

“But coming from you, I can’t just dismiss it.” “Assume I shoot as well as anyone else.” “…At least on par with a level 3 professional archer.” “WHAT?!”

At Erme’s words, Volkan looked shocked.

Professional archers specialized solely in bows, right?

“Hard to believe. Shouldn’t you know what you’re using?”

Volkan eyed me suspiciously. Erme smiled and cut in.

“Then why not test him? There’s a shooting range here anyway.” “Hmm…”

Volkan hesitated, then nodded.

“Fine. If what you say is true, I’ll give you a high-quality bow from here.”

A wager—prove my skill, earn a bow.

—Crafty old man. ‘Crafty?’ —This is no real loss for him. If you’re skilled, the guild grows stronger. If not, Erme’s credibility takes a hit.

Risiel explained.

—At worst, it’s a few dozen gold coins. Confirming the skill of a reliable rear guard is worth far more. ‘Are rear guards that important?’ —To be precise, skilled and trustworthy fighters are always rare. That’s all.

Risiel paused.

—Remember this: skill and character don’t always align. Even the most talented can have the worst personalities. ‘Like you?’ —…

Risiel looked speechless for a moment.

Given our first meeting, it was hard to imagine a worse introduction.

‘Well, you’re somewhat trustworthy now.’ —D-don’t joke like that. It’s bad for my heart.

You don’t even have a heart.

Ignoring Risiel, I turned to Volkan.

“Sure, let’s do it.”

No real downside for me.

The shooting range wasn’t crowded. Just a wide field with straw dummies scattered about.

“What do I do here?” “A level 3 archer should reliably hit those dummies from this distance.” “Not destroy them?” “Not all level 3 archers can destroy straw dummies. Some focus on power, others on rapid fire.” “So?” “You should aim to destroy it.”

Volkan grinned.

‘Destroying it isn’t a problem.’

Felt like he was singling me out.

“Of course. I’ve already acknowledged your talent. But if you prove your archery, things change.” “This is… about achievements.” “Exactly. Achievements matter.”

He was clearly trying to push me forward.

I glanced around. No spectators.

Might as well go all out.

I pretended to pull a bow from my coat.

Then drew the string. Aimed an arrow at the target.

‘Charged Shot.’

Mana drained rapidly.

Violet energy coalesced around the arrow.

Crackle.

Purple lightning sparked at the arrowhead.

‘I didn’t even activate it.’

Were all my skills now tinged with violet?

Focusing, I let the lightning gather.

Twang!

With a sharp sound, the arrow shot forth—

BOOM!

A thunderous crash, and the dummy was gone.

A level 3 archer could destroy a straw dummy, supposedly.

This one had vanished without a trace.

“…I said destroy the dummy, not erase it from existence…”

Volkan looked utterly defeated.

I had nothing to say.