Ch.212212 – A Heart That Wants to Believe

<212 – The Heart That Wants to Believe>

Paper Company was shocked.

‘Why is Oknodie here!?’

Hiding around the corner in panic, he peeked at the unfolding scene, which was quite a spectacle.

To think Hestia was friends with that girl!

She was tall with impressive skills, but due to her occupation, she wasn’t popular and walked alone as a freshman. He had thought someone with so much free time could be useful.

He had only intended to create a club where sophomores could gain indirect experience about dungeons and adventures through Paper Dungeon, and added what seemed like a good companion.

Now he found himself in a situation where he looked like a delinquent senior who brought a freshman to a dangerous place full of sophomore boys.

If Oknodie had barged in here, there could only be one reason.

-You’ve got some nerve messing with my friend.

A threat!

Goosebumps rose on the back of his hand from fear.

This was the girl who, after having her mood ruined once, took revenge by solving his assignments for him, turning him into a teaching assistant.

What would happen if he upset her a second time?

Perhaps beyond being a teaching assistant, he might become a professor’s lab apprentice, or even a graduate student, as they call those who receive great learning.

‘But… they’re also doing Paper Dungeon?’

Hestia, seemingly flustered, seated Oknodie and brought her a book.

The freshman seemed to want to become a companion, but for some reason, Hestia put Oknodie into the book and took on the role of librarian to develop the story.

If a freshman carelessly controlled things, it might turn into quite a rough story, leading to an unpleasant experience.

Would that be okay?

What if Oknodie’s mood was ruined and he ended up taking the blame?

“Hestia, need help?”

“It’s fine, Paper Company president. I seem to have an unexpected talent for this.”

Was Oknodie satisfied?

Curious about what kind of narrative was unfolding, he peeked at the Paper Dungeon.

━━━

Current Difficulty – Extremely Brutal

Characteristics – Realistic, Harsh, Worst

Progress – The Empire’s 3rd Arch-villain Family, Crawling Mint Choco, has attacked a dungeon managed for magic stone mining. You’ve received a request to eliminate him and are infiltrating the dungeon through a dangerous route.

━━━

“This will kill the kid!!”

Paper Company exclaimed in surprise.

Even though Paper Dungeon is a space for gaining experience, it’s not a place where anything goes.

Dangerous actions naturally lead to danger.

Risks beyond what a party can handle can result in anything from minor injuries to death.

While dying in the book doesn’t mean actual death, who would want to experience death?

“It’s fine, president. Oknodie chose this because she wanted it this way.”

Dangerous route. Difficult challenge.

Oknodie had voluntarily taken on such a challenge.

Relying on chance.

With the librarian’s help.

In a comfortable and convenient way.

Despite going solo, she didn’t want any luck or unrealistic help.

She intended to overcome everything by herself.

“Look. She’s doing well.”

“…Really?”

He was dumbfounded by the rapidly increasing dungeon progress.

“How is this working?”

Even the same story varies in difficulty depending on whether it’s a low-level or high-level party, but Oknodie was effortlessly solving a difficult path alone.

In terms of difficulty, it was comparable to a party of four experienced Paper Dungeon explorers.

She’s unexpectedly good at playing.

Like someone who’s been playing Paper Dungeon all day, every day.

And even showcasing some hardcore techniques.

“Finally arriving at the scene, the hostage said: ‘Help me! Mint Choco hasn’t noticed you yet. What will you… Huh? You think that’s strange?'”

Hestia looked troubled after seeing Oknodie’s explorer opinion that appeared in the book.

“What is it?”

“She says the difficulty is too low. If it’s truly the Empire’s 3rd Arch-villain Family, the hostages should already be dead with blue faces from choking on mint choco, prepared for a sacrificial ritual…”

“Wow. I’ve seen kids whining to lower the difficulty, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone voluntarily raising it.”

━━━

Current Difficulty – Legendary

Characteristics – Realistic, Harsh, Worst, Ruthless

Progress – Crawling Mint Choco has summoned a demon into his body. Furthermore, he plans to flood the dungeon and contaminate the surrounding flood with magical mint choco. You are the only hero who can stop him.

━━━

Oknodie raised an ordinary elimination request to hero-level difficulty.

‘These kids, aren’t they highly experienced in Paper Dungeon? Playing more intensely than seniors despite being freshmen.’

Suddenly, he remembered.

This girl was taking the <Adventure Tales of a Retired Former Hero> course.

This girl, who was hostile to Hero Ishtar, yet was having adventures no different from a hero.

What did she want to become, what did she want to do?

Amidst his concerns, he witnessed Crawling Mint Choco being soaked in dark mana, turning into Dark Cacao Choco, and becoming her minion.

“!!”

Paper Company covered his mouth.

Creating an entity worthy of opposing a hero, and making it her subordinate.

There could only be one reason for such a rehearsal.

This girl intends to do the same in reality.

The act of creating her own subordinates to confront the hero.

The rumors about the unknown class <Dark Princess Oknodie>, called the new generation demon king candidate, might not be just baseless rumors.

“That was fun!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Did Hestia have fun too?”

“Yes.”

“Next time, should I be the librarian for you?”

Hestia stared down at the book in her hand, marked with absurd play data.

“Not today. It’s getting late.”

She averted her eyes and declined.

Her skills were insufficient to endure the gap and difficulty difference between a mercenary’s reality and a demon king’s reality.

‘Hmm. But friends are still friends, I guess.’

Paper Company thought as he observed Hestia’s expressive face.

So that child can also show emotions so honestly, he thought.

For the first time, he realized that the stoic freshman, who had always appeared as a sturdy warrior and veteran mercenary, could also show such vulnerability.

“Paper Company, thanks for the fun time!”

“Y-yeah.”

Paper Company made a resolution.

Next time, he would create an adventure that could draw out the genuine feelings of explorers with a more realistic story.

…He ambitiously planned to give up only after five members had fled the club.

* *

“Good job, Hestia.”

“Thank… Huh?”

After the club hours.

On their way back together.

Hestia stopped abruptly upon hearing the greeting.

“Wasn’t that the way we talk only inside the room?”

“I didn’t say anything though?”

“It’s me. I said it.”

The voice came from the large hat worn by Oknodie, who was blinking her eyes normally.

Hestia wondered if she had accidentally dozed off in the Paper Dungeon.

“Has the demerit for the wall you accidentally knocked down after setting up the hammer not arrived yet?”

“…So I wasn’t hearing things.”

Hestia was quite shocked when the hat actually continued the conversation they had in the room.

She had thought the voice different from Oknodie’s was just because it was coming from across the room, but it was the same voice even outside.

Even mentioning conversations only they remembered.

“Don’t tell me… all this time, I’ve been talking not to Oknodie but to the hat?”

She had to admit it.

She had been conversing with ‘that thing’.

She had made friends with ‘that thing’.

“Hestia. Don’t be surprised. This hat is not an ordinary hat.”

“Then what is it?”

A toy to play with me?

A mockery to make me miserable?

As cold daggers began to stab her heart, Oknodie said:

“It’s a hat that knows my precious secret!”

“Oknodie’s… precious secret?”

“Mr. Hat knows a secret about me that I don’t want to tell anyone. So he’s what you might call my secret friend!”

Not a toy or mockery, but a secret friend.

A special relationship.

Hestia’s heart softened a bit.

“All this time, I thought I was sharing my secrets and embarrassing stories with you, Oknodie, not the hat.”

“I’m sorry. But I often leave the room and fall asleep quickly when I return. You needed someone to talk to, right?”

“So you let me talk to the hat?”

“…Yes!”

Her hesitation before affirming might have been due to guilt.

What a pure-hearted child.

To bring an ego item because she was worried her friend might be lonely during times she couldn’t be there.

“And Mr. Hat is a real person!”

“…Ego items are things that have sprouted in objects, not real people.”

“In that sense, he’s even more of a person! What resides in the hat is not an object with a sprouted self, but the mind of a real person!”

“What…? What are you saying…”

A child who extracts souls and traps them in beads.

A demon who devours human souls like casual candy.

A monster mimicking human hearts.

Several malicious rumors about Oknodie flashed through her mind.

“…!”

They might not be just rumors.

Her chest grew cold.

Her hands and feet turned cold.

“Hestia. Do you remember what we talked about?”

“…Which conversation?”

“That I don’t care about what people say about me. The Hestia I know is the Hestia I’ve judged through our conversations and time spent together.”

“That’s right.”

The sound of her heartbeat gradually subsided at the hat’s words.

That kind-heartedness undoubtedly belonged to a human.

It’s a kindness that couldn’t be possessed by a cruel being who plays with human souls.

So Oknodie couldn’t be a bad child.

“That’s right…”

That’s what Hestia wanted to believe.