Chapter 117: New Omen – 2

Chapter 117: New Omen – 2

“…Let’s try to avoid them if possible.”

“Huh? But, it’s a sight you never get to see normally!”

“……Lily. Have you forgotten my relationship with the Holy Kingdom?”

To be honest, I don’t have any particular feelings or thoughts about it.

Rather, since the Saintess and I secretly agreed to reform the Holy Kingdom, should I say we’re on friendly terms?

Honestly, the Inquisitor’s attack didn’t surprise me at all, given my knowledge of the Holy Kingdom’s truth.

Of course, officially, it was said that I, a benevolent person, was attacked by a slightly deranged Inquisitor and suffered significant physical and mental damage.

‘Well, I did suffer physical and mental damage, so it’s not entirely wrong, I guess?’

Thanks to that, I also got useful potions and successfully completed a branching point, so it wasn’t a huge loss.

…Of course, Lily wouldn’t know that.

“Ah, right… that’s how it was…”

“And since we’re out for once, I want to focus more on you than on some measly Hero.”

“Huh, huh?! W-what do you mean, ‘measly Hero’!”

“To me, they’re just like any passerby. You’re more important to me.”

I clearly just said a normal thing, that Lily was more important to me than the Hero.

Oh, and of course, I did smile a little consciously. Today, I felt unusually lighter and smiled more easily.

……But why is Lily’s face suddenly so red?

“……You’re mean, Boss-nim.”

“Huh? What’s suddenly wrong?”

“Just… don’t say things like that with that kind of face! Anyway, this must be the kind of warning Captain-nim always gave…”

“No, what did I do??”

However, despite my protests and indignation, the system casually sent a message.

…As always, it was a message containing truly unpleasant content.

*Skill, ‘Honey Trap’ is active!*

‘…No, I never tried to use a skill? And it’s not even a trait, so it shouldn’t activate automatically, right?!’

*The user’s actions and traits combined to create the most suitable environment for use, and thus it was automatically activated.*

Should I say I’m not surprised anymore?

It seems my trait was causing trouble on its own again.

…But even so, isn’t doing this to Lily a bit much?

*We draw the line, you know? No matter how much Lily’s affection for you increases, it won’t increase in the same way as Christie’s or others’.

Her affection will probably develop in a way that she sees you as a sister.*

‘Should I say that’s a relief to hear? This?’

*…But that skill is really quite dangerous. I didn’t think much of the trait, but when the skill popped out, even I was momentarily swayed, you know?*

‘Is this the part where I should be happy it’s an overpowered skill?’

While I was bickering with the system, Lily seemed to have regained her composure.

…Saying it like this makes me sound like a villain who charms people at will, but that’s absolutely not the case.

A rational suspicion arises that I could just cheese my way through with this skill if I gathered the Hero and the Demon King, but anyway, it’s not that.

“L-let’s go, Boss-nim. I’ll lead the way.”

“…Do you even know where we’re going?”

“……Right.”

“Just follow me closely. We’re going to buy the accessories you’ve always wanted.”

And so, we set off and arrived at a store.

…And there, we met the Hero.

Am I cursed to automatically meet every protagonist or something?

***

“Hmm… which one should I choose?”

‘……Aren’t they all similar necklaces?’

“They’re different! The detailed craftsmanship is different. Especially this angle here…”

‘Please, display this kind of observational skill during combat. Please.’

“Our kind Holy Sword-nim does that for me, so why should I bother?”

The customers naturally disappeared when I entered.

I was planning to naturally slip in and buy something, but as soon as they saw my face, they ran away.

…I don’t have a particularly fierce-looking impression, but being a Hero seems to carry a rather fierce aura.

‘It’s normal for ordinary people to be afraid just hearing the title of Hero, unless they’re at odds with the Holy Kingdom.’

“Then what about our Holy Sword-nim?”

‘……Do I look like a human, an ordinary being, in the first place?’

“No, I just thought the treatment and respect for later generations were too harsh.”

‘I think the treatment of the former Hero and Holy Sword by later generations is strangely harsh, though.’

“See, you’re scolding me again.”

‘No, this is…! Alright, let’s not talk about it.’

As I talked refreshingly with the Holy Sword as always and looked at various accessories, I definitely felt that the Empire was good.

The Holy Kingdom is always blabbering about asceticism and whatnot, and there are no common rings or necklaces; even if there are, they’re all embedded with symbols of God, making them more like identification cards than accessories.

No, seriously, how can they preach asceticism so much when the Holy Sword is so uselessly flashy, and the Grand Cathedral’s treasury is always overflowing?

Does it mean that individual clerics don’t need money, but the Holy Kingdom’s management does?

‘It’s the end of the world… that such a person is the Hero.’

“Never mind that, which one suits me better? This one? Or this one?”

‘It’s the same face either way, so why are you covering it so much……’

“They’re different! This one has a slightly fresher feel, and this one has a slightly rougher feel!”

‘…Still, wouldn’t it be better for a Hero to go with the rougher one? Of course, considering your appearance, the other one isn’t bad either…’

I was about to tell the Holy Sword, who was talking without knowing anything, that I could just take both and use them according to my mood, when I suddenly heard a sound from the door.

It seemed two customers had entered, unaware that I was there.

“Hmph… Will they leave again?”

‘You secretly hope they won’t, don’t you?’

“Kind of? I also want to talk to some local Imperial citizens and get some information about the Empire.”

‘……I won’t ask what that information is.’

“Oh, Holy Sword-nim, you’ve become much more perceptive?”

‘…Lately, your omniscience is seriously in doubt, my God……’

For reference, this Holy Sword is said to be a famous sword made by embodying the soul of the previous Hero…

I don’t know why such a famous sword was left to rot in the Grand Cathedral’s treasury for thousands of years.

Although the person inside is truly as stubborn as someone from thousands of years ago, I always think of it as a famous sword when I use it.

If you have a good and strong item, you should use it, why let it sit?

Anyway, the two customers naturally entered, naturally saw me, and naturally averted their gaze.

…It was clear that they recognized me. The one who looked a bit older even turned their head completely away.

Is it a good thing that they didn’t leave, though?

“Excuse me, hello? May God’s blessings be with you.”

“Ah, yes… Hello, Hero-nim.”

I temporarily put away the voice and demeanor I had used to scold the Holy Sword just moments ago and brought out the elegant Hero-nim persona.

If strange rumors spread, I’d be the only one who’d get tired later.

It seemed both of them were young girls.

…To be precise, one was slightly younger than me, but just short.

Anyway, the one who had completely turned her head away was unresponsive, and the slightly awkward child next to her answered.

“H-Hero-nim, have you also come to look at accessories?”

“That’s right. Actually, it’s my first time in the Empire’s streets, so I was looking around various shops.”

“I see…”

…It was a strange reaction. They seemed happy, but a strange hatred was mixed in.

Actually, should I say it was more of a reluctance than hatred?

Anyway, it was quite clear that they didn’t welcome me like the people on the street.

I already thought they wouldn’t be very friendly from the moment they turned their heads away.

“Actually, you see, I want to look around various places in the Empire, but I don’t know my way around.”

“Ah, yes…”

“Would it be possible to ask you for directions?”

Of course, that’s why I was even more interested.

Generally, people who react this way are those who have had bad experiences with the Holy Kingdom in the past or have resentment towards the Holy Kingdom itself.

For such people, if I, being ‘from the Holy Kingdom,’ could skillfully persuade and comfort them, it would greatly help my reputation.

It’s not an easy task, but… I need to maintain my Hero reputation for a long time and at a high level so I can continue to stay in the Empire.

“Ah, well, I…”

“…Hero-nim is asking directly, so we can’t refuse, can we?”

“Are you sure…? Boss-nim?”

“Refusing something like this is also a problem.”

Eventually, the one who had turned her head also looked at me and spoke.

It was an easier acceptance than expected, but other things caught my eye more than that.

‘…Cute.’

It was a thought I had for the first time in a long while.

No, I hadn’t even had such a thought in a long time.

In the Holy Kingdom, I always saw the Saintess’s face, and I myself was quite confident in my beauty.

……Another thing I felt, should I say, was a gaze that made no attempt to hide itself?

“If you look at me like that, even I feel quite embarrassed, you know.”

“Oh, I was just curious what Hero-nim, who asks a passerby for directions for the first time, looks like.”

“You’re sharp.”

“I have some not-so-good memories of the Holy Kingdom. Oh, but there’s nothing about Hero-nim yet, so don’t worry.”

“Haha. I hope there won’t be in the future either.”

It seems… I’ve met quite an interesting person.