Chapter 230: Rock vs Flying 5

A visitor arrived at the mansion under the veil of night.

It wasn’t Katie, her cheeks tinged with the flush of disappointment, stealthily bringing a bottle of alcohol to my room, using seduction techniques gleaned from a girl’s novel.

Rather, after observing Grace and Irene smearing their lips with sticky chicken sauce in delight, I returned to my quarters only to discover a woman clad in an unusual outfit awaiting me in bed.

…What on earth is this scenario?

“Who are you?”

“Hehe, don’t be too on guard. I’m merely a girl with nothing more than her looks to offer.”

“…For someone who claims as much, you exude a rather striking aura.”

Her clothing barely covered her skin, composed of thin pieces of fabric that seemed more decorative than functional in covering her abdomen and thighs.

It was reminiscent of desert dancers’ garb, where the removal of a few more fragments from their already scant attire would lead to such a costume.

The pants, fashioned for ventilation, were uniquely tailored from the waist down to the outer thigh.

Despite being trousers, they only provided coverage below the knees, peculiarly leaving the underwear and thighs utterly exposed.

The flimsy material enveloping her bust was practically transparent, or maybe even intentionally revealing.

In the dim light, it was challenging to discern, but it appeared there was no garment beneath the airy, fluttering fabric, leaving her chest fully bare.

“What brings you here in the dead of night?”

“I’ve merely come to convey a message.”

With a wide grin, she resembled an assassin disguised as a desert dancer, evoking the image of a heart-sticker bunny girl, a concept piece shelved due to developmental controversies.

The purpose behind her billowing fabric pieces and the cryptic smile lurking in the dim light remained a mystery.

It feels like she’s about a 4★ assassin, posing little threat to me.

Indeed, my instincts detected no danger emanating from her.

Yet, she had effortlessly bypassed Grace’s passive skills in the adjacent room, demonstrating her prowess in stealth.

As an assassin who couldn’t breach a tank’s defenses, she appeared relatively harmless.

“A message from Princess Bradamante, who fights valiantly alongside you.”

“Do you really expect me to trust you, sneaking in like this in the middle of the night?”

“Recall the emblem the Princess handed to you when she invited you to the palace?”

Upon my indifferent reaction, she, seemingly anticipating this, drew something from her waistband.

From the belt linking her bikini bottoms and perforated trousers, she extracted an item resembling the badge in Han Se-ah’s inventory, identical to that given by the princess.

What I had mistaken for dancer’s adornments clinking at her waist turned out to be her credentials.

The enigmatic assassin, whose name remained a mystery, reached out in the dimness, presenting the badge in her palm for my scrutiny.

Her hand, merging seamlessly with the shadows, exhibited an unexpected beauty.

True to form, that princess always seemed to be flanked by ★-studded gacha characters.

“Initially, I was meant to relay the message to the hero… but she was shielded by the Goddess’s protection, making it impossible to approach her chamber.”

‘It makes sense, considering players would be logged out and vulnerable at night…’

Even gacha characters, it seems, are at the mercy of the game’s mechanics.

I recall reading online tales like, ‘I was homeless, sleeping in a sleeping bag, and when I awoke, it was the morning of the previous day.’

But it appears the player’s haven earned after breaching the 40th floor is somewhat unique.

Beyond the service of maids and butlers, it offers a secure night’s rest.

Certainly, ensuring safety during logout is preferable to being incessantly targeted by nobility’s assassins for political machinations, an absurd impediment to game progression.

With these thoughts, I relaxed my wrists and started some light warm-up exercises.

“So, this message… uh, Sir Roland?”

“Tell it to Hanna in the morning.”

“Sir Roland? Wait, just a…!”

My nights are too precious to be squandered on political ruminations.

Gone are the days when the sole diversion in an internet-devoid world was women; the limitless allure of the digital realm beckoned.

After all, one shouldn’t hold any unusual expectations from a princess’s envoy.

“Wait, just a moment, really? Why?!”

Guided by this rationale, my forceful fist aimed for her exposed, soft, tanned abdomen.

The punch, refined by mana reinforcement, demonstrated precision in both strength and physical control.

“Guh, ack―”

She collapsed onto the floor, not spewing blood or viscera, which indicated she was unharmed.

With this thought, I reclined on my bed and activated the internet through the holographic window.

A new horror game speedrun had been uploaded just 23 minutes earlier.

4★ ‘Flower in the Shade’ Warda, identifying herself as the princess’s covert operative, a striking woman with dusky skin and deep copper hair, sat at the table, clutching her exposed abdomen, tears brimming in her eyes as she faced Han Se-ah.

Logging into the game, she was greeted with the unexpected presence of a 4★ beauty in the base, or mansion.

This character was provocatively dressed, barely covering the essentials.

The online community was abuzz:

“Perhaps, it’s not so much about Teacher Roland’s preference… No, no, it was just to subdue her. It’s like in movies where a simple hit on the nape makes them pass out.”

These comments sparked a lively discussion among Han Se-ah and her viewers, all while the unanticipated guest was still present.

The rest of my companions also cast peculiar glances my way.

“Sent by the princess, you say. But why at night…?”

“Um, it doesn’t seem like Roland appreciates that kind of approach.”

In this world, it’s not unheard of for an uninvited guest to be incapacitated by a single blow in the dead of night, particularly when attempting to subdue an intruder.

What does it matter if someone visits Roland at night?

However, the context shifts when the nocturnal visitor is a scantily clad beauty, leaving nothing to the imagination.

The scrutinizing stares of two sets of eyes weighed on me, so I nudged Han Se-ah, who was deeply engaged with her viewers.

“Hanna, this woman claims she’s a messenger from the princess and was looking for you. She has a badge as proof of identity, but I couldn’t verify it, so I subdued her.”

“A badge? Ah, the one from the palace?”

At my mention, she retrieved the badge from her inventory.

As she held out the princess’s badge, both emblems began to flicker and glow together, rhythmically, like breathing in unison.

Han Se-ah’s badge shone vividly, while the assassin’s badge responded with a staggered light.

It appeared the badge was designed to resonate in such a manner as a means of verification.

Observing this, Warda, who had been recoiling slightly, straightened up and glared at me, as if to assert, ‘see for yourself.’

As an assassin, her confidence seemed rooted in her allure and the art of seduction.

“So, what message did the princess wish to communicate by sending you at night…?”

“Ah, that, well…”

Her confidence, however, quickly diminished under Han Se-ah’s soft mumblings.

Having been captured in broad daylight after a surreptitious night entry, she now faced humiliation before everyone.

She might have hoped to portray a mysterious, formidable beauty, arriving at night to seem cool and deadly while delivering the princess’s message… but our standards had been elevated.

From Han Se-ah, a familiar Eastern beauty, to Grace, who is vivacious yet becomes adorably coy in bed, and even Katie, who attempts to appear grown-up but is still somewhat like a child.

And Irene, whose face is usually concealed under her thick nun’s outfit, is not outshone by these three in terms of her gentle beauty.

Two years prior, I might have been ensnared by such a minor enticement, but now, I remain unshaken by such trivial attempts at seduction.

However, had Warda, the lady in question, boldly pushed me onto the bed, there’s a chance I might have wavered.

“Could you perhaps request that the others leave the room?”

“Uh, yes, of course… Emma? Sebastian? I apologize, but could you please give us some space?”

At Han Se-ah’s beckoning, the servants promptly acquiesced, vacating the room.

Warda must have found it difficult to endure the scrutinizing gazes of everyone – from our inquisitive group to the maids, butlers, gardeners, and even the delivery person bringing in cooking ingredients.

Once relieved of the feeling of being on display like an animal in a zoo, she appeared to regain her confidence.

Her dry, full lips, now moistened by the tea prepared by maid Emma, oscillated with uncertainty before she finally voiced her message.

“The princess desires the hero’s proactive engagement for the welfare of the kingdom… and she wishes to share in that triumph.”

“It’s for political purposes, then.”

“…Yes, Sir Roland, you are right.”

Warda, unable to refute my assertion, nodded hesitantly.

So much for the close bond between siblings.

Now, the rationale behind providing a sanctuary-like mansion during player logout becomes clear.