episode_0015

In the original novel, the protagonist Kim Seungwoo’s movement signaled to me whether it was a good omen or a bad one.

On a larger scale, it seemed like a good omen.

Kim Seungwoo will likely play an active role as a hero, just as in the original, protecting the world. That was a good thing for me too.

If the world were to perish, wouldn’t my life also be ruined? To take the lead in preventing that was certainly something to be grateful for. So, it was a good omen.

…As long as we don’t meet each other.

But what if we do meet? What would happen then? It’s so obvious that it hardly needs an answer.

Naturally, it would be a crisis of life and death.

Why, you ask?

Well, because I am the betrayed heroine from a soap opera.

Having possessed Brunhilde’s body, I had to avoid getting entangled with the characters from the original novel at all costs, even if it meant being as cautious as a sergeant major on his last year before discharge, who must be careful even with falling leaves.

Why should I be so cautious?

Because I haven’t completely surrendered to the plot like in the original. Can’t I just explain the situation, seek forgiveness, and then laugh it off?

Nonsense.

That’s something you can say only if you don’t understand the genre of a soap opera.

The heroine of a soap opera is like a wallet full of cash in the back pocket of your pants.

It signifies that putting it in the washing machine would lead to a disaster, and surprisingly, such incidents are quite common.

◆◆

Laundry.

It symbolized characters who should be wretched and repentant for their betrayal, facing death or utter ruin, instead finding redemption and forgiveness.

There were valid reasons for this, and usually, it was a situation arising from the writer harboring affection for the characters designated as betrayers…

To be honest, it was an act to be avoided whenever possible.

When a betrayer receives tearful salvation instead of rightful retribution, the work itself tends to plummet into ruin or explode altogether.

The reason was simple.

Those who come to read such novels want to witness the villain’s miserable downfall, not “suckered” acts like forgiveness and redemption, which is why such stories often led to the work’s decline.

Especially if there are sexual elements like ‘NTR’ mixed in with the persecution and contempt of the betrayers…

To launder them is nothing short of suicide as a writer.

The moment they were put into the washing machine, those who harbored infinite hatred for the swirling, frothy water wielded their comment cudgels to smash the washing machine and loudly protest.

They believed it wasn’t about cleaning but discarding.

They had a conviction: that worn clothes were not recyclable but disposable. They were certain that even if you washed a rag, it would still be a rag.

…Wasn’t this actually the ploy of a clothing company?

No, that couldn’t be it.

Come to think of it, I too, became a devotee of the horned white horse, leaving comments like “Don’t spin the washing machine, just kill them,” and such.

◆◆

…Anyway, perhaps for that reason, in the novel I possessed, the words of the heroines who were betrayed were utterly miserable.

To die, or rather, to embrace a fate so wretched that death seemed preferable. Those were the only two options; there was no other ending.

Brunhilde was the former.

In the original novel, Brunhilde, as a condition of her defection to Gunter’s party, succumbs to drugs and hypnosis, falling into being his concubine.

She proudly displayed her completely subjugated self in front of Freid, whom she met again.

Of course, at that point, Freid was already in the state possessed by Kim Seung-woo, so it was meaningless anyway.

And around the middle of the story, when Brunhilde was even abandoned by Gunter and faced crisis… it was none other than Kim Seung-woo who saved her.

Not only did he save her, but he even welcomed her back to the party.

Yes. The washing machine controversy flared up like wildfire right there. I said my piece too.

…I didn’t start the fire. Really.

I simply posted legitimate criticism on a reader community site, questioning whether this made any sense.

Anyway, there was no such thing as a laundry development that I feared.

Whether it was because the comment section blazed like a forest fire, or because there was never any intention to launder from the start, I don’t know… There was no grace of laundering for Brunhilde.

Naturally, there was no salvation-like ending either.

In the novel, moved by “Freet’s” mercy in welcoming her back to the party, Brunhilde regrets leaving him and vows to atone for it. However, Freet has long departed this world. Moreover, the character Kim Seungwoo in the novel was the epitome of a sociopath.

Could a man like that treat kindly a woman who had once betrayed Freet and attached herself to another man? Especially a woman who blatantly displayed herself as Gunter’s possession? It’s unlikely.

Within Kim Seungwoo’s newly formed party, Brunhilde’s position was nothing short of insignificant—a mere useful combat slave and pretty plaything. Despite enduring such treatment, she silently swallowed her regret.

Was it because she blamed herself for Freet’s change in personality? There seemed to be a monologue scene like that. Yet, the comment section was filled with nothing but ridicule.

Nevertheless, Brunhilde, who dedicated herself in various ways to atone for the changed Freet, ultimately met her end, having been betrayed and perishing alongside Gunter. It was a fitting end for an unredeemed sinner.

Our sociopathic protagonist, Kim Seungwoo, even used her corpse’s heart as reinforcement material for his armor.

…Come to think of it, isn’t he completely insane?

When immersed in the protagonist Kim Seungwoo, I didn’t realize it, but objectively speaking, Kim Seungwoo was no less dreadful than Gunter. How could a person abuse and exploit others just because they were considered traitors, even if it wasn’t personally inflicted upon them?

Didn’t we praise it as a splendid act of atonement while reading the novel? …Yes, I admit it. At that time, I certainly did.

I left a comment saying, “Even so, the rag cleaned up the filth well.” I didn’t know then.

I never imagined I would become like Brunhilde. If I had known, would it have turned out differently? Looking back, it was a deeply regrettable matter.

At the time when I was in the Gunter party, my appearance was so corrupt that even if I rolled around miserably and died, it wasn’t pitiful but rather considered pure cider itself…

Now that I think about it, that wasn’t cider, it was hydrochloric acid, hydrochloric acid… And I was in a situation where I had fallen into that vat of hydrochloric acid. I was in the position where I should have died instead of falling in for the original Brünhilde.

◆◆

In any case, encountering Kim Seungwoo for that reason was dangerous. Unlike the Brünhilde in the novel, I did manage to escape instead of allowing Gunter to have his way with me, but whether that alone would suffice for a normal adaptation is uncertain. In the worst case, upon seeing me, he might just rip out my heart.

I did consider revealing the fact that I am a possessed individual, but ultimately, after much deliberation, I had no choice but to give up on that. The strength of Kim Seungwoo in the novel was the result of his talent combined with the monopoly of the “Hidden Piece” in the game. In other words, if he couldn’t monopolize the Hidden Piece, it meant that Kim Seungwoo wouldn’t become as strong as he intended. And the existence of another possessed individual was the greatest threat to obstructing the monopoly of the Hidden Piece. Could I just leave such an existence to roam freely? Of course not. If I were to reveal that I am a possessed individual, the future awaiting me would be nothing but being enslaved or branded by Kim Seungwoo’s Holy Sword.

So, I must continue to live in hiding like this. Unless I can thoroughly find all the Hidden Pieces that appear in the novel before Kim Seungwoo does and embark on the arduous task of subjugating the Demon King.

Even if I did that, there was no guarantee of success in subjugating the Demon King. Unlike Kim Seungwoo, who possesses the branding of the Holy Sword and the Hero, I was merely a slightly unusual female knight.

Well, for that reason, I am living as a steel-clad adventurer Hilde, not as the Brünhilde of the Hero’s party. Hoping that Kim Seungwoo, who has possessed Freit’s body, won’t come looking for me.

◆◆

Amy’s remark that there’s one minute left until arrival. “Ah, have we arrived? I didn’t realize how time flew while praying to Lady Elianel.”

From some point, Bolton, who had been muttering prayers, responded as he picked up the spear that had been laid on the carriage floor.

“Clack! Clack!”

Kikel, who was sitting beside him, also showed his excitement by shivering with anticipation.

“It’s cold, so cold. We need to hurry and fight!”

…Was he just shivering because it was cold? Unbelievable.

Seeing him shout about quickly engaging in battle to warm up, I felt determined to definitely avoid outdoor expedition missions if there was ever a chance of forming a party with this lizard again.

The possibility of becoming a burden rather than a comrade seemed high if we were to be hit by such freezing winds.

And one minute later.

As Amy had said, we finally arrived at the ruins that were the goal of this request.

“…Is this it?”

It was more like a pile of crumbling bricks than ruins.

The spaces between the golden walls were filled with moss and dust, and weeds grew up to knee height beneath our feet.

Every single pillar had collapsed, leaving only eerie debris behind. Even the ceiling was absent, allowing the afternoon sun to shine its bright light over the ruins.

“It’s not ruins, it’s wreckage.”

“Of course. It’s been neglected for hundreds of years. This ruin itself has no value.”

Amy, adding her opinion, pointed her staff towards somewhere inside the ruins.

“The valuable place is over there, in the suddenly appearing underground dungeon. So, let’s go down quickly. I’m curious about what will come out.”

Slightly flushed cheeks, intensified freckles, and sparkling brown eyes filled with anticipation. Amy seemed to have no intention of hiding her excitement and anticipation.

Well, considering her profession, it was understandable.

For magic users who manipulate magic with the power of sorcery, what could be more joyful than discovering a new sorcery?

“Yeah, that’s right. I’m looking forward to it too.”

I chuckled, shrugged my shoulders, and then, placing my hand on the hilt of my sword, I moved towards the interior of the ruins that Amy had indicated.

It was time to get to work.