episode_0057

In a dark room with all the lights turned off.

A familiar ceiling appears before my eyes.

Among the rooms in the Suljirik Palace, a scene similar to the room we stayed in came into my sight. What is it…?

I slowly turned my head and looked out the window.

For a moment, I squinted my eyes at the moonlight streaming down through the glass window. Even though my favorite moon was right in front of me, I felt uneasy.

I jumped up from my seat and looked around.

‘Could it be a time loop!?’

Isn’t it?

When I realized that, I sighed in relief and lay back down in bed.

I really thought I had been in a time loop since there were no visible injuries, but the pain all over my body from the aftereffects of overdoing it in this fight and the fact that I couldn’t see anyone proved otherwise.

I raised my arms and covered my eyes.

‘It’s all over now.’

Since I arrived here, everything I’ve done so far has passed in an instant. Thinking back, I realize that so much has happened in the past few days.

I got out of bed and checked my bag. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I had left my swords on the battlefield.

‘What else can I say?’

I sighed and put my bag on my back.

Rather than going now and getting nagged, it would be much better for my mental health to just get some rest today and go pick it up tomorrow.

I left the room, feeling anxious that something might happen again. But.

Where were you?

***

After walking around this vast palace for hours, I finally reached the place where I had placed my sword. What a struggle this was in the middle of the night.

I opened the huge door, trying hard to ignore the crimson blood that was visible in front of it.

Squeak.

While I was unconscious, they must have cleaned up to some extent, as all the corpses and weapons that were supposed to be visible had been removed. However, the blood that was spread everywhere was so bad that they couldn’t clean it up, and the smell of blood wafted up to my nose.

But that’s it.

To me, it wasn’t a major issue. No, even if it was, it probably wouldn’t have caught my eye.

Because right now, the moon was standing before me more beautiful than ever.

“Why are you there, Ilya?”

I approached Ilia, who was standing around the sword. She also felt my approach and looked at me without much surprise.

“The prince ordered me to guard these swords, so I’m here.”

“Ah… ”

-Don’t let anyone touch my sword… Yes, tell Ilia to guard it…

I forgot what she said unconsciously just before she collapsed. I don’t know how long she was here though.

The smell of blood on her clothes told me she had been here for at least several hours.

“Sorry.”

Ilya said, waving his hand at my apology.

“You, why are you apologizing?”

“I’m the one who told you to do that.”

“Really? That makes me happy…”

Ilya looked at me with a bitter smile. Ah… I’m screwed.

Of course… you’re angry, right? Of course, since you knew that the person who asked you to stay in a place like this for hours was not a prince, but a country!

Ah… it’s all over.

Even in its current state, the chances of success for the rescue quest were extremely low, but with my actions, I made it even more extremely low.

Actually, I know that. If I hadn’t told her, this wouldn’t have happened. But I didn’t want to hide it from her.

Even if I don’t say it, Mars will tell it for me someday. In that situation, I didn’t want to lie so shamelessly.

… Actually, they are all excuses.

This story could have been told tomorrow. My sleepy body just wouldn’t wait long enough for me to think about it.

Ha… If you’re stupid, you should at least keep your mouth shut. Why are you talking about that!!

While I was calming my anxious mind, Ilya pushed her face towards me without saying anything. I instinctively took a step back at her appearance.

‘You must be upset… Yeah, I understand that too… ‘

Please just look at it once.

“Why the damage?”

“I didn’t avoid it.”

“You avoided it, right?”

I couldn’t run away from her determined gaze and opened my mouth.

“… Right, for a moment I thought you were coming at me to get angry, so I avoided you.”

“Why am I suddenly angry at you?”

“You’re not mad at me for staying here all this time?”

“Not at all. Rather, I’m glad you trusted me and told me to protect this sword.”

“Then why do you have such a lonely expression?”

A dark castle with all the lights out.

Ilia, who thought that Logs couldn’t see his expression in that castle, lowered his head and hid the aforementioned face at Logs’s remark.

“That, that’s it… Because you got hurt because of me.”

“Don’t worry about that… To tell you the truth, you were hurt much worse than me.”

“Anyway! Enough talking. I’m ready.”

I could tell right away what she was talking about. I think I unconsciously understood this and created a space where we could talk alone.

Then I asked her again.

“What?”

Ilya hesitated for a moment at my question, then approached me without saying anything.

I instinctively stepped back again. But Ilya didn’t stop there. He grabbed my arm as I stepped back and pulled me toward him.

“I told you I’d punish you.”

“… ”

Even though I could make her do strange things as punishment, I didn’t feel a single bit of hesitation from Ilia. She didn’t stop there, and her voice came out as if she was okay with doing anything.

‘Ugh…’

I let out a groan of pain as the desire rose from within me.

I really don’t think it’s right to abuse such a pretty face like this. If I keep doing this, I might lose control and do something weird. Why on earth would I do that?

I cleared my throat, barely able to withstand her inconsiderate straight thrust.

“Ahem… I,I remember now. So the punishment I’m going to give you is… ”

Even if I don’t give her any punishment here, she will eventually be punished by death according to the law. But that is only if there is a process of doing it ‘according to the law’.

If Mars’s gullible personality is to be considered, then even if he is punished, it will probably end in banishment.

So I thought of a very innovative project.

as soon as

‘Project to save Ilia’!!

…what does the name matter? What matters is what’s inside it.

My project is like this.

If she were to be banished by Mars, would she be able to survive there? It would be possible, but it would be very difficult.

So me!

We provide her with the necessary supplies and money every month. No matter what anyone says, money is the best salvation, no matter where you are in the world.

Of course, it is difficult for an ordinary person to support one person for a lifetime. But I am a noble of the Duke’s family. I have plenty of money.

There are rumors that I’m a loser there, so my parents wouldn’t think it’s strange that I’m running out of money every month. They’d just think I’m playing around somewhere else.

When people ask me, ‘Is this a punishment?’ I would say no.

There is only one reason why I am obsessed with the mere pretext of punishment.

Because if I don’t do this, Ilya won’t accept my offer.

My quest and Ilia’s food, clothing and shelter.

And even the promise with Naiz.

A very happy ending that can end all of this at once.

And I also thought that since I was already being punished with exile, there was no need to punish me as well.

So I explained this huge project of mine to Ilya…

Ilya’s reaction was different from what I expected.

“Are you a goja?”

“Huh?”

Ilia’s verbal abuse was heard as the story ended.

She looked a little angry.

‘Isn’t this it?’

I checked the status window.

[Main] Rescue (0/1)]

Certainly, the fact that the Salvation quest wasn’t broken suggests that this isn’t the right answer… but if it wasn’t for material salvation, there was nothing I could do.

As I was pondering, lost in my thoughts again, I heard Ilya’s voice.

“You weren’t joking, were you really going to punish me?

“Uh… ”

“Am I that unattractive… ”

Ilya muttered softly, but I was so lost in my thoughts that I couldn’t hear his voice at all.

“Just one more time… ”

Just as I was about to tell him to tell me, Ilya covered my mouth and said.

“Do you think that would be a good thing?”

‘What is this pressure?’

I felt a mixture of discontent and sadness coming from Ilya.

Unable to withstand the pressure, I shook my head.

“Right? So can I make a suggestion?”

It was funny how the person who was to be punished decided it.

I couldn’t refuse her, who had closed the distance between us to shut my mouth.

“Okay. Okay, but… But… Could you move away a little bit?”

“Why? You hate me?”

I shook my head at her frightening voice.

“No, that’s not it… That… ”

My heart is touching!!! Please save me!!!

Just like last time, I can’t get used to this feeling. No matter how hard I struggle with my whole body, I can’t stand it anymore and the part that needs to grow grows bigger.

I don’t know if they don’t know that fact or if they are doing this on purpose.

She didn’t move away from me and spoke to me in a more fearful voice.

“What is the reason?”

“No, that’s right… ”

She was the type of person who wouldn’t let me go unless I explained the reason, so I reluctantly explained the reason.

“My heart is touching you… ”

“Huh? Ah… ”

If you saw my expression right now, you’d probably laugh. But if you want me to be introverted, which I’ve never experienced before, I hope you’ll let it go. That’s probably something I’ll never have in my life. But…

“Why are you laughing… Are you doing it on purpose!?”

“Not on purpose… but I didn’t know you’d be embarrassed by something like this.”

Only then did I realize.

People perceive me as a jerk. And most jerks are pretty tolerant of this. The problem was that I was so flustered that I forgot about such details.

Before she could even blame me for this mistake, I explained it to her.

“Because I’m a special loser.”

“Hmm~ Really?”

He agreed that he understood, but his eyes showed that he did not believe him.

I decided that it would be a bad idea to continue this story here, so I quickly changed the subject.

“So what do you want?”

Ilya also seemed to have no intention of continuing this story, so he moved away from me without saying a word and opened his mouth.

“Hire me.”

“Employment?”

“Yeah, it’s okay if you don’t pay me… Just let me stay by your side.”

“… ?”

This time, Ilya was trailing off. I thought for a moment, ‘Should I ask again?’, but I didn’t open my mouth because I thought he might ‘threaten’ me again.

“Is that really enough?”

“Yeah. Why? You don’t like it?”

I have a capable butler named Steven, so I don’t need to hire any additional servants now. But that was when Steven was my personal butler.

Strictly speaking, Stephen was my father’s butler, which means he wasn’t my personal butler.

In the first place, it was not easy to get him because of his title as a loser, so Steven was attached to me.

Why would I refuse such a pretty maid like her? The only thing I’m worried about is the kids’ opposition.

As far as I know, most of them are not as evil as me, but rather on the righteous side, so if I persuade them, they will probably accept me somehow. It won’t be easy, though…

“I like it. But what do you get out of this?”

“Wow, that’s what a punishment is! You’re the weird one.”

How kind of a person must be to realize that the punishment I am giving is unjust and punish himself.

I smiled and reached out to her.

“Then I’ll take care of food, clothing, and shelter, and I’ll ask for your help in the future.”

Ilya grabbed my hand tightly.

“Good idea!”

I don’t know why, but seeing Ilya laughing made me stop my thoughts and smile.

I haven’t completed the Salvation Quest, but I can’t say no to someone I like this much… right?

[Main] Rescue (1/1)]

‘Why is this broken?’

[Quest rewards will give you a slot for Asbel’s Sword and Kraverk’s Fang]

[You can borrow the abilities of one of the demons who made a contract with Kraverk’s Fang]

[Note) Modification is not possible / Cannot be used if the opposing demon does not agree to the contract]

[You can choose to use one of the abilities used with Asbel’s sword]

[However) Modification is not possible / Abilities that have not been used cannot be used]

‘Oh… huh? That’s good… ‘

So why is it broken?

[I want an explanation as to why Asbel’s sword abandoned us again before.]

[Kraberg’s fangs nod, saying that you are indeed a goner]

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

‘Ah… I’m screwed.’

Since then, I couldn’t sleep until I had listened to all the complaints from the swordsmen I had never seen before.