Fellow Countryman (1)

“No, I can’t allow that.”

Before Gyeotmwa Josyegigot could even finish his request to speak privately, Ethan grabbed my arm and refused the proposal.

‘…This was expected.’

I had somewhat anticipated Ethan would react this way the moment those words left the Hero’s mouth, so I remained indifferent. I didn’t even bother getting up to follow Gyeotmwa Josyegigot, as I knew I’d have to convince Ethan first anyway.

One of the biggest reasons Ethan disliked the Hero was because of the countless women constantly surrounding him.

Not to mention Celista and Silena, who had been sticking with him since before the entrance ceremony, even Princess Seraphine showed enough favor to grant Gyeotmwa Josyegigot his unreasonable requests.

And in this world, while Natalie and Agnes maintained an appropriate friendship with the Hero without romantic feelings, they were originally heroines in the game.

So it was only natural for Ethan to be wary of Gyeotmwa Josyegigot approaching me.

“I was suspicious the moment you agreed so readily. Now you’re showing your true colors.”

“Huh? True colors?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you’re after my Lilith? It was suspicious how you kept glancing at Lilith during every magic swordsmanship class. Now that you have the chance, you won’t let it slip, will you?”

“Ah, no, it’s just that she looked way better than in the original-“

-Crash!

“Looked better?! How dare you evaluate my Lilith with that filthy mouth of yours!”

“E-Ethan-nim! Please calm down!”

“Ah, no! I misspoke! I’ll apologize, just calm down first?!”

“Kyaaah! Y-you can’t swing a sword indoors…!!”

Ethan, misunderstanding the Hero’s slip of the tongue as commentary on my appearance, nearly drew his sword right then and there-almost turning Celista’s dorm into an impromptu battleground.

While Gyeotmwa Josyegigot was wrong for misspeaking, Ethan was equally at fault for immediately reaching for his blade.

“Sorry. I really didn’t mean it with any ill intent. The reason I kept looking was just that your relationship with Lilith didn’t seem like a typical master-servant dynamic, and I found that interesting.”

“…You still haven’t explained the ‘looked better’ part.”

“That was just an observation about how well the two of you get along compared to the usual noble-exclusive maid relationship. Nobles who go as far as enrolling their personal maids in the academy tend to be authoritative and treat their servants poorly, right? But Miss Lilith doesn’t seem to have suffered any of that. So I casually said she ‘looked better.'”

“…Be more careful with your words from now on.”

“Yeah, I’ll be mindful.”

Gyeotmwa Josyegigot managed to clear up the misunderstanding with a plausible excuse.

If he can come up with such smooth explanations, I wish he’d watch his mouth in general.

Unlike me, while others know he’s from another world, he should at least keep quiet about details from the original game, 『Luminor Academy』.

Even if his circumstances differ from mine, he shouldn’t be this careless.

“Also, I think you’re misunderstanding-I don’t have any romantic interest in Miss Lilith.”

“How am I supposed to believe that? From the entrance ceremony, you’ve always had women flocking around you. Am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong, but it’s not like I gathered them with romantic intentions. It just happened that many women joined while recruiting people to subjugate demons.”

“That’s a flimsy excuse to call it a misunderstanding.”

“I really don’t have ulterior motives, but how else can I prove something I didn’t do? You know it’s harder to prove innocence, Ethan.”

“……”

Ethan fell silent, unable to refute the Hero’s claim about his sword’s ability.

Following Gyeotmwa Josyegigot’s logic, it was impossible for Ethan to stop us from talking privately, which clearly unsettled him.

He didn’t need to worry-it’s not like I’d suddenly switch sides to the Hero.

While it’s touching how much he cares, I don’t like seeing him suffer over unnecessary concerns.

“It won’t take long. Maybe 10 or 15 minutes. If you want, I can promise not to approach your Lilith after we resolve the Machart situation.”

“…Really?”

“Since we’re on the same side now, it’d be nice if you could trust me a little.”

“…Fine. But stick to the 10 minutes. That should be enough to verify Lilith’s words.”

“Thanks, Blackwood. Miss Lilith, could you come outside with me for a moment?”

“Yes, Hero Gyeotmwa Josyegigot. …I’ll be back soon, Young Master Ethan.”

“…Yeah.”

After finally convincing Ethan, Gyeotmwa Josyegigot and I stepped outside Celista’s dorm and moved to a secluded corner of the hallway.

Once we were far enough, the Hero unsheathed the greatsword at his waist and held it out to me, scabbard and all.

“Miss Lilith, could you hold this? To verify the truth, you’ll need to be holding the sword…”

“Truth my ass. Since when does the Holy Sword have that function? You just made that up on the spot, didn’t you?”

“…So you really are the variable. Haah, I had a feeling.”

The moment we were alone, my attitude shifted completely, and the Hero’s expression relaxed as if he’d finally figured it out.

I, too, felt a sense of relief meeting a fellow countryman for the first time in nearly seven years.

Seemed like he’d gone through a lot to find me.

“At first, I thought Ethan might’ve been possessed or regressed. He’s nothing like the Ethan from 『Luminor Academy』. How the hell did you turn him into such a decent guy…”

“We don’t have time for small talk. Let’s cut to the chase. Ethan expects us back in 10 minutes, so just ask what you need. That’s why we’re here, right?”

“Ah, right. But hold the sword anyway. Just in case someone passes by and sees us.”

I took the Holy Sword as suggested. Without it, we might look like we were sneaking off for a secret rendezvous.

“Since we’re short on time, let’s take turns asking and answering. Anything else crucial, we’ll share as needed.”

“Glad we’re on the same page. Talking to people here is exhausting as hell.”

“Then I’ll go first. How many times did you clear 『Luminor Academy』 in your past life?”

“Never cleared it even once.”

“Really? For someone who hasn’t, you managed to keep Celista and Silena both… W-wait, what?!”

Despite finally meeting a fellow countryman, I couldn’t hide my shock at this betrayal.

He never cleared the game, yet he’s perfectly executed the standard route up to the mid-second act? How is that even possible?

‘What kind of guy is this…?’

Whether he was lying straight to my face or telling the truth, it didn’t take long to realize this guy was anything but ordinary.