I lost my mind

“I think they’re onto us.”

“Ugh. It’s all because of that Philip!”

Judy, Chloe, Ilene, and Cecilia.

The party members of Evan, except for Evan, met as a group of four.

This meeting had a different, impure purpose, so it had to be kept secret from Evan.

“I had a bad feeling about this. It was strange that we didn’t get caught, sigh…”

The other women around Judy questioned her muttering.

Despite hesitating at first, Judy eventually confessed the truth.

“Right? Even if it’s Evan’s room, that’s a bit… weird.”

“Hmm. It is strange that we didn’t get caught.”

These were Cecilia and Ilene’s words.

Chloe, not in a position to speak ill of others, remained silent.

“I didn’t want to do it either! Do you think I’m crazy to fool around with Philip in Evan’s room? That pervert kept forcing me, that’s why!”

“Still…”

“Hmm. Philip is quite pushy.”

Of course, Cecilia and Ilene were not entirely blameless either.

All four women currently conversing were well aware of the truth.

“What if Evan knows everything? I feel really sorry for Evan…”

“…Do you think he’s completely clueless? You know Evan, Chloe, he’s not that oblivious.”

“That’s true… He hasn’t shown any signs of blaming or hating us.”

“From what I’ve seen, that’s true. Even though he’s changed from before, he hasn’t been angry with us. He still seems unaware.”

The women had a valid reason to feel guilty about Evan.

Not long ago, they had slept with other guild members.

It wasn’t forced upon them, but they willingly sought comfort in the arms of other men.

There were reasons for this as well.

“…Should we have rejected that offer?”

“It’s not as easy as it sounds. It’s a chance to turn our lives around…”

Currently, they were without affiliation.

Though they had formed a party of five, it was nothing compared to the large guilds.

One day, Amir and Gale, officials from the Scavenger’s Guild, made a proposition.

An offer of recruitment. The condition was to offer their virginity along with sexual favors.

An outrageous and disrespectful condition, which they naturally rejected.

However, the continuous temptations from the men made it difficult for them to resist.

So, they offered their virginity. It was a decision made to pursue success and nothing else.

Although they didn’t need Evan’s permission for this action, it was a clear betrayal, and the possibility of Evan accepting it was slim.

They couldn’t openly confront him, but they couldn’t help but feel hurt.

Given the circumstances, the party members kept the truth hidden within themselves.

“So, what are you going to do? Even though you feel sorry for Evan, you can’t miss out on this opportunity.”

Chloe subtly threw a question. The other heroines expressed their thoughts.

“I’ve already made up my mind. And it’s too late to turn back now…”

“I’m still not sure. Who knows what schemes those Scavenger guys have.”

“I’m with Cecilia. I can’t go back to how things were before. So, I’ll talk to Evan separately. This tiresome party is over now.”

With Judy’s firm tone, the party members gathered their resolve.

Yes, it was too late to turn back. There was only one choice.

Afterward, they discussed at length how to comfort Evan.

#

It had been a week since I possessed Evan’s damn body.

For a week, I didn’t do much.

Just eating, sleeping, and using the restroom on repeat, occasionally passing by heroines but never engaging in conversation.

Perhaps they sensed my unusual aura, as they never approached me first.

After spending a meaningless 7 days, today, once again, I find myself doing nothing.

I just want to flow like water and be left alone.

But my pessimism and grumbling towards the world are short-lived, and now I must slowly regain my composure.

I struggled to hold onto my hazy mind and assess the situation.

“Ha. But when are you sending me home?”

I said to the empty air. Once again, the goddess remained silent.

I don’t know if she’s hiding out of guilt or fear of my retaliation, but I hope she comes back soon. If a crazy woman makes a promise, she should keep it, damn it.

“Sigh, I’ll endure it one more time.”

I forced myself to get up. This can’t go on forever.

You never know. If I diligently fulfill Evan’s role, maybe he’ll really send me back to Earth.

With such inflated expectations, I headed out of the room.

*Swoosh*

Just as I was about to step through the open door, a woman was lingering in front of it.

As soon as she noticed my presence, the woman, with long white hair, spoke with a short gasp.

“E-Evan. You’re up.”

“Uh. Good morning.”

A woman with long white hair. Dressed in martial attire, a sword tied to her waist.

Based on her appearance, this woman is likely Illynet. Evan’s swordsmanship master.

Despite her confident exterior, she displayed a somewhat cautious demeanor.

“Are you planning to rest again today? There are quite a few requests piled up….”

“You don’t have to wait for me. You guys can go on missions without me.”

“But how can we leave you behind and go? We should do it together.”

Even as she spoke, Illynet didn’t meet my gaze.

Is it because of guilt? She doesn’t seem confident about the sins she’s committed.

But what does that matter? It’s something that has nothing to do with me anyway.

Without a hint of resentment, I replied without showing any interest.

“You’re right. Since we’re comrades, let’s do it together for now.”

“Hehe. But is something wrong? You seem low on energy these days.”

“Not really? It’s just the same as usual, so don’t worry.”

Passing by Illynet, I said.

“Let’s go downstairs. It’s been a while since we went to conquer a dungeon.”

“Y-Yes. Got it.”

As I descended the stairs, various sounds and gestures greeted me.

Upon arriving at the first floor not long after, many people were gathered, preparing for adventures.

Mercenaries drinking alcohol in the morning. Adventurers inquiring at the counter to receive requests.

Among them were Evan’s companions.

Approaching the familiar faces of the women, I felt a sense of nostalgia.

Illynet. Judy. Cecilia. Chloe.

Seeing the four women at a glance, I felt a new sense of emotion.

“Finally out! It’s all because of you!”

Evan’s childhood friend Judy complained.

“Don’t you think a week was too much? We missed out on dozens of requests because of you!”

“Ugh, so noisy.”

“What? This is real!”

Frowning, I responded dryly, which only made Judy more aggressive.

“There’s a limit to how much I can endure! You seemed to be struggling, so I was worried, but this is too much! And if you have worries, you should consult with us, right? Huh?”

“I don’t know. Just let it go, it’s not a big deal.”

“No! I’m curious, that’s why I’m asking! Curious! Let’s talk about it!”

I wonder how to handle this. Of course, Cecilia intervened and stopped Judy, so there was no need for that.

“J-Judy, please calm down. Your voice is too loud.”

“Ugh! So frustrating!”

I tore my gaze away from the chatty Cecilia and Judy.

Then Cloe pushed her hand against my forehead.

“Do you have a fever by any chance?”

Her touch was gentle, accompanied by a worried tone.

Cloe seemed genuinely concerned about comforting me.

I abruptly pushed her hand away.

“Why are you fussing over me like this? I’m really fine, let’s go quickly.”

“What’s wrong? I’m just worried about you.”

“Worries should be kept in moderation. Isn’t this being overly protective? The person in question will collapse from exhaustion.”

“…Evan, are you acting strange today? Why do you keep acting out of character?”

Out of character? Hmm. This was the first productive conversation I had with these guys.

It was also a valid point. I coughed to hide my embarrassed emotions.

“We’re busy right now. Let’s stop dawdling and go do our tasks quickly.”

After saying that, I headed towards the reception desk.

Just before I could speak to the receptionist, Judy spoke first.

“We’ve already taken on a request. There was a commotion with a Giant Hog herd not long ago. But their den has been discovered.”

She handed me a piece of paper. The request details were written on it.

“It’s a D-rank request. The reward is quite generous for its rank. It seems doable, what do you think?”

She glanced at the other party members, seeking their agreement.

The rest of the party members hesitated briefly before nodding.

I didn’t express any opposition either.

“Okay, then let’s accept this request.”

After that, we prepared our equipment.

Protective gear that absorbs external shocks, followed by artifacts that enhance physical abilities and mana.

As I watched the party members attaching such equipment, I thought to myself.

They were meticulously preparing for danger.

‘Is this a group safety obsession? It’s just capturing a few piglets, why such excessive precautions.’

No. Evan mentioned that the party was D-rank.

And according to the novel’s description, these girls were incompetent below their rank.

They couldn’t even catch a single ogre and struggled. Useless members.

Yet the party was still intact solely thanks to Evan.

Evan wasn’t particularly skilled, but he wasn’t entirely useless either.

‘Heh. The future looks bleak already.’

Thinking of the novel’s grim development, I involuntarily held my breath.

Back when I was part of a hero party, I didn’t have these worries. Those were good times.

Suddenly, Karen’s annoying face came to mind, and I frowned.

Thinking back, there weren’t any good times after all.

Lost in such uncharacteristic thoughts, while time passed.

All my comrades were ready to depart, fully armed.

I got up from my chair and joined them.

“Huh? Judy, your shoelace is untied.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Seems like she’s not fully prepared yet.

I sat back down and waited.

“…”

But what’s this? Even after some time passed, Judy didn’t move a muscle to tie her shoelace.

I just told her about it. If she knows, she should tie it quickly, what is she doing?

“Judy, your bootlace is untied. Aren’t you going to tie it?”

“Huh?”

To my puzzled question, Judy tilted her head.

“Do you understand? Why?”

“?”

At first, I couldn’t comprehend.

But when I looked at her outstretched foot, I could barely understand.

“…Are you asking me to tie your shoelace?”

“This is really weird. Are you feeling unwell? Are you hurt somewhere? Why are you acting strange all of a sudden?”

“Um… Aren’t you the one feeling unwell? Why would I tie your bootlace?”

“Well, I don’t know how to tie it. That’s why you always do it for me.”

…Did I just hear some nonsense?

So, an adventurer going to defeat monsters doesn’t know how to tie shoelaces?

Why? How is that possible?

Understood clearly, but I disagreed. It can’t be like that. That’s not right.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and untie it.”

“…Sigh.”

I hesitated for a moment, trying to choose my words.

But no matter how hard I tried to think, the words just wouldn’t come to me.

‘What should I do with this annoying girl….’

As I let out a sigh internally, someone tapped my shoulder from behind.

It was Cecilia. She handed me a flask filled with blue liquid and asked,

“Um, Evan. Could you open this for me?”

“…You can just take off the cap and open it yourself.”

“Ugh. I’m too weak to do it….”

Oh, damn.

I almost lost my mind for a moment.

“Ah, I did it! Evan! Is this how you tie it like this?”

Huh? I lost my mind completely.