Chapter: 588
It was important to enter the island immediately, so I had pushed it aside, but what I needed to do was not just conquer the dungeon once I was on the island.
After all, being guided by the Fairy Queen meant I was here to take what the heroes had left behind.
I also needed to visit the grandpa and hero dolls left by Erginius, and I had to conquer Garad’s castle too. I decided to go to Garad’s castle with Benedict.
The hero’s skull was someone I wanted to have a deep chat with later, while grandpa’s skull was definitely someone I wanted to meet alone.
Why? Because I could tease grandpa! The grandpa’s skull had that typical old man vibe that even came through the monitor—how would it be in reality?
Ah, I’m so excited just imagining how grumpy he’d be, even just from hearing his voice!
[…I’m not looking forward to it at all. Wouldn’t it be better if you just left me behind? ]
‘How could I not take my weapon, which is my grandpa?’
[Well. I suppose. ]
Thinking about facing his own dark history made grandpa naturally seal his lips.
Hmm. If I were to meet my past self who used to wander around with a middle schooler’s delusions, I would probably freak out too. Grandpa must feel the same way.
“Rina, is there really any need to be that alert here?”
“There’s no telling when that trash may pop up. So we gotta be ready to leave a mark on that annoying face.”
“…If you injure the prince’s face, it’ll be a big problem.”
“I don’t care about what happens in human nations. I’m just here as Lucy’s loyal hound to protect her!”
Upon hearing me say I was going outside, Rina joined in without a second thought, standing on the horse pulling the carriage with her eyes wide open.
I could hardly believe this was the same Rina who either acted all pervy or slept like a beast beside me before.
However, this time was so lacking in awareness it was almost comical.
Just look at the disappointment in Benedict’s eyes. He’d ditched his guard to spend some quality time with his daughter, only to find himself being interrupted by a superior he couldn’t oppose.
“Baaaboo Papa~”
At this rate, my attempt to draw Benedict outside was entirely wasted!
Crawling out from the back of the carriage and sitting beside him made Benedict flinch and then turn to offer an awkward smile.
“If you’re tired, you can sleep more.”
“You pervy papa. Are your eyes wandering? What are you trying to do while I’m asleep?”
“Don’t misinterpret! I’m not like Rina!”
“That’s such a sad accusation. I don’t meddle with sleeping Lucy. It’d just make me hated.”
[But I do enjoy watching you roll around in your sleep. ]
Grandpa, could you please keep such horrifying truths hidden in your heart?!
I thought about putting that clumsy fox in a cage when we slept tomorrow, just as I saw Benedict pulling out a large robe.
“Wear this until we arrive. Lucy, you’re too eye-catching like that.”
“Then I should show off. It’s so fun to watch the pathetic folks squirm in confusion.”
“Well, that’s…”
“Or is it that you don’t want to show your daughter’s cute side to others? Want to keep her all to yourself? Hahaha! Pervy Papa is a greedy one!”
“Can’t you just not call me pervy? It honestly hurts my heart.”
Sorry, but this is beyond my control. Please, just let it slide.
“So, silly papa. How long until we reach that trash’s castle?”
“If it’s Garad’s castle, we still have about two more hours to go.”
Garad’s castle is like a magic dungeon. Garad took measures to prevent unqualified people from entering, making it feel more like a dungeon than an actual dungeon.
Because of that, no one lived in the land surrounding Garad’s castle.
If you built a village here, knights on horseback would come, politely knock you out, and chase you away. By the time you returned, the village would already be burnt to the ground.
Given this situation, to get to Garad’s castle, you have to teleport to the nearest territory and then use physical means to move there.
Hiring a space magician would be the most efficient method, but in this case, conquering Garad’s castle was just a side quest.
If I wanted to spend time leisurely with Benedict, traveling by carriage was the better option.
“Hey, silly papa. I’m bored. Tell me a fun story.”
“…Uh, a fun story? Um, sure. How about the time I defeated a dragon?”
“That’s so cliché. It’s like the dad stuck in the past! I’m kind of sad.”
“Um… then should I tell you about the time I met a mummy?”
“I’ve heard that one in winter so many times! Describe how much of a drunk creep you are instead?”
“Drunk? Creep?”
Did he not realize he was making such faces? Benedict’s head naturally drooped.
Normally, I’d feel guilty watching that, but this time was different.
After all, Benedict discussing his wife turned him into a downright pathetic man. If I had to rank topics I never wanted to discuss while drinking, that would definitely make the top 3.
“I guess I have no choice. The mistake was expecting something from a boring dad like Baaaboo Papa.”
“Just give me one more chance! I’ll definitely find a story that Lucy will find fun!”
“Shut up. Get a grip. Boring Papa. I’ll talk instead of you, pathetic dumb dad.”
Easily silencing Benedict, I propped my chin and started pulling out memories of old events.
Like the time I almost died facing a Minotaur.
Or the time I nearly suffered a horrible fate encountering an alchemist during the entrance exam.
That time I almost got killed by an Apostle of the Evil God.
The near-death experiences I faced when visiting Karia.
When I almost lost my head facing Garad’s doll.
And what happened in Burrow territory.
I recounted all these incidents to Benedict, waiting to see how he’d react—each time bringing him a jolt of horror that I’d managed to silence with my storytelling.
Realizing how many crises I’d gone through, it struck me:
The very fact that I was alive now was nothing short of a miracle!
I was a veteran and all, but I had narrowly escaped death more than once!
Hey, Haphazard God! Isn’t this a bit strange!?
Typically, someone in a divine position like you should be treated with more respect! I’m not the one seeking danger with my own two feet!
What made this more irritating was that, compared to all I had done, my rewards were utterly pathetic!
Ah, sure, my stats have risen a lot!
But if my stats go up, so do the enemy’s! What’s the point of that!? Huh!?
“…Can I ask why you’ve been hiding all this?”
While I was stewing in my indignation at the Haphazard God, Benedict broke the lengthy silence and spoke.
“Though I may seem small to your foolish, negligent eyes, there are plenty of bigger losers out there.”
“Well, that makes sense. Our Lucy worked super hard and got strong!”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it anymore. Why are you such a girl inside despite looking like a troll? Can we play with dolls together later?”
Benedict’s worries were valid. Not only did I have his grandfather’s words hanging over me, but I had felt it somehow before too.
“You may not know this, but Haphazard God is a shameless pervert without any reason to be respected. He’s a deviant who enjoys dressing me in embarrassing clothes. There’s no way that trash would abandon me, right? No one’s cuter than me in this world.”
From here on, I would face many more crises. As long as I didn’t reach the end of the game’s story, I couldn’t live in peace.
But I wouldn’t go down without a fight. For the pride of the Soul Academy veterans, I would claw my way to survival.
And I believed that if I was determined to survive, the Haphazard God would do his best to help me too.
Aside from his unshakeable tastes that could only make me cringe and his blatant incompetence that felt like a waste for someone with such a grand title, he wasn’t a bad guy after all.
Why else would Phoebe say such things? His intentions to make the world a better place were genuine.
“So just wait back at home. You’re not some beast or someone unable to do what even a puppy can.”
So I wouldn’t die. No matter what came my way, I would survive to see the end of this world.
What would happen afterward, who knows?
No matter what, it’d be extra content!
At least a DLC, or even a sequel!
Do you think I’d let that get away!?
“…I see.”
Benedict’s shoulders trembled as he held onto the reins, his head bowed.
There were so many thoughts bubbling up in me, but I kept my mouth shut and focused ahead.
Though I felt myself being somewhat drawn into the Mesugaki skill, I could still catch the vibe.
With the clear blue sky overhead and the sight of those self-moving horses, I spotted an old, dark castle looming in the distance.
It looked like it could crumble at any moment, and it was the place I’d been searching for; a trial venue.
This would be the place to let Benedict know he didn’t need to worry about me.
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