After a fierce battle, the second Dimension Gap was closed. They said the monsters got tougher as you went deeper, and that was spot on.
The pesky Irregular that had been interfering with my mind was gone, but overall, the monsters were stronger than the first wave.
Turns out, Abel’s challenge to me to defeat him before joining the Monster Extermination War wasn’t just for fun. These otherworldly creatures were indeed strong.
I couldn’t even imagine how many times I would’ve died here without that month of training.
I suddenly felt how complacent I had been until now.
“Ugh…”
I shook off the blood from my rapier and sheathed it. I stared blankly at the droplets of blood dissolving into the air like dust. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned my head.
There stood Yurph, smiling gently. When her question about whether I liked Abel popped into my head, I quickly averted my gaze.
Yurph didn’t mind and stood right in front of me again.
“Do you have a moment?”
“Uh, well…”
[What are you hesitating for? If it works out, then great, if not, tough luck.]
I guess my awkwardness was getting frustrating for Silphy because I could hear her scolding me from the side.
She was usually so petty, but at times like this, she oddly acted cool.
‘Alright, alright.’
Nodding slightly in acceptance, Yurph took my hand. Her hand was still thin, but unlike before, it felt lively.
For a moment, I was lost in that warmth as she pulled me toward the tent.
Kal, who had been resting nearby, watched us with a pleased expression. When our eyes met, he waved lightly at us.
“I have something to attend to, so I’ll be a bit late.”
Kal said that before leaving. Yurph watched until his back disappeared.
Finally, when he was completely gone, she sighed in relief. I had my doubts about her aversion to Kal, but I didn’t pry.
She roughly opened the tent and dashed inside. Following her in, I saw the unfamiliar interior.
Turning my head slightly, I saw Yurph with sparkling eyes.
“Id, you like the Duke, right?”
She asked, but it seemed like she was pretty sure about it. It felt too awkward to deny, so I eventually nodded.
Her eyes sparkled even more at that.
“I’m a romance counseling expert, you know.”
“Oh, really?”
It was hard to believe just by looking at her.
Noticing my skeptical gaze, Yurph crossed her arms and glared at me. I felt like she had caught my thoughts, and as I tensed up, she pointed something else out.
“Id, can we talk more casually? I’m only fourteen, after all.”
“Uh… If it’s not too much trouble, I’ll make sure to do that.”
Was her request to speak casually an invitation to get closer? The prickly Yurph from a few days ago had genuinely vanished.
“So, would you like to hear my romantic counseling advice?”
She boasted that she had matched more couples than she could count in the Holy Kingdom. That cute display made me chuckle without even realizing it.
Seeing my smile, Yurph frowned, clearly not believing me.
“Then ask Kal later. He wouldn’t lie about that.”
“Got it.”
“So, what will you do?”
Yurph asked again, and with her overly friendly gaze, I couldn’t find it in me to decline.
Thinking she might sulk and refuse to talk to me for a while if I turned her down, my instincts urged me to agree.
[Romantic counseling to steal another’s fiancé? How amusing.]
‘The other person is me!’
[Heh, that’s why it’s funny.]
Silphy giggled beside me, as if she found it amusing. Seeing Abel’s face do that made me want to smack him on the head.
I held back, though, worried Yurph might look at me strangely.
§
“Pfft, ah…”
A laugh escaped from between my hands. Abel finally lost it and burst out laughing.
Even while squinting at him, he showed no signs of stopping.
“So, you decided to get romance advice from a Saint Candidate, huh?”
“Can you stop laughing now?”
“If the roles were reversed, wouldn’t you be laughing too?”
The thought that the person he was engaged to was getting romance advice to steal him away in disguise was absurd on another level.
It felt silly to be in this position because I couldn’t bring myself to refuse Yurph, who sparkled with excitement at the thought of helping me.
And considering how we were already familiar enough to call each other by our names, it made even less sense.
“I haven’t had anything to laugh about lately, but you’ve taken a load off my mind.”
“Shut up.”
I let out a deep sigh and dramatically flopped onto the sofa. I turned my head sharply with my cheeks puffed up, as if staging a silent protest.
Yet, the laughter still trickled out.
“Uh, Abel.”
“Ah, sorry. I’ll stop now.”
When I shot him a glare, he chuckled and finally followed his own words, stopping his laughter. He didn’t seem genuinely apologetic, but I decided to let it go.
After all, he probably didn’t want to apologize sincerely anyway.
“So, how’s the situation?”
“It’s not bad. I think he’s finally put aside his fasting and is at least eating some food.”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
“A relief? Do you also know Yurph?”
At my question, Abel hesitated for a moment. After pondering my words, he chuckled.
“Well, I wouldn’t say we’re particularly close.”
“Really?”
When I asked again, Abel simply nodded. He didn’t seem to be lying.
He wouldn’t have any reason to lie about something like this.
“Why? Are you feeling jealous?”
“Me?”
He pointed at me incredulously. Abel answered with a smile on his face.
“Who else would be jealous if not you?”
“I’m not!”
Squinting my eyes, I said that, but the smile on his face persisted. It annoyed me somehow.
He didn’t seem to take my word for it.
“Ugh, think what you like.”
“Okay, I’ll do just that.”
There was no point in adding anything further; I could tell my words wouldn’t change that mischievous smile on his face.
That playful grin of his was almost so beautiful, it made me feel like it was unfair. Was looks really that important?
Adel might be pretty too, but compared to Abel, she just seemed dull. I bet if Abel dressed as a girl, he’d be cuter than me.
‘Ugh, thinking about it just makes me more annoyed.’
“Well, let’s set aside the chit-chat for now.”
He wiped the smile off his face and picked up a piece of paper from the desk.
It looked like a rather complex piece of imperial language, dense with text that would be hard to see from a distance.
“The Emperor has started to move.”
“He?”
“Yeah.”
With a snap of his fingers, the paper floated up and slowly made its way to me. I received the paper as it approached and examined its contents.
It recorded events between the Holy Kingdom and the Imperial Family.
“It looks like his next target is the Holy Kingdom.”
“Right. He has seen the Holy Kingdom as a thorn in his side for a long time now.”
The alliance with the Holy Kingdom was only superficial, and numerous secret raids had occurred between the Empire of Arye and the Kingdom of Numen.
It was just that those exchanges remained hidden from the surface.
While contemplating Abel’s explanation, I unconsciously touched my neck. I felt a slight sting where the marks from being strangled had been.
The true fear of death that I had first felt returned to haunt me.
I tried to bury my trembling fingertips, but Abel must have sensed my fear, as he looked at me with a worried expression.
“You still seem scared.”
“Yeah. I almost died at his hands just a month ago.”
“To grow stronger, you must eventually overcome that fear.”
“I know.”
Even though his words were stern, his voice carried concern for me. It made me slightly embarrassed, and I scratched my face awkwardly.
“If the Holy Kingdom is the next target, then we should head for the Holy Kingdom, right?”
“That’s why this Extermination War is important.”
The reason Abel had personally joined the Extermination War was to form friendly relations with the Holy Kingdom through it and, with their help, stand against the Emperor.
That was the direction Abel had mapped out for the future.
“We’ll need to accumulate merit.”
Yurph mentioned that the Holy Kingdom emphasized a strict meritocracy. High positions were only given to those with merits earned by rectifying evil deeds and leading good actions.
“That’s right. We have about a week left until the Extermination War is over.”
“Wouldn’t I have enough merit with my miraculous healing abilities?”
“That’s your merit, not mine.”
“True, I guess.”
So that’s why Abel was always at the forefront, clearing out monsters.
He was doing all of that to build a relationship with the Holy Kingdom. Through that, he must be planning to receive their aid in thwarting the Emperor’s plans.
Was Abel laying the groundwork for killing the Emperor this whole time? I was suddenly curious about the personal reasons he had for wanting to deal with the Emperor.
It wasn’t the Emperor’s evil deeds that drove him, but rather some private grudge he held.
Yet, I refrained from voicing that question.
I still didn’t feel close enough to him to ask about such things. Also, I had a feeling that it would be connected to his deepest wounds.
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