EP.134 Intruder (3)
About several minutes before Regis entered the fray.
Hero. Dawna. Apis.
In a room where the female members of the Hero Party were gathered, an unexpected inquiry session was underway.
“So, did you copulate or not?! Make it clear!”
Dawna raised her voice fiercely as she pressed the Hero hard.
However, the Hero, armed with a bright smile, remained unfazed by Dawna’s harsh attacks.
“Um! I must reiterate, I don’t distinctly remember the events of that day! But I do vaguely recall that after embracing the Priestess, who wore nothing at all! I had an incredibly ecstatic time with her!”
“Wha, what?!”
Dawna shuddered in horror at the ridiculous statements flowing from the Hero’s pure eyes.
If left as is, it was clear that this situation would lead to disaster.
Unable to bear it any longer, Apis spoke up.
“Goodness, Dawna, you’re so persistent… It was already proven that the Hero is still pure by touching The Crest of Purity, right? Why are you still so worked up over a matter that’s already been settled?”
“Apis! Stay out of this! This is between the Hero and me!”
With her arms crossed, Apis rested her chin on her elbows propped on the desk as she defended the Hero.
One would think she’d feel uncomfortable using the Hero’s head for support, but…
Blink, blink. The Hero seemed like a large dog, totally indifferent to it all, just blinking occasionally.
“A couple of people in their prime! Ah, how could nothing have happened when they were alone in a room together, naked no less! Moreover! The accuracy of The Crest of Purity is only 97%! That means there’s a whopping 3% chance that Lowville and the Hero got entangled!”
Setting aside whether combining “3%” with “a whopping” makes sense, verifying both at the same time, is that really sound reasoning?
With Dawna, the sharpest mind among them, having lost her wit, no one could present a proper rebuttal.
“Now! Hero! Think a bit more carefully! Please! Just give me some assurance!”
“Ah! Enough with the nonsense! There’s no way anything happened between the Hero and that impotent fellow! If you had any brains, you’d think about it! Dawna! This is why you’re still a virgin at your age! Got it?!”
“What!? You’re done? Apis! What’s the correlation between having a first experience and the ability to understand the nature of things! Tell me!”
“The fact that you’re crying and complaining about such trivial matters proves you’re still a virgin, kid!”
“Kiiiii!!!”
“Dawna! Apis! D-Don’t fight! Hah! Alright! Everyone! Picture a tree in your mind! Isn’t it beautifully green?!”
The two were practically nose-to-nose, while the Hero fidgeted awkwardly in between them.
Their panic resembled that of a child caught in a marital dispute.
Whether the Hero and Regis actually had relations that day was still a hot topic within the Hero Party.
The Hero had fragmented memories, and Regis seemed to be one to keep silent about that day, no matter how much it would tear them apart.
Thus, the void left by the logic that could not be filled with testimony had to be backed by vague speculation.
Apis, who had little interest in human reproduction, gradually lost interest, but Dawna, whose imagination couldn’t help but thrive due to her profession, was the opposite.
“No, more importantly, why is everyone making a fuss over whether the Hero and that guy did it or not!”
“W-What could be so trivial about this! I’ve heard the whole story about the Hero and Lowville! I’m naturally aware of how the Hero feels about her! That’s why!”
“What?”
The story of the relationship between Regis and the Hero was already known within the Hero Party by the Hero’s own mouth.
Though it was a shameful past hard to reveal in front of others.
They were not just anyone; they were family who had shared life’s ups and downs together.
The Hero wished to be seen as honorable in front of them.
“Hero. Reflect on this. Is that feeling you’re experiencing truly love? Perhaps you’re just being swayed by guilt towards her! Heart debt is like that. A distressed situation blurring the lines between excitement and love is a common phenomenon! You too could very well be caught in such a misconception! Isn’t that right?”
“Hey!”
Despite Apis’s irritated shout, Dawna’s impassioned persuasion continued.
Dawna was desperate too.
Her pride of being the one closest to Regis. The arrogance of knowing his charm belonged only to her.
Now that she had lost everything, facing off against such an irresistibly charming Hero, loved by all, meant there was no chance for her.
She was aware this might seem contemptible and dreary.
But Dawna had no leeway left to pick and choose means and methods.
“Ah! On that matter, it’s fine! I can assert with absolute sincerity that there’s no falsehood in my affection for the Priestess! That’s one thing I can guarantee!”
“Ugh…!”
The Hero raised a voice more lively than ever, and Dawna flinched like a singed moth, confronting that dazzling radiance.
“Of course, initially, I hoped to stay close to her to ease my guilty feelings! But that’s not the case anymore!”
Suddenly sitting upright, the Hero sprang to his feet.
“Ugh!”
As a result, Apis, who had been propping her chin on his head, tumbled backward in an ungraceful manner, but caught up in the Hero’s unexpected eloquence, he seemed oblivious.
“The very human qualities of those who pass by the distressed without a second thought and return! The way you resemble a timid little lamb! The occasional clumsiness you show! All of those traits are indescribably lovely!”
He knew it.
He figured he didn’t need to go on and on about such points.
After all, he was the very first to notice all those qualities in this world.
It was undoubtedly him.
But that was something Dawna could never voice aloud.
In fact, it was a longing.
“Furthermore! The Priestess is just as wonderful in character as she is in outer beauty! Though she may appear slender at first glance, her body possesses a certain elegance, and her form is akin to a finely chiseled statue! Her collarbones and hipbones are particularly exquisite! Moreover, that rich scent, no matter how much you smell it, makes you want to keep smelling it — no exaggeration could capture how divine it is!”
The praises from the Hero kept pouring out.
Dawna couldn’t help but frown at the string of sentences that could seem vulgar to some.
“One day, I will make that person my Priestess! That’s my dream!”
After that hopeful proclamation, Dawna hurriedly adjusted her expression.
It was just then.
Apis, who had been sprawled on the floor, suddenly lifted herself up and grabbed onto the Hero’s words.
“Um? What? Priestess?”
“Yes! She’s my Priestess!”
“Did I misunderstand? Is it that humans refer to males as ‘Priests’ and females as ‘Brides’ unlike Elves?”
“Um? I don’t quite understand what you’re saying, Apis!”
“No, you said you were taking that guy as your Priest, just a moment ago.”
“Eh? The term ‘Priest’ is a gender-neutral reference for future partners, right?”
“Sigh… This numbskull…”
It was a historic moment when the secret behind the Hero’s use of the title “Priest” was abruptly revealed, but that peaceful moment was short-lived.
“!”
A chill ran through them.
First, the Hero. Then Apis and Dawna, sensing something simultaneously, quickly regained their composure.
“Apis. Dawna.”
“I know without you saying.”
“…I’m aware.”
In an instant, their tones became calm. Their eyes gleamed with the ferocity of night predators.
What this indicated was clear.
Someone had violated the barrier they had set up earlier.
Clank.
The Hero, now gripping the weapon she had trained with for some time, ruthlessly wiped away the smile she had kept just moments before.
That was a silent signal indicating she had readied herself for battle.
It was then.
As the Hero yanked the doorknob forcefully to rush out, a familiar swarm of chains surged from beyond the door, twisting to get at her.
“─!?”
Kwahng!
Dust filled the air where the Pangongseong echoed.
What emerged from that ominous cloud was a chilling voice that could hardly be identified as that of the living.
“Excuse me, everyone. Is the Regis Priestess, or rather, the Savior, present here?”
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