Initial Trait: Guardian Knight.
This guy, the activation condition is ridiculously fussy.
I started thinking that way when I was about to save Jill from falling into a pit.
They said the activation condition is “when protecting someone,” and yet, I clearly saved Jill from a crisis, but it didn’t activate.
In fact, I gained some assurance at that moment.
A Guardian Knight does not base its protection on the subject being protected.
It must be when the protected recognizes that they are being protected that it counts.
With that assurance, I went ahead with this stunt.
If I failed, I’d be destined to die from the assassins’ blades.
[Trait ‘Guardian Knight’ activates.]
[Stats]
[Strength: 9(x5) Guardian Knight effect applied]*
[Stamina: 7(x5) Guardian Knight effect applied]*
[Mana: 12(x5) Guardian Knight effect applied]*
[Agility: 18(x5) Guardian Knight effect applied]*
[Luck: 14(x5) Guardian Knight effect applied]*
I succeeded, just like that!
I barely got through the life-and-death situation.
I definitely chose the route to conquer the heroine to avoid risking my life against the final boss, but here I am, risking my life to protect the heroine.
Isn’t this a total case of killing two birds with one stone?
The 5x stat boost—what a crazy effect.
It used to be a trait that made me want to curse when I was only carrying a -5 penalty to all stats.
That little penalty feels like nothing in comparison to this absurd performance.
I can move way more agilely than the assassins while holding Jill in one arm.
With this, I could wipe out a dozen assassins!
…But if I think like that, I’m an idiot.
A modern-day guy who’s only swung a sword a few times, trying to face off against world-class killers using cold steel?
The chance of winning? Definitely a big fat 0.
Just having slightly superior stats won’t solve the problem.
The amplification is a whole 10 times, so if it were fast enough to be invisible, maybe I could manage 5 times, but that’s still kind of tricky.
I might take down four or five, but then I’d probably end up getting mobbed and killed.
Plus, I have to consider that I need to protect Jill.
I can’t escape because the exit is blocked.
They swarm around the escape route, making me fight through.
There’s only one answer from the start.
“Please put me down…!”
“He’s coming!”
“Is it a head-on charge?!”
Pretending to leap forward, I give a fake-out and accelerate backward.
I’m not heading towards the exit but to an empty coffin in a corner of the crypt.
The very coffin whose lid I opened earlier.
Sliding quickly, I shove Jill inside the coffin and squish myself in just as…
“Ah?!*
Bang! KABOOM!
“Huh?! The column!”
The mana bomb I had planted during construction detonates, causing all the thick columns to topple over.
In an instant, the roof collapses as it loses all support,
“Uwaaaah!”
Thud.
The roof crashed down on the coffin like a lid slamming shut.
Not even three seconds after the explosion, all screams ceased, and the area fell silent.
The assassins likely died under the heavy ceiling without a chance to flee.
Operation complete!
“…,”
“…,”
But after successfully completing the operation, I was left dumbfounded and had nothing to say.
It’s quiet inside the coffin.
I break the silence.
“How have you been, Priestess?”
“…,”
Why did I say that?
That mindless utterance made the atmosphere even more awkward.
No response at all.
It’s a blessing that it’s dark, or if there was light, facing Jill would’ve made it doubly awkward.
“Yoo Jin. Is that you?”
“Yes, Priestess.”
“Could you explain how this all happened?”
“Right now, we’re stuck in a situation because the newly completed cathedral collapsed, leaving us trapped in this coffin together. It will probably take about half a day for the rescue team to arrive and lift the ceiling, so we’ll be stuck like this for over 12 hours.”
“I wasn’t asking that…,”
I know exactly what she’s asking.
How I knew the assassins would target this consecration ceremony, and how I infiltrated here to cause such a massive explosion.
Or maybe she’s asking where my newfound strength just came from.
But I have no intention of answering that.
If I get singled out as a reincarnator or something like that, it’ll be a problem, so I have to act mysterious like I have a power to predict the future.
Anyway, I doubt they’d believe the truth if I told them.
“You’re not gonna tell me, huh?”
“Correct, Priestess.”
“Then can I ask why you’re going so far for me?”
“Because if you live, I live.”
“If I die, you’ll be in trouble? Why is that?”
“Well, I guess I still need to think about that a little more.”
“…,”
I got so nervous right before carrying out the operation that I forgot all my lines.
No matter what question Jill threw at me, I was prepared to counter, but now, I’ve dropped my responses all ambiguously and like an idiot, and I’m worried I’ve drastically reduced her affection for me.
If I miss this opportunity, there won’t be another chance to connect with Jill.
You idiot! Just say something! I’m not some loser who was just crouching in MT!!!
But I remained silent in the pitch-black darkness, unable to utter a word.
Even though I can’t see anything ahead, thinking that Jill is right next to me almost makes me excited and tense.
All the flirty lines I’ve thought up based on Jill’s personality have long since been erased from my mind.
At this rate, when the ceiling opens up, my lips might just be frozen shut.
I felt a strong urge to say something when suddenly…
“Aren’t you uncomfortable?”
“Eh?”
“You’re kind of on top of me and bent over. Your arms look like they’re going numb.”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine. Your arms are trembling.”
Damn it. Don’t poke at me.
If I lose my strength, I’ll just fall right on top of you.
I don’t want to be caught on charges of assaulting the Priestess or anything.
If I get locked up for about ten years, I’ll miss the chance to conquer the heroine and that would be the absolute worst-case scenario.
“Let’s lay down side by side.”
“There’s not enough space.”
“Just create some space. Ugh… Come on, lie down next to me. Your arms are gonna hurt.”
Jill turned sideways to make space and then pulled me down next to her, inevitably making me lie down facing her.
My limbs are definitely more comfortable, but since the width is shorter than the height, we ended up being much closer together.
Jill’s chest is pressing against me, giving a profoundly overwhelming sensation.
My arms have nowhere to go, so they end up resting over her waist, and our legs are tangled and immobilized.
To break this awkward situation, I had no choice but to speak up.
“Uh… Should we… hug?”
“What? Why?”
I was met with a fierce protest, causing me to shrink back.
My hands, which were about to wrap around Jill’s waist, returned to their original positions.
“Why are you asking that?”
“I thought that if we hugged, it would help us maintain our body temperatures, especially if there’s a risk of hypothermia.”
“It’s not that cold in Hameln at night this time of year.”
“If our clothes get wet, then it’s a different story.”
“Why would our clothes get wet?”
“Are you confident you can hold your pee for 12 hours?”
“…,”
Suddenly, it got extremely quiet again.
Jill’s breathing stopped but then abruptly intensified again.
“I want to get out! I want out right now!”
“We can’t get out, so stop squirming!”
“If I use magic, I could somehow…!”
“How are you going to lift a two-meter thick ceiling by yourself? We’re waiting for the rescue team to arrive.”
“…,”
I had a hard time calming Jill down as she suddenly got all worked up.
After all, having to pee while hugging someone she despises must be truly unbearable and embarrassing for her.
Oh, this is insane.
When I think about it, would there be a woman who would hire a Guardian Knight after showing them herself peeing?
I hadn’t thought that far.
“Well… oh well. Let’s hug.”
“Alright.”
As Jill’s arms slipped weakly into the space between my armpits, I embraced her waist tighter.
Jill, taken by surprise, let out a hiccup.
The already frail Jill has no choice but to do this to survive.
After resting well and waking up, I’ll probably hear sounds of bustling above us.
By then, I can go back to the original position and sit awkwardly until I get rescued.
Rumble…!
“Hey! We have a survivor here!”
“Ah.”
“Whoa.”
At that moment, the ceiling suddenly shifted, and bright moonlight flooded in.
Upon locking eyes with the many gazes peering down at us, we froze in place.
We were so flustered that we couldn’t even think to release our intertwined limbs, just left dumbstruck and stammering.
*
The incident of the attempted assassination of the Priestess became a legendary case of a fandom malfunctioning, where the assassins infiltrated by the anti-Priestess faction ended up buried under the rubble due to a botched explosives setup.
Rescue teams were dispatched about twenty minutes later, and the Priestess was found miraculously unharmed.
No one could have imagined that the Holy Knights would be passing through Hameln at the time the cathedral collapsed, and immediately come to conduct rescue work.
All the fuss about waiting for 12 hours for rescue turned out to be in vain.
In the end, my blunder and those “you have to pee” comments made Jill’s affection toward me take a nosedive…
“Yoo Jin! What should I wear today? Is this one better? Is it too flashy? How do I look, huh?”
And I ended up being hired as Jill’s Guardian Knight.
Today marks a month since I was hired as her Guardian Knight.
“Uh… Personally, I prefer the one on the left, but considering today’s event, the right one would be better.”
“Really? Then I’ll wear the one on the right. The left one will be neatly folded and saved for later…”
I’m completely baffled myself.
From seeing Jill’s shame to doing all sorts of things that could raise her resentment.
The swordsmanship I displayed during the interview was completely pathetic.
And yet, without even testing me with any probing questions, Jill asked if I’d like to become her Guardian Knight.
Naturally, I had no reason to refuse.
“Are you reading the forbidden book well?”
“Yes. I’m training whenever I find the time.”
“Hehe. Keep at it. That swordsmanship is great for show, so it’ll be useful. Yoo Jin, you don’t even need to use it well. Just swing it around convincingly.”
“…,”
Jill really has no clue about the power she gave me.
The forbidden book containing all the secrets of Dakia-style swordsmanship passed down through the Diner family isn’t just for show.
It adds an entire trait as a hidden item.
[Trait: Dakia-style (lv.3)]
[You learn a forgotten ancient one-handed swordsmanship. Your understanding of one-handed swords increases.]
As soon as I opened the forbidden book, this system window popped up.
Dakia-style swordsmanship, which had been lost to history, unlike today’s swordsmanship, which emphasizes unity and integration, is extremally focused solely on attack.
Like all hidden sword techniques, once the level increases and blossoms, it showcases incredible power that can overshadow all existing sword arts.
Each of the three main heroines gives a swordsmanship trait, but the Dakia-style from Jill has the highest potential.
I think it’ll have the most significant impact in the later stages.
“It’s almost time to set out.”
“How many minutes left?”
“10 minutes left.”
“Then I’m going to take a 10-minute break!”
“Weren’t you resting until now…?”
Poof.
Jill perched on my knee, wrapping her arms around my waist.
The press of Jill’s large, warm heart was such a distraction that I had to slightly pull back.
It’s been a while since I stopped being surprised at this cute behavior.
In fact, I shouldn’t be surprised at all.
Jill has become this way because of me.
I’ve memorized all her personalities, preferences, and little habits, and pampered her, giving her the mental care she needs, and before I knew it, she started getting used to treating me like this.
“I really don’t want to go to the volunteer activity. There’ll be so many scruffy commoners.”
“You’ll do great. I believe in you.”
“What’s there to believe in? I hate commoners.”
“…,”
This used to be a series of statements that would have shocked me.
But now, I just smiled and patted her head while looking at her.
Because I know her past.
Jill’s parents were a baron couple who owned a small territory in the past.
Their compassion influenced Jill greatly as they spent their own money to run an orphanage and provide funds to protect their citizens whenever famine hit.
However, the wave of republican revolution began to sweep through Baron Diner’s territory, and those who were once grateful to the baron couple were brainwashed by a few speeches by agitators, dragged them down, and mercilessly murdered them.
The only noble survivor amidst that chaos was young Jill.
It’s a setting I didn’t even know, but in the game, there’s not a single mention of Jill’s parents, making the reason for her disdain for commoners quite appropriately added.
I hate dumb commoners! I particularly hate the ones who don’t know they’re dumb!
Of course, just because she has this past doesn’t justify her disdain for commoners.
But it’s understandable to some extent.
That’s more than enough.
All Jill needs is one person she can show her ugly true self to, someone who won’t judge her.
Despite seeming to love and show affection towards commoners, deep down, she’s a hypocrite who despises and finds them disgusting more than anyone else.
I can take all of Jill’s pains, sorrows, and struggles.
“They’re all gross, disgusting, and annoying, so I really don’t want to do the volunteer activity…”
“…,”
Jill burrows her face into my chest, whining.
Does she even realize?
That when she goes out to the volunteer activity, her genuine smile while playing with the children shines brighter than anything else without an ounce of falsehood.
Wasn’t it said that if hypocrisy lasts long enough, it becomes virtue?
Even if every truth comes to light and everyone points fingers at Jill, I’ll be the one person who stays by her side until the end.
That will never change.
“Oh right. Next week, we have to go to Petenburg.”
“…!”
That name just came up.
I flinched completely, shaking my body, causing Jill to look up at me in surprise.
Yulia Petenburg.
It seems the event for the second main heroine is fast approaching.
“Isn’t that the Petenburg of the Witch?”
“Yes. But Yoo Jin, do you know the witch?”
“N-No.”
“Really? Your voice sounded oddly cheerful for not knowing her.”
“…,”
Jill whispered in a cold tone while intertwining our hands.
This is bad.
I forgot one crucial fact in my excitement.
All our game heroines are basically equipped with paranoia as a standard feature.
