Chapter 71
[……Yeah, it looks like it worked.]
“Hehehe, I knew I’d succeed.”
After sending my companions outside, I spent about three periods focusing on learning ‘Hypnosis Magic.’
When I tried to enter the mental world again, the parasite taught me this spell, telling me never to do that again.
If it knew this spell existed, it should’ve told me sooner.
Well, it wasn’t hard to learn, and this was my only chance to be alone with the Hero, so I immediately tried Hypnosis Magic. I nearly died from the heat after raising the room’s temperature to improve my chances of success, but anyway.
Thankfully, Hypnosis Magic worked beautifully.
The Hero lying beneath me was proof of that.
“I can really ask you anything?”
“Yeah, I’ll answer anything.”
[You needn’t worry. You won’t remember a thing once the effect wears off. ……That is, assuming the spell was cast properly.]
“Hehe, what’s the problem? You’re totally out of it!”
This foolish Hero was completely out of it beneath me. His eyes, fixed on me, were half-lidded as if he were drunk, and he drew in a sharp breath whenever I moved.
Anyone could see he was hypnotized.
Reassured, I opened my mouth.
“Then, first question! What’s your goal, Hero!”
“My goal?”
“Hmm, is that too hard to understand? I’m asking whether you plan to defeat the Demon King and go home, or do lewd things to Prea or Riella.”
“N-No! Of course I plan to return to my original world! I have absolutely no intention of laying a hand on my companions, and I never have!”
“R-Really? Then I can relax……?”
“Yeah! Of course. I’m devoted to one person.”
Devoted to one person, huh? Is he really only thinking about returning to Earth?
In a world where he could do lewd things whenever he wanted?
No. He can only tell the truth, so I shouldn’t doubt him like that. I guess that’s the kind of guy the Hero is. Someone who pursues his goal instead of being swept away by lust.
I’d misunderstood the Hero all this time.
I never knew he had such an upright mind.
From what he said, Riella’s chastity was safe, too. Had I been mistaken? Well, it wasn’t as if I’d ever seen them doing anything together.
“……That’s admirable.”
“H-Huh? Haha……. Thanks.”
A profound sense of relief welled up inside me.
Honestly, I was so happy I felt like grabbing onto anything and jumping up and down. It was as if a knot that had been tied up inside me had finally come undone.
“Hehehe……”
“Ugh……! Yubel, suddenly hugging me is……!”
“Oh, sorry. Is it uncomfortable?”
“No……. It’s just, you’re touching me in all sorts of places…….”
I see.
Well, being pressed against a body slick with sweat would be uncomfortable, even under hypnosis.
Maybe I should ask the next question.
“Then, second question! Hero, how many skill points do you have right now?”
“Skill…… points? You mean these in the Skill Window?”
“I can’t see them, you know? Tell me how many you have.”
“O-Okay……. Um……. T-Three hundred!?”
“What!? Three hundred!?”
“N-No! I got it wrong! Three! Just three!”
“Oh, right? Phew……. You startled me. If you had three hundred, I would’ve killed you right here. Thank goodness.”
“Ahaha……”
Thankfully, the Hero didn’t seem to have raised the heroines’ lewdness levels much. He only had three points.
What was that grade-schooler supposed to be letting out? He said it was building up, so I thought maybe his skill points were maxed out. Anyway, what a relief.
All I had to do was make him spend those three, so I could just have him pick skills that cost one point each.
“Then use all those skill points and get three skills.”
“You want me to pick skills? B-But……”
“It’s fine, hurry up. You’re in danger if you don’t. You might lose your reason, you know?”
“O-Okay……. I just have to use them all?”
“Yeah, trust me!”
The Hero nodded at my words. He pointed at empty air and made scrolling motions, then seemed to look at something and ponder before tapping it repeatedly.
“All the skill names show up as question marks……. So I just picked skills until I’d used all the points.”
“Yaaawn……. Oh, you’ve already picked them all……?”
He nodded, so I guess he’d gotten them as I told him to.
The only skills he could’ve picked with three skill points were [Adrenaline], [Toughen Up], and [Instant Ejaculation], so there was no need to ask.
He’d forget everything once the hypnosis ended, anyway. He wouldn’t even know he’d gotten any skills.
Yaaawn……. Still, I’m suddenly getting sleepy.
“Yeah, I did what you said…… Are you sleepy now?”
“Mm, y-yeah……. Maybe because I couldn’t sleep last night. I’m getting sleepy. Yaaawn……. I’ll sleep for just ten minutes, so wake me up in a bit, okay?”
“O-Okay, wait, on top of me!?”
“This is comf……ortable…… Zzz……”
“……This is driving me crazy.”
***
[You have acquired the skill ‘Invisible Hand’ by spending 50 skill points!]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Perception Obstruction’ by spending 100 skill points!]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Time Stop’ by spending 150 skill points!]
[Your resolve has grown even stronger!]
[The potential for ‘Indomitable’ blooms even more vividly!]
“What on earth is he thinking……?”
I don’t know what to make of this anymore.
Just as Yubel had said, I used the Skill Window I’d been trying so hard to ignore and acquired skills, but a string of incredibly powerful-sounding names appeared.
As expected, no explanations of the skills appeared.
They all seemed to be active skills. Invisible Hand? I can’t really guess what that does from the name. Perception Obstruction probably makes me less noticeable. And Time Stop? If it’s what I think it is, isn’t that an absurdly overpowered skill?
“I can ask Yubel later……”
Lowering my gaze a little, I saw Yubel leaning against me as she slept. Her skin was damp and sticky, and her young breasts were crushed out of shape beneath her weight. Her body was so soft that if I ever touched her, even a little, I felt like I’d become hopelessly addicted.
“Haa……. I have to hold back. I have to.”
This had to be another mistake by Yubel, who didn’t know anything about lewd things. I didn’t want to touch her by accident and hurt her again. I just had to endure until she woke up.
Conveniently, the time was up.
“Yubel, wake up. Ten minutes have passed.”
“Mmm……. Really? Is the hypnosis still working……?”
Hypnosis. Hypnosis, huh.
Yeah, maybe I’d been hypnotized. Whenever I looked at Yubel, my heart ached and raced. If that wasn’t love’s hypnosis, what was it?
“Hehe, then let’s try a third question. Hero, why did you keep me alive? If you brought the holy sword…… you must’ve had something like that in mind, right?”
Why did I keep her alive?
Was she worried about me stopping her suicide attempt?
“I don’t want you to give up on life. No matter what happens, I won’t let you.”
“Then, the holy sword……”
“I brought it to protect you.”
Unfortunately, it was no longer useful for that……
But it was sturdy, so it would make a perfect weapon.
Yubel closed her eyes and sank into thought at my answer.
“……I don’t really understand that. Why?”
Why did I care about her?
Why did I want to protect her?
That was what it seemed she was asking.
Looking closely into Yubel’s eyes, I saw her crimson, vertical pupils, clouded by deep skepticism. She seemed to be waiting for my answer.
Then all I could do was meet her sincerity with my own once more.
“Because I like you.”
“……What?”
Crackle, crackle…….
As a heavy silence settled over us, only the hot embers in the stove flickered quietly, filling the still room with their crackling.
The meager embers cast our shadows on the wall, creating a tiny ballroom. To the crackling of the firewood, Yubel and I danced a waltz.
It was the scene I dreamed of.
But reality was—
“……Are you serious? Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying. I really do like you. If you’re not sure, I can say it again. No, I’ll say it again.”
I love you.
More than anything in this world.
When I told her that, Yubel’s expression twisted noticeably.
Her eyes seemed to look at me with contempt.
“……Ha, hahaha. You’re completely insane, aren’t you……?”
“……Maybe I am. This is the first time I’ve felt this way, so even I don’t really understand myself.”
“Are you crazy? You like me? What, you love me? If I told you to die, would you?”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll die for you anytime. I might have some regrets…… but at least I’m sure I wouldn’t regret it. Because I love you.”
Smack—!!
As soon as I finished speaking, my head turned to the side.
My cheek stung.
Even so, I turned my head back toward Yubel.
Yubel bit her lower lip, her expression pained.
“Shut up!! How long are you going to keep confusing me, huh? Me, me……. There’s no way you could like me!! I’m selfish! A coward! Trash! Beyond saving……! I hate myself, and yet……! Sniff, why are you always, always! So, so kind to me when you talk……? Why……?”
Drip, drip.
Yubel curled up, buried her face, and burst into tears.
She looked like a little child who had lost everything and was throwing a tantrum.
Maybe it wasn’t much different from that.
“I’m……. I’m……. Just a monster……. Nobody likes me……. And that…… that’s never going to change…….”
“……”
It was sad.
This girl who hated herself, this girl who had closed her heart because she believed no one would ever love her, looked so pitifully sad that my heart felt like it was tearing apart, and tears came to my eyes before I knew it.
Sadness took over me.
Now I couldn’t even tell whose tears were running down my cheeks. But did I really need to tell them apart? The fact that Yubel was crying right now remained unchanged.
I quietly embraced Yubel.
Hoping it would help her feel a little more at ease, hoping she’d learn to cherish herself, I pulled her cold body into my arms.
Yubel’s face finally drew close.
Before her beauty, I murmured softly.
“……Love yourself, Yubel.”
“……Huh?”
“And trust me.”
The me who loves you.
The you I love.
The one who’s watched over you longer than anyone else
“Trust me. I love you. Forever.”
I’ll love you forever.
That won’t change in the future, either.
Even if it’s cheesy, I don’t mind.
If it helps Yubel feel at ease, I can say it anytime.
This is a world full of illusions.
A world where you can dream of whatever you want.
In this jumbled-up world, I say what I have to say.
“I like you.”
Yubel listened to my confession with a dazed expression, then buried her face in my arms once more.
Soon, a muffled voice made my heart tremble.
“……I know. Now I know, too……. How you feel. Maybe you really do love me……. Even though I’m a monster like this……. You’re stupid……”
I see.
I didn’t mind if she called me stupid.
I’d told her how I felt.
Every last bit of my honest feelings.
Now all that was left was to wait.
I held my breath and waited for Yubel’s answer.
“But…… I still don’t know how I feel.”
“Yeah……. I figured…….”
“I don’t hate you……. But I don’t think I like you, either. So this…… is on hold for now. You won’t remember it anyway……”
On hold, huh.
It wasn’t the answer I’d hoped for, but it was better than having no hope at all. It meant there was still a chance.
I didn’t know what she meant by me not remembering.
I could think it over later.
“All right. I’ll wait as long as it takes.”
I’ll make you fall for me.
Wait for me, Yubel.
“……Don’t get your hopes up too much.”
For some reason, Yubel’s face was flushed as she answered.
Was it just the stove’s light making it look that way?
Maybe.
Still, I could tell.
A small spark had just been kindled in Yubel’s heart.
The child who knew nothing of love was just beginning to understand it.
“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow morning……”
A bright, sunny smile blossomed.
It was the expression I most wanted to see.
“Yeah, then—”
Bam—!!
“Hah, haa! The door suddenly locked, so I rushed in……”
“Ah.”
Ah.
Why did this always happen at times like this?
“L-Lord Seoooon—!!!!”
The next morning, I spent ages explaining myself to Prea, practically until my hands caught fire.
Thanks to Yubel’s help, I was lucky to get off with just a restraining order.
Honestly, I nearly died this time……
***
“N-No way……”
In the rugged, remote mountains near Tiranis.
Overlooking the princess’s walking path, a masked cat in a black suit let out a strained groan, injured and barely holding on.
Beside him lay one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Demon Dragon Vargar, unconscious with his belly split open and blood gushing out.
“Hmm? Hehehe, what’s so unbelievable, you insolent little cat burglar?”
“Keugh……”
In a pink dress untouched by a single drop of blood, with beautiful golden hair shining brightly, Alice showed no sign of having been through a battle.
Alice looked down at the masked cat kneeling before her. Then she let out a derisive chuckle, as if watching an ant struggle.
“Hehehe, did you enjoy your coup, kitty? Oh, that’s right.”
Our very own Sergeant Yoo Jin-han?