Chapter 138: Chapter 137: Invitation To The Imperial Palace

“Ah, well…”

A gasp escaped as soon as he faced Airi, clearly aware of the gravity of the situation.

It was because he instinctively realized how serious their current situation was.

He had once said he would form a bond with everyone, but for him now, the priority was the woman he had first become involved with.

“Let me explain, Airi. Actually, what happened was…”

“You were going to say that you were attacked by a demon disguised as Merilyn, and being under the influence of magic, you unavoidably ended up owing Merilyn, right?”

“Ah, yes. Yes, that’s part of it.”

“And you were indirectly trying to explain that in the process of treatment, Merilyn lost control, and influenced by that, you, Hyo-sung, were directly involved too, weren’t you?”

“Well, that’s because…”

And to her, any false explanations were pointless.

She was a fortune teller. She could see a rough sketch of someone’s past and a few seconds into their future without much effort.

“…Sigh.“

Airi sighed as she watched her partner flustered by her pressing.

However, the anger she had initially shown had long since dissipated.

She simply resigned herself to the inevitable, calming the atmosphere and quietly handing him something she held.

“Here, take this.”

“…What?”

“While you were away, an invitation from the Imperial Family arrived. They will send a carriage tomorrow morning, and you are to attend a banquet held at the Imperial Palace.”

Blink, blink.

At Airi’s response, he repeatedly blinked and looked down at the letter in his hand with a dazed expression.

Of course, the letter from the Imperial Family was something he had been eagerly awaiting.

As much as it represented the acknowledgment of his efforts to date, it should have been his priority.

“Um…”

“Go inside.”

Airi, seeming to have already made up her mind, only uttered in a brusque tone in front of him.

“Having been attacked by a demon today and heading to the Imperial Family tomorrow… you should get a good night’s sleep.”

Compared to the blame he thought he would receive, it was a very quiet conclusion.

But perhaps he thought it wouldn’t end there? Hesitantly, he soon asked Airi with difficulty.

“Are you really okay…?”

“If you keep asking, it won’t be okay.”

Her sharp voice cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

Intimidated by her response, he glanced around for a moment before passing by Airi and heading towards the entrance of their home.

Only silence filled the street, leaving the two of them facing each other.

“Ah~ If you keep asking, it won’t be okay~”

Merilyn was the first to break the silence.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Despite clearly being caught in the act, she brazenly smiled as if it didn’t matter.

“From what I can see, you don’t seem okay even now. Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard~?”

“…Be quiet.”

“Don’t hold it in too much~ If you end up getting sick from all that pent-up anger, Hyo-sung will worry… You should know how to express your anger when it’s necessary~”

Was her current teasing stemming from the joy of having taken her partner?

No, rather, her goal was likely to provoke a reaction from her.

After all, the opponent considered even a rival for love positively and used the conflict as a driving force for her own growth.

Realizing that her love had deepened through the current situation, it was only natural that she’d go all out to break the opponent’s patience.

“Hehe, Airi, why are you so silent? Say whatever you want. Now that I’ve grown even closer to Hyo-sung, I’ll generously accept everything you have to say~”

That damned demon, deliberately provoking her by dragging her partner into this.

Yet, Airi maintained her composure as much as possible, turning away and dropping just one line.

“Gone right after it got intense, you complete pervert.”

“What?!”

“I said, gone right after losing your virginity, you innate slut.”

Her once-smiling face contorted in an instant, a lesson in self-esteem even for an arrogant demon.

No matter how much being dominated by him might be a latent desire, showing such a disposition externally was considered humiliating.

“To faint right from the first experience, after all that sexual harassment you throw around… Do you know how dumbfounded I was when I saw that?”

“Ah, no, that’s…”

“After all, it must have been hard to resist an aphrodisiac set by a demon of the Four Heavenly Kings’ caliber. But weren’t you also a demon who rose to an equal position? You should have been able to control yourself just fine.”

“Awawa……”

“And if you approach so confidently, you should know how to take the lead. Running away right after the deed, not to mention crying out like a beast when spanked… Even a teenage girl is less sensitive than you; you do realize that, don’t you?”

“W-waaaaaaaah!!”

Each word was a continuation of cruel taunts.

Hearing this, Merilyn was at a loss, eventually screaming out in frustration.

“Quiet!! You think you have the right to say such perverted things when you’re the one masturbating to Hyo-sung’s scent every day?!”

“Wh-what?!”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know! I can clearly hear you moaning Hyo-sung’s name from the next room every night!”

“Ah, wait a minute. You’ve been eavesdropping on my room all this time?!”

“Aha! Now that you mention it, Airi, you can see the future, right? Do you also see yourself getting involved with Hyo-sung in the future? Using that as… a side dish…”

“Shut up! Just shut your mouth!!”

Finally heated, the two started to pick at each other’s shame.

But as the fight dragged on, only their wounds increased, and in the end, it turned into the outcry of the losers, whose self-esteem was shattered by the mire of a fight that couldn’t even be called a competition.

“…A prudish, boring snoop.”

“A pretentious, perverted demon.”

At the end, the two people gasping for breath, glared at each other tiredly.

In those gazes, there was still the realization that they could only see each other as archenemies.

Conversely, the prediction that the situation would continue much the same as before also existed.

“Yeah~ I am just a clown who can’t be serious about anything~ I simply can’t associate with a woman as uptight as you.”

Such a situation also felt awkward to Merilyn.

Even though she had thought she might genuinely kill her when they first met, she now faintly sensed an attitude that still affirmed her existence.

“So you’re choosing to keep such an incompatible woman by his side, even knowing that our current relationship makes me crave Hyo-sung even more?”

“…It seems I must. Since I’ve realized your intentions are the same as mine.”

Yes, if she had wanted to rage, she would have done so by now.

Feeling undeterred by the heated atmosphere, Airi quietly withdrew her attention from Merilyn and prepared to walk back into her home.

“Hyo-sung will need to become much stronger to suppress you. You’ll pour everything into making him grow stronger.”

“…Heh, to think you’d forgive a rival to make him a savior. You’re quite the saint.”

“It’s not forgiveness. It’s just that I’ll watch as long as you don’t harm him.”

Airi paused and swiftly glared at her.

The emotion contained in that gaze was definitely hostility, though it wasn’t put into action.

“And make sure you understand one thing. I was Hyo-sung’s first.”

She was the first to form a connection with him.

Even if the demon before her had achieved a result with him, the reason she had been rejected before was that she was still a priority in his inner mind.

“Yes, you were the first.”

While she didn’t deny this immutable truth, it didn’t mean it broke her resolve.

No matter how much the opponent might display boundless devotion towards him, predicting a perfect future was impossible.

“So, watch carefully. If you can’t keep up, I will be the last one.”

And if nothing was certain, then they would simply fight.

The brighter the light would shine, the more tumultuous and rugged the battles leading to the fulfillment of her desires…

The day after being attacked by the demon.

I woke up early in the morning, came out to the front of my home, and decided to wait for the carriage sent by the Imperial Family.

Airi and Merilyn were still asleep.

Only Tashian and I were awake and active early in the morning.

“Here, wear this coat. It’s gotten chilly lately, so you’ll need it.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“I’ve put other necessary items in this bag… Are you not wearing armor today?”

“Well, it’s not a mission today, but an invitation to a banquet.”

“What about a packed lunch? Should I make one for you now?”

“…Tashian, I’m not going on a picnic.”

“Hehe, sorry, son. Mom must have made too much fuss.”

Tashian looked at me with a smile, intently.

The deep emotion contained in that gaze was what one could call concern for me.

“Really, are you sure it’s okay if I don’t go with you?”

I knew her offer to accompany me was not just about looking after me.

Originally, it had been about excavating dragon remains, and Tashian was the last dragon living in this world, though in decline.

But with her weakened state, if her identity were revealed, the empire might covet her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure no harm comes to Tashian.”

“…I hope you don’t suffer because of me.”

“Don’t worry. If I weren’t perceptive, I wouldn’t have survived this long.”

Even in my weaker days, I had managed to survive.

Now that I had power, my survival rate was even higher. My mindset of carefully assessing situations hadn’t changed.

“Still, don’t push yourself too hard.”

With that, Tashian finished expressing her concern for my bold assertion.

I turned my back on her and then headed for the carriage that had just arrived in front of my home.

So showing the invitation to the coachman would take me directly to the Imperial Palace?

-Click.

At that moment, the door of the carriage opened ahead, and someone stepped out onto the street.

Presumably a guest who was in the carriage before me, they were a teenager with an androgynous appearance, appearing to be in their mid-teens.

No, that was just a guess based on the frock coat and pants they were wearing.

Their appearance was so neat, like a doll’s, that it even made me wonder if they might be a girl.

“…Are you a noble?”

But whether it was one or the other, if my guess originating from the first greeting were true, I couldn’t possibly be so bold as to treat them lightly now.

Even within the nobility, there were distinctions between high and low, and any of them would be above me, a foreign-born commoner.

“Yes, I am Cheska Plandor, the current head of the Plandor family, managing the frontier territories of the Orion Empire.”

Cheska Plandor.

The young noble, who introduced themself in that way, lifted their glasses and directed a blunt gaze at me as they spoke.

“Please feel free to call me Cheska.”

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you, Cheska. I am Woo Hyo-sung, an adventurer.”

“Yes, Woo Hyo-sung. Shall I call you Hyo-sung from now on?”

“……”

“…What’s wrong?”

“No, uhm… It’s Hyo-sung. Please call me Hyo-sung.”

To call me by my name correctly from our first meeting.

Could they be a kind person?

“It’s chilly today, so let’s get into the carriage first. I will personally guide you to the Imperial Banquet Hall, where you’ll be introduced.”

“Guide…? You’re a noble, and you’re offering to guide me personally?”

“It’s not so odd. Though I am of noble status, you, too, have made significant contributions to humanity’s victory. For someone as remarkable as you, it’s the least I can do to offer guidance.”

Cheska, who boarded the carriage first, quickly adjusted their glasses.

Afterward, they reached out to me and quietly said,

“Moreover, I have an interest in you, so I consider this situation a good opportunity.”

“Interest…?”

“I heard that a hero I sponsor is indebted to you… Do you remember the name Yi Ga-ram?”

Hero Yi Ga-ram.

The noble, who had been sponsoring them since they were branded with the stigma of a fallen hero, revealed themself as such.