Chapter 31: Unintended Encounter (3)

Chapter 31: Unintended Encounter (3)

A silence lingered in the air.

Yuria looked on with moist eyes, while Ruin glared as if he wanted to kill. I was at a loss, with the burden of the gazes from the female protagonist and the secondary male protagonist of the novel upon me.

Especially Ruin.

Ruin glared fiercely at me. Clenching and unclenching his fist, it seemed he was ready to shoot a spell into my face at any moment.

It seemed like he was trying to score points with Yuria on this occasion, but I did not want to play along with the plan of the village chief of the Algae Town so easily.

I sincerely asked Ruin, who kept trying to make eye contact as if he wanted to flirt with me, "What are you looking at? You just stood by when we were tormenting Yuria."

"What did you say?"

"Why? Are you going to say you didn’t step in because you weren't close back then?"

"...Shut up. I didn't know Yuria was having a hard time back then...!"

"Bullshit."

As expected, Ruin formed a red sphere in his hand. Just as he was about to dash towards me with a forceful step,

"Ruin!"

Yuria shouted.

Ruin glared at her. His eyes protested her interference, and I too sent the same kind of look towards Yuria.

I could have had a chance to make Ruin’s head into a flower arrangement, so why interfere?

"Yuria."

Ruin called her name with a serious tone.

"That bastard says he tormented you just for fun."

"It's not ‘that bastard.' It's Ricardo. The village chief of Algae Town."

"This bastard."

"And don’t sugarcoat it. It's not because of Yuria, is it? You're just stabbed by guilt, aren't you? It seems you never witnessed the bullying Yuria endured at the Royal Academy."

My words were right. Back then, Ruin slowly began to develop feelings for Yuria. To Ruin those days, Yuria was nothing more than a fairly pretty girl, no more, no less.

Although the torment bothered him.

He never stood up against it.

"I told you to shut up!"

"Shh."

Quietly, I brought a finger to my lips.

"Be quiet. The orcs will wake up. You might mistake yourself for one of them, Ruin, but Yuria and I are not."

"I’ll kill you...."

"Talk back if you think you can handle it. I can, but it seems impossible for you."

Ruin hesitated.

Even he, a prodigy of flame magic, would be minced meat if he fought several elite orcs.

The now silent Ruin was met with my sly smile.

"Let’s talk quietly."

Watching the scene in silence, Yuria spoke to me.

"Ricardo."

"Yes."

"It’s fun?"

Her voice was falteringly soft. She tried to look me squarely in the eyes, but her pupils quivered as soon as our eyes met.

Yuria, unused to anger, grasped the hem of her dress tightly and said,

"Do you find this situation fun?"

"..."

"Do I not exist to you when you make a serious inquiry? You try to fight with Ruin, but I become invisible?"

Tears were welling up in her eyes. At the slightest touch, it looked as if she would burst into tears. I clenched my fist tightly.

"Do I amuse you?"

"No."

"Then why do you act like this?"

"..."

"I’m asking you! Did you dislike me that much? Or is it because you couldn’t stand that a commoner mixed with nobles?"

That was what Yuria had heard the most at the Royal Academy.

In the early part of the novel, Yuria wasn’t...

Pretty.

Lovable.

Amazing.

But rather, she heard things like:

Being common-born.

Disgusting to look at.

Yuria had no intention of forgiving Ricardo.

It irritated her that he hadn’t returned despite being able to resume his studies. She had heard Olivia was ill, but Yuria didn't believe the inflated rumors of nobles, known for their lies and exaggerations.

"Hey, Yuria."

Ruin, seeing her lack of energy, spoke to her softly. Yuria’s mood lifted at having such a supportive friend.

"Your expression looks really down, do you want to go see the Forest Friend on our way?"

"The Forest Friend? We've already been there before."

Ruin replied with a smile.

"We could go again."

Yuria shook her head.

She didn’t want to bother Ruin who had taken time out for her.

"No, it's okay. I've got my spirits back now."

"I'll pay for it."

"No, really, I'm fine."

With a rueful smile, Ruin continued walking with her for a bit longer.

"Uh... what's that?"

Ruin, who was leading the way, saw something and abruptly pulled on Yuria’s clothes.

"Kyah!"

Yuria lost her balance and fell.

She quickly tried to get back up. Since Ruin was acting like that, it must be because of either monsters or thieves.

As she swiftly prepared to take up a battle stance and stand.

"Yuria. Stay still."

Ruin pulled her to her feet.

With an ominous expression, Ruin began casting a spell. Yuria shut her mouth tightly.

Ruin murmured softly.

"Shit."

Something was definitely very wrong.

Yuria slowly lifted her head.

A giant man stood before them.

Holding a massive sword.

A man looking at her with a deranged expression.

"You seem to be quite lucky."

Thud. A droplet of blood fell onto Yuria's forehead.

"Uh...um...?"

Stuttering, Yuria tried to speak.

Ruin also stood silent.

Frozen by the enormous presence before them.

Dressed in black priest's robes.

A man with many scars, wielding a large sword.

He held a black scripture in his hand and said.

"Ah... Let's ask for directions. Saints."

-Gulp.

"Do you know the way to salvation?"

It all happened in an instant.

The cold blade of the great sword approached Yuria's face. Just as she thought she could do nothing.

"What are you doing?"

Boom. There was a loud, explosive noise, and the ground rumbled tremendously.

***

As the dust settled,

Yuria, who had tightly shut her eyes, gently opened them.

Not a scratch on her, completely unharmed.

She exhaled a breath of relief.

"What is this? Do you really want to die?"

A voice, cold and hard, reverberated in her ear.

Polite yet cheeky in tone.

Familiar with the sound, Yuria lifted her head.

A red-haired man, intercepting the great sword with both hands, stood there.

The man said.

"Close your eyes for a moment."