Ethan's Killing Intent and the Tense Negotiation
Ethanâs killing intent was so palpable that it seemed a sword fight could break out at any moment. The tension was directed squarely at the Hero, who, as I had somewhat expected, had managed to provoke Ethan with his ambiguous words. The Heroâs attitude had been far too lukewarm from the start.
Despite having privately agreed with me that he would help make Serista the official Saintess, the Hero was now singing a different tune, leaving me feeling increasingly frustrated.
âCould he actually be interested in meâ¦? No wayâ¦â
I could only hope that wasnât the case. I was already teetering on the edge of a delicate situation with Ethan, and the last thing I needed was the Hero complicating things further. From my perspective as someone who was once a unicorn, the number of men a woman could be with in her lifetime should be limited to one. The moment a woman slept with more than one man, she was no longer pure in my eyesâshe became what I disdainfully referred to as "impure."
While I could accept that I had been reincarnated as Lilith, who was destined to be a "fallen woman," I had worked hard to change that fate. I had avoided the horrific destiny of being subjected to gang rape, drug abuse, or even being defiled by animals. Despite everything that had happened between Ethan and me, I still considered myself pure by my own standards because we hadnât crossed the final line.
But now, if I ended up with the Hero too, just like the original Lilith who was saved by him in the gameâ¦
I had to prevent that at all costs. If I ended up becoming the true "Lilith the Fallen" in this world, I might very well lose all will to live and end things myself.
"Iâm not done speaking yet, Lord Ethan. Please, donât misunderstand," the Hero said calmly, trying to defuse the tension.
"I canât imagine how there could be anything in what you just said that wouldnât be a cause for misunderstanding. It sounded to me like youâre trying to recruit my Lilith into your party full of women who are all infatuated with you," Ethan retorted, his tone icy.
"Wait, Iâve never been infatuated with him! Donât lump me in with them," Agnes snapped, immediately rejecting Ethanâs assumption. Meanwhile, Seraphine and Serista quietly averted their gazes, saying nothing.
Knowing more about the Heroâs relationships than I ever wanted to, I could tell he was about to push back.
"What I meant was that we need to be sure who truly fits the role of the Saintess. I never said Lilith must be the Saintess, nor did I imply she has to join my party," the Hero clarified.
"Explain it properly then. If Iâm not convinced, Iâll use my sword to speak instead," Ethan warned.
"The qualifications of a Saintess are a divine gift, not something humans can just transfer around at will. What if, by trying to shift that power, we anger the goddess Aurelia, and she revokes Lilithâs status as Saintess entirely? If neither of them ends up as the Saintess, how do you plan to deal with the looming threat of the Demon King?" the Hero argued.
"Lilith wasnât born the Saintess, so if the power is revoked, another person somewhere in the world will receive it. Maybe even that girl youâre always dragging around might receive a new revelation and become the true Saintess," Ethan countered coldly.
"If Serista were to become the Saintess, Iâd be happy. Iâve always wanted her as my partner. But what if the next Saintess is some girl in a remote village with no church or worse, what if the power of the Saintess disappears entirely? What then?" the Hero pressed on.
"Does the goddess Aurelia seem so irresponsible to you that she would let the fate of the world hinge on mere whim? Do you think she would let such a crucial matter go awry out of caprice?" Ethan shot back.
"Iâm an atheist from another world, so I donât care about that. And even if thereâs some divine plan, how can humans possibly understand it? What Iâm saying is that if weâre going to change the fate that the goddess has set, we need to show undeniable evidence that Serista is more fit to be the Saintess," the Hero explained.
"...What?" Ethan, Agnes, and I all exclaimed simultaneously, taken aback by the Heroâs reasoning.
But two people in the room seemed to understand himâSeraphine and Serista, who probably had the strongest faith among us.
"The Heroâs argument isnât entirely wrong, Lord Ethan," Seraphine said, breaking the silence.
"What do you mean, Princess Seraphine?" Ethan asked, clearly confused.
"If the goddess Aurelia chose Lady Lilith as the Saintess, there must be a reason for it. At the time Lilith received the Saintessâs power, she was likely more suited to the role than Serista. But itâs been over seven years since the prophecy was first given. We canât know if, after all these years, Lilith is still the best fit, or if Serista, who has worked hard during those seven years, might now be more suitable. We wonât know unless we show the goddess herself," Seraphine explained thoughtfully.
"..."
"And traditionally, the Saintess is supposed to be the Heroâs partner. So, itâs only fair that Lady Lilith gets a chance to act as the Heroâs partner at least once. By comparing her performance to that of Serista, who has been the Heroâs partner all this time, we can determine who truly deserves the title. At the very least, if Serista proves that she hasnât fallen short of the goddessâs expectations, there wonât be any risk of angering the goddess," Seraphine concluded.
Ethan, who had been ready to refute every word the Hero said, listened more calmly to Seraphineâs reasoning. Although he still didnât look thrilled about the idea of me temporarily partnering with the Hero, he seemed to be considering it.
"Having Lilith... as that Heroâs partner..." Ethan muttered, clearly displeased.
"Just once, Lord Ethan. Serista has achieved so much without the title of Saintess. Even if Lilith joins the Hero for one mission, the goddess wonât disregard Seristaâs years of dedication," Seraphine assured him.
"..."
"Lord Ethan?" Seraphine prompted, noticing his hesitation.
Ethan fell silent for a long moment, clearly wrestling with his thoughts. Finally, he turned to Serista, as if seeking a final piece of information before making his decision.
"Lady Serista, may I ask you one question before I decide?" Ethan asked.
"Y-Yes�" Serista stammered, looking nervous.
"Putting aside any concerns about blasphemy or faith, have you ever truly wanted to become the real Saintess to support that Hero?" Ethan asked, his tone serious.
"I-Iâ¦," Serista hesitated, her voice trembling.
"Please, answer honestly. I need to make a fair judgment," Ethan urged her.
Serista was visibly shaking, knowing her words could influence the final decision. However, she managed to steady herself enough to speak.
"I have neverâ¦," Serista began, pausing to collect herself.
"..."
"I have never forgotten, even for a single moment, my desire to become the true Saintess," she confessed, her voice filled with emotion.
"I see," Ethan responded, nodding slightly.
"Every day, as I stood by the Heroâs side, I wished for more strength. When the Hero was injured, I thought that if only I had the true Saintessâs power, I could have prevented it. When he was in danger, I believed that if I had the Saintessâs powers, I could have saved him. I think about it constantly," she admitted.
"â¦"
"I know itâs blasphemous for someone who serves the gods to feel this way, but this is my true desire, Lord Ethan," Serista finished, her voice steady despite her nerves.
"I understand. Thank you, Lady Serista. Your courage has helped me make my decision," Ethan said, his expression resolute.
With Seristaâs firm confession guiding his decision, Ethan turned to the rest of us and held up three fingers.
"I will allow Lilith to join your party as your partner, but there are three conditions," Ethan stated firmly.
"What are they?" the Hero asked, wary but willing to listen.
"First, the partnership will only happen once. After that, there will be no changes. If you try to argue that Lilith should join you again because Serista has already done so many times, Iâll cut out your tongue," Ethan declared.
"Fine. I only need her to join me once anyway," the Hero agreed, his tone neutral.
"Second, while sheâs your partner, you will not make any physical contact with her. If you so much as try to hold her hand, Iâll cut it off," Ethan continued, his voice deadly serious.
"Under any circumstances?" the Hero asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Only if itâs necessary to save her life. Otherwise, no exceptions," Ethan clarified.
"Thatâs fair. I was going to ask the same thing. Whatâs the last condition?" the Hero inquired.
"The last condition isâ¦," Ethan began, his eyes scanning the Heroâs party members before settling on the Hero himself.@@novelbin@@
"I will join your party during this mission. I donât trust a harem full of women," Ethan declared.
"..."
"If you refuse, Iâll take it as a sign that you have other intentions for Lilith, and Iâll behead you right here and now," Ethan finished, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
Even something as simple as temporarily joining the Heroâs party to determine the true Saintess had become incredibly complicated.
One thing was clear: this mission wasnât going to be easy.