Chapter 249

The Hero and Seraphine’s Proposal for a Single Mission

Although a single mission together was planned, as suggested by the Hero and Seraphine, that didn’t mean we immediately assembled the party and set off on the next episode. The major events at Luminoir Academy had a specific timeline, and arriving early wouldn’t have achieved much beyond camping out nearby.

Moreover, the timing was far from ideal. The incident at the noble exchange had concluded, and the night had almost turned into dawn. It was too late to move anywhere, and given the questionable intent behind this noble gathering, it was customary for everyone to retire to their rooms as the event wound down.

Tonight, however, due to the MacHart incident, most of the noble sons and daughters had hurriedly left the palace. Some were probably on their way back to their home territories, even at this late hour, while others would spend the night in a nearby inn before departing early in the morning. As a result, the guest rooms in the palace, which would have been used as a hotel for the nobles, were mostly empty. Of course, they would be occupied again starting tomorrow, but for now, they were available.

"I’ll ensure that you all can stay in the palace until the schedule for the 'temporary mission' is arranged," Seraphine said. "Please don’t hesitate to use the rooms, and if you find anything uncomfortable, feel free to inform the staff."

"Seraphine, are you staying here in the palace tonight as well?" the Hero asked.

"...No, I’ll be returning to the main palace. I need to report to our father about Brother MacHart’s funeral arrangements. It’s something that needs to be handled quietly, and I believe I should explain it to him myself," Seraphine replied.

"Really? I was planning to visit your room later tonight," the Hero said casually.

"...Wh-What?" Seraphine stammered, clearly taken aback.

Has this guy suddenly lost his mind? I wondered, feeling my trust in him plummet. Just when I had started to think that his proposal for a temporary partnership wasn’t entirely without thought, he made that comment.

Could it be that his whole plan was just an excuse to get closer to me…?

"Hero, please say things like that when we’re alone," Seraphine replied, trying to maintain her composure. "I need to conduct myself properly during my brother’s funeral…"

"Huh? Oh, I just meant I wanted to use the communication crystal in your room to contact someone. I have a few people I need to call before our mission," the Hero clarified.

"...If that’s the case, I’ll give you the key to one of the private rooms in the palace. You can use it whenever you need," Seraphine offered, visibly relieved.

"Thanks, Seraphine," the Hero replied with a smile.

Was he teasing her on purpose, or was Seraphine just overthinking it? I wondered, watching as Seraphine’s face turned bright red in embarrassment. In the game, she was an annoying character, but with the increased freedom here, even she was being swayed.

At least this interaction suggested that the Hero wasn’t the type to let his desires control him, at least not completely. I had to admit, based on previous conversations, he didn’t seem like a bad person.

Judging by Seraphine’s reaction, it seemed like he was halfway to winning her over, though they hadn’t crossed any serious lines yet. Serista was likely in a similar situation. And while the Hero might have grown closer to Agnes, it didn’t seem like he intended to pursue her seriously. As for Natalie, considering he had left Thomas behind, it seemed he wasn’t planning on pursuing her either.

It seemed that the Hero had formed a harem party not because he wanted to seduce all the women but because it was simply the most effective party configuration for completing the game.

Not exactly the fun-loving protagonist you’d expect from a game like this, I thought.

Of course, if he tried anything with me, I’d resist with every ounce of strength I had.

While I was lost in these thoughts, the Hero and Serista went to their rooms on the third floor of the palace, where Seraphine’s private quarters were. Meanwhile, Ethan, Agnes, and I each took an empty room on the second floor.

"Lady Agnes, could you tell me which room you’ll be staying in tonight? I don’t mean to be rude; I just want to say good morning tomorrow…" Antonio started to ask, but was cut off.

"Antonio, you know you’re not supposed to stay in the palace. Stop bothering Lady Agnes and hurry up," Seraphine scolded, grabbing him by the ear and dragging him away.

"Ow, ow! Sister, please don’t pull my ear!" Antonio yelped as he was forcibly escorted out.

Sigh. Agnes sighed in relief once Antonio was out of sight.

This isn’t how he was in the original story, I mused, reflecting on how different Antonio’s current behavior was from his character in the game. The original Antonio was a timid prince who had been sidelined in the battle for the throne. This bold, somewhat desperate version of him was quite a contrast, though in a way, it was an improvement.

"I suppose we’ll be staying here longer than expected. Should we notify your master, Lord Ethan?" I asked as we entered our rooms.

"It’s fine. My father is probably too busy to keep track of every letter. We’ll contact him once the Hero sets the schedule for the temporary mission," Ethan replied.

"Understood."

"Get some rest; you’ve had a long day," Ethan said with a gentle smile.

"Thank you. You have a good night as well, Lord Ethan," I responded, feeling a warmth in my chest at his words.

With that, we each retired to our respective rooms. As soon as I entered my room, I found myself drawn to the large, inviting bed.

Thud.

"Haaa…" I sighed as I collapsed onto the bed.

It had been a long time since I had pushed myself to this extent. The physical exhaustion I felt was comparable to the Kraken battle I had faced back at the Academy.

It wasn’t that MacHart was as strong as the Kraken, but the psychological pressure and the accumulation of various stressors had taken a toll on me.

"Mmm…"

As I lay on the bed, I found it difficult to muster the energy to get up again. I knew I should shower and change before going to sleep, especially after all the sweating.

Maybe I’ll just do it tomorrow… I thought, rationalizing my exhaustion. What difference did it make if I washed in the morning instead of now?

Despite knowing what I should do, my body simply couldn’t bring itself to move. All I could do was surrender to the sleep that was quickly overtaking me.

But what is the Hero really thinking…?

I had told him I didn’t want to join the Demon King’s raid, so surely he wasn’t planning to take me along as part of his party, right? If he was, I’d have to resist with everything I had. My happy life in this world did not include risking my life in a battle against the Demon King.

I probably should have started planning my resistance earlier, but at this point, it might be too late. As I drifted off, I couldn’t help but wonder how I would avoid getting dragged into the Hero’s mission…

Snore…

The combination of relief from resolving my month-long worries and the physical exhaustion of the day was enough to pull me into a deep sleep, despite the new concerns on my mind.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

In the palace’s private room reserved for Seraphine, the Hero used the key she had given him to access the room. There, he activated the magical communication crystal at the center of the table to contact someone.

"Where did you say you were?" a voice asked from the other end.

"The Imperial Palace in the capital of the Argentia Empire. It’s the second-largest castle in the city," the Hero replied.@@novelbin@@

"The capital…? Do I really have to go there…?" the voice responded, clearly displeased.

The Hero frowned slightly at the reaction of the green-haired elf on the other end, though he had expected it.

"I need your help, Silena," the Hero urged.

"The capital is where lots of humans gather, right? I don’t like places like that…" Silena muttered.

"Silena…" the Hero began, his tone more pleading.

Silena’s help was crucial for the next event at Luminoir Academy. The plan was to bring her to the capital as soon as possible so they could depart for the next destination together. However, the elf’s reluctance to be in crowded places was starting to derail his plans.

Maybe I should have worked harder to raise Silena’s affection level… the Hero thought with a sigh.

But he had already maxed out her affection through normal events, and the only way to increase it further was one that he was reluctant to pursue.

The only option left was to engage in a physical relationship with her to deepen their bond, a common method in the original game. However…

I just don’t feel right about doing that, the Hero thought.

He was destined to return to his original world once the Demon King was defeated, and forming deep attachments here felt wrong. If he chose to stay in this world, he could freely accept the affections of the women around him, but his decision was already made.

He had too much left behind in his original world to consider staying, and he had resolved not to create ties that would bind him here.

Even though there are some who may have grown too attached already… he mused, thinking of a certain pink-haired priestess. Still, he reassured himself that things were fine for now.

As long as he didn’t cross that final line into a full physical relationship, the women who had grown attached to him would eventually move on and find new loves once he was gone.

"Volt, what are you thinking?" Silena’s voice broke through his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, nothing," he replied, shaken from his reverie.

"So, do I really have to go to the capital?" Silena pressed again.

"…No, you don’t have to. How about meeting me in a week at … instead?" he suggested.

"Okay. That place has fewer people, so it’s better," Silena agreed.

"Great. Thank you, Silena. I’ll see you in a week."

"Okay, Volt," Silena replied before the connection ended.

The Hero withdrew his magic from the communication crystal and was left alone in the room, his thoughts a mix of emotions that he couldn’t easily show to others.