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Trials come to everyone at least once in their lives.

Like oversleeping right before an exam you’ve prepared for a year or the deadline for a group project approaching while your teammates go radio silent.

Some trials might be entirely due to oneself, while others could arise from external factors like people or luck.

However, one thing that must be remembered.

Regardless of whether the cause of the trial is external or internal.

The one who bears the responsibility is none other than yourself.

“……”

I grabbed my throbbing head and got up to look around.

The crumpled blanket, misaligned to one side, and the stale taste lingering in my mouth. The scene of the bedroom, which had remained until the early dawn, had changed drastically.

“…Ahem.”

Lucia, perched on the edge, was nervously avoiding my gaze.

“Um, well….”

Veronica, who usually spoke freely, couldn’t utter a word.

And then there was—

“…You’ve woken up?”

Francesca, arms crossed, looking out the window.

I had just woken up, but it didn’t take long to grasp the situation.

Thus, I could acknowledge reality with a calm demeanor.

I started with a composed tone.

“Just let me live.”

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Episode 19 – HELLDIVERS

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The morning that the four of us faced was nothing short of a vibrant hell.

Next to the woman who had just woken up, there lay a couple of mysterious thugs. Judging just by this alone, it could be mistaken for a crime thriller or a horror scene, but if that woman had been with a man until the early hours and those two thugs were actually close female acquaintances—

This was definitely not a horror film featuring a killer in a cheap plastic mask stabbing a victim with a knife, but rather a grotesque comedy that would make your head spin just by hearing the fragmented storyline.

And indeed, that was exactly the case.

“…?”

Francesca, having just woken up, stared dazedly at the two women lying next to her. It was no wonder, as she had fallen asleep while enjoying herself, only to wake up to find two naked women in bed with her!

It felt like being hit on the head with a hammer. This was why she could only sit there, covered by a blanket, looking around in bewilderment.

But this was just the beginning.

Less than a minute after Francesca woke up, the eyes of the two saints opened.

“…Huh?”

Veronica, completely unaware of the world and still groggy, felt a wave of dizziness wash over her the moment she woke up.

She should have returned to her original bedroom, yet somehow, upon awakening, her adopted sister was right in front of her.

For the record, she was a noteworthy individual (criminal) who had committed both trespassing and adultery. Lucia was in the same boat.

The two criminal partners, waking up in unison, were frozen in place, without any thought of making excuses, escaping, or even covering themselves.

“Why is my sister and the saint… in my bedroom…?”

Veronica and Lucia stared blankly at the still-dazed Francesca, while Francesca gazed back at them with an equally bewildered expression.

It was a tangled mess of discomfort and absurdity.

How long had it been? After a moment of processing, Veronica tried to shake off the awkwardness, barely managing to mutter something like, “S-sister?”

At that moment, her spinning brain, unable to accept the situation, presented Francesca with a believable hypothesis: “An affair.”

Of course, the truth always surpassed her expectations.

The ambitions were high, but reality was a swamp.

“So you’re telling me that my sister was caught peeking into the bedroom and, to top it off, ended up in bed with the Colonel? And she dragged Saint Lucia into this mess too?”

“…Yes.”

With each layer of truth revealed like peeling an onion, her blood continued to run cold. Frederick rubbed his icy palms against his pants and nodded.

After posing the question, Francesca immediately turned her gaze to Veronica and Lucia. Her eyes seemed to ask if this was really the case, though her expression was slightly dazed.

The two women struggled to meet her gaze.

Francesca’s expression was a mixture of disbelief and horror—confused to the point of dizziness.

Yet, it wasn’t her who was truly dazed in this situation, but Frederick.

“Why were you with my sister…?”

All sins were on the verge of being scrutinized (entirely due to their own mishaps). For Frederick, this was worse than a disastrous ‘family meeting’ with three daughters-in-law.

“…So when did you three become involved like this?”

The question from the descendant of the Archmage plunged the spy into deep contemplation. How could she navigate this predicament?

Can I do it?

Though my tone disguised my usual calmness, it felt as if failing to answer quickly would bring about a great calamity.

Naturally, I had to choose my words with extreme caution. It was a mountain beyond a mountain, a treacherous maze.

I pondered and pondered. But I couldn’t come up with a good answer.

Thus, Colonel Frederick, could only open his mouth to let out a sigh full of anguish that refused to fade.

“Before and after meeting you.”

“…?”

Upon hearing the response, Francesca blinked in confusion, as if her brain couldn’t process the words.

At that moment, her sharp mind was buffering, when an explanation lagged behind to wipe away her doubts.

“I met Lucia before I met you… and after meeting you, I met Veronica.”

The instant those words left his lips, the atmosphere in the room felt as though…

It were a vacuum.

*

Whether it was luck from the heavens or just sheer misfortune, thankfully, the bloody, tragic accident I dreaded did not occur.

There was no scene of Frederick’s head floating away on a small boat,

No one with a knife spilling guts everywhere,

Nor any chaotic battle royale for a lone winner to emerge.

Simply put, this meant that the karmic retribution everyone was anxiously awaiting had not come for anyone except Frederick.

The reason was simple.

The noble Francesca was not fond of such uncivilized and primal pleasure-seeking behavior (commonly termed “private retribution”).

“Please leave.”

Even after Frederick confessed to his infidelity with a heartfelt, “Yeah, yeah. I cheated. What of it?” she simply issued an invitation for them to leave with perfect politeness.

Francesca’s request to leave was undeniably noble for not being influenced by emotion.

Or perhaps she was just too dazed by the shocking truth and outrageous sight to make a sound judgment.

To put it bluntly, Francesca’s decision had little to do with noble decorum. She was merely in a foggy state where she couldn’t decide what to do.

(If Francesca, upon awakening, had stumbled upon the sight of her naked colleague and companion next to her, only to realize she was the mistress after months of romance, and instantly stabbed the man without a moment’s hesitation, the Magic Tower’s courts might have seriously suggested she seek psychiatric help.)

Anyway.

Whatever her feelings, one truth remained evident: she was currently in a state of great confusion.

Thus, the lovely Saint Veronica, a self-proclaimed expert in psychological counseling and an accused adulterer, suggested, “Sister? Should we have a talk?” However, regretfully, the Archmage’s descendant firmly declined the offer.

And not only that, she even chased both saints away.

Thus, the three human trash cans, crazed by infidelity, were unceremoniously kicked out of the bedroom.

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

The sight of these three humans tumbling out together was utterly ridiculous.

From a distance, it was a comedic spectacle; up close, it was even more amusing.

“What should we do now…?”

Veronica, standing there in a daze, asked with her gaze fixed on Frederick.

Lucia, who stood by her side, began to look his way as well. Receiving the attention of both saints appeared enviable on the surface, but had the world known their true nature, people would rather have hurled stones at them, shouting, “You garbage scum!”

Frederick felt the weight of their stares, causing his lips to twitch.

Of course, merely giving his lips a little wiggle wouldn’t magically turn his pathetic excuses into clever statements. With a resigned sigh, he finally spoke.

“…I guess I should look for a lawyer first.”

“Are you worried you might get sued?”

“No.”

As both pairs of eyes filled with confusion, Frederick added in a curt manner.

“I’m just going to get my will notarized in advance.”

 

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