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“Ophelia.”

“….”

“There’s no need to be so scared.”

“I don’t know….”

I sighed, watching Ophelia, who was face-down on the bed like a corpse with her face buried in the pillow.

I almost considered playfully tapping her protruding backside, but I figured that would just provoke her to leap at me like a possessed demon, so I dropped the idea.

“It’s already been two hours.”

“I know….”

“It seemed like you didn’t.”

I quietly gazed at Ophelia’s cute little head and let out a bitter smile.

In the end, I chose the gentlest words I could find.

“The Saintess’ collusion with the Demon King’s Army doesn’t mean there’s an immediate threat to us. The Shadow of God has been dealt with by us, and the countries on the continent, including the Empire and Great Forest, will be keeping a close watch on the Saintess’s movements.”

“….”

“The point is, there’s no need for Ophelia to be this anxious.”

Just earlier, I received a letter sent from Owen, who had showcased his skills at the Adventurer Guild.

One line at the end read:

‘N-no way…’

The moment Ophelia heard that the Saintess had colluded with the Demon King’s Army, she trembled in fear like a puppy that had just seen water.

She had locked herself inside our lodging, burrowed under the covers.

In the end, I somehow forced the door open with a universal key, but Ophelia was sprawled on the bed like a corpse just as she was now.

Whether I spoke or not, all I got in response were short answers or a slight flinch of her shoulders.

“Are you that scared of the Saintess? Ophelia, you even kicked the Pope, remember? At this rate, the Saintess should be the one scared of you.”

“Ah, I know… I know…”

Ophelia’s toes peeked out from the covers, wriggling.

“I mean… but…”

“Well…”

The fear marked in her childhood.

Despite being freed from the Saintess, it seemed the fear instilled by the Pope and the Punishment Room was still vividly engraved in her mind.

At this rate, I couldn’t blame her or change her mind.

This was purely a problem Ophelia needed to overcome herself.

All I could do was comfort her.

After coming to that conclusion, I sat down on the edge of the bed where Ophelia lay face-down and lifted her up between my arms.

“Ugh.”

Like a meerkat, I hoisted Ophelia up and placed her on my lap.

“Let go, you bastard.”

“No way.”

I started to massage Ophelia’s shoulders.

“You bastard, let go.”

Ophelia muttered, burying her face down.

Her pure white hair tumbled down and tickled my knees.

“Are you really that uneasy?”

“….”

“You can be honest with me.”

Then Ophelia opened her tightly shut lips.

“It’s… only natural…”

With a wet voice, Ophelia continued.

“Those bastards… they’re scary, you know… You’re strong, so you’ll be fine, but I… I’m useless…”

“…”

“If I went into the Punishment Room even once, I wouldn’t come out for a week. I couldn’t even eat. That’s how it was.”

“But that’s not the case now.”

“Even so!”

Ophelia yelled out.

The next moment, realizing what she had done, her shoulders flinched.

“Uh, right. The Continental Conference… If it weren’t for you and that bastard Yurede and Elliot… I would be… by now…”

“Ophelia.”

I placed my hand on top of her head.

“Don’t worry. I’m here.”

“…You won’t leave?”

“I won’t leave. No matter what happens.”

At those words, Ophelia finally relaxed, her shoulders drooping.

Today, Ophelia’s figure seemed small enough to fit in one hand.

This was a side of Ophelia that I alone knew, a side she didn’t show to others.

It was undeniably cute.

I chuckled softly and continued to massage her shoulders.

“By the way, Ophelia, you’re quite the spoiled one.”

“…Are you complaining?”

“I don’t have any particular complaints. It’s just amusing to see you act like a kid at your age.”

At my words, a dull impact struck my chest.

Ophelia lightly tapped my cheek with her neatly clenched fist.

“Fine, I’m a kid, then…”

Ophelia looked up at me, her pouty expression was simply marvelous.

“Right now, let me act like a kid.”

“…”

“Why?”

Ophelia’s face flushed with embarrassment as she spoke, and I smiled widely at her.

“Well…”

Just then, Ophelia buried her face in my chest.

*

When I finally managed to coax and comfort Ophelia and stepped out of the room, the sun had already set.

The Ice Palace is located at the northernmost part of the continent, hence the sunset is brief.

As I gazed down the unlit streets, I mulled over the contents I had read earlier in the Adventurer Guild.

‘The Saintess… has colluded with the Demon King’s Army.’

It was truly shocking news.

Given that it hadn’t reached the ears of the Ice Palace yet, it seemed only a select few people, including Hound Owen and Inquisition Officer Yurede, knew about this.

Supporting this, Owen had emphasized in his letter not to let this slip.

It looked like he wanted to infiltrate the Cathedral along with Yurede to uncover the detailed ins and outs.

‘The Demon King’s Army, huh.’

I wondered who it could be.

Not only was it shocking that the Saintess had teamed up with the Demon King’s Army, but also the fact that there might be an executive capable of such audacity.

Someone had figured out the weaknesses of the corrupt Saintess and was worming their way in to win her over.

Of course, such a miracle could only be attributed to…

‘Possessor.’

Yes.

Surely, the Possessor was involved.

My head started to throb already; I took a deep breath and leaned against the railing.

“…”

Until convincing news got sent from Owen, I had to be cautious.

Currently, the Shadow of God is absent. I’ve already demolished their presence, even killing their chief, Benedict. With the Pope’s personal guard gone, the possibility of the Saintess trying to harm us is slim.

So for now, I just need to deal with the issue right in front of me.

At that moment—

“Cough, cough.”

I heard a cough right next to me.

There stood Cecilia, her face slightly flushed as she looked my way.

“How long have you been there…?”

“Well, since Sir Elliot was hugging the Saintess…”

“So, you saw everything.”

“Well, that’s one way to put it…”

Cecilia, flustered, glanced around nervously before returning to her customary cold expression.

“Anyway….”

A tense silence lingered before Cecilia spoke first.

“I’ve finished talking with Sir Albrecht and Prince Azar…”

From her reaction, it appeared they had not uncovered my identity as a Possessor.

After all, I would be traveling to the Demon King’s Castle with Cecilia. As we break the ice, I may have an opportunity to reveal the truth.

“So, what was your discussion about?”

“It was about the situation with the current Hero group… and the plans moving forward, particularly about taking down the Plague Lord…”

“Is that significant enough for just the three of you to discuss?”

“W-well, that’s….”

Cecilia stumbled over her words.

In the game, she was decisive, but right now she seemed a bit shy.

“Well, I thought it would be better to have a conversation among those who are familiar with each other first… It wasn’t meant to disregard the Hero. I thought there would be an opportunity for everyone to gather and hold a meeting soon.”

“I’m not particularly concerned. So, what conclusion did the three of you reach?”

“…We’ll cross the Erosion Zone.”

In an instant, Cecilia’s eyes sparkled.

She and the Knight Order must have suffered quite a bit of damage from the Plague Lord as well.

“Of course, it will entail a lot of sacrifices. But eliminating Verena, a high-ranking officer of the Demon King’s Army, is of utmost importance.”

“Of course.”

“We’ll take care of the preparations to cross the Erosion Zone with our Knight Order. We’ll provide gas masks to fend off the magic and protective gear, and….”

“No, there’s really no need for that.”

I cut her off.

Cecilia frowned.

“What do you mean by that?”

“We can easily cross the Erosion Zone without protective gear or gas masks.”

“…”

Cecilia’s brow narrowed.

She was likely thinking what kind of nonsense I was spouting.

Typically, crossing the Erosion Zone without protective gear would be tantamount to suicide.

But right now, my party consisted of the strongest squad on the continent.

And the most versatile among us wasn’t me, the Hero, nor Albrecht the Sword Saint, nor even Azar, the Golden Lion, but Ophelia, who was hugging a pillow and sound asleep right there.

“With Ophelia around, we can traverse the Erosion Zone just fine.”

The reason she was a must-have character in the game wasn’t solely due to her own stats and abilities but also because she possessed an absurd trait that rendered penalties from the Erosion Zone at 0% during non-combat.

In the Erosion Zone, Ophelia could be accurately described as a goddess descending to the mortal realm.

“Trust me, the name Saintess isn’t just for show.”

“…Huh?”

Cecilia twisted her lips as she listened to me, looking as though she didn’t comprehend it.

But she didn’t argue against the Hero’s words any further.

“…So, Sir Elliot seems to hold Ophelia in very high regard.”

“Is that so?”

“Indeed. The Saintess I saw… well, to put it bluntly, she had the demeanor of a common servant.”

“Haha.”

It couldn’t be helped that she thought that way, considering her first encounter with Ophelia was when she threw a tantrum at the estate of the Eastern Legion commander.

I shrugged and replied.

“I don’t deny that. As you saw last time, Ophelia has a fiery temperament, lacks tact, and her mouth is quite foul; she’s a bit of a troublesome woman. It often makes me feel like I’m raising a child. It can be quite annoying, to say the least.”

“…”

As I poured out my harsh criticisms, Cecilia wore a slightly horrified expression.

“Well… she isn’t a bad person.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Ophelia has the potential to become the world’s greatest hero.”

My claim made Cecilia tilt her head in confusion.

Of course, I meant it.

Right now, Ophelia is stronger than in the original story, and likely much stronger than I had imagined. She will continue to grow stronger.

There is always a reason for the Demon King to take an interest in Ophelia.

“…Hmm. I see.”

Cecilia half-heartedly agreed, glancing back and forth between the dormant Ophelia and me through the door.

“So, Sir Elliot thinks of the Saintess…”

“I trust her more than anyone.”

“I see.”

Cecilia nodded, then cautiously asked, “Then why do you tease her…?”

Such a question came out.

“Tease her?”

“Why, just like when you were in the wagon, and even at the Ice Palace…”

“Oh….”

It’s our everyday life, but it may be new to Cecilia.

“…Well.”

So I gave her the answer.

“Because it’s fun?”

“…It’s fun to make the Saintess cry?”

“Can I be honest?”

“Yes.”

“It’s absolutely delightful.”

Cecilia’s face stiffened.

 

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