“...Hmm.”

Staring at her best friend, Trisha let out a deep breath through her nose.

She couldn’t say that she and Iliya had known each other for a long time, but there was one thing that she was certain of.

The fact that her best friend was extremely shy when it came to romance, almost frustratingly so.

Considering that, her current attitude was…

“...Iliya, what did you just say?”

“Hm? Ah, I said that I should help Riru out.”

Strange… Way too strange…

It was unbelievable that this was the same girl who was shaking in anxiety, thinking that she had no chance of getting her ‘Teach’s attention because there were too many attractive women around him.

Whenever Dowd was brought up, her emotions would surge terrifyingly, but now she was remarkably calm. It was like looking at the surface of a tranquil lake.

“...Riru? You mean, that violent woman?”

Carefully, Trisha started speaking while stroking her chin.

The last time she heard about Riru, she was told that the woman was clearly interested in Dowd.

But…

Out of a sudden, her best friend said that she would help that woman…

“...”

‘What the hell happened to her?’

‘Also, what kind of help is she even talking about?’

“Well, Riru is planning something…”

Iliya rubbed her eyes behind the eyepatch before letting out a grin.

“It seems like she’s about to make a very important confession to Teach.”

“...Did she tell you that?”

“She didn’t, but she doesn’t need to. I can clearly see that she’s nervous, and it seemed like she was hiding something inside.”

“You can…see…?”

The way she phrased her words made it sound like she didn’t just randomly guess.

And her following words precisely confirmed Trisha’s suspicion.

“Yeah, like you know, emotions and things that are somewhat visible to the eye…”

“...”

“Like, I can see something…stirring…”

Trisha’s mouth fell open.

Her ‘eyes that could see emotions’ was an ability awakened through interaction with Divine Power.

To be more precise, most Priests would gain a special ability after they reached a certain realm. But even among them, her ability was one of the most powerful.

After all, it was pretty much the same thing as being able to read someone else’s thoughts.

But…

Iliya acquired that kind of ability? Out of the blue?

“...Y-You can see e-emotions now, Iliya?”

“No, I can’t actually see all of them, just like… If they have… ‘Bad’ things inside their body… I can see their emotions if they have some intense ones…”

“Bad things?”

“I can’t say what it is, or else enemies would come from all over the place.”

“...”

Seeing Trisha cocking her head, Iliya just waved her hand before continuing.

“Anyway, how could I possibly see everyone’s emotions? Besides, having that kind of ability would make it hard to even hang out with people close to me~”

“...”

“I mean, normally, you’d hate being around someone who could look into your head, right? Like, take this conversation for example. I wouldn’t be able to talk about it with anyone other than you, Trisha.”

“...You got a point…”

Trisha barely managed to force out a smile, agreeing with her words.

Because in the back of her mind, she was suppressing all the horrible memories that were trying to resurface because of Iliya's words.

This ability was the reason why she was oftenly ostracized and bullied in the past.

At times, she was even treated like a monster.

Not to mention that…

Because of it, there were people she could never meet again.

“...”

She barely managed to control her expression.

With great difficulty, she changed the subject.

“...But, is it really okay for you to help her just like that? This matter is related to Mr. Dowd, right?"

While those words were the result of her desperate struggle to shift the topic of the conversation, they were also something that she genuinely wanted to ask.

If Iliya were to help Riru, and the latter ended up getting together with Dowd, what would happen afterwards?

That was the question that Trisha actually wanted to ask.

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

The answer that came out of Iliya's mouth however, was all too carefree.

“...What?”

“After watching him for a bit, I concluded that it's his fate to attract various women in his life no matter what he's trying to do. Even if the world itself tries to stop it from happening, it won't stop. So, I figured that instead of trying to stop the inevitable, I should just try to make the best out of the situation."

Trisha stared at her with a dumbfounded look, meanwhile, Iliya only let out a bright smile.

“Besides, I'm an irreplaceable existence to him."

She sounded so certain when she said those words, and she wasn't wrong in the slightest.

Indeed, she was the only person around Dowd who could effectively 'suppress' those insane women who were essentially throwing their bodies at him.

This was something that even Lady Tristan couldn't do. Even if she won the race, the Lady would probably completely crush her rivals or at least leave them in pieces. Knowing Dowd, there was no way that he'd welcome that kind of outcome.

That was why...

“Also, since that's the case, it would be even better for me if more women flocked around him."

To her, the more the women clashed among themselves, the better.

“...Huh? Why?”

“Because that would make Teach rely on me even more~"

“...”

Indeed, the more often such conflicts emerged...

The more valuable Iliya became as she was the only person who could 'control the traffic' of those people.

To put it simply, Dowd wouldn't be able to live without her anymore!

“...So, you're intentionally letting more women gather around Mr. Dowd while you'll be watching them fighting among themselves from the sidelines?"

“Nah, of course not. That would be a bit too much, wouldn't it? There's no need for me to needlessly aggravate the situation, or else it'll just put Teach in danger."

“...”

Iliya let out a chuckle before continuing.

“I'm just helping Riru out because she's my friend. Wouldn't it be sad if she couldn't even convey her feelings properly?"

“...Um, Iliya?”

Chill ran down Trisha's spine, but she still tried her hardest to maintain her smile.

Her friend was saying that she was just helping out a friend of hers...

And she found those words a little bit strange...

“You said that you're helping her because she's a friend..."

“Yeah. What's up with that?”

Surely it wasn't a strange question to ask.

Because until just now, Iliya's attitude was like she was saying, 'I'll be the number one anyway, it doesn't matter how many women will approach him.'

“...That person...um...Riru...is she really your friend...?"

That question was difficult for Trisha to bring up.

“Of course she is.”

But the response she got couldn't be any more nonchalant.

“That's why, uh...I'm fine with accepting her as a second or third concubine."

“...”

'Normally, if you treat her as a friend, wouldn't you step aside and let her be the number one at least?'

 

'What's with this attitude of hers...?'

“I mean, Teach is mine, you know?”

“...”

“This much is already a pretty big concession, no?"

'Such an empty, fleeting friendship...'

That thought automatically brushed past Trisha’s mind.

[Can I ask you something?]

‘No.’

 

[...]

I already knew what he was going to ask, so I wouldn't even consider trying to entertain him.

As I thought so, I slightly loosened my grip on Yuria's leash.

Her slight panting as she was being dragged along could be heard from behind me.

“...Sorry. Did it hurt?”

“N-No! I-It's perfect now, s-so, c-could you continue...like this...?"

“...”

Fine.

If you say so.

I continued to pull on her leash, trying my best not to look back at her.

If I were to turn around and look at her face, she would be probably blushing right now, I'd definitely feel the weight of my own social disgrace. And that would be enough to get me into the spiral of depression for a good while.

[Fuck that, I can't resist anymore.]

“...”

[You know the Hero Selection starts tomorrow, right? So what in the world are you doing here?]

“...”

Did you even need to ask that?

Obviously, I was doing it because it was necessary!

System Message

[ ‘Activity – Walk on Leash’ is in progress! ]

[ ‘Activity – Light Choking’ is in progress! ]

[ Masochism Meter of target ‘Yuria’ is in the process of resetting to 0! ]

[ Corruption Value of target is significantly decreasing! ]

“...”

I swear if someone read those words without an ounce of context, it would seem like I was engaging in some fucked up acts that the society would condemn me for.

But that was exactly why I was doing it.

Thinking this, I brought out a window.

This was what I saw yesterday.

System Log

[ Built-In Skill ‘Defender’s Soul’ has been added to ‘Soul Linker’! ]

< Item Info >

[ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ]

[ Enchantment: Epic ]

[ ‘Hero Shard’ Fusion ] [ ‘Evil Essence’ Fusion ]

◎ Built-In Skills ◎

■ [ Image World ] [ Skill Grade: A+ ]

[ Summon a Spirit Body to create a unique domain in the surrounding area. Within the domain, certain abilities possessed by the Spirit Body can be used. As further levels of consciousness unlocks, the range of the domain and the number of abilities that can be used increases. ]

{ Current Available Abilities }

[ Mastery: Solidarity ]

[ To a knight, comrades are family. You can partially share the buffs applied to yourself with nearby individuals.]

■ [ Defender’s Soul ] [ Skill Grade: S ]

[ Guardians have always been recognized as the defenders of justice and morality. Every time you suppress someone with malicious intent, you gain Special Stacks. If you fill up the Stack, you can summon the soul to the current world for a certain period of time. ]

Current Stack: 2%

■ [ Forbidden Sorcery ] [ Grade: 4 Tattoos ]

...

This person, who was almost like a harmless big brother next door, was once called the First Guardian. Even Gideon hesitated to confront him directly.

Summoning him to this world would definitely give me a terrifying advantage, that was why I had to fill up the Stack no matter what.

Considering that the Hero Selection would be starting tomorrow, it was even more so.

‘...There's no doubt...'

In the world of Sera, the term ‘Suppression’ would apply whenever someone inflicted some sort of harm on another, in any form of way.

...Including dragging someone around on a leash just like what I was doing now...

System Message

[ You have suppressed target ‘Yuria’! The Stack of ‘Skill: Defender’s Soul’ is accumulating! ]

See? These notifications kept on popping up.

But…

System Message

[ You haven’t suppressed the target sufficiently. The Stack is accumulating slowly! ]

This window also kept popping up. It seemed I hadn't fully met the Suppression requirements.

Guess I had to do more research to act more like a hot garbage—

[...Did you lose your mind already?]

“...”

[You’re going to look for something that is worse than this?]

No, like...except for her, with her masochistic tendencies, who else would willingly accept such treatment?

Getting Suppression stacks required me to inflict some kind of harm, but not many people would just stand still and let me hit them, even if they were Devil's Vessels.

Of course, this girl was an exception. Who in their right mind would willingly ask to be walked on a leash?!

“Ah, o-ooh, M-Mr. D-Dowd, g-gently…”

“...Ah, sorry. Did it hurt?”

I was lost in thought as I dragged her along. It seemed like I had been treating her roughly unknowingly.

But, hearing my words, she only smiled shyly before responding.

“...N-No, n-not at all.”

Her smile looked so pure and genuine that it felt refreshing to see.

If she wasn't wearing the leash, this would have been quite a picturesque scene.

“Even if it hurts a little, it feels really good.”

“...”

“This is the first time I've ever experienced something like this...they said it usually hurt the first time, but with Mr. Dowd doing it...it just feels...good..."

“...”

Bruh, what the fuck?

Stop.

What kind of heinous shit did you just say?

I only heard her words, but that was enough to make me shudder in embarrassment!

[...Is this lady right in the head?]

‘...Whatever, as long as we're not caught by others, it should be fine!'

At the very least her Corruption Value wasn't increasing; The biggest risk factor was taken care of.

In the first place, this place was a deserted plain, and it was really late in the night.

When I was about to respond to Caliban and turned around the corner...

I bumped into Iliya, who had a smile plastered all over her face.

“...”

“...”

Maybe I was wrong.

This was probably the biggest risk factor, not the Corruption Value.

When I thought as such while facing Iliya...

She approached me with a grin.

“...”

“...”

I had to say something. Anything.

When I was about to make an excuse, my body broke out in cold sweat...

“I’m not like the Student Council President, Teach.”

Iliya spoke up first.

“...What?”

“Whatever peculiar and intense tastes Teach has, I can understand and accept all of it.”

“...Huh?”

“Anyway, can I walk Miss Yuria instead of you? I believe you have an urgent matter that you have to attend right now!"

“...”

I was obviously stunned by her words, and it was also the case with Yuria, as she seemed to be momentarily at a loss for words.

'What the fuck is she on about?'

At that moment…

“W-Wait, Miss Iliya…! T-This is…!”

“Don't worry! This is what friends are for! We help each other out with these kinds of things from time to time!"

“...H-Huh? I-Is that really the case?!”

“...”

Of course it was not! What the fuck?!

Sure, I understood that you didn't have any friends and all, but how could you just blindly believe her words like that?!

“...I created this opportunity, so..."

While she was dragging Yuria away, Iliya mouthed something.

Without a doubt…

She was saying it to someone behind me.

“Good luck, Riru!”

“...”

Uh?

What?

I turned my stiff body around, like a robot that hadn't been oiled for a long time. And I saw the exact person Iliya mentioned, standing there without a word.

Riru Garda.

The Chieftain’s granddaughter.

“...”

“...”

There was a large box in her arm.

Just seeing the sheer size of it made me almost feel a sense of dread.

“...”

“...”

The silence stretched on.

Normally, she'd tell me off, asking why was I staring at her for so long. But now, it was as if she had forgotten how to breathe. Her breathing was rough, as if she had went through some kind of hard labor.

Not only that, her face was flushed. A vivid red hue decorated her tanned skin.

“...It’s been a while, Riru. How have you been?”

In the end, it was me who broke the silence with a greeting.

“You shoulda contacted me when you first arrived in Elfante. I coulda gone to find you so we could have a meal together."

That topic should be uncontroversial enough to lighten the mood, right?

You know...

Unlike before, this woman now held a significant position in the Tribal Alliance alongside Kasa. If she were to start a 'trouble' with me, my options to go against her were pretty limited, especially with how the Hero Selection was right around the corner.

“Judging from your complexion, you seem to be in a better mode. That's a relief—"

“Dowd Campbell.”

She cut my words, her tone sounded serious.

“...”

Guess my efforts were futile.

This woman definitely brought something that could cause me 'trouble'. I could feel it in my skin.

“...Do you remember the last thing I said before we parted ways?”

“...”

Uh, yeah.

I told her to bring me a 'gift' whenever she returned to Elfante.

The box she was holding probably related to that, huh?

Now, the question was, what kind of gift was it exactly? Why did she look so...'serious'?

“...”

“...”

Riru chewed on her lips again.

Despite her tomboy-like appearance, this woman seemed to be unable to bring herself to say something out loud, thus increasing my anxiety.

Fucking hell.

Seriously, what did she want?!

“...Hey.”

After a long silence…

She finally seemed to have made some kind of resolve.

“Take this.”

With those words, she pushed the box towards me.

The box was decorated with exquisite engravings and jewels.

It was clearly something meant for a grand occasion. Definitely not something that was only worth one or two coins.

“...Is that a gift for me?”

While hoping that it was nothing significant, I tried to keep the mood light as I showed her a casual smile.

However…

“What is this exactly? It looks expensive.”

“A dowry box.”

“...”

Hearing her words...

A part of my brain stopped working.

“...Excuse me?”

With difficulty…

With truly great difficulty, I managed to force out a response. But when I did so…

“Dowd Campbell.”

Riru…

With her entire face and body flushed red…

And her gaze ablaze with a fiercely burning determination…

“...Marry me.”

Spoke such words…

Firmly and decisively.