I don’t know about others, but Meyer shouldn’t react like this. How can he be more curious than happy that I came earlier than scheduled?

I was offended, and for no reason at all, I was being mean and sarcastic.

“So, aren’t you happy to see me? Then I’ll go back.”

“No! I’m happy to see you. I’m very happy to see you…”

Meyer hurriedly waved his hand and denied it. However, while saying so, he could not hide all signs of anxiety.

The shadows on his faintly drooping face were gloomy. He looked like a prisoner who was dreading what the judge would decide.

And I was the judge of the omniscient and omnipotent God who had taken possession of that prisoner’s life.

It was so awkward and strange to have rights that had never been given to me before.

I sighed and sat in front of Meyer.

“After thinking about it, I decided to accept the Commander’s confession positively.”

“Okay… What? Positively?”

Meyer raised his drooping head. It was as if he hadn’t expected me to say that at all.

Meyer asked back, stunned.

“Really?”

“Why can’t you believe me?”

Meyer couldn’t speak easily. He stuttered like a person who had lost his language for a moment.

“Then… We….”

A smile that I’ve never seen spread around Meyer’s mouth. At the moment when his eyes were about to rise with joy, I blocked his words.

“However.”

“… However?”

“I think I’ll hold off on dating for now.”

Meyer’s face became dazed as if he had been hit by me.

Someone who doesn’t move an eyebrow when he’s actually hit…

Stunned like a child robbed of their candy, he asked back as if he didn’t understand.

“Why?”

“I need to level up and focus on closing dungeons.”

“Can’t you level up and date while closing dungeons?”

Meyer carefully asked, looking at me.

I shook my head with a sigh.

“No. Commander, have you ever dated someone?”

“…”

Meyer’s mouth was closed tightly. He was a human who had devoted his life to dungeons. Dating experience? Of course, there can’t be.

I continued to speak with equal momentum.

“Right? It didn’t seem like it. Then, if you’re 29 now, and have experienced regression, do you think a person who has never been in a relationship for nearly 30 years will be able to focus on dungeons for their first relationship?”

“…”

“You can’t. It’s absolutely impossible. If you could, the Commander wouldn’t like me very much.”

“It’s not like that. My love for you is sincere.”

Meyer, who had been keeping his mouth shut, hurriedly added as an excuse.

I don’t know how long that feeling will last, but I know exactly how I really feel right now. I can’t not know.

It was so bad that “that” Meyer confessed because he couldn’t endure it ahead of the epic battle of the Demon King.

I grabbed Meyer’s hand. His body stiffened and he looked at me.

I said seriously, holding Meyer’s hand tightly.

“So let’s date on the premise that we’re dating after defeating the Demon King.”

“… What’s the difference?”

Meyer asked shakily.

To be honest, I knew well that I said something ridiculous like a warm iced Americano.

I don’t know if it makes sense to have a relationship on the premise of a relationship.

But there’s a subtle and important difference!

‘In this world, it’s pretty natural to have a bed to sleep in when you date…’

If it had been a romance in my original world, I might have nodded graciously.

I’d be okay with holding hands, kissing, that sort of thing.

But a bed…

A bed…!

‘That’s not possible.’

In fact, Meyer was an excuse.

If I said okay to that, it was clear that my concentration would be ruined, not Meyer.

Honestly, Meyer was really my type!

‘I tried so hard not to recognize it…!’

Every time I conversed with Meyer, I couldn’t help but gaze at every single thing like the thickness of his lower lip, the veins on the back of his protruding hand, his arms thicker than my thighs, and his thighs even thicker.

So I usually tried my best to pretend I didn’t know about it, blurring and filtering my gaze, but every so often I would appreciate it with a drink…

Even if he has never been in a relationship, Meyer should have some basic common sense. So he also might have implicitly expected it.

Still, I was too shy to tell him I’m not ready to sleep with him, let alone date him!

In short, not going out with him was a [1]maginot line for me.

I cut the contradictory story, and I insisted proudly, hiding my embarrassment with brazenness.

“We know we like each other, but we’re not in a relationship. We didn’t even announce it to the world.”

Meyer muttered blankly.

“You like me? Really?”

“I like you, so I considered the Commander’s confession positively. If it didn’t, I’d just say no.”

When I grumbled and responded, joy spread over Meyer’s face.

But before his face was completely colored with a smile, he suddenly asked with a straight face.

“…What if you change your mind after putting off dating like that?”

“It won’t change.”

“But… You’re not as desperate as I am. In the meantime, if you like another man…”

“I won’t go out with anyone until we defeat the Demon King.”

“After defeating the Demon King, you may find another man you like more than me.”

“There are few men better than the Commander.”

“It means there are a few.”

“No, that’s just the way it sounds… Oh, let’s write a memorandum then.”

I replied back annoyedly. It wasn’t until I said it that I realized that this conversation pattern was somewhat familiar to me.

In this way, of course…

“Okay, good. Memorandum. We should write a memorandum.”

…I knew this would happen. I feel like I’ve dug my own grave.

Meyer busily searched the desk and lined up high-quality parchment, pens, and ink in front of me.

“Make sure you write that you’ll go out with me. Or at least that you’ll give me the first chance.”

“Okay, okay.”

I sighed and grabbed a pen. Then, I wrote down the contents of the memorandum with a brushstroke. As there was nothing complicated, the memorandum was completed quickly.

Meyer watched me closely as I wrote the memorandum. There was a shadow over the memorandum because of how close his head was.

He checked the contents of the memorandum twice and was relieved when I finished putting my seal on it.

He listened to the memorandum I wrote preciously as if it were a white dandelion.

Then he put it in a drawer in a box where he kept important things and felt a small sense of relief.

‘The emperor’s edicts are no more important than mine. Not that he’s the kind of person who cares about imperial edicts in the first place.’

I thought to myself and folded my memorandum into thirds.

Meyer sneakily asked, reading the air.

“Then tell your close acquaintances in advance…”

“I can’t.”

What nonsense is he talking about?

“It’s a big issue for the head and Vice Commander to date. The atmosphere in the expedition will be disturbed.”

“We’re not dating.”

“A dating schedule would be the same as dating in the eyes of others.”

There’s a serious reason why I can’t go out with Meyer right now, and it seems that Meyer was just trying to keep up with what I said, so I just went on to say that…

It was clear to others that it would only be seen as flirting but not dating.

Meyer muttered in a small, dissatisfied voice.

“You seemed to be disturbed even if we weren’t dating.”

“Isn’t that because of the Commander’s lack of leadership?”

“…”

Meyer’s mouth was shut. He wanted to refute, but he seemed to be wary of denying what I said.

Unlike Meyer’s confusion, I was so refreshed because my complicated mind was organized. I spoke cheerfully.

“Now I’m really going to be stuck in dungeons. I came out in advance to tell the Commander not to have a hard time, so the Commander should also go around dungeons and gradually increase your experience and magical proficiency.”

“Okay. Don’t worry. Trust me.”

Meyer nodded proudly with a much better face compared to the beginning.

It looked as if he was a military dog that listened well, and an admiring heart tickled my chest.

I stood up smiling.

It was cute to see him like that in the past, but now that I think he’s my man-to-be, it was much better to see.

That way, Meyer and I agreed to date after defeating the Demon King.

Although I belatedly recalled that it was like a death flag, such as asking to marry when you came back from war, the possibility was as slim as Sevi’s height growing the same as Axion’s.

After getting rid of all the drowsiness, I stormed into the room of the special unit where they were resting for a long time and shouted vigorously.

“We’re going back to the dungeons tomorrow morning, so get ready in advance!”

“Huh? Ehhhhhhh!”

***

The untimely thunder made the special forces struggle to enjoy the little rest they had left. August did not refuse the sudden trip to the dungeon but welcomed it with open arms.

It was clear that he thought even this was part of his asceticism or a challenge of a chance given by God.

“Now, for the next five months! Let’s turn around in a flash!”

“… Vice Commander, I think you’ve changed.”

“But it’s better than when you were half-willed before.”

“I think it’s time for our spirit to fly halfway…”

1. (T/N: Maginot line: a defensive barrier or strategy that inspires a false sense of security.)