The Hero of Dark Fantasy Possessed a Romance Fantasy (2)
Zeke stared blankly at the shivering figure bowing before him.
Her silvery hair flowed down to her chest like waves, adorned with a violet hairpin.
Her eyes were a clear sky blue, with a charming mole beside one.
Her ample bosom drew his gaze.
She looked a bit pathetic, shoulders slumped and muttering to herself, but she was the kind of beauty that would make anyone turn their heads on the street.
She reminded him of a frightened rabbit.
“I-I'm so sorry for misunderstanding….”
“You said that already.”
“……But still…!”
As lovely as the girl was, Zeke crossed his arms and tore his attention away from her.
‘Why did I even bother commenting on that web novel!’
He'd only just been possessed, and his mind was a jumbled mess.
The last thing he needed was to get attached to some pretty stray puppy he'd picked up.
Just thinking about the bleak future ahead was already overloading his brain.
“Um, but what about the others…?”
“There were none.”
“What!?”
“Seems they abandoned the carriage and ran.”
As if struck by a major shock, the girl covered her mouth with her hand.
The luxurious carriage, as the coachman had confirmed, was now utterly destroyed.
The inside was empty, and there were signs of someone fleeing on horseback nearby.
‘Damn, they must've bolted as soon as they came to. Typical stray.’
“H-How could they.”
“Humans are selfish creatures. Their own lives always come first.”
“But they… Siera… She would never…”
As if feeling betrayed, the girl clenched her small fists.
However, she quickly regained her composure and bowed her head.
For someone who looked so timid, she had an unexpected amount of backbone.
“My apologies for the late introduction. You have saved me, and I am eternally in your debt. If you’ll allow it, may I have the honor of knowing your name?”
“Ki… Damn it. It’s Zeke Clayman.”
“Why… Why did you curse…?”
“Ah, it wasn’t directed at you. Don’t worry about it.”
Damn it. Zeke gritted his teeth as he spoke his own name.
‘Zeke Clayman.’
It was the name that echoed countless times in the dark fantasy world he had been summoned to before.
Usually uttered with hatred by the enemies he had cut down right before they died.
But somehow, even in this unrelated world of romance fantasy, his name was still Zeke Clayman.
He thought he had completely left that name behind, but it had chased him down to haunt him here as well.
‘Did those damn demons curse me or something? Or maybe it was those angelic pigeons? Should I resurrect them just to turn them into chicken nuggets again?’
As he was grinding his teeth, lost in the memories of his past, the girl in front of him introduced herself.
“Zeke Clayman, I am Selena Yohaiden, the princess of House Yohaiden.”
“Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Huh?”
“I said I don’t know.”
Selena seemed taken aback, but he meant it.
How much could he possibly know about the setting of a novel he had merely skimmed through?
He was juggling seven romance fantasy novels at the same time.
As a result, everything was jumbled up in his head.
“Th-Then… do you perhaps know where we are headed…?”
“Ramielli Academy.”
“!”
“And you are going there…?”
“……As a swordsmanship instructor.”
Selena’s eyes widened at his words.
At the same time, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
“What a coincidence! I’m also enrolling in Ramielli Academy this year! And I applied to the knighthood department!”
“Is that so.”
“I look forward to your guidance.”
This time, she politely placed a hand over her heart and bowed in the aristocratic manner, conveying her respect.
‘And what am I supposed to do with that information?’
* * *
Selena thanked Zeke and examined herself.
Her arms and shoulders were carefully wrapped in cloth. The moderate pressure felt comfortable.
‘He bandaged me so meticulously… Huh? But where’s my sword?!’
Selena panicked as she realized her sword, which she had securely fastened to her waist before leaving the Dukedom, was missing.
She immediately questioned Zeke.
“Um, do you perhaps know where my sword is…?”
“The coachman secured it and put it in the luggage compartment.”
“Oh… Thank goodness. It's quite precious to me.”
Selena breathed a sigh of relief.
"……."
"……."
Once again, a heavy silence fell over the carriage.
She had never felt so insignificant before.
The Princess of House Yohaiden, one of the three most powerful noble families in the Empire.
Of course, there was one Grand Duke, but he had no interest in politics.
Therefore, everyone she had met so far had always been interested in her appearance, wealth, or power.
‘This is the first time anyone has treated me so coldly.’
However, the man who introduced himself as a swordsmanship instructor, even after saving her life, simply sat there with his arms crossed and an indifferent expression, as if he had never expected anything from her in the first place.
‘But… Could this be my type…?’
Selena's face flushed as she examined his face, and she shook her head, banishing the thought.
In any case, she was the Princess of House Yohaiden, one of the three great noble families of the Empire.
It would be a disgrace to the Yohaiden name if she did not repay her savior.
It was only proper to ask and offer her gratitude.
Despite feeling intimidated by Zeke's cold demeanor, she gathered her courage and spoke.
“Umm…Mr. Zeke. Is there… anything I can do for you?”
“Nothing.”
His rejection was as firm as his demeanor.
Selena frowned.
“Why not? There might be something I can help you with.”
“You? Why?”
“Because you saved me.”
Zeke chuckled inwardly.
‘How amusing.’
Realistically, in their current situation, accepting help from Selena, who seemed to know the area well, would be the wise choice.
However, he was a former hero from a hopeless dark fantasy world.
It wasn’t like people hadn’t approached him this way in the past.
Those who, claiming to repay a debt of gratitude, would sidle up to him.
The number of times he had been stabbed in the back after naively trusting someone had long surpassed three digits.
Having lived in such a hardcore world, he naturally lost any lingering expectations he had for humanity.
He might have picked her up and saved her life, out of some sense of duty as a former hero, but Zeke had no intention of maintaining any further connection with her.
“I owe you a debt, Instructor.”
“Forget about it. It’s better if you don’t.”
“No. I am the Princess of House Yohaiden. I cannot accept such one-sided assistance.”
‘This stray is really becoming a handful. As if she’s not just fishing for ways to use me.’
Zeke shook his head, his annoyance evident.
‘Why is he refusing so adamantly?’
Selena was beyond bewildered; she was flabbergasted.
It wasn’t as if she was offering help for no reason.
She was simply trying to repay the debt of saving her life, but Zeke acted as if she was nothing but a nuisance.
Now she was starting to feel a sense of defiance. Selena pressed her lips together firmly.
‘I will find a way to repay this debt!’
* * *
Eventually, night fell.
They had been traveling all day, but they were still more than a week away from the capital.
Zeke and Selena stopped by the road, built a fire, and had a simple meal.
‘He uses such small utensils for eating. Is that a soldier thing?’
Selena looked around for any signs of a village.
However, there was nothing but a vast, empty field, except for the distant mountains and trees.
“Um, Zeke. About sleeping…”
“I’ll be sleeping in the carriage.”
“T-Together!?”
“Just sleeping.”
“…..”
Selena’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Zeke noticed, but he couldn't help it.
He had no money. No money at all.
He regretted throwing away the ring he had impulsively tossed aside earlier when he was in denial about his situation.
It definitely looked quite expensive!
All he had left was a measly 50 silver coins.
With Selena joining him and another mouth to feed, considering their remaining journey, they would be cutting it close even if they stopped by villages for just basic food and water.
‘That damn General must be living large with my money. That good-for-nothing woman.’
Zeke pictured the smiling face of the female General he saw right after he was possessed.
Of course, technically it wasn’t really his money, but still!
Shouldn’t there be some kind of starter pack when you get possessed?
The world might be all sweet and fluffy romance fantasy, but his conscience was stuck in the apocalypse.
He wouldn’t have minded as much if he never had it in the first place, but the thought of having all his money stolen from him made Zeke grind his teeth.
As he was lost in his thoughts, he felt a yawn creeping up on him, but his overly-competent body refused to comply.
It was only after the sun had set that Zeke finally felt a hint of drowsiness.
‘Maybe it’s because mana is scarce here….’
When he killed the goblins earlier, Zeke had instinctively drawn on mana as he would in the dark fantasy world.
However, whether it was due to the low mana concentration in this world or something else, he felt utterly drained.
“Anyway, I’m going to sleep. Do whatever you want.”
With that, Zeke squeezed himself into the cramped carriage.
The coachman was already asleep on the driver's seat, using the reins as a pillow.
Left alone outside, Selena hugged her knees and stared into the fire, trying to organize her thoughts.
‘S-Sleeping together?! I'm a student, and he’s the teacher!’
She wondered if there was something wrong with his character, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
He just seemed to have a cold and indifferent personality.
On top of that, he was so clueless that he didn’t even recognize the name of House Yohaiden, one of the three great noble families of the Empire.
‘How could he not know, unless he’s from another world or something?’
It was a wild thought, but she quickly shook her head.
‘But to be appointed as an instructor at Ramielli Academy, he must possess exceptional swordsmanship skills.’
Ramielli Academy was where the Empire’s most talented individuals gathered.
The instructors were not ordinary people either.
They would have undoubtedly chosen a skilled swordsman who had proven himself.
‘Wait… Could he be… the type who's obsessed with the sword?’
With that thought, his ignorance and aloofness transformed into the image of a hermit who, lost in the pursuit of swordsmanship, had forgotten the passage of time and was unfamiliar with the ways of the world.
"And his age… He looks young. Almost my age…"
At first, his face had seemed like that of a vicious rapist, but objectively observing him in the carriage, she found his jet-black hair and sharp eyes rather appealing.
And the way he rejected her was a novel experience, strangely refreshing.
“Black hair, black eyes…!!! Ah! He must be a Northern noble! Why didn’t I think of that before?! Yes! That makes perfect sense. Of course he wouldn’t care about the capital or noble families…”
She delved into the fantasies she had woven about the North.
Known as the Empire’s Swords, they were said to possess black hair and black eyes, standing as the first line of defense against the monsters that threatened from the south.
They were known for their cold and stoic personalities, unwavering in their dedication to the sword.
This was her first time encountering one in person, so it was understandable that she hadn’t recognized him immediately.
Come to think of it, this encounter was no mere coincidence.
Or perhaps it was fate that had brought them together.
Selena had always admired the tales of the North, the self-proclaimed Swords of the Empire.
However, her father, overly protective of his youngest daughter, had forbidden her from even touching a sword.
But as with anything forbidden, her desire only grew stronger the more it was suppressed.
The small spark of longing for the sword she had always harbored blazed into a roaring inferno.
Originally, she should have been preparing for her upcoming engagement and eventual marriage.
Yet, she had escaped the confines of House Yohaiden.
The procedures for enrollment and accommodation at the academy had already been taken care of by her servants.
All she had to do was show up.
And so, while on her way to the academy’s entrance ceremony, her carriage was ambushed by goblins lying in wait.
But then, the person who appeared and rescued her was none other than a Northern nobleman and a swordsmanship instructor.
The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place in Selena’s mind.
This was practically the first scene of those slightly scandalous novels she would sneak reads of in the dead of night!
“Don’t tell me…! Is he waiting for me to come in…? Does he think money means nothing to him, and that I should repay him with my body…?”
Selena glanced at the carriage.
"He said he'd just sleep…. But men always say that…. If I go in there… Will I… become an adult…? No, snap out of it, Selena! You are the Princess of House Yohaiden!"
She shook her head vigorously, overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions.
As she sat there, her face flushed crimson, her mind racing with all sorts of indecent scenarios, the night wore on, and she noticed the first light of dawn breaking over the horizon.
The fire had long since died out.
“I-It’s cold.”
The morning breeze sent a chill through her body.
Unable to bear the cold any longer, Selena finally approached the carriage.
‘N-Not yet. It’s too soon. I need more time to think…. He seems like a nobleman who values honor, so he’ll understand if I refuse. Get ahold of yourself, Selena! You have to refuse properly!’
Creak.
With trembling hands, she opened the carriage door.
Thump, thump.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
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wtf man, how did they make them change personalities so quickly. This girl is strange
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter
ReplyDeleteUnhinged as hell, Seems like a fun read.
ReplyDeleteShe's hilariously pure
ReplyDelete