The Hero of Dark Fantasy Possessed a Romance Fantasy (3)
The carriage rattled and shook.
“This is killing me…”
Selena's back and hips ached, her body stiff and sore. It was unbearable.
There was a world of difference between the carriages she was used to and this military carriage.
It was like comparing a fluffy, feather-filled pillow to rolling naked on a gravel field.
She'd hoped they might stop for a break at a village along the way,
But Zeke showed no such inclination.
Whenever they passed a village, it was only to buy simple food or for Selena to wash up.
Each time, Zeke would curse under his breath about the "General who enjoys her feasts."
'What does he mean? What did the General eat?'
Selena couldn't quite make it out, but she could tell he was in a hurry.
And that he wasn't happy about this situation either.
It seemed he didn't particularly want to sleep in the carriage either.
'Hmm, maybe he really is a ruined noble? He hasn’t even laid a finger on me…’
That day, Selena, determined to reject him, had boldly opened the carriage door.
But Zeke was fast asleep, snoring away, seemingly oblivious to her existence.
Honestly, she felt a sense of relief, but it was also a blow to her pride.
It made her wonder if all the praise for her beauty and character had been a lie!
Selena had to fan her flushed face, stealing glances at Zeke’s sleeping face.
Suddenly, she remembered something her mother had said a long time ago.
“Our Selena is so cute and smart, but I'm a little worried about your vivid imagination. So, where did you hide that book? You're not supposed to be reading that yet.”
“Hehe, did I hide a book?”
“It's under the bed. Let’s see… Oh my, there are so many!”
“Oh no!!! Please, anything but the one with the hulking Northerners!”
'Ugh…'
Thinking back, Selena realized she had been delusional that night.
Even if the campfire had made her sentimental,
Even if she had met the Northern noble she’d always dreamed of,
Even if he had the looks that were her exact type,
Even if he had saved her from being ravaged by goblins!
‘No! That’s not the only reason!’
Thanks to her father, Selena was practically immune to the charms of most men.
For her, a man like Zeke Clayman, who exuded a masculine and rugged aura,
was bound to feel special, especially after their fateful encounter.
The image of Zeke's face subtly overlapped with the male protagonists from the romance novels she had been reading.
“Gulp.”
She swallowed.
‘Oh my. Stop with the fantasies, Selena.’
In any case, the anticipation and misunderstanding of that night were enough to make her clothes feel tight every night.
'The instructor probably doesn't even remember! Here I am, lost in my own world… How embarrassing. This is all because of those novels!’
Remembering that day, Selena, her face flushed, took a deep breath to calm herself down.
Even though she had concluded that it was all just her own misunderstanding, there was still something strange.
No matter how she looked at it, he was being too cautious, almost as if he was deliberately avoiding her.
'Does he hate me? No, that's impossible... Isn't it in a man's nature to lose their mind when faced with a beautiful woman like me? Unless… he prefers, you know… men!?'
Having grown up showered with love from her parents and brothers,
Selena couldn't fathom the thought of someone disliking her.
Except for one person.
'Oh, Iriel Eustia. She's an exception.’
Selena even began to have absurd thoughts about Zeke's preferences.
Then it hit her—maybe he had no money.
Her imagination went into overdrive again.
'The instructor is keeping his distance because he's embarrassed.'
But what if he felt bad about not being able to afford an inn because he had no money?
And as a ruined noble with no money or power,
what if he was ashamed of being indebted to a highborn lady like her?
'Besides, they say Northerners aren't good at expressing their true feelings. They might act cold, but they're actually warm inside.'
If that was the case, she could understand.
Selena nodded with a generous heart.
“Ahem! Instructor!”
Selena cleared her throat and called Zeke, who was staring sullenly ahead.
Zeke’s impassive eyes turned to Selena.
“Are you still not going to accept my help?”
“That’s right.”
“Even though you have no money?”
“…….”
Zeke looked at the young lady in front of him with annoyance.
'What is she talking about? Is she picking a fight?'
It was absurd.
This freeloading parasite, who hadn't even paid for a single meal, had the nerve to say that to him?
He wondered where her conscience had gone.
He was already irritated because of the money that "he" had supposedly donated to the military.
Hearing those words just made him feel worse.
Just as he was about to unleash his anger, Selena continued.
“Then, let's do this.”
“What are you talking about?”
“When we arrive in Ramielli, I'll give you the money, and I won't force you to do anything. Honestly, I'd love to have you as a guest at our mansion, but you don't seem to want that.”
Selena looked at him with a confident glimmer in her sky-blue eyes, as if to say, "How about that? Isn't this good enough?"
Zeke's expression soured.
'This is so annoying!'
Zeke really wanted to get rid of this clingy leech.
They had had this same conversation dozens of times already.
'Ugh, I regret saving her. Can I return a stray dog?'
It seemed like this woman would continue to cling to him until they reached their destination,
no, even after they arrived.
'Why can't we just go our separate ways?'
"Oh my, you don't have to be shy. I'll take it as you repaying my kindness!"
"If you're so eager to give it to me, then hand it over now."
"Well, Siera manages all the money, so I don't have it right now! I'll give it to you when we get to the mansion!"
Selena puffed out her chest as if boasting, irritating Zeke even further.
Crack.
A vein throbbed on Zeke's forehead.
'Fine, let's see how pure your soul really is.'
Zeke glared at Selena.
He gathered the surrounding mana, his eyes scanning her.
There was no better way to determine the clarity of one's soul and the purity of their character.
It was a bit of a stretch now that they were no longer in the mana-rich Dave Continent,
but it was a technique he had often used to assess his enemies,
so he could at least use it to gauge the amount of mana she possessed.
'What the…'
But soon, Zeke found himself dumbfounded.
A radiant light emanated from behind Selena, filling the carriage.
An overwhelming purity that was almost blinding.
A soul so pure, it seemed almost sacred.
Goosebumps erupted on Zeke's arms.
It was a light he had never witnessed in the world of dark fantasy,
a world where even angels and saints were quick to fall to corruption.
'Th-That's not important right now.'
Zeke closed his gaping mouth and analyzed the light.
[ Gratitude 30%, Purity 25%, Goodness 10%, Stubbornness 10%, Slight Affection? 5%, Sense of Obligation 5%, Responsibility 3%, Pity 2% ]
He was flabbergasted.
He couldn't find a single trace of the emotions he had been wary of.
'C-Could it be…? Can I really get my hopes up…?'
His gaze towards Selena shifted slightly.
And then, everything went dark.
Thud.
* * *
“You killed the angel! You killed the hope of this Dave Continent!”
“No!! That angel, she was already corrupted!”
“Lies!! Stop lying! You always…!”
“Why don’t you believe me?! You just gobbled down that chicken! You even said the demonic energy gave it a nice kick!”
The so-called Saintess before him was throwing a tantrum after he had made her fried chicken out of the fallen angel’s wings.
She refused to believe that the angel was already corrupted.
And this woman was showing signs of corruption herself.
He had tried to guide her, seeing that she was born with a good heart,
but here she was, acting up again.
The Saintess drew on her divine power, her golden eyes flashing as she raised her sword.
Zeke, too, rested his hand on the sword at his waist.
“Ha, for fuck’s sake. Are you really going to do this? Do we really have to fight? You know what happens when I draw my sword!”
“Remember that girl you killed?”
“Watch your mouth.”
“Zeke… You really are….”
Flash
“Gasp…! Gasp.”
.
.
Zeke’s eyes flew open, and he shot up from the carriage floor.
The pre-dawn light was just beginning to break.
His back was drenched in cold sweat, his entire body trembling.
'Shit… Is this a side effect of the eyes…? Judging by my condition, I can probably use them once a month at most…'
He wasn't sure, but it was probably due to the scarce mana in this romance fantasy world.
Using the Eyes of Judgement after slaying goblins and before he had fully recovered had taken a toll on his body.
It seemed like it had triggered those dreams of the dark fantasy world, dreams he hadn’t had since returning to Earth.
Zeke took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.
'Damn it… Of all the dreams, it had to be that one… Hmm?'
He felt something damp on his forehead.
He brought his hand up and touched a wet cloth.
It was the cloth that had been wrapped around Selena's arm.
Zeke turned his gaze to Selena, who was sleeping across from him.
She was curled up uncomfortably in the cramped carriage.
This girl who insisted on repaying her debt, her bright blue eyes filled with determination.
She was annoying, yes, very annoying,
but he had to admit,
he didn’t entirely dislike her presence.
He just didn’t dare to believe it.
That’s why he had pushed himself to check, just to be sure.
He rarely used his ability on people back in his world.
He was afraid of the disappointment that would come with dashed hopes.
Selena’s persistence had given him the push he needed,
and all he had found was a radiant soul.
He could still see its pure light.
It was the reason he had fainted like a fool.
However,
'Can I really let myself believe…'
Even though he had seen the goodness in her soul, it was hard to let go of all doubt.
His past experiences, harsh and painful, had made solitude his only companion.
The world of dark fantasy had been ruled by a Demon King.
Of course, even in such a bleak world, it wasn’t all monsters and darkness.
As he fought as the hero, he had inevitably ended up saving humans suffering in various ways,
whether he intended to or not.
To be honest, at first, he had hoped for it.
He had hoped to save a damsel in distress, receive her heartfelt thanks,
and witness the blossoming of hope, just like in the stories.
But most of the people he saved were more interested in what they could get from him,
demanding elixirs and treasures instead of offering gratitude.
The Saintess had been the only one he could somewhat trust,
but even she had crumbled and fallen to corruption in that cruel world.
But this was a romance fantasy.
There might be monsters, but there was no Demon King ruling the land.
And there was no crazy bastard like him.
Besides, the genre dictated that good and evil were relatively clear-cut.
Selena was undoubtedly on the side of 'good'.
'Right, this isn't dark fantasy. It's romance fantasy.'
Zeke realized he was still clinging to the shadows of his past, unable to break free.
'But… even so… Can someone as broken as me deserve to be with a soul so pure…'
As he gazed at Selena with a troubled heart, she slowly opened her eyes.
“Hmm? Are you awake? Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Selena smiled brightly at his words.
“Hehe, that’s good to hear. I guess I was able to help you this time.”
Her laughter reminded Zeke of the girl he had failed to protect in the dark fantasy world.
It was probably because of what the Saintess had said in his dream.
The girl who had approached him, offering him trinkets and a bright smile,
despite his hardened exterior, a result of being used and betrayed by countless people.
“Mister, are you feeling better now? Hehe, here, have some of this. I picked it from the mountain earlier.”
“Go away.”
“Aw, I heard your tummy rumble! Hehe. Here you go. Eat up and get some energy!”
She had continued to seek him out,
placing a handful of dried fruit in his hand even after being told to leave.
But a few days later, she was taken by the Demon King
and forcibly infused with demonic energy, twisted into something no longer human.
Zeke had killed her.
“Instructor?”
Selena looked at him, her expression puzzled.
Zeke slowly opened his mouth.
“Thank you. And… I’m sorry.”
“Huh?”
“But I don’t need something like this.”
Selena was stunned by his unexpected gratitude and apology.
She had never expected to hear such words from him.
Earlier, he had been staring at her as if he wanted to see through her, and then he suddenly fainted.
Selena had been terrified.
Seeing him lying in the carriage, sweating and groaning in pain,
Selena had spent the entire night wiping his brow,
soaking the cloth from her arm in water to cool his burning forehead.
As Selena stared at Zeke with a bewildered expression,
he took the wet cloth and tied it back onto her arm, his face as impassive as ever.
'W-What the...?'
Selena's face flushed bright red.
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