Lin had been thinking for a long ti.
No matter what he did or what plans he had, he felt that the thing holding him back was himself.
No matter how strong Lucy was, as long as there were multiple people targeting him, she would always have to stay close to him, unable to move freely. It was the sa in Valterkrua, in the Zramun Islands, and here in the Imperial Palace.
The excuse that "a porter is a non-combatant by nature" didn't hold up. Situations and events didn’t care about such facts. They would crash down on you as they were.
After getting in the way multiple tis, Lin started to feel frustrated with himself, and he began to understand why the other party mbers disliked him during the Demon Lord subjugation journey.
After entering the DLC episode, Lucy’s obsession beca blatant, and enemies always targeted Lin, leaving the porter with no ti to respond.
This couldn’t go on.
He needed to reach a level where Lucy could feel sowhat assured.
That’s why he planned this: the teleportation to Gillesman through the attack on the Crown Princess.
The City of Sorrow, Gillesman, where the Second Hero was killed—a central location for the sub-episode in Chapter 4 of the Imperial Palace, following Ephaltera, Valterkrua, and the Zramun Islands.
There were two paths in the royal palace ruins of Gillesman. One led to the mage's enhancent event, and the other to the porter’s class change event. The ruins were designed so that both events could not be completed simultaneously.
If the porter underwent the class change, he would be forcibly moved outside the ruins and unable to re-enter. If the mage’s enhancent event was triggered, the ruins would collapse, making Gillesman inaccessible forever.
After nurous attempts to save and load, Lin discovered that the only way to progress was to complete the class change first, then return later with Lucy to do the mage's enhancent event.
But that was only in the ga’s system.
Lin was now in reality.
Originally, he planned to only do the mage's enhancent event, but after growing tired of his own helplessness, Lin decided to attempt both simultaneously.
There was nothing he couldn’t do.
As long as he had Mr. Lee’s mories...
[Captain... please...!]
[Linna, are you flirting with while still thinking about him back ho?]
[But... you made like this, Captain...!]
[Then say it out loud.]
[...!]
[Go on.]
[...I’m sorry, Basel, for being such a wretched woman.]
[Say it!]
[Linna's drenched here... and the Captain's huge and thick...]
This was too much.
Already feeling ridiculous about the open sky above him, Lin woke up, unable to sleep due to the blatant NTR scenario playing out in the next room.
“Lin, I can’t sleep like this.”
“Neither can I.”
That damn NTR bastard was already launching a ntal assault. His target was undoubtedly Tigrea’s body.
“I’m getting creeped out being alone. Can I co closer?”
“That’s a bit...”
Creeped out. That was an unfamiliar term coming from her. The mage, who didn’t even flinch when monster fluids splattered on her, was creeped out.
[Stop, stop! I just want to leave!!!]
“Let’s get out of here. I can’t stand it either.”
In reality, the place they were given wasn’t really a room; it was a ruin with a blown-off roof next to the exploration leader’s tent. It was likely once a small house for soone.
Simply opening the door didn’t reduce the noise. Lin walked until the disgusting sounds could no longer be heard. Tigrea walked with him. She wanted to walk a little closer to him, but with her small stride, it was impossible to keep up. Lin, realizing this, slowed his pace slightly. Tigrea quickly hurried to his side, a slight smile unknowingly tugging at the corners of her mouth. But since she wasn’t used to smiling, it ca out a bit awkward. Her heart pounded, and she wanted to believe it was because of the fast walking.
It was late at night. They had originally planned to enter the royal palace ruins this evening, but the explorers had retreated early, so it wasn’t possible. But now, as they sought to escape the noise, they found themselves in front of the palace.
“Lin... phew, you walk faster than I thought.”
“Do I?”
“Seems like it.”
“.......”
“Do I still make you uncomfortable?”
She did.
Tigrea kept trying to talk to him. Her questions were awkward, and they were difficult for Lin to answer at length.
“Yes, a bit.”
“Got it.”
Seeing the mage deflate a little, Lin sighed quietly. This was an unfamiliar sight, but it wasn’t completely alien to him. It reminded him, however reluctantly, of how he used to try to talk to Lina when he was younger. Back then, he would say vague things, not sure if they were complints or jests, just to get a reaction, hoping she would respond like a puppy yearning for attention. It was a childish ti.
Thinking of those tis, Lin found himself looking up at the tall gates of the palace.
“Did you co here often?”
“No.”
“Weren’t you from here?”
“I awakened my consciousness just before the end. As soon as the Original sent out of the capital, the flood hit.”
“I see.”
Tigrea seed eager to keep the conversation going, but Lin wasn’t in the mood. He was feeling awkward dealing with party mbers other than Lucy. And Tigrea was showing an odd kind of goodwill, which made things even more difficult.
Even though he needed to manage her affection level due to the presence of the NTR-man exploration leader, Lin couldn’t bring himself to do it. His changed state of mind, starkly different from the ti during the Demon Lord subjugation journey, was subtly rejecting it.
‘Have I beco ntally weak?’
Despite enduring all sorts of disregard and disdain, he now found it uncomfortable and awkward to be alone with soone. Lin, who now saw himself as weak and distant, wished that Ravin and Lucy were with him instead.
When he lowered his gaze from the palace, he saw Tigrea standing far behind him.
“Why are you standing there?”
“This feels like the right distance.”
“What does?”
The wind carried her small voice clearly.
“The distance between you and .”
“That’s not true.”
“It might be. But you’re speaking more comfortably now than when we were close.”
“.......”
Lin took a step closer.
“Do you want to be friends with ?”
Tigrea took a small step back.
“I don’t know.”
Lin stepped closer again.
“I don’t know how to be friends.”
“ neither.”
Tigrea also took a step back.
“Up until the Demon Lord subjugation, you were at least close to Lucy.”
“Luciena took care of , but we weren’t close.”
“Did Lucy ask you questions first?”
“Yes, I rember giving vague answers.”
Lin advanced, and Tigrea retreated.
“Why did you do that?”
“I wasn’t interested.”
“Then Lucy got busy with her personal quest, and for the first ti, you asked where Lucy had gone.”
“I considered it an anomaly when soone who ca regularly didn’t show up.”
“I see.”
Lin stopped walking. Tigrea stopped too.
“When we’re alone, you said you wanted to observe .”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to observe , or do you want to get to know ?”
“That’s a foolish question. You can only know by observing.”
“In that case.”
Lin took a big step back.
“You should just observe.”
Tigrea’s face showed she had been caught off guard. Realizing her mistake, she hurried after him.
“Lin...!”
Unable to keep up with her quick strides, she began to run. But her frail legs struggled to close the distance she had created.
“Please walk with ...!”
He didn’t stop. He was heading straight toward the entrance of the palace ruins.
“Haah... haah...!”
Why am I running?
I don’t know.
The thought of him disappearing from her sight terrified her.
Even though her breath was caught in her throat, Tigrea kept her eyes fixed on Lin as she ran.
Lin was the sa.
Why am I being so difficult?
I don’t know.
Seeing her suddenly act so friendly irritated him.
To her, he must have seed like nothing more than a bug, sothing beneath her notice.
He missed the peace of mind he had once had when nothing could faze him, no matter what happened.
The way he quietly went about his business, unbothered by anything.
It must have hurt, but it didn’t.
He must have been lonely, but he wasn’t.
He envied that version of himself.
“Lin!”
The porter, who had been moving without hesitation, stepped through the half-open gates of the royal palace.
The palace also had a large hole in its ceiling, through which the pale moonlight stread in.
He had entered the dungeon, but the first hundred ters or so of the entrance were a safe zone.
The solitary moonbeam cald him.
Feeling more at peace, Lin decided to step a little further inside.
As he used the moonlight to gauge his direction and turned his head,
“What on earth are you doing here?!”
Denaruah was staring at him, her face full of disbelief.
“Are you out of your mind?! This is a dungeon!”
“I was just taking a walk and...”
“What? Then it’s okay if I kill you for carelessly wandering in here?”
“Couldn’t you let off the hook?”
“Let you off the hook for what?!”
Denaruah drew her twin swords, scowling at him nacingly.
“Are you ready for this?”
The tension was rising.
But there was no sense of hostility.
So Lin decided to speak honestly.
“Sorry, I ssed up. I won’t worry you next ti.”
“Hmph.”
With a snort, she swung her sword in the opposite direction, and the sound of monsters collapsing echoed.
“I’m cleaning up right now, so co back tomorrow.”
“Cleaning?”
“Can’t you see? I’m cleaning up the monsters.”
Why would a demon clean up monsters?
“Are you worried I might get hurt by the monsters?”
“I’m just clearing the path. Don’t get full of yourself, you idiot!”
Denaruah shouted at him.
“Who’s worried about soone like you! Get lost!”
“.......”
“Why aren’t you leaving?!”
“Well, I just thought...”
Lin awkwardly pointed to the loot dropped by the monsters.
“Can I pick these up?”
“Huh?”
“I really need them.”
“Get out!”
A gust of sword wind swept over Lin’s head.
The force was so overwhelming that it sent chills down his spine, but Lin soon realized that the loot had been blown toward him.
“Thanks!”
“Hmph....”
As he frantically gathered the loot, the twin-sword-wielding demon vanished without a trace.
When Lin had nearly finished stuffing his bag with the items, a small hand offered him another piece of loot.
“...Here.”
It was Tigrea, covered in sweat.
She handed it over with trembling hands, unable to catch her breath.
Feeling guilty for being so prickly earlier, Lin gratefully accepted the item.
“Thank you.”
Then he pulled out a soft cloth and wiped the sweat from the mage’s forehead.
Tigrea silently savored the delicate touch of his hand. Though her expression was awkward, the corners of her mouth were definitely turned up.
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