novelraw Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Ch.74 Why Are You Being So Kind to Me?
A cloudless, clear night.
The Hero party was roasting meat in the forest.
“Leah? Is it really true that Father Hans is nearby?”
Leah, who had just speared a piece of meat with her fork and brought it to her mouth, paused briefly.
—Gulp.
“Yeah. He was coming southward from the north, and now he’s close—about five days’ distance away.”
Five days’ distance….
Leah’s words—that they might meet him soon—left the others silent.
Their minds began racing with rapid calculations.
At first, their plan had been simple:
Create negative sentiment around Hans so rivals would naturally give up on him, allowing them to ‘rescue’ the abandoned priest for themselves.
Seeing how the other girls had reacted so far, they all reasonably suspected everyone else was thinking the exact same thing.
Yet no one dared ask outright—each held back, afraid that voicing their own thoughts might ruin their carefully laid schemes. Internally, they fretted in anxious silence.
But….
‘Well then, this might be a good chance to confirm things properly. Though even if they try, none of them can possibly beat me—the romance novel-taught expert in love rivalries.’
Cecilia, inwardly scoffing at Scarlet, Leah, and Mia, was the first to bring up Hans.
“Anyway, when I see Father Hans, I’m going to slap him across the cheek.”
With that bold opening, Cecilia watched their reactions carefully.
In her eyes, Scarlet, Leah, and Mia exchanged wary, suspicious glances.
It felt… as if they were hesitating, wondering whether her words hid a trap.
‘So everyone… is after Father Hans.’
Oddly enough, though Cecilia’s mind was usually full of flowers and daydreams, the moment romance entered the picture, she became a genius.
She analyzed the situation with practiced ease—as if she’d lived through countless such moments before.
‘If everyone’s aiming for Father Hans, then spreading bad rumors about him is inevitable…’
Though she’d learned romance solely from novels, the sheer volume and variety of romance novels she’d devoured over the years was nothing short of legendary—utterly impossible to ignore.
“I completely understand that you’re all still uncertain. After all, each of you believes your beloved must be kind and pure.”
Cecilia spoke calmly at first, then suddenly frowned, slipping effortlessly into a dramatic performance.
“But Father Hans deceived us all with sweet words! Aligning ourselves with such a shameless man goes against the will of the gods!”
It was debatable whether invoking divine wrath as the saintess might itself incur divine punishment—but Mia raised her hand and stepped forward anyway.
“Scarlet and I will first speak with the Sage and decide what to do. For now, we’re putting any immediate action against him on hold.”
Scarlet chimed in immediately, echoing Mia’s calm tone.
“Exactly. Honestly, there are too many questionable things about our Patron—no, about Father Hans’s actions.”
Scarlet feared that if she blindly agreed with Cecilia and badmouthed Hans now, Cecilia might rush straight to him and report everything—costing her precious favor points.
Besides… from Scarlet and Mia’s perspective, Hans’s behavior really had been suspicious lately.
Caught off guard by this unexpected turn, Cecilia stammered slightly.
“Y-you all! Are you really going to betray the Goddess? What about you, Leah? What do you think?”
‘Honestly, I just wish you’d all disappear.’
Unable to speak her true thoughts aloud, Leah fell into brief contemplation.
‘If everyone follows Cecilia’s advice and cuts ties with Master… my chances of ‘picking him up’ would go up. Not a bad outcome.’
While the other women’s relationships with Hans hovered somewhere between romantic interest and ambiguous affection, Leah’s bond with him was that of master and disciple—a uniquely significant connection among mages. If the others stepped aside, she’d have a chance to restart things anew.
Therefore….
“I also think Cecilia makes a valid point. How could he underestimate women so much as to think of us that way? Sure, he’s been kind—but this is just unacceptable.”
Scarlet and Mia stared at Leah in stunned disbelief.
The usually prickly Leah was now agreeing with Cecilia in complete seriousness?
‘Leah and Cecilia—the two who can’t go a day without fighting—actually agree on something?’
‘O Sage… is there anything impossible for you?’
Those two clashed over everything, from trivial matters to important decisions. Yet here they were, aligned perfectly on the issue of Hans.
Scarlet felt a deep pang of insecurity.
‘Is there something seriously wrong with me as party leader?’
“Your point has merit, but we’ll decide only after speaking with the Sage. Don’t try to pressure us—we have no intention of changing our minds.”
Mia waved her hands dismissively, clearly signaling she wanted no further discussion.
She had no desire to get entangled in Cecilia’s scheming.
‘But why is Leah siding with Cecilia?’
Mia couldn’t figure it out—but it didn’t truly matter to her.
She was utterly confident she’d emerge victorious.
‘Heh heh… Sorry, Scarlet, but the choice belongs to the Sage. I hope you won’t resent me too much.’
Mia glanced at Scarlet with a faintly pitying look.
Scarlet, catching that gaze of condescending sympathy, bristled with irritation.
‘What’s with that look?’
It was the smug, triumphant gaze of someone who already believed they’d won.
Scarlet’s mood plummeted instantly.
She’d never once felt inferior to another woman—after all, back in her village, she’d effortlessly melted the hearts of every boy her age.
‘For an old hag like you…’
By human standards, Mia was already two hundred years old.
Though her elven nature preserved her youth, she was practically a grandmother.
Yet instead of seeking someone her own age, she was chasing after young Hans.
‘Shameless old woman.’
Mia read the anger in Scarlet’s eyes.
Their gazes locked in silent, fierce confrontation.
***
A bright morning.
After sharing a bed with Selena in the freezing cold of the Arctic and aboard ships, sleeping alone in a spacious bed felt wonderfully refreshing.
Sleeping two in a narrow bed was surprisingly uncomfortable.
“Ugh!”
It’s gloomy out for a morning.
Probably because it’s winter—the sky is overcast even at this hour.
I hope it doesn’t snow.
We need to head south quickly. I absolutely hate the cold.
The New Continent was so vast that the weather varied greatly by region.
While the north was deep in winter, the south at this time of year was sweltering hot.
After getting up, changing clothes, and stepping out of my room—
—Click.
I met Selena’s eyes as she emerged from the room across the hall. I smiled and greeted her.
“Sleep well?”
“Mm. You?”
Was it my imagination, or did her eyes look slightly red?
I stepped closer and asked, “Your eyes are red. Did something happen last night?”
Selena gently closed her eyes and shook her head lightly.
“No… probably just the dust. I’m fine.”
Her voice sounded oddly listless, which puzzled me.
Could it be allergies?
I’d never heard of allergies here, but people were people—surely they existed here too.
I dismissed it without much thought.
We had a quick breakfast, then headed to the harbor to check ferry schedules to Long Beach City.
As we stood at the end of a long line of people, joking and passing time with Selena—
Hmm? Something’s off about her today.
How to describe it… she seemed sad?
Her laughter during our conversation felt forced, not her usual natural self.
Was it an allergic reaction?
I decided we’d change inns today.
My room wasn’t too dusty, but hers must have been—hence the red eyes and poor sleep.
Lost in thought, I barely noticed when it was finally our turn.
The ticket clerk greeted us warmly.
“Welcome!”
“Yes, we’d like to check ferry schedules to Long Beach City.”
She scanned her desk, searching for something.
“Long Beach… Long Beach… Ah, found it! The earliest departure is today. It’s 50 Silvers per person.”
The price was cheaper than expected, so I quickly added, “Could we get first-class tickets instead?”
Reaching Long Beach from here meant sailing halfway around the continent.
Given the long journey, traveling in standard class would be miserable—dozens of passengers crammed into one large communal room.
I had no desire to endure that.
“Um… we don’t have first-class available today, but there’s a luxury passenger liner departing in four days. Would that work?”
The luxury liner was built using arcane engineering—smooth sailing, comfortable cabins, and lavish entertainment and dining options.
For long voyages, nothing beat it.
“Then we’ll take that. How much?”
She opened a drawer, rummaging through it as she replied, “Shall I book you first-class on that as well?”
“Yes, two first-class tickets.”
“Two first-class tickets on the luxury liner—that’ll be two gold.”
“Here you go.”
I handed over the two gold coins. She nodded, pulled out two tickets, and circled the date with a pencil.
“Four days from now, show these tickets at the dock, and they’ll guide you onboard. Please note—no refunds if you miss your departure.”
It was a bit outrageous to charge two gold and offer no refunds, but…
As we left the ticket office,
“Here. One gold.”
Selena quietly held out a gold coin to me.
She’s got more money than she lets on?
As a potential bride, she’s impressively perfect:
Beautiful enough to stand out anywhere, kind-hearted, an excellent cook—and wealthy too.
The more I learn about her, the more baffling it becomes.
Why didn’t the Destiny developers include Selena in the game?
While I was lost in thought, Selena spoke sharply.
“Aren’t you taking it?”
“Huh? No, it’s fine. Keep it.”
Money was the one thing I had in abundance.
Even after repaying Captain Carlos’s debt, I still had plenty left—and once I salvaged that sunken ship, I’d be the richest person in the world.
“What? You… you really won’t take it?”
She seemed genuinely surprised, stumbling over her words.
Finding her reaction endearing, I gently ruffled her hair.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Anyway, let’s change inns.”
She stopped walking and insisted, “Changing inns is one thing—but take this. If you don’t, I’ll feel burdened.”
When she glared at me with those upturned eyes, I had no choice but to accept the gold coin and slip it into my pocket.
“Wouldn’t want you feeling burdened. By the way, once we’re back, get ready to move rooms.”
“Huh? Why change rooms?”
She looked puzzled.
I gently touched the area around her eyes.
“Your eyes are red. You probably didn’t sleep a wink because of the dust. Let’s find a better place.”
Selena stood still under my touch—then suddenly bowed her head deeply.
“Why… why are you being so kind to me?”
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