HPV 6

Banwes is causing a scene and calling for me? My stomach dropped.

Don’t tell me he thinks I captured and sold him out and now he’s coming to kill me?

…Well, I did sell him out, but still…

At least Yurichen didn’t immediately turn to look at me. The guard hadn’t noticed anything.

When I got off the carriage, Yurichen had also placed a veil over me. My clothing was a simple traveling robe, so to the guards, I would’ve looked like just another follower tagging along behind him.

…Wait. Did Yurichen dress me in these himself?

The image popped into my mind for a moment.

That’s a problem. A member of the hero’s party—no less than Yurichen, whose every movement is more graceful than a swan’s—doing something as trivial as changing someone’s clothes? I need to get away from the hero’s party as soon as possible.

“I’ll go suppress it shortly. Does anyone else know of this matter?”

Yurichen spoke calmly with the guard, hiding the fact that Riarun was standing right beside him with impressive ease.

“No one, sir. You’re the first I’ve informed.”

“Understood. Go on ahead.”

“Yes, sir!”

Once we were alone, Yurichen’s demeanor shifted—his air turned cold in a way that almost felt unreal.

He’s always kind to the people, but to those around him, he shows neither blood nor tears.

Even with his face hidden behind a veil, the sheer chill and dignity of him came through loud and clear.

“Seems you’ve still got unfinished business with him. I’ll take you to him.”

His tone left no room for argument. He was clearly holding me accountable. I followed him without protest, down into the underground where Banwes was imprisoned.

The underground…

I steadied my breathing so Yurichen wouldn’t notice my unease.

Thankfully, the veil hid my face, so I only had to keep my voice and breath under control.

Compared to the place I used to live, this was a luxury estate.

There was no mold or dust on the floor, and though there were no windows, the lighting was bright. A staircase connected this area to the floors above.

The air was surprisingly fresh—it must be ventilated regularly.

Instead of guards, I saw attendants passing by with cloths or supplies.

Still, the innermost room… had one thing in common with where I used to live:

The door was locked and barred, with iron grates that let you see inside.

I introduced myself to the guard in front of Banwes’s cell, who was sweating bullets from the ongoing commotion.

“I’m Banwes’s guarantor.”

I could feel Yurichen giving me a look of disbelief from beside me.

Really? You’re doing this now?

He probably thought I’d done a complete 180 after selling Banwes out.

Inside the room, the hulking figure saw me and lunged at the bars.

Bang!!

The sound shook the entire underground. The guard flinched and stepped back.

Banwes was restrained, so his movements were limited—but he hadn’t been whipped or mistreated.

I calmly met the eyes of the frenzied man.

He glared at me like he wanted to rip the bars apart. His crimson eyes were ablaze.

His arms were so thick and muscular that only his wrist could squeeze between the bars.

“So this is how you help me, huh. Just like that, you sold me out and got your reward?”

A red-eyed giant radiating fury. The sheer pressure from him made my skin crawl.

But I coolly removed my veil and replied without flinching:

“Yeah. I sold you out. Thanks to that, the temple’s taking me in.”

Banwes’s gaze faltered for a moment when he saw my face—just a crack—but then his rage surged again.

I didn’t care.

Better to be hated honestly than pretend with cheap deceit.

The monster-hide mask covering Banwes’s face twisted grotesquely. He spat his words like venom.

“You’re worse than you look.”

I almost laughed. That was so absurd I couldn’t even take offense.

“You shouldn’t judge people by how they look. Just like you wouldn’t want to be judged for looking like a monster.”

His expression shifted strangely for a second.

Then his anger flared again, clearly understanding my implication: that he looked like a monster with that hide stretched over his face.

“I’ll tear you to pieces. I’ll never forget this.”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

I provoked him as much as I could. Banwes’s eyes stared hard at me again—then, inexplicably, his fury seemed to just fizzle out, like it wasn’t worth the effort.

I seized the moment to turn to Yurichen.

“We’re done talking. Don’t you have business with him too, Priest? I’ll take my leave now.”

Yurichen looked at me again, clearly surprised.

Maybe he was impressed I’d read his mind—he hadn’t mentioned any “business,” after all.

But then Banwes suddenly lashed out.

“I’m not—!”

“I am. I’m done with you. I’ve got nothing else to say. Bye.”

Yurichen didn’t stop me.

Instead, he turned to the man behind the bars and said—

“I’ll be peering into your past. How you lived, what you thought. Before Lord Gaioh, nothing can be hidden. You…”

The moment I confirmed the game’s story was progressing, I slipped right out of the underground.

Yurichen would use the power of Gaioh to investigate Banwes’s past. And once it was proven that Banwes had never killed or eaten a human in his entire life…

From that point on, even the king would acknowledge him as the one from the prophecy, and he’d finally be treated as a legitimate member of the hero’s party.

I had been genuinely worried that Banwes, driven by resentment, might lash out at Yurichen and change the game’s course. Or that the king might stubbornly refuse to accept him.

But now it was fine. The story had clicked into place. I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

It was like babysitting, filled with minor, tedious tasks—but I figured it was my duty. I escaped the cult using knowledge from the game, so it only seemed fair to contribute back to the game as much as I had gained from it.

Now it’s just my problem left, huh.

Why was I summoned to the royal palace in the first place? Did Yurichen bring me along just because he didn’t have time to stop by the temple?

If that were the case, he could’ve had someone else escort me there.

But he brought me himself… as if I were necessary too.

Anyway, with Banwes dealt with, I no longer had anything to do.

Since I wasn’t under arrest or anything, I figured I could wander a bit within the outer palace grounds.

I walked along a quiet path with barely anyone else around. It was so narrow that a passing attendant had to step aside, but to someone like me who’d spent a lifetime underground, it looked spacious. The cool air felt amazing.

I hadn’t walked far—maybe a hundred steps—when my legs began to shake. I thought I’d better sit and rest for a moment.

Just then, a familiar face came walking toward me. His eyes went wide before mine did.

“You’re…?”

It was Paronai, the game’s protagonist. I was surprised, but it made sense—according to the story, he should’ve reached the royal palace by a different route by now.

He had two swords now. The one at his waist was the same, but a massive new sword was slung across his back.

So he’s heard the prophecy and received the holy sword.

That told me how far along the story had come.

The moment he saw me, Paronai walked up quickly like he had something to ask. He stopped in front of me as I sat on a tree stump.

“That guy was at the palace. You said you were going to sell him out. Was the place you meant…the temple?”

He was talking about Banwes. I considered it for a moment, then simply nodded.

“Yeah. I was going to sell him to the temple. Why?”

Paronai blinked his green eyes a few times. He was probably struck by the irony of it all.

He now knew about the prophecy. And that Banwes was his destined companion.

So he must’ve been feeling like he had to return to the forest and search for Banwes again—probably panicking, wondering if I’d sold him off to some random place.

And yet, here I was—bringing Banwes straight to him. Right to the heart of the prophecy.

“How did you get him here? There were other ways. You could’ve just killed him and handed over the corpse. Or stuffed and sold him, or something.”

“Would that have been better?”

I didn’t want to come off as defensive and get mistaken for a good person, so I casually tilted my chin up.

But Paronai still looked at me with a strange fondness in his gaze, which made me panic a little.

Don’t look at me like that!

“What are you staring at me like that for? You’re supposed to look at me like I’m dirt. I did sell him to the temple, you know? That’s a bad thing.”

Paronai burst out laughing.

I was confused.

“What kind of bad person goes around saying they’re doing something bad?”

“Right here. And there are plenty of them. Why?”

There were loads in the cult.

People who beat me, tormented me, and enjoyed every second of it.

The kind who’d brag to each other, “Today I made him eat a bug,” or “I let a snake loose in his bed.”