IHDOE Ch 11

Satina led the male lead and the young boy outside.

[Liv] "Quest complete."

[Liv] "No. A1687's Affection increased by 20."

[Liv] "No. A1687's Affection measurement complete."

[Liv] "Requesting the Constellation of Destiny to measure Player Satina's bonds:

Male Lead Target 1: Affection 0

Sharlan: Affection 15

Male Lead Target 3: Never Met

No. A1687: Affection 20

Male Lead Target 5: Affection -60."

A good start.

She thought inwardly, casting a side glance at the two following behind her.

Unlike the male lead who followed with a silent face, the rat beastkin wept as if the world had ended from the moment she bought him.

[Rat] "Sniff, ugh. I-I am finished now. I am sorry, Brother. I should have listened to you, ugh."

Anyone watching would think I'm going to eat him alive. Well, from his perspective, he might think so.

She spoke to the two behind her.

[Satina] "Hand."

Unlike the male lead target who offered his hand quietly without a word, the rat beastkin flinched in shock, shrinking back.

[Satina] "Give me your hand."

She examined the attire of the two. Though brought along in haste, neither was in good condition.

The male lead in particular was such an absolute mess that walking out at all was a wonder. Though possessing good height and build, his complexion was pale from his recent severe illness, and red whip marks remained on the limbs exposed through his torn clothes. The raw, exposed wounds were cruel enough to make anyone frown.

The rat beastkin bore no beatings, but his cheeks were gaunt, likely due to starved meals meant to prevent escape.

The rat beastkin hesitantly extended his hand. She gripped his hand and sang.

[Liv] "Skill 'Song of Healing' activated. Utilizes holy power to soothe the body and mind of entities within a 1m radius."

[Liv] "Proximity to the player yields higher effectiveness."

[Liv] "Usage count reduced by 1."

[Liv] "Remaining uses today: 0"

[Rat] "W-Woah……"

As she sang, new flesh knit over torn wounds, dark blue bruises faded, and vitality returned to their bodies.

Forgetting his fear of Satina moments prior, the rat's eyes sparkled, watching the wounds heal with intrigue.

[Rat] "A-Are you a saintess?"

[Satina] "Strictly speaking, a saintess candidate."

[Rat] "Woah, woahhh!"

He opened his mouth, marveling continuously.

[Rat] "U-Um. This is my first time meeting a saintess. You know, Saintess. Then……!"

Forgetting his former caution entirely, the boy talked to Satina in excitement. At that moment, the male lead stepped in front of the two and spoke.

[No. A1687] "They are coming."

Before Satina could even wonder "what is coming?" a group of men swaggered through the alleyway toward her.

[Canahel] "Well, well, quite a sight. Huh? Turning a man into a scammer, only to enjoy yourself with that money?"

Satina narrowed her eyes, examining the man at the very front of the group.

Puffed cheeks from beatings, a broken nose bleeding profusely, and bruised eyes made identification difficult, but looking closely revealed him to be the man she met in the gambling house.

[No. A1687] "Do you know him?"

At his question, she searched her hazy memory.

[Satina] "I don't recall his name, but he was some baron……"

And he was caught cheating at cards against Satina.

Baron Canahel let out a despicable chuckle.

[Canahel] "You concealed your identity with a mask, but I figured you would reappear if I waited! Hehe, fortunate that my prediction hit the mark. Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused me!"

[Satina] "Still, you managed to keep your life somehow."

She replied with a calm voice.

Her words stoked Canahel's fury even further.

[Canahel] "Shut up! Had you not exposed the scam, things would never have ended up like this! Damn it! I was planning to hit a jackpot here and leave!"

[Satina] "And so?"

[Canahel] "Now that things have come to this, I can't let this pass. Don't resent me, miss. When causing trouble, one must consider the consequences beforehand."

[Thug] "Hey, hey, Baron. You didn't mention she was such a young woman."

[Thug] "If I catch her first, can I have some fun first?"

Satina observed the mob brought by Canahel with cool eyes. A total of three people currently stood on her side. A delicate noble lady like herself, a young kid, and the male lead.

Conversely, the opposing group's numbers were triple her group. Gathered thugs carried none of the refined discipline of house knights, yet possessed solid builds and weapons in their hands.

Since things turned out like this, I should trigger a system alarm to draw a crowd, then exploit their panic to escape……

Assessing the situation to devise an escape plan, the male lead suddenly stepped forward and asked.

[No. A1687] "Is this a threat? Shall I handle them?"

He looked at Satina, asking in a monotone voice.

[Satina] "You will handle them?"

[No. A1687] "If you command, I shall obey."

Indeed, No. A1687 was a character boasting top-tier martial prowess in the game.

Though treated with holy power, his condition remained a concern; moreover, facing weapons with bare hands raised doubts. Yet speaking with such confidence sparked curiosity regarding his strength.

[Satina] "Fine. Do as you wish."

The male lead bowed briefly.

The moment he moved, the world turned crimson. His movements defied tracking.

By the time Satina processed the scene, he had embedded himself among the mob, tearing open two men's throats. Spurted blood and torn flesh crashed to the ground as corpses sprawled at his feet.

[Thug] "W-What the! Hey! What is that bastard!"

[Thug] "Kill that bastard first!"

The remaining mob charged all at once. The male lead grabbed the throat of the first man charging him with one hand, lifting him into midair.

[Thug] "A-Aagh!"

The man flailed his arms in midair, attempting to escape, but failed. After struggling, his body soon slumped limply. Breath left his body.

Fear spread through the mob after losing three companions in an instant. They turned to Baron Canahel, demanding answers.

[Thug] "W-What is this! You said nothing about such a monster!"

[Canahel] "I-I didn't know either!"

The male lead tossed the corpse aside casually, turning his gaze toward the mob.

[Thug] "Uwaaaagh!"

Terrified by his pitch-black gaze, one thug fled, prompting the rest to run after him without exception.

From then on, it resembled releasing a wolf among a flock of sheep. He caught, tore, crushed, and dismembered the fleeing thugs into a bloody mess.

The time required to eliminate the last remaining Baron Canahel was barely ten minutes.

An ordinary person would find such a scene gruesome, while a combat-crazed lunatic would relish it.

Yet standing amid corpses drenched in blood, no expression surfaced on his face.

I shouldn't make such an analogy in a situation like this, but…… he holds the exact face of an office worker doing the same mundane job for ten years.

Viewing that weary, indifferent face made it hard to believe a battle had just occurred.

Right, no male lead in this game could be normal.

Satina had hoped things might flow smoother than with Sharlan, yet another unhinged individual emerged.

He approached Satina with slow steps.

Feeling an untamed predator approaching, tension made her want to flee immediately, but she braced her legs and held her ground.

Standing beside her, the rat beastkin had passed out from the moment blood first spilled.

[No. A1687] "Disposal complete."

Kneeling before Satina, he took her hand and pressed it to his cheek. Blood splattered on his cheek pressed stickily against her palm.

Unconcerned with his own appearance, he rubbed his cheek softly against her hand like a young beast. Every rub smeared bloodstains further across his face and her hand, yet he paid no mind.

[No. A1687] "Please praise me."

She realized the truth. The creature before her was no puppy, but a beast capable of tearing out her throat at any moment.

[Satina] "Good job."

A pungent iron smell nearly brought faintness, but she suppressed her nausea, stroking his face while acting composed.

[Satina] "……You did well."

[Liv] "No. A1687's Affection increased by 2."

Only after Liv's alert chime sounded could Satina pull her hand back with relief.

[Satina] "At any rate, those corpses need disposal too……"

She looked at the corpses with an uncomfortable expression.

[Liv] "The Imperial Family can't link this murder incident to the player."

[Liv] "Because No. A1687's excessive methods destroyed all evidence, the Imperial Family stands no chance of discovering the player."

That was a relief then.

At any rate, I must never let him do as he pleases going forward.

Facing a situation like this again was something Satina wanted to avoid at all costs.

[Satina] "Now then, shall we head home before it gets any later?"

She watched the male lead following quietly behind her while carrying the rat beastkin on his back.

How to live alongside this fellow going forward required extremely serious thought.

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