Chapter 234
○○○
☆《Ring of Friendship》☆
An item owned by Gilbert.
It has the effect of making conversations flow more smoothly as the other person begins to trust the wearer.
Since it has little effect on those who are suspicious or hostile and won’t open their hearts, its rarity rating isn’t particularly high.
However, when used at the right time and place, it can demonstrate extremely powerful effects.
○○○
「Hero, you’ve got quite the look on your face! Could it be that you have a thing for sisters?」
Gilbert asks Ryūgūin with an impressed expression.
「Y-yeah.」
「Nice, nice! You’re pretty open about it, aren’t you?」
Gilbert nods in agreement, arms crossed.
It’s clear that Ryūgūin’s mood has lifted dramatically from his earlier depression, as if it had never happened.
「Well, church sisters are certainly wonderful. All the girls I’ve seen have been high caliber across the board.」
Despite the solemn setting, their conversation continues to border on the lewd.
「Oh? For someone like you with so much experience with women to praise our sisters, they must really be something special.
Say, I wonder… have you ever spent the night with a sister?」
Ryūgūin’s thick-skinned nature is evident as he takes these compliments at face value, which would have seemed sarcastic if directed at me.
「Of course I have. Believe it or not, I made it a point to sleep with at least one sister every time I arrived in a new town.」
「Oh really, is that so?」
Ryūgūin boldly proclaims things that would make one think 「what is this guy saying?」 to Cardinal Gilbert, who holds an important position in the church.
「The sisters in Clartel are all modest and pure-hearted in a good way, but in a bad way, you could say they’re naive idiots who don’t know anything about the world. That’s what makes them so great.」
「How so?」
Ryūgūin continues speaking as asked, not noticing how the atmosphere around Cardinal Gilbert has changed.
「In my country, we had something called seasons. After autumn, which was comfortable, came the harsh cold of winter. In winter, it would get colder with each passing day, as if the previous warmth had been a lie. Then one day, perhaps due to the nighttime cold, snow would accumulate outside.」
He seems somewhat intoxicated by the memory.
「Every year, when I find the first snow of the season, I put on my boots before anyone else and go outside. I walk through town with single-minded focus. It’s exciting, right? My heart dances and leaps with joy.
Because, you see, I can leave my footprints—mine alone—in the pure, untouched snow that no one has stepped on yet, leaving an indelible mark of my existence—」
Ryūgūin’s expression becomes dreamy, as if recalling something.
「I’ve always thought that Clartel’s sisters are like fresh snow. In my world, we call it ‘virgin snow,’ which is really the perfect expression. Just like how I stamp and mar that pure, untouched existence called ‘fresh snow’ with my own existence, I do the same to the untainted existence called ‘sisters.’ And I make sure to stamp my mark so thoroughly, over and over and over again, that it will never fade from their hearts.」
Everyone holds their breath at his disturbing demeanor.
「You understand, right?」 Ryūgūin turns to Gilbert with a smile. Gilbert responds with 「Mm-hmm,」 nodding. His response makes Ryūgūin even more pleased.
「As expected of our Hero. You really know your way around women.
By the way, you were in Lemone for quite a while, right? How were the sisters there?」
After thinking for about five seconds, Ryūgūin’s face brightens as if finally remembering.
「Ah, Lemone’s sisters were good too. I was busy with work so I could only handle one of them, but she was a cute girl. What was her name again… Halo or something like that?」
「Halo.」
「Right, right, Halo, Halo. She was short and had a baby face, but she was well-endowed in certain places. I guess you’d call that a loli with big breasts.
Her chest was so prominent you could tell even through that plain sister’s habit. That’s practically the same as inviting men.
I asked her to be my work assistant, but she was completely useless. She made an irreversible mistake at a crucial moment, and when I scolded her a bit, she burst into tears. Really, that was troublesome.」
Is this guy always this talkative…?
I notice something unsettling in Ryūgūin’s eyes.
And as always, Ryūgūin is despicable.
「Since she was feeling down, I called out to her, and she followed me right to the bedroom. After that, it was just as I said before. I thoroughly carved my existence into her pure, innocent being until—」
「That’s quite enough.」
Cardinal Gilbert interrupts Ryūgūin’s story, rubbing between his eyebrows.
「I’ve heard what I needed to hear, so let’s end our conversation here.」
「Huh!?」
Ryūgūin’s face shows bewilderment at Cardinal Gilbert’s sudden termination of their conversation.
「Why…?」
「Why, you ask? I told you at the beginning, didn’t I? That ‘the end justifies the means.’ You agreed with that, saying ‘You seem to understand the subtleties of things,’ wasn’t it?」
Ryūgūin appears to be searching for words, unable to keep up with this development.
However, Gilbert continues without regard.
「Ah, and let me tell you, the talk about wanting to borrow your power was also a lie, of course. Who would willingly seek help from an incompetent kid like you who’s nothing but inflated self-consciousness? Any ideas or concepts at your level have long since been taught to us by your predecessors who helped develop this world.」
For example, even chocolate and curry have already been recreated.
Even theater uses magical effects for staging.
Carriages use springs.
Even I, who was just a high school student with limited knowledge, had noticed more things than these examples.
If you’re going to introduce some knowledge, you need to check whether it already exists or not.
「It’s amazing how you can talk on and on about nothing of substance. Your behavior has gone beyond ridiculous to become pitiful.」
At this point, Ryūgūin finally comes to his senses.
「You tricked me!!!」
As he tries to shout abuse at Gilbert, he fails.
Because Gilbert cuts through the air with two fingers, once again placing a barrier over Ryūgūin’s mouth.
「Be quiet now. I’ve heard everything I needed to hear.」
Ryūgūin makes muffled groaning sounds.
「You see, I was uncertain about your punishment.」
Cardinal Gilbert begins to speak haltingly.
「You certainly committed a grave sin. But since our world forcibly summoned you here, well, I can’t say we didn’t feel some responsibility. Chancellor Madison suggested we ‘kill you,’ but I was troubled about what to do.」
His eyes turn to me.
「We received a message from Anon, and through his mediation, the Holy Knight made just one request. He said, ‘Please don’t kill him.’ It’s too modest a wish considering his past achievements. We accepted his request.」
Ryūgūin’s eyes turn toward me.
Though his voice can’t be heard, his eyes eloquently express: Why is it always you—
「And so, it was decided that you would live to atone for your sins. The next question was: if we let you live, how should you atone? Regarding this, I remember groaning and holding my head when I heard that your combat ability was actually worthless, thinking it would take longer than planned.」
Cardinal Gilbert sneers at Ryūgūin.
「On that note, while I apologize to the Holy Knight, that Limit Break skill? It’s truly a blessing.」
If you enjoy it and wish to see more, please consider giving it a 5-star rating for the series on NU. Click Here.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link