When the sudden inspection occurred, Ha-neul was just as startled.
‘Out of nowhere?’
It was her first time facing something like this as well. Normally, they could walk around without anyone giving them a second glance. It was clear the royal family was on edge because of the Lemegeton cult.
‘What should I do?’
Her mind went blank for a moment.
While she had her adventurer’s ID, Yor had nothing to prove his identity. The fact that he was a Manifestation Bearer of demon blood was a secret only she knew.
Several unsettling thoughts raced through her mind. But then, a solution flashed before her. She could use the illusion magic she had learned.
This magic, which could deceive the eye, was capable of creating something from nothing.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and take it out.”
And so, she decided to put on a little act. Ignoring her pounding heart, she forced herself to stay calm and composed. Luckily, her normally stoic demeanor made it easy to maintain her expression.
Yor, quick to catch on, played along with the act. As he pretended to search his pockets, Ha-neul visualized the image in her mind.
Creating something out of thin air required more than just mana—it needed a clear mental image to form a proper illusion.
She imagined an adventurer’s ID. The image was set, and now it was time to reveal it naturally.
“...Let me check. I’ll find it.”
Without waiting for permission, she reached into his pocket.
Yor seemed momentarily startled, but given the urgency of the situation, there was no time to hesitate. While pretending to search his front pocket, she conjured the adventurer’s ID using magic.
Illusion magic wasn’t particularly fast to cast, especially since it required a clear mental image. As a result, Ha-neul’s hand fumbled in his pocket longer than usual.
For a brief moment...
She felt a foreign sensation.
A texture completely different from the coarse fabric of his pocket, and the size... it was quite substantial.
‘Huh?’
Wondering what it could be, it didn’t take her long to realize what she was touching.
She was rummaging through his front pocket, and there was only one thing that could create such an unfamiliar feeling in a man’s front pocket.
‘Is this...?’
Oh, shit.
She cursed inwardly.
Seriously, they even simulated this kind of sensation? What were the developers thinking when they designed this game?
She regretted not syncing her immersion rate higher. She had only set it to 45%, and now she was cursing her past self for it.
At the same time, another thought crossed her mind.
‘...I’m screwed.’
Even if it was an accident, she had just touched a man’s... well, you know. It was clearly sexual harassment. In the real world, she would be dragged to the police without question. Of course, since this was a game, that wasn’t going to happen, but it could still lower her trust level with the NPC.
Despite all this, her spell remained intact. Amidst her embarrassment, slight happiness, and rising anxiety, she managed to complete the adventurer’s ID.
She showed the illusionary ID to the guards. It was an adventurer’s badge, engraved with a large ‘B.’
The guards nodded in approval.
“Wow, a B-rank at such a young age. Impressive.”
“Ahem, but, uh, please refrain from public displays of affection in public spaces...”
Her exaggerated actions had led to an unnecessary misunderstanding.
“N-no, it’s not like that...!”
“Anyway, enjoy your time here. Thank you for cooperating with the inspection.”
Despite her attempt to deny it, the guards had already left.
And so, the only two people left standing were Ha-neul and Yor, caught in an awkward silence. As her face flushed with embarrassment, she stammered out an explanation.
“T-that... what just happened... it was because of the magic. It wasn’t on purpose... you get that, right?”
She couldn’t have conjured an adventurer’s badge out of thin air any other way, right? It was unavoidable, an act of necessity. How could she have known there would be something so large in his pants?
Ha-neul felt wronged.
Yor looked at her with his usual blank expression, but because of his sharp features, it felt like he was glaring at her.
After a moment, a sly grin crept across Yor’s face.
“So... you’ve got a bit of a mischievous side, don’t you?”
“No...!”
She desperately tried to clear her name.
Despite the little mishap, their city tour continued smoothly.
I mean, I was a bit caught off guard, but I understood that she acted to save me. I’m not petty enough to get mad over something like that.
‘And...’
To be honest, how could something like that possibly upset me? I don’t know how the “men” in this world would feel about it, but for a “super-man” like me, it was just amusing.
In fact, seeing her so flustered and uncomfortable triggered a strange sense of satisfaction in me. For women in this world, things like this must have serious legal consequences.
Unable to resist, I teased her a few more times. Stuff like, “If you wanted to touch it, you could have just asked,” or, “If you want to see it, I can show you right now.”
I kept throwing out playful remarks, and every time I did, the usually reserved Ha-neul didn’t know how to respond, her face only turning redder.
“...Ugh.”
This was the result. She was now walking beside me, bright red and lost in thought. Even when I tried to engage her in conversation, she barely responded. She was clearly halfway out of commission.
Only then did I stop teasing her.
To be honest, I was tempted to say, “Wouldn’t it be fair if I touched your chest in return?” but I held back.
It would have come off as too much of a power move.
Besides, if I went that far, I might not be able to control myself. Ha-neul may know my secret, but in the end, she was still an otherworlder. For her, this world was nothing more than a game. While I did trust her, I still wanted to maintain some boundaries.
And then there was the fact that we were in the city. I didn’t want to cause a scene and suddenly be surrounded by enemies.
Of course, if I were in my Berserk Mode B state, things might be different, but I wasn’t.
“...”
“...”
Thanks to my teasing, things had quieted down between us. The streets were still bustling, but a strange silence hung over us.
I considered breaking the silence, but Ha-neul seemed too busy recovering her mental state.
‘Well, it can’t be helped.’
So, I decided to go solo for a bit.
“Hey, how about we split up for a while?”
“Huh? All of a sudden? Why...?”
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. There’s just something I want to check out real quick.”
I had two kinds of nostalgia.
One was the smell of exhaust fumes from my past life.
The other was the scent of people from before I turned ten in this world.
These two nostalgic smells would sometimes haunt my thoughts, filling me with a strange, painful longing. Today, since I was in the city, I wanted to revisit one of them.
“Let’s walk together for now. Sorry for splitting off like this after coming all the way here. Oh, just to be sure—your illusion should hold even if we’re apart for a bit, right?”
“Oh, yeah, it should...”
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Despite a momentary look of concern, she nodded. She must have sensed that my demeanor had become more serious than usual.
Feeling grateful, I started walking with her again. We passed through the busy central streets and headed toward the outskirts, where even the guards didn’t frequent.
As we went, the streets became dirtier, and more beggars appeared.
Just because it was a big city didn’t mean everyone lived well. Where there is light, there is shadow. Just as there is an affluent area, there is also a slum.
And this was my hometown.
Though I had been kicked out when I was ten, the memories of my time here lingered in every corner.
“Alright, let’s split up here. I’ll see you in a bit.”
After walking a little further, I parted ways with Ha-neul and continued on alone.
If I kept going deep enough, I’d come to an alley full of criminals, and somewhere in the middle of that was the place I used to live.
A small, rundown orphanage.
It was still standing, despite the vines growing on the walls and the overall dilapidation. It seemed the place was still running, judging by the faint smell of soup drifting from behind the building.
I stood there, lost in nostalgia.
Questions filled my mind.
Was the nun who had taken care of us still there? She must be well into her old age by now if she was still working.
What about the kind man who used to run the bakery nearby? I hadn’t seen him on my way here, so I figured he must have closed down. He used to sell bread so cheaply that even the orphanage kids could afford it. Maybe the business couldn’t keep up with expenses.
I hoped he had moved to a busier part of the city and was making good money now.
What about the kids I used to play with?
Twelve years had passed, so they’d have graduated from the orphanage by now. They were probably working somewhere in this city, all grown up.
Come to think of it, there was one girl who had a big crush on me back then. I wonder what she’s doing now. I barely remember her face anymore.
“...”
And so, I stood in front of the orphanage for a long time, reminiscing.
I didn’t feel the need to go inside. For someone like me, who had been cast out of civilization, all I could do was watch from a distance.
Looking back on it now, I realize that the life I once thought was unbearably dull had its own moments of happiness.