*Bang!*
"Ugh... gag... hack..."
Erina's stomach was crushed again by the punch. If you were to cut her open, her abdomen would likely be bruised deep blue. She felt another wave of nausea and fell to her knees, retching and struggling to breathe. I smirked, savoring her suffering.
Erina could barely stand from the pain. Even with healing, the agony lingered, accumulating and breaking her down. She seemed to realize the danger—that her reckless provocation might lead to her death. She waved her hands, trying to stop me, a desperate plea from someone who once acted like a proud elf princess.
In the face of death, pride means nothing. Erina cried out urgently,
"I... I..."
"Silence."
*[Silence]*
*The target is silenced.*
"Mph... mmm? Mph?"
I'd always wondered how the game's *Silence* status effect worked. As soon as I cast the spell, Erina's lips sealed shut, unable to move. She panicked, clutching her lips and struggling in vain. I spoke calmly,
"Even silenced, you won't surrender. I have no choice. Dueling is sacred. Since you refuse to yield, I must honor your spirit by inflicting even greater pain."
"Mmm! Mmm!"
Erina shook her head, desperately trying to resist. I clenched my fist again, waving it in front of her before striking her stomach once more, slightly weaker than the last blow.
"Ughhhh... mph!"
Erina collapsed, clutching her stomach and writhing on the ground. I pulled her up again, landing another punch to ensure she couldn't recover. The fist sinking into her gut was exhilarating.
*Smack!*
"Ughhh... mph... ugh..."
Erina's eyes rolled back as she fell to the ground. I cast *Heal* to ensure she wasn't fatally injured. In this world, healers are nearly omnipotent. As long as the body isn't completely destroyed, they can restore someone to near-perfect health.
"Erina, are you still alive?"
"Gah... ugh... mph..."
Erina lifted her head, glaring at me. She wasn't ready to pass out just yet.
"Stop this, Lord Lucius!"
A.A. stepped in, unable to bear it any longer. I glared at him, annoyed. *If he were the one beating me senseless, would he have intervened? Probably only after I was crippled.*
"What do you mean, stop? Hero, this is a sacred duel."
"Is winning so important? To treat a woman like this..."
*Of course it's important, you idiot. It's a matter of pride. That's why Japanese RPG protagonists are the worst—always shouting, "Don't fight women! Don��t hit women!" while building their own harems. Hypocritical sexists.*
"Are you dishonoring the duel's integrity, Hero? If we stop now, Erina and I will only harbor resentment. Is that what you want? To interfere in a duel I'm winning and impose your morality?"
"But..."
"Step aside, Hero. Don't insult the pride of a warrior who's part of this duel."
"Mmm! Mmm!"
Erina shook her head, trying to stand. She reached for her bow, but I kicked it away, grabbed her by the collar, and slammed her to the ground. A.A. hesitated to stop me. If I hit her again, he'd *have* to intervene like a true hero. Time to end this.
I pinned her down, raising my fist. Erina instinctively covered her face with both hands. Wrong move. With her face protected, her abdomen was exposed. I drove my fist into her stomach with all my strength.
*Thud!*
Dust clouded the air. Erina writhed, her body convulsing as she tried to scream, but the *Silence* spell held. Gasping for breath, she thrashed for a long time before finally going limp, unconscious.
And then,
"She's out. I win."
Erina's groin was damp, but I said nothing. A.A. checked her condition, and I cast *Heal* again. I left my own minor injuries untreated—a scarred victory, I suppose.
Erina didn't wake until the next day. Surprisingly, she accepted her defeat gracefully. I expected her to say something like, *"You only won because of luck"* or *"You fought unfairly,"* but she didn't.
Her straightforward reaction caught me off guard.
"A loss is a loss. I apologize for my insolence. As the Princess of Ahildern, I accept any outcome. It's the price of my name. And as promised, I'll leave the hero's party and serve as your proxy in your domain."
"Can you handle it?"
Erina frowned at my question.
"What do you take me for? Can *you* defeat the Demon King? If A.A. gets hurt, I won't forgive you. And..."
She pulled a small vial from her pocket. Inside was a rainbow-colored liquid that looked unhealthy. She pointed to it, saying,
"It's a secret elixir from our kingdom. I stole one vial when I left. It heals any wound, and works better on men."
"Why give it to me?"
"If A.A. gets hurt, you'll need it. You're a priest, after all."
I opened my status menu to examine the vial:
*[Forbidden Elixir]*
*A concentrated healing potion of forbidden techniques.
More effective on men.*
So, Erina handed me the elixir. Now that it's in my hands, A.A. will never use it. But what kind of potion is this? It wasn't in the game.
The fastest route to the Demon King is through the neighboring territory of the NTR Blonde Lord. Depending on the timeline, this path may or may not be available. If left unchecked for four months after the Demon King's revival prophecy, the entire territory becomes toxic, forcing us to take a detour.
But if we reach Lucius's territory within three months, the NTR Lord's land remains unaffected, becoming a lush farming zone with green goblins. Bringing a female character here triggers an NTR attempt event, ending with the Lord's death. I wanted to bring Siri to trigger this naturally, but taking a level 10 nun on a Demon King hunt felt ridiculous, so I gave up.
As a result, the NTR Blonde Lord openly looked disappointed when he saw only A.A. and me traveling together. He then tried to flirt with me.
"Lord Lucius, did you appoint a proper proxy?"
"Of course... Lord."
I didn't remember his name, so I improvised. Checking my status menu felt too tedious. The NTR Tanned Lord reacted dramatically,
"I hope you didn't appoint the captain or Siri as proxy. By law, a proxy must hold a title of baron or higher..."
"Princess Erina of Ahildern serves as my proxy. Your concern is appreciated, but your interest in my territory is excessive."
The blonde pig fell silent. I wanted to leave this territory as soon as possible and hunt the Demon King. A.A. scolded me for my bluntness as we crossed the land.
"Priest, you were too harsh. He was just worried about you."
"Hero, don't judge people by their outward kindness. If everyone were truly kind, religions like the Great Divine Church wouldn't exist."
"But I believe in people. You're too cold."
"Blind trust leads to betrayal. Not everyone feigning pain or sadness is innocent. Be careful, Hero."
"This conversation won't end. Let's rest?"
The sun was setting. No need to push ourselves day and night. We'd reach our destination in three to four days on the best horses in the territory.
I tried to book two rooms, but A.A. insisted we save money by sharing one. Forgetting my status, I shook my head and booked two rooms, charging it to my domain.
A.A. protested,
"Priest, I don't mind sharing a room. It's not awkward for me."
"It's awkward for me."
I had no desire to sleep with a man. A.A., born in a poor village, was frugal, which I understood. But two men sharing a room? That's crossing a line.
I imagined us accidentally touching in bed,
"Oh, sorry."
"No, I'm sorry."
The thought gave me chills. I buried myself in my blanket, glad I'd insisted on separate rooms.
The next day, and the day after, we traveled in awkward silence, each in our own room. No monsters appeared along the way, so we reached the final stretch as awkward as when we started.
Less than three months had passed. In my memory, the Demon King's level was around 30 at this point—easily defeated by three level 20 party members. A.A. and I were already in our mid-40s. We could kill not just the Demon King, but his entire family.
But this raised a question: Could I kill A.A. if I betrayed him? The *Holy Relic* I gave him boosts his stats through the game system.