Volume 2 Chapter 19 Intersecting Purposes
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Good morning,” he greeted softly.
”…Yeah. Morning,” Tiet replied, her voice low and dazed.
They crossed paths in the corridor just outside their rooms. Tiet had only just woken up—her hair was tousled, and her expression was unfocused, clearly still shaking off sleep. The borrowed pajamas she wore hung awkwardly off her frame, as if she hadn’t figured out how to wear them properly. It gave her a messy, half-dressed look.
It was the second day of their stay under the Viscount’s hospitality. Today would be a day of rest. Tomorrow, they’d set out again—destination: the royal capital, Basselow. They’d likely meet the Viscount again there. What came after that was still uncertain.
”…You ended up sleeping the whole day yesterday. Feeling any better?”
”…Yeah. I’m fine.”
He kept his tone gentle. She’d collapsed into sleep yesterday afternoon and hadn’t stirred again until morning. She must have been far more exhausted than she’d let on. With another long journey beginning tomorrow, it was better to let her rest as much as possible today.
”Breakfast is ready. I was about to come get you. Let’s go.”
”Alright,” she said, a little curtly.
Tiet looked sullen, as if something still weighed on her. Her face carried a faint pout—not quite anger, but not peace either. She was probably still sorting through everything that had happened. Having all control stripped from her, left in someone else’s hands—it would leave anyone with thoughts. But this was exactly when staying by her side mattered most.
”…Tiet. Come here a moment.”
He reached out and gently took her hand, pulling her along with him. Rather than heading toward the dining hall, he led her back into the room the Viscount had loaned them. When they entered, Tiet looked around in mild confusion. After all, he’d just said breakfast was ready—and now they weren’t going to eat?
He closed the door behind them. She turned toward him, her expression slightly tense now, as if expecting him to speak seriously. Instead, he stepped close and kissed her.
”…Mmph?!”
She flinched slightly, caught off guard—but didn’t pull away. He tilted her chin up gently and deepened the kiss. After a second, her lips responded with subtle hesitation, accepting the gesture without resistance.
He hadn’t expected her to go along with it so easily. Honestly, he thought she’d freeze up or shove him away. But she was letting it happen. Encouraged by that small acceptance, he placed his hand at her waist and let it slide lower—down along the folds of her borrowed sleepwear.
”Mmmph?!”
This time, she reacted more noticeably, her hand grabbing his arm. Not to push him away—more like an instinctive reaction than actual resistance.
He placed his other hand at her back and held her in place gently. There was no force behind it, but it made it harder for her to step back. Slowly, carefully, his hand continued its motion downward, caressing her thigh over the thin fabric.
The touch wasn’t innocent anymore. It had clearly moved past what could be dismissed as affection. But even so, Tiet said nothing. Her legs didn’t move away. She accepted his closeness, his hands, the kiss. That silence, that non-resistance—whether from trust or indecision—it was enough to guide him forward.
He pulled back from the kiss and removed his hands, only to reposition her and shift the hem of her sleepwear, revealing her hips.
”…Mmm.”
A quiet sound escaped her, unclear in meaning.
With practiced motion, he leaned in close again, drawing them into deeper intimacy.
She didn’t speak. Didn’t protest. She simply remained still, accepting his advance in silence.
He wondered—was she unsure of how she felt? Or had she already made peace with the situation? Her expression gave no clear answer. But for now, he chose to believe in the bond slowly forming between them. She’d chosen to accompany him on this journey. Chosen to be here, with him.
”This… in the morning, it’s almost too much,” she muttered under his breath, letting out a sigh.
”Mmm… mm…”
Tiet’s soft voice came through, barely a whisper.
”I won’t go too far today,” he told her. “We’re being followed. It’d be bad if something happened… if you got pregnant now.”
”…Mmm… I get it…”
Her reply was quiet, but it carried a hint of understanding. Maybe even relief. Maybe not.
”Still… this feels too good. It’s hard to hold back,” he added.
”…Gross,” she muttered, turning her face away.
She didn’t argue. She agreed, in a way. But there were worse things to come. If she could speak her mind like this, maybe it was better than her falling silent again.
”I’m close. When I pull back, crouch and open your mouth, okay?”
”…Huh?”
”Don’t ‘huh’ me. Just… let me finish that way.”
Tiet turned her head sharply, shocked. Until now, they’d always… well, this was a first.
He moved with purpose, closing in for the final stretch. As her confusion lingered, he held her tighter, hips moving steadily, searching for release.
But just before he could pull away, Tiet’s hands reached back, gripping him tightly.
”…Wait—”
His protest was cut off as she held him in place, not letting him move. The sudden closeness made escape impossible—and in that final moment, he gave in and let go.
”…What was that for?” he asked after a moment, breath still unsteady.
”…Shut up. You said you’d do it that way,” she snapped, letting go of him finally.
So she really didn’t like that idea. Usually, people preferred… alternatives, but for her, it was the opposite.
”What? Is it really that bad?”
”Of course it is! It’s for peeing! There’s no way I’m putting that in the mouth!”
”Oh…”
He was taken aback by the straightforward answer. He didn’t exactly enjoy it himself, so he understood. But she had demanded things of him in the past too, so the logic felt a little uneven.
”Anyway I told you to treat me gently! Just because I stayed quiet doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want!”
Tiet huffed, clearly frustrated. Her voice, her energy—it was the usual her again. The silence from earlier was gone, replaced by her familiar spark.
”Yeah, yeah. Got it. But we are in a bit of a bind right now. So I’d appreciate it if you’d let me finish more carefully.”
”Hmph. Weak excuse.”
Even though he’d explained the circumstances, Tiet wasn’t ready to let him off the hook. She pouted with irritation.
Still, he preferred this—her genuine self, even with the complaints. The quiet version of her earlier had been harder to deal with.
Let her grumble if she wanted.
He turned and opened the door.
”Good morning.”
”Oh… Head Maid.”
”Yes, I’m Suzette, the Head Maid.”
I left Tiet, who was fixing her messy nightwear, and stepped out of the room, running into Suzette. Earlier, before reuniting with Tiet, I’d gone downstairs to wash my face. Suzette told me breakfast was ready—maybe she came looking for me because I hadn’t come down yet. Perhaps we should have eaten first instead of doing other things this morning.
”I was just about to head down. Sorry for the delay.”
”No problem. Take your time.”
I nodded and headed toward the dining room. Tiet followed behind. Now that I think about it, she wasn’t wearing any underwear—wonder if she’s leaking as she walks.
”Please wait. I have a request for you, sir.”
Suzette called out to stop us. I turned around, and Tiet did the same, looking toward Suzette. She bowed her head slightly, eyes lowered.
”Please refrain from any sexual activities in the hallway. I understand that you’re young, and some things can’t be helped, but I kindly ask that such things be done in your rooms.”
Suzette said this calmly in one breath, then bowed and passed by me. Tiet and I were left behind. She tilted her head and glanced at me, but I quickly looked away to avoid her gaze.
Her expression shifted to one of realization. “Oh…” she said quietly. Grabbing my sleeve tightly, she stared at me with sharp, cold eyes.
”Hey. What were you doing and with whom while I was asleep?”
”No… um, well…”
Tiet narrowed her eyes. I started sweating cold. Crap, did she see something… inappropriate?
Angry that something happened without her knowing, Tiet pulled me back to our room.
After sorting things out and finishing up our discussions, we finally thought we could eat breakfast. An hour later, we went down to the dining hall. I emerged sweating, and Tiet’s nightwear was even more disheveled than before.
Coincidentally, we met Adelina coming down at the same time, so the three of us ended up having breakfast together. Tiet kept glancing at Adelina but didn’t say a word.
* * *
”Excuse me.”
A woman knocked softly on the wooden door, announcing her entry before opening it.
She entered smoothly, checked the room, and seeing no one, closed the door quietly behind her.
”There’s a notification from the Rodne Foreign Affairs Committee.”
”…What is it?”
The political officer’s office of the Federation was wrapped in a tense silence.
The man, dressed in a gentleman’s suit, looked up from a parchment on his wooden desk to face the housekeeper who had entered.
”Recently, the Kingdom of Crotopone sent word that the suspect, Klock Livorno, is now on the international wanted list. New suspicions have arisen regarding the kidnapping of a saint.”
”…Kidnapping a saint?”
”Yes. The informant is Hermine, Third Princess of the Empire. She claims to have corroborating evidence.”
Hermine, Third Princess—the Empire’s strongest magic user, said to be the closest to a sage. A famous figure in the hero party, often more public than the hero himself.
”What should we do? Try to curry favor with them?”
”Where is Klock now?”
”It seems likely he’s heading to the capital, Basselow.”
The man rested his chin on his hand, narrowing his eyes. He gave off a sly, cunning vibe—like a fox or snake, never showing weakness.
”If I recall, we placed a spy with the Basselow administrator.”
”Yes, Suzette.”
”Contact them. Have them rescue this Klock. Get him out of the country. If possible, send him to the Beast Continent to disrupt the Heroes’ plans.”
”You want to guide the Heroes out of the continent? Are you sure? If this leaks, it’ll cause serious problems.”
The woman kept her calm tone, expression unchanged.
The man smirked.
”I don’t care. The groundwork is set. My role as a bureaucrat is nearly done. I’m disposable now. All that remains is to wait for the spark.”
”Understood,” she said, lowering her eyes briefly in agreement.
With a quick movement unbefitting a simple housekeeper, she turned, hand on the door. Her gaze was unsettling, like someone accustomed to death.
”By the way—”
The man called after her. She stopped, closing the door to avoid being overheard, and turned back.
”Who is this Klock? Was there a man by that name among the Saintess abductors Zol sent, under Your Majesty’s Demon King command?”
”No. I confirmed. No one by that name. Likely an alias or unrelated.”
”Hmph. What has this so-called best magic user of the Empire corroborated? The Saintess must already be on the Demon Continent. Tracing the path, she’s long gone beyond the seas.”
”There’s a rumor Klock has a personal grudge against the Hero. From inside sources, it’s said the Hero gave orders without proper explanation.”
The man frowned.
An opponent who could challenge his beloved Hero? Someone he had respected as an enemy, but reality showed he was just human.
”Hmph. Ridiculous. In the end, the Hero is just human.”
If so, the Hero might not be a true threat to the Demon King.
The man felt that vaguely. No matter how strong, victory depends on more than just strength. Relying on one human to change the fate of mankind was foolish.
He looked up at the sky, confident the plan was complete.
The illusion of the Hero was shattered; the enemy no longer posed a real threat.
Perfect. This made the demons’ dream of world unification easier.
* * *
One day earlier
Klock was playing tag with the A-rank adventurer Ada in an inn room at Yuba, the adventurer town.
In that room, a woman stood frozen as if encased in ice.
”No… this can’t be… Tiet…”
She muttered, her eyes fixed on the wall.
But what she really saw was not the wall.
Through her familiar, she was observing the distant village of Saien de.
The woman trembled violently.
In her view was a large mansion’s bathroom. There, the indecent figure of her important companion—the one she had been searching for—was displayed.
”W-Why is Tiet… doing that with that man!?”
She screamed, then caught herself and shut her mouth.
This was an inn. If she yelled, others would hear.
No… what’s happening? Tiet, what did you become…?
Her confusion was intense.
The ex-boyfriend of her friend Anna—the one she was meant to capture and execute—was entangled with Tiet, who had suddenly resigned and disappeared.
They were together in an intimate and clearly consensual way, both naked.
The man touched Tiet from behind, and Tiet responded with an unfamiliar expression. She even stroked him.
”…It’s brainwashing.”
Despite the shock, the woman immediately concluded.
There was no other explanation.
Originally, Klock had been confined by Tiet once. He escaped by some unknown means, and Tiet suffered terribly.
If there was any chance to intervene, it had been then.
Tiet was assaulted during captivity and then brainwashed.
”What a despicable man! To think this is Anna’s ex-boyfriend!”
No wonder Anna, deceived for 17 years, hadn’t forgotten her grudge against Klock.
He raped Tiet until she fainted, brainwashed her, stole her holy knight title, and forced her to quit being a brave knight.
Even after all that, he wasn’t satisfied—still dragging Tiet around, using her every day.
She has to save her no matter what… but how?
It’s not just how to rescue her.
The real question is how Klock brainwashed Tiet.
He defeated someone as strong as Tiet. He must have terrifying powers.
”His Unique Skill should have been Emergency Escape. But what if that was just a cover? If he secretly used a scroll, maybe he has a hidden Unique Skill.”
She rested her hand on her chin, thinking.
He might have an unknown Unique Skill.
That would explain how Tiet was caught off guard.
Maybe he has an ability that brainwashes by touch, meaning Tiet was already brainwashed before captivity.
”In the past, there was said to be a demon with a Unique Skill that could mesmerize someone just by locking eyes for a few seconds. Dangerous to meet their gaze. But if I understand it, I can resist.”
Regaining calm, she started planning to rescue Tiet and defeat Klock.
She vowed to drag that scum to a brutal death.
For such a villain, harsh justice was necessary.
But first, the most urgent priority was—
”I have to save Tiet quickly. If she gets pregnant, she’ll never recover.”
An unwanted pregnancy could mean death.
No matter how strong a swordswoman, she would suffer deep emotional scars.
First, her safety had to be guaranteed.
If she became a shield, there was no point attacking blindly.
What must be done was—
”I can’t tell Anna. If I do, she’ll get hurt too. I’ll have to use the Empire’s power.”
With that decision, Princess Hermine stood and contacted her sister far in the Empire’s northwest by telepathy.
Afterwards, advanced nations—the Federation, the Kingdom, and Theocracy—were informed that the Empire declared Klock Livorno a public enemy.
False accusations that he kidnapped the Saint were spread, stoking worldwide anger.
Notes:
• Tiet – A companion and friend of Anna. A holy knight from the royal capital. She wears light armor and carries a shield adorned with a dragon holding a sword, indicating her affiliation with the National Military Police. She is concerned about Anna’s well-being and tries to support her emotionally.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Adelina – The slave girl.
• Hermine – A companion and friend of Anna. She is pragmatic and encourages Anna to focus on her duties as a hero rather than her personal revenge.
• Zol – An adventurer and drinking buddy of Klock. He appears with Heysl to intervene in the confrontation between Klock and Sylvia.
• Ada – Female. Ada the Wild Wind. An A-rank adventurer. Her appearance is striking, with black hair mixed with fiery red, multiple earrings, and an axe spear as tall as she is. She is incredibly strong and fast, with a Unique Skill called the ‘Blessing of the Wind’ that enhances her speed and agility. Ada is ruthless in combat but shows a surprising willingness to negotiate. She is highly respected in adventurer circles and feared by criminals. Her relationship with Klock is adversarial, as he stole from her and escaped using trickery.
• Anna – The legendary Hero, chosen to defeat the Demon Lord. Her past life is Sylvia Croce. She is described as a heavenly being with overwhelming skill and a merciless attitude.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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