I Need to Get Away from Her (1)

TL/ED: Lolz

"It's wider than I thought."

A carriage passed through the road with flowers and trees growing on either side.

People on the street were bustling, moving hurriedly.

After coming to this world, it was the first time I could feel the liveliness of people.

Considering the dark fantasy setting of the game, I expected a heavy atmosphere in the capital.

Contrary to my concerns, there was a bright atmosphere flowing through the streets.

"It took too long to get here."

"Yes, it did."

It took a whopping three days to reach the capital.

Both Erina and I endured a lot during that time.

Dozens of goblins attacked us in the forest.

Because goblins swarmed day and night, we couldn't get a proper night's sleep.

Still, thanks to Erina, we were able to safely reach the capital.

If I had moved alone, I might still be wandering in the forest.

"Thanks. I could safely reach the capital thanks to you."

"No, I'm in the same situation."

Erina's words had a strangely sharp edge.

When I turned to her, she was frowning with a sullen expression.

She looked at me with a displeased expression, as if something was bothering her.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

Despite her words, she was giving me looks as if she wanted me to understand something.

Perhaps she felt unfairly prevented from participating in battles.

But to level up, it was inevitable.

I felt sorry for Erina, but I had to gain experience and level up.

So, I stopped her and hunted monsters alone.

Of course, she helped in really dangerous cases, but it was no exaggeration to say that I took care of most of the monsters.

Fortunately, the results were clearly visible.

Name: Seo-Hyun

Age: 23 years old

Gender: Male

Class: None

Level: 8

HP: 270/270

MP: 100/100

Strength: 18/100

Stamina: 20/100

Agility: 13/100

Magic Power: 25/100

Wisdom: 21/100

Luck: 29/100

At the end of the tutorial, these stats were sufficient.

I was much weaker than Erina, but it was not a problem for early quests.

Were the Goddess' words true? Was Erina's appearance true?

I couldn't know for sure.

But one thing was clear: to survive in this world, I had to become stronger.

"Stop that and come here."

"Yes!"

Erina, who had a different attitude just moments ago, approached me with a bright smile.

It was like she was a pet.

Among them, the image of a small puppy came to mind.

I had never raised a dog, but if I had, it might have looked like this.

"Not a puppy, though."

"Yes...?"

Erina, whether she heard my words or not, looked at me in surprise.

In an instant, I realized my mistake.

Without realizing it, I let out my mouth what I should have said in my mind.

I tried to apologize to her quickly.

But when I saw her blushing face, my words stopped.

The corners of my mouth twitched and I forced a smile.

"A puppy. That's fine too. Hehe..."

Erina mumbled incomprehensible words and let out an eerie laugh.

Rather than feeling bad, she seemed to enjoy it.

'...I've never seen her like this before.'

In the game, she resembled the epitome of innocence.

Especially in the early stages, she gave off the impression of a simple country girl.

I still couldn't believe the words of the goddess.

That Erina killed people and destroyed the kingdom.

I even had doubts about whether the goddess lied to me.

But claiming that her bound appearance in the ruined temple was all an act seemed strange.

In the end, I decided to judge what was true later.

I resolved to observe Erina and find out the truth.

"By the way, there are too many people."

"Do you dislike crowded places?"

"Yes. I really don't like them."

Erina's answer was quite perplexing.

The protagonist I originally created enjoyed talking to and mingling with others without hesitation.

'Could it be that she just shares the same name but is a different person?'

Thinking that way seemed implausible, considering how strikingly similar she looked.

From appearance to clothing, equipment, and accessories, everything was identical.

If the name was also the same, there was no room for doubt.

Clearly, she was the character I created.

'Let's just observe for now.'

I cleared my complicated thoughts for a moment.

It had only been three days since I started this journey with Erina.

It was too early to make hasty judgments.

"First, let's go to the inn."

Erina nodded in agreement with my suggestion.

To stay in the capital, we needed a base.

Once we gathered enough money, we could buy a house and live with our companions.

But being penniless at the moment, the only option was to rent a room at the inn.

"What about that place?"

Erina pointed to a place that I recognized.

It was the Frostwood Inn, the first inn you would come across when starting the game.

Memories from when I first started the game flashed back as I looked at the sign.

Before I knew it, I found myself standing in front of the inn's door.

"Welcome!"

As soon as the door opened, a loud voice echoed in the lively atmosphere.

The inn was filled with people sitting, eating, drinking, and chatting.

It was quite different from the quiet and desolate feeling in the game.

Instead, it had a lively and bustling atmosphere.

"It's too noisy."

Erina, seemingly discontent, muttered as she maneuvered through the crowd.

She approached the innkeeper manning the counter and asked.

"Do you have any rooms available?"

The innkeeper glanced at both of us with a sidelong look, then nodded, taking out a key from under the counter.

"Would a double room be okay?"

Nodding, I received the key from the innkeeper with a friendly smile.

"Don't worry, the rooms have excellent soundproofing."

Unnecessary information.

I discreetly glanced at Erina, wondering if she might be upset.

Surprisingly, she stood by me without any visible signs of displeasure, keeping silent with her hand still in mine.

"Your room is on the second floor! Rest well!"

With the key in hand, we ascended the stairs.

Fortunately, the upstairs, where the rooms were located, was more peaceful and quiet than the lively ground floor.

Suddenly, I realized Erina was still holding my hand, a subconscious action to avoid getting separated in the crowd.

"Let's go in."

The key given by the innkeeper had a room number written on it.

Following the number, we entered a rather cramped room.

In the double room, there were only beds, a table, and chairs, each available for individual use.

"They put two beds in a single room and call it a double room."

"It's not like we're going to stay here for long."

With beds and a table, it was sufficient for a decent night's sleep.

However, it was too cramped for two people to stay together comfortably.

A goal emerged: to gather money quickly and buy a house.

It was quite absurd to have the goal of having a home in this world.

I placed my belongings in a corner of the cramped room.

Erina followed suit, putting her items down and removing her armor.

The heavy armor came off, revealing her pure white body.

Her skin was as clean as her white hair.

Seeing her in a white dress that was hidden beneath the armor, I found myself unexpectedly agitated.

It was an outfit I had personally chosen as well.

'Even I have to admit it looks pretty.'

While waiting for the ending to be updated, the only enjoyable element was the cosmetic content.

I had invested a lot of time in creating the most beautiful female knight I could imagine.

I could feel that that time was not in vain.

"Um..."

Erina noticed my gaze, and her face turned red.

She quickly averted her face. I, too, unintentionally stared at her.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay if you look."

What was okay?

After her confession, Erina had been becoming bolder.

There was even a time when she came into my arms on her own while I was sleeping while camping.

She even once entered my embrace during camping, explaining it was cold and she wanted to sleep together.

There were also instances of holding hands or hugging out of the blue.

"Erina, I have something I want to ask."

"Yes? What is it?"

"What you said to me last time."

Erina confessed that she fell in love with me at first sight.

It was the first time I had received a confession from someone I had just met in a single day.

But there was no surprise or excitement after the confession.

Instead, I felt suspicious. Erina's confession seemed too unnatural.

However, she brightly smiled and approached me.

Then, looking into my eyes, she whispered again.

"I love you."

"..."

"I sincerely mean it."

Her rose-like red eyes were fixed on me.

Inside her small pupils, only my face was reflected.

Erina, too, blushed with heat.

"Is it difficult to answer?"

"..."

"It's okay if you want to answer later."

She smiled with a relaxed expression.

She didn't demand an immediate answer.

But there was confidence in her expression.

She believed that I would eventually accept her confession.

Unable to withstand the awkward atmosphere, I averted my gaze.

"I'll take a bath first."

"Yes, go ahead."

Even after I turned away, she continued to quietly watch me.

Her gaze had a sticky energy.

Hastily closing the door, I stepped outside.

As I distanced myself from the room, I hurried down the stairs.

Finally alone, I let out a light sigh.

I certainly didn't expect Erina to approach me so proactively.

"Does she really like me?"

I had never witnessed the main character falling in love.

While she had shown consideration and kindness, expressing affection or liking someone had never happened.

The depiction had been limited to building friendship with companions.

I could tell that Erina's affection towards me was genuine.

But recalling the words of the goddess, I couldn't easily accept it.

Above all, I didn't possess the striking appearance that would make someone fall for me at first sight.

I didn't consider myself ugly, but I was undeniably an ordinary-looking person.

Why would she fall for me like this?

"...Let's think about it later."

I decided to put aside the dilemma and focus on the immediate tasks.

On the way to the bathhouse, I changed my direction and exited onto the street.

I reminisced about memories from a year ago.

Starting the game in the capital, there was something I did first.

Vaguely recalling, I ventured through the alleys of the capital.

‘To the left corner on the outskirts of the southern gate.'

'Fantasy of Darkness' was infamous for its unreasonable gameplay.

However, there was a breakthrough.

Due to the complex map and intertwined systems, there were many hidden elements and events.

'I know most of the strategies.'

I had already seen the ending.

Even though it wasn't all the information, the overall strategy and various tips were ingrained in my mind.

"Even if it's the second playthrough, items shouldn't disappear or anything."

Avoiding the gazes of people, I hid in the corner of the city wall.

Even the guards did not reach this secluded spot, allowing me to take exactly three steps.

"Here."

The ground I stepped on was slightly raised compared to other areas.

I dug through the soil underneath with my hands.

Fortunately, I found the expected item.

"As expected, there it is."

With joy, a smile remained on my face.

Just as I remembered, there was a red pouch on the ground.

'Special item.'

If it was called a special reward, what could it be?

A special gift for those who had reserved or preordered the game before its release.

After information leaked in the community, its significance had diminished.

I immediately untied the pouch.

As expected, inside was a considerable amount of gold coins.

And a folded piece of paper.

"What's this...?"

From my memory, special items were usually monetary rewards.

But a piece of paper? It was an item I had never seen during my gameplay.

Unfolding the paper, I found small writing.

[Special Connection! (1 use)]

"What is this?"

A special connection.

It was an item I had never seen before.

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