3.
As soon as I returned back to a few days ago, I spoke in front of the Hunters.
"This stage. I'll take charge."
"...."
The Hunters became mute.
Among them were the Count and the Crusader. The two of them originally died while attacking the 25th floor, but I came back to the time before they entered the stage.
Of course, the people involved did not know that.
"Um…."
The Crusader looked confused.
"I'm sorry, Death King. I didn't know if you had an interest in romance."
"Not at all. There's nothing to be sorry for. I'm an amateur at romance."
"…But you still want to be in charge of this stage? Are you serious?"
"Yes. I really want to take command."
The Hunters muttered.
I spoke calmly to keep up my momentum.
"It would be good to select a Hunter who is knowledgeable in the romance genre. But that's not the only criterion. I've never read martial arts novels. Even so, I cleared the Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon well."
"That's right, but…."
"I have an ominous feeling about this stage. I think something bad will happen. Please let me be in charge."
Flinch.
There were a few Hunters who responded to the words [ominous feeling]. It was the Witch and the Sword Saint. The two believed that I had the power of prophecy.
"…It should be fine, right? Death King has proven his skill many times."
"I also think we should listen to Death King."
The first and second place in the rankings supported my position, so things became easier. The other Hunters didn't even try to dissent against us. Like I had wanted, I took command.
"Now, I'll choose the attack team to enter the Apocalypse with me."
I spoke with a firm heart.
"Only the most elite members can go to this stage. Please don't resent me if I don't pick you."
"Hmm. The most elite members."
The Witch glanced at me with an expressionless face.
"All right. Then I have to go. I don't know much about romance, but if you really need me, I have to go."
"...."
"Though this is my first time encountering the romance genre. But romantic sensibility? Sensibility seems to fit me well. I'm not claiming to be an expert on romance. Yup. I just think that I should be included since the most elite members are going."
The woman who introduced herself as a drama watcher seemed to be in poor condition.
"Romance and romance fantasy are somewhat different. If romance is macaron, romance fantasy is a chocolate mousse cake. Death King. I really do think we should bring along an expert…."
The master who exuded a quiet, deep energy was the Crusader. However, in the last run-through, she had failed in the attack. I felt uncomfortable bringing the Crusader.
"Isn't love something that can be replaced by money? People who pay well are good at dating. Love is power, power is money. It's an unchangeable law. I need to be appointed here."
The Count unfolded a fan. Who the hell let that woman enter a romance?
"Hm."
I looked around calmly. Finally, a figure entered my sight. That figure was drinking orange juice served by a bookmark maid.
"Heretic Questioner-nim."
I called out to that person.
"Yes?"
"Hit up a romance with me."
"Oho?"
The Hunters nearby looked at us with astonishment.
The Heretic Questioner. An iron-blooded slayer. A person who unconditionally tortured and executed people if there was a religious dispute, regardless of what happened. A true natural-born psycho who is treated like a madman even in this tower full of abnormal people.
If there was a survey of who in the world was the least suitable for romance, that human would be ranked first. The man grinned like an innocent boy.
"Yes! Of course! Aha, if it's Death King's request, I will be happy to do it!"
For anyone who did not know the truth, it was really an angelic smile.
"Death King. Are you crazy... ?"
In other words, when a person who knew the truth saw it, it was no different than the smile of a devil. The Witch quickly came up and whispered to me.
"The Heretic Questioner can't empathize with people! Objectively, he's a psychopath, and subjectively, he's a sociopath. How can we take a man like that into a romance novel?"
"Black Dragon master."
I also answered with a whisper.
"Although I don't know the laws of romance, I do know what's most important."
"What's that?"
"Appearance."
"...Huh?"
"The appearance."
"...."
I was serious.
"Uh…."
"First of all, you have to be handsome."
"No, isn't that a little prejudiced…? A lot of people in romance novels are described as looking ordinary."
"They cheat with the cover image."
"Ah, you shouldn't say that... You..."
"Now. Look at this. In terms of appearance, who looks the most angelic in the tower? It's the Heretic Questioner. Even I thought he was a real angel until I learned his true nature."
We glanced at the Heretic Questioner.
In the distance, the Heretic Questioner smiled brightly.
"Do you agree?"
"...Yes. His appearance is top quality. But it's a problem because his personality is inversely proportional. He's like a gangster."
"Furthermore, the Heretic Questioner is competent. He can use divine magic. Wouldn't he be able to respond to whatever happens? He also listens to me well."
Above all, the Heretic Questioner wasn't two-faced.
What he said outwardly and thought inwardly were the same.
He was of one heart.
I thought that this too could be an advantage in romance.
It could be charming to many people when one acted exactly as they thought.
"—It might be a clever idea," someone said, eavesdropping on our conversation.
It was the Crusader.
She was slowly nodding her head. Her eyes shone with admiration.
"In ropan, or romance fantasy, the more crazy guys there are, the fresher it is. The Heretic Questioner isn't so bad for ropan. It is unfortunate that he isn't obsessed with love, but there is room for him to develop into a madman-type character. I can see how it can be fun. Indeed, Death King…. Even in romance, you have a demonic intuition…."
The library became quiet.
"Mm? Did I say something weird?"
Again, the library was quiet.
However, the Witch was thinking.
「They have a point, but the Heretic Questioner doesn't look young like the Death King—he looks too young..... Even if you look young, you have to look moderately boyish. A childish appearance isn't very popular....」
Whether fortunate or not, she never expressed her professional opinion.
Thanks to that, I and the Heretic Questioner formed the two-member romance team.
Seeing the determined attack team, the Librarian's eyes gleamed.
"Oho. So you're trying to attack with a different combination. I can't wait to see what kind of story will unfold this time."
The Librarian reached out and grabbed [The Tale of Sormwyn Academy].
"The season of love is here! The time to praise love has arrived! It is beautiful to win love by transcending status, lineage, nationality, and everything!"
The sleeves of the Constellation were fluttering.
"Maybe that's why love has become so difficult. Love is not only an emotion but also attitude and posture because many people are obsessed with romance."
The Librarian laughed.
"Is it a romantic reality, or is it a realistic romance? Gongja, it will be very difficult for you to keep these in balance. Therefore, I have prepared a special clear privilege for you!"
Clear privilege?
"In fact, you cleared the hidden stage of [The Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] in addition to the normal stage. The reward for the normal stage was the 22nd floor, but you haven't received the hidden stage reward yet. I will present that to you now."
"Uh, what is it?"
"Come here. My protagonist."
I approached him.
"I will give you three cards."
Saying tada~ the Librarian handed me the cards.
On the cards, the following was written.
+
[Facial recognition barrier card]
[What a coincidence! Overhearing crucial secrets! card]
[Oops! I shouldn't have said this! I said something wrong! card]
+
"...."
Nice.
Even the names are ominous.
I didn't know what kind of effects they had, but I felt very suspicious.
"Excuse me. These..."
"All of them will definitely be useful in romances. These cards will surely be your army and support. So don't worry!"
I could only worry.
"This is not my only gift. I prepared one more thing for you. Once you enter the Apocalypse, you'll naturally come across the gift."
"What?"
"Death King. Heretic Questioner."
The Librarian did not answer my question. Instead, he opened the book. Hwaaaak! Light emanated from the pages of the Apocalypse.
"I appoint these two as characters of [The Tale of Sormwyn Academy]. When you open your eyes, it will still be seven days before the unfortunate end of The Tale of Sormwyn Academy."
Light enveloped the two of us.
"Please. I look forward to the wonderful ending that you'll show me! Esteemed daughter! And the butler!"
Esteemed daughter?
Butler?
The moment I tried to ask what he meant, my vision turned completely white.
4.
I was never really into romance.
I didn't have a habit of reading, and I didn't have any friends who were enthusiastic about [romance] around me. To be more honest, I had no friends. I also didn't want to talk about how many people I could now call my friends.
However, when asked what is [the most frequent onomatopoeia] in the romance genre, even I, who was only an outsider, could easily answer.
Slap!!
The sound of hitting someone's cheek.
"—lowly, impertinent thing!"
The high-pitched voice reached the chandelier on the ceiling. Before the chandelier stopped shaking, slaaaapp!! The all-time number one sound in the romance genre resonated once again.
As can be seen by how I was leisurely describing the sound, I wasn't the one being slapped.
"...Haa?"
It was the Heretic Questioner.
The Heretic Questioner tilted his head. Both his left cheek and his right cheek. Even though both sides had turned red, the Heretic Questioner smiled brightly. At the person who had slapped his face.
"Did I do something wrong? Your hands are very strong!"
His opponent's expression grew grim. Was she some noble daughter? She was wearing a dress embroidered with lilies in silver thread.
For my convenience, I attached to her the name tag of 'Silver lily girl' in my head.
"How dare you act so nonchalant...! How vulgar! Do you not know shame?"
"Aha."
And from here, things became more complicated.
The silver lily girl wasn't the only one wearing a dress.
"If I've done something wrong, please explain it to me! I'll listen, and if your point is reasonable, I will correct myself immediately! It is better not to use violence!"
The Heretic Questioner was also wearing a dress.
Compared to the silver lily girl's dress, it was plainer. The color resembled the flesh of a lime. The dress that the Heretic Questioner wore was a division of the innocent yellow and the refreshing green.
Childishness could easily be mistaken for innocence. Ignorance could also be seen as being refreshing. But he didn't need any of that. His face was the top. The natural-born thug whom I chose based on his appearance smiled brightly.
"Now! Person whom I don't know the name of. Let's talk!"
Slap!
"You really… Really, you insult me to the end…."
The silver lily girl seemed to squeeze her whole body while speaking. The curve of her twisted back seemed to be transmitted onto her voice.
The person who did the hitting was the young lady and the one who was beaten was the Heretic Questioner, but as time went on, the lady's breath weakened.
'Hm.'
I overcame my confusion from entering the Apocalypse and started to grasp the situation.
'A social gathering? A ball? Anyway, it's during some event.'
The ballroom was cast with the light of a chandelier.
Dozens of people in addition to us wore dresses and suits. They were far away, nervously looking in our direction. Their expressions of embarrassment and tenseness were striking.
It was natural since the peaceful ball became a mess.
'The silver lily girl is the [Villainous Young Lady]….'
I looked at the young lady.
'Except for the imperial family, she is the highest-ranking person.'
She was also the one who would destroy this Apocalypse.
"Come, over, here!"
the silver lily girl said as she staggered. She seemed to be chewing on each syllable before spitting it out. Her voice made my lungs hurt just by listening.
"Yes, young lady," answered the servants dressed in black tailcoats.
"These people… I hate looking at them. Take them away. Right now… Take them away from my sight!"
"Yes."
The servants' answer was never loud. Their voices were quiet. People of lower status adjusted the volume of their voice depending on the constitution of their betters. Anybody could see that the silver lily girl was sickly. To her ears, loud voices were poison.
"Ah."
So, the Heretic Questioner was incompatible with the silver lily girl.
"By any chance, are you sick? That's a big problem! I'll help you!"
"Quickly… Quickly clean up that master and servant and get them away from my sight… Lock them up..."
Because the Heretic Questioner was naturally loud and open.
Servants in tailcoats surrounded us like a military unit.
"Excuse us."
"You must follow us for a moment."
The words were archaically polite, but the actions weren't like that at all. The servants forced the two of us out.
Over the ballroom and through the corridor, we were transported to a warehouse pale with moonlight.
"Excuse me?"
I said while being moved to the warehouse.
For reference, I was wearing a tailcoat that looked just like the servants'.
"Where are you taking us now? Hmm?"
There was no answer.
"Excuse me? Ducal servants, everyone?"
Slam.
"...."
"...."
The Heretic Questioner and I looked at each other. Soon after, click! The sound of a turning key resonated. We were imprisoned in a warehouse, who-knows-where.
If my common sense wasn't wrong, if a warehouse was locked with a key, it became a prison.
"Aha."
As the moonlight spilled through the iron bars, the Heretic Questioner opened his mouth.
"Death King. Something big happened!"
The Heretic Questioner was smiling wide as if it wasn't a big deal at all.
"I think I've become the female protagonist!"
That was right.
And I was that young lady's butler.