Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game-Chapter 115: Return

After spending a few days in the domain, we decided to return home, following Lemeton’s lead.

I was starting to miss the cave. I had been away for far too long. I’m sure the monsters around the area must have increased in number by now.

Unlike when we left separately from the knights, this time we were traveling back together. The previous time, the starting locations were different, so it didn’t matter that we went our separate ways, but now it felt awkward to leave alone.

It almost felt like I was making it obvious that I didn’t want to go with them.

Of course, they had tried to kill me before, so it was awkward, but... there’s a difference between just thinking it and showing it openly.

Anyway, since Odilia had something to say to me, I decided to follow them quietly.

This time, though, since we were traveling with the knights, there were no adventurers like the ones we met last time trying to pick a fight.

“...”

Instead, the glances thrown our way were a bit uncomfortable.

Since we were traveling together, I kept running into the knights, and each time, I felt their eyes subtly glancing at us.

There didn’t seem to be any hostility, but their looks held a lot of thoughts, as if there was something weighing on their minds.

I tried to meet their gaze once, but it didn’t work. Every time I looked at them, they quickly turned their eyes away.

‘Hmm.’

After enduring this for a while, my curiosity got the better of me, and I asked Odilia about it. I wanted to know why they were looking at us like that.

“They’ve never seen you fight before, not like this... neither have I. So, it’s probably a bit fascinating for them. Knights revere strength, after all.”

In simpler terms, they were probably interested because they saw me fighting Andras one-on-one.

Odilia assured me that there was no ill-will in their stares, so there was no need to worry.

That was a relief. Honestly, I had expected there to be some talk because of my association with Lemeton, but thankfully, the situation was understood, and they let it go.

“And... just to add a minor detail, the knights are mostly women. There aren’t many men, so they don’t often get the chance to see one. They’re probably just curious.”

Afterward, she added this extra detail.

Hearing that, I briefly recalled.

‘Now that I think about it...’

I couldn’t remember seeing many male knights. Out of a hundred, ninety-nine were women. Apart from the fourth knight commander, the one I fought, the rest were all female.

Even knights tended to live together in groups, as they were often deployed or trained together.

Since they were frequently sent on assignments and had many joint missions, they didn’t really have much time to meet men.

It made me understand why the fourth knight commander was so popular. With such a limited supply, it’s no wonder he was highly sought after.

‘...Hmm.’

I found it rather interesting. I didn’t mind at all. In fact, I felt rather pleased.

It felt like I could indulge my rather sleazy male ego.

The knights, most of whom knew what manners were, were much more refined than the reckless adventurers who would just barge in. I didn’t have to worry much about them becoming a hassle.

From then on, I decided to interact a little more with the knights, wanting to fill my ego in that way.

“Umm... if it’s not too much trouble, would you spar with me? It’s nothing serious, I just want to learn a move or two.”

“Of course, anytime.”

I even entertained a knight who bravely asked for a spar.

“...?”

“Why... why are you looking at me like that?”

“Just because.”

I would sometimes stare at the knights for no particular reason.

“...! You, Yor! No matter how much you’ve been alone, you can’t just expose your skin like that!”

“Why? You all just do it comfortably. I’m hot!”

“It’s different for boys and girls!”

On particularly hot days, I would wear my usual summer attire, such as a short-sleeve shirt or a tank top.

Though summer was coming to an end, there were still many hot days.

I wanted to wear something comfortable too.

Of course, whenever that happened, the knights would make a huge fuss.

Since they were so used to being around other women, they didn’t have much immunity to dealing with men.

Simply put, most of them were awkward when it came to interacting with the opposite sex.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself.

It had been a long time since I felt this way. The way people fidgeted and couldn’t stay still with my every small action. This sense of superiority, of omnipotence...

Yeah... I can control people's emotions!

Of course, not everyone was happy about it.

Specifically, my companions.

“Hey... Yor. Aren’t you being a little too unguarded?”

“Nah, just relax. I’ll use magic to cover it all up.”

They’d sometimes give me disapproving looks when I pulled off these antics.

Even Haneul occasionally had a fit and would cast ‘illusion’ magic on me...

It seemed they felt a strange sense of jealousy.

Watching them, I couldn’t help but smirk inwardly. I wasn’t in a bad mood at all.

‘Well, I have been neglecting them a bit...’

With everything going on with Lemeton and the knights, I hadn’t had much time to spend with them.

Seeing their reactions, I decided to hold back a little and behave more cautiously.

Of course, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t still interact with the knights.

In fact, sparring with them was beneficial to me as well.

Clang- Clang-!

While quietly blocking the knights’ swords, I could feel something deep in their strikes.

Their attacks came without hesitation, seamlessly following each other. Even while delivering a blow, their defense remained rock-solid.

There were times when my usual physical abilities would almost let me get caught by a knight’s strike.

Even though I had the upper hand physically, I couldn’t surpass their technique.

“Your attack is quite interesting.”

It seemed the knights were noticing this too.

Florence, a knight I had sparred with often recently, spoke up.

“The direction of your attack is obvious, and your posture isn’t perfect... but the energy you waste is minimal. It’s as if you’re just pouring pure strength into it without any flair.”

“I know. My attacks are rough.”

“No, no. It’s a compliment. It’s very practical. You even managed to defeat demons with it.”

She explained that while my strikes were easy to predict, blocking them was a different matter altogether.

It wasn’t just a matter of power and speed. As one defended, they’d soon find themselves caught up in the rhythm, cornered by the pressure of the attack.

“Maybe it’s because of your instincts... but you know how to limit your opponent’s movements. So, even if the attack is obvious, it’s a hassle to deal with from the other side.”

After saying this, Florence sighed softly.

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“That’s why I think it’s a shame. How about properly learning martial arts?”

“Hmm... Would it help?”

“Well... I can’t guarantee it will help, given that you’ve already ingrained many habits in your body. But it wouldn’t hurt to try. Martial arts are meant to develop both the mind and body, to channel more power than your physical limits.”

Hearing this, I nodded slightly.

‘Martial arts, huh...’

It was something I had thought about in the past. I wondered if I could live a more comfortable life if I had some fancy techniques to rely on.

But as I grew older, that need started to fade. After all, I had already proven myself in my own way many times.

I couldn’t find a reason to fit something else into my life.

And honestly, I never really had the opportunity to learn it.

Still, after hearing her out... I thought it might be worth trying, if I ever got the chance.

“Well then, I’ll continue the sparring.”

Just as I was thinking this, Florence prepared to continue the spar.

Her sword rushed toward me. Due to the difference in skill, her movements were much smoother than mine.

I tried to block with my spear, holding it horizontally.

But then...

Crack-!

“Eh.”

The unpleasant sound of my spear snapping in two.

It had been my weapon for years... since I fought the mountain bandit, fought the knight commander, and knocked out countless demons.

It couldn’t handle the pressure anymore and broke.

I had been thinking it was about time to replace it, but I didn’t expect it to break like this, out of the blue.

“Damn!”

The knight I was sparring with hurriedly adjusted her sword, but couldn’t stop her momentum in time.

She crashed into me, right through the broken spear.

I couldn’t avoid it either, falling to the ground.

Instead of panic or excitement, the first feeling that hit me was...

‘...Pain.’

It was a blow from her solid armor, making contact with my body. I had just taken a full-force impact from a chunk of metal.

“Huff! Yor! Are you okay?!”

Florence panicked and stood up, looking flushed, as if she felt something was off.

I scratched my head and reassured her. I stopped her from apologizing.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Ah, how familiar this "lucky pervert" moment was...

“Huh? Why do you look so sad?”

“My spear broke...”

After losing my beloved weapon in such an anticlimactic way, I headed to Odilia’s tent at her call.

Unlike her usual playful demeanor, she was sitting seriously this time, signaling that the conversation would be a serious one.

I sat down, and she began the discussion.

“I plan to request the Emperor’s help and send a large team to locate the altar.”

I briefly noticed her skin, which still bore faint burns from the battle. I’d heard that the scars would heal without a trace if we went to the shrine, but it looked like it still stung a bit.

She continued.

“We’ll offer a huge reward to the guild to help locate the altar, and we’ll ask other nations to cooperate too.”

It seemed the recent fight with Andras had given her a lot to think about.

Even without Lemeton’s intervention, two demons had appeared this time.

“I’ve realized that simply preserving our strength and tracking Lemeton isn’t the best approach. We handled things well this time, but if demons just show up randomly again, we might be in real trouble.”

She said she would locate and eliminate the altar first.

It was a sound decision. This time, we had really been lucky.

But I was curious about why she was telling me all this.

There’s usually something hidden behind such conversations.

Thankfully, she didn’t hesitate and continued immediately.

“I need your help with this... Honestly, you played the biggest role in this fight. If you hadn’t been there, not only Andras but Polauros would have appeared, and the damage would have been enormous.”

Before I could speak up, she placed a metal item on the table. It was something dropped by Andras.

“I had it appraised, and it seems it will be effective if shared. Not all of it, but I’ll make {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} sure you get a part of it. If there’s anything else you want, let me know. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

After taking a deep breath, she spoke again.

“So, please lend me your strength again next time.”

“...”

I was silent for a moment. I was a bit surprised by her humble approach.

But after a moment, I nodded.

It was a proposal where I couldn’t lose anything either.

‘I’ll get some holy water too. This is fine.’

A few days later, I arrived at my cave.

I felt like I had gotten a little closer to the knights.