Chapter 181: Bolting Awake from a Dying Dream—And the Culprit Is Me?

Translation by: Weebsread👹

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A dazzling array of dishes crowded the table, the private dining room bathed in warm candlelight and the mouthwatering aroma of good food.

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Across from Lin Wei, Iresha attacked her meal with a stormy expression, her fiery red hair catching the light as she vented her frustration.

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“Seriously, what’s with those people? Does being in the Hero’s Party make them too good to help commoners or something?”

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Her fork stabbed at her plate, voice rising. “Back in the Empire, all they do is show off for the crowds. Now that we’re out here on the border, they don’t even bother to pretend! Eileen just tosses out some offhand remark about how pitiful the villagers are, toiling in the blazing sun, and suddenly the three of them are falling over themselves—casting cooling spells, helping plow and sow, playing the heroes. But when it comes to helping people from the Northern Countries? Not a hint of that energy! Unbelievable!”

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Of course she was angry. She’d always known Oshu wasn’t the brightest—always picking fights with Lin Wei—but she hadn’t expected him to turn his nose up at people from her own homeland.

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“They look down on everyone from the Northern Countries. And we’re supposed to trust them to save our lands from ruin? What a joke!”

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She exhaled sharply, then turned to Lin Wei. “Sorry, Lin Wei. Those idiots are making things harder for you.”

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“It’s fine,” Lin Wei replied, nudging a plate of fried snacks toward Yalis with a small, understanding smile. “Honestly, with Eileen being the party’s darling now, I’d have expected the one in the black cloak to take that spot. Looks like your position in the party is about to get even rougher.”

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If they weren’t sitting so far apart, he might have reached over to pat her head in comfort. The last time they’d met, he’d already suspected the tsundere mage’s standing in the party had tanked, but now it seemed the whole group was a powder keg waiting to blow.

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“At this rate, forget subjugating the Demon Lord—the party might not even survive basic training together. If the archer goes rogue and does something reckless, you could all end up in a situation you can’t walk away from. Total party wipe.”

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He wasn’t just speculating—he spoke from hard-won experience. Judging by the group’s dynamic, Iresha had already been thoroughly marginalized, made the scapegoat for everyone’s frustrations. It was almost impressive—she was their main sponsor, yet somehow the odd one out. Oshu’s lack of support was part of it, but the rest of the party had clearly contributed.

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Honestly, Eileen’s status in the party was exactly where Iresha’s should have been. With things so upside-down, it wouldn’t be surprising if Eileen started manipulating the others, pushing them into dangerous situations just to assert her dominance—like some twisted palace intrigue. “Even if you’re right, they’ll only listen to me, got it? You’re just a rich, gullible mark.” If it ever came to that, the consequences would be unimaginable.

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“How does the Holy See even select its subjugation squad members? How does someone as blatantly two-faced as her get through their screening?”

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“She’s basically the discordant note in the whole group!”

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The Hero’s Party was assembled by the Holy See, with the Empire’s involvement, all to take down the Demon Lord. As an Honor Knight—and, in another life, the Demon Lord himself—Lin Wei couldn’t help but see things from the Holy See’s perspective now, especially since he was supposed to have “forgotten the past” and was now a full-fledged member of the Clergy.

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Iresha, grateful to finally have someone to vent to, gripped her fork a little too tightly. Lin Wei’s unwavering support made it even easier to let her complaints about Eileen spill out.

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But no matter how much she grumbled, Iresha knew she had to own up to her own mistakes.

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“We all agreed to it at the time,” she admitted with a sigh. “We met Eileen in the Labyrinth. Her party triggered a trap and got wiped out—thrown straight into a sea of lava by monsters. We thought she was just another Adventurer, didn’t think much of it. Then we found out she was an elf. She was strong, too, and had a grudge against the Demon Lord. Oshu suggested we take her to the local Holy See branch for testing, and she passed, so we let her join. Looking back, I never should’ve gone along with it. Damn that cow-girl!”

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“She’s totally ruined the party’s vibe. We should’ve been well on our way to twisting off the Demon Lord’s head by now, not stuck here spinning our wheels. Ugh, I just want to quit!”

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If the Hero weren’t required to be present for the Demon Lord subjugation, she’d have bailed already. But she gritted her teeth and stuck it out—even as the others became more and more brainwashed by Eileen’s influence.

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And Oshu—he was the worst of them all. Always itching for a fight with Lin Wei. If he weren’t the Hero, Iresha would have blasted him with magic by now. Was he insane?

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“I never saw this coming when we were kids,” she muttered, anger flaring again. Then she caught herself, glancing at Lin Wei in a panic, fingers nervously twisting a lock of hair.

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“But, um, even though I’ve known Oshu since we were little, there’s nothing between us. No engagements or anything, so don’t get the wrong idea, okay?”

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Lin Wei blinked, taken aback. “Uh… got it. I won’t.”

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Not that it mattered to him anyway. As an Honor Knight, he wasn’t concerned with such trivial details.

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…Well, except for the matter of Eileen’s mid-party recruitment.

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“So you all went through certification at the Holy See Headquarters, except for her? She was added later by a local branch and just started adventuring with you?”

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“Yeah. The Headquarters said it was an exception, so we let it slide. At the time, there was an evil god disaster in the Lotai region, so they sent us there to patrol. They said we could finish the paperwork at the end of the year—otherwise, we’d have gone back to the Imperial Capital first.”

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Iresha visibly relaxed when she realized Lin Wei wasn’t fixated on the childhood friend thing. Thinking back, she grumbled under her breath.

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“But isn’t that totally against protocol? Sure, the goblin disaster happened later, but before that we were just on routine patrols—there was plenty of time to get her properly certified. Who knows, maybe she wouldn’t have passed at Headquarters. I wonder what Her Holiness Selena was so busy with at the time...”

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“She must’ve had something very important to handle!” Lin Wei nodded emphatically, his gaze darting away, guilt prickling at him.

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If only he hadn’t tried to buy himself an extra day at home with Veya, maybe he wouldn’t have taken that risky detour to hunt a demon—or tangled things up on purpose just to mess with the Pope. If he hadn’t set that whole mess in motion, Veya probably wouldn’t have insisted on sending the Hero’s Party after him for his own safety.

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Bolting awake from a dying dream—only to realize the culprit was himself.

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Sorry, sorry, truly sorry, Miss Iresha. Please just forget all about that incident!

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“Busy, huh…” Yalis, who had been devouring her food in silence, shot the pair a furtive glance. Suddenly, she remembered the terrifying ordeal she’d faced outside Lotai. Her cute face twisted into a complicated expression.

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Should she tell Mr. Lin Wei about what happened back then? She’d always believed that the strange behavior was meant to protect her from some evil lurking nearby, but she’d been keeping secrets about Her Holiness for so long now… With Lin Wei at her side, she wanted to share everything with him, to ask his advice and trust in his judgment.

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Maybe she’d find a chance to talk to him alone later?

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And, speaking of tonight, how would their lodging be arranged? It was her first time staying out overnight—was she really supposed to sleep in a room all by herself? The thought made her uneasy.

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◇

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Dinner finally wound down. After all her venting and Lin Wei’s patient listening, Iresha’s mood had clearly lightened.

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Facing Lin Wei, she didn’t hold back her gratitude. “Phew! Getting all that off my chest, I feel so much better. Thanks, Lin Wei. If it weren’t for you, I’d have no one reliable to talk to.”

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“It was just some idle dinner chat, nothing special. No need to thank me, Miss Tsundere. If anything, I should be thanking you for hosting tonight.”

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He waved it off. Friends helped each other, after all. Since leaving Aurens Town, both Iresha and Yalis had been a big help to him. Whenever trouble cropped up, he’d lend a hand if he could.

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“Tsundere? What kind of title is that?” Yalis frowned, puzzled by the unfamiliar term. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

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“Uh… it’s a compliment, don’t overthink it! Anyway, you should be careful on your adventures from now on. If anything goes wrong, it could cost you your life. Even you might not escape unscathed.”

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Palace intrigue might seem like daily routine for some, but when the main player lost their mind, the fallout could be catastrophic. Iresha, for all her bluster, understood that now.

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“Don’t worry, Lin Wei~ I’ll take care of myself until the day I get to twist off the Demon Lord’s head! By the way, I’m probably heading back to the Imperial Capital for the New Year. Why don’t you come visit? I’ll cook for you myself—well, just some pastries, but they’re really good. I’ll make sure to treat you right!”

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She looked at him with hopeful eyes, but Lin Wei just sighed and gave her a light knock on the head—her death flag practically flashing in neon.

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“Don’t jinx yourself by saying things like ‘when this is all over, let’s do such-and-such.’ You’re just asking for trouble, Tsundere.”

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She pouted, rubbing her head. “Hmph! You’re really that superstitious?”

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Her slightly puffed cheeks were the very picture of adorable petulance.

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“Whatever makes you happy,” Lin Wei muttered. He had a bad feeling she’d get herself into trouble sooner or later. Hopefully he’d be around to bail her out.

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“It’s late. I need a bath and some rest. Got to check on the disaster victims tomorrow. See you, Lin Wei.”

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“Good night, Iresha.”

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He watched her go, sighing softly. Then he turned to the girl beside him, his expression softening.

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“We should get some rest too, Yalis.”

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“Okay!”

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Her first night away from home—she was both excited and nervous. No matter how much she loved adventuring, the thought of spending the night in an unfamiliar place made her anxious.

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“The attendant said our room is the third door on the left…”

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The tension didn’t last long. As Lin Wei led her up to the top floor, key in hand, Yalis suddenly realized something was off—there was only one key.

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“Um, Mr. Lin Wei… did you mean ‘our’ room?”

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“That’s right. I booked a suite. I’ll take the sofa and keep you company. It’s your first time sleeping away from home—you shouldn’t have to be alone.”

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He opened the door. The suite wasn’t fancy, but it was spacious and clean, with a separate bedroom. For this city, it was about as nice as it got.

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“There are too many people in town tonight—all the other inns were booked solid. This was the only big room left. I checked—everything’s clean, and the bedding’s new. But once we get to the Northern Countries, you won’t get this kind of treatment!”

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Safety was easy enough to manage; the real challenge was helping Yalis adjust to life on the road. Even if Veya wanted her to toughen up, Lin Wei figured it was best to let her ease into it.

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“How are you holding up, Yalis?”

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He frowned as he noticed her odd expression and flushed cheeks. Wait a second… had he forgotten that the Saintess was a cute girl? Damn it. He’d gotten so used to looking after her that he’d started treating her like a kid sister. Only now did he realize—was she actually feeling shy?

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“I’m fine—I think I’ll go take a bath!” Yalis blurted, retreating into the bedroom.

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Lin Wei was just about to suggest they sleep in separate rooms, maybe add some extra precautions, when Yalis poked her head out again. Her cheeks glowed in the candlelight as she bit her lip, wrestling with her words.

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“To be honest, I’m a little embarrassed to be staying with you, Mr. Lin Wei. But… but it’s not that I dislike you! I’d be scared to sleep alone, and I trust you, it’s just—well, it’s my first time, so I’m a little shy. Please don’t think I don’t want to stay with you!”

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She blurted it all out, then disappeared behind the door, her voice finally drifting out.

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“Good night, Mr. Lin Wei!”

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“…Huh.”

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She’d confessed her nerves, but was more worried he’d misunderstand. Pure, honest, and utterly transparent—she wasn’t scheming, just sheltered and kind, the living embodiment of the Holy See’s ideals.

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“Honestly, she’s almost too cute.”

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Lin Wei scratched his head, unable to keep from smiling at the adorable Saintess.