RD | Chapter 19

Keith tried to eliminate the traitor who clung to the priest like a leech. The priest stopped him.

Keith held back his anger and warned the priest that he was being deceived, but the priest still wouldn’t move.

‘He knew.’

This man is protecting the traitor’s clan even though he knows.

Keith was enveloped in immense anger. At times like this, his blood would cool, and his mind would become clear. To him, the priest was someone to ‘protect‘.

The traitor was an ‘enemy to kill’.

It had been that way since the day that decided his life, when his parents were eaten by a demon, not leaving even a single bone fragment.

Young Keith, being small, could hide in a narrow crevice where the demon couldn’t reach with its snout. After the demon swept through the village, Keith was left alone. A passing Holy Knight Order rescued him. They were the elite forces of the Vatican.

The priest with them gently caressed Keith’s wounds with soft hands.

“You are a child blessed by God.”

Keith later found out that overnight, his hair had turned into a bright golden color, almost white. The power of the blessing he awakened had protected him from the demon’s malicious detection ability.

Keith didn’t cry. Even thinking about his parents, no tears came out. His heart just sank endlessly. His throat felt as if it were stuffed with stones.

If only he had awakened a little earlier.

If only he had realized his power sooner.

His parents wouldn’t have died.

His friends, neighbors who were like family, wouldn’t have died.

His guilt became a deep scar on his heart. Keith grew up to become a Holy Knight who hated demons more than anyone. The Vatican that saved him was good, and the God who blessed him was an absolute being.

He could erase the cursed demons from the world with the power of God.

Even the traitor clan that summoned those demons to this world.

The innocently looking priest claimed he was protecting three hundred people. After checking the pulse, that statement proved to be true.

Three hundred.

That vague number reminded him of the village where he lived.

For the first time, Holy Knight Keith let the traitor clan go.

He recalled the pulse of the black-haired priest he had in his grasp. The black eyes full of will. The innocent appearance didn’t match the strong expression.

He thought of the holy arrows he had shot.

‘A trash who sticks with traitors even after receiving God’s blessing.’

Unbearable.

Hateful.

Unacceptable to exist.

Holy Knight Keith wanted to kill him.

Strength gathered in his empty hand. The metal clashed, making a spine-chilling sound. The joints couldn’t withstand the strong force and bent. The broken metal cut his hand.

‘Ah.’

Even if he killed that man, the lost ones wouldn’t come back. Keith barely suppressed his impulse and returned to the Vatican.

After camping in the forest for several days and being certain that Keith had completely left, Ian returned to the temple.

“He’s gone, right?” Ian asked while crossing the ridge.

“Yes, he’s not visible.”

“If we get caught, we’re dead.”

“He’s not here. I’m sure.” Louise confirmed.

They nodded to each other and entered the elf temple. Although it was a ruined temple, the remaining statues and decorations somehow felt sacred. Although this originally wasn’t a game with good graphics, in reality, the scenery was spectacular.

The dignity of the place made one hesitate to intrude carelessly. Sema, who tends to be easily influenced by the atmosphere, spoke while shrinking.

“I’ve thought about it, but wasn’t that a curse after all? To suddenly meet Knight Keith and almost die, it can only be a curse…”

“No, no.”

However, Ian was not good at reading the atmosphere and took the lead. Unlike the tense Louise, Ian was thinking about this:

‘Looks like a ghost might pop out.’

As he went down the stairs, it got darker. No one would light candles in an unused temple, so inside, not a single light penetrated.

Louise used his skill of making fire to bring a small light from the forest, holding it in his hand. The small torch made from bound twigs only illuminated around Ian’s feet, not lighting up the path ahead.

‘Basement level 3. Descended.’

“Let’s go in.”

When Ian gave the order to his party, something caught his foot. Ian almost fell.

“Argh!”

Something beneath Ian’s foot let out a scream and retaliated, pushing him back.

Ian almost regained his balance—only to be yanked forward as it pulled him down.

He ended up falling straight on top of it, landing in an unmistakably compromising position.

“What, what is it?!”

“Get off Lord Ian!” Louise threw the light to Sema and drew his bow.

“Uah, don’t do that! Who points an arrow at someone who’s just fallen? Ouch, my leg. My head. Almost bit my tongue…”

A flippant voice echoed, and the other’s face was revealed in the light. Suspiciously, he was wearing a robe reversed, and when Louise pointed the arrow close, he took off the robe himself.

“I’m an innocent elf! An elf who got injured while helping your party. Don’t threaten me, it’s scary!”

“Why is there an elf here?!”

The other’s ears were pointed. Ian grabbed those ears in surprise. The elf seemed surprised for the first time.

“Such vulgar behavior on our first meeting…”

“What are you talking about?” Ian was dumbfounded.

The elf spoke with a pout. “Elves’ ears are erogenous zones. Haven’t you heard not to touch them carelessly?”

“Ah, I didn’t know…”

Ian was about to apologize unintentionally but then wondered if that was the issue. Why was this elf here?

“Who are you?”

“Oh, you’re asking my name?” The elf dusted off his robe and sat up properly. His face became clearer.

Firstly, this elf definitely didn’t look like an extra.

With slanted eyes that seemed always smiling and a dot on the bridge of his nose, he was an androgynous beauty, but the voice was clearly male.

‘Put some effort into the character design.’

The problem was, Ian had never seen this character in the game. Or rather, he knew of a group that goes around wearing robes like this…

“Are you a merchant?” Ian asked just in case.

All merchant characters in this game cover their faces with robes. Perhaps because the character design was too bothersome? That’s what Ian guessed.

The merchant elf nodded.

“Yes. You recognize me quickly? It’s worth waiting for customers. Everyone mocked me, saying I wouldn’t sell anything, but I knew. To catch good customers, you have to go to difficult places…”

“Why is there a merchant here? It’s not even a dungeon.”

“Dungeon… You can call this a kind of dungeon too. There are traps all over the place. I was waiting to save poor thieves injured after intruding into the elf temple.”

The elf merchant protested.

‘Did this guy just call us thieves?’

He naturally treated Ian’s party as thieves. Ian was more concerned about something else.

‘Was this place also a merchant spawning area?’

Since he only played the elf route occasionally, he didn’t know. Out of curiosity, Ian asked.

“So, did you sell anything?”

The merchant smiled.

“No. I thought I had to establish myself in a blue ocean to monopolize, but this place was too much of a blue ocean. I was about to pack up and leave because nothing was selling, but then you guys came.”

‘This guy has no merchant qualities, right?’

He feels incredibly inept.

Nevertheless, Ian had no intention of missing a hidden character met in such a hidden place. Being inept doesn’t matter; what’s important are the goods he sells. Maybe he sells hidden items?

“What kind of items do you sell?”

“Want to see?”

The merchant joyfully opened his bag. A shop window appeared before Ian.

[Elf Wood Branch]
[Apple Seed (Edible)]
[Strawberry Seed (Edible)]
[Potato Seedling (Edible)]

…

“……!”

‘Wait.’

Ian couldn’t believe his eyes.

Why would that be here?

“Hold that guy down!” He commanded Louise.

Louise immediately tackled the merchant. Ignoring the ‘ouch’ sound from behind, Ian dashed down the hallway of the third floor. He reached the end.

‘Not here.’ The Elf Wood Branch wasn’t where it was supposed to be.

“……!”

A scenario formed in Ian’s head.

Did this guy, thinking ‘Ah, this place isn’t selling well,‘ leave while throwing away the Elf Wood Branch?!

‘No, there wasn’t much focus on merchant characters in the game.’

Despite being an extra character, they’ve given him quite the backstory starting from the character design!

Ian was utterly exasperated by this game.