“You carry gems around? You’re a strange one.”
“There’s a limit to how much money one can carry. Isn’t it more efficient to convert it into gems like this?”
“…Tch. What an unlikable brat.”
Once Mordred finishes the payment, Fei quickly heads for the hut’s exit.
“Dear Fei? Are you leaving already?”
“…Yeah.”
“Ah, Dear Fei, to jump straight into action right after enduring that agonizing surgery… How thrilling♪”
Fei reaches for the door, about to step out. Then, barely glancing back, he mutters:
“Thanks for everything.”
With just those words, Fei leaves.
(That guy… reconnecting nerves without anesthesia? Impossible.)
Alicia watches Fei walking ahead. The doubt that Fei might not even be human grows stronger.
(That surgery… Just watching it was so painful I could hardly bear to look. There’s no way it didn’t hurt. Is he just enduring it? But his expression hasn’t changed at all… Does that mean Fei is suffering deep down…?)
(I’ve… always…)
To her, Fei walking ahead feels impossibly distant. She doesn’t know whether it’s loneliness or a sense of security from being free of fear—but her heart feels weighed down.
A missing eye, a prosthetic eye… Now that’s romance.
—By Fei
Finally, I’m here. I got knocked out during training by Mordred this morning, but whatever. I’m just grateful now.
Time to get the surgery, receive my prosthetic eye, and power up—right? Got it.
Anyway, after walking a bit, I arrive at an old, hut-like place. Whoa, it’s got that classic, long-established vibe.
Inside, Mordred and an old lady named Fermi are deep in conversation. Huh? Wait, do they know each other?
Ohhh, so Mordred really was nobility. And this Fermi granny used to be her servant… Hmm. Alicia looks shocked, but…
“What about you, Dear Fei? Were you surprised to hear I’m nobility?”
Nah, not really.
People who Tork like “desu wa!” and “dear” are usually nobles anyway. I kinda figured it was part of her backstory, so it’s not that shocking, right?
I knew it.
Descendant of the Primordial Hero Arthur? Huh… Well, her sword skills are similar to Panda Arthur’s, so I had a hunch she was connected. No big deal. More importantly, hurry up with the eye.
I’m getting antsy here.
Skip the anesthesia… I’m so impatient I might lose it. Just give me the eye already—
Thanks to Mordred’s push, she agree to perform the surgery right away. I lie on the bed, light shining down on me.
Gotta admit, it’s a little scary… But! A protagonist endures! Pain, fear—bring it on!
Ahh, I hear these squishy sounds, like someone digging into flesh. Must be removing the ruined eye.
It does hurt… but this sensation feels familiar…
Where was it…? Oh, right—the dentist. Reminds me of getting dental work in my past life. I hated the dentist back then.
Well, by the third visit, I got used to it.
Lost in memories of the past, I don’t even notice when the surgery ends. Good work, doc. So, how’s the eye?
Whoa—I can see! This prosthetic eye is amazing! It’s gotta have special abilities, right?
…Huh? It doesn’t? Seriously? This isn’t a power-up event at all…
Wait, hold on… Up till now, I’ve unconsciously avoided sacrificing my left eye in damage exchanges. Losing an eye isn’t something you can just recover from. But now?
—Fei~, new eye here~! Ta-daa!
I can swap it out like this, right?
—Even if my eye dies, no problemo! Granny Fermi’ll just revive it!
Now that I know I can fight sacrificing eyes, I’m hyped!
—A protagonist’s eyes swapping out at breakneck speed? Classic.
This’ll probably become like Dr. Ector’s clinic for the Holy Knights—a place I visit regularly.
I’ve got a feeling I’ll be a regular here. Found myself a handy little shop, like a tavern you drop by casually.
They say I can’t use the prosthetic properly until I get used to it, so maybe I’ll hit a dungeon for now. Oh, but it’s lunchtime… Hey, are prosthetic eyes expensive? Wait, Mordred’s covering it!?
Ohhh… Thanks. Your approval rating just surpassed Panda’s.
Alrighty, time to leave this shop wearing an eyepatch. Hiding one eye? So cool.
Granny Fermi, I’ll be back! Look forward to it! Money? Eh, I’ll figure it out. I am the protagonist, after all!
Before heading to the dungeon, Fei, Mordred, and Alicia stop for lunch at a nearby eatery.
They decide to eat and recharge before the dive. The place is packed—just as the three sit down, it reaches full capacity.
However, one table remains empty, seemingly reserved.
After ordering, as they wait, the party with the reservation arrives. Their aura is distinctly different from the other adventurers.
Among them are Rhine and Barbara.
“Ah, Alicia?”
“Huh? Oh—uh, L-L-Rhine?”
“Yeah. What’re you doing here?”
“What do you mean…? I came to eat.”
“Rhine, you can’t call a girl ‘you’ like that.”
Rhine, spotting Alicia, instinctively calls out, while Barbara teases him. Behind them, three other adventurers take their seats first.
Why are they here? In a way, it’s following the script. Originally, Alicia—having lost an eye—would’ve been taken in by Rhine. Alongside Barbara, she’d receive surgery from Granny Fermi.
Fermi, former captain of [Romeo], was also the sword instructor of Rhine and Barbara’s father. Rhine would pay for the surgery himself, and Alicia would endure the pain to receive her prosthetic eye.
[You did well…]
[Th-Thanks…]
Rhine would gruffly pat her head, and players would get a rare, slightly dere moment from Alicia—a scene famously beloved online!!
—But Fei ruined it. Not just tragic plotlines—he tramples over other people’s romance flags too.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
Afterward, to cheer her up, she was supposed to eat with the [Romeo] members.
Flags keep crumbling thanks to Fei, and things are wildly off-track, but events still gravitate around Alicia. What kind of relationship will this forge between her and Fei? No one knows.
Still, the world moves forward.
“Hey, it’s [Romeo].”
“One of the city’s top Legions, right?”
“That spiky-haired guy—Triten, the Dual Master.”
“That potato-faced thug with the spiky hair… Potera, the Iron Fist.”
“That golden-haired beauty with the spaghetti-like curls… Aldente, the Snake Whip.”
“Damn, they’ve got presence…”
“They’re coming here?”
“Rhine and Barbara are with them too.”
“Barbara’s got a killer body.”
“No one’s ever seen about her with a man.”
“No shot, she’s a brocon—never let anyone close.”
“Barbara’s so cute. You could say the world exists just for her.”
The chatter about [Romeo] reaches Alicia’s ears.
(Romeo…!? Even I’ve heard of them! Wait, Rhine’s in Romeo!? And this ‘big sis’ Barbara is… their captain!? No way! Aren’t they, like, super VIPs!?)
“Sorry about him. Rhine’s a bit… airheaded.”
“O-Oh, it’s fine!”
“Glad to hear it!”
“I’m not airheaded.”
“Oh? You mixed up sugar and salt just the other day.”
“Shut up.”
(Wow, they’re so sibling-coded…)
“Tch, how do I reincarnate as her little brother?”
“Impossible.”
“Believe in the future and take the plunge?”
“Well, I hear Barbara’s not into romance, so it’s not zero chance.”
“True.”
(Ugh, these guys… Why are men all either idiots or creeps?)
Overhearing the adventurers’ bottom-tier conversation, Alicia sighs despite it having nothing to do with her. She glances at the [Romeo] members.
(Every one of them looks strong… So this is the city’s elite… I wonder what Fei thinks of them?)
Curious, she turns to Fei.
“You helped earlier. I’ll cover the meal.”
“My, Dear Fei, what a gentleman♪”
“…Guess so.”
“Hehe,I like the way you say ‘guess so’. Honestly, I’d love to hear you Tork more.”
“I might answer if it’s something small… Plus, I still owe you for earlier.”
“Dear Fei, your sense of honor is admirable… but I’d prefer to hear your stories when you genuinely wish to share them. Consider that earlier matter an investment. While I appreciate your scrupulous nature, please don’t trouble yourself over it.”
(They’re completely oblivious! These people! The city’s greatest legend is standing right before them!!)
“Y-you…!”
Just then, Rhine notices Mordred.
“Hmm? Have we met somewhere before?”
“Don’t pretend you’ve forgotten.”
“I’m afraid I have. Ah! Perhaps you’re the attendant from that beauty parlor I visited recently?”
“That’s not—”
“Oh dear, wrong guess then.”
(Stop playing dumb… You’re obviously putting on a cute act because Fei’s here. How infuriating…)
(Still, neither Fei nor Mordred seem remotely impressed by the city’s most legendary figure being right here… Is this the secret to their strength…?)
(But how can they ignore this? The city’s greatest is right— Wait, hold on…)
Alicia’s mind flashes back to an incident two days prior:
—A man going mad as his arms are severed.
—The deranged demon who, after cutting off those arms, danced endlessly drenched in blood.
—And the pervert watching that demon with panting, lovestruck admiration.
(Suddenly, the city’s greatest doesn’t seem… so impressive anymore. These people match that intensity—no, surpass it. Could it be that Fei and Mordred remain unfazed because… they’ve encountered beings far beyond even the city’s legends…?)
(Fei’s sheer intensity makes most seem pale in comparison… undergoing eye surgery without anesthesia… Mordred probably finds this underwhelming after knowing Fei?)
(Then… what about Fei himself? What does Fei think? What does he feel?… I know nothing. How strange to be continuously saved by someone I don’t understand at all.)
Later, the group finishes lunch and leaves the establishment. Fei and Alicia head for the dungeon while Mordred parts ways to continue her search. That night, they share a bed—though the story of Alicia secretly tracing Fei’s abdominal muscles after he falls asleep is another matter entirely.
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