When Have I Ever Lied to You?

At that moment, the heated shouts of the newcomers caught in their throats, and all the hurried breathing and excited whispers vanished.

The only sounds remaining in the tomb were the faint trickling of falling gravel and the weak hiss of energy dissipating from the shards of shattered armor.

The powerful enemy they had expected to find had already been reduced to a pile of wreckage scattered across the floor.

The sight of the figure standing in the center of that wreckage, his back straight and tall, stood in sharp, jarring contrast to the violent marks of battle surrounding him.

A sense of shock, far more impactful than the roar of an Undead Knight, instantly seized everyone's hearts.

He looked like a hero from an ancient epic—the legend who stood silently beside a dragon's corpse after a solitary slaughter. His silhouette was lonely, yet it seemed to fill the entire space.

Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the blond youth who, despite looking exhausted, somehow appeared incredibly imposing.

For a brief moment, the noisy group fell into a dead silence.

After that short-lived stillness, the students behind Victoria, who had been idolizing her just moments ago, immediately shifted their tone.

The boys didn't hide their amazement:

"Goddess of Light, am I dreaming? Why is it Greg Sass standing there?"

"And look next to him—that looks like an Undead Knight's armor! No wonder the pressure was so intense... Did he really do all this by himself?"

"No wonder the rumors about him in the academy have been increasing lately. Is he actually a genius? Has he just been hiding his strength this whole time?!"

While Victoria felt a bit sour hearing these discussions because her thunder had been stolen, she could ultimately accept them.

After all, she had seen Greg's strength with her own eyes and acknowledged it in her heart.

What truly made her blood boil was the reaction from the girls:

"Hey... have you noticed? Greg Sass... seems even more handsome than before?"

"More than just handsome! Look at his physique—you can see the muscle lines even through his clothes! He's completely different from those boys in the academy who are either skin and bones or already developing little potbellies! Such masculine charm..."

"And that aura he has right now... how do I put it? A man who has just been through battle simply has a different vibe!"

"It's a shame his house has fallen on hard times... But with his looks and the strength he's showing now, even marrying into a family doesn't seem like a bad idea—Hm? Silvia? Why... why are you looking at me like that? Is there... something on my face?"

Although the girls quickly stopped their chatter for some reason, it was their words that made Victoria feel a strange, burning irritation. That was why she was so angry now.

At this point, Silvia stepped forward and gently tugged on the sleeve of the still-fuming Victoria, advising her in a soft voice:

"Victoria, don't be angry anymore. Senior Greg... he would never lie to us. Since he said there was something more dangerous inside, then it must have been there. As for why he can't explain in detail..."

Her pink eyes flickered toward Greg for a moment, a glint of understanding and resolve passing through them. She then added in a low whisper that only those closest to her could hear:

"I believe Senior must have his own reasons and difficulties that he cannot speak of. We should trust him."

Greg chimed in, "Exactly! Just like Silvia said, I have my reasons!"

Then, Silvia's gaze suddenly darkened, and she added in an even lower voice:

"As for those... flies who dare to try and get close to Senior Greg... I will take responsibility for driving them away properly."

Greg blinked. "Huh? Did you say something else at the end? Your voice was too low, I didn't catch it."

"No, it was nothing, Senior Greg. You must have misheard."

Silvia looked up and gave him a perfect, gentle smile that bloomed like spring flowers, as if that momentary whisper had truly been an illusion.

"I know that's how it is..."

Victoria frustratedly ruffled her already messy gray hair.

She had taken her friend's advice to heart.

Rationally, she also felt that Greg didn't seem like the type of person who would lie just to hog all the credit, and the fact that he had ventured deep into danger alone was indeed a risk.

But whenever she remembered the way those girls in the tomb looked at Greg with sparkling eyes and their hushed whispers, a nameless fire would surge up in her heart, leaving her feeling stifled.

Dammit! What am I even angry about!

It's none of my business if Greg gets targeted by those shallow girls!

If he wants to show off, let him! If he gets caught up in trouble, he brought it on himself!

Anyway, he's the one who'll have a headache later, not me! Why am I worrying about this!

She shook her head vigorously, trying to toss those messy emotions aside. Then, she took a deep breath, forced down her roiling resentment, and turned to look Greg straight in the eye. Her tone was stiff as she asked:

"Are you sure... that you went in first truly for my sake? You're not lying to me?"

Greg immediately straightened his back and tried to make his gaze look as sincere as possible, even raising one hand as if making an oath:

"Of course! I swear on my... well, on my future wallet! How could I lie to you, Victoria! Do I look like that kind of person?"

Victoria stared into his eyes for a few seconds, seemingly trying to find any trace of a lie, but she only saw exhaustion and earnestness.

She turned her head to look at Silvia, who was smiling gently and clearly trusted Greg completely.

"...Fine."

She finally sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumping. She gave Greg a sharp, annoyed look:

"I'll let it slide this time! But! Don't let there be a next time! If something like this happens again, you must explain clearly beforehand, or... take me with you! No more hogging all the action for yourself, you hear me?"

Victoria gave a dissatisfied huff.

Since you're going to have double standards, then I'll have them too!

"Right, right. Next time for sure!"

Greg, not noticing the finer details of her mood, nodded repeatedly, feeling a wave of relief in his heart.

He had finally managed to bluff his way through this hurdle for now.

It was then that Victoria seemed to remember there was another person nearby.

She adjusted her expression and turned toward the golden-haired young woman, Catherine, who had been standing quietly a bit further back.

"This is Senior Catherine, whom I invited to join our team. She's also the one who issued that commissioned task regarding you..."

Her words came to an abrupt halt.

She noticed that as she began the introduction, both of their faces took on a slightly strange expression.

Victoria blinked, her suspicious gaze darting back and forth between the two of them.

"By the way..."

She drew out her words, her tone probing:

"You two... couldn't possibly know each other already, could you?"

Greg and Catherine shook their heads in unison. "No, we don't know each other at all."