While Greg was internally wailing due to the system notification, a storm was brewing in Victoria's mind because of his words.
He knows my identity as a Hero?
Very few people knew about this identity.
Aside from the highest-ranking members of the Holy Church of Light, there was only Silvia, her childhood friend and the next Saintess candidate, who had grown up with her.
So, how did this former son of a Duke, who had been exiled by his family and was hiding in a dark dungeon, find out?
Victoria quietly took half a step forward, completely shielding the unconscious Silvia behind her.
Her voice was calm, devoid of any discernible emotion, but Greg keenly sensed the killing intent surging beneath that surface level of tranquility.
"Who exactly are you?" she asked. "And where did you learn about that?"
Greg snapped back to reality.
The system's sudden intrusion had thrown off his rhythm, but it had also unexpectedly provided a brand-new line of thinking.
He quickly combined the explanation he had originally prepared with the mission he had just received, weaving a new logical chain in his mind.
"Actually, I am also an envoy of the Goddess."
He met Victoria's scrutinizing gaze with a frank tone. "It's just that the opponents you need to defeat are the Demons, while my mission is to conquer the dungeon."
In this world, the greatest threats to humanity were two-fold: the predatory Demons and the underground labyrinths scattered across the continent, teeming with countless monsters.
Combining his talents with the system's mission, Greg wasn't exactly lying; his current goal really was to clear the dungeon.
"That doesn't explain your past actions," Victoria said, not lowering her guard.
"Because that was an act I had to play to break away from my family."
Greg's voice dropped an octave, carrying a perfectly measured weight of gravity.
"In the House of Sass, besides me, the maid who used to be by my side, and an adopted sister who was taken in for her talent, everyone else—"
He paused, emphasizing every word, "—is a lapdog of the Demons."
Victoria's pupils shrank slightly.
"And if I really wanted to destroy you..."
Greg continued, his tone even tinged with a bit of absurd self-deprecation:
"Why would I make such a big scene and announce it everywhere after tampering with the magic tool? Am I an idiot who's terrified that people won't know I'm doing something evil?"
Thank goodness Greg Sass originally had only 1 point of Intelligence.
Greg silently bowed to his predecessor in his heart.
It was precisely because the previous owner's actions were so bafflingly stupid that his current explanation had room to stand.
Victoria remained silent.
The Church had indeed secretly investigated the House of Sass, but they had always lacked concrete evidence.
She never expected that a former direct member of that family would throw such a terrifying secret right in front of her in such a blunt manner.
Then, considering his past misdeeds that were so poorly executed they seemed moronic...
The seeds of doubt were quietly planted.
"Then why didn't you go to the Holy Church of Light and confess?" she pressed, her gaze like a blade. "If what you say is true, the Church should be your most reliable ally."
"Because the one who blessed me was not the Goddess of Light."
Greg spoke fluently, casually naming a deity that appeared in the original work's lore.
"The one who gave me her blessing was the Goddess of Night."
He observed the subtle changes in Victoria's expression and added:
"Besides, the Church isn't a monolith. If it were, Silvia would have officially succeeded as the Saintess long ago, instead of just being a 'candidate,' wouldn't she?"
Victoria's breath hitched.
He even knew the secrets regarding the delay of the Saintess's succession due to internal factional struggles...
This was definitely not information an marginalized noble child could possess.
At this point, Victoria believed about sixty percent of his story.
However, her long-standing habit of caution prevented her from fully letting down her guard.
"I will still remain skeptical," she said, looking directly at Greg.
"That's enough for me." Greg spread his hands, his tone lightening. "Miss Hero, I have no intention of being your enemy. I just want some peace and quiet."
The tense atmosphere finally eased slightly.
It was only then that Victoria felt a sudden chill.
In her rush to save her friend, she had shed her outer robes, leaving her in only her thin white underwear.
The damp fabric clung to her skin, revealing every curve under the firelight.
Her movements stiffened for a moment, and she raised her arms to wrap them around herself in a seemingly casual manner, giving Greg a cold smile:
"Had your fill?"
Greg blinked and answered honestly, "To be honest, not yet."
"...If you keep looking, I swear I'll gouge your eyes out."
Greg followed her lead and turned around.
The rustling sound of dressing came from behind him.
Once the sounds stopped, he turned back, his gaze sweeping over the still-unconscious and soaking wet Silvia, then back to Victoria, who was now dressed but looking complicated.
He pointed to the narrow passage behind him that led to his temporary camp and issued a sincere invitation:
"Before Silvia wakes up..."
"Why don't you come over to my place for a bit?"
He paused, a bright smile spreading beneath his blonde hair.
"My place is actually pretty big."
...
After gently placing Silvia on a dry stone surface near the campfire, Victoria stood up and slowly scanned this so-called 'home.'
In the spacious cave, there was almost nothing except for the crackling bonfire in the center and a stained academy jacket on the ground being used as a mat.
The walls were rough rock, the floor was hard stone, and the air was filled with the scent of damp earth and a faint, fishy smell of monsters.
"...This is the 'home' you were talking about?" Her tone was laced with undisguised disdain.
"Just tell me if it's big or not." Greg was currently facing away from her, wringing out his soaked jacket as water droplets pitter-pattered onto the ground.
He took off his wet shirt, exposing his lean upper body to the flickering firelight.
Water traced the contours of his back muscles, and his shoulder blades shifted clearly as he twisted the clothes.
Victoria's gaze inadvertently swept over him before she quickly looked away.
Fairly speaking, based solely on appearance, Greg Sass was undoubtedly the most outstanding male she had ever seen.
But that brilliant blonde hair and overly handsome face, for some reason, had made her instinctively feel... uncomfortable since the first time they met.
A vague, inexplicable sense of repulsion, like a faint electric current, would occasionally ripple down her spine when they locked eyes.
Even now, after hearing his explanation that was hard to distinguish as truth or lie, that subtle sense of disgust remained.
She couldn't figure it out, nor did she care to delve deeper.
Victoria sat down on the other side of the fire, maintaining a distance from which she could react to her unconscious childhood friend at any moment.
She unslung her pack and began checking if anything had been lost in the previous chaos.
She took out several items one by one.
A few bottles of basic healing potions, some dried rations wrapped in oil paper, a few light crystals for illumination, and a few changes of clothes.
Finally, her fingers brushed against two seemingly ordinary objects at the bottom of the bag.
One was a palm-sized, flat circular box made of a dark metal, its surface etched with intricate, hard-to-decipher patterns.
The other was a small bundle of dark brown, dried root-like objects tied with hemp rope, emitting a very faint scent similar to old leather.
Just as she took these two items out and placed them casually on the ground beside her, a scream of near-collapse suddenly exploded in the cave.
"Son of a bitch! You grey-haired brat, are you actually delivering gifts all the way down to the dungeon!?"
Rate on N.U.
