CHAPTER 14: CAMP MATTERS

The night air was cold.

The stars had finally come out, but they looked dull.

The convoy moved slowly through the forest path until faint orange lights appeared ahead.

A camp.

Hundreds of tents were spread across the clearing like a sea of beige and smoke. Knights, healers, and adventurers bustled about, tending to the wounded or cooking whatever food they could scavenge.

The gentle crackle of firewood was drowned out by the countless cries, laughter and sobs.

The survivors of Naper Village.

"Set the wounded by the north side!"

Ardan barked confidently as always.

"Adventurers, unload the supplies! Healers, keep your mana steady!"

Everyone obeyed.

Nero dismounted, stretched like an old man, and looked around quietly.

People were reuniting.

A woman hugged her soot-covered son.

An elderly man wept bitterly as he held his daughter’s burnt hands.

The smell of porridge drifted from a cauldron.

He smiled faintly. It felt... warm again.

But then his smile faded.

『Too many didn’t make it.』

He sighed softly, brushed his thick hair back — and when no one was looking, he slipped behind a line of bushes near the outskirts of camp.

The moment he crouched, blue holographic panels popped up around him.

[ⓘ New Tutorial Unlocked: Hidden Story Events]

Nero blinked.

"Huh? Tutorial... now?" (・_・ヾ

The first board expanded.

It was a long wall of text.

◉ Hidden Story Events

[These are special, secret events that serve as plot devices to deepen character bonds and uncover hidden parts of the game’s story. Completing these events increases intimacy, unlocks skills, or changes character routes.]

[ⓘ Certain characters like "Merlin" possess multiple hidden events linked to the main story arc.]

Another board appeared beside it.

[Although Merlin is not one of the main heroines, she is a Special NPC with multiple hidden storylines designed to emotionally connect the player to her. The 『Red Dragon Incident』 is a core event that initiates her hidden emotional bond route.]

Nero rubbed his chin.

"So that’s what this whole mess was about... huh."

He leaned back slightly as his solemn eyes switched between the panels.

『Makes sense, actually. Up till now, all I’ve been doing is cooking for her, cleaning her cottage, and getting roasted every time she gets drunk.』

He exhaled through his nose.

『We never really connected... not like that.』

He’d been enjoying his life in this world so much that women were the least of his problems.

Being hated by every girl back at school because of how you look can do that to a person.

Life with Merlin wasn’t like that at all.

『But today— seeing her like that—quiet, hurt—』

He clenched his fist a little.

『That was different. Emotional adversity... of course. It’s so obvious now... every good dating sim does that. Make the player feel it first, then reward them later.』

He nodded to himself like a man who had just solved a chilling conspiracy.

『So... does this mean I’m really on Merlin’s romance route now?』

Before he could get excited, another board came up.

◉ Romance Rivals

[Every heroine will have potential rivals designed to increase player engagement. Failure to secure their affection before the rival will result in the following...]

‣ Affection Reset

‣ Story Divergence

‣ Severe "Value Point" loss

‣ Potential Game Over

Nero froze.

"Wait. Game over?!"

He scrolled through the board frantically.

[ⓘ Losing Value Points reduces player relevance within the narrative.]

So, no spotlight, no love interests... no plot.

"Value Points...?"

Nero squinted.

"I’ve never heard of those before."

[That’s because the user has been too chicken to take a romance route.]

"Excuse me?" (≖､≖╬)

[You’ve repeatedly avoided romantic advancement with any female character.]

[ⓘ User displays pattern of cowardice and excessive moral hesitation.]

Nero’s eyebrow twitched.

"You sound like a judgmental bitch."

[ⓘ User is butt-hurt...]

"..."

『Okay. That’s new. The game’s developing sass.』

He groaned and waved his hand.

"Tch, fine. How many of these stupid [Value Points] do I have then?"

[ⓘ Current Value Points: 100,000 VP]

Nero whistled.

"Not bad. Guess I’m pretty relevant."

He stroked his chin proudly.

[For now.]

"I hate you."

The panels faded as Nero exhaled heavily and stood.

Time to head back.

･･･

Meanwhile, at the campfire area—

Aldura scanned the crowd.

Most of the refugees smiled at her because of how classy and beautiful she looked.

"Hrmm..."

But she completely ignored them

Ardan approached as he wiped ash from his armor.

"You seem restless, priestess. Looking for someone?"

"Actually, yes..."

She said thoughtfully as her eyes roamed the camp.

"That charming young man from before."

A ripple went through the knights nearby.

One coughed.

Another straightened his posture.

A few subtly flexed.

"Oh! You mean me?" one of them asked hopefully.

Aldura blinked. "Who are you?" (￢ ￢)

The man’s confident smile collapsed.

She tapped her chin lightly.

"Ah, yes! Nero. Where is he?"

The camp instantly fell into chaos.

"What!? Him!?"

"Why him again!?"

"He’s just a brat with good hair!"

"Is it because he can use magic or something!?"

"Why do all the pretty ones fall for the weird ones!?"

Aldura tilted her head as she looked genuinely confused by the sudden shouting.

"Hm?"

Ardan sighed heavily.

"Priestess... you just broke half their morale."

"I did?"

She asked innocently, then smiled. ( = ⩊ = )

"How curious."

･･･

A few tents away, Nero quietly snuck past the arguing knights like a soundless breeze.

He slipped into a large tent to escape the noise.

"Huh?"

He froze.

Merlin was inside.

Naked.

Her pale back glowed softly in the lamplight as her long black hair flowed like silk down her spine.

She was just about to tug off her panties.

They clung tight around those curvy hips, stretched so thin they looked ready to snap if.

Maybe if she leaned a bit more.

But with how far she’d already bent over...

『Jeez, it’s like they’re begging for attention!』

Her full, heavy breasts spilled out like ripe pendulums and swayed freely.

Nero blinked twice.

And didn’t even flinch.

At this point, he’d seen Merlin naked more times than he’d seen his own reflection.

"Please... please tell me you’re not about to get drunk and naked again..." (⇀‸↼‶)

Merlin paused mid-motion and looked over her shoulder with a smirk.

"Drunk? No. Naked? Possibly."

She pulled her panties back up.

Nero sighed.

『Maybe I should’ve waited to ask that...』

She chuckled and reached for a pile of clothes nearby.

"I got a little sweaty from the journey, so I thought I’d try on some of the clean clothes YOU washed."

"Right..."

She moved gracefully across the tent and cheerfully picked up garments.

Then she turned and pinched his cheek playfully.

"Honestly, you’re the reason I even wear clothes. I don’t have the patience to wash them myself. And you always know how to make them smell... less like beer."

"That’s... horrifyingly flattering."

Before he could add anything, Merlin held up a massive black lace bra.

"Help me with this, will you?"

Nero’s eye twitched. (o_O)

"That thing’s... huge."

It always managed to amaze him.

No woman this slender would have THAT bra size.

It was such an unrealistic build.

『Bree’s tits are big... but they’re nothing compared to what Merlin’s got going on.』

He looked at the disturbingly huge bra again.

"Are you sure it’s not an umbrella?"

Merlin gasped and clutched her chest in horror.

"Rude! I’m sensitive about my size, you know."

"Oh please..."

Nero scoffed theatrically.

He knew this woman too well already.

"A woman who spends most of her time half-naked doesn’t suddenly get to feel shy."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Is that so?"

He crossed his arms. "That is so."

Merlin smiled sweetly... maybe too sweetly.

"Oh, I’ll show you ’shy’ you jerk!"

A second later—

"MMMPH—?!?!"

Nero flailed wildly as she shoved her recently worn panties into his mouth and laughed like a little devil.

[ⓘ Status Effect Applied: Humiliation]

[ⓘ Charisma -5 for 30 seconds]

It was all up in his nostrils and mouth.

By the time the ordeal ended,

Nero was behind her, quietly clipping her bra straps with the expression of a war veteran.

『Tastes like salt...』

He adjusted the straps a little.

Merlin looked radiant and proud of herself. (๑˘︶˘๑)

"There..."

He muttered with hollow eyes.

"All done."

She propped up her chest proudly.

"Perfect. You’re quite handy, you know."

Then she turned to him with a soft but stubborn look.

"You’ll be staying here tonight."

"Here...?"

"Yeah, the bed is big enough for both of us."

"Not what I me—"

Merlin placed her hands on his shoulders.

"I don’t want you out of my sight. Not with that she-cat lurking around."

Nero blinked.

"She-cat...? You mean Aldura?"

"Yes."

Her tone was firm, almost jealous.

"You’re my precious student, yunno? I really don’t want anything to change that."

Her voice softened near the end.

[ⓘ "Caretaker of the Archmage" is active!]

Then—

Flap!

The tent’s curtain flew open.

Aldura stepped in gracefully.

Her jade eyes blinked once. Then twice.

"Oh..."

She smiled slowly at Nero.

"My, my. I wish it were you who was half-naked."

Merlin’s jaw tightened.

"What did you just say?"

"Just a thought..." Aldura replied innocently.

A fireball instantly whooshed past her face.

The tent exploded into chaos.

"YOU ELVEN FLIRT!"

"YOU DRUNK SKANK!"

They were yelling, sparks flying, wind whirling.

And Nero?

『Yup. That’s my cue to leave.』

He was already halfway out the back flap, tiptoeing like a thief escaping a crime scene.

[ⓘ Merlin doesn’t like your comment about her bra, there will be future consequences.]

Nero’s steps hooked like he had a cardiac arrest.

"Well that doesn’t sound threatening at all..."

At least he’d managed to get some space.

But before Nero could even let out a sigh, Ardan looked at him and chuckled.

"I wish two women would fight over me,"

He raised his mug of beer before taking a big gulp.

Nero scratched the back of his head and frowned.

"Well... Merlin’s only doing it because I’m her student, and Aldura’s probably doing it just to annoy Merlin. So it’s not really like that, you know?"

The Knight Captain chuckled some more.

"Fair enough. Still, I’ve never EVER een Merlin like that before—not even once."

Nero tilted his head, curious.

"Uh... what do you mean?"

Ardan took another long drink before answering.

"Merlin’s been alive for over four centuries. She’s been there for countless wars and watched everyone she’s ever cared about die. At some point, she stopped holding on to people. She might act human, but deep down, you’re looking at an empty shell that only knows how to chase magic."

He took another gulp, slower this time.

Nero frowned.

"That’s... kinda harsh, don’t you think?"

Ardan nodded.

"Yeah, it is. But for some reason, she feels different when she’s around you."

He gave Nero a firm pat on the back.

"You’re doing something right, kid."

Nero didn’t say anything.

He just stood there quietly.

[ⓘ +5 reputation with Knight Captain Ardan...]