Chapter 45

Hugging Dion, who was trying to twist away, I began to read the journal. The dimly lit space made the words hard to discern. Compared to the first journal entry, this one’s handwriting was more refined. It seemed Adrian had made progress between the first and second entries. Squinting as I read, I spoke to Dion, who was still trying to push me away.

“This is about herb cultivation methods.”

The journal described how to cultivate the herbs, which Hella had already explained. Herbs grown by feeding them blood. The troubling question was whether this stopped at animal blood. If it had only involved animals, it might have been acceptable, but if it went beyond that, things would become far more serious. After curing the villagers’ illnesses, we might have to bring them to trial.

Thinking of the village chief who had trapped us, I sighed deeply.

It would be best if the scars on Adrian’s hands were from slaughtering animals.

“Saintess, can we move now?”

“Move where?”

“Outside. We need to find out why the chief locked us in here and act quickly.”

Dion stood and pulled me to my feet, holding my waist as he helped me up. After a moment of hesitation, he took my hand, covering it with his own. It seemed he found holding hands more convenient than having me cling to his waist.

Watching him silently, I asked, “And how do we get out? The door is shut.”

“Push it.”

“Um… what?”

How could anyone push that?

The door we had seen when entering wasn’t something an adult man could easily shove open.

“I can do it.”

“Uh… sure. But wouldn’t it be faster to ask Hella for another way out?”

As I fell silent, Dion ground his teeth. I’d noticed ever since we started spending time together that Dion was more impatient than I expected. His affection rose quickly, too—faster than seemed fitting for his difficulty level.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, a sudden system window appeared.

<The difficulty level of Capture Target ‘Dion’ has been updated!>

<Imperial Knight ‘Dion’ Difficulty: ★>

What?

Why did he suddenly become so easy to capture?

Seeing the drastically reduced star rating, I slumped my shoulders. As if responding to my confusion, the system window revealed new information.

<Dion’s difficulty level is affected by time spent in close contact.>

Well, we had spent quite a bit of time together. Still, such an easy method? All my agonizing over how to capture Dion in previous runs seemed pointless.

Glancing over the new information, I loosened my grip on Dion’s hand.

“Hella, is there another exit?”

“Are you trying to leave?”

“Yes, of course.”

“But… the chief, yesterday…”

“Huh?”

Hella mumbled in confusion, her words disjointed. Then, after clamping her mouth shut, she nodded.

“There is.”

With a resolute tone, Hella grabbed my hand. Her small frame belied the strength of her grip as she began walking briskly.

“H-Hella?”

“This way.”

“Dion, she says there’s an exit this way!”

Calling out to Dion, I followed Hella. Looking back at the entrance as though he had seriously considered pushing the door, Dion turned and trailed after us.

In the dim herb chamber, Hella walked quickly and stopped in front of a wall. As she touched its surface, the wall opened automatically, just like the herb chamber’s main entrance.

“Come inside.”

Light seeped through the newly opened doorway. Unlike the dark, enclosed herb chamber, the room Hella led us into had a ceiling that opened to the sky, flooding the space with sunlight. We followed her inside. Though the open ceiling allowed a view of the outside, there was no visible passage leading out. The walls were smooth, making climbing impossible.

As I scanned the surroundings, Dion quietly spoke to me, “There’s no way out.”

“Looks like it… Hella?”

“J-just a moment.”

Dion frowned as he came to the same conclusion. While we searched the room, Hella rummaged through her pockets and turned to us.

“You need to stand here…”

“Here? Why?”

“Him, too…”

“Dion, you need to stand here as well!”

Hella produced a small amount of herbs from her pocket. Placing them in the sunlight, she grabbed my hand again and positioned me near the herbs. Dion, frowning, approached me.

“Stay still.”

“For how long?”

“Until I… signal you.”

Hella stammered as she backed away. Exiting the way we had come, she shut the door behind her.

“Huh?”

As the door closed, the walls became smooth, leaving no visible escape. Staring at the sealed wall, I turned to Dion.

“What’s going on?”

“Maybe she’s manipulating something outside.”

“You’re so calm, Dion. Not even a little nervous?”

“Whatever she’s trying, we can still get out of here. Subduing one child isn’t difficult.”

“Even if that child is a threat?”

“Child or adult, it doesn’t matter. Threats are eliminated.”

“Oh, I see.”

While I remained tense, Dion spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world. His calm confidence eased my nerves. This isn’t a horror game—what could possibly go wrong?

Relaxing, I waited for Hella’s signal. With nothing to see but the walls and the herbs, my gaze naturally fell on the plants. Bathed in sunlight, the herbs began to emit a faint glow. Watching the luminous plants, I thought absentmindedly,

What kind of herb is this?

As I wondered, my passive skill, Herb Identification, activated.

<You have discovered a mysterious herb!>

• How to Use: Burn to activate effects.
• Effect: Effect: Inhaling the scent of the burnt herb disrupts self-control.
• Various impulses such as homicidal and sexual urges may arise.

Why would Hella leave something like this here? Isn’t this a poisonous plant, not a herb? Judging by its effects, it’s hard to call it a herb.

As I suspiciously examined the herb, I thought about the chief’s warning: setting fire in the herb chamber would cause an explosion. The herb wouldn’t burn completely, so what was the purpose of leaving it behind?

“Saintess.”

I turned at the sound of Dion’s voice calling me. He had been standing obediently as Hella instructed but was now pointing toward a corner. Looking closely at where he was pointing, I spotted a small piece of paper.

“Isn’t that the paper you’ve been looking for?”

“It seems like it.”

“Shall I fetch it?”

It looked similar to the fragments of Adrian’s journal. Staring at the paper, I shook my head. Hella must have had a reason for telling us to stay put, so I decided not to move until her signal arrived.

“No, let’s wait for Hella to give the signal before checking it out.”

“Why is that?”

“What’s that burning smell…”

As I spoke, the smell of something burning reached my nose, causing me to wrinkle my face in alarm.

No way!

“Ah!”

I quickly checked the area where the herb was placed and froze in shock. Somehow, the herb had caught fire and was burning rapidly. Forgetting Hella’s instructions, I sprinted over and tried stomping out the flames with my foot, but the fire only grew stronger.

“What are you doing? Step back!”

“Wait, Dion…”

Dion grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back, glancing down at my slightly singed shoe. He scolded me while holding me away from the fire.

“Let it burn out completely. The fire will extinguish on its own once there’s nothing left to burn around it.”

“Your nose!”

“What?”

“Cover your mouth and nose, and step back!”

I reached toward Dion’s face as I spoke. He looked at me in confusion, but there was no time to explain. The herb’s description mentioned it would disrupt self-control. If the effect leaned toward sexual impulses, that would be manageable. But if it turned into homicidal urges, that was a problem.

While I might also be affected, Dion, as a knight, could easily subdue me if I became dangerous. However, if Dion turned violent and tried to kill me, I wouldn’t stand a chance.

<Event Triggered! ‘Hella’s Trap’>

• You have fallen into Hella’s trap.
• The event’s outcome depends on Dion’s affection.
• Objective: Survive without losing consciousness during the event and escape with Dion after the herb’s effects wear off. If either Dion or the player dies, the event will end automatically.
• Duration: 4 hours.

“Shouldn’t you explain why you’re acting like this?”

Dion held onto my hand as he questioned me. With the system window open, there was no escaping this event. Thankfully, the outcome depended on Dion’s affection. The last time I checked, Dion’s affection level was at four hearts. With a high affection score, it seemed more likely the herb’s effects would manifest as sexual urges rather than homicidal ones.

Dion’s grip tightened as he lowered the hand covering his face. Then, as if panicking, he abruptly let go and stepped back.

“What… what’s going on?”

“Dion.”

“Don’t come near me. We need to get out of here quickly.”

Backing away, Dion’s normally calm demeanor cracked. For the first time since we entered the herb chamber, he was visibly shaken, stumbling over his steps.

<The mysterious herb’s effects are activating.>

• For 3 hours, sensitivity is increased by 150%.
• Libido is heightened due to the herb’s effects.
• The effects will dissipate after intercourse.

The system window appeared slightly after Dion’s warning. As soon as it did, I began feeling an overwhelming heat spreading throughout my body. My heart pounded loudly, and my lower abdomen—especially my core—felt unbearably warm. Unable to stay upright, I collapsed to the floor, panting heavily.

This… this is intense. The sensation reminded me of the effects of aphrodisiacs, but it was far stronger, almost unbearable. Wrapping my arms around myself, I trembled at the overwhelming stimulation coursing through me.

“Ugh…”

Even the touch of my own hand was enough to send a shiver down my spine. As I sat on the ground, letting out faint groans, I noticed Dion’s eyes turning a deep, flushed red. He clenched his teeth as though resisting the urge, glaring toward the door Hella had exited through.

“Dion, stop!”

“We need to… get out of here…”

“The fire is still… still burning. The chief said…”

I shouted as Dion moved to force the door open. His hand froze mid-action as I yelled, but he didn’t turn to face me. Taking advantage of his hesitation, I quickly continued.

Did you forget what the chief said?

Even if this room seemed safe, opening the door could trigger something dangerous. I wasn’t sure I trusted the chief entirely, but if an explosion occurred as he warned, we’d be dead. Seemingly realizing the risk, Dion withdrew his hand and turned toward me.

Seeing the prominent erection straining against his trousers, I squeezed my eyes shut.

Thank goodness. The herb’s effects leaned toward sexual desire rather than homicidal impulses.

Feeling a mix of relief and apprehension, I kept my eyes tightly shut. From behind me, I heard Dion’s sharp, labored breaths. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw him leaning against the wall, his sword glinting in his trembling hand. His bloodshot eyes burned with uncontrollable desire.

At some point, his scabbard had fallen to the floor. Holding the drawn sword in his hand, Dion’s aura was both menacing and unpredictable. I staggered to my feet, trying to steady myself.

“No, Dion…”

Ignoring my plea, he lifted his sword with a trembling hand.