She has a fiancé.

In other words, she’s engaged.

I mulled over that revelation as if my mind had entered a slow-motion state akin to using [Instant Acceleration] myself.

And then I looked at her.

Raphne, her cheeks reddened, shyly avoiding my gaze.

‘A face I’ve never seen in the game before….’

It was the unmistakable face of a woman in love.

Not just ordinary love, but something profound—something so precious that even the entire world wouldn’t be worth trading for it.

A woman harboring such an all-consuming, irreplaceable love.

“Then …is that the person you’re looking for?”

At the same time, I recalled Raphne’s furious outburst at the northern gate.

Her blazing eyes, threatening to kill everyone if they didn’t step aside.

I had seen her angry many times in the game, but never to such a terrifying degree.

As I expected, Raphne carefully nodded her head.

“We were separated due to some circumstances. …But I’m certain he’s alive.”

Her previously shy eyes now clouded with sorrow.

There was a desperate longing in her gaze.

Looking into her eyes, I understood.

From the moment we first met until now, she hadn’t stopped thinking about him for even a second.

There was never a chance for someone like me, whom she had just met, to enter her heart.

I clenched my fists tightly.

‘But even so…’

I had been rejected.

And yet, the burning fire in my heart refused to be extinguished.

In fact, it roared even stronger, filling me entirely.

‘If I can’t have her…’

Then at the very least, I’ll do everything I can to ensure her happiness.

A man in love can be such a fool.

“In that case, I’ll help you even more. You must find him, Raphne.”

“…Hmm.”

Raphne pursed her lips as if uncertain and glanced at me with reddened cheeks.

Of course, anyone would be hesitant if a stranger, who had just confessed his feelings, insisted on tagging along.

But then, she smiled warmly at me.

“Alright, then. I’m sorry, but I’ll be counting on you a little longer. I’ll definitely repay you for this favor someday.”

“Yes! As much as you need!”

Thank goodness.

I could continue helping her.

‘But…’

While it was certainly a happy moment, a part of my heart ached terribly.

It felt as if it had been slashed repeatedly with a sharp blade.

‘I’m so jealous!’

I was overwhelmed with envy for her fiancé.

‘Who the hell is this guy?’

In the game, Raphne was portrayed as a rival to Emily, the protagonist.

She was a character who appeared in the early chapters, serving as a catalyst for the protagonist’s awakening, only to exit the stage soon after.

Because of that, the man she loved was never even mentioned in the game.

‘…Is that why she disappeared after her defeat?’

Perhaps the timeline now takes place after the protagonist’s awakening.

And Raphne, having lost to the protagonist, didn’t reappear in the game.

‘If she’s willing to wander through dangerous territories searching for her fiancé, it makes sense why she was absent from the academy.’

It was a hidden piece of the game’s story that I hadn’t known.

In any case—

Whoever he is …I hope he’s a good man.

As I tried to suppress the pain in my chest and soothe the agony of rejection, she suddenly spoke up.

“Oh, right. If we keep wandering around like this, we’re bound to draw attention.”

She began rummaging through the pouch at her waist.

And then, swoosh.

From the small pouch, she pulled out two large hooded cloaks.

‘A dimensional pouch!’

Seeing an actual dimensional pouch in real life filled me with awe.

To think that such a tiny bag could hold countless items inside.

“Raphne, that’s quite an incredible item you’ve got there.”

I couldn’t help but mumble in admiration as I stared at the pouch.

In the game, such an item was rare—only accessible to the protagonist or through special quests.

“Oh, this? My fiancé left it behind. Here, take one.”

“I see…”

A man who owns a dimensional pouch.

What sort of person could he possibly be?

With the cloaks covering us, Raphne and I headed towards the bustling marketplace.

“So, he’s a blacksmith with blond hair named Ken Feinstein. Have you heard of him?”

“Hmm… Not at all, sorry. I wish I could help, Champion.”

“No, no. Thank you for your time.”

“Hohoho, you’re much kinder than I imagined a champion would be.”

Raphne observed Peasant from a slight distance as he interacted with the market vendors.

Since she was being pursued by soldiers, she was keeping a low profile while Peasant, the man in the helmet, questioned people on her behalf.

Peasant had removed his hood and was speaking with a couple who sold vegetables, asking for any information on Ken. After receiving a regretful ‘no,’ he shook their hands and exchanged a few kind words before parting ways.

From where she stood, Raphne watched his back as he walked away, her mind lingering on the earlier moment.

-Because I like you━!!

The heartfelt confession, shouted from behind his helmet, kept echoing in her head.

Raphne found herself blushing slightly as she lowered her gaze.

‘…This has never happened before. What’s wrong with me?’

She knew why his confession kept invading her thoughts.

It was because, at that moment, her heart had skipped a beat.

‘Other men have said similar things to me, but… nothing happened.’

During her travels to search for Ken, Raphne had encountered countless people, some of whom had fallen for her at first sight and proposed.

Even though the meetings were often brief and fleeting, men were drawn to her beauty and confessed their feelings.

And every single time, Raphne had coldly rejected them, looking at them as if they were filth.

But this time, it was different.

‘Why am I feeling this way?’

She was confused. Why did Peasant’s confession alone stir this strange emotion within her?

‘…Ken is the only one for me.’

Her thoughts filled with frustration and confusion.

‘I’ve never considered anyone other than Ken.’

To her, her feelings for Ken were absolute—a rule of the universe that would never change.

That’s why she felt so disoriented.

She raised her head slightly and glanced at Peasant, who was now finishing his conversation with the vegetable sellers.

‘…Does he seem familiar? …His aura?’

As she stared at his back, a vague sense of familiarity surfaced.

The realization came late because her most cherished memories of Ken were of him when he was larger, with a rounder build.

‘…His voice is different, but… his mannerisms….’

As she began focusing on these details, the similarities between them became increasingly apparent.

‘Could it be?’

And then, there was the helmet he wore, concealing his face.

The fact that he hid his face began to gnaw at her more than before.

‘…No, it can’t be.’

But Raphne quickly shook her head.

This man knew her name.

Even though she didn’t know how, one thing was certain: Peasant recognized her.

If he were truly Ken and knew who she was, there’s no way he would pretend not to know her.

‘…Still.’

Despite this, she couldn’t stop her gaze from wandering back to him.

“Hmm… We haven’t found anything useful. What should we do?”

Having finished speaking with the vegetable sellers, Peasant scratched his helmet and approached her.

‘Even the way he scratches his head seems similar….’

Ken had often scratched his head when he was troubled.

Was it his build that made her so keen on finding connections between him and Ken?

‘…Is it because of the confession?’

Raphne’s confusion deepened.

“Raphne?”

“Yes?”

Peasant’s voice trembled slightly, likely due to her intense gaze as she watched him approach.

“…….”

“…Yes?”

But instead of speaking, Raphne simply stared at him for a while.

Finally, after some hesitation, she asked cautiously:

“Doesn’t wearing that helmet bother you?”

Peasant froze.

‘Here it is….’

He had been expecting this question.

‘Of course, she’d find it strange that I never take it off!’

But naturally, he couldn’t just say, ‘You’re right!’ and take it off.

So, Peasant scrambled for an excuse.

“Ha, haha. As I mentioned, …it’s a rule from my homeland. That’s why.”

“But that helmet draws a lot of attention. If the champion wanders around like this, the soldiers might find us.”

“Well, yes, but if I take off my helmet and people don’t recognize me as the champion, it’ll make it harder to gather information about your fiancé, won't it?”

“Ugh.”

He was right.

Because Peasant was well-known, the locals were more cooperative than they would have been with a stranger.

“In that case… we should move quickly to another spot. If we linger too long, the soldiers might catch us.”

“…….”

Raphne stared intently at Peasant’s back as he hurriedly led the way.

‘If he took off that helmet, maybe this uneasy feeling would go away.’

But he wouldn’t.

And the fact that he refused to remove it only made her more suspicious.

‘Not just his resemblance to Ken—why does he know my name? What’s under that helmet? It bothers me.’

Unable to shake her curiosity, Raphne caught up to Peasant and walked close beside him.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“This homeland of yours—what’s it called? The region, I mean.”

“Suddenly asking about my homeland? …Why do you ask?”

“Well, I find it fascinating. Never showing your face to someone you haven’t defeated? That’s interesting. So, what’s the name of the place?”

Raphne scrutinized his reaction carefully, as if playing a strategic move in a game of chess.

‘If he hesitates, I’ll know he’s lying. I’ll expose him.’

But Peasant wasn’t such easy prey.

Determined to keep his secret, he responded immediately:

“Seoul.”

“…Huh?”

“My homeland. It’s called Seoul.”

“…Saul? Never heard of it.”

“You wouldn’t have. It’s a small nation in the far east.”

“What’s it like? Describe it.”

“Well, it’s hard to put into words. People wear traditional clothes called hanbok and mainly eat rice…”

His response was flawless.

He had anticipated detailed questions and had already crafted a plausible image of a distant, traditional city based on Korea’s Joseon-era Seoul.

“Huh. So such a place exists.”

“Yes, it’s a land that values martial arts above all else. Unusual, isn’t it?”

“…….”

Raphne had no choice but to nod, though doubt still lingered in her heart.

But there was still one unanswered question:

“Then… how do you know me?”

“…What?”

“My name. You knew it from the start. …If you’re from some far-off land, how do you know who I am?”

“That’s…”

Caught off guard, Peasant hesitated, and Raphne knew she had struck a nerve.

“Why can’t you answer? Where did you hear about me? And how do you know my face? …Have we met before?”

“Um… there’s… a reason for that…”

Peasant desperately searched for an explanation, but his thoughts were a jumbled mess.

And Raphne, sensing his flustered state, stopped in her tracks.

“…Raphne?”

Surprised by her sudden pause, Peasant turned to face her.

Raphne, her head lowered, clenched her fists tightly before looking up at him.

Her trembling eyes met his through the helmet.

And with a trembling voice, she asked:

“Can you take off your helmet? Just once? There’s something I need to check.”

Her earnest tone was impossible to ignore.

And as she stepped closer, Peasant found himself backed against a wall.

“I promise, you can put it back on afterward.”

For the first time, Peasant hesitated.

And then, from the end of the alley, a booming voice interrupted.

“Stop right there, Crimson Mad Dog━!! We’re taking the champion back━!!”

Both Peasant and Raphne turned to see Eorite approaching with a troop of soldiers and mages, all glaring at Raphne with hostility.

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