Can Someone (Anyone!) Please Turn Off the Auto-Skill Setting?! - Chapter 41
Nancy desperately screamed Aaron’s name. He couldn’t have gone too far—he had to be within earshot.
“AARON! AAROOOOONN…!”
She stopped for a moment and called out loudly, but suddenly, a chill ran down her spine.
Before she could even process what was happening, her body instinctively ducked. A tree was uprooted and flung right where her head had been moments before. Had she not dodged, the impact would have killed her.
“A-AARON!”
Nancy screamed in terror and sprinted again, her eyes darting behind her as she feared another attack from behind. In her panic, she didn’t notice the obstacle in front of her and crashed headlong into something solid.
“Nancy.”
It was Aaron—the person she had been frantically searching for. Aaron, who still hadn’t seen the monster chasing her, tilted his head in confusion.
“T-T-The… over th… gah!”
Nancy, too overwhelmed to form coherent words, tried to explain what was happening. Instead, she pointed shakily in the direction she had come from.
Sure enough, not long after, the ground shook with the heavy steps of Eije, approaching with a menacing grin.
“Tsk. Another one of the hero’s companions, huh? Well, that’s fine. As long as it’s not the hero themself, there’s no way I, Eije, will lose.”
With a confident smirk, Eije pointed at Aaron, as if defeating him would take no more than five minutes.
…Ten minutes later, Eije lay defeated by the very companion he had underestimated.
“This… this can’t be happening! I built a resistance to all mental attacks! Even Bije couldn’t enrage me by taking on his face anymore, and yet… I lost again!”
Eije slammed his fists into the ground, utterly disbelieving, with Aaron’s sword hovering over his neck. Nancy saw her chance and called out.
“With the righteous power of the hero, I seal you! Courage Power!”
The fact that she actually had to say that ridiculous line out loud was more shocking to Nancy than the fact that she, a barely-qualified hero, had successfully sealed a member of the Demon King’s Four Cardinal Guardians. She felt too embarrassed to meet Aaron’s eyes.
“Turns out you are a hero. That was impressive.”
Aaron’s voice brimmed with admiration as he stared at Eije, now transformed into a small red stone. His expression was one of pure joy.
What a weirdo.
Nancy kept the thought to herself, unable to say it out loud. She couldn’t understand how something like this could move him. Maybe if he found her cute or attractive, that would make sense. But to be impressed by this and have his affection rise? It didn’t sit well with her.
With a sullen look, Nancy returned to where they had left their belongings. Luckily, everything was still there.
One more thing had also fallen—a vial of the medicine Eije had prized so much. Nancy picked it up, thinking it might be useful later. She didn’t feel the need to tell Aaron.
That night, as Aaron sidled closer to her, he leaned in and kissed Nancy. His hand naturally found its way under her clothes, reaching for her chest. Normally, by now, she would’ve moaned softly and felt herself consumed by desire, whether she wanted to or not.
That was how it always went—until this morning.
But this time was different. Nancy had taken the medicine Eije had been so protective of. It made her immune to Aaron’s contagious state of desire. The bitter taste was worth it for the effectiveness.
“I want to savor the victory by myself tonight,” Nancy said, rejecting him with a playful yet firm tone.
Aaron looked startled by her refusal but didn’t push further. Although, the thing between his legs kept twitching with pent-up frustration, and his knees trembled. It caused a loud clattering of his armor.
The noise was irritating, but Nancy ignored it, relishing the sight of him squirming with frustration.
The next day, and the day after that, Aaron kept approaching her, his gaze filled with longing.
“I’m so tired from all this walking. We have to wake up early tomorrow, so you should get some sleep too.”
Pretending not to notice, Nancy slipped into the tent before Aaron could say a word. She wasn’t surprised when he finally gave in that night, creeping up to her side after lying down.
And what did he do next?
Just as she cracked an eye open to peek at him, Aaron pulled her into a tight embrace. His body trembled, clearly reaching its limit.
“I want you.”
The words he had never dared to say aloud finally slipped from his lips. His breath was ragged as he leaned in for a kiss, but Nancy stopped him with a firm hand on his chest.
She hesitated for a moment, thinking about allowing a kiss, but knew if she gave in, she’d be pinned down in seconds.
