Conquest Complete, So Why Is the Affection Dropping? - Chapter 78
[Cedric]’s current affection: 99(MAX)
“….”
As soon as the “Cannot be pursued” mark disappeared, it hit the maximum.
Excuse me. Where did all the middle numbers go?
I stared blankly at Cedric’s affection window. I was too dumbfounded to even sigh.
I knew this system was obsessed with trolling players and forcefully twisting clichés, but with such extreme fluctuations, it’s too scary to even try anything.
If it can suddenly jump from 0 to 99, that means it could also plummet from 99 to 0 in an instant.
I suspect that during the last run’s Cedric became a psycho due to the collaboration between this insane system and perverted gameplay.
‘This damn system, if we don’t do something…’
The silver lining was that thanks to Cedric’s affection hitting maximum, those terrifyingly flashing bomb messages disappeared. At least the world won’t end today.
‘But this is strange. Why isn’t the breakthrough notification appearing?’
I remember when Hexion, Kaint, and Marvis hit maximum affection, there was a message saying we needed to see special events for breakthrough.
Yet oddly, Cedric’s status window only showed the affection 99(MAX) value, with no explanation about what special event was needed.
Come to think of it, I remember achieving a breakthrough without knowing why in the last run too.
‘Is he a character with many secrets?’
I hadn’t directly encountered Cedric while traveling between the Holy City and Niflheim, except at Kaint’s wedding. Maybe he’s what they call a hidden character.
“That’s good thinking, Cedric. You look nice when you smile.”
Even so, what I need to do hasn’t changed. First, maintain this raised affection while achieving breakthrough to make him a member of my harem.
“Do you like my smiling face, Shin Joo?”
“Of course. Who wouldn’t like a smiling face?”
“Simon hated it.”
What a nasty fellow. I saw how he yelled at Cedric while throwing him out of the tower. When I glared with fierce eyes, Cedric seemed startled and gulped while leaning back.
That’s when a translucent window appeared between us.
Surprise Quest, [New Master of Valhalla]!
Help guide Cedric to break free from the mage Simon. Once freed from his bonds, Cedric will blindly follow you and become a being who lives and dies for your love alone.
The Tower of Destruction, Valhalla welcomes its new master.
Success Reward: Bonus Roulette, 1 Save Slot
It seems I’ll need to defeat that villain Simon to save Cedric.
‘But I don’t have any combat skills.’
Using violent methods to eliminate villains is rather old-fashioned anyway. It’s not like physically crushing the villain is the only way to free Cedric.
Let’s adopt a more elegant approach here.
“Cedric. Don’t take that person’s words to heart anymore. Your smiling face is incredibly pretty.”
“Yes. From now on, I’ll only follow Shin Joo’s words.”
Cedric smiled innocently while agreeing readily. Suddenly assaulted in the heart by his smile, I clutched my chest and groaned.
“Shin Joo? What’s wrong?”
“It’s because I’m happy…”
“You don’t look well though.”
“Extreme happiness can be indistinguishable from pain…”
Cedric, who had been listening to my nonsensical festival of words, leaned down to examine my complexion more closely.
“Shin Joo. May I touch you?”
“What?”
Skinship already? When I nodded reflexively, Cedric gently took my hand and brought it to his cheek.
“Shin Joo. Master of this world. We exist solely to make you happy and joyful.”
“…?”
“May all the pain you feel disappear.”
When I met Cedric’s eyes as he murmured as if in prayer, my consciousness suddenly became hazy. I could see something tiny moving inside his blue eyes.
‘What is that?’
As I focused on the movement of numbers forming regular patterns, I felt unusually calm.
“Do you feel better?”
“…Ah, yes.”
Coming to my senses at Cedric’s words, I quickly shook my head. I definitely felt refreshed.
I’m the Divine Master, but does Cedric have some power too? Did he cast some emotional stability magic?
My hands were still cupping Cedric’s cheeks. With my calmed mind, I stroked his fine cheeks. His skin looked fair and smooth just by looking, but touching it felt as soft as a baby’s skin.
‘Simon or whatever, how dare you abuse such a pretty and lovely Cedric like that!’
If I had combat skills, I would have made this game deserve a violence and cruelty warning label with how thoroughly I’d destroy him. What a shame.
“Shin Joo? What’s wrong?”
“Mm. It’s nothing.”
Though anger surged briefly, perhaps due to Cedric’s magic taking effect, surprisingly my blood pressure didn’t rise.
After savoring the selfish pleasure of rubbing Cedric’s soft cheeks, I stood beside him holding hands with a satisfied smile.
“Cedric, don’t stay with people who abuse you anymore. I’ll let you live somewhere better.”
“Somewhere better?”
Cedric opened his eyes wide and tilted his head. His face was so cute that I had to bite the inside of my cheek.
Ah, this is dangerous. Right now, I’m fighting the urge to bite those soft-looking cheeks and suck on those pure-looking lips.
The desire thinking it should be fine since the affection is 99 and the reason saying there should be limits to rushing things when we’ve only just introduced ourselves began an intense battle.
What stopped that battle was an angelic voice from heaven.
“Shin Joo. Where are you trying to take me?”
My pretty and lovely baby cat. How can even his voice be so clear and beautiful? It seems like I’m the one who hit affection 99 instead of Cedric.
How can the madman I didn’t even want to approach in the last run look so pretty now? Am I under some love-at-first-sight spell?
‘Well, this was my type until high school after all.’
Even if tastes change with time, clichés are eternal. It must be an irresistible force that makes my heart flutter for this pitiful black-haired beauty precariously walking the line between pretty boy and young man.
I took a deep breath to compose myself.
“Hmm…”
Where should I take my cute baby cat?
‘Taking the master of the dawn sky to Niflheim would be the start of the promised war.’
I couldn’t take him to Kaint’s castle either. Though Kaint, who likes taking care of others, wouldn’t refuse my request, I don’t feel right putting together two people who were pointing weapons at each other in the last run.
‘There’s 3 days left until Hexion’s bomb goes off.’
Since it’ll be hard to come back out if I return to Niflheim, I should go to the temple to ask about Cedric’s treatment and remove Hexion’s bomb while I’m at it.
“There’s a temple in the Holy City where I used to stay. If I ask, everyone there will take good care of Cedric.”
Isn’t this worthy of a Korean player pursuing maximum efficiency? I looked up at Cedric while internally applauding myself.
Cedric was still looking at me with an expression of not understanding what was going on.
“Cedric?”
“Yes?”
I was quickly waiting for Cedric to use magic to move us, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of using magic.
“Um, Cedric. Do you know where the temple is?”
“The Holy City on the ground. I know the temple is located in its center.”
“That’s good that you know. Then let’s go to the temple now.”
“How?”
“What do you mean how, by magical teleportation…”
“I cannot leave this place.”
“Huh?”
In the last run, you came down to the southern harbor and took me to Valhalla. Weren’t you able to teleport with magic?
“My role is to stay in Valhalla and preserve the world’s records.”
Oh no. It seems the quest won’t be cleared by escaping from here. Then do I really need to defeat that Simon or whatever villain? How can I defeat him when I have no combat ability? Should I tell Cedric to throw those paper bombs or something at Simon?
While I was pondering how to fight an unknown mage, Cedric lifted my hand and lightly kissed my fingertips.
“But I can send you away.”
“Cedric? What I meant was…”
“I’ll be fine. Because I learned that I can be happy even without the world ending. Because I met you.”
“Cedric? Wait…”
“I was happy to touch you, Shin Joo.”
I told him not to listen to people who treat him carelessly, but perhaps he decided not to listen to my careless desires, either. Cedric smiled gently after spilling incomprehensible words and seemingly reaching his own conclusion.
Incredibly, seeing that smiling face made me forget what I was going to say to Cedric and smile back.
“Next time, I’ll come to meet you.”
As soon as those words ended, Cedric’s blue eyes shone brightly.
The event has ended.
Moving to start point.
What? Wait. I need to go to the temple! I still have to remove the bomb!
Just as I was about to shout words of protest at the status window that appeared breaking the mood, my consciousness grew dizzy and my vision turned black.
“…Ugh!”
Stumbling for a moment, I straightened up, supporting myself against the wall. As I took deep breaths to clear my dizzy vision, my surroundings, which had been complete darkness, gradually brightened and I could see the room’s interior.
It was exactly as I had left it.
No, there was one difference.
My room door, which I’m sure I had closed properly, was open.
And beyond that door.
“Shin Joo-ah.”
Marvis stood with his arms crossed, head tilted at an angle.
“Where have you been?”
[Marvis]’s current affection: 64
Days until next bomb: D-6
