Sweetcrasy

Cedar’s tone was indifferent, but within it was a firm resolve to survive. Come to think of it, Haejin had been on a battlefield the moment he possessed this body. He already had experience killing someone to save another.

“…Yeah. Still, if it’s certain they’re a transmigrator, I’d like to try persuading them if possible.”

“Ah, I didn’t mean we should just kill them without question either. It’s just… the possessor looked real. It’s unsettling, you know?”

‘What does he mean by looking real…?’

I felt a slight sense of incongruity, but in any case, he confirmed that his opinion didn’t differ much from his.

‘I’m tired.’

“Right.”

After putting on an impromptu performance that I don’t have the fortune to, I felt extremely sleepy. I wanted to pass out immediately, but thinking Haejin might dislike that, I took a thorough shower. Then, I slowly crawled into the bed where he was lying.

“Haejin-ah… Sleep well.”

“Good night.”

Haejin extinguished the candle that was a bit far away . And I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When I opened my eyes, Cedar wasn’t beside me. But the bedroom was very warm. Enjoying the luxury of sleeping under thick blankets, soon my eyes met with Cider as he came out of the bathroom. He must’ve already washed as  his fair face was glowing.

“Good morning.”

“Did you wake up?”

As Cedar approached, I secretly admired him.

In the faint light of dawn, only his face seemed to shine.

‘He really is pretty…’

Soft blonde hair and eyelashes of the same color thickly framed his eyes… and those eyes within were like a deep lake. Overall, he gave off the impression of a glamorous beauty.

‘It’s clear that Johan and Cedar are polar opposite. Even their faces are polar opposites.’

On the other hand, Johan had black hair and light green eyes. (Which later turns red when he gains power from the Dragon’s Oath.)

And he had the appearance of a ruggedly handsome man who gave off a holy, monk-like vibe. The first time I saw Johan, I could tell he was the protagonist just by looking at his face. But Cedar didn’t fall short, either.

‘In a way, this novel had two main leads… Though Johan’s story was mostly covered, Cedar repeatedly drove him into crisis. Maybe Cedar looks also used to keep balanced for that reason.’

“What are you thinking about?”

Cutting through my thoughts, Cedar sat down next to me.

“That you’re seriously good-looking.”

“Suddenly?”

Thinking it was a joke, he gave a faint smile, but I spoke seriously.

“You and Johan are both protagonists, so I guess your looks are naturally dazzling. Johan’s face doesn’t lose to anyone, but you’re incredibly handsome too.”

“Ah… I saw him once before. He definitely stood out even from a distance.”

Cedar seemed to have seen Johan during the war. That’s right, Johan had guarded the king during the war.

“How did Johan’s skills look to you?”

“He was decent with a sword.”

There was a hint in his tone that suggested he thought Johan was beneath him. Well, at this point in the story, Cedar did have the upper hand.

“Still, don’t let your guard down. Johan gets stronger with the Dragon’s Oath.”

“Do you know what the effect of the Dragon’s Oath is?”

I recalled the novel’s content carefully.

“Yeah.Even if you stab him in the heart, he won’t die.”

“Whoa… Then what do we do?”

“You have to cut off his head and make it explode.”

After awakening through the Dragon’s Oath, Johan was reborn with a body that had no weakness. Even if his limbs were cut off, they reattach and heal within minutes, making him something beyond human. He is also impervious to poison.

And his blood, when processed, could even be used to heal others. With this ability, Johan saves several supporting characters from the brink of death and gains their protection.

“So if Johan bleeds during battle, can I drink it?”

Seeing Cedar ask such an absurd question reminded me that he really was just twenty-two. I chuckled and played along.

“Sure, if you want. But it has to be processed first to have any effect.”

“Hmm,it’s more troublesome than I thought.”

“Are you a vampire or something?”

Lightly scolding him, I figured since we were on the topic of Johan’s blood, I might as well go on and talk about the other supporting characters to watch out for. From spatial mage Irene to swordmaster Nadia, who would drastically improve Johan’s swordsmanship… .

After listening to my explanation, Cedar suddenly seemed to realize something.

“Most of the famous female powerhouses on the continent end up falling for Johan, don’t they?”

“Uh… Yeah, this novel’s a harem.”

Right. While the plot is based on a desperate revenge story, Johan still receives an overwhelming amount of love from beautiful women. As I recalled his kind personality and radiant appearance, the pity I had for him faded a bit.

“So yeah, be careful with women…I’ve only read about the supporting characters as text in the book, so I might not recognize them by face. If a beautiful woman approaches you, it’s safest to assume she’s got ulterior motives.”

“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.”

It would be ideal to know all of Johan’s allies in advance, but some of them didn’t even exist in Cedar’s memories. For example, characters like Irene, the candidate for sainthood whom Johan saves from the slave market. Since her face isn’t known yet, Cedar can’t be on guard against her.

‘Most of the beautiful women end up falling for Johan. So to survive in this world, you have to be wary of a beautiful woman’s kindness or attention… Seriously, this world is infuriating.’

Of course, Cedar also had a powerful faction of his own, not falling behind Johan. But since Johan was on the side of justice and the protagonist’s side, a lot of beautiful women appeared (even the famously beautiful elves of a different race later supported Johan). On the other hand, Cedar was on the evil side and a villain, so his faction consisted of imperial knights (99% male), wicked dark mages, and monster troops including demons…

“Don’t be too disappointed… After you defeat Johan, you might meet some other beautiful women.”

“That’s not really disappointing… More importantly, I need to return to my original world as soon as possible.”

“Ah… right.”

But we had to prepare for the possibility that we couldn’t return… Sensing what I couldn’t bring myself to say, Cedar gave a bitter smile.

“Let’s deal with Johan first, then think about it.”

“Yeah. Let’s do our best.”

“Okay.”

‘Does Haejin have a reason he must return?’

That thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I didn’t say it aloud.

***

Are you seriously bringing that person along to the meeting?”

We had breakfast in the room thanks to Cedar instructing someone to bring enough for two, which allowed us to eat freely without worrying about others. But after that, I had to start following Cedar around according to his schedule, and resume acting as Louis. I wore the frightened and anxious expression of a prince, flinching every time Cedar spoke.

“Is there a problem?”

“You’re bringing the prince of an enemy nation into a military meeting!”

“Prince? You see this thing as human, huh?”

The problem was that Cedar was the supreme commander, so there weren’t just one or two meetings he had to attend. From his perspective, I needed to hear all the information at those meetings in order to give him advice based on the novel’s plot. That’s why he insisted on bringing me along but the reactions of the imperial knights were extremely hostile.

“If you must bring him, pluck out its eyes and tongue first.”

‘Holy shit… Are the Empire bastards planning to genocide Milos?’

At that murderous comment, my face genuinely went pale this time. Noticing my fear, Cedar patted my back as if to reassure me, then casually replied.

“Oh my… Yulis, is that how you treat puppies? How cruel.”

But the knight who told him to pluck out my eyes and tongue, a guy named Yulis, didn’t back down.

“I understand Your Excellency intends to treat that Milosian creature like a beast, but allowing it to attend a military meeting is too much.”

“Even if it’s well-trained? Are you doubting my word?”

Saying that, Cedar looked at me. I could see a hint of hesitation on his face, but he quickly put on a playful expression and gave me a command.

“Louis, sit.”

I froze momentarily, but soon dropped to my knees and sat obediently. Cedar then placed a hand on my head and stroked it as if praising me.

“Bark.”