The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

A scream erupted from the crowd.

“The Black Armor was Beth Wayne!”
“My money... my money...!”
Lancel’s master, Beth Wayne, was undoubtedly a madman. A crazed man born solely for battle.
—That guy really enjoys the taste of killing!

Seeing Beth Wayne drenched in blood, laughing wildly in the midst of the enemy, even his own allies were intimidated.
A knight born only to fight.
Empire’s strongest sword, Beth Wayne.
Lancel’s longtime master.
“Lancel Dante. I apologize in advance. I have trouble controlling my strength. If I fight gracefully, my old illness flares up.”

Thrum thrum thrum.
The ground shook around Beth Wayne.
“You’ve just been given permission to kill. Seems like you really pissed someone off.”
“Doesn’t the target’s permission matter?”
“Nope.”

Dragging his bastard sword along the ground with one hand, he advanced.
“Stopping me and surviving is your choice as well.”
Crash!

Beth Wayne planted his foot firmly.
Power focused on his toes following his swollen thigh.
The solid earth cracked, and even the gravel beneath was pushed up.

“Guhhh!”
A suppressed shout burst from his mouth as he leapt forward.
Beth Wayne’s crazed, flashing eyes charged right before Lancel’s face.

“Take this, Lancel Dante!”
“...!”
Reacting purely by reflex, Lancel blocked the falling blade with his sword held at an angle.
Kaang!
Sparks flew, blurring his vision. He felt his grip tear, blood splattering.

The shock traveled along his arm, shoulder, spine, down to his knee. The sheer strength was beyond human—like a monster.
The reason Lancel chose him as master wasn’t extraordinary. Simply because he was strong. Probably the strongest swordsman on the continent.
Ka-ga-gaang!

Lancel’s blade bent subtly, releasing the shock.
The tip aimed skillfully at Beth Wayne’s shoulder.
“Perfect unity of offense and defense!”

Ordinarily, the opponent would have retreated to avoid the blade.
But Beth Wayne was different.
He deliberately let the blade scrape across his shoulder.

Even a blunt training weapon could have left a wound, but he showed no hesitation.
“Heh heh heh, that stings nicely.”
Gripping the sword’s hilt, Beth Wayne slashed diagonally at an angle Lancel couldn’t evade.

Swish!
The bastard sword sprayed blood as it passed, leaving a long wound from chest to shoulder.
“Now you’re just like me.”
“...”

Lancel stared at his own wound in disbelief—almost exactly the same place as Beth Wayne’s.
‘Still a madman, Master.’
Yes. Instead of dodging, Beth Wayne chose to take a hit every time.

When Lancel once asked how he survived battle doing this so casually, the answer was telling:
—They tried to kill me, but no one could. That’s all.
A knight lacking fear.
That was Beth Wayne.

“You certainly have the skill to shatter your disciple’s pride, Lancel Dante. Damn it! I like you! I’ll kill you honorably with all my strength.”
“...”
Beth Wayne smiled at Lancel’s indifferent expression.
“I like it. Really like it. Especially that you’re not afraid to die.”

He seemed to feel a kinship.
Lancel wanted to deny it. If he had only one life, he’d fear death too.
“Here I come, Lancel Dante!”

The clang of swords rang endlessly.
Each clash left wounds accumulating on their bodies. It was a war of attrition.
“Impressive. Such achievement at a young age. I wonder who taught you that swordsmanship.”

‘I learned from you.’
Kaang!
The blade vibrated, shock spreading through Lancel’s body. Damage accumulated.

‘At this rate, at most three minutes.’
Even with experience, Lancel’s twenty-something body had limits.
His mana, muscles, and stamina were still those of a novice knight.

Compared to Beth Wayne, who’d spent decades hardened by war, Lancel was just a small fry.
“What are you doing? Your body’s slowing down! Is this all you’ve got, Lancel Dante?”
But contrary to proof, Beth Wayne did not slow down; now he seemed fully unleashed, flying fiercely.

“Don’t kill my fun! Make it more enjoyable! Come on! Please!”
His blood-soaked blade gleamed in the dusty sand.
Kaang!

Lancel staggered back, muscles trembling, knees weakening.
He’d reached his limit.
“This is the end. Don’t be sad, Lancel Dante! In this empire, knights who die in the arena become honored legends!”

Lancel smacked his lips.
‘Would it be okay if I died now?’
It seemed like it would.

Judging by Merigold’s momentum, the 200th branch would be achieved eventually. Probably.
If not... start over from the beginning.
“Do they give reward money to the family if I die?”
“Funny guy. Fine. I’ll make it happen.”
“You seem like a good man.”
“...You’re truly a pity to kill. If not for my lord’s orders, I’d keep you alive and make you more interesting.”

Lancel met the approaching Beth Wayne’s gaze, half-lidded.
Then it happened.
An unknown power slowly began to surge inside him.

Among the roaring crowd,
“Uwaaah! Hiiik!”
Baron Ibil Shen screamed repeatedly.

Watching the two gradually soaked in blood on the arena floor, he couldn’t stay seated.
Merigold clasped her hands, eyes full of worry.
“Is this... happening? Is my lord okay?”
“What should we do, Meri? Lancel is losing!”
“Huh?”
“If this continues, he’ll lose. No... maybe...”

Baron Ibil Shen’s voice trembled.
“He might die here.”
“...”
Merigold froze with her mouth agape. Die?

“Why would Beth Wayne, who was said to be missing, suddenly... If even Lancel gets caught by that monster... That madman kills people in practice matches...”
Baron Ibil Shen’s voice showed fear and despair. Merigold instinctively knew he wasn’t exaggerating.
Lancel Dante might die?

Suddenly, Merigold felt all the sounds in the world grow distant. Silence came to her dark world.
Die.
Lancel Dante.
Die before her eyes.
“Hah... hah...”

Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her breath quickened.
Her heart pounded relentlessly.

In that short phrase “Lancel Dante will die,” Merigold felt a massive trauma, though she had never experienced it before.
‘He’ll die. My lord will die. Lancel.’
Thump.

—Lancel.
Thump.
—Master.

Thump. Thump. Thump.
Fragments of memory surged violently in her mind.
—I... will... find... Merigold... again...

—I will... definitely... find... you...
Thump.
Thump.

Thump.
That was all the memory held. A part of her head boiled and crackled like lightning. Fragments of memory scattered like sand.
She didn’t know why Lancel existed in her memories. The pieces were a disjointed combination. Lancel was always in the same place in her memories but always looked different.

But one thing was clear.
Merigold did not want to lose him.
“Don’t die.”

She clasped her hands so tightly her skin lost color.
Slowly, light began to flow from Merigold’s body.
“Me... Meri?”

“Ugh.”
The fatigue that had accumulated in her body began to recede. Her trembling limbs regained strength.
“This is really killing me.”

Lancel felt overwhelming relief as if in a trance, like ascending to the heavens.
It felt as though the whole world was bathed in light.
“...You...?”

Only then did Lancel notice the horrified expression on Beth Wayne’s face as he looked at him.
===============
Promotion event! Merigold awakens divine power. Mastered healing magic ‘beginner’ level.
※Healing Magic Beginner — Blessing — Wing of Angel activated. Raises all target stats by 1.5 times for 5 minutes.

Only after reading that message did Lancel realize his condition.
A massive wing-shaped light rose from his back, reaching to the sky’s peak, revealing its grandeur.
No one dared to breathe during the effect’s few seconds.

‘Merigold really pulled off something incredible.’
Before fully restored Lancel, only Beth Wayne remained, his mouth agape.
“You’re burning hot... So there’s another like me?”

It seemed as if a massive heat radiated from Lancel.
“I tend to run hot.”
Lancel raised his sword, muttering.

“Come on. I can still fight. Not for long—about five minutes.”
“Five minutes... is that how long this will last?”
“Planning to wait?”
“Never!”
They clashed once more.
Ka-wang!

An unbelievable roar erupted from the sword clash.
The shockwaves were like ripples, stirring dust clouds as they swept the ground.
Seeing a bluish glow on Lancel’s sword, Beth Wayne’s face twitched.

“You... that...”
“All thanks to the saint’s blessing.”
Lancel strode forward, radiant light ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ blooming from his entire body, lighting his path.
Beth Wayne felt pressure from this presence, as if a great being was approaching.

Step by step, the air compressed around him.
An emotion he had never felt before.
“...Maybe I should start going to church.”
“Welcome, brother.”

Swords collided.
Ka-ang!
Beth Wayne’s sword hilt flew from his hand, embedded far away.

“...”
Coming to his senses, Beth Wayne saw Lancel’s blade aimed at his throat.
The single flicker of emotion had led to his defeat. He wore a disbelief expression.

Without his weapon, the match was already decided.
“Winner... Lancel Dan...te...”
===============
※Healing Magic Wing of Angel effect ends.

Lancel felt something holding his mind snap, collapsing to the ground.
That day, Lancel’s name erupted across the empire.
The newly born Empire’s strongest swordsman. The great saint’s knight. The one blessed by the gods.

—Saint Church’s Lancel Dante!
Every spectator who witnessed the miracle couldn’t contain their excitement.
 
Since that day.

Lancel lay bedridden, witnessing a ‘system notification’ gradually clouding his vision.
==========
[Urgent Alert!!!]
—One of Merigold’s churches has been dismantled.
—Two of Merigold’s churches have been dismantled.
—Three of Merigold’s churches have been dismantled.
.
.
.
—Sixteen of Merigold’s churches have been dismantled.

※Karma rises corresponding to the number of dismantled churches.
Churches were disappearing.
The churches, meant to number 200, had decreased to just 130. All within a single day.

‘Faster than expected.’
It seemed the Pilgrimage faction’s venom had intensified.
But it was fine. He had never not expected this.

As the Fourth Prince said.
The Martyr Church was essential to the empire and royal family; the new wave of Saint’s Churches was ill-suited to replace it.
Lancel grimaced, thinking of the one behind it all.

‘My lord. Have you chosen the wrong path again?’
Why she had empowered the Pilgrimage faction, why she brought Beth Wayne to block Lancel’s victory—
Lancel knew.

But that was that, and this was this.
Lancel intended to open Merigold’s eyes. Only by removing the veil before her could he move forward. Old ties meant nothing now.
“Deliver these to their designated locations.”
“What is this?”
“This?”

Lancel hesitated for a moment when the thief guild master looked at him in confusion.
“Hmm.”
What should he say?

In the end, Lancel summed it up with one word.
“A will.”