Chapter 59: Merged Mirage

“You understand now, don’t you, lackey of the Holy Temple? What to do once you enter the ruins.” The Second Prince of the Demon Clan, with black hair and crimson eyes, spoke with a mocking smile, his red gaze full of hostility.

“I know perfectly well.” The Holy Son looked coldly at Andreya. “As for you, better keep your selfishness in check. Don’t get lost in the mirage.”

“Hah, I know that better than you.” Andreya nearly ground his teeth as he spoke. If he alone could control the mirage’s process, he wouldn’t have dragged this guy along. Having another person to share Song Ze infuriated him. If he had the chance, he would kill this Temple lackey outright.

The Holy Son harbored similar thoughts. If not for Song Ze’s safety, he wouldn’t have spoken a single word to this filthy demon. Not killing him on the spot was already gracious enough.

****

Song Ze was now in a pitch-black space, his face full of lingering fear.

What had just happened was simply too terrifying. After Aliel saw that letter, his expression defied description.

Song Ze felt he was about to be locked in a dark room by Aliel and… until he died from exhaustion! Countless game endings of the elf princess’s tragic dark transformation flashed through his mind.

After all, thinking a love letter was a breakup letter would enrage anyone, especially Aliel!

Fortunately, this was just a mirage. The letter’s shock was so great that it shattered the illusion… If Aliel had been calmer, the mirage might have continued straight to a bad ending!

“That was too close. I barely escaped.” Song Ze wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

[Indeed, with Aliel’s level of darkening just now, it could have triggered the most tragic bad ending.]

Song Ze: “…” Don’t remind him of that!

He decided not to think about how to face Aliel after leaving the mirage. That was a future problem. For now, let him forget the harsh reality and live in idealism!

“But I’ve already passed three mirages. Why hasn’t the inheritance started yet?” Song Ze wondered. “Don’t tell me I have to clear the Holy Son’s or Andreya’s mirages too?”

[…]

Song Ze: “No… don’t say they actually came into the ruins with that intention!”

[Congratulations, host. You got it right.]

Song Ze: “…”

He didn’t want to get that kind of answer!

****

After Song Ze opened his eyes again, utterly resigned.

The scene before him was familiar—a Holy Temple landscape.

“This time it’s the Holy Son!”

Song Ze wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling somewhat comforted.

Of the two remaining targets, the Holy Son was always better than Andreya! The latter was far too dangerous.

Plus, in the game, the final confrontation was with the Saintess, which felt familiar, as if everything had finally returned to the right track… perhaps.

Standing up, Song Ze found himself wearing a low-level clergy robe, the kind meant for sweeping floors and dusting vases.

But the Holy Temple was indeed wealthy. Even these low-level robes were well-tailored, making Song Ze feel instantly suffused with holiness and radiance.

His usable power was, predictably, very limited—same as the previous two times. Without raising affection, he couldn’t unlock his own strength.

“Exactly like in the game…”

Although Song Ze had some goodwill toward the Holy Son because of the Saintess, and even now he thought the Holy Son was decent, he didn’t think ‘naive’, ‘pure’, or ‘kind’ applied to him.

Whatever. He’d just work on raising affection!

So Song Ze took a deep breath and decided to follow the game’s method.

The Holy Temple was heavily guarded with various alert magic arrays; not even a mosquito could fly in, let alone wander freely. But to allow the protagonist to get close to the Saintess, there was a loophole—a gap in the internal magic array that led directly to the Saintess’s residence.

Though it was now the Holy Son’s residence.

Along the way, other clergy members greeted him warmly, their expressions kind.

Not because of anything else, but because Song Ze in that clergy robe, with his sunshine-like blond hair and beautiful blue eyes, looked like a stunning youth.

Song Ze wanted to act while no one was watching, but that was impossible—everyone kept staring at him.

Finally, he had to pretend to work and find excuses to slip away, ending up in a dilapidated garden behind a temple.

Just as Song Ze was about to sneak through the thicket, a hand suddenly grabbed his collar.

Song Ze: “!!”

“What do we have here?” A voice tinged with laughter came from beside him, light and almost coquettish. “What are you up to? Can I join in?”

Song Ze turned his head and saw a black-haired, crimson-eyed youth. He looked innocent and harmless, yet his features were strikingly beautiful—this was Andreya!

And he was wearing a clergy robe, which somehow didn’t look out of place at all! That was the scariest part!

Frightened, Song Ze turned and stepped back, bumping into the flowers behind him. “H-how are you here?!”

“Huh?” Andreya looked puzzled, leaning closer with a curious expression. But when his face was inches from Song Ze’s, his crimson eyes fixed on him with an intensity that belied his innocent demeanor. “We’ve never met before, have we?”

Song Ze: “…”

Calm down. This was a mirage. Andreya had no memories. He couldn’t expose himself.

But why was Andreya here? This was supposed to be the Holy Son’s mirage!

[It seems the ruins malfunctioned and merged two mirages. Not a problem for the host, right?]

Not a problem? It was very much a problem!

Nevertheless, Song Ze took a deep breath, pretending nothing was wrong. “N-no, I mistook you for someone else. Sorry.”

“Then what are you doing here?” Andreya smiled at him.

“I just thought the flowers were beautiful and wanted to admire them.” Song Ze would never tell the truth.

“That’s not right.” Andreya grabbed Song Ze’s hand, his expression suddenly darkening. “I know. You’re trying to use this gap to get inside the defensive magic array.”

Song Ze: “… Y-you know.”

“Of course I do.” Andreya said. “If I told someone, what do you think would happen to you?”

He’d end up in a bad ending, obviously!

“So, you’ll be my pet.” Andreya lifted Song Ze’s chin. “Be good and obey me, and there won’t be any problems, right?”

Song Ze broke into a cold sweat. He knew exactly who Andreya was. This was a recruitment for a spy. But there was no choice now. He nodded. “I agree…”

“Good child.” Andreya giggled, leaned in, and gently kissed Song Ze on the cheek. “See you next time?”

Then his figure vanished without a trace.

Song Ze covered the kissed spot, knowing it was definitely some curse or contract.

But what could he do?

He couldn’t be bothered to think about it. He slipped through the thicket and headed to work on the Holy Son’s affection—though he had no idea how.

****

After Song Ze disappeared, Andreya reappeared at the same spot.

His expression had returned to normal, and he stared at the patterns suddenly appearing on the back of his hand, his face complex.

If Song Ze were here, he might not recognize it, but it looked familiar—those patterns had appeared during the engagement ceremony, and they emerged when the engaged couple made intimate contact.

“Close call. I almost exposed myself,” he whispered.

“But it’s going smoothly now… As long as that Temple lackey keeps his promise, Song Ze won’t notice…”

“Like this, he’ll never complete his task, never break this mirage.”

Though he didn’t want to deceive Song Ze, to save his life and stop the sacrificial ritual, there was no other way.

Leaving the mirage meant death. So it was better to stay in the illusion forever.

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