Chastity-Reversed Hard Mode: Surviving as a Steel-Minded Adventurer in Another World - Chapter 19: Enduring Without Making a Move—With a Steel Mentality

Chapter 19: Enduring Without Making a Move—With a Steel Mentality

After completing the treatment for nearly twenty men, we were finally shown to a guest room in the mansion.

Apparently, we’d been officially recognized as guests, and for the time being, we would be staying here.

That was because Deabolica had requested about a week of “observation time.”

Sure, it was true you couldn’t call someone completely cured until all the pathogens were flushed out of their body… but honestly, there was no real need for me to remain in person.

Even if I went all the way back to Thousand Leaves City, the skill I had given them with [Influencer] wouldn’t vanish—the effect stayed active regardless of distance.

No, the real reason was different.

She wanted to use this syphilis treatment as a pretext to “owe her a favor,” and then leverage that debt to strike up some kind of business deal with the Count.

This “observation period” was basically just her way of buying time for negotiations.

By the way, after poring over the catalog and double-checking the specs of [Influencer], I discovered something interesting:

It turns out there’s no built-in time limit at all. The effect continues indefinitely—until I consciously choose to cancel it myself.

The only exception is if I forget that I even used [Influencer] on someone in the first place.

In that case, the effect automatically ends.

My guess? Since canceling by will requires me to remember who’s under the effect, the moment that prerequisite breaks, the system treats it as if I can’t maintain it anymore and shuts it off.

I mean, come on—I’d already used this skill on over three hundred people! There was no way I could remember every single one of them individually.

…Or so I thought.

Turns out, even something vague like, “Oh yeah, I used it on about this many people that day,” is enough to keep the effect active. As long as I keep a diary and review it now and then, there shouldn’t be any problem.

That said, if I left [Poison Resistance] running forever, that would mean they’d never be able to get drunk again. And if [Disease Resistance] stayed active indefinitely, doctors—suddenly dealing with way fewer patients—would probably lose their minds.

So yeah, I plan to cancel the effects at reasonable intervals.

Oh, and as for the adventurers I gave [Poison Resistance] to? I already canceled that one the very same day.

Imagine if one of them got badly injured on a quest, and then a potion didn’t work because of me. That wouldn’t just be awkward—it’d be straight-up murder-by-oops.

Anyway, right after we were shown to our guest room, Deabolica suddenly grabbed me by the collar.

“You bastard! Acting on your own like that…!”

“You told me, ‘Don’t open your mouth unless it’s necessary for the treatment,’ remember? Well, it was necessary for the treatment, so I spoke up. Nothing wrong with that, right? The healing worked, the Count’s satisfied, and everything ended fine.”

“Day by day, you’re getting more insolent…! Do you realize I thought we were both going to be executed on the spot!?”

“Think about it. We came here for treatment. There’s no way you could handle every single exchange by yourself. You don’t even have medical knowledge, Deabolica.”

I shook off her hand from my collar, and she let out a frustrated, “Gnnn…!” like she’d just bitten into a sour lemon.

It was kind of like a salesman trying to pitch a medical robot—only for the robot to handle all the negotiations with the client itself. Leaving the salesman with nothing to do but sulk.

“Well, whatever this ‘business deal’ of yours is, I’m not getting involved. Aside from checking on the patients once a day, don’t expect me to lift a finger.”

Saying that, I flopped down onto the bed.

This guest room was reserved just for me, while Deabolica and the adventurers had been given separate quarters.

Naturally, men and women were split into different rooms.

But the fact that a noblewoman like Deabolica had to share space with regular adventurers? Yeah… that said plenty about what the Count really thought of her. Couldn’t help but snicker a little inside.

I figured she’d leave after that, but instead, she cast a quick glance at the doorway—then leaned down close to my ear as I lay there.

“Listen, and don’t forget this. You are not to lay a hand on Irene or Ursna. Or on any of the other female adventurers, for that matter.”

“…Why not?”

“Because I told the Count you were a saint who’d remain chaste for life, didn’t I?”

Ah. Right.

Totally her running her mouth without asking me first.

Still, pushing back now would only humiliate her—and pissing off a noble, not to mention the guildmaster of adventurers, wasn’t exactly smart.

Someone like me, a bottom-tier rookie, could probably be erased with a single spell, and she’d face zero consequences for it.

“And besides… Irene and Ursna still have their futures ahead of them. They haven’t become anything yet. They’re unpolished gems, right on the verge of breaking out as real adventurers. But if they got tangled up in romance, ended up pregnant—then what do you think would happen?”

Deabolica spoke with a serious expression, and I pushed myself upright to face her.

She looked straight into my eyes as she continued.

“They’re still immature. If they ended up having children now, they’d be forced to carry that burden before they were ready. Do you honestly think they have the spare money or stability to raise a child while trying to survive? Especially in a profession where they fight monsters every day? At worst, both mother and child could end up dead. Or the child would be abandoned at an orphanage. If you give in to their temptations now, all that’s waiting for them is misery.”

“…Yeah, you’ve got a point.”

This world was anything but easy.

Food shortages, the gap between rich and poor, harsh winters, monsters, filthy living conditions, rampant disease, and the whole “chastity reversal” nonsense—every condition here was brutal.

One wrong step, and death could be waiting right around the corner.

“As Guildmaster, it’s my duty to keep adventurers from falling into those kinds of tragic fates. That’s why I’m warning you so firmly. You understand, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I get it.”

Up until now, I’d written her off as a sly, arrogant woman with a mean streak—a woman who shamelessly shoved me into skimpy outfits just for fun.

But maybe… Deabolica really did have this side to her.

“…Good.”

As she said that, a faint smile softened her face.

And for the first time, I thought I could see the genuine sense of duty and responsibility of a true Guildmaster shining through her expression.

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I got invited to join the Count for dinner, but… yeah, no thanks.

Someone like me—completely clueless about manners—would only end up making things awkward. So I politely declined.

“That’s exactly right, Eugene! You’re one-hundred percent correct!”

Ursna, already pouring wine into her own glass, grinned broadly.

“Brishav nobles’ table manners are the worst. You’re supposed to eat in complete silence. They say making any sound is rude—clinking your fork or knife, slurping soup, even commenting on the taste is forbidden! Ever since the strict sect took over, that’s become the standard. But really, what’s the point of eating together like that? Total waste of time! This is why the New Church is garbage. Dinner should be like the Shalsmel style—rowdy, cheerful, and fun! That’s the way to do it, right? Don’t you agree?”

She downed the wine in big gulps, looking pleased as hell.

“You’re pretty drunk already, huh, Ursna.”

“Drunk? Me? Nahhh, this is basically water. If you want to see me drunk, bring me ten glasses of fire-whiskey, straight. Then maybe we’ll talk.”

We were sitting in the Count’s courtyard, side by side on chairs, drinking under the moonlight.

I’d been bored out of my skull in the guest room when Ursna showed up with a fancy-looking bottle of wine she’d somehow scored. She waved it around and said, “Come on, let’s share a drink with the moon as our snack.”

And yeah, I knew full well Deabolica had just warned me not to lay a hand on Ursna. But seriously—I was dying of boredom.

There was nothing to do in that room. Sure, there was a bookshelf, but since I can’t read this world’s writing, it might as well have been firewood.

So hey… just a little drinking and chatting under the moonlight? That’s harmless. Totally safe.

“You know, if you’re born human, then damn it—you should eat good food and drink good booze till you’re stuffed. What’s life worth if it’s all just self-restraint? Right, Eugene? You like good meals too, don’t you?”

“Well… yeah, that’s true.”

“Ha! Knew it! You get it, Eugene! Unlike the people in this country—all stiff New Church types—I just can’t vibe with them deep down. But you? You’re amazing! You actually understand me!”

Talking with Ursna was fun. Sure, she was rough around the edges and kind of reckless, but she gave off that bad-buddy vibe. The kind of friend who made me think of my old pals back in Japan.

The way she joked around, slipping into dirty talk and dumb stories, it honestly felt like I was hanging out with one of my guy friends—only they’d somehow ended up in the body of a gorgeous girl. If you ignored appearances and just listened to the conversation, you’d swear she was a dude from my old world.

…That said. Could she not complain so loudly about the New Church in the middle of the Count’s courtyard?

Hello? I’m supposed to be a New Church Saint right now. Don’t drag me into conversations where agreeing out loud could get me executed. I’ve at least learned to worry about appearances, thank you very much.

“Seriously, Eugene, you’re a good guy. Talking with you doesn’t even feel like I’m talking to a man. It’s weird—I feel like I can just relax. No need to tiptoe around, so I can open up completely.”

Her words made my heart skip a beat—but thanks to [Mental Resistance], none of that showed on my face.

“…Yeah, yeah.”

I tilted my glass and let the wine flow down my throat.

Not bad at all.

Most food in this world didn’t measure up to modern Japan—no advanced breeding, no refined flavors. But when it came to wine and whiskey? Honestly, I thought they beat Japan hands down. Guess that’s the difference between middle-ages imitation and the real deal straight from the source.

“Ohhh? You think I’m just joking, don’t you~?”

“No, not at all. I think of you as an easygoing drinking buddy, Ursna.”

…Well, aside from those times you flash your boobs just to mess with me.

As I brushed it off, Ursna suddenly grabbed my wrist and leaned in close.

“I’m serious.”

“…Ursna?”

There wasn’t a hint of drunkenness in her. Her face came so close our noses almost touched.

Her silky blonde hair brushed lightly against my cheek.

“I want you, Eugene.”

“There you go again, teasing me.”

“I’m not teasing. I love you.”

…Fantastic. Deabolica had literally just told me not to lay a hand on her.

I let out a long, exaggerated sigh.

“Alright then, tell me—what do you even like about me?”

If she said your body’s hot, or your black hair’s exotic, or because you can cure diseases, I was fully ready to slap her across the face.

But what came out was—

“Your personality. You never change your attitude depending on who you’re with. You always stick to yourself, no matter what—and that really gets me.”

…Huh?

“So basically… you’re saying I just can’t read the room, right?”

That’s… obviously a flaw, isn’t it?

Thanks to [Mental Resistance], my sense of boundaries is totally bugged out.

How the hell do you even find something like that attractive?

But Ursna shook her head, flatly rejecting my words.

“No, you’ve got it wrong. It’s not that you can’t read the room—it’s that you don’t. Even in front of nobles, you don’t back down an inch. …I saw the whole thing with the Count today. No matter how much she tried to intimidate you, you never broke. And when you smacked her on the head at the end—hah, that was refreshing as hell.”

“…Wait. How exactly did you ‘see’ that?”

It should’ve just been me, the Count, and Deabolica in that room.

Ursna winked, pointing upward with her finger.

“Noble mansions always have hidden passages. Any scout worth her salt can slip into the ceiling crawlspace, no problem.”

“…I see.”

She leaned in closer again, tightening her grip around my wrist.

“Since I was a kid, I’ve only ever seen filth. Adults who bullied me when I was small, bowing their heads to someone stronger… and those stronger ones plastering on fake smiles, groveling to someone even higher. It was the same back in my hometown, and nothing’s changed since I came to this island. That’s just how the world works—but deep down, I always thought it was disgusting, pathetic bullshit.”

…She sounds like she’d be super into Vocaloid songs.

“But you’re different. Only you, Eugene. In this rotten world, you’re the only one who looks clean to me. No matter who’s in front of you, you never bend—you stay yourself. And that’s… beautiful.”

Honestly, I wish I could just suck up to powerful people and live a safe, easy life.

But thanks to [Mental Resistance], I don’t even know when or how I’m supposed to grovel.

So far, things have just happened to work out by luck… but I’m pretty sure this “always stand your ground” lifestyle is shaving years off my life.

As I wrestled with that thought, Ursna gently stroked my hair, whispering like it was something precious.

“There’s no man like you anywhere. If I stayed with you, I’d never be bored for the rest of my life. You’re one hell of an interesting guy…”

…Wait a sec. Did she just call me the female lead in one of those “interesting girl” clichés!?

Me—the plain, gloomy guy who just ended up in another world and joined the Adventurers’ Guild. Zero confidence, acknowledged by everyone (myself included) as a background extra! And now the most handsome, cocky bad-girl adventurer is suddenly making a move on me!? Why would a flawless hottie be into a plain, no-talent guy like me—what the hell is going on!?

Yeah… my little sister had a shoujo manga with that exact setup.

The heroine was supposed to be a “boring plain girl,” but in reality, she was obviously a total beauty. The cocky male lead devoured her like he owned her, but instead of tossing her aside, he got completely obsessed and went full “you’re mine, forever.” I think they called that the overprotective doting type.

Classic. And of course, she wasn’t “plain” at all—just the author’s little trick.

≪Explanation Time!

In this world’s beauty standards, Yuji is a drop-dead sexy, exotic-bodied Eastern hottie!

The only person who thinks he’s “plain” is Yuji himself!≫

Hmm… maybe I should test if Ursna really is the doting type.

I tilted my head slightly and gave her a faint, teasing smile.

“You know, I’m actually really possessive and selfish. I could never stand the thought of my girlfriend sleeping with other men. I don’t care about your past, but from now on—can you promise it’ll only ever be me for the rest of your life?”

Gulp. I heard Ursna’s throat audibly tighten.

…Wait. What’s with that reaction?

Was the idea of giving up casual flings with other guys really that painful?

≪Explanation Time!

Picture this: you think you’re making a move on some pure, innocent saintess… only for her to suddenly smile seductively and whisper, “Actually, I’m selfish and possessive. From now on, your whole life is going to revolve around me—are you okay with that?”

That shocking turn into femme-fatale territory makes the hidden masochist inside your heart go thump!≫

“…Yeah. Fine by me. From now on, I won’t sleep with anyone but you. My life is yours. So…”

On paper, the line looked like it came straight out of a BL novel.

That stray thought crossed my mind when—

Ursna suddenly pulled me into her arms and stole my lips.

Her kiss was fiery, her tongue pressing insistently against mine as she hugged me tight enough to crush me.

When she finally pulled away, a silver string of saliva stretched between us, glistening in the moonlight.

“Be my man, Eugene.”

Suddenly—crash! The sharp sound of something shattering rang out, and I whipped my head toward it.

Standing there was Irene, frozen in place, the wine bottle and glasses scattered across the ground where she’d dropped the tray.

Uh… what is even happening right now?

Her face had gone pale, her whole body trembling as she stared at us.

Normally, this would be the perfect shoujo manga scene—she’d burst into tears, run off heartbroken, and I’d have to chase after her.

But instead—

“Get away from Yuji, Ursna.”

Irene’s eyes blazed with a murderous rage I’d never seen before. Her voice was low and deadly, practically vibrating with fury.

Oh, right. Almost forgot. This was the chastity-reversal world.

≪Explanation Time!

This is that classic shounen manga moment: the cocky playboy steals the heroine’s lips, and the shota—normally the underdog—completely snaps!

Even if he looks like a frail little boy, when it comes to the girl he loves, he won’t cry and run away. No, he stands and fights!

Thus begins the ultimate man-versus-man showdown—for the heroine at the center!≫