It Seems Like I Got Transmigated Into An Eroge - Chapter 17 : Lily Blanch

On my way to the garden, I passed by some people leisurely walking around under the starry night. Upon arriving at the scene, I looked around to catch sight of Lily, but there were no traces of her anywhere.

Continuing my search, I stumbled upon a bewitching goddess sitting comfortably on a bench, gazing at the starry night sky, wearing a snowy gown. The breathtaking scenery before my eyes captivated me. She had seductive, tender red lips, pointy ears, eye-catching golden hair in a waterfall braid adorned with a golden circlet, and a dazzling crystal at the center. She had blooming white skin and gorgeous cerulean eyes. It was Lily.

What a marvelous sight to behold.

Despite finding her, I hid behind a bush, staying close enough to jump in if something happened. That way, I could easily lunge for an attack on the man—I waited patiently.

Time passed, and the chilly night breeze grazed my skin, making me shiver. I had been watching Lily for some time now; she was still gazing at the sky. I waited, but nothing happened, nor were there any traces of the man I was waiting for. I endured the coldness of the night in my thin layers of fabric, with no undershirt to provide extra warmth, making it even harder.

I wondered why Lily was watching the sky, so I looked up and saw countless stars shining brightly. It was indeed a sight to behold. I dozed off while observing the starry sky, lying on the soft grass, but my rest was interrupted by a scream nearby.

“Ahhhh—!”

I quickly moved, going from lying flat on the ground to a standing position, ready to react. I looked towards Lily, hands clenched, prepared to defend against any threat.

However, what I saw next sent a shiver down my spine and filled me with dread. The strong stench of blood hit my nose, and a chilling coldness enveloped me as I witnessed a horrifying scene. A man was impaled by a pillar of ice, lifeless eyes staring, blood dripping down from the frozen spike.

The gruesome sight almost made me vomit. In all my life, I had never witnessed such horror. Furthermore, the pillar of ice seemed to originate from Lily’s feet, and I remembered her spirit attribute was ice—a Fenrir, a wolf-like mythical being. The Fenrir was one of the strongest beasts, with power comparable to that of the White Dragon, a Deity Beast. This meant she was responsible for this scene.

Lily stood there, gazing at the man impaled in ice, an expression of cold detachment on her face, with a hint of sympathy in her cerulean eyes. Slowly, I started backing away from the murder scene. Thoughts raced through my mind.

Why? This wasn’t how the scene was supposed to unfold. Could it be that the world doesn’t revolve around the game’s storyline? Is there no protagonist or hero in this world? Or perhaps my presence here caused a butterfly effect? But the scene involving Lily still happened, albeit with a different outcome. What if this isn’t the incident I’m familiar with? But there’s a man, and the setting matches well, and he’s a human…

As I retreated, Lily’s eyes locked onto me, causing me to shudder. The person in front of me was now a stranger, and if things took a bad turn, I needed to protect myself, as I stood no chance against someone with a guardian.

I might possess quintessence, which is a refined form of mana, but that doesn’t mean it can shield me from everything. It’s like mana but more concentrated due to its connection with my soul, making it unique to me alone. However, I still couldn’t fully control it; it remained sealed by Pix, making it challenging to manage.

“I’ve been monitoring your presence, disciple of the Saint,” Lily stated.

I paused and responded, “How did you know?”

“Smell,” Lily pointed to her nose.

“The… What?”

“My sense of smell heightened when I gained my guardian.”

Could such a thing really exist?

“Right… So, what do you want from me?”

Without moving, cold sweat started forming on my back. The situation had taken a turn for the worse, with her emotionless expression raising my guard. I struggled to decipher her intentions.

“That’s what I should be asking, you pervert stalker.”

“Huh?”

“You’re just like the guys my family warned me about. Wolves in sheep’s clothing, wanting to prey on beautiful girls for their pleasure. I noticed you staring at me during the banquet, which is why I’ve been watching you. I didn’t expect you to follow me all the way here.”

At that moment, her words left me utterly dumbfounded. I was suddenly labeled a pervert stalker for no apparent reason. I admit to having acted like a stalker, but also a pervert? Moreover, she had figured out that I was a guy instead of misidentifying me. It was validating, but also somewhat disheartening.

“Haah… I apologize for my disrespectful behavior. Your highness’s beauty captivated me, but I never intended any harm. If my actions made you uncomfortable, I am truly sorry,” I bowed gracefully.

“So, you admit to stalking me?”

“Not stalking, just following out of curiosity,” I replied nonchalantly.

Lily furrowed her eyebrows. “What’s the difference?”

“No idea,” I shrugged.

“Are you playing games with me?”

“No.”

Her annoyance grew, and she pinched the bridge of her nose while closing her eyes before speaking again. “So, why were you following me? Was it just curiosity, or is there something else? And how can you move so quickly without mana? What are you?” Lily fixed me with a sharp gaze.

This ominous aura she exuded made my chest tighten. I took a few steps back instinctively, feeling danger. The atmosphere around us grew colder, likely due to Lily’s influence. My skin felt like it was freezing.

“I’m Claude, a disciple of Master Irene.”

“I asked, ‘what are you,’ not ‘who are you.'”

“Huh? What do you mean? I’m human.”

“You’re avoiding my question.”

With that, a chilling aura burst forth from Lily, creating a suffocating environment. Ice needles materialized around her and aimed at me. She launched them at me, but I managed to evade by jumping high into the air.

Upon landing, I dashed sideways to dodge the incoming attacks. As I ran, a massive ice wall blocked my path, forcing me to stop. Just as I was about to strike the wall, I felt a shiver down my spine and instinctively jumped, finding myself above a bridge of icicles. I used them to launch into the air again, and then the unexpected occurred.

I realized the entire platform I was standing on had turned to ice. I almost lost my balance but managed to stay upright.

“What the…?”

Before I could think further, a bridge of icicles shot out from Lily, moving toward me. The slippery surface forced me to defend rather than run. I concentrated quintessence around my front to create a protective shield, which I used to block the icicles. This destroyed the ice wall behind me and sent me a few feet away.

“Arggh—! Ack—!”

Pain shot through my back as I collided with a hard surface. I was now caught between the hard surface behind me and the massive icicle wall in front. I thought it was over, but the icicles began growing, enclosing me further. In this icy prison, I heard a voice.

“Are you finally ready to tell me? I’m curious about what you are—a person without mana who can perform extraordinary feats and withstand a spirit’s attacks. Moreover, the ice spikes could pierce metal effortlessly but couldn’t even graze your skin.”

Rather than struggling or attempting to break free, I waited and thought about my next move. The slippery surface made running impossible, and I had an idea to escape.

“What are you?”

“You said you’re human, but I find that hard to believe.”

“If a saint took you as a disciple, then you must be something remarkable.”

I didn’t answer her questions. Instead, I waited for Lily to come closer, intending to break free and launch a counterattack before escaping. It was risky, attacking her while at a disadvantage, but better than facing certain death in this situation. The memory of the man impaled on the ice pillar was still fresh in my mind.