Inside An Adult Game As A Former Hero-Novel

Proofreader: DreaMing

"Look at you. You can't answer. Can, or should Isabella wait for something that even you don't know when it's going to happen? While leaving the idol-like man right in front of her?”

Mars bit his lips.

He was so mad at himself that he couldn't even refute those words.

"Then..? What are you telling me, hyung? Are you saying that I should give up on Isabella?!”

"Yeah. Give up.”

Cloud's calm voice made Mars even more outraged.

“How can you say it so easily!? You don't know how much I love Isabella. You don't even know what Isabella means to me! So how…”

“Do you really think I don’t know how you feel?”

Cloud's frigid tone made him flinch, and he stiffened.

Then he slowly shook his head.

"No…"

Cloud once told Mars of his past with his childhood sweetheart. And how it was infinite times more tragic than Mars' current experience.

If there was someone who could understand Mars' feelings, there was no way Cloud wasn't on that damn list.

– Swiip! Swiip!

The cold breeze blew and the grass rustled in its wake.

“Then… Then what should I do now? I've been holding my sword with the intention of making Isabella happy… If I give up on Isabella, what should I hold the sword for?"

Mars murmured in a frustrated tone.

Cloud replied to him as if it was natural.

"Yourself."

"Huh..?"

Mars eyes lingering on the dirt on the floor rose up with his face. Cloud was looking straight at him with a nonchalant expression on his face.

“Raise your sword for yourself, you brat. What are you staring at me for with such a stupid expression?”

“Ha, but the precept I saw read that swords are meant to be raised for others…”

“That’s what a guy who can find his own self does. You can't even stabilize your mind right now, what can you care about others? You'd be considered lucky if you didn't stab them in case of protecting them."

Cloud smiled, and immediately made an unusually serious expression.

“Go on a journey, Mars. The continent is far bigger than you think. To be honest, with the skills you possess right now, it would be difficult to even take care of yourself. Still, try to get around somehow. And then, meet people like this, meet people like that, and live like that.”

He will meet all kinds of people.

From a nerdy guy with only a single sword to his name clamoring to become a knight, to a wizard with a runny nose.

He will also face many dangers and strange situations.

“If you go through so many different people, emotions, and situations, at some point of time, you will find some precious people by your side.”

Real, invaluable people.

“Your worries should be about then. Of course, the level of your concerns will be different. Not muddling in trivial concerns such as who should you raise your sword for, but with serious considerations such as how to protect the people and things you cherish.”

So, until that time comes, raise your sword for yourself.

At Cloud's serious advice, Mars' eyes fluttered.

“…can I? I'm not a great person like you, hyung. If I fall down mid-way…”

“Ah, you boring punk.”

Cloud grabbed Mars' head and messed it up.

“If you fall down, you have to stand up. If it is difficult to stand up, grab your teammates' outstretched hands and stand up. And if your teammate falls down, you have to reach out and lift them back up.Then, even if everything is in shambles, it will not collapse but regrow.”

“…is that so?”

“It’s like that.”

"I see…"

With a small smile, Mars had a slightly better expression than before.

He exhaustingly laid down on the dirt floor and looked up at the sky.

The brightly shining stars of Milky Way looked unnaturally beautiful.

“I'm now looking forward to it after hearing all this from you, but that doesn’t change that I’m upset. My heart is still pounding and it hurts.”

“You just broke up, so of course. On the contrary, it's weird if you are in a normal mood right now. In that case, I'll assume you to be a playboy by nature."

"Is it?"

"Yeah. Besides, the genuine childhood sweethearts don't go well together. It is an immutable law that I came across while traveling the continent.”

“I wish there were no such laws.”

After chuckling together for a while, Mars looked at Cloud with a respectful gaze.

“Hyung is really great. It's hard for me to even see them merrily chatting with each other… but, hyung…”

Mars couldn't keep up with the conversation. Cloud tsked at the sight.

“Why do you always stop in between sentences? Just say it out loud. Your hyung's amazing, his childhood sweetheart is sucking another guy's cock but he accepted the fact straightforwardly."

"No… ha… hah goodness. I don't think I'll ever come to understand you, no matter how many years passes."

"Of course. Do I look like an easy fellow to be understood by just anyone? Stop thinking about unnecessary things and plan your trip.”

“Ah, that’s it. I think I better say my goodbye to Isabella before leaving for the trip, what do you say?"

"…what? What bullshit is that?”

Mars' words made Cloud totally flabbergasted.

If Mars says his goodbye to Isabella, telling her that he was leaving for a journey, it was sure—Isabella would stop him.

If things advanced in that route, misunderstandings will be resolved, he will apologize for pushing Isabella away, and Mars will fall in love with pink woman Isabella again…

In the end, back to the pink woman route…

‘F**k, that’s not okay!’

How did this twisted destiny reattach itself so darn perfectly!

No matter what, a return to the pink woman route has to be prevented!

“Hey, why are you wasting your time on meaningless things? She wouldn't be interested anyway."

“Even so, she is an old friend. She would be perplexed if I suddenly disappeared, and the villagers would think I got missing…”

“Hoh, is everyone so interested in you? If you disappear, the villagers will look for you everywhere with concern? It's all your imagination."

“No, what do you mean by that, hyung!? I know a lot of people in the village, alright?!”

“They really don't care, though.”

"Aghhh! Really, they do!"

Cloud and Mars quarreled for a while, arguing with each other. After a long time, they were able to compromise their opinions by opening a mid-path.

* * *

While Cloud and Mars quarreled, Neria sat idly behind a tree a little far away from them.

She came here with quality wine she brought from the innkeeper.

She wanted to be friends with Cloud again, and Neria wanted herself to share this bottle of wine with him.

So she came up to the hill to find him…

She somehow ended up hearing the whole conversation.

– Besides, the genuine childhood sweethearts don't go well together. It is an immutable law that I came across while traveling the continent.

– Just say it out loud. Your hyung's amazing, his childhood sweetheart is sucking another guy's cock but he accepted the fact straightforwardly.

Hah.