“Why are you dressed like this? And why are you breathing so heavily… was it a nightmare?”
Grey looked down at the girl in his arms, her clothes disheveled, and his throat tightened.
He tried his best to keep his eyes fixed on Katy’s face and avoid looking where he shouldn’t, but that strangely sweet scent, originating from nowhere, seemed alive as it persistently drifted into his nose.
‘Do beautiful girls really have a natural body fragrance? Isn’t that a setting only found in novels!?’
“Ugh…”
Katy buried her face against his breastplate, her muffled voice sounding tearful.
“It was a very, very scary nightmare.”
The rational side of Katy inside her mind was blushing furiously, rebuking her that this wasn’t how a pure man and a Calamity Pillar should act.
Then, Katy mentally rolled her eyes at that tiny version of herself.
‘If I don’t act spoiled, what do you want me to do? Tell him the Demon King forced half a cup of milk down my throat and I passed out? Tell him I saw a blackened version of him capturing my future self in a vision and doing… things? Beg him not to turn into some adult manga protagonist?’
When the rational Katy questioned what she would do if Grey’s lust took over, Katy answered solemnly that she would fight!
She would fight until the very last moment and enjoy it with tears in her eyes—no, she meant she would commit suicide to protect her honor!
Of course, she was actually calculating everything perfectly.
Grey was a standard case of someone who had the desire but lacked the courage; manipulating him was all too easy for her.
She just had to remember the stick-and-carrot principle.
She would provide him with “benefits” at the right time to keep him loyal while ensuring he never suspected her true identity.
As long as she didn’t make a mistake, there was a 1,000% chance she wouldn’t lose control of the situation!
Grey had no idea the girl in his arms was pondering such deep psychological questions.
He only knew he was reaching his limit.
Katy’s small body was only covered by a thin silk nightgown, as light as a cicada’s wing.
Because of her recent movements, the neckline was crooked.
From his downward angle, he could even see the two white, well-shaped—though not large—curves, along with a faint glimpse of…
Cough.
As a five-star Hero of the new era, Grey tried his best to keep his eyes straight.
At the same time, he silently recited the Heart-Clearing Scripture that Eve and Ingram had once taught him.
‘Little Grey, now is not the time to be so energetic. Sit down!’
Taking a deep breath, Grey gently patted the girl’s trembling back.
“I’m right here, Miss Katy. This is reality, not your nightmare.”
Katy looked up with teary eyes.
Her adorable, sobbing face dealt another blow to Grey’s sanity.
“What kind of… nightmare was it?” he asked softly.
The girl sobbed as she fabricated the vision she had actually seen.
In her narration, she dreamt that a purple-clad old woman showed her a distant and terrifying future using a Crystal Ball.
In that future, Grey was like a completely different person.
Not only did he take the likes of Lily and Lobelia into his harem (which hadn’t happened), but he also captured poor Katy and eventually persecuted her to death.
Grey twitched his lips as he listened to her describe the “licentious tyrant Grey” from her nightmare.
They said dreams were reflections of the subconscious, but how could he be such a villain in Miss Katy’s dream?
Did she subconsciously think of him as a dangerous and lecherous Hero?
Grey felt a bit wronged.
Although he had indeed found himself unconsciously staring at her bare feet when they first met, according to Eve’s theory, if a girl exposed a certain part of her body, it was because she wanted it to be seen.
He was just following Miss Katy’s lead!
By the same logic, he couldn’t be blamed for sneaking a few glances when she wore white silk stockings, stirrup socks, over-the-knee socks, or tights.
Miss Katy had gone out of her way to wear them; wouldn’t it be disrespectful to the Captain if he didn’t look?
It was a validation of his Captain’s taste in clothing!
“Mr. Grey…”
“Hmm? I’m here.”
Grey snapped out of it, quickly pretending he hadn’t been daydreaming.
“Mr. Grey, you promised when you held me before that you would never leave me alone again… Why are you going back on your word now?”
“I’m not going back on my word!”
Grey said anxiously.
“Then why are you leaving me behind to clear a Labyrinth with your old teammates?”
The girl looked up, her blue eyes full of resentment.
“Is it because the Black Crow Squad isn’t good enough? Or do you think I’m a burden?”
“Of course not!”
Grey scratched his head awkwardly.
“First of all, this is an emergency mission personally issued by the Archbishop of the Church. However, the team is currently missing a Priest…”
“Then I can do it!”
Katy volunteered herself, her eyes sparkling.
“I’m a Priest, too! And Mr. Grey knows I’m very capable!”
“This…”
Grey looked troubled.
After all, the Church wasn’t sending them to a Star Glimmer Level Labyrinth like the Graveyard of Ghost Ships, where one or several A-ranks could carry a novice.
They were going to the Nightglow Level Third Labyrinth.
One had to understand that the Nightglow Level was a challenge where even an A-rank team had to be fully prepared, and even then, they couldn’t guarantee an injury-free completion.
Even if the former Dawn Blade members were much stronger and more coordinated than average A-rank Heroes, bringing Katy along would be too difficult.
However, he didn’t want to become a treacherous man in his Captain’s eyes.
Grey’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and a thought began to grow like a vine in his heart.
“Miss Katy,” he took a deep breath as if reaching a decision.
He held the girl’s shoulders to help her stand straight, forcing himself to look directly into her pitiful blue eyes, which were brimming with tears.
“I’m not leaving you behind, and I’ve never thought about breaking our promise. It’s just that the danger of a Nightglow Level Labyrinth is far beyond your imagination.”
Katy, who was pretending to sob, caught her breath.
‘Uh oh, he’s being serious.’
“It can’t be compared to the Graveyard of Ghost Ships. If it were a Star Glimmer Level Labyrinth, I could barely protect you on my own. But in a Nightglow Level Labyrinth, even a battle-hardened A-rank team could be wiped out several times over if they charge in without being fully prepared.”
His tone was more serious than ever, trying to make her understand the gravity of the situation.
However, the stubbornness and sense of grievance in the girl’s eyes did not diminish at all.
Instead, more moisture gathered because of his lecture.
“But I don’t want to be separated from Mr. Grey…”
The tiny Katy in her mind felt like gagging.
She hadn’t expected this body to be able to produce such a soft, sweet voice; she was really pushing herself.
Seeing the girl on the verge of tears, Grey’s heart softened, and the firm words he had prepared got stuck in his throat.
After a few seconds of deadlock, he sighed helplessly and proposed a compromise that he thought would satisfy both sides.
“How about this? Instead of arguing here, why don’t you see it for yourself?”
“Eh? Does that mean Mr. Grey is agreeing to take me?”
Faced with the girl’s sudden 180-degree change in attitude, Grey smiled helplessly.
“Yes and no. In the name of the Black Crow Squad, we will enter the target Labyrinth—the Third Labyrinth guarded by the Demon of Greed—for a very brief exploration. I will prepare enough Return Crystals to ensure the safety of our scouting.”
“Great! I’ll do my best not to hold you back—”
“No, Miss Katy.”
Grey interrupted the girl’s smile with some regret.
“This is just to help you understand what kind of enemy I’m going to face.”
He gazed at the girl in his arms, his tone incredibly sincere.
“If, after experiencing the horror of that place firsthand, you still feel you are capable of fulfilling the duties of a Priest… I will find a way to appeal to the Archbishop and my… and Eve.”
“But if you feel it’s beyond your capability, promise me you’ll stay obediently in Knox City and wait for our return, okay? This is for your safety and to ensure I don’t get distracted worrying about you while I’m fighting on the front lines.”
These words sounded perfectly reasonable.
They gave Katy a way out while leaving the final choice in her hands, showing he wasn’t heartlessly breaking his word.
In fact, Katy felt that if she refused any further, she would seem unreasonable, which might damage the favorability she had worked so hard to build with Grey.
On the surface, the girl sobbed, looking at him with watery eyes.
Her small, tear-streaked face was filled with struggle and deliberation.
After a long silence, she finally gave a heavy nod with a thick, nasal voice.
“Okay.”
Katy’s voice was hoarse from crying.
“I promise you. If I really can’t do it… I definitely won’t cause any trouble for you.”