Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game-Chapter 103: Well Done

Afterward, I had a brief conversation with the Emperor.

...Or, rather, it was more like the Emperor did all the talking.

The Emperor mostly rambled on about various things, like how they had wanted to meet me and how grateful they were for sparing the knights. Despite the unpleasant circumstances, they suggested we forget about the past and get along. They also mentioned that they understood some people would look at me unfavorably due to how quickly things had progressed.

To be honest, the Emperor spoke more than I expected. They didn’t seem like the imposing ruler I had imagined. Instead, they seemed more like a sociable noble, the kind of person who easily makes friends.

As I listened, I made my judgment.

‘...Like a sneaky raccoon.’

Of course, on the way to the palace, I got to hear more about the Emperor from Shin Hanbyeol.

Apparently, the Emperor had been rather prickly and aloof lately, perhaps due to the mounting pressure. This was in stark contrast to the warm, welcoming persona I had just witnessed.

If the rumors were true, it meant the Emperor was acting friendly towards me on purpose. They were intentionally showing favor, likely because of my status as a Manifested.

But why? What were they really after?

Sadly, since I knew little about politics, I couldn’t make sense of it all.

For now, what was clear was that the Emperor was supporting me—despite what others around them might think.

“Alright then, I have a lot of work to do, and there are others who want to meet you, so I’ll have to send you off now. Hey, someone, show them to the dining room.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

We were escorted by a butler as we exited the audience chamber.

Shin Hanbyeol, who had been standing awkwardly at my side, let out a small sigh.

“Phew... I feel like I can breathe now.”

It must have been uncomfortable for her too, being unable to speak freely.

I was equally uneasy.

While the Emperor had been intimidating, the knight standing behind them exuded a far stronger presence.

With silver hair and a neutral expression, this woman stood silently behind the Emperor.

At first glance, she seemed unremarkable, but it was clear she was someone of significant power. I could feel the immense mana swirling around her.

As I pondered this, Hanbyeol leaned in and whispered to me.

“That knight from earlier... She’s probably the First Knight Commander.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen her in person, but she looks just like what I’ve heard.”

The First Knight Commander, Eve Macareid.

Now that I thought about it, the First Commander was always by the Emperor’s side, guarding them. She rarely ventured into battle.

How unexpected to meet yet another knight commander. Still, I was relieved there wouldn’t be a fight this time.

I could do without meeting any more knights, especially the ones I had to face before.

“This way.”

We followed the butler into a room.

Creeeak—

As the door opened, I saw a round table in the center, with simple food laid out, and two guests already waiting.

“Woah.”

Hanbyeol gasped and whispered urgently to me.

“That’s the Third Knight Commander, Vivian, and the Fifth Knight Commander, Serena.”

I swore under my breath.

What was this? Were they preparing some sort of ambush? Perhaps all the Emperor’s kindness was a facade to disarm me, leading me to drop my guard before stabbing me in the back.

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As these thoughts raced through my mind, the knight commanders finally spoke.

“Wow, wow... You’re even more handsome than I imagined.”

“Seriously, did this guy really beat Railly?”

I could feel the tension in the room rising as I stepped in.

They could rush at me with swords at any moment, so I immediately prepared myself.

The atmosphere in the room grew tense.

Both knights froze for a moment, but no one drew their sword.

“...Sit down. We didn’t call you here to fight. We’re just curious about who exactly has brought disgrace to the knight order.”

“Y-Yeah... We really can’t afford a fight in the palace...”

We sat down.

While having knights stare at me was uncomfortable, they didn’t seem intent on fighting, so I didn’t feel the need to escalate things.

Instead, I began sizing them up.

Although I hadn’t expected to meet them, I had heard some things from Hanbyeol about these two.

The woman with dark blue hair and a reserved expression was the Third Knight Commander, Vivian Monglow.

The brown-haired woman glaring at me was the Fifth Knight Commander, Serena Bright.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have much more information about them.

I knew the Fifth Commander had taken down Andromalius, but most of the details about the knights were hidden from the public eye.

However, now that I was face-to-face with them, I could pick up a few additional details.

“By the way, the Fourth Commander isn’t here.”

“Hmph, someone’s still recovering from serious injuries. They’re writing up a report and can’t make it to the palace right now.”

The Fifth Knight Commander didn’t seem to view me favorably.

Understandably, I had defeated one of her comrades, and on top of that, I was a Manifested.

This response was predictable, so I wasn’t surprised.

As for the Third Knight Commander...

“...”

I wasn’t sure.

She occasionally glanced at me, but for the most part, she kept her head down, so I couldn’t read her emotions.

I could see her ears turning red at times, though... Maybe she was embarrassed?

‘Nah, probably not.’

I brushed off the thought.

After all, she was a knight commander—there was no way someone in her position would be shy or bashful in front of others.

Who would put such a person in charge of a knight order?

The Empire couldn’t have fallen so far.

“Ugh, when is that guy coming?”

As the awkward silence stretched on, the Fifth Knight Commander mumbled under her breath.

Soon enough, I would know exactly who “that guy” was.

“Oh, sorry, sorry. I had a bit too much to drink last night.”

Creeeak—

The door opened, and another woman walked in.

She was likely rushing, her red hair disheveled and wearing casual clothes.

A deep V-neck shirt revealed her ample cleavage.

She was undoubtedly beautiful, certainly enough to catch the attention of any man in the room.

But I didn’t feel any particular attraction.

Though I’d never seen her in person, I knew exactly who she was.

She was one of the most famous knights in the Empire, second only to the Fourth Commander.

Second Knight Commander, Odilia Pafnilla.

She was the Empire’s greatest spear-wielder... or should I say, the greatest Casanova.

Rumor had it she slept with three men a day.

“Well, well, is this the guy who defeated our Railly? I heard about you, but you really are striking.”

“Don’t call him Railly!”

“If Railly hears, I’m sure she’ll draw her sword...”

There were a few interruptions, but Odilia simply ignored them.

She walked over to me with a look of interest on her face.

“Hm, I don’t think I’ve ever had a Manifested in my arms before...”

As I looked at her, a thought crossed my mind.

I remembered a video I’d watched on YouTube about a science experiment.

The experiment asked whether you could cook meat by repeatedly hitting it.

It seemed absurd at first, but surprisingly, it worked.

After hitting the meat tens of thousands of times, it cooked to a perfect sear.

Looking at Odilia, I couldn’t help but think of that video.

“How about it, want to have some fun tonight?”

Perhaps, in some twisted way, she and her lower half weren’t much different from that well-done meat.

Based on the rumors I’d heard, she must have had enough partners to fill a small army.

By now, her “viewing” had probably been cooked well past the point of well-done, burned to a crisp.

She might truly be a living example of “BBQ’d beef.”

I rejected her advances with a polite but firm gesture.

“Sorry, I’m not a fan of well-done.”

“...Well-done?”

She seemed to have understood the rejection but didn’t quite get the joke.

She tilted her head, confused.

Not just her, but even Hanbyeol and the other commanders seemed puzzled.

Ah, they were still too far from understanding high-level humor.

“Pfft...!”

“Huh, Vivian?”

“Pffh, pftchh...”

Vivian, it seemed, was the only one who understood.

She was desperately trying to stifle her laughter as she bowed her head.

I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of thoughts she had going through her head.

“Well, enough of that. We have important matters to discuss! Shouldn’t we get to the main topic?”

The atmosphere was awkward, so the Second Knight Commander quickly changed the subject.

It was clear the real purpose of this meeting was just about to begin.

“Oh right.”

The Fifth Knight Commander snapped out of her distraction and straightened up.

She then spoke with ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) a serious tone.

“The demon... has descended.”

“Ha, again?”

Upon hearing this, the Second Knight Commander furrowed her brows in frustration.

It was an unwelcome but familiar piece of news.

I too frowned upon hearing it.

She inquired in a sharp voice.

“So what happened this time? Did Lemegaton find a new altar? Or did some demon just show up? We were finally about to get a break.”

“Well... there was no cause.”

“Huh?”

“It wasn’t Lemegaton, and no demon showed up causing trouble.”

The Fifth Knight Commander, Serena, spoke with a grave expression.

“This time, the demon descended naturally.”

That was a truly unsettling statement.