I Became a Hero With a Lot of Experience

10 – 010: Jump

“Oh my god…”

The moment I saw her face as she stepped onto the carriage, I suddenly blurted out those words, even though she was right in front of me.

Princess Penny, who wore a dress with a deeply cut bodice more suited for a back alley dancer than a princess, didn’t even give me a single glance and averted her eyes.

Even in a world where tattered behavior had become commonplace, there was no way that the princess of a kingdom would wear such clothes. Surely it was a trick to tempt me.

“Has the idiot lost his mind?”

Did he seriously think that I, who am not even a middle school student, would fall for such an obvious scheme?

At first, I felt dumbfounded, but as I imagined how this idiotic fool came up with such a foolish plan, I started to get angrier.

Does he think I am the kind of person who would fall for someone like him?

Why did he make such a judgment? Just because I’m an Adar? Just because he looked down on me for such a ridiculous reason?

“Hey, you――!”

Just as I was about to shout at him in anger, my words got stuck in my throat as a thought passed through my mind.

If I were to make a fuss and ask him to get this Princess Penny out of here, wouldn’t it just make me look like a foolish person who is swayed by such a trivial matter?

“…Why aren’t you getting on? (Experience Acquisition: 1 person)”

“Damn it…”

I can’t chase her away. But I can’t just get off the carriage either. I thought he was just a superficial idiot, but he came up with such a strategy.

I underestimated him too much. Even though I am the ruler of a kingdom, I should have been more cautious.

I reflected on my own foolishness as I got on the carriage. As soon as I got on, the knight waiting outside closed the carriage door.

“We’re leaving!! (Experience Acquisition: 4 people)”

With the knight’s command, the carriage shook. It came into view, something that shouldn’t have been seen without any chance to be prepared, due to a much stronger vibration than expected.

“Ugh…!! (Experience Acquisition: 1 person)”

Perhaps because the carriage shook more than expected, or maybe because the deep cut of the dress, the moment the carriage vibrated, the inside of her underwear was exposed.

Penny quickly covered her chest and glared at me, but I felt extremely flustered.

Penny is beautiful. It is not an exaggeration to say that she has the most beautiful appearance among the people I have personally seen.

But why? The moment I caught sight of the red bra that seemed to match her hair, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of nausea and my body trembled unconsciously.

Disgust. Even I, the person involved, didn’t know why I was starting to feel sick.

Why did I suddenly feel nauseous? There was no reason for me to feel sick based on appearance or anything else.

Apart from the stigma of sin engraved on my head.

＜Experience Acquisition: 1 person＞

No, not even that stigma can make me nauseous. I am not a petty man who discriminates between virgins and non-virgins.

A non-virgin displaying mop-like behavior does not justify nausea.

‘Could the goddess’s protection bring about any change in my body?’

Even as this unanswerable question lingered in my chest, the carriage continued without pause.

As we left the city and entered the rough road, the carriage shook even more violently, and the frequency of glimpses of undergarments increased noticeably.

However, as mentioned earlier, my mood was not at all pleasant. On the contrary, it was the opposite.

Seeing Penny, who was accustomed to such accidents and casually straightening her clothes, a nauseating and indescribable emotion crawled up my throat.

Whether she knew about my feelings or not, as time passed and darkness fell, Penny suddenly sighed, crossing her legs with a modesty that could only be expressed as demure, and spoke to me.

“…Just so you know, I’m wearing these clothes under Her Majesty’s orders. I have no feelings towards you. (Experience Acquisition: 1 person)”

“What?”

Ignoring the question of whether I had joined her in the meaning of wearing such clothes under my father’s orders, I was more interested in what she had to say.

After a brief pause and a breath, she gathered her legs and slightly turned her head to me, uttering words that could only be described as venomous with her breath.

“Or what? Did you think I’d suddenly like you just because you appeared out of nowhere claiming to be a knight? A rude commoner like you is beneath my notice!! I have the right to choose people too!! (Experience Acquisition: 1 person)”

“……”

The words that came out of her mouth were insulting me. For some reason, the moment I heard those words, the nausea began to subside.

However, it was not a calm before the storm, but merely a precursor to the greater whirlwind of hatred that was about to sweep over my chest.

As my extraordinary brain captured the hidden meaning in her words, I found myself reflexively asking her.

“Would you, by any chance…”

“By any chance, what?! (Experience Acquisition: 1 person)”

She couldn’t answer immediately. Perhaps realizing that her thought process was akin to that of a harlot, she averted her gaze and concealed her embarrassment.

And now I understood why I felt that nausea towards her, and why I could momentarily forget that nausea.

The reason I first felt disgust towards her was not because she was a non-virgin.

＜Experience Acquisition: 1 person＞

What this means is that she gave her virginity to someone she loved.

In other words, despite having a man to whom she had given her virginity, she exposed herself to an outsider for the petty reason of serving the country.

I found it unbearable. I couldn’t tolerate selling one’s body for ambiguous notions like betrayal of men and patriotism.

Therefore, it was only natural that the repulsion that had seemed ready to overflow upon hearing her refusal to surrender herself to someone like you had subsided.

It was as if she had removed the cause of the nauseating sensation tickling the throat from her side.

However, it wasn’t when she rejected the act itself, which was tantamount to prostitution, but rather when she realized that the conditions were not to her liking.

And when she admitted it herself, the repulsion that had surged in my chest swelled even more.

I don’t expect you to submit to me; I have no desire for that. It’s fine whatever you want. No, I’m even grateful.

But I absolutely cannot forgive the attitude that says it’s okay for a man who gave his virginity to betray that love under certain conditions.

Disgusting woman. Regardless of what the country says, isn’t it just selling your virtue like it’s nothing?

If someone says they sold the country for virtue, who would criticize them?

Certainly, the patriotic independence activists would have raised their thumbs, saying, “Selling the country for virtue is acceptable.”

“Disgusting… This is what a non-virgin looks like!”

How repulsive this creature is. Unable to endure any longer, I clenched my fist and rose from my seat.

And….

*****

Why couldn’t I answer right away?

There was no need for silence. In fact, even if it was a different person, my intention remained unchanged, saying that my will was the same, regardless of the truth.

However, perhaps because the words struck a nerve, or maybe because I was avoiding the fact that I was betraying Ras unconsciously, I couldn’t answer immediately.

Penny thought. No matter how much it was her father’s… the king’s command, was her action any different from the streetwalker’s?

The streetwalker opens her legs for money. And Penny opens her legs after considering the other party’s conditions.

Money and justice.

While there may be differences in values and nobility, the difference in their actions is not significant.

Therefore, when the warrior clenched his fist and stood up, Penny could do nothing.

If she tried to block, she could have. She had never strayed from the black belt, and she didn’t need a sword; her bare hands were enough.

Having mastered various martial arts, including swordsmanship, Penny was confident that she could easily subdue the former chef who had become a warrior.

‘But why can’t I move?’

Anticipating the warrior’s fist flying toward her face, Penny thought about the reason.

The reason was undoubtedly that shame and love for Ras were holding her ankles.

So, this is retribution. Punishment for betraying the person she loves… the person who gave herself for the first time.

Even if she were to be beaten to the point where her face swelled, Penny vowed not to make a sound, but no matter how long she waited, the warrior’s fist never struck Penny’s face.

“Ugh?”

What she felt on her face was not the hot fist but the cold night breeze soothing the burning heat.

I opened my eyes, wondering what was happening, but the valiant warrior who should have been in the front seat was nowhere to be found.

Instead, with the door wide open, welcoming Penny amid the chilly night air, I stood alone.

“What the…?”

The unexpected turn of events froze my thoughts. Soon after, the voices of the knights sounded as if mocking Penny’s dull-witted head.

“The hero jumped out of the carriage!!!”

“He was trampled by the horse!! And on the carriage too!!”

“Virgin whore stench!!! Damn, I couldn’t bear it…!!!”