I Married the Beautiful Female Protagonist In Order To Survive

19. The Limits of Human Ability

After the event, with teams of the “Great Ying Empire Patrol” clad in white hoods and capes bustling in and out of the room, carrying away one by one those extras felled by Kefir, the death script that would normally trigger the “Evil King’s True Eye Explosion” for the protagonist steeped in a sea of blood and vengeance, and would have me tied in a sack and sunk in the river to feed the fish, simply vanished.

It goes without saying: Kefir, the true protagonist, handled an extra plus a bunch of cannon fodder with ease. As long as I could cling to her coattails and bask in her “protagonist’s halo,” my life was not in danger.

“Miss Kefir, all the suspects have been taken away. As for the scene… I’m ashamed to say, we currently lack the manpower to help you repair it.”

After the extras and their lackeys were all “transported” away, the leader came before Kefir and bowed respectfully.

“As for the deed: it seems to be a collusion between the local nobility and the knight’s order, both of which will be severely punished. This matter requires detailed interrogation, but I believe your presence already signifies the truth. So, farewell…”

Without any dawdling, not even sparing a glance at Kefir’s chest, I really wish that suicidal extra could see: this is what professional extras are like, this brother here is a pro!

The line of white-clad figures left with style. Normally, Kefir would have bid them a polite farewell, but… Kefir at this moment exhibited a visibly strange demeanor, not responding at all to the respect just shown by the white-clothed leader, only letting out a soft sigh from her lips after everyone had left and only I, Nieru, and she remained in the room.

“Sigh…”

She surveyed the chaos within the room, glanced at Nieru searching for cleaning tools to tidy up, and finally, her gaze fell on me.

“Is Nieru alright?”

“I’m fine.”

If I’m fine, she couldn’t possibly be in trouble. If Nieru were in trouble, that would mean devastation for miles around.

“I came back immediately after receiving your clumsy call. That being said, Ogelid, you did well to protect Nieru from the hands of so many local knights, even with the presence of their leader.”

“Ha… Haha…”

What to do? I can’t possibly admit I was scared to death, can I? A man has to save face, especially since I need to maintain a lofty image in front of Kefir to secure my hold on her coattails.

“Am I not a charlatan? I ‘prophesied’ to temporarily hold off those big guys.”

“Pfft…” Kefir’s clouds of worry were dispersed by laughter, “Prophecy, give me a break. It’s your talent for martial cultivation. An ordinary person remaining unscathed under the attack of a fourth-tier knight, Ogelid, you… might actually be a genius.”

Here we go again, this was the standard script for “gaining the protagonist’s favor and joining the protagonist’s group”! But Kefir’s mood really took a ‘momentary’ downturn.

As a notorious charlatan and villain, all I needed to do was cling to the protagonist Kefir’s coattails. What did her mood have to do with me? That being said… but even if it’s just to ensure a firmer grip, I had no intention of remaining silent.

“Kefir.”

At the moment Kefir was about to leave, I suddenly spoke up, “Is this what’s troubling you?”

Nieru, who was sweeping up the vase fragments from the floor, stopped her movements, and Kefir’s reaction was even more significant.

Her body trembled, then she turned around, looking over with an unmistakable panic.

“Trouble? What trouble could someone of my status and identity have? Charlatan, don’t overstep your bounds with your mystic act, what could you possibly know?”

Of course, I knew.

Because at the moment when the extra went mad, and his mouth was skewered by Kefir into a kebab, I finally understood clearly from the script the “content” of Kefir’s troubles.

“Didn’t I tell you? I truly know ‘prophecy’.”

I paused, then slowly spoke, watching Kefir’s “protagonist’s aura” fade with my words.

“What happened with the genius from years ago… Kefir?”

In fact, I already knew Kefir’s troubles from the script, but I still had to ask. Otherwise, interrupting the “protagonist’s heartfelt confession of her own experiences” would mean this villain wouldn’t live to see another day.

In the script, Kefir is indeed a proud daughter of distinguished parents, unmatched in family heritage, and she herself is a prodigy of both martial arts and magic at a tender age, a genius among geniuses. At the time, Kefir was considered the most likely to become the youngest “Saint Seal” holder.

But years have passed, and while Kefir has grown more beautiful and her figure has improved, her strength… has not seen any significant enhancement, failing to break through the threshold. Indeed, even a single sixth rank in strength is a realm many cannot reach in their lifetime, but a stagnation in power is clearly unacceptable for a proud daughter like Kefir.

And this is the true protagonist’s trouble!

Just as described in the script, Kefir shared her troubles with a dry smile and a touch of helplessness.

“I recently argued with my father again over some issues, and then I ran away to my secret base to clear my mind, essentially hiding from my family.”

Kefir looked at me, “I’m really scared that they’ll start treating me like an ordinary girl, arranging those… things I even despise that noble girls go through.”

“But I can’t prove myself either, maybe… as my father said, this level of strength is already my limit…”

“No, you are different from the others.”

My self-deprecating, almost pitiful smile was interrupted by her, and Kefir looked at me, bewildered and incredulous.

There’s nothing to see, Kefir, because I’m telling the truth. Lying to the protagonist, that’s asking for trouble, right!?

“Your father is talking nonsense, you have no limits.”

——

Everyone, Merry Christmas, don’t forget to collect, like, and vote during the holidays.