Overpowered Reincarnation Perks! - Chapter 22.1 - Time Behind the Mask

It still felt like I was swaying.

The height was dizzying, even just looking down. I recalled Dienes’ smiling face as he watched me desperately clinging, feeling like I would fall over the railing at any moment.

Whether his words about not being able to escape meant that running away would mean death, I had no choice but to accept Dienes’s embrace to avoid being pushed out beyond the bell tower’s railing.

‘Crazy… perverted bastard!’

My eyes opened in anger. Even though I realized it wasn’t the frightening, unstable railing but a soft bed, my pounding heart wouldn’t calm down.

I clutched the blanket, breathing heavily. Anger with nowhere to go swirled in my mouth.

“Ju-in. Are you awake?”

It was Lupe’s voice, which I hadn’t heard in a while. How good his hearing was for someone who couldn’t see; he somehow knew I was awake and approached even though I hadn’t moved an inch in bed.

“Don’t come.”

“Ju-in?”

I wrapped myself in the blanket and turned over. My whole body felt languid and limp, with no strength at all, but below my waist felt numb as if it wasn’t my body.

Current distributable skill points: 2

I couldn’t believe that 2 Charm bonus points had accumulated in the meantime.

This damn system. Don’t lump me in the same category as that pervert. I never liked it. Those skill points must have accumulated due to a system error. Or manipulation.

I dismissed the translucent hologram window, denying reality. Perhaps because it was so absurd, my excitement subsided a little.

“Where’s Dienes?”

“The Commander is attending to his duties.”

Even though monsters had invaded, he didn’t bother with command and only thought about sticking to me, but now that I’m bedridden, he’s working? Does this make any sense?

Remembering how I clung to Dienes, swaying as if I would die if I fell, my mood soured, and I shook my head as if disgusted and raised my upper body.

The sunlight shining through the curtains was annoyingly bright. As if it was unbelievable that such a commotion had occurred yesterday.

“What happened?”

“Pardon?”

“The monsters attacked, right? How many casualties were there? What’s the damage situation?”

Quite a few buildings in the eastern city were destroyed. In fact, half of them were destroyed as I pushed the monsters into defensive positions, which made me feel a twinge of guilt belatedly, but that’s a minor issue.

Collapsed buildings can be restored, but dead people can’t be brought back to life. It’s not like people who can resurrect like me are common.

“There were no casualties.”

“What?”

“No one died. All the residents of the eastern city miraculously evacuated. The soldiers didn’t die either.”

Is that true? I quickly checked the party window.

Current party members: 578/999

It’s the same number as I saw before. At least it means none of the Central Palace soldiers and monster hunters invited to the castle died.

Then it’s probably not a lie that the citizens evacuated safely, too.

‘Thank goodness…’

If there had been casualties while I was rolling around in bed with Dienes, just when the monster attack happened, I would have regretted that moment for the rest of my life.

‘No, why should I regret it? It was Dienes who pushed me!’

Moreover, after dealing with the monsters, instead of handling the aftermath, in the bell tower, like a beast in heat, he…

Heat rose inside me. I felt like going to find him and slapping him across the face.

“Lupe, guide me.”

“Yes. Where to?”

“Where Dienes is.”

Whether it’s called the commander’s office or study, I’m not sure of the exact name, but he should understand even if I speak vaguely. As I lowered my legs to the floor, Lupe clasped his hands together and hesitantly tried to dissuade me.

“Ju-in, you’ve been sick for two days straight. You should eat first and rest.”

I thought I had slept for one night, but I had actually been unconscious for two days.

“Lupe. Aren’t you my attendant? Don’t make me say it twice.”

“But your meal…”

“In this situation, do you think food would go down?”

I don’t want to be this prickly to Lupe, who’s done nothing wrong, but think about what Dienes did to me. How could I speak kindly to his subordinate?

If you want to blame someone, blame your superior.

“Um, Ju-in. You need to put on shoes.”

Lupe, who had been flustered with a troubled face, urgently brought me shoes as I grabbed the bed post and stood up. They weren’t outdoor shoes but closer to indoor slippers, but they were good for protecting feet from the cold stone floor.

When I put on the slippers and stepped on the tiles, Lupe nodded and opened the door, having confirmed that the sound of my footsteps had changed. He still looked like he didn’t want me to leave, but I wasn’t in the mood to consider him right now.

As I stepped out of the room, I heard murmuring voices. While the room had been silent, the corridor was different. Perhaps because the windows were open, I could hear people shouting in the distance.

It didn’t seem to be screams or cries, so it wasn’t another monster attack or the cries of the injured. It lacked the regularity to be soldiers’ voices, and…

It seemed to be coming from further away than the main palace.

“Ju-in. It’s better not to go to the window.”

“Why?”

“Because the Commander is in the middle of resolving the situation, so you should…”

“The attack is over. What situation is he resolving?”

Is he in the process of restoring the area damaged by the monster attack? They rebuilt the Central Palace that burned down in one night, so it should be possible if they invest in magestones.

‘You might as well use them generously now, since hoarding them in the castle is useless.’

I thought I should tell Dienes to release the magestones when I met him, as I approached the window. Lupe followed me with an anxious face.

With each step closer, the clamor of people grew louder.

“…drag her out!”

My heart strangely fluttered. I heard Lupe trying to stop me from behind, but my steps were faster. I approached the window, placed my hands on the sill, and looked outside.

Beyond the split annex, at the inner gate of the castle. People gathered in front of it were shouting with indignant faces.

“The eastern city is in ruins! It’s all because of that woman!”

“Bring out the traitor who harmed the Lord!”

“Kill her! Kill her!”

The traitor who harmed the Lord. They’re talking about me.

‘Did they see my face?’

I turned around and examined Lupe’s face. His eyes were still unfocused, but seeing his pale face and slightly trembling lips, I was certain.

Lupe had realized my identity.

‘I’ve been found out.’

People don’t know that the Lord is dead. They probably think the monster invasion happened because the Lord’s control over the castle weakened due to being injured and recuperating.

On top of the already accumulated discontent towards the traitor who tried to harm the Lord, the absolute pillar of the castle, it was revealed that the ‘guest’ Dienes brought into the main palace was actually an intruder.

I don’t know where it leaked from, but two days is enough for a rumor to spread throughout the entire castle if even one person finds out.

The monster invasion must have been that shocking of an event. Perhaps even more frightening than a natural disaster. They can’t dare to resent the Lord, and they can’t protest to the Commander, so what’s left is me, the source of all incidents, and someone they can curse freely without fear of retaliation.

‘Even if I were to reveal here that I’m the new Lord…’

On top of the shock that the Lord has died, if they face the truth they want to deny – that an intruder has become the Lord – it wouldn’t be strange if it turns into a riot.