How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 226: Light and Curses... ”Please wait for a moment...”

It was dead at night....

Cold and dark.

The hallway of Killian Hall was practically deserted, a cold silence filling the space as I stood awkwardly in front of Emiliaʼs dorm room.

The magical dim lights cast eerie shadows against the walls, flickering ever so slightly as the moonlight seeped through the massive, open windows.

The door in front of me was familiar enough-just like every other one in Killian Hall with its high-standard design and intricate markings.

This was the door leading towards Emiliaʼs dorm room...

And beside the door, flanking it, were two figures who made the situation all the more uncomfortable: Anna and Amon, Emiliaʼs personal guards.

Both of them stood rigid, their faces stern but uneasy.

Except for their first request of making me wait for a moment...

They hadnʼt said a word since I arrived, merely glancing at me with tight lips and avoiding direct eye contact.

Fifteen minutes had passed since Iʼd shown up, but Emilia still hadnʼt let me in.

The silence between us was almost suffocating, the occasional flicker of the magical stones on the walls the only sign of movement.

Their discomfort was almost palpable as well.

They couldnʼt even look at me properly, their eyes shifting away every time I caught them stealing a glance. ʼJust how long was she going to make me wait out here?ʼ

I understood the need for precautions—after all, she had already cast some sort of divine barrier around her room, locking the space between us to ensure that whatever happened inside and outside the vicinity of her room remained invisible to anyone passing by.

But there had to be a limit to its effect.

Divine magic this strong couldnʼt go unnoticed for too long, and if the dorm master or anyone else in authority caught wind of the anomalies surrounding this area...

Well, letʼs just say that wouldnʼt end well for me. Being caught lingering outside a girlʼs dorm room late at night with magical barriers in place was practically a death sentence.

The rumors alone would be enough to destroy whatever little reputation I had left. Clank!

Click!

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the dorm room door creaked open.

A head poked out, and there she was-Emilia, looking completely disheveled.

Her face was flushed, and her hair was a mess, strands falling across her face in chaotic spirals.

It was clear she had been flustered, probably rushing around inside to prepare for this moment.

Despite her usual graceful demeanor, right now she looked more like someone who had just scrambled to put out a fire. ”Y-You can enter now, Senior R-Riley... Sorry for the wait,” she stammered, her voice shaky as she blushed deeply.

She was out of breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly, as if she had been running around for the past several minutes.

The sight was so uncharacteristic of the saintly image she usually projected that it almost caught me off guard.

But just as I took a step forward, eager to finally get this awkward waiting game over with, two blades swiftly slithered across the tip of my neck, their cold steel resting uncomfortably against my skin. ”Please know the limits of your actions, Sir Riley,” ”If we notice any irregularities inside, we wonʼt hesitate to take your head...” ʼWell, that escalated quickly.ʼ

I knew Emiliaʼs personal guards were overprotective, but this was a bit much, even for them. The cold steel against my throat was a clear reminder that, despite Emiliaʼs invitation, they werenʼt going to let their guard down for even a second.

Though I couldnʼt exactly blame them.

After all, from their perspective, the situation must have seemed incredibly suspicious.

Emilia, the cherished saintess and symbol of purity, suddenly invites a random male student to her private dorm room in the dead of night?

Without prior notice or explanation? Yeah, if I were in their shoes, Iʼd probably be suspicious too.

Any member of the Templar Order who caught wind of this would have me strung up in the town square by morning.

But the real kicker was how unprecedented this was.

Emilia wasnʼt the type to act impulsively-without giving them any proper reasoning at least, not in the game.

Although I donʼt know how much she told this two.

The fact that she had called me here, and under these circumstances, was beyond abnormal. I could only imagine the alarm bells going off in Anna and Amonʼs heads. ”I understand,” I said calmly, trying not to escalate the situation any further.

The last thing I needed was to provoke them into acting on their threats.

Slowly, ever so slowly, their blades withdrew from my neck, retreating back into their scabbards in smooth, fluid motions as if nothing had happened.

The tension in the air, however, didnʼt fully dissipate. I could still feel their eyes burning into the back of my head as I stepped over the threshold and entered Emiliaʼs room.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind me, I could hear the faint murmurs of Anna and Amon resuming their silent vigil outside.

The fact that they canʼt enter inside despite the presumable threat I possess, just goes to show the limits of their influence over her huh.

Her words and opinion remain top priority... if so, I might be able to take more advantage of her in the future...

Turning back toward the room, I finally took in the sight of Emilia, standing there, still flushed and nervous.

She fidgeted slightly, clearly uncomfortable, her hands twisting together as if she didnʼt know what to do with them.

Her eyes, which had glowed faintly before, now seemed hesitant-almost vulnerable, even. ”Did something happen outside?” Enna asked, tilting her head slightly, her eyes flickering toward the door behind me.

Her gaze sharpened as she seemed to notice the faint glow of divine energy lingering in the air.

It didnʼt escape her attention-of course, as a saintess, she would easily pick up on something like that.

I forced a smile, trying to brush it off. ”No, nothing,” ”I-I see....” Enna shifted awkwardly, biting her lip for a moment before trying to regain her composure. ”A-anyway, w-welcome, Senior. I know everything looks a bit weird right now, but trust me, every little thing has a purpose.”

She was nervous-her stuttering and fidgeting made that very clear.

Her room was surprisingly ordinary, considering who she was.

It wasnʼt all that different from mine, in fact-unlike the other heroines, whose dorm rooms had been customized to suit their personal preferences.

Some had lavish decor, training facilities, or even specialized layouts to accommodate their abilities or status.

Ennaʼs room, however, was just... standard.

From the plain wooden furniture to the bed, the same simple desk near the window, and even the small kitchenette tucked away in the corner, it all looked exactly like my own dorm.

There were no grand adornments, no special features, nothing that stood out.

It was almost as if she had chosen to blend in, to remain modest, despite her status.

But as my eyes swept the room, one thing did stand out.

Right in the center of her room, drawn hurriedly and with clear intent, was a massive magic circle.

Its intricate patterns and glowing runes radiated a soft, divine white light.

I didnʼt even need to activate my mana sense to recognize that it wasnʼt just any ordinary circle.

The sheer intensity of its divine properties was unmistakable. ”S-Senior R-Riley, sir... I know youʼre very curious as to why I asked you to come here all of a sudden,” Enna stammered, her voice shaking as she wrung her hands together nervously. ”And honestly, Iʼm very thankful that you accepted without any problems... but before I explain everything to you, can I ask you to do one more thing...?”

I raised an eyebrow, already sensing where this was going.

The room hummed with power, and I had a good guess that this was the same purification ritual she had used in the game on Lucas.

Back then, it was to cleanse him of the dark abnormalities placed upon him, allowing him to resist the influence of the evil god, Erebil as well as remove the curse Liyana placed on him when they first fought against each other...

So, if Enna had summoned me here for the same reason, she must have realized that there was some sort of abnormality lurking in me.

A darkness that needed to be purged. ”Go ahead...”

Enna shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.

The divine light from the magic circle illuminated her features, casting her expression in a serious, almost desperate, glow.

Her eyes locked onto mine with a strange mix of determination and hesitation. ”S-Senior Riley... P-please take off your clothes...”

My mind stuttered to a halt as her words sank in. ʼOkay, I take it back. I had no idea what she was up to.ʼ