Chapter 6

‘Wow. My hand is really tiny.’

The shoulder I barely managed to reach was rock hard.

‘Your lost confidence… self-esteem? I’ll help you find it again. All of it.’

I was just a fan and gamer who only ever cared about male protagonists.

But I always thought your story was just… so unfair.

And now that I’m here in this world—

‘I won’t let the righteous ones die.’

Only then will I reach the ending.

And maybe… I’ll find a way home too.

I stuck out my lips in a pout, then mumbled under my breath.

…Just once.

“Y-You’re pretty.”

I gently patted that stiff shoulder with everything I had.

I knew just how bright this man used to shine, before the divine power he held so dear was corrupted.

“You’re pretty.”

Your glory won’t fade. Not ever.

That was all I could promise my new “Dad”, the one who’d be helping me from now on.

[Your heartfelt touch has reached him!]

[Hidden Skill “Purification” activated!]

And then it happened.

A light so white it felt almost holy, a sacred symbol blooming before my eyes, seen by no one but me.

‘It’s exactly how I remembered it.’

The skill that made Khan feel like a living god.

A protagonist-exclusive, top-tier skill.

‘You can actually feel it when you use Purification.’

My fingertips tingled.

The weight of this world’s salvation suddenly hit me like a truck.

I looked up.

‘Oh, man. He still looks totally out of it.’

Our eyes met, and that seemed to snap Derek out of his daze. He blinked rapidly and looked down at his own hands.

‘Feels like you just took your first bath in a year, doesn’t it?’

According to the lore, corrupted holy knights felt refreshed, like they’d just scrubbed off a year’s worth of grime, after being purified.

I felt a weird sense of pride.

Sure, I was low-level, so it probably wasn’t a lot of purification.

But?

The important thing is I’ve got the skill now. All I need to do is level it up.

‘Hehehe… things just got way easier.’

[Let’s show some love to your shocked ‘Daddy’!]

Huh? No thanks.

Once was enough.

[Let’s show some love to your shocked “Daddy”!]

[Throw a heart!]

I said no!

But the sign kept growing, as if refusing to accept my refusal. I groaned and looked away.

“Um, so…”

“You… just now—”

“Shh!”

I quickly reached out and pressed my finger to Derek’s lips.

“Can’t.”

You’re not supposed to talk about Purification. Not yet.

‘Luckily, the light from Purification is only visible to me, thanks to the settings.’

Thankfully, Derek seemed to pick up on the cue and shut his mouth without protest.

He looked slightly worried, glancing toward Ciara, who was standing there slack-jawed.

[Throw a heart!]

UGH, FINE!

I squirmed awkwardly, my tiny fingers fumbling to form a shape. Ugh, I’m too small, it’s not even heart-shaped…

Whatever.

Here! A lopsided heart!

It kind of looked like a squished circle at best, but still!

When my fingertips touched, I felt another faint zap, as if something had clicked again.

A tiny, pale light only visible to me.

Smaller than the last one, but clearly, Purification had activated again!

‘Wait… isn’t this a high-tier skill? I shouldn’t be spamming it like this!’

…Whatever. I’ll think about that later.

I flashed Derek a big smile.

“Daddy!”

His deep blue eyes trembled slightly at the word.

“I’m shupposhed to call you that, right? Issat right?”

“…Yes. That’s right.”

“Let’s get alwong from now on.”

And just as I said that with a smile, my vision tilted.

Huh? What’s going on…?

But before I could panic, my eyes shut.

The last thing I saw was the floor and a large hand reaching out toward me.

* * *

Thud!

The pope candidate, who’d been acting strangely, suddenly collapsed.

Ciara muttered softly.

“…That was a close catch.”

The moment Nemesia fainted, Derek had moved like lightning to catch her.

His hands were careful, as if he were handling a feather.

‘No, more like…’

Like a new cat owner holding a limp kitten for the first time.

It looked incredibly awkward.

Well, yeah.

‘She is super tiny.’

And Derek was enormous in comparison.

‘Still… what was that just now?’

A moment ago, the pope candidate had not only petted Derek Sacrum’s shoulder—

She called him pretty.

And then… she made some kind of weird shape with her hands.

‘What was that? A slime monster?’

…Is that some new trend outside?

Ciara didn’t recognize the finger heart.

‘…It’ll be a problem if the candidate goes insane.’

Thinking as rationally as ever, Ciara stepped forward.

“You can’t hold the child like that.”

Those in charge of raising the pope candidates were trained in everything related to child care.

“She’ll be uncomfortable. Please, let me hold her.”

“…”

But before her hand could reach Nemesia, Derek turned his back to her.

“Sir Derek?”

“…No. It’s fine.”

His voice was gruff and low.

“I’ll hold her.”

But in that voice… there was something else. A hint of timid resolve.

Ciara opened her mouth, hesitated—

…Wait, that’s how you’re holding her?

“Forgive me, but to put it bluntly… you’re holding her like a giant baguette.”

“…”

“She’s not bread, sir.”

Derek’s expression darkened. Ciara had a few more things to say but swallowed them down.

Once, he was a legendary holy knight who cut down fanatics at the front lines.

Though now demoted due to corruption, she still respected Derek deeply.

“…Alright, then.”

Ciara took a step back and added:

“Anyway, congratulations. Now that you’re the pope candidate’s Guardian, you’re officially back in your role—”

“No.”

His reply came out cold and sharp.

“I’m still just a useless piece of trash.”

“But you’re a Guardian now. Or maybe I should say ‘Dad’?”

“…”

“This candidate made it through the toughest trial of all, the Labyrinth. No one knows what kind of potential she holds.”

Ciara shrugged slightly.

“And she chose you, Sir Derek.”

Derek looked down at the child in his arms. His gaze grew heavy with shadows.

…Purification.

If that ability was real—

‘The moment it’s discovered… she’ll be killed.’

Fanatics who infiltrated the Order had always been its cancer.

Even though he’d been pushed off the front lines, Derek knew well about those fanatics lurking in secret.

And that wasn’t the only threat.

Their enemies weren’t just the Evil God and fanatics.

Spies.

Rival powers on the continent waiting to tear the Order apart.

Derek’s eyes darkened even further.

Worry for the Order. Rage at the fanatics and Evil God who ruined him. Bewilderment. Despair.

And the heavy gloom that still clung to his soul.

All of it twisted together, dragging his thoughts into a dark spiral.

…Maybe today’s miracle really was just a delusion.

Once the child opened her eyes and saw the truth, she might throw a tantrum and demand a different Guardian.

‘But…’

Even if he was just worthless trash, if she still wanted him by her side…

“…Then I’ll make sure she doesn’t die.”

Because that was his definition of justice.

* * *

“Eeeeekk!”

Uuuugghhh. I swallowed a scream that almost ripped through my throat and shot my eyes open.

Every inch of my body felt like it was buzzing.

‘This has gotta be that thing, right? The status effect you get when you push divine power past your limit! Ow!’

[Oops! Let’s not push divine power to its limit when you’re low-level!]

WHAT?!

The sign popped up in front of me, and I stared at it, utterly betrayed.

“You told me to do it!”

The first thing I did after waking up was hiss at the signboard like an angry kitten in a bath, pointing a tiny accusing finger.