Naturally, Han Se-ah never got around to comforting me.


    Grace, Irene, and Katie had grown close through a medieval fantasy adventurer-style romance - that is, being pulled into the bedroom before a confession. When learning about a loved one''s sad past, it''s natural to silently embrace them or stay by their side without bringing it up.


    But Han Se-ah and I didn''t have that kind of relationship. We started as senior and junior adventurers, became the Goddess''s hero and holy sword''s owner, and unknown to others, we were also a game player and key NPC. Conversely, only I knew that I was one of her viewers.


    Han Se-ah had built up an inner closeness by voyeuristically filming me, even outside of streams. I viewed her not just as a companion but as a viewer looking at a streamer.


    "A pretty large group of goblins and orcs is approaching. Seems there might be an encampment nearby," I said.


    "Prepare for battle!" Han Se-ah called out.


    Don''t we lack justification? This situation reminded me of a famous movie quote from a past life. We both felt more than just ordinary party member closeness towards each other, but we couldn''t explain it, resulting in one-sided feelings of intimacy.


    As a viewer, I felt close to the first internet streamer who brought the internet to my boring medieval life of 10 years. But I couldn''t reveal that I was an NPC possessed by a viewer watching the stream through a hologram window.


    Han Se-ah had built up a different kind of inner closeness by secretly watching not only my streams but also my dates with companions and even nighttime relationships... But that was a lewd secret she couldn''t reveal even to viewers, let alone me.


    So Han Se-ah''s perfect answer was--


    "Alright, battle preparations! ...The mission? I''m not doing it. Yeah, keep trying~ I don''t know how to do that stuff~ Could you bring up your parents'' death by betrayal to someone''s face? I''m not taking the mission and I''ll push through the story~"


    -Wow, the great Han Se-ah is refusing such a big mission reward ??


    -But seriously, how the fuck do you clear that? You could ruin the relationship if you try ????


    -I want you to comfort Roland''s grief, is money not enough?


    -I wondered why they were making a fuss about the mission, turns out all the Roland-loving ladies gathered to torment with a mission?


    -I''m not a lady but a gay man who likes blonde muscular hot guys, just ignore the mission


    The ability to maintain a thick skin anytime, anywhere, whether in front of fifty thousand or a million people. That must have been the driving force behind Han Se-ah becoming a world-renowned streamer beyond first-class.


    Or not.


    "Sir Roland, if you''re going to charge, we''ll follow," Olek said.


    "If the holy sword''s owner leads, well..." Alisa added.


    As Han Se-ah started canceling all missions while drawling her words annoyingly, seemingly having her freak-out switch flipped by the viewers'' harassment, I watched her clownish behavior with interest as the comedy duo approached me.


    Olek, who gained trust by putting his body on the line at the front, and even Alisa, who actually commanded the knights, had sparkling eyes. It seemed they wanted to confirm my skills.


    Since I hadn''t stepped up in the last battle as I was checking the Ice Cross Knights'' abilities, they were subtly encouraging me to charge by saying things like "we''ll follow."


    "Then I''ll take the vanguard this time," I said.


    "...!"


    To be honest, I found their expectant, sparkling eyes less burdensome than the gentle, sorrowful gazes filled with soft compassion.


    At first, I almost cursed the Goddess for making us bring along a blockhead like Olek, but as long as he was good with a sword and had a good heart, it was fine. It was funny how he''d spout all kinds of baseless rumors from who-knows-where and believe them all, but at least he wasn''t hindering the exploration.


    And it seemed to be helping Han Se-ah.


    "So, you''re saying not all witches living in the southern swamps of the Kingdom are black?" Olek asked.


    "There might be people with sun-tanned brown skin, but no one as completely black as my hair," Han Se-ah explained.


    With 19 knights taking care of collecting mana stones - despite being noble sons, they naturally took on the menial tasks, perhaps unable to ask the lovely ladies of the hero party to dig through the dirt - Han Se-ah had free time to chat with the newly joined Ice Cross Knights for her stream. Olek was the easiest target and an endless source of material.


    In truth, Han Se-ah was making a tearful effort to change the subject, trying to avoid the malicious mission-obsessed viewers who kept suggesting things like "try touching his chest" to somehow get her and me together. Still, Olek was entertaining to watch.


    Wouldn''t pushing your chest at an NPC like that get you instantly banned for sexually suggestive behavior? I''m not sure about the regulations in this world, what with the Harpy View Dropkick incident that caused an uproar on the internet.


    "Is that so? I heard that witches living in the south have completely black skin and hair, making them hard to find at night, and when they smile, only their snow-white teeth show through their long, split mouths," Olek said.


    "...This isn''t me saying this, it''s an NPC, right? I''m not going to get banned for racist comments, am I?" Han Se-ah muttered nervously.


    This is a world without internet, where bards are a popular profession.


    The reason they know about Roland Bretagne''s past is because bards spread rumors by composing songs, and Olek''s head is full of all sorts of weird false rumors because bards spout nonsense to fleece ignorant commoners.


    That''s why Han Se-ah quickly shut down Olek''s nonsense that seemed likely to summon BLM organizations in an instant, and once again changed the subject.


    She really was risking her life to stream, in a different sense.


    "Instead of southern stories, the one you were talking about earlier seemed more interesting," Han Se-ah said.


    "Which story do you mean?" Olek asked.


    "That frost mist treasure? ...Wait, what''s this?"


    The rainbow treasure story is better than racist talk. The idea of treasure at the end of a rainbow is a common myth believed in both East and West.


    Thinking this, Han Se-ah hurriedly changed the subject, but her expression twisted strangely mid-sentence.


    [In that far-off northern part of the Empire, on a snowy mountain peak where frost mist freezes to the very core]


    [It''s said that when the Goddess''s grace shines down, a crouching wolf crosses the rainbow bridge to ascend to the sky]


    [But why does the Empire''s legend include the story of the Kingdom''s Wesley family crest?]


    Northern snowfield, frost mist, rainbow bridge, crouching wolf, Wesley.


    A character quest had started from an unexpected place.


    Is this why she wanted me to bring them along?


    ---