Altruistic Warrior - Side Story 3

I was caught off guard, but at the same time, I was glad that Kelian was at least showing some interest in me. I couldn’t stop the low mood that had settled over me, so I forced the corners of my lips into a smile. I wasn’t sure if it looked natural, but I didn’t want to appear too down in front of him.

But…

“A long time ago, I was afflicted with an S-rank curse…”

To explain how we met, I had to start from when I was cursed. And that was never a pleasant topic for Kelian. As expected, his calm expression wavered slightly at the mention of the curse.

And that wasn’t the worst of it.

“I heard that Kelian’s divine power could purify curses, so I approached you all while hiding the fact that I was cursed—”

“Wait.”

Dain quickly interrupted, grabbing my arm and whispering urgently.

“Aren’t you being a little too honest?”

“What? But—”

As I started to argue, Jenin suddenly leaned in between us.

“Yeah. Since Kelian doesn’t remember anyway, why not just say you met at a ballroom dance?”

“If we’re making something up, meeting in front of the Magic Tower on a moonlit night would be much more romantic—”

“Huh? Why would the Magic Tower be involved?”

“What’s wrong with the Magic Tower?”

Jenin and Dain suddenly started bickering, their argument making even less sense than before.

It was Kelian’s indifferent voice that finally silenced them.

“I can hear everything.”

“……”

“……”

Jenin awkwardly laughed and suddenly started patting Barkrud’s back for no reason, while Dain turned away with his usual grumpy expression. Naturally, Kelian’s gaze landed back on me.

“You… were cursed.”

His murmur was emotionless, but he didn’t seem particularly pleased either.

Of course, he wouldn’t be.

He had lost his memories, and now some strange woman claiming to be his lover had appeared, only to tell him that even their first meeting had been based on deception.

There was no way he would feel good about it.

I started to force another smile but stopped myself.

At this moment, smiling would only make me look even more ridiculous.

I wasn’t sure what kind of expression I was making, caught between forcing a smile and suppressing my emotions, but Kelian simply watched me with dry, unreadable eyes.

“I see.”

Kelian cut off the conversation with a curt response, as if there was nothing more to hear. I hesitated before biting my lip. I had no right to feel hurt by his cold dismissal.

“…”

In the silence that followed, Jenin’s eyes flickered slightly. After a brief moment, she strode forward, slung an arm over my shoulder, and called out toward the table.

“How about we go to a dungeon tomorrow?”

At the mention of a dungeon, Barkrud’s back visibly tensed. He was always so easy to read.

“The townspeople said there are several rare dungeons nearby that still don’t have a first clear. They’re not SSS-rank, but wouldn’t it be a good warm-up?”

It was the perfect topic to disrupt the heavy atmosphere, and everyone responded positively to the idea.

Dain was the first to nod.

“Sounds good. I’m in.”

Since Jenin brought it up, and Barkrud never said no to dungeons, their agreement was a given.

“I’d like to go too.”

If it were another SSS-rank rare dungeon, I might have hesitated. But if it was something lower-ranked, I wouldn’t be a burden. In fact, if I focused on fighting, maybe I could clear my head of all these thoughts. That was reason enough to agree.

“You’re going too?”

Unexpectedly, Kelian looked at me as he asked.

There was a slight hesitation, maybe even discomfort, in his voice. My mind went blank for a second.

Jenin frowned slightly before answering in my place.

“Of course, Aine is coming too.”

But “of course” didn’t apply to the Kelian of today.

It had only been natural for me to join as part of the hero’s party when I was Kelian’s lover. But now, I wasn’t.

The realization hit harder than I expected.

And to make things worse, Kelian had just learned that I had approached him under false pretenses when we first met. There was no way he felt good about it.

As Kelian seemed about to say more, I hurriedly cut him off.

“Oh, actually, I just remembered—I have things to do. I don’t think I can go to the dungeon tomorrow.”

It was an obvious excuse, one that anyone could tell was made up on the spot. But I couldn’t think of anything else.

If I claimed I wasn’t feeling well, Seiris would just heal me on the spot.

As if on cue, Seiris entered the inn after what seemed to be a casual evening stroll.

“Seiris! The others are heading to a rare dungeon tomorrow. You’re going too, right? I’m busy, so I won’t be able to join.”

“Aine.”

“I should go upstairs and finish preparing for my errands. Have a safe trip.”

With that, I made my early farewell, forcing myself to act as naturally as possible. Ignoring Jenin’s concerned gaze, I headed up the stairs.

A few times, I nearly tripped, but I stubbornly kept my balance, refusing to let my steps falter.

Thump, thump. My heart pounded loudly in my chest.

Kelian had done nothing wrong.

All he did was ask if I was coming. That was it.

But I had let myself get hurt anyway.

I ran away because I couldn’t bear to hear what he might say next.

How pathetic.

If this continued… if we ended up separating completely… how was I supposed to handle it?

As time passed, hope that Kelian’s memories would return faded. And in its place, the fear that he might never remember only grew stronger.

If that happened, could I really stay in this great hero’s party?

I had ignored that question for a long time because I wanted to stay with them.

But after the SSS-rank rare dungeon incident, I couldn’t avoid it anymore.

Two years ago, I was nothing. Now, my level had risen dramatically— enough that it could be called a miracle.

But it still wasn’t enough.

I was not strong enough to be a true part of this party.

While I had grown, so had they. Most of them had already reached level 90, while Kelian and Seiris had long surpassed level 100.

Up until now, I had stayed because of friendship—and because I was Kelian’s lover.

But now, he had lost his memories because of me.

And he was no longer my lover.

So was it really right for me to keep taking up a spot in this party?

“Ugh…”

Just a few days ago, we had been lost in love with each other. Now, I could hardly believe what had become of us.

But this was all because I wasn’t strong enough.

Because of me, Kelian got hurt.

Because of me, he lost his memories.

I had no right to be upset about this situation, nor did I have the right to be sad.

Silent sobs escaped me for a while.

The next morning, I didn’t leave my room until I confirmed through the innkeeper that the others had already departed for the rare dungeon.

By then, I was fully armed, my inventory stocked with potions and supplies.

“This must be it.”

The locals had been generous with information, and as they said, the underground dungeon wasn’t far from the village entrance, hidden inside a high-level hunting ground.

Without hesitation, I stepped inside.

[You have entered the Frozen Labyrinth.]
[Difficulty: SS-rank]

It wasn’t a rare dungeon, but SS-rank was still nothing to take lightly.

The moment I stepped in, a violent blizzard struck, blurring my vision with swirling snow.

I tightened my grip on my club.

Soon, monsters began appearing one by one across the vast, snowy landscape.

Screeech!

I struck down creature after creature in a frenzy, my mind drifting.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had gone hunting alone.

Maybe I would have to get used to this again.

Even as I fought, I couldn’t shake the feeling of loneliness pressing down on me.

Had I really been so comfortable all this time?

A monster’s blade slashed across my forearm, tearing through my sleeve.

A sharp pain burned through me as blood trickled down. I quickly pulled a potion from my inventory and drank it.

Right after, I barely dodged another incoming attack.

I didn’t stop.

I raised my club again.

Earlier, I couldn’t bring myself to see them off.

Before leaving, they had knocked gently on my door.

Even Kelian had paused in front of my bed, but in the end, he hadn’t woken me up.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see them.

I just wasn’t sure if I could keep up the act of being okay.

So I had stayed under the blanket, holding onto the dull ache in my chest.

But I couldn’t deny the truth anymore.

I didn’t belong in the hero’s party.

Even after crying through the night, I hadn’t felt a shred of resentment.

But…

What if I got stronger?

What if I kept clearing high-level dungeons alone?

Would that give me even the slightest right to stay by their side?

I knew it was nothing more than a desperate hope, but I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.

That was why I had come to this dungeon.

Kraaaaaah!

“Ugh!”

I failed to dodge an attack from what seemed to be the leader of the monsters, and my body was flung through the air before crashing into the ground.

Luckily, the thick snow softened the impact, but by the time I got up, even more monsters had appeared.

I gritted my teeth, grabbed my club, and charged at them.

I knew that luring them out one by one would be the most efficient way to handle them, but there weren’t many places to hide in this open space.

Besides, I wanted to fight recklessly.

It took a long time before I finally cleared the dungeon.

The leader monster had been persistent, making me worry about the boss fight, but in the end, the final boss turned out to be weaker than expected.

It seemed like the real challenge of this dungeon was the endless waves of monsters combined with the constant blizzard that obscured visibility.

[Dungeon cleared.]
[Rewards have been distributed.]

As expected, clearing a regular dungeon alone wasn’t enough to level up.

Still, since it was SS-rank, the rewards were decent.

But in the hero’s party, these items would be useless.

“Hah… Hah…”

I struggled to catch my breath, as if I had just finished a full sprint.

Of course, fighting the monsters had been just as intense.

I had rolled and stumbled through the snow, collecting dozens of wounds along the way.

Even after using several potions, I staggered out of the dungeon with my entire body covered in injuries.

The others could clear rare dungeons alone, while I barely managed a regular one.

Instead of closing the gap, all I had done was confirm how much weaker I was.

“…One more time.”

I muttered to myself, with no one to hear, determined to keep pushing forward.

The second time, I cleared the dungeon faster, but I still didn’t level up.

Even after running it multiple times, nothing changed.

I hadn’t expected much, but I couldn’t stop the bitter disappointment from creeping in.

In the end, I used up all my potions and staggered out of the hunting ground, completely battered.

I had to accept reality.

No matter what I did, I wasn’t strong enough to belong in the hero’s party.

As I walked into town, passersby gasped in shock at the sight of me.

I had changed into fresh clothes beforehand, knowing my old ones were torn and bloody, but the wounds on my body still made me look frightening.

If I returned like this, the others would definitely react, so I decided to stop by a shop to buy more potions.

“Oh no. Just when I ran out of potions…”

…If the shop had any stock left, that’s where I would have gone.

Unfortunately, this was the only shop in town that sold potions.

I searched for another place to get treatment, but everything was already closed for the night.

“What should I do…?”

After thinking for a while, the only solution I could come up with was hiding my body under a robe.

I decided to go straight to my room, bury myself under the blankets, and sneak out early tomorrow.

Wrapping myself tightly in a large robe, I headed back to the inn.

I would have preferred a different robe, but this one belonged to Kelian, which meant it was oversized enough to cover me completely.

As soon as I stepped into the quiet first floor, I felt relieved.

The others hadn’t returned yet.

But just as I let my guard down, Seiris appeared out of nowhere—silent as a ghost.

“Ahh! S-Seiris! When did you get here?”

“…”

Her piercing gaze slowly swept over me from head to toe.

Even though I had wrapped myself securely in the robe, it felt as if I were completely exposed.

I tried to act casual.

“It’s a bit chilly up north, so I threw on a robe. Haha. Anyway, I’m really tired today, so I’ll head to my room first. You should rest too, Seiris—ah!”

Suddenly, a burst of blue light surrounded me.

Before I could escape, it forced me down into a chair.

Seiris said nothing.

Without a word, she began casting healing magic.

As always, her magic was incredible, and the pain that had been weighing me down faded completely.

My head drooped slightly as the relief washed over me.

“…Thank you, Seiris.”

“You’re welcome.”

Now that she had resolved what had clearly been bothering her, her usually cold expression softened just the slightest bit.

It was hard to notice unless you spent enough time watching her.

Taking the chance, I carefully asked,

“Did the rare dungeon go well?”

“Yes.”

“What was the difficulty like?”

I regretted asking the moment the words left my mouth.

What meaning would a non-SSS-rank dungeon have for someone over level 100?

But Seiris’s answer was completely unexpected— and strangely touching.

“It wasn’t interesting without you.”

“Seiris…”

Our friendship, built over time through her unique tastes, always showed itself in the most unexpected moments.

This was one of those times.

Seiris didn’t miss the opportunity and eagerly pulled out her newly decorated staff, leading to a long conversation where I genuinely praised it.

After parting ways, I headed upstairs, only to bump into Kelian at the bottom of the staircase.

I had no idea how long he had been standing there.

“Ah.”

Neither of us looked away.

A strange silence settled between us, and only then did I realize—I was still wearing his robe.

I almost took it off to return it, but when I noticed a faint stain of blood, I hurriedly hid it behind my back.

“Sorry. I’ll wash it before returning it.”

“…”

Without waiting for a reply, I hurried past him and climbed the stairs.

He didn’t call after me.

That night, I heard the door open and close.

If it had been anyone else, they would have woken me up or said something.

But instead, I only heard quiet footsteps heading toward the other bed.

I didn’t have to look. My instincts already told me it was Kelian.

“…”

I lay facing the wall, pretending to sleep.

Kelian sat down silently.

He was always the quiet type, but this silence felt heavier—colder.

“Ine.”

His voice suddenly broke the silence, and before I could stop myself, I turned around.

But when I met his eyes, they were still indifferent.

“That’s what they said your name was.”

“…Oh. Yes. That’s my name…”

For a moment, I thought he had remembered.

Hope flickered—then died just as fast.

My voice faded along with it.

“There was… a misunderstanding yesterday.”

It sounded like he was trying to start a conversation, so I sat up out of courtesy—but I still couldn’t bring myself to look directly at him.

I wasn’t sure if I could handle looking into those empty, unfamiliar eyes.

“I didn’t mean that I didn’t want to go to the dungeon with you.”

His voice was carefully polite, like someone speaking out of obligation rather than affection.

It only made the ache in my chest worse.

I lowered my gaze even further, avoiding him completely.

And somehow, my eyes—completely by accident—ended up stopping at the front of his pants.

“…”

This wasn’t the time for this.

But for some reason, I suddenly remembered what was inside those pants.

Not that I needed to try to remember—even now, in its unaroused state, it carried a heavy presence.

The grotesque shape and size, something that could never be called pretty.

The way it had entered me, over and over, grinding into my insides, breaking me down until I couldn’t even think.

All of those memories flooded my mind at once.

“I heard that you were in danger in the rare dungeon you visited before… Aine?”

“Huh?”

I snapped my head up, only to find Kelian watching me with a strange expression.

“Is there… something on my pants?”

“A-Ah, no! Nothing at all!”

Maybe I should have just pretended there was a bug.

That would have been less embarrassing than being caught staring at a man’s pants for no reason.

A brief awkward silence settled between us.

I had no idea what he was thinking, and I didn’t have the courage to ask.

Taking advantage of the dim lighting, I spoke quickly, trying to cover my flushed cheeks.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to go to a dungeon with me. I understand. If our levels don’t match, it would be inconvenient for you too.”

The words stung as I said them, as if I were driving a thorn into my own chest.

“That’s not the case.”

Kelian’s voice was firm.

I flinched and looked at him.

“I was only concerned about your safety. But I may have misjudged. It would be better to keep you where I can see you.”

I had heard similar words from him before.

And yet, this Kelian, who had lost his memories, sounded exactly like the one before he had forgotten me.

It left me feeling strangely unsettled.

Still, I sincerely thanked him.

“Thank you for saying that.”

“I just don’t want you to misunderstand. Even if… we can’t go back to how we were before.”

Even if we can’t go back.

I had already expected it, given the way he had been treating me since losing his memories.

But hearing it from him directly made it feel ten times worse.

I stared at his beautiful face, then quickly turned away.

With our beds lined side by side, I could avoid looking at him if I faced forward.

I almost teared up.

Almost.

“There don’t seem to be any more rare dungeons worth exploring in this area. We plan to stay for a short while to rest and resupply before leaving.”

“Ah… I see. Alright.”

The conversation naturally reached its end, and Kelian stood up to head for the bathroom.

Only when I saw his broad back disappear through the door did I finally let out the breath I had been holding.

I felt miserable.

Sad, scared, guilty…

My emotions coiled tightly around my chest, suffocating me.

But the most pathetic part was that even through all this, my body still reacted to him.

“Ugh…”

A dull ache throbbed below, making me instinctively pull the blanket over myself and lie down.

Even before we became lovers, Kelian had always made it hard for me to think straight.

Now, it had gotten worse.

At this point, I reacted to him constantly, at the worst times, no better than some desperate animal in heat.

I had probably just never noticed before, simply because Kelian’s own relentless energy had always overshadowed my own.

Now that I was alone, it was impossible not to feel it.

Closing my eyes tightly, I forced myself to focus.

I needed to stop thinking about him like that.

This wasn’t the same Kelian I had known.

It wasn’t right to feel like this about someone who had no memory of our past.

Especially when he had just spoken to me so kindly.

Click.

The sound of the bathroom door opening made me flinch under the covers.

Completely unaware of my ridiculous state, Kelian simply turned off the light and lay down in bed to sleep.

Tonight, even the moonlight refused to seep in, leaving the room engulfed in complete darkness. While that was somewhat reassuring, an odd sensation crept over me, making me curl my toes.

Before long, the sound of steady breathing came from beside me. It was so faint that I had to strain my ears to hear it, but it seemed that Kellian was indeed asleep. Gulp. I swallowed hard, for no reason at all.

In this complicated situation—where my lover had lost his memories, and I had no idea when they might return—I was lying here, restless, picturing the man sleeping in the bed next to me.

What the hell am I doing? Get a grip…

I scolded myself, but my body, accustomed to frequent intimacy, reacted in defiance, growing even more aroused. Perhaps it was because the heat from earlier, when we had fought our way through the dungeon, had yet to fully subside.

But Kellian seems to be asleep…

In the end, consumed by desire, I slowly slid one hand downward, slipping beneath my negligee. The deeper I reached, the wetter my fingers became—clear evidence of just how long I’d been aroused.

“Hnn…”

I tried my best to stifle any moans, but there was no helping the ragged breaths that slipped out. As I stroked my damp flesh and pressed a finger firmly against my entrance, a shudder ran through me.

“Mm…?”

It was the spot Kellian had relentlessly licked and teased. When I slipped a single finger inside, the heat within parted easily, welcoming me in.

Squelch. Schlick.

Each movement of my finger stirred up wet, obscene sounds as slickness mixed with flesh.

Not enough…

The memory of his soft, insistent tongue grazing and pressing against me made my body burn with even greater urgency.

“Ha… ngh—”

A stifled moan escaped despite my efforts to hold it back. Without realizing it, my other hand had moved to grasp one breast, rolling the nipple between my fingers. Beneath the negligee that covered me, both hands were moving busily.

My arousal had reached its peak, yet no matter how much I teased my entrance or rubbed my swollen bud, I couldn’t reach release. It was frustrating. Compared to Kellian’s skilled and seductive touch, my own felt clumsy and unsatisfying.

In the end, I gave up and let my hands fall still.

My breath was still ragged, and I wanted nothing more than to drift off to sleep. But the wetness coating my fingers made it clear I needed to get up. Quietly, I lifted my upper body and glanced at the bed beside mine.

Fortunately, in the darkness, Kellian remained still—he hadn’t woken.

Only then did guilt settle in.

What the hell did I just do…?

I felt terrible for Kellian, who had fallen asleep without any suspicion, completely unaware of my selfish actions. Hastily, I wiped my hands clean and crawled back into bed, forcing myself to sleep.

Just before I drifted off, I thought I heard him stir beside me. But before I could be sure, sleep pulled me under.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Seduce him again.”

The words were suddenly thrown at the back of my head while I was browsing the village shop. At first, I didn’t even realize they were meant for me and simply ignored them—until Dyne snapped, Are you even listening?

Oh. Was that directed at me?

“‘What?'”

“Kellian. I’m talking about Kellian.”

“…….”

So that’s what this was about. I stared at Dyne’s serious expression, momentarily dumbfounded.

“You know, something you’re good at. Flirting, teasing him just enough to drive him crazy but never quite letting him catch you. Or, if that’s too hard, you could just flatter him like you do with Sayris.”

Was he insulting me to my face?

I hesitated for a moment, but there wasn’t a trace of mockery in Dyne’s demeanor. That’s when I realized—he was genuinely trying to give me advice. Not that it made his suggestion any easier to understand.

“Wait… You’re not seriously thinking of leaving just because Kellian is like this now, are you?”

“Gasp. How did you know?”

It felt as if he had crawled into my mind and read my thoughts. The shock made me blurt out my question without thinking, and Dyne immediately scowled.

“You really thought about leaving?”

There was a faint trace of betrayal in his voice, and I hurried to explain—though it sounded more like an excuse.

“Kellian lost his memories because of me. I can’t even call myself his lover anymore. And… my level doesn’t match yours, either…”

“So, you’re planning to leave and find a party that suits your level instead?”

That wasn’t what I meant. But now that I had said it aloud, it did sound that way.

“Is that all the resolve you have?”

The more we talked, the more irritated Dyne became. He tapped the end of his staff against the floor with increasing force. The shopkeeper shot us a sharp glare, clearly displeased with the disturbance.

“If Kellian lost his memories, then you should be thinking about seducing him again—even if it means getting cursed again—not running away before even trying.”

…Get cursed again?

The way he suggested such an extreme method so casually made me shudder. But before I could react, he suddenly asked,

“Aren’t we friends?”

“…..?”

“Did you really think the only reason you’re in this party is because you were Kellian’s lover?”

That… wasn’t true.

I had vaguely sensed it before, but hearing Dyne say it made the thought feel more real, more solid. And the word friend, spoken so unexpectedly by someone I hadn’t expected to say it, made my lips tingle with the urge to smile.

Dyne’s ears had already turned red.

“…I’m sorry.”

I apologized sincerely. I regretted how I had prepared myself to leave without even discussing it with my party. I had been so focused on my own doubts that I had completely overlooked the people who had stood by me all this time.

The past two years had been filled with countless memories—not just with Kellian, but with Dyne and the rest of our party as well. And yet, I had completely overlooked the fact that they saw me the same way.

It felt like my vision, clouded by loss, had finally cleared just a little.

“I wasn’t thinking straight, Dyne.”

“As long as you get it now.”

His blunt response didn’t bother me at all. When had we become friends like this? The realization was both strange and reassuring, making me chuckle.

But just then, my eyes met Kellian’s through the shop window.

His silent gaze lingered on my face, calm and unwavering.

Lately, moments like this had been happening more often—our eyes meeting unexpectedly. It was almost instinctual for me to look his way, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what he was thinking when he looked at me.

“I’ll finish selling this stuff, so if you don’t have any business here, wait outside.”

Dyne waved me off casually, signaling the end of our conversation. Without protest, I turned to leave.

Before I could even reach for the door handle, Kellian stepped forward and opened it for me.

Even this small gesture made my heart pound.

“Dyne will be out soon,” I said.

“…Alright.”

His answer was brief, and he returned to his usual stance—rigid, almost like a guard on duty. There was no sign that he intended to continue the conversation.

Seduce someone like this…?

I couldn’t imagine it.

I no longer had the reckless courage I’d once had under the curse. Back then, I hadn’t thought twice before throwing myself at him.

But now… I was far more afraid of being rejected.

“……?”

Still, there was nothing stopping me from at least trying to talk to him. I swallowed once and carefully opened my mouth.

“Um… do you ever dream, Kellian?”

…And the moment the words left my lips, I regretted them.

What kind of question was that? Of all the things I could have said, that was the best I could come up with?

As I berated myself, Kellian answered in a low voice.

“I do.”

“Oh… Can I ask what kind of dreams?”

Before he lost his memories, Kellian had once told me that he rarely dreamed. So, hearing that he did now made me genuinely curious.

It was still a random topic, but it shouldn’t have been a difficult question to answer.

And yet… he simply stared at me, silent.

“…Kellian?”

“…It’s nothing. Do you dream, Aine?”

That was… a smooth way of dodging the question. But it wasn’t important enough to press him on it, so I let it slide.

“Yes, I…”

Oh.

The nightmares I’d been having flashed through my mind, and my expression hardened involuntarily.

Over and over, I had dreamed of Kellian leaving me behind. He would decide there was no reason for us to stay together anymore and walk away with the rest of our party, leaving me alone. The details changed slightly each time, but the result was always the same—him disappearing into the distance while I stood frozen in place.

Every time I woke up, I’d find myself drenched in cold sweat.

And yet, I had been the one who seriously considered leaving first. The irony was almost laughable.

“…Never mind. It’s nothing.”

I couldn’t bring myself to tell Kellian about my fears. Not when he had no memories of us.

He looked slightly puzzled, but since he had avoided answering himself, he didn’t press me for an explanation.

And just like that, the conversation fizzled into awkward silence.

Dyne took forever to finish his business—so long that I wasn’t sure if he was selling items or crafting new ones. And when he finally emerged, he discreetly nudged my arm as he passed, as if to say, I gave you two some time alone on purpose.

…Great.

And I had wasted that opportunity talking about dreams.

A hollow chuckle slipped from my lips.

“Hero?”

As we walked to meet the rest of our party at another shop, a group of unfamiliar men suddenly stepped in front of us, calling Kellian’s name.