Chapter 75

N-no, I thought this place would be where I’d be found out, so it’s fine…

The comments section, everyone is being about five times more reserved than I expected (shaking voice)

A-And a lot of people skip the afterword… right????

“--Because I’m a guy, too, you know.”

The shocking words that came from Lily’s well-formed mouth pierced my heart deeply and strongly.

I couldn’t breathe.

My head was spinning, and I felt like I was about to lose it.

I wanted to deny it.

I wanted to shout that there’s no way it could be true.

But I knew.

Even I could see that Lily’s chest, without the padding, was undeniably male.

But, but… I don’t understand.

Why… why is he…

“Why do you look so surprised? …It’s a hassle to explain, but, well, it’s fine. You see, my name, Lily, is my real name.”

I was somewhat surprised by those words.

I can see people’s statuses with my ‘Insight’ ability.

However, the name displayed in the status is often the name the character goes by, not necessarily their real name.

Since I found out Lily was a guy, I had assumed there was a different real name.

I don’t know much about naming conventions in this world, but they should be similar to Japan’s.

Why would a guy have a name like ‘Lily’…

“…Ah, that’s the reaction I expected.”

Lily’s face twisted in discomfort.

His cold, condescending gaze became even more contemptuous.

“I once said I didn’t like my name. I was bullied a lot as a kid because of it. The boys in the neighborhood would say things like, ‘You’re a guy, but you have a girl’s name, it’s disgusting’ or ‘Hey, girl-boy!’ and other stuff. Even from people I met for the first time, I’d hear, ‘You have a girl’s name… oh, you’re a guy?’”

The content of the story was less shocking than the way Lily told it, as if it were a pleasant memory, which made my spine shiver uncontrollably.

“I thought, ‘What’s wrong with a guy having the name Lily!’ but I was weak back then and couldn’t say anything. I resented my parents. Why did they give me such a name? Then, they gave me a straightforward answer.”

Lily continued with a smirk, as if he found it amusing.

“My mother had a miscarriage before I was born. It was a girl. The name ‘Lily’ was supposed to be for her. My mother hugged me, stunned by the story, and said, ‘I’m sorry for the trouble. But I didn’t name you Lily because I didn’t love you. We wanted to give you the name of the most beautiful thing we knew.’”

Before I knew it, I was completely engrossed in Lily’s story, forgetting the situation.

“After hearing that, I couldn’t say anything. I went back to my room and looked in the mirror. I saw a person who wasn’t masculine or feminine, and certainly not beautiful, and felt utterly miserable. …But then, I thought, ‘Then, I’ll just become beautiful.’”

The moment Lily said those words, something felt different.

“I borrowed my mother’s clothes and dressed up as a girl for the first time. The clothes were all too big, and I didn’t know how to apply makeup, so it was probably a mess. But, but… when I looked in the mirror, there was a ‘beautiful girl.’”

Lily’s tone became more passionate.

“The excitement I felt then is hard to put into words. I was more beautiful and cute than anyone my age, and I was convinced I could become even more beautiful. That’s when I decided. I would make myself, no, ‘Lily,’ the best girl!”

His storytelling became smoother, and I felt myself being drawn into his bizarre world.

“After that, things moved quickly. I collected girls’ clothes without drawing attention and searched for ways to become beautiful… Then, before I knew it, the time came. I told my parents, ‘I want to go on a journey like you two,’ and they gave me permission right away. That day, I left the town where I was born and… was reborn.”

—You’re crazy.

That was my first thought when I saw his madness.

But, but…

“After that, the world, no, everything was turned upside down. The guys who used to tease me would blush and stumble when they saw me, and the girls who used to gossip about me would bite their lips in defeat. Especially, the way I toyed with the guys was so much fun. There’s nothing more enjoyable than that, right?”

Lily, with his flushed cheeks, speaking of his twisted ideals, was indeed beautiful.

“…But, you know…”

Suddenly, his tone changed.

—Bang!

My head was stepped on again.

“Sometimes, there are people who don’t know their place! Don’t you get it? You guys are just tools to praise me! That’s it!”

The sound of his stomping echoed, and his angry voice rained down on my shaking vision.

“You’re disgusting! You don’t even know I’m a guy, and you’re saying you like me and love me! You’re just a bunch of perpetually horny apes!”

I had reached my limit.

It’s true that I confessed without realizing he was a guy.

But that doesn’t mean I deserve to be treated like this.

No, in the first place, he was the one who deceived me!

If I were to shout that he’s actually a guy, he’d be the one in trouble!

“Huh, huh…?”

The situation changed again.

In sync with my rising anger, I pushed back the foot that was stepping on me, little by little…

“—What is this?”

The movement stopped as Lily, with a playful smile, showed me “that.”

“Video recording… crystal.”

The words slipped out of my mouth in a daze.

Lily, no longer showing his previous madness, smiled as if enjoying my reaction.

“From the look on your face, you seem to understand. Everything is recorded here. The pervert who approaches me, making disgusting confessions, and tries to force a kiss.”

It felt like the world went dark.

My vision dropped.

“…What’s wrong? You suddenly lost your energy. Aren’t you a hero? Shouldn’t you be able to easily take care of a bard like me? Hey, hey, hey?”

I thought it was unreasonable.

I wanted to retort.

But I couldn’t say anything.

In the midst of the storm of unjust violence, “I” remained silent, cowering.

“Hey, how do you feel? Coming to this dungeon with ulterior motives, leaving all your equipment behind, and now being stepped on like this, how does it feel? Hey? Hey?”

He mocked and taunted.

I wanted to scream, “Stop it!”

I wanted to say, “Don’t destroy the ‘Lily’ in me anymore!”

“First of all, didn’t you think it was strange? ‘I don’t need money. Seeing the place that means a lot to my parents is the best reward’?”

But I couldn’t say anything.

Without being able to retort, Lily leaned in closer…

“—There’s no girl like that, you idiot. Stop dreaming, virgin.”

At that moment, something inside me snapped.

“Uaaaaaaaah!”

I let out a meaningless scream, scratching my head, and then…

—I turned off the game console.

☆ ☆ ☆

“Uaaaaaaaah!”

I let out a meaningless scream, scratching my head.

(Black history… The memories of black history!!!)

A few years ago.

When I was still a college student, I was immersed in a game called “Brave & Blade.”

I was a somewhat twisted person, and even though I took the stance that “getting attached to game characters is uncool,” I ended up getting deeply into one of the characters, “Lily Harmonics.”

There wasn’t much information about “Brave & Blade” to begin with, and I never realized Lily was a guy, leading to the worst ending.

(Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it!)

Years have passed since then, but I still haven’t forgiven “Lily” or the developers of “Brave & Blade.”

Because, that’s not fair!

She looks like a girl from any angle, and the voice actor is a woman too!

That trend of putting random girl-like accessories on a character and declaring, “Hey, I’m a girl!”

I hate it!

In reality, Lily’s victims weren’t just me.

He is despised by almost all “Brave & Blade” players, being the worst character by a wide margin.

After all, the encounter rate with him is quite high.

Lily’s encounter events are so common that not triggering them is considered rare.

Specifically, if you enter a tavern in the same town as Lily during the second year, an event will trigger.

You will witness Lily being harassed in the tavern.

A situation where a weak girl is being harassed by a drunk, no matter how twisted a person, would not leave her behind.

Naturally, interacting with Lily would lead to the thought, “I want to make this girl my companion,” and he would drag all such players into that hell.

Some might argue that a cross-dressing male character would be popular among female players, but apparently, the character design for male characters aimed at male players and female players is fundamentally different.

Lily, except for the fact that he is a guy and has slime pads in his chest, is designed to be completely female, with a female voice.

As a result, he became a character despised by most players, except for a few enlightened ones.

Some players, like me, were emotionally affected, and there were even reports of numerous complaints.

I might have done the same if my sadness hadn’t outweighed my anger.

(But, that’s all over now.)

The opportunity for revenge has come.

—Wait for it, Lily. This time, I’ll make you crawl on the ground and beg pitifully!!!

I sat in seiza in front of Leesia, who had her arms crossed, writing a reflection while smirking.

Rex, awakened to the waves of murderous intent

VS

The worst villainess (?) in “Brave & Blade” history, Lily

Fight!

The next update is tomorrow!

I hope so!

Tremble in anticipation!