It's Overwhelmingly Convenient That the Female Lead Has Darkened - Chapter 83

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

A corrupted heroine is overwhelmingly convenient.
#83
“Burnout?”
“It’s like this, basically.”
Daisy pulled a sheet of paper from her bag.
The moment she held it to Fire Chicken’s feathers, it whooshed into flame and crumbled to blackened ash.
“You’re so exhausted that all your drive has burned away.”
Gwon Do-yo wasn’t particularly well-versed in psychology.
But on this one matter at least, he could be certain.
Gale Vendermain wasn’t lacking in ability.
If he lacked ability, he could never have become a Paladin hero respected by everyone in the original work.
He was simply exhausted.
Because he’d been striving for far too long.
“No matter what you do, there comes a moment when you grow weary. What matters is how you overcome it when that moment arrives.”
Gale, who’d been listening to Daisy’s words seriously, nodded as if he understood.
“Then I should pray more…….”
“Hey, Fire Chicken. Bite him.”
‘I’m afraid I must decline such a request.’
…….
While Daisy faltered momentarily—Fire Chicken’s eyes had shifted to an intelligent gleam once more—Gale asked in confusion.
“If not prayer, then what method should I use?”
“You need to distance yourself from the divine a little.”
“……What?”
“Right now you’re pouring all your time into becoming a Paladin. But honestly, you’ll be a brilliant Paladin without even trying that hard.”
That’s what the original work showed.
She didn’t voice the rest aloud, but Daisy genuinely believed it.
Daisy didn’t realize it.
…….
That Gale had unconsciously drawn in a sharp breath upon hearing those words.
That even without such effort, he could become a brilliant Paladin.
Not a single person had ever told him such a thing.
All he’d ever heard was ‘Work harder’, ‘Try harder’, ‘You’re insufficient’—that sort of thing.
Unaware that Gale had gone rigid, Daisy continued.
“So do something completely different from becoming a Paladin. Well, it’d be difficult to change your classes, so why not switch clubs instead?”
Ancient Scripture Research sounded like it might make her nauseous.
“What about something like the Knitting Club? They seemed pretty desperate to recruit members.”
Of course, that desperation didn’t include the Labyrinth, but no club would refuse a student from the Holy Power Altar who actually attended.
“Knitting…….”
“Who knows? There might even be Flame-Resistant Yarn you could use to dress Fire Chicken in.”
…….
Gale looked at Fire Chicken.
He was clearly imagining knitted clothes draped over that small form.
Gale’s cheeks flushed softly.
‘Wow, he really likes it.’
“That’s not a bad idea.”
Gale spoke more stiffly than usual.
He seemed embarrassed to admit he liked it.
Yet he continued stroking Fire Chicken, which was somehow a little amusing.
Crackle, crackle.
Sparks flew up from Fire Chicken’s back where the pale young hand brushed across it.
“Do you like chickens?”
Gale hesitated a moment at Daisy’s question before answering.
“I don’t know.”
“How can you not know?”
“I’ve never thought about it.”
Coo-coo-coo-coo…….
Fire Chicken rubbed its small head against Gale’s shin.
Gale stared at this sight for a long moment before speaking.
“Still…….”
It seems a bit cute, actually.
The words had been very quiet, but not so quiet that Daisy couldn’t hear them.
‘That’s really unexpected.’
Daisy thought to herself.
In Gale, petting Fire Chicken, she saw not a trace of the tiresome rigidity and fanaticism that had plagued the original work.
What on earth had changed him so?
After a moment’s reflection, Daisy rose from her seat and brushed off her clothes, shaking the thought away.
‘Well, that’s not really my problem to puzzle over.’
“I should get going now.”
Daisy extended her palm.
Gale, with practiced ease, placed two Gold Coins into it.
“One’s a bonus.”
“Please feel free to use the Daisy Consultation Center anytime.”
A lie.
As of today, the Daisy Consultation Center had every intention of avoiding Gale Vendermain with all its might.
As for the abandoned Back Garden—well, it would be a shame never to see it again, so she’d have to come back in the morning.
Thinking this, Daisy was about to leave.
“Daisy.”
Gale called after her.
“Which club did you join?”
The moment she heard that question, Daisy’s instincts screamed.
If I tell him, I’m done for.
“Oh my, is it really that late already!”
“Daisy?”
“I’ve got to go brush Kkamdun’s feathers!”
“Kkamdun……?”
“Well, see you! Goodbye, Fire Chicken!”
Chirp-chirp.
Leaving Gale staring in bewilderment, Daisy swept out of the Back Garden like a gust of wind and returned to her Bedroom.
“Whew, that was close.”
She’d nearly gotten tangled up with Gale Vendermain again.
It was just as Daisy let out a relieved sigh and flopped onto her bed.
[Screee.]
At that strange, shrill cry, Daisy turned her head and fell silent.
Somehow, a black crow was already holding a brush in its talons.
[Screee.]
Brush me.
“That was just a lie to get out of it—never mind. Come here.”
Brush-brush.
As Daisy combed the black crow—whose feathers had shifted to resemble wolf fur—she found herself wondering.
‘Ah, I never did ask who tended that garden.’
A pity, but there was nothing to be done about it.
She wouldn’t be seeing Gale Vendermain again, after all.
* * *
But then.
…….
…….
“Hello.”
That mad Paladin, what are you doing here.
Saturday morning.
Daisy went to the Club Room in high spirits to play a game of Intrigues, only to discover Gale Vendermain sitting calmly inside, and shock struck her hard.
Gale seemed uncomfortable, his expression slightly awkward, as if he hadn’t yet adjusted to the dim and murky atmosphere of the Club Room.
“How in the world did you know I’m in the Board Game Club?”
“I asked.”
“Whom?”
“Me!”
It was Monica Raoli who answered.
Only then did Daisy remember that Monica and Gale shared Theology Class together.
Of course, she did not recall that she herself also attended that class.
For Daisy, Theology Class had long since become an excellent naptime.
“You asked what club Daisy Sable-Heart was in, so I told you.”
“How much did you get?”
“One gold and a help voucher for intro theology homework.”
…….
Shrewd, she thought.
Daisy looked around the room, musing that this was surely the future leader of an information guild.
There was something that had been nagging at her since earlier—the club room seemed to have grown slightly larger.
About the space for one extra person, maybe?
But that didn’t make sense.
‘They probably just moved some unused furniture out.’
Daisy nodded to herself and settled into a seat, watching Felix.
Sitting rigidly with a cool expression, Felix still looked entirely out of place in a board game club.
Nora Spence came in, followed by Milo Everett and Boris Hagel fluttering in hand in hand, and when Straud Burnum closed the door behind them, the cramped club room filled up just as it had before.
Dylan Mason, with his hood pulled low so his face remained hidden, slowly drew out something.
Daisy had naturally expected it to be X-Regali, but it was something different.
On a small board that resembled a cave, a delicate white grid pattern had been drawn.
It looked like exactly the kind of board where rolling dice and moving one space at a time would feel just right.
As if answering that thought, Dylan produced a die and nine small game pieces.
Each piece was shaped like a different animal.
“This game’s title is…….”
…….
…….
…….
“……Cave Exploration.”
“You just made that up, didn’t you.”
…….
Dylan responded with silence to Daisy’s pointed question.
“……Choose your piece.”
“I want the puppy!”
Milo grabbed the first one he saw.
“I’ll take the mole, if that’s alright.”
Boris spoke as he removed his glasses to clean them.
Between his shaggy bangs, a pair of beautiful, large eyes gleamed.
“Hmm, I’ll be the crow.”
While Monica chose a clever-looking crow piece, Nora picked the raccoon.
“Then I suppose I’ll take the kangaroo.”
The piece Straud selected was a muscular kangaroo.
As Daisy marveled at the animal that so perfectly embodied Straud Burnum himself, Gale picked up a white unicorn.
Only Dylan, Felix, and Daisy remained.
Felix, who had been sitting motionless like a statue, scanned the remaining pieces and silently took the wolf.
Dylan, after a moment’s thought, chose a beautiful fox.
And Daisy, who had been watching the others pick their animals with fascination, suddenly realized she was the only one left and hurriedly checked what remained.
But she couldn’t see her piece.
“Where’s my piece?”
“……Here.”
“Where?”
Daisy looked to where Dylan was pointing.
There lay a single small, round golden bead—far tinier and rounder than the other pieces.
Daisy asked seriously.
“Is that poop.”
“……It’s a hamster…….”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————