S-Rank Harem: I Became My Character with Extra Control Skill

”I don’t think a Light Twin has been mentioned until now,”

Ryan commented with a tone of voice full of intrigue. He glanced sideways at the young woman, hoping she would have a more detailed answer about the relic.

”That is because, officially, it does not exist. The holy knights teach their highest ranks that the spirit king became completely corrupted. They say he lost his mind after the primordial spirits were destroyed,”

Chloe reported with great seriousness on her face. She lightly squeezed the leather bag in her hands as she remembered. The young holy knight lowered her gaze slightly toward the thick layer of snow beneath her boots.

”And because of that supposed irreversible corruption, the holy knights, under the direct command of their leader Keeper, made a decision. They turned the spirit king into the great Light Twin.”

”I see. And I am to assume that this powerful relic, the Light Twin, is right now in the hands of this Keeper?” Ryan replied, slowly assimilating the information.

”Yes, that is exactly as you assume, Your Majesty,”

Chloe said, nodding her head to confirm his logical and accurate suspicions about the enemy leader.

”The holy knights, the church, Keeper, or should I say, those damn deities. They have too many hidden tricks up their sleeves.”

Ryan commented in a rather serious and dark tone, feeling a deep disgust for the cruel tactics of those deities.

Upon receiving this vital new information, the human leader’s mind expanded much more. This whole revelation made Ryan reflect deeply on all the strange things he had seen and faced in this world.

The self-proclaimed divine church was capable of transforming living beings as majestic and ancient as the spirits into mere weapons of war.

’If they really planned from the beginning to sacrifice the primordial spirits of fire, wind, water, and earth. And forcibly turned them into the elemental Twins for their own military benefit and power expansion.’

Then, it was very logical to assume that they also dealt with the spirit king in an extremely cruel and treacherous way. What Ryan understood from this whole macabre affair was that those supposedly pure deities were experimenting with the most powerful beings in the world.

They were accumulating unimaginable power for some dark and selfish reason that he still completely ignored.

With that thought hovering in his mind, Ryan formulated a new, much more disturbing question while looking at the beautiful colors of the dawn.

’If the famous hero’s relic was capable of sealing the demon kings instead of killing them... What was the church’s true purpose in wanting to capture them alive?’

There were many complex things that Ryan had managed to understand thanks to Chloe. However, with that valuable historical clarity also came new doubts.

After that long moment of tension, both continued chatting a bit more about minor topics. And Ryan quickly realized that Chloe had no more relevant information about the dark secrets of her former leaders.

The thoughtful human leader then decided to ask her something very specific about her current situation in the castle. So he stood up slowly, shaking the fine snow off his coat to warm up.

He stood directly in front of her, slightly blocking the growing morning sunlight. Ryan looked straight into her clear eyes with a totally inscrutable and cold expression.

Before his sudden and direct question, he wanted to catch any minimal expression on the girl’s face. Ryan needed to visually confirm that she answered with the purest and absolute truth from the bottom of her heart.

”Chloe. Do you want to be free?”

Ryan asked with a very deep and calm voice, which blended softly with the freezing mountain wind.

”W-what did you say, Your Majesty?”

She asked with great doubt and evident surprise. Chloe took a small, involuntary step back in the snow, not understanding the hidden motive behind those words.

”What you heard.”

Ryan didn’t change his serious facial expression at any point, maintaining a posture of total authority.

”If you really want to leave this place right now, I personally can take you to the borders of a human city.”

He offered her a completely safe exit without reprisals from his demon kingdom.

”Naturally, I will give you enough money and food from our supplies so you can survive without problems.”

Ryan explained the incredible conditions of her unconditional release.

”You can rest easy until you decide what to do on your own in the future. Whether it’s being a free adventurer, returning to the ranks of the church if you wish, or simply living in peace as an ordinary human,”

Ryan said, giving her absolutely every possible option so she could rebuild her life far from Kowarre’s influence.

”Please, Your Majesty, do not joke about something like this...”

She said, questioning the veracity of his tempting words. Her delicate voice trembled a little at the sudden and overwhelming proposal of freedom.

”You yourself told me once very clearly that I had no choice but to stay here as your prisoner.”

And that direct accusation from the girl was something very true deep down. Chloe, despite continuing to walk freely through the wide corridors of the castle, was nothing more than a prisoner of war of the church.

And of course, by twists of fate, she had also become a useful makeshift nanny for Demon King Rohan’s bastard son.

But for Ryan, the mere fact of Chloe’s existence was of great help. It was she who acted quickly and brought Helen when he was in mortal danger facing Demon King Rigal.

If it weren’t for that great, timely help from the young holy knight, he would have had a very hard time and might not be alive. And it wasn’t just Ryan who thought that about her.

So did the rest of his disastrous and loud group.

Although probably for Chloe, conditioned by her harsh training as a knight, that action only meant fulfilling the strict task a simple prisoner had to do to earn their food.

”I will ask you one more time.”

Ryan broke the tense silence between the two sharply.

”Do you want to leave here?”

He looked her straight in the eyes, tirelessly searching for any minimal trace of doubt or fear in her gaze. To which Chloe quickly averted her eyes to the side of the mountain and blushed very noticeably on her cheeks.

Ryan knew very well that she had had a very hard time emotionally and physically since arriving on this harsh snowy continent.

He felt a little bad about the brutal attack the savage giant wolves had made on her. But that feeling was something he wouldn’t let her know.

Then, after a few seconds of silence, she let go of the food bag she was carrying in her hands, dropping it on the snowy ground. Chloe returned his gaze with great determination. She stood very firmly in front of Ryan, and clenched her small fists at her sides.

Then she slowly extended her tense fingers to release the pressure built up inside her. She took a very relaxed and deep breath, filling her tired lungs with the freezing and pure morning air.

”No.”

Chloe replied with a very soft voice but laden with a strange and new personal certainty.

”I want to stay here...”

She said with her voice a bit broken by the emotion of the moment. She sounded somewhat shy admitting aloud her true desires to voluntarily stay and live with the demons and the feared heretics of the north.

But after uttering those brave words, her clear eyes shone with an intense and genuine light of hope.

”I truly believe I can be of great use to you in the future, Your Majesty,”

Chloe added, gathering all her courage to face the highest authority of the nation.

”Please allow me to stay by your side in this nation.”

She said confidently, giving a slight and respectful bow before the human leader who had spared her life and offered her a place to belong.

Then Ryan smiled very genuinely and warmly upon hearing her sincere and loyal answer.

”Alright.”

Ryan accepted her unwavering loyalty with a slow nod of his head.

”But you must become much stronger starting today. I will not allow someone who serves me directly to be defeated by mere wolves again.”

He changed his tone to one much stricter and protective at the same time, demonstrating that she was now an official part of his ranks. Ryan took a step toward her to leave his final order very clear in the mind of the young holy knight.

”Have you understood?”

”Yes!”

She said, highly elated and happy at the firm acceptance of her demanding king. She showed a beautiful and radiant smile on her face, while the strong, cold air of the great mountain fluttered her brown hair under the warm light of the new dawn.