I was Reincarnated as an Incompetent Leader with Zero Popularity who met his downfall early on. Instead of banishing the hidden cheat Protagonist, I decided to embrace him, and somehow, I ended up being treated like a Hero instead. - Chapter 16

(Revised on May 21)

A boy accidentally walks in on his childhood friend, a beautiful girl, while she’s changing. A moment of silence follows before the air is filled with her loud scolding and screams, ending in a resounding slap.

For a brief moment, a scene from a manga I liked in middle school came to mind. It also took place in the male protagonist’s room.

Back then, I thought it was unfair for the heroine to hit him even though she was the one using his room without permission. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel a thrill at seeing her in her underwear. That manga was probably thrown out by my mother too.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Alva!”

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have used your room without permission!”

Faced with the girl repeatedly apologizing so desperately, I froze. I take back what I thought earlier—being treated as a pervert and slapped would have been far better than this.

Standing before me, Chrono was bowing her head repeatedly, still in her underwear. I could only stand there, bewildered.

Her trembling body, pleading for forgiveness, was covered in wounds. Some were still oozing bl00d. The thin cloth wrapped around her chest was in tatters.

Should I tell her to put some clothes on first? No, tending to her wounds should come first. But she’s dirty with mud, so maybe a bath would be the priority.

While I struggled to decide what to say, Chrono began moving.

“I’m really sorry! I’ll clean up and leave right away!”

As she said this, she bent down to pick up her jacket from the floor. A short, sharp cry escaped her lips.

Watching her face, both dignified and delicate, twist in pain, I finally opened my mouth to speak.

“Did you hurt your wrist?”

“I couldn’t deflect the monster’s attack properly with my shield… but it’s fine. I can still move.”

As she spoke, she awkwardly slipped on her shirt. Her jacket, torn in multiple places and stained with bl00d and mud, only made her injuries look worse.

“That jacket is completely ruined. Just throw it away.”

“What?”

“For now, you can wear one of my shirts. I’ll give you some I’m not using.”

“Your shirt… for me?”

“Yes. If it’s too big, adjust it yourself or sell it at a thrift store to buy something else.”

I pulled a few shirts out from the back of the wardrobe and tossed them to Chrono. They were ones I had bought on a whim but never wore because I didn’t like the design or material. Of course, they were all men’s clothes, plain and inexpensive.

Still, Chrono clutched them to her chest, her eyes sparkling.

“Before you wear them, wash up and treat your wounds. You’ll just get the clothes dirty otherwise.”

“Y-yes, understood.”

It was clear she expected me to reprimand her for using the bath. Instead, I watched her bruised and cut body closely. There weren’t any severe injuries on her face, but her arms were covered in wounds and bruises, as if she’d been beaten repeatedly with a bat, then slashed with a knife.

“Some of those cuts on your arm are pretty deep.”

“I’m sorry. It’s because I have no talent for fighting…”

Chrono lowered her gaze, trying to hide her injuries from my view. But during our adventures, her role was only to carry the supplies. She lacked both physical strength and magical abilities, which was why she was often treated as a burden or dead weight.

She always kept her distance during battles to avoid getting in the way. For her to end up with injuries like this was completely out of the ordinary.

I decided I needed to talk to the rest of the party about what happened to her.