"No Marriage, Please! vs. Marry Me or Die: The Ultimate Love Showdown" - Episode 7

“Alright. The doors are all locked.”

After securely locking up the estate, I set off toward the Adventurers’ Guild.

My current goal is to strengthen my abilities. At the same time, I’ve decided to try something new in order to gain full control over my unique skill—Evil Veil.

I soon arrive at the small Adventurers’ Guild located in the village.

“Okay.”

At the entrance, there’s a reception counter. On the left, a large quest board filled with postings. To the right, a materials buyback desk, and further in, a tavern and some attached facilities.

“Now, let’s see about a quest…”

Thanks to my knowledge of the original story, it won’t be hard for me to rise through the adventurer ranks. Still, I’d rather avoid standing out unnecessarily. I don’t want the Empire getting hold of information about me.

“Hey.”

A voice calls out from behind. I turn to find a male adventurer standing there.

Even through his gear, his muscular build is obvious. His armor is worn and patched from many repairs, and the large sword on his back is clearly of fine quality.

A cross-shaped scar on his cheek gives the impression of a seasoned warrior.

“Do you need something?”

“My name is Baldo. I’m a C-Rank adventurer.”

“C-Rank? That’s impressive.”

In the adventuring world, C-Rank is considered upper-tier. Many set out seeking fortune, but only a handful ever break through to C-Rank.

“And you are?”

“Yuri. I’m still a fledgling F-Rank.”

“Heh… F-Rank, huh?”

He gives a sly grin. Doesn’t seem like the friendliest guy…

“Come with me. I’ll show you what it means to be an adventurer.”

“Alright.”

I follow him without resistance. I’d prefer to avoid a fight, but if he’s picking one—then I’ll deal with it accordingly.

Before I knew it, Bald had led us into a back alley. It’s eerily quiet, the kind of silence that feels heavy.

“So, about your gear…”

I immediately shift into combat readiness. I’ve heard stories of so-called “rookie education” that are just excuses for hazing. My hand moves toward the sword at my waist—but—
“Huh? Whoa, easy! What’s with you?”

“That’s my line. You didn’t drag me into a back alley just to beat me up, did you?”

“Come on now. I get why you’d think that…”

He scratches his head awkwardly. Only then do I notice the faint trembling of his hands. Even though I’m suppressing Evil Veil, its influence is still active.

“You’ve got dark-attribute magic, right? Must be tough. Your gear’s not exactly reliable either.”

“So, you called out to help me?”

“Yeah. I’ve seen too many newbies get wiped out in their first fight. And I’ve known others who’ve suffered because of their own skills.”

I see. The tension I sensed from him must’ve been a reaction to my skill.

Honestly, I could manage on my own. But I’m not so foolish as to waste goodwill.

“Were you planning to take me to an armory?”

“That’s right. But now that we’ve talked, I can tell—you’re probably fine.”

“You can tell just from talking?”

“More or less. Comes with experience.”

“I see.”

I head into the armory and decide to purchase a new sword. I could have just had my old one refurbished, but it’s time for something fresh.

“Thanks for everything, Baldo.”

“No problem! Let me know if you ever need anything.”

“By the way, have there been any recent disturbances with the monsters around here?”

“Hmm? Nothing out of the ordinary. Monsters go wild now and then, but it’s been pretty calm lately.”

“Got it. Thanks for the info. I’ll be off then.”

“Sure. See you around!”

After parting ways with Baldo, I head straight into the dungeon.

The dungeon in this village isn’t too difficult. As long as I don’t go deep, I won’t encounter high-level monsters.

“Is that… a goblin?”

The goblin locks eyes with me, and its gaze glows with feral intensity. It’s under the influence of Evil Veil, making it even more aggressive.

“Alright, time to test this out.”

I begin channeling the magic within me. Instead of using a skill, I’ll fight with pure magic. To neutralize Evil Veil, I’ll need to master spellcasting.

The goblins remain cautious, watching me closely. They could pounce at any moment. Despite that, I calmly construct and cast my spell.

A magic formula consists of five components:

• Elemental Core (attribute)
• Shape Formation (sphere, spear, wall, etc.)
• Power Control (intensity and range)
• Duration (instantaneous or sustained)
• Additional Effects (tracking, spread, etc.)

With my inherent dark-attribute magic, I feed power into the spell and launch it.

“—Dark Lance.”

I conjure multiple Dark Lances, assigning each to hover above a goblin’s head.

Then—simultaneously, they all fire, annihilating the group.

“Not bad.”

The magic construction took less than a second. That’s the mark of Yuri’s talent—and he has even more potential beyond this.

I spend several hours in the dungeon, battling monsters.

And then, at last—I acquire the power that Yuri awakens in the final arc of the original story.

“Good. Now I can completely suppress Evil Veil.”

I test it—Evil Veil isn’t activating. I can now switch it on and off at will.

With this, I’ll only grow stronger. My short-term goal of improving my abilities is within reach.

“Time to head back.”

I turn to leave the dungeon. I’ll probably get home before Ria, so I should cook dinner. We’ve received plenty of ingredients, so that’s no problem.

Just then—

A ghoul I thought I’d defeated earlier lunges at me from behind.

“Huh? I missed one?”

Its gaunt, gray-skinned body moves unnaturally, bloodshot eyes glaring, claws bared.

“GRAAAAHHH!”

I casually lift a finger and cast a spell. A spear of focused magic pierces its skull.

“Now… what to make for dinner?”

The ghoul disintegrates into a cloud of pale particles, vanishing without a trace.

Returning to the Adventurers’ Guild, I cash in the materials I collected.

“Excuse me. I’d like to exchange these.”

“Of course! Right this way.”

Just as I finish and prepare to leave, Baldo approaches me again.

“Hey, Yuri.”

“Oh, Baldo. What’s up?”

“Your skill… it’s not active anymore, is it?”

“You noticed? Keep that to yourself, alright?”

“Y-Yeah… of course.”

I figured he might notice. I’ve fully neutralized Evil Veil for now.

This ability is a type of unique magic, and to my knowledge, it hasn’t been publicly documented yet.

Just to be safe, I warned Baldo to keep it quiet. Though honestly, even if word got out, it wouldn’t be a big issue.

And with that, I return to the estate—
________________________________________
†
My name’s Baldo. I’m a C-Rank adventurer—solidly mid-tier by now. I used to work in the capital, but after an injury, I returned to my hometown village.

“Huh? That guy…”

A face I didn’t recognize. His gear was minimal—definitely a rookie. I decided to approach him.

“Need something?”

“I’m Baldo. C-Rank adventurer.”

“C-Rank? That’s impressive.”

So, he’s got dark-attribute magic. There’s a heavy pressure about him. Still, the way he holds himself… sharp and calm. Gave me a smart impression.

“And you are?”

“Yuri. Just an F-Rank beginner.”

“Heh… F-Rank, huh?”

The pressure from his skill made me grin without meaning to. Damn. I wanted to be more approachable.

“Come on. Let me show you what being an adventurer really means.”

“Alright.”

When I tried to guide him to the armory, he immediately tensed up—ready for battle. His movements were sharp, like a seasoned warrior. Even I was taken aback.

After talking to him for a bit, I realized he was the real deal. You can tell a lot from a conversation.

“Baldo, sir. Good work today.”

“Yeah.”

I had just finished a quest and came to exchange materials.

“Oh, by the way, we received some griffin materials. Excellent condition. We’re sending it to the capital.”

Right—someone mentioned a griffin showing up nearby.

“No damage at all?”

“Right. One clean shot to the head. A perfect kill. But we don’t know who did it.”

“Maybe the Flashblade Princess from the capital passed through.”

“Probably. Only someone of S-Rank level could manage that.”

As we chatted, Yuri suddenly appeared behind me.

“Excuse me. May I exchange these?”

“Of course!”

“…!”

I hadn’t sensed him at all. Me, of all people. Did he use some kind of stealth skill? No… with his pressure, it shouldn’t have been possible to miss.

After he finished his transaction, I approached him.

“Yuri.”

“Yeah? Oh, Baldo. Something wrong?”

“You’re not using your skill right now, are you?”

“You caught on. Keep that to yourself.”

“Y-Yeah…”

I’ve never heard of anyone suppressing a dark-attribute skill like that. Whatever he’s using, it’s not known to the public. But one thing’s clear—Yuri’s power is far beyond average.

He walks out of the guild, calm and unshaken.

“Heh… hah… I see. I’ve still got a long way to go, don’t I…”

Leaning against the wall, I look up toward the sky.

But… somehow, seeing him lit a spark in me again.

Not despair—but something like hope.