I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 924

Chapter 21: Nia’s Hometown

The day of summer vacation has finally arrived.

A grand entourage of princesses and saintesses gathered at the school gate, drawing a crowd of teachers and students.

After a heartfelt farewell at the school gate, Roy officially set off on the journey home with Nia.

Liberated from the grind of the nightly drills, Roy felt a refreshing sense of uprightness, rejuvenated.

However, Nia’s expression was even more dramatic than his.

She gazed toward the distant sunlight, looking like a saint finally rescued, with an almost holy demeanor and just a few tears short.

Roy expressed concern for the girl beside him, “You look a bit under the weather lately.”

Even though Nia was only rank 5, it was exceptionally rare for her to have dark circles under her eyes. The girl looked almost as worn out as Karl did after battling with a dragon.

Seriously, how can you even ask?!

Nia bit her lip but merely returned a weak smile.

While the trio had been enjoying themselves, she had been tormented to no end!

Strange noises reverberated all night, robbing her of restful sleep, stirring her emotions, leaving her shivering under the blankets with those embarrassing sounds.

Now liberated from her nightmare-like torment, the relief felt ten times more touching than simply surviving finals and welcoming a free vacation. Nia was almost in tears.

But surprisingly, she wasn’t the happiest one.

“Don’t talk about me; your griffin looks like it lost a whole round of weight!”

“It’s summer; monsters need to shed their pounds too.”

Though they didn’t understand their exchange, the now-freed Cheese felt like the future was bright and walked with a spring in its step.

It figured out that physical pleasures were too base—behind the tender exterior of females lurked terrifying beasts. Better to stay single and carefree.

Elven descendants didn’t much care for exhibitions, but as Nia was the first daughter of the Verdant Council, she naturally had guards accompanying her on her journey.

However, looking at the pale faces of the two and the griffin, it was clear they all resembled folks just released from hard labor. Natasha, leading the guards, exchanged glances with the others.

Is the pressure on young people really that high? Why do they look like they’ve just escaped some form of punishment?!

The last time Roy returned to the kingdom, he rode the griffin day and night for speed.

But this time, with an intention to keep a low profile and no time constraints, they took their time.

Roy informed them of the information regarding All Things Wither received from the Sage. Thus, Natasha and the others proceeded cautiously, helping Roy disguise themselves.

Elven descendants were clearly accustomed to being discreet. Not just Nia, but even Natasha and the others donned adventurer gear, blending perfectly into the adventurer group.

Initially, Nia was quite eager, polishing her short sword to a shine every night, itching to engage in a battle with All Things Wither.

But to everyone’s surprise, until they entered the Elven Forest and reached the Verdant Council, they faced no attacks; the journey was unusually smooth.

“Is the Dean unreliable? The promised cult isn’t attacking; there isn’t even a shadow in sight!”

“Keep it down; if no one attacks you, you should feel happy!”

“You don’t get it, Sister Nana. With our high-ranking guard present, we’re not scared at all! I just want to see them walk into their doom and let Roy scatter their ashes!”

Strangely, All Things Wither seemed quite intent on attacking even under the Sage’s watchful eye to capture Nia; their obsession with the Forest Elf was evident.

Once they entered the Verdant Council, they would be protected by rangers, making it hard for them to act.

The best opportunity to attack should have been on the road.

Roy had always been the one to stir up trouble wherever he went, but the unnervingly smooth journey began to unsettle him.

If low-key activities meant evading All Things Wither‘s pursuit, then that would be splendid.

However…

The fate nodes showed no changes.

This meant Nia was still in danger—it was far from the time to relax.

Following in Nia’s footsteps, Roy traversed the deep paths and was greeted by an explosion of dazzling sunlight, opening up his vision.

The elven girl turned around, arms outstretched, beaming with a bright smile.

“Welcome to my hometown!”

Beneath a clear sky, the dense woods wound endlessly. The buildings in sight were anything but the grand castles of the kingdom or the pure churches of White Harbor; it looked like they had fallen into a bizarre new world.

Colorful mushrooms, towering treehouses, and in the distance, waterfalls streamed down, casting a faint rainbow—a truly dreamlike scene.

Giants Eagles soared freely between the layers of vegetation, and throughout the city lived tall, slender boys and girls with delicate features, making for a pleasing sight.

Roy had expected the home of the elven descendants to be a backward village hidden deep in the mountains.

But to his surprise, the capital of the Verdant Council, Nia’s hometown of Emerald City, was on par with any city he had ever visited.

Nia placed her hands on her hips, clearly quite proud: “So, what do you think? Isn’t our hometown amazing?”

Roy nodded, “It’s really impressive.”

“Great! Let me take you on a tour…!”

“Hold up, don’t run off. We should check in with Lady Janthea first.” Natasha ruthlessly shattered her fantasy, yanking her by the collar and dragging her away.

Emerald City didn’t have a castle; instead, the administrative center was the most massive treehouse, the World Tree.

Here, treehouses stretching a hundred meters wide were not uncommon, yet those smaller than the World Tree seemed quite dwarfed.

Under the tree, Janthea was already waiting for them, ready to welcome them into the World Tree.

Inside, the walls weren’t dull wood; instead, they were filled with a vibrant assortment of rare plants. Flowers swayed in the sunlight streaming through the windows, their fragrance wafting in the air, soothing body and soul.

Once they reached the reception room and were alone with just the three of them, Roy finally removed his Phantom Mask to reveal his identity to Janthea.

Janthea scolded Nia, “You let a dragon-slaying knight pretend to be an adventurer… Good thing Roy is nice and didn’t take it out on you.”

“Hey, hey, hey! It was Roy’s idea from the start!” Nia cried in indignation.

Ignoring her protest, Janthea turned to Roy and instantly softened her expression: “I knew it. Only you would spoil this child; no other adventurer would put up with her antics.”

“Roy, thank you for your hard work along the way. The Verdant Council doesn’t emphasize extravagant displays; I hope you don’t mind.”

“Lady Janthea, you’re too polite.” Roy was actually quite happy to avoid a grand welcome.

“However, true to your reputation, you wisely thought to keep a low profile; that’s why no unnecessary trouble occurred on the way.” After a moment of reflection, Janthea shot a glare at Nia, who was tossing snacks about, a bit frustrated: “Can’t you be a bit more mindful? If only you had half of Roy’s sharpness, I wouldn’t have to worry about you.”

Nia was speechless.

So when he keeps a low profile, it’s strategic, but when I do, it’s just causing chaos? Isn’t that a double standard?! Who do you think you are, my mom?!