The Retired Supporting Character Wants to Live Quietly

“I haven’t forgotten the promise.”

Merilda opened her mouth, stepping over her discarded clothes.

“The promise to marry you when I grow up.”

Back then, after safely arriving at the main headquarters following a four-day escape.

Little Merilda told me she would marry me when she grew up.

She said she wouldn’t meet or love anyone else until then and asked me to wait for her.

“I’m an adult now. I’ve graduated from the academy and have a proper job.”

Walking through the water, Merilda stood in front of me with a blushing face.

“I was so happy to hear you were coming. I’ve kept myself pure for this moment.”

Seeing the serious Merilda, I was so dumbfounded that I had to stifle a laugh.

If I laughed now, it would surely hurt her deeply.

But aside from that, it was amusing.

At that time, Merilda was just a kid, not even ten years old. She probably didn’t even understand what she was saying, swept up in the moment.

Even though she’s an adult now, to me, Merilda still looks like a child, no different from Knightley or Olysia.

“I appreciate your feelings, Merilda.”

“Dian…”

I held Merilda’s shoulders as she tried to hug me.

“But I must respectfully decline. To me, you’re still the little girl from ten years ago.”

“What…?”

“I didn’t save you with this in mind.”

“But…”

“If I accepted you, it would tarnish the noble sacrifice I made.”

Merilda’s face showed extreme confusion at my words.

“I-I’m sorry… That wasn’t my intention…”

“I know you didn’t mean it. That’s why you still seem like a child to me.”

“I see…”

Merilda lowered her head in disappointment.

“I… wanted to repay your kindness… So…”

“You having become such a wonderful person is repayment enough. I don’t expect more.”

“Ah, Dian…”

Tears began to fill Merilda’s eyes.

“You’re so noble and pure… and I foolishly tried to taint someone like you…”

“Not at all. Your intentions were pure. You’re just young, and your way of expressing it was inappropriate.”

“I’m sorry…”

“You don’t need to apologize. I already feel completely compensated by coming here today.”

“You’re truly… an amazing person…”

Merilda wept.

“You should be celebrated as a hero… more than Sir Linus…”

“I’m really fine. Your tears are more precious to me than any title of hero.”

“Ah…”

Overwhelmed, Merilda covered her mouth with both hands, trembling.

“Let’s head back. People will start looking for us.”

“Yes, Dian…”

After waiting for Merilda to get dressed, we returned to the village together.

All the way back, Merilda kept praising my noble soul.

“Yes, yes.”

Actually, there was another reason I rejected Merilda.

Of course, what I told her was the main reason, but there was also something else.

Frankly, Merilda isn’t my type.

She lacks, how should I put it… the right kind of curves?

Being with someone like her feels like committing an unforgivable crime to me.

In my memories, Merilda is a ragged, snot-nosed little girl.

It really feels seriously guilty.

Even seeing her naked, I had no reaction down there, which says it all.

But I couldn’t say that outright.

I couldn’t just tell her, “I’m not into you.”

If I were the protagonist of a web novel, the readers would probably call me a eunuch, but truth is truth.

I like someone with a body like Kirrin or Ismera.

Anything less just doesn’t do it for me. I don’t want to be with someone who hasn’t matured enough.

And most importantly, there’s a bigger problem.

Lina is hiding in the bushes using her stealth skills right now.

Why is she even here?

# # # # #

Meanwhile, Lina was silently wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

She was deeply moved by how Dian treated Merilda.

Following Linus and Dian’s carriage, Lina had infiltrated the village from a distance.

She saw Dian being warmly welcomed by the villagers and giving a speech at the town hall.

While understanding the general situation, she eavesdropped on various conversations to grasp the finer details.

Especially those between Sir Linus and Professor Dian.

As a result, Lina discovered an astonishing truth.

Professor Dian was part of the same special task force as Sir Linus and had been active for quite a long time.

They first met as soldiers during the early days of the Four-Year War, meaning they were together before the formation of the Demon King Slayer Task Force.

Yet, Professor Dian’s name wasn’t on the official list of task force members announced by the Palace.

What on earth…?

Seeing Professor Dian and Merilda leaving the town hall, Lina hurriedly followed.

At the stream outside the village, Merilda, naked, offered herself to Professor Dian, who respectfully declined.

Moved by the manner of his refusal, Lina wept silently behind a tree.

After Dian and Merilda returned to the village, Lina also made her way back, pondering the missing pieces of the puzzle.

If they were together since their days as soldiers, Professor Dian would’ve naturally been part of the task force unless there was some disqualification.

Yet, despite the grand publicity of the task force’s achievements, his name was never mentioned.

What could it be?

Nearing the bustling town hall, Lina found her answer.

The Emperor is involved.

Professor Dian is from the task force.

Her real name is Lindus. Due to its masculine tone, she prefers to be called by her nickname, Lina.

However, Lindus in fact is not her real name. No one knows her true name.

Upon retiring from the task force after the war, the Palace created the new identity of Lindus for her.

All task force members go through a similar identity change like Lina.

Members whose true names are public, like Sir Linus, are rare exceptions.

Like most covert operatives, Lina possesses unique physical abilities not found in ordinary people.

She has incredible stamina and endurance, silent movement skills, the courage and physical attributes to traverse difficult terrains, and even the ability to perceive spatial structures without seeing them.

For these reasons, Lina was recruited by the Imperial Security Office and served in the task force for years.

She infiltrated noble estates to steal critical documents and worked as a spy in neighboring kingdoms.

Then war broke out, and instead of gathering intelligence on the Demon King’s army, she was deployed to the 3rd Corps of the Imperial Army, commanded by the Second Princess.

Until then, Lina believed the task force was about making sacrifices in the shadows for the Empire.

But after infiltrating the 3rd Corps, she received baffling orders.

Her superiors wanted detailed personal information about key figures in the Corps, operational plans, and supply statuses.

Why illegally obtain secrets from our own forces during a war against demons?

The information could be obtained through regular channels.

Skeptical, Lina collected intelligence but delayed reporting it to her superiors.

She investigated why these unreasonable orders were given.

As an adept covert operative, Lina soon uncovered the whole story.

The rivalry between the Second Princess and the Emperor, and the Emperor’s attempts to find any excuse to depose her.

What nonsense is this?

The demons are inherently superior in physical abilities and command demonic creatures as their livestock.

Millions of them form armies, and the continent is on the brink of collapse. The 3rd Corps, led by the Second Princess, is the savior of the civilized races and the human alliance.

If the Second Princess is deposed, the 3rd Corps will collapse, leading to the collapse of the front lines.

Having infiltrated the Corps, Lina had several chances to observe the Second Princess up close.

She is cool-headed, brilliant, bold, ruthless, yet infinitely kind, gentle, and loving.

And they want to bring her down for political reasons? Even her own father?

It’s absurd.

So, Lina deliberately provided only low-value intelligence to her superiors.

As a result, her ability to complete missions was questioned, and she was eventually expelled from the task force. The war ended shortly after.

Jobless, Lina was suddenly offered a teaching position at the ‘Special Mission Academy’ by the Imperial Security Office.

That’s when Lina realized that the Second Princess knew everything.

She knew Lina was a covert operative, that Lina hid intelligence unfavorable to her, and that offering the teaching position was a reward.

Having experienced all this, Lina deduced that the Emperor was involved in the obscurity surrounding Professor Dian’s contributions, despite his achievements alongside Sir Linus.

The Emperor, who prioritized deposing his daughter over the continent’s peril, likely concealed Professor Dian’s contributions for trivial reasons.

So, what should I do now?

For now… I’ll keep this to myself.

Professor Dian must have a significant reason for not revealing everything himself.

How can a mere professor comprehend the mind of a hero who saved the continent with Sir Linus?

Like how she withheld intelligence about the Second Princess during the war, Lina decided to keep the truth about the unsung hero to herself for now.

But to think Professor Dian was such a person… He’s truly amazing…