Arc Introduction
Maria Ironheart is a young knight captain of the city guard, admired for her strength, feared for her intensity, and absolutely terrible at expressing emotions.Her beauty score is 95/100, but her intimidating aura scares away most men… which makes her even more awkward.
Behind her cold armor and strict discipline lies a woman who has forgotten how to relax, how to enjoy life, and above all—how to smile.
That's where the protagonist unintentionally steps in.
Chapter 1: The Knight and the Trouble Magnet
The protagonist meets Maria when she arrests him.
Not joking—she literally throws him over her shoulder after assuming he's "a suspicious wanderer surrounded by too many women."
In her defense, in a world where men are rare, a guy walking with multiple girls does look… suspicious.
After a chaotic misunderstanding and a lot of shouting, Maria realizes the truth:
"You're not a criminal… just unlucky."
He rubs his forehead."Story of my life."
Maria stares at him, confused—his relaxed attitude doesn't match the chaos around him.
Then the system triggers:
[New beauty detected: Maria Ironheart. Score: 95/100.][Mission: 'Crack the Knight's Stoic Shell.' Reward: +1 Strength.]
The protagonist sighs."Of course she's a top beauty. And of course she already hates me."
Maria overhears that.She definitely blushes.
Chapter 2: Training, Trouble, and Tension
Maria forces him to undergo a "safety assessment," which is basically her watching him fail simple exercises.
Push-ups: He collapses after three.Lifting a training sword: He drops it on his own foot.Balance test: He falls off the wooden beam immediately.
Maria tries not to show emotion, but her eyebrow twitches every time.
"You are… unbelievably fragile."
"Hey, my charm stat is high!"
"That is not a real stat."
He coughs nervously. "You'd be surprised…"
Maria doesn't get it, but she reluctantly offers to train him privately.
During training, something odd happens: every time he accidentally makes a stupid joke or a clumsy mistake, Maria's stoic face softens for a split second.
A tiny smile. A suppressed laugh.A quickly hidden blush.
[Attraction increased by 'Comedic Attraction Aura.']
Slowly, Maria begins to enjoy his presence—though she would die before admitting it.
Chapter 3: The Weight of Honor
One evening after training, the protagonist finds Maria sitting alone by the barracks gate, staring at her sword.
Her armor is off, revealing a more fragile, human side.
"You okay?" he asks.
Maria hesitates."…I'm not used to people asking me that."
She explains that she rose to captain too quickly.Her subordinates respect her, but fear her.And the nobles expect perfection.
"I don't remember the last time I laughed," she confesses. "Or the last time someone treated me like… a woman."
The protagonist sits beside her."Swords get sharper when they rest. People too."
Maria looks at him, expression unreadable.
"You say strange things."
"Most of them are accidents."
She has to cover her mouth to not laugh.
Chapter 4: The Knight's Smile
The system triggers the final mission:
[Mission: Make Maria laugh genuinely.][Reward: +2 Affinity, romantic event 'Armor Without Walls.']
So the protagonist does what he does best:He tries something stupid.
He attempts to demonstrate a "heroic sword technique" he invented.
Step 1: He spins too fast.Step 2: He loses balance.Step 3: He catapults himself into a hay pile.Step 4: He gets stuck upside down.
Maria freezes.
Then, for the first time in years…
She bursts into laughter.
Not a small chuckle.Not a hidden smirk.A full, bright, uncontrollable laugh that echoes through the training yard.
Her cheeks turn pink as she realizes.
"That was… ridiculous," she whispers, smiling shyly.
"And effective," he replies proudly.
[Mission completed.][Affinity with Maria: 4/5.]
On their walk back, Maria stops him.
"…Thank you. I didn't know I could still laugh like that."
And then, in a moment as rare as a male in this world, Maria gently takes his hand with a soft squeeze—just a second, just enough to make his heart skip.
"If you ever need protection," she says softly, "you can rely on me."
The system reacts instantly.
Maria Ironheart:Status — Potential Harem Member: Awakened.