Chapter 7
Hiring a Mercenary (2)
The smile on Lrue’s face slowly turned into displeasure.
Sure that Glem had no intention of running into her embrace, she slowly lowered her arms and crossed them.
“What are you trying to do?”
“What?”
“You want me to go out alone in a hunting ground full of monsters? That’s quite bold.”
“Is that the issue here?”
“No… it’s a bigger problem.”
Lrue pointed out firmly:
“You just killed the last witness who might have known the Crown Prince’s whereabouts.”
“…That can no longer be called a human.”
“Do you want me to just replace ‘human’ with ‘last monster’?”
Glem glared at Lrue fiercely. She returned the stare without flinching.
“If you provide useful testimony now, I won’t punish you for your crime.”
Lrue’s gaze shot at him as if to say, “You know something, don’t you?” Glem deflected all her eyes like an iron wall, only asking his own questions.
“Why are you looking for the Crown Prince now? Has the Emperor died or something?”
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t need to come here myself.”
Lrue said confidently:
“I am Lrue Greaton, betrothed to Joshua Albanheim, the Crown Prince of this country, destined to be the future Empress and next Duchess. And now, I am on a hunting trip, personally destroying my own future.”
“…What?”
“To put it simply, I plan to break off the engagement.”
For Glem, unaccustomed to Lrue’s style, Bendam translated:
“The lady needs the Crown Prince if she wants to escape the engagement safely.”
“…Why break off the engagement with the Crown Prince?”
Glem was surprisingly shaken. Even a mercenary couldn’t resist in the face of overwhelming status.
“Is it not enough just to be the Duchess because she’s a duke’s heir?”
“That’s not it.”
Lrue replied with irritation:
“At this rate, I’ll never have a single chance at romance!”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Bendam!”
As soon as she called his name, Lrue snapped her fingers sharply. Bendam, looking grim, weakly resisted.
“Again?”
“Yes.”
“Consider it an honor, Bendam.”
Catsi interjected with a jealous tone, but Bendam didn’t seem the least bit pleased.
“Can’t we just use Catsi, who’s willing?”
“She’s too strong for demonstration purposes.”
“Haah…”
Bendam reluctantly approached, closing his eyes tightly as he extended a trembling hand toward Lrue. His shaking arm looked terrified.
While Glem stared blankly, Lrue reached out the same way, continuing her explanation:
“As you know, engagements and marriages are sacred unions protected by Rekultu. One must not cheat or act lecherously. If you tried…”
Lrue moved her hovering hand, attempting to link fingers with Bendam.
Crack! A loud snap and black lightning surged out.
“Eeek!”
“Exactly what happens.”
Bendam jerked his hand back frantically, flailing and hopping. Smoke rose slightly from what was clearly a small burn.
“Please, go easy! Aaaah!”
“There’s a priest.”
“It’s harder to ask a priest after a minor burn like this!”
“Well, if you can’t even speak over something so minor, it’s fine to endure it.”
At this moment, Glem’s expression mirrored Marco’s—jaw dropped, completely dumbfounded.
“The oath of protection from Rekultu works like that? Just because of an engagement?”
“Yes.”
Glem’s expression twisted even more oddly.
“Even if you just hold hands?”
“Yes. Even hugging, kissing, or stroking—just holding hands triggers it.”
At this point, the latent ferocity on Lrue’s face surged suddenly.
“No exceptions.”
“Huh.”
“My poor lady.”
Catsi pretended to wipe away tears.
“Having only admired something unattainable all her life, how painful it must have been.”
“Impossible.”
Glem countered in disbelief.
“I’ve met many who’ve made engagement vows, but I’ve never heard of it happening like this.”
“You just saw it yourself.”
“Then how could she interact with anyone in her life?”
“The oath activates on lewd intent. If one harbors lewd thoughts toward the other, it triggers.”
Bendam blew on his hands and clarified:
“Unfortunately, our lady’s tastes are broad. Now, her desires overpower reason; even if someone slightly pleases her, she instantly becomes unreachable.”
“Even my own instincts can’t read her? That’s the mysterious power of Rekultu.”
Hearing Lrue, Glem was shocked. Dumbfounded, he glanced at Bendam for a moment.
So the Duchess actually likes this person too?
In any case, the oath had triggered.
Though Bendam looked a little frail, he was relatively young and presentable. Tired shoulders and a cynical gaze were concerning, but otherwise he was nothing like her.
And Catsi standing beside him was a confirmed target for the curse’s effect.
Beautiful and slender as she was, she radiated the unmistakable aura of a trained assassin. Unless Lrue’s tastes extended that far, why bother?
Indeed, her tastes were astonishingly wide.
Suddenly, Glem wondered why he had to know all this. He had many memories he wished to forget, but Lrue, in just 30 minutes, had added a record to that list.
Rubbing his head, Glem muttered:
“…How did the illusion that the Crown Prince was here even start?”
“Suspicious rumors reached me.”
Glem found it strange. The locals were extremely insular. Nothing happening here had ever spread outside. Even though so many people suffered from monsters, they continued living.
Yet somehow, uncertain rumors of the Crown Prince reached the capital first? Could that even happen? Unless someone with ulterior motives interfered…
Damn it.
Now Glem felt he would have to go into the swamp himself. He was thoroughly caught up. He had no intention of taking Lrue with him, though.
If I tell her to just go back, it won’t work.
From a brief encounter, Glem had almost completely understood Lrue’s personality:
If she’s told not to do something, she does it even more.
Better to watch her closely than let her go into the swamp alone.
“Will you leave after finding the ring?”
“For now.”
Noticing Glem’s softened stance, Lrue answered more lightly:
“I could guide you through the swamp.”
“Oh? So cooperative?”
“But in exchange, I want one thing—whatever I desire.”
“Fine, anything. I promise.”
Not knowing what she might demand, Lrue boldly agreed. Glem gave a cold smile, sheathed his sword, and naturally joined her group.
“A noble of your rank can offer anything. One thing is enough.”
“Ah, too difficult to say now?”
“Very.”
“Then tell me after. The contract’s valid, right?”
Glem and Lrue quickly reached an agreement.
Her group, having accepted him, no longer bothered with Glem and resumed their tasks.
“This is a monster I’ve never seen before.”
“And parasitic types are rare.”
“Examine it thoroughly.”
The priests, seeing the corpse entangled with the monster, displayed rare curiosity.
All monsters belong to Rekultu. Serving the same deity, monsters were always a subject of study. Sometimes for experiments or better treatment. Though this made people wary of priests, Lrue turned to Glem, not the priests.
“Since you agreed to cooperate, why not share more of what you know?”
“This is a monster I’ve never seen before.”
“But how did you respond so quickly?”
Glem paused, then bowed his head slightly and answered:
“There’s a curse in this area.”
“A curse?”
“You’d better leave now, if you don’t want unnecessary trouble.”
“I don’t know if I believe you.”
Lrue paused mid-conversation and looked in another direction.
“The warning is a bit late.”
“What?”
“It’s an ambush!”
