Heglatan was a country where half of the year was winter.
The reason they fought the Hundred Years' War over such a ridiculous excuse was because of the long winter. They fought a tedious war for nearly a hundred years to obtain land that would not freeze.
The Heglatan people drank a lot of alcohol to avoid the cold and raise their body temperature, so much so that there was a joke that the people were always half-drunk.
The Heglatan soldiers that Elze had met on the battlefield had very aggressive personalities. She remembered that they especially valued masculinity and that the macho atmosphere was even more intense than that of Baluar.
Elze set off for Heglatan with Rapne and Ilwooz, praying that they would return safely without any problems.
Entering the border of Heglatan was easier than expected. The security along the border was lax because the wall that was destroyed during the war had not yet been repaired. She heard that conflicts often occur because of this. However, when Elze actually arrived at the border, it was quiet, which was a strange situation.
The three of them first took a quick walk around the street to check out the atmosphere. Everyone was wearing a shapka (a fur hat). Elze, who was only wearing a hood, noticed that this outfit was flashy. They immediately bought three shapkas from a street vendor and each wore one.
Elze felt quite good wearing the fluffy fur hat and her head was warm. While she was helping Ilwooz put on his shapka awkwardly, Rapine came up to her. He spoke in a low voice.
“It would be better to keep your words as short as possible.”
Elze nodded at his words. People on the street were speaking a mixture of continental and Heglatan. However, even those who spoke the common language had a strong Heglatan accent. It was very different from Baluar’s flowing accent, so there was a high chance that she would be noticed for mixing words.
Especially considering the fiery temper of the Heglatan people and the fact that they were gnashing their teeth at their defeat by Baluar.
Ilwooz decided not to speak unless absolutely necessary. He was the kind of person who would attract attention even when he was still. Add to that the dreamy voice that was characteristic of Ilwooz, and it was no surprise that he would turn into a zoo monkey in an instant.
Elze carefully observed the surroundings and asked Rapine a question.
“I thought Ivanna and Tarkun were going to the lab first?”
“Yes.”
Rapine rummaged through his pockets and took out a small piece of paper.
“She did tell me about the location of the lab. But Ivanna wasn’t sure if the lab would still be there. I think Teslaon said he disposed of the lab.”
“It could be a completely different building. Or it could be none at all.”
“Yes.”
“Hmm...”
Elze thought for a moment and then asked.
“Rapine. Was there any circumstance where a spy was attached to our side?”
“That’s not possible. All those who follow Cirxus are loyal. However...”
Rapine said, frowning.
“There is a possibility that among the lords of the border, there are those who have joined hands with Heglatan.”
“That’s right...”
Kalia, and why on earth did Ivanna and Tarkun disappear?
A bright voice interjected. Everyone's gaze turned towards it.
“You guys over there, you bad guys.”
He was a handsome man with dirty blond hair and bright red eyes. In addition to his striking appearance, he was wearing a silver fox fur shapka and luxurious-looking fabric that looked extraordinary at first glance.
Elze checked his waistband. He was wearing a sword. It was hard to tell at first glance, but it looked like a Flamberge.
The Flamberge is a rapier-type sword with a curved blade. This sword, with its flashy appearance that resembles a burning flame, tears flesh instead of cutting it, causing wounds that are difficult to heal. However, it is not a sword for common use, and its practicality and durability have not been verified, so it is used more often for ceremonial purposes.
Judging from the man’s demeanor, he didn’t seem to be someone who couldn’t use a sword. However, since he was carrying a Flamberge... it was highly likely that he was someone who rarely used a sword himself. When Elze was about to finish her general understanding, the man spoke confidently.
“You’re disrupting the peace right in front of my eyes! How bold of you to be.”
"What?"
As the gangsters looked at him with blank expressions, the man grinned like a rascal. He pointed outside with his finger and said,
“Did the knights just pass by?”
"Lie!"
“I just told you. If you don’t like it, don’t believe it.”
The faces of the gangsters turned pale at the sight of the dignified man. The knights of Heglatan were famous for their mercilessness towards criminals. If caught by the knights, they could be summarily executed, that is, put to death.
“You, you know you’re lucky...!”
The gangsters gnashed their teeth and ran off somewhere. The man whistled and watched them run away, then turned to Elze. He winked and spoke to Elze.
"How is it?"
“..."
Of course, the story about the knight passing by was a lie. Before Elze could say anything, the man slyly sat down on the empty chair and began to talk to her jokingly.
“Hey, I saved you, but buy me a drink.”
Haa. Elze sighed openly. And then she had no choice but to open her mouth.
"You."
The man raised his eyebrows as a thin voice leaked out from under her deeply pulled-down hood. Elze slightly pulled back her hood, revealing only her eyes. Then, she met his eyes and spoke softly.
“You are the most suspicious.”
“...?”
The man stared blankly at Elze. He was so confident that he probably never thought Elze would chase him away. But Elze was calm.
“Don’t make any noise and go away.”
And she just ignored him and got up. Her pants were soaked through with soup and beyond repair, so she probably needed to change them. Elze said as she received the room key from Rapine.
“I’ll change my clothes and come back. Finish eating and come up. You too, Serhil.”
Leaving the man alone, Elze went up the stairs. As soon as she entered the room and closed the door, Elze checked her pants.
"Ugh..."
The clothes were much wetter than she had thought. Elze carefully took off her pants and frowned. Her legs felt sticky.
“Should I just wash a little?”
Rapine had told her to prepare the bath water. He might have gotten the water already. Elze looked across to the bathroom. Through the slightly open bathroom door, she could see a wooden bathtub sloshing with hot water.
"Wow!"
Elze walked toward the bathroom with a smile. Her clothes fell down like a sack of trash wherever she walked. When she reached the bathtub, she had taken off all her outerwear, leaving only her panties. Elze was just about to take off her panties.
“...”
The wooden floor creaked behind her. Elze stopped dead in her tracks and asked a brief question.
“Who are you?”
But the question went unanswered. The first thought that came to mind was just one word.
I'm screwed...
Aside from the weapon, she was naked, wearing only panties. Elze grabbed the towel that was lying next to the bathtub and covered her chest. Then she looked back slightly.
“Hmm, ahem.”
Elze was startled when she saw the man coughing.
"You?"
He was the man who had tried to join Elze earlier, pretending to be her benefactor. He spoke with his face as red as his eyes.
“No... I just wanted to make a place where we could talk quietly...”
Elze's eyes narrowed. Even if Elze had been absentmindedly taking a bath, it was impossible for her to not sense his presence to this extent. It was proof that he was a person of considerable skill.
Finish it with one blow.
Elze pressed the towel tightly with her left hand and tightened her legs. Then, using her left leg as an axis, she kicked with her right leg. The cool roundhouse kick cut through the wind.
“!!”
He was dazed and narrowly avoided the attack. Elze cursed inwardly. It was a precisely aimed attack, but he dodged it.
Elze, who had failed to attack, slid across the floor and rolled towards the sword. Then, she grabbed the scabbard with both feet and drew her rapier.
The rapier was pulled out with a swishing sound. Elze aimed the rapier with one hand without wavering. The man stammered in confusion.
“No, you’re in that state right now, with one hand?”
Elze answered, holding the towel firmly with her left hand.
“For someone like you, one hand is enough.”
"...Ha?"
The man looked dumbfounded. However, Elze's sword had already been drawn. Elze swung her rapier and shouted.
“Shut up and die, you pervert!!”
The rapier cut through the wind. The man hurriedly drew out his flamberge. Swords clashed.
“...!”
Elze frowned. It was her first time facing Flamberge. It definitely felt different from a normal sword. Perhaps because the blade was curved, it didn’t glide smoothly along the blade but instead trembled. It was a hindrance to Elze’s swordplay, which relied on speed.
Elze drew her sword and opened some distance. The man shouted with a bewildered expression.
“No, what kind of woman is this?”
But soon Elze stabbed him in the face, forcing him to keep his mouth shut and swing his sword in a hurry.
The more Elze confronted him with her sword, the stronger she felt. The man was skilled. To be exact, not just skilled... So much so that she thought he might be on the same level as her.
Of course, if Elze steps up properly, she could easily defeat him. However, in a situation like now where Elze is at a disadvantage with many restrictions, she has no choice but to either be even or lose a little. Elze has a strong desire to win. The thought of losing suddenly made her angry.
“Ugh, you’re really good at fighting with one hand.”
In particular, it was annoying that that guy was swinging his sword so well while saying all sorts of things like that. Elze’s spirits grew fiercer and her sword began to move faster. The sound of swords clashing with each other rang out loud.
Elze's towel fluttered precariously in the violent movement. The man pointed at the towel and shouted.
“Wait a minute, I think I can see you! I think I can see you!”
Elze shouted at him, hiding the burning sensation in her face.
“Shut up, pervert!”
“My name is not Pervert...!”
But the man hesitated and could not easily say his name. Elze pushed the man to the corner and answered him kindly.
“Yeah, pervert.”
“I’m not a pervert!”
A wall slammed into his back. There was nowhere else to retreat. The cornered man quickly shouted.
“Understood, I surrender!”
“Why are you surrendering now?”
But it didn't work on Elze. Elze said with her eyes sparkling.
“Just die.”
"Ah!"
The man narrowly avoided the rapier. The rapier dug into the thick inn wall like a pudding. Then it was pulled out smoothly again. The man who had seen this vividly right next to him had a slightly tired expression on his face.
Flamberge and Rapier clashed again. In the tense standoff, he said.
“I'll be honest with you.”
He said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“My name is Blahar Mihanel Heglatan.”
“...!”
“I am the Prince of the great empire Heglatan.”
At the word Prince, Elze pushed his sword away and stepped back, still aiming her sword.
Prince of Heglatan. Heglatan was demoted to a kingdom, but it seems that the title of imperial was still used internally.
“Why are you revealing your identity to me?”
Blahar sighed deeply in response to Elze's question.
“Because you are suspicious.”
He looked very tired. It seemed that the current situation was very different from his original plan.
“If I hadn’t revealed my identity, you wouldn’t have even thought of listening to me, right?”
“...”
That was true. Elze had no other intention than to bring justice to the pervert. Blahar tilted his head at Elze's appearance, which did not seem to deny it.
“Hmm... Usually, everyone has a favorable impression of me.”
He asked with narrowed eyes as if he was very suspicious.
“Don’t you fall in love with my beauty?”
What the heck, this idiot?
Elze was dumbfounded. Sorry, but Elze had seen so many outstandingly handsome men in her life that she couldn't fall for someone so handsome.
Even without going far, Shan, who was always by her side, was a handsome man. Rapne was also a neat and handsome man, and although Duke Seraph was annoying, he was objectively a man with no joke in terms of beauty.
“Anyway, I'm surrendering.”
Blahar lowered his sword. Elze also slowly lowered the tip of her sword. As Elze lowered her sword, Blahar immediately put Flamberge back into his scabbard. However, Elze did not put her rapier back into her scabbard. Seeing her not letting her guard down, Blahar sighed and raised his empty hand.
“If this side puts in a sword, wouldn’t it be polite for that side to put in one too?”
But Elze was still twisted.
“What makes me respect you?”
“No, look.”
Blahar spun around in place. He spoke confidently.
“If you look closely, doesn’t I look like a Prince? Huh?”
He seemed to be a very confident type. However, his confidence was not completely unfounded. He smiled faintly and no one could tell that he was ordinary.
In particular, his clear red eyes were unusual. She had heard that the Heglatan royal family had red eyes for generations. Elze thought he was telling the truth to some extent and asked him a question.
“So, why did the Prince of Heglatan come to see me?”
“Oh, can you call me Prince?”
“....”
Standing on the land of Heglatan, there was nothing wrong with doing whatever the self-proclaimed prince asked. Elze obediently complied as Blahar had said.
“Let me correct that. Why did the Prince of Heglatan follow the lady like a pervert and steal a glance at her naked body?”
“Hey...”
Blahar covered his face with both hands. He spoke to Elze with a flushed face.
“I... I’m sorry. But I really didn’t mean to.”
But Elze coldly pointed out his weakness.
“Then you should have made a noise before I took off my clothes.”
"That..."
Blahar became a dumb person who had eaten honey. He had a lot to say, but he couldn't say anything.
Blahar's original intention was to create a space where they could have a quiet conversation. However, when Blahar followed her into the room, Elze had already begun to undress.
In the meantime, her white flesh was revealed. From then on, Blahar was unable to say or do anything as if he had frozen.
From the straight spine and slim waist to the firm thighs, the back view... His heart pounded just from seeing the back view.
Blahar had seen his share of naked women and had slept with the most beautiful woman in the country.
But it was different. It was a body with soft, feminine curves, but firm, slender muscles. Blahar, who was thinking about this, unconsciously stared at Elze standing in front of him.
Elze's appearance, barely covering her upper body with a single towel and wearing only panties underneath, was beyond provocative, but also embarrassing. Just a moment ago, when she had stretched out her smooth, white legs and done a roundhouse kick, he was so shocked that he almost got hit by her if he had blinked.
Suddenly, the towel caught his eye. He wondered what the chest hidden underneath looked like. Looking at the way the towel was puffed up, he thought it must be quite large. Blahar, who couldn’t take his eyes off the towel, came to his senses only after feeling a cool sensation on the back of his neck.
“...Do you want to die?”
At Elze's eerie voice that sounded like she was going to slit his throat at any moment, Blahar covered his eyes with his hand and spoke urgently.
“Put on your clothes! Put on your clothes! I’ll turn around. I’ll leave the sword to you!”
As soon as Elze dropped her sword, Blahar untied Flamberge from his waist and placed it on the floor. Then he quickly turned around.
Honestly, isn't it a man's instinct to look at such a pretty woman standing there in a nearly naked state? Blahar waited for Elze to get dressed, half feeling aggrieved and half sorry. But that was also quite torture.
There was a rustling sound from behind, unseen. It was the sound of fabric brushing against skin. The sound of buttons being fastened, and laces being tied... He could imagine the natural appearance of putting on clothes. He couldn’t understand how even the sound of a slight sigh could be so obscene.
“Ahem.”
Blahar coughed dryly, feeling a burning sensation in his throat. His body twitched with the urge to turn around.
He swore to God, Blahar had never been exposed to a woman since he was born. With money, power, and beauty, Blahar was a very attractive man, and many women wanted to sleep with him.
But now it's like this!
If Serje saw this, he would laugh at it, if not make fun of it for ten years. While Blahar was groaning, Elze finished changing her clothes.
“...?”
And then, looking at Blahar, who was lost in thought alone, she tilted her head in confusion. It seemed like he was a bit out of his mind. Elze sighed and said.
“Anyway, I can’t cut off the head of the self-proclaimed Prince... I’ll let it slide, so go. I’m a busy person.”
“Wait, Elze!”
As soon as Blahar finished speaking, Elze's rapier took aim at him again.
Elze's face hardened. Elze glared at him with cold eyes and said.
“Tell me your true purpose.”
“What? What...!”
“Tell me now! Before I kill you.”
Elze had never told him her name. Neither Rapine nor Ilwooz had ever called Elze by her name, not even in the bar. But the fact that Blahar knew Elze's name meant that he had approached her intentionally from the beginning.
Blahar met Elze's gaze for a while in silence. He slowly opened his mouth.
“I know the whereabouts of the person you are looking for.”
Could this guy really be the culprit of the disappearance? Elze's eyes flashed fiercely. As if he had noticed what Elze was thinking, Blahar spoke calmly.
“I didn’t kidnap them. I just know who did it and why.”
Elze bit her lower lip tightly. Then she slowly opened her mouth to speak.
“...What price do you want?”
Blahar frowned at Elze's question.
“Price? There’s no such thing.”
But Elze didn't believe him.
“This isn’t the time to be exchanging such naive stories, is it?”
Blahar shook his head at Elze's attitude of telling him to speak quickly. He spoke with a mixture of admiration and sigh.
“...My seductions aren’t working at all.”
Elze pressed her rapier a little closer to his neck. Keeping a slight gap between their skins, Elze urged him coldly.
“This is no time for jokes.”
“Yes, I’ll be honest.”
Blahar cleared his throat. Then he spoke with a serious look in his eyes.
“I would like to recruit the Elijah Mercenary Corps to Heglatan.”
“...!”
“If you wish, I will embrace even Shan Cirxus.”
Blahar's hand rested lightly on Elze's rapier. His leather-gloved fingers swept down the slender blade.
“The Baluar royal family, to whom you owed allegiance, rewarded you by driving the Targayels back to their borders.”
The fingers barely swept across the sword, then suddenly stopped.
“But I am different.”
Blahar's eyes lit up. His eyes were full of life.
He said, his eyes sparkling beyond comparison to those of Crown Prince Raymond.
“Come to Heglatan, Elze of Elijah.”
Suddenly, Elze thought that his red eyes looked like the sun.
If Crown Prince Raymond had been like this, Elze and Shan might have continued to be under Baluar's rule. Blahar had a vague confidence that he would not break his promise. However, Elze refused his offer.
“I will refuse.”
“Why!”
As expected, Blahar was running wild. He looked quite hurt.
“Usually, when I do something like this, everyone is moved and starts crying!”
"Hmm..."
Elze was at a loss as to what to say to him. There were several reasons for her refusal.
First of all, she couldn't just accept the offer from someone she had only just met. And Elze wasn't the type of person to just accept it on her own. And most importantly...
“We were wrong from the moment we met.”
“?”
Blahar tilted his head in confusion at Elze's words. Elze couldn't bring herself to say anything and just sighed.
Even though it was from behind, the moment Shan realized that she had shown her half-naked body to Blahar... He would definitely draw his sword first. She could clearly see Shan raging, saying that he would kill that bastard. Elze shook her head and said.
“Anyway, I refuse. I want to pay the price for something else.”
Blahar's eyes drooped at Elze's words. He muttered, pouting his lips.
“Yeah... If you don’t like it, then there’s nothing I can do...”
Elze bit her lips, which were almost quivering. Honestly, the sight just now was a little cute.
Blahar was a typical young Prince, like a gorgeous flower. With that face and the gesture of sticking out his lips, she felt disarmed. Blahar must have known the power of his looks very well, so he did this.
But there might be a few snakes inside. Elze tells herself not to be fooled, but Blahar says.
“Then I’ll ask for something a little easier.”
He said it calmly as if it was nothing special.
“Kill the Crown Prince of Heglatan.”
“...!”
In front of Elze, whose face was frozen in surprise, Blahar smiled and said.
“How is it, is this good enough?”
Support Novellate!
The reason they fought the Hundred Years' War over such a ridiculous excuse was because of the long winter. They fought a tedious war for nearly a hundred years to obtain land that would not freeze.
The Heglatan people drank a lot of alcohol to avoid the cold and raise their body temperature, so much so that there was a joke that the people were always half-drunk.
The Heglatan soldiers that Elze had met on the battlefield had very aggressive personalities. She remembered that they especially valued masculinity and that the macho atmosphere was even more intense than that of Baluar.
Elze set off for Heglatan with Rapne and Ilwooz, praying that they would return safely without any problems.
Entering the border of Heglatan was easier than expected. The security along the border was lax because the wall that was destroyed during the war had not yet been repaired. She heard that conflicts often occur because of this. However, when Elze actually arrived at the border, it was quiet, which was a strange situation.
The three of them first took a quick walk around the street to check out the atmosphere. Everyone was wearing a shapka (a fur hat). Elze, who was only wearing a hood, noticed that this outfit was flashy. They immediately bought three shapkas from a street vendor and each wore one.
Elze felt quite good wearing the fluffy fur hat and her head was warm. While she was helping Ilwooz put on his shapka awkwardly, Rapine came up to her. He spoke in a low voice.
“It would be better to keep your words as short as possible.”
Elze nodded at his words. People on the street were speaking a mixture of continental and Heglatan. However, even those who spoke the common language had a strong Heglatan accent. It was very different from Baluar’s flowing accent, so there was a high chance that she would be noticed for mixing words.
Especially considering the fiery temper of the Heglatan people and the fact that they were gnashing their teeth at their defeat by Baluar.
Ilwooz decided not to speak unless absolutely necessary. He was the kind of person who would attract attention even when he was still. Add to that the dreamy voice that was characteristic of Ilwooz, and it was no surprise that he would turn into a zoo monkey in an instant.
Elze carefully observed the surroundings and asked Rapine a question.
“I thought Ivanna and Tarkun were going to the lab first?”
“Yes.”
Rapine rummaged through his pockets and took out a small piece of paper.
“She did tell me about the location of the lab. But Ivanna wasn’t sure if the lab would still be there. I think Teslaon said he disposed of the lab.”
“It could be a completely different building. Or it could be none at all.”
“Yes.”
“Hmm...”
Elze thought for a moment and then asked.
“Rapine. Was there any circumstance where a spy was attached to our side?”
“That’s not possible. All those who follow Cirxus are loyal. However...”
Rapine said, frowning.
“There is a possibility that among the lords of the border, there are those who have joined hands with Heglatan.”
“That’s right...”
Kalia, and why on earth did Ivanna and Tarkun disappear?
They didn't know anything about their opponent, but they had to consider the possibility that their opponent had figured out their movements.
The time given is 3 days...
Elze thought for a moment, then smiled nonchalantly and said.
“First, let’s find a place to stay.”
Elze and her group went to the lodging where Ivanna and Tarkun were scheduled to stay.
She was tired and hungry because she had been moving around all night without resting. She planned to eat a quick meal, rest, and then take action.
The place was a combination of a hotel and a bar. When Elze pushed open the wooden door and entered, the hall was more than half full. There were bottles of alcohol on each table, so it seemed like everyone was already a little tipsy even though the sun hadn't set yet.
Elze and her party also grabbed a table. They hung their coats on the chairs, and Rapine went to the counter to order food and a room.
“I asked for something simple. I asked for two rooms, the best ones, and also for a bath.”
Elze nodded in satisfaction at Rapine's report. Her body was frozen and she wanted to melt in hot water.
Soon the food arrived. Three bowls of red soup, which seemed to contain tomatoes, and a large pie shaped like a small hill were placed in the middle of the table. They were borsch (red soup made with beetroot and other ingredients) and pie (pies made with flour dough filled with various ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and cheese).
The sight of the warm soup with steam rising from it made her mouth water. Elze and Rapine immediately picked up their spoons. Only Ilwooz was a beat late because he said a prayer before eating.
“There’s no poison, right?”
Elze, who was now feeling sick at the thought of poison, was muttering in a self-mocking voice while eating her soup. Someone hit Elze hard on the shoulder.
Naturally, Elze reflexively dodged the hand. Unfortunately, as Elze dodged, the hand ended up hitting Elze's soup bowl, which spun around in the air and fell over.
Chul-chul.
The soup smelled delicious and soaked the table and Elze's pants.
“...”
Elze looked at the soup she had only eaten a few spoonfuls of in vain. A trembling voice was heard.
“Hey, travelers over there.”
Be patient, be patient.
Elze looked back, internally shouting infinite patience. Several neighborhood thugs were giggling.
“You seem to be a foreigner, but when you come to our village, you have to pay for the drinks as an initiation ceremony.”
If only she could cut him with her right-hand rapier and stab him with her left-hand mangosh, and just turn him into a mess. But Elze silently nodded to Rapine.
“...”
It was just a signal to give in to what they wanted. She couldn't make a fuss and draw attention. It was best to go quietly if possible. It was when Rapine was about to take out a few pennies from her bosom.
“Wait!”
The time given is 3 days...
Elze thought for a moment, then smiled nonchalantly and said.
“First, let’s find a place to stay.”
***
Elze and her group went to the lodging where Ivanna and Tarkun were scheduled to stay.
She was tired and hungry because she had been moving around all night without resting. She planned to eat a quick meal, rest, and then take action.
The place was a combination of a hotel and a bar. When Elze pushed open the wooden door and entered, the hall was more than half full. There were bottles of alcohol on each table, so it seemed like everyone was already a little tipsy even though the sun hadn't set yet.
Elze and her party also grabbed a table. They hung their coats on the chairs, and Rapine went to the counter to order food and a room.
“I asked for something simple. I asked for two rooms, the best ones, and also for a bath.”
Elze nodded in satisfaction at Rapine's report. Her body was frozen and she wanted to melt in hot water.
Soon the food arrived. Three bowls of red soup, which seemed to contain tomatoes, and a large pie shaped like a small hill were placed in the middle of the table. They were borsch (red soup made with beetroot and other ingredients) and pie (pies made with flour dough filled with various ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and cheese).
The sight of the warm soup with steam rising from it made her mouth water. Elze and Rapine immediately picked up their spoons. Only Ilwooz was a beat late because he said a prayer before eating.
“There’s no poison, right?”
Elze, who was now feeling sick at the thought of poison, was muttering in a self-mocking voice while eating her soup. Someone hit Elze hard on the shoulder.
Naturally, Elze reflexively dodged the hand. Unfortunately, as Elze dodged, the hand ended up hitting Elze's soup bowl, which spun around in the air and fell over.
Chul-chul.
The soup smelled delicious and soaked the table and Elze's pants.
“...”
Elze looked at the soup she had only eaten a few spoonfuls of in vain. A trembling voice was heard.
“Hey, travelers over there.”
Be patient, be patient.
Elze looked back, internally shouting infinite patience. Several neighborhood thugs were giggling.
“You seem to be a foreigner, but when you come to our village, you have to pay for the drinks as an initiation ceremony.”
If only she could cut him with her right-hand rapier and stab him with her left-hand mangosh, and just turn him into a mess. But Elze silently nodded to Rapine.
“...”
It was just a signal to give in to what they wanted. She couldn't make a fuss and draw attention. It was best to go quietly if possible. It was when Rapine was about to take out a few pennies from her bosom.
“Wait!”
A bright voice interjected. Everyone's gaze turned towards it.
“You guys over there, you bad guys.”
He was a handsome man with dirty blond hair and bright red eyes. In addition to his striking appearance, he was wearing a silver fox fur shapka and luxurious-looking fabric that looked extraordinary at first glance.
Elze checked his waistband. He was wearing a sword. It was hard to tell at first glance, but it looked like a Flamberge.
The Flamberge is a rapier-type sword with a curved blade. This sword, with its flashy appearance that resembles a burning flame, tears flesh instead of cutting it, causing wounds that are difficult to heal. However, it is not a sword for common use, and its practicality and durability have not been verified, so it is used more often for ceremonial purposes.
Judging from the man’s demeanor, he didn’t seem to be someone who couldn’t use a sword. However, since he was carrying a Flamberge... it was highly likely that he was someone who rarely used a sword himself. When Elze was about to finish her general understanding, the man spoke confidently.
“You’re disrupting the peace right in front of my eyes! How bold of you to be.”
"What?"
As the gangsters looked at him with blank expressions, the man grinned like a rascal. He pointed outside with his finger and said,
“Did the knights just pass by?”
"Lie!"
“I just told you. If you don’t like it, don’t believe it.”
The faces of the gangsters turned pale at the sight of the dignified man. The knights of Heglatan were famous for their mercilessness towards criminals. If caught by the knights, they could be summarily executed, that is, put to death.
“You, you know you’re lucky...!”
The gangsters gnashed their teeth and ran off somewhere. The man whistled and watched them run away, then turned to Elze. He winked and spoke to Elze.
"How is it?"
“..."
Of course, the story about the knight passing by was a lie. Before Elze could say anything, the man slyly sat down on the empty chair and began to talk to her jokingly.
“Hey, I saved you, but buy me a drink.”
Haa. Elze sighed openly. And then she had no choice but to open her mouth.
"You."
The man raised his eyebrows as a thin voice leaked out from under her deeply pulled-down hood. Elze slightly pulled back her hood, revealing only her eyes. Then, she met his eyes and spoke softly.
“You are the most suspicious.”
“...?”
The man stared blankly at Elze. He was so confident that he probably never thought Elze would chase him away. But Elze was calm.
“Don’t make any noise and go away.”
And she just ignored him and got up. Her pants were soaked through with soup and beyond repair, so she probably needed to change them. Elze said as she received the room key from Rapine.
“I’ll change my clothes and come back. Finish eating and come up. You too, Serhil.”
Leaving the man alone, Elze went up the stairs. As soon as she entered the room and closed the door, Elze checked her pants.
"Ugh..."
The clothes were much wetter than she had thought. Elze carefully took off her pants and frowned. Her legs felt sticky.
“Should I just wash a little?”
Rapine had told her to prepare the bath water. He might have gotten the water already. Elze looked across to the bathroom. Through the slightly open bathroom door, she could see a wooden bathtub sloshing with hot water.
"Wow!"
Elze walked toward the bathroom with a smile. Her clothes fell down like a sack of trash wherever she walked. When she reached the bathtub, she had taken off all her outerwear, leaving only her panties. Elze was just about to take off her panties.
“...”
The wooden floor creaked behind her. Elze stopped dead in her tracks and asked a brief question.
“Who are you?”
But the question went unanswered. The first thought that came to mind was just one word.
I'm screwed...
Aside from the weapon, she was naked, wearing only panties. Elze grabbed the towel that was lying next to the bathtub and covered her chest. Then she looked back slightly.
“Hmm, ahem.”
Elze was startled when she saw the man coughing.
"You?"
He was the man who had tried to join Elze earlier, pretending to be her benefactor. He spoke with his face as red as his eyes.
“No... I just wanted to make a place where we could talk quietly...”
Elze's eyes narrowed. Even if Elze had been absentmindedly taking a bath, it was impossible for her to not sense his presence to this extent. It was proof that he was a person of considerable skill.
Finish it with one blow.
Elze pressed the towel tightly with her left hand and tightened her legs. Then, using her left leg as an axis, she kicked with her right leg. The cool roundhouse kick cut through the wind.
“!!”
He was dazed and narrowly avoided the attack. Elze cursed inwardly. It was a precisely aimed attack, but he dodged it.
Elze, who had failed to attack, slid across the floor and rolled towards the sword. Then, she grabbed the scabbard with both feet and drew her rapier.
The rapier was pulled out with a swishing sound. Elze aimed the rapier with one hand without wavering. The man stammered in confusion.
“No, you’re in that state right now, with one hand?”
Elze answered, holding the towel firmly with her left hand.
“For someone like you, one hand is enough.”
"...Ha?"
The man looked dumbfounded. However, Elze's sword had already been drawn. Elze swung her rapier and shouted.
“Shut up and die, you pervert!!”
The rapier cut through the wind. The man hurriedly drew out his flamberge. Swords clashed.
“...!”
Elze frowned. It was her first time facing Flamberge. It definitely felt different from a normal sword. Perhaps because the blade was curved, it didn’t glide smoothly along the blade but instead trembled. It was a hindrance to Elze’s swordplay, which relied on speed.
Elze drew her sword and opened some distance. The man shouted with a bewildered expression.
“No, what kind of woman is this?”
But soon Elze stabbed him in the face, forcing him to keep his mouth shut and swing his sword in a hurry.
The more Elze confronted him with her sword, the stronger she felt. The man was skilled. To be exact, not just skilled... So much so that she thought he might be on the same level as her.
Of course, if Elze steps up properly, she could easily defeat him. However, in a situation like now where Elze is at a disadvantage with many restrictions, she has no choice but to either be even or lose a little. Elze has a strong desire to win. The thought of losing suddenly made her angry.
“Ugh, you’re really good at fighting with one hand.”
In particular, it was annoying that that guy was swinging his sword so well while saying all sorts of things like that. Elze’s spirits grew fiercer and her sword began to move faster. The sound of swords clashing with each other rang out loud.
Elze's towel fluttered precariously in the violent movement. The man pointed at the towel and shouted.
“Wait a minute, I think I can see you! I think I can see you!”
Elze shouted at him, hiding the burning sensation in her face.
“Shut up, pervert!”
“My name is not Pervert...!”
But the man hesitated and could not easily say his name. Elze pushed the man to the corner and answered him kindly.
“Yeah, pervert.”
“I’m not a pervert!”
A wall slammed into his back. There was nowhere else to retreat. The cornered man quickly shouted.
“Understood, I surrender!”
“Why are you surrendering now?”
But it didn't work on Elze. Elze said with her eyes sparkling.
“Just die.”
"Ah!"
The man narrowly avoided the rapier. The rapier dug into the thick inn wall like a pudding. Then it was pulled out smoothly again. The man who had seen this vividly right next to him had a slightly tired expression on his face.
Flamberge and Rapier clashed again. In the tense standoff, he said.
“I'll be honest with you.”
He said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“My name is Blahar Mihanel Heglatan.”
“...!”
“I am the Prince of the great empire Heglatan.”
At the word Prince, Elze pushed his sword away and stepped back, still aiming her sword.
Prince of Heglatan. Heglatan was demoted to a kingdom, but it seems that the title of imperial was still used internally.
“Why are you revealing your identity to me?”
Blahar sighed deeply in response to Elze's question.
“Because you are suspicious.”
He looked very tired. It seemed that the current situation was very different from his original plan.
“If I hadn’t revealed my identity, you wouldn’t have even thought of listening to me, right?”
“...”
That was true. Elze had no other intention than to bring justice to the pervert. Blahar tilted his head at Elze's appearance, which did not seem to deny it.
“Hmm... Usually, everyone has a favorable impression of me.”
He asked with narrowed eyes as if he was very suspicious.
“Don’t you fall in love with my beauty?”
What the heck, this idiot?
Elze was dumbfounded. Sorry, but Elze had seen so many outstandingly handsome men in her life that she couldn't fall for someone so handsome.
Even without going far, Shan, who was always by her side, was a handsome man. Rapne was also a neat and handsome man, and although Duke Seraph was annoying, he was objectively a man with no joke in terms of beauty.
“Anyway, I'm surrendering.”
Blahar lowered his sword. Elze also slowly lowered the tip of her sword. As Elze lowered her sword, Blahar immediately put Flamberge back into his scabbard. However, Elze did not put her rapier back into her scabbard. Seeing her not letting her guard down, Blahar sighed and raised his empty hand.
“If this side puts in a sword, wouldn’t it be polite for that side to put in one too?”
But Elze was still twisted.
“What makes me respect you?”
“No, look.”
Blahar spun around in place. He spoke confidently.
“If you look closely, doesn’t I look like a Prince? Huh?”
He seemed to be a very confident type. However, his confidence was not completely unfounded. He smiled faintly and no one could tell that he was ordinary.
In particular, his clear red eyes were unusual. She had heard that the Heglatan royal family had red eyes for generations. Elze thought he was telling the truth to some extent and asked him a question.
“So, why did the Prince of Heglatan come to see me?”
“Oh, can you call me Prince?”
“....”
Standing on the land of Heglatan, there was nothing wrong with doing whatever the self-proclaimed prince asked. Elze obediently complied as Blahar had said.
“Let me correct that. Why did the Prince of Heglatan follow the lady like a pervert and steal a glance at her naked body?”
“Hey...”
Blahar covered his face with both hands. He spoke to Elze with a flushed face.
“I... I’m sorry. But I really didn’t mean to.”
But Elze coldly pointed out his weakness.
“Then you should have made a noise before I took off my clothes.”
"That..."
Blahar became a dumb person who had eaten honey. He had a lot to say, but he couldn't say anything.
Blahar's original intention was to create a space where they could have a quiet conversation. However, when Blahar followed her into the room, Elze had already begun to undress.
In the meantime, her white flesh was revealed. From then on, Blahar was unable to say or do anything as if he had frozen.
From the straight spine and slim waist to the firm thighs, the back view... His heart pounded just from seeing the back view.
Blahar had seen his share of naked women and had slept with the most beautiful woman in the country.
But it was different. It was a body with soft, feminine curves, but firm, slender muscles. Blahar, who was thinking about this, unconsciously stared at Elze standing in front of him.
Elze's appearance, barely covering her upper body with a single towel and wearing only panties underneath, was beyond provocative, but also embarrassing. Just a moment ago, when she had stretched out her smooth, white legs and done a roundhouse kick, he was so shocked that he almost got hit by her if he had blinked.
Suddenly, the towel caught his eye. He wondered what the chest hidden underneath looked like. Looking at the way the towel was puffed up, he thought it must be quite large. Blahar, who couldn’t take his eyes off the towel, came to his senses only after feeling a cool sensation on the back of his neck.
“...Do you want to die?”
At Elze's eerie voice that sounded like she was going to slit his throat at any moment, Blahar covered his eyes with his hand and spoke urgently.
“Put on your clothes! Put on your clothes! I’ll turn around. I’ll leave the sword to you!”
As soon as Elze dropped her sword, Blahar untied Flamberge from his waist and placed it on the floor. Then he quickly turned around.
Honestly, isn't it a man's instinct to look at such a pretty woman standing there in a nearly naked state? Blahar waited for Elze to get dressed, half feeling aggrieved and half sorry. But that was also quite torture.
There was a rustling sound from behind, unseen. It was the sound of fabric brushing against skin. The sound of buttons being fastened, and laces being tied... He could imagine the natural appearance of putting on clothes. He couldn’t understand how even the sound of a slight sigh could be so obscene.
“Ahem.”
Blahar coughed dryly, feeling a burning sensation in his throat. His body twitched with the urge to turn around.
He swore to God, Blahar had never been exposed to a woman since he was born. With money, power, and beauty, Blahar was a very attractive man, and many women wanted to sleep with him.
But now it's like this!
If Serje saw this, he would laugh at it, if not make fun of it for ten years. While Blahar was groaning, Elze finished changing her clothes.
“...?”
And then, looking at Blahar, who was lost in thought alone, she tilted her head in confusion. It seemed like he was a bit out of his mind. Elze sighed and said.
“Anyway, I can’t cut off the head of the self-proclaimed Prince... I’ll let it slide, so go. I’m a busy person.”
“Wait, Elze!”
As soon as Blahar finished speaking, Elze's rapier took aim at him again.
Elze's face hardened. Elze glared at him with cold eyes and said.
“Tell me your true purpose.”
“What? What...!”
“Tell me now! Before I kill you.”
Elze had never told him her name. Neither Rapine nor Ilwooz had ever called Elze by her name, not even in the bar. But the fact that Blahar knew Elze's name meant that he had approached her intentionally from the beginning.
Blahar met Elze's gaze for a while in silence. He slowly opened his mouth.
“I know the whereabouts of the person you are looking for.”
Could this guy really be the culprit of the disappearance? Elze's eyes flashed fiercely. As if he had noticed what Elze was thinking, Blahar spoke calmly.
“I didn’t kidnap them. I just know who did it and why.”
Elze bit her lower lip tightly. Then she slowly opened her mouth to speak.
“...What price do you want?”
Blahar frowned at Elze's question.
“Price? There’s no such thing.”
But Elze didn't believe him.
“This isn’t the time to be exchanging such naive stories, is it?”
Blahar shook his head at Elze's attitude of telling him to speak quickly. He spoke with a mixture of admiration and sigh.
“...My seductions aren’t working at all.”
Elze pressed her rapier a little closer to his neck. Keeping a slight gap between their skins, Elze urged him coldly.
“This is no time for jokes.”
“Yes, I’ll be honest.”
Blahar cleared his throat. Then he spoke with a serious look in his eyes.
“I would like to recruit the Elijah Mercenary Corps to Heglatan.”
“...!”
“If you wish, I will embrace even Shan Cirxus.”
Blahar's hand rested lightly on Elze's rapier. His leather-gloved fingers swept down the slender blade.
“The Baluar royal family, to whom you owed allegiance, rewarded you by driving the Targayels back to their borders.”
The fingers barely swept across the sword, then suddenly stopped.
“But I am different.”
Blahar's eyes lit up. His eyes were full of life.
He said, his eyes sparkling beyond comparison to those of Crown Prince Raymond.
“Come to Heglatan, Elze of Elijah.”
Suddenly, Elze thought that his red eyes looked like the sun.
If Crown Prince Raymond had been like this, Elze and Shan might have continued to be under Baluar's rule. Blahar had a vague confidence that he would not break his promise. However, Elze refused his offer.
“I will refuse.”
“Why!”
As expected, Blahar was running wild. He looked quite hurt.
“Usually, when I do something like this, everyone is moved and starts crying!”
"Hmm..."
Elze was at a loss as to what to say to him. There were several reasons for her refusal.
First of all, she couldn't just accept the offer from someone she had only just met. And Elze wasn't the type of person to just accept it on her own. And most importantly...
“We were wrong from the moment we met.”
“?”
Blahar tilted his head in confusion at Elze's words. Elze couldn't bring herself to say anything and just sighed.
Even though it was from behind, the moment Shan realized that she had shown her half-naked body to Blahar... He would definitely draw his sword first. She could clearly see Shan raging, saying that he would kill that bastard. Elze shook her head and said.
“Anyway, I refuse. I want to pay the price for something else.”
Blahar's eyes drooped at Elze's words. He muttered, pouting his lips.
“Yeah... If you don’t like it, then there’s nothing I can do...”
Elze bit her lips, which were almost quivering. Honestly, the sight just now was a little cute.
Blahar was a typical young Prince, like a gorgeous flower. With that face and the gesture of sticking out his lips, she felt disarmed. Blahar must have known the power of his looks very well, so he did this.
But there might be a few snakes inside. Elze tells herself not to be fooled, but Blahar says.
“Then I’ll ask for something a little easier.”
He said it calmly as if it was nothing special.
“Kill the Crown Prince of Heglatan.”
“...!”
In front of Elze, whose face was frozen in surprise, Blahar smiled and said.
“How is it, is this good enough?”
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