Chapter 185: - Power of Words

༺ Power of Words ༻

– Creak...

“...Hmm.”

Seeing the carriage slow down, it seemed like we’d arrived at our destination.

“You guys, stay here...”

I instructed the animals perched on the windowsill.

– Thud!!

However, the animals rushed towards me at once.

“...Sigh.”

I ended up with an owl on my right shoulder, a dove on my left, a canary in my arm, and a cat doll in my pocket.

“Everyone is...”

A faint frown formed on my face, but before I could issue any further commands, they vanished into thin air.

“...What happened?”

Still somewhat puzzled by their disappearance, I got off the stationary carriage, hitting the cat doll’s head as it peeked out of my pocket.

“...Lulu, are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine. There’s no problem at all.”

Then, I subtly questioned Lulu, to which she responded with a cheerful smile.

Despite her reaction and her appearance not showing any issues, obviously, her previous reaction in the carriage had been anything but ordinary.

“Wait a minute.”

As I tilted my head in confusion, I cautiously reached my hand towards her body to confirm something.

– Slide...

Slipping my hand into her clothing, I observed for Lulu’s reaction.

“.....?”

Suddenly putting my hand inside her clothes should have made her uncomfortable, but for some reason, she simply stared at me with curiosity.

“Hmm.”

Feeling a tinge of embarrassment after trying to make myself look like a villain, I retracted the diagnostic magic I had cast and muttered.

“Other than a slight fever, there doesn’t seem to be any other issues... Hmm?”

While I was occupied with this, I suddenly felt a chill, prompting me to scan my surroundings.

“..........”

Passersby were all casting cold glances in my direction.

“Sigh.”

I was well aware my reputation had hit rock bottom, but experiencing it firsthand drove the point home with painful clarity.

Right now, those onlookers might have concluded that Lulu was my sex slave who had become numb to this level of mild harassment, as she had been subjected to my persistent and unwelcome advances for a supposedly long time.

“Grrrr...”

I glanced at her, worried that such reactions might distress the vulnerable Lulu. However, instead of being scared, she clung tightly to my arm and glared fiercely at her surroundings.

Somehow, her demeanor reminded me of a ferocious hunting dog, and I let out a chuckle before speaking in a hushed tone.

“...Why are you looking at them like that?”

“Oh, um... that...”

Then she flustered for a moment.

“I-I was just trying to intimidate them. They’re all Master’s enemies, after all...”

She confessed in a timid voice.

Seeing her like this, it became evident that her criteria for judging things had shifted; it was no longer a matter of good and evil, but rather whether it involved me or not.

“...You’re so impressive.”

After witnessing Lulu baring her teeth and growling for a while, I turned to head inside the building. She then questioned me in a low voice.

“...So what kind of place is this?”

Copying her, I responded discreetly.

“From now on, this will be the place we will visit when I want to do dirty work.”

“I see.”

Lulu nodded with a composed expression and followed me to the entrance of the building.

– Creak...

As I entered the building with her, a certain person came into my field of vision.

“H-Hello there. Here is...”

The final boss of the first-year scenario and the mid-boss of the entire scenario greeted me awkwardly in Imperial language.

“...Uh, oh.”

Miho was at the counter wearing an apron as she approached me.

“What, who is this? Aren’t you that darn noble? Why are you here!”

Miho stared at me blankly for a while, before she suddenly trembled, letting out a startled shout.

“.......”

I quietly observed her, turning my gaze when I heard a very familiar voice coming from behind her.

“Frey!”

“Oh, hel...”

Serena, whose makeup was so striking that it was absurd, was looking at me with a bashful expression.

“......Huh?”

However, when Serena noticed Lulu next to me, she looked quite astonished.

“Ah...”

Her initial surprise gradually transformed into evident disappointment.

“...Mhm?”

I shot a pitying look at Serena, before I noticed something unusual about Miho, who was standing before me.

“Haa, haaaa...”

I discreetly put my hand into my pocket where I had kept the Stone of Domination and activated it.

“E-e-e-eek!!”

In a heartbeat, Miho darted towards me.

“M-Master!”

Several things happened simultaneously.

“Uheeekk...!”

Lulu closed her eyes tightly and embraced me.

“.........”

Despite having disappeared before I entered the building, the animals suddenly reappeared on my shoulders and arms. They quietly channeled magical power within their body.

“Miho, stop!”

And Serena popped out like a bullet, hugging Miho.

All of this happened in mere seconds.

“...Step aside.”

In that situation, I commanded everyone with a cold voice.

“Everyone step aside.”

My voice grew louder as I issued the command. Serena, who was holding Miho, Lulu, who was holding me, and the animals clinging to me quickly stepped aside.

“Hm.”

With my surroundings now completely empty, I approached Miho, who had frozen in place under the influence of the Stone of Domination.

“...Long time no see, huh?”

I smirked eerily and muttered.

“Ugh, e-eek.”

In response, her face contorted into terror.

It seemed the memories of the slave market incident were still fresh in her mind.

“Y-You, human. Stay away!”

“But what were you trying to do just now?”

“Eeek...”

I gently held her neck before I began to calmly whisper in her ear.

“...Did you think you could escape?”

“......!”

“There’s already a warrant out for you in the entire Empire, bitch. Even if you leave this place right this moment, you’ll be arrested immediately.”

“Ugh, ugh...”

“So don’t even think about escaping and just wait here obediently.”

As I observed her, on the brink of tears and clenching her fists, I continued.

“...If I get interested, I’ll come to get you.”

I pushed her forward.

“Ugh...”

Because of that, Miho collapsed and started trembling on the ground.

“......”

I looked at her, my gaze shifting to empty air as I quietly contemplated.

[Sub-Heroines Conquest]

Miho

[Conquest Progress: 0%]

Details...

‘So why is she a sub-heroine?’

She was just a “mid-boss,” definitely not a heroine.

Once I successfully saved her in the “Slave Market” quest, she would be designated as an NPC for the newly established “Information Guild,” thereby bolstering the guild’s efficiency.

And thus began a long silence.

– Rustle, rustle...

In a situation where nothing could be seen, I relied solely on the faint rustling sound, feeling the weight of her on top of me while quietly closing my eyes.

“...Argh!!”

“Serena?”

However, suddenly, Serena began to scream in pain, so I stood up in surprise.

“Wha-what’s going on?”

“Ah... Ahhh uhhh...!”

“...This.”

After a while, as I felt her flesh more carefully, I was able to figure out the problem.

“Is it... because of the curse?”

“I-I’m s-sorry... I’m so sorry.”

I cautiously asked, to which she answered with a low voice.

“I tried to endure the pain with pain-relieving potions and pain-relieving magic, but... I couldn’t... Ugh...”

She began to cry in pain again. I hastily moved away from her, put on my clothes, and asked.

“The Secret Lord has been captured, hasn’t he?”

“Y-yes, we have caught him... But when I researched the Curse of Subordination, I found a problem...”

“A problem?”

“After searching through ancient texts, I found that if the person who cast the curse is killed, the curse bearer won’t receive orders anymore, but the curse will remain...”

“...Huh?”

Upon hearing that, I let out a short groan.

“T-therefore, I tried to endure the pain somehow, but... I-I’m sorry...”

“...Serena.”

I carefully grabbed Serena’s shoulders which trembled as she spoke.

“Let’s find a solution together. There must be a way to lift that curse.”

“Y-yeah.”

“Remember what you said about that one coincidence? If we find that, we can solve this, right? It’s not impossible, so just wait a little more...”

With a soothing voice, I started to reassure her.

“W-we have to find it within the summer break.”

“Huh?”

Serena, who had been sobbing, calmly raised her head at my remark.

“Before the vacation ends, I-I need to find a solution...”

“Hmm.”

I listened intently to Serena’s quivering voice.

“So, you and I can share our love...”

At her mournful words, I replied with a grin.

“Is that so? Then, stay strong.”

“What?”

“...I want to do it with you soon, too, Serena.”

“..........”

And then, a long silence followed.

Although I couldn’t clearly see her due to the complete darkness, Serena stiffened after hearing my words...

“...♡”

With trembling eyes, she gazed at me, then grasped my hand. Her whole body was shivering as she whispered in a soft voice.

“Love... I love you... I love you, Frey...”

“...Uh, yeah.”

Serena’s switch had completely flipped.

Seeing her behaving this way somehow made me recall the Serena I had seen in the Third Ordeal.

“By any means necessary... I will... Hehe...”

“S-should we leave this place first?”

“...Okayyy.”

Feeling like staying here any longer might lead to another kind of danger, I urgently headed to the keypads with her.

“During the day, I’ll have to be harsh with you. So, I’m really sorry...”

“...♡”

“It’s fine.”

I briefly stroked Serena’s head as she buried her face inside my clothes, breathing heavily.

– Click!

Then, I raised the switches simultaneously.

– Wooong...

In that fleeting moment, the light filled the room again, and her memories adjusted to the present.

“...Huh?”

“There’s no need for you to see me anymore.”

“Uh...”

Serena lowered her head at my cold words, her eyes welling up with tears.

– Step, step...

Leaving her behind, I climbed the stairs while gently caressing my flushed face.

“...Huh?”

Strangely, I sensed an unusual atmosphere and momentarily raised my head.

“What was that?”

However, thinking of it as nothing, I dismissed the feeling and grabbed the doorknob leading to the first floor.

“Nooo!!!”

“.....!?”

After noticing something, Serena, who had been fumbling with her disheveled clothes, suddenly rushed toward me with a pale face. I momentarily froze upon seeing Serena charge towards me.

“Khhhooooo!!!”

– Crash!!

Something happened at the instant.

“Uwaack!!”

Because Serena rushed at full force from behind, I was sent tumbling to the ground along with her.

“Grrrr...”

“.....!?”

I was shocked to find that Miho had shattered the steel door with a single strike.

“W-what’s that? How could that happen?”

“I-Is she going berserk...?”

For some unknown reason, she had taken on the appearance of the final boss in the first-year scenario, the ‘mystical beast transformed into a monster.’

“I hate... humans... I hate nobles...”

“Keutt.”

In this incomprehensible situation, I desperately searched for the Stone of Domination I had kept in my pocket.

“...Damn it.”

Realizing that my pants were torn apart, I cursed under my breath.

“This drives me crazy.”

Along with the side of my pants, the Stone of Domination inside my pocket had also been flung far away, shattered into pieces.

“Grrrr...”

“I-I’ll deal with her. You go down to the basement...”

“Hooo...”

I calmly closed my eyes in the face of this life-threatening situation and infused mana into my walking stick and the sword at my waist.

– Crackle... Crackle...

The animals that had been restraining Miho, depleting even the magic that had composed their very essence, began to conjure a self-destructing magic circle in the air.

“Stop it.”

The situation ended abruptly.

“Keeeit...!”

It was because Miho, who had been using all her strength to release the spirits’ restraints, suddenly stopped moving.

“Sit.”

After a while, a terrifying voice once again echoed throughout the guild.

“Kiiing...”

With trembling legs, Miho soon lowered her tail and hunkered down.

“..........”

Shortly after, silence fell.

“........”

On the other hand, Lulu, the protagonist who had created this situation, gazed down at Miho with her cold expression.

“.....Huh?”

After she regained her senses, she suddenly made a surprised sound and tilted her head.

– Crackle...

Her Magic Eyes were burning with a more intense, deep, ruby hue than anyone else’s.

“M-Master, what kind of situation is this...?”

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