23 - Marquis Maron
Chapter 23
Curly, dark blue hair?
"I'll take care of them. Just take them to my quarters."
"Priest! They slaughtered our Snowbeasts! The symbol of the Nieve Kingdom!"
"I know. So you don't have to help me. I'll do it myself. Just step aside."
Huh?
At the priest's words, the people reluctantly lowered the stones they were about to throw and stepped back. Still, they didn't help the priest. Their hatred for the poachers was that deep.
The young priest loaded the poachers onto a cart and disappeared somewhere.
Fatima muttered that since he was wearing a worn robe and looked so dirty, he must be a priest who set up a tent in a slum and proselytized.
"No, he's not."
I know who he is.
"He's an assassin."
Snowbeast Rango.
"Those poachers will all be dead tonight."
Putting the last piece of chocolate cake in my mouth, I muttered indifferently.
I take back what I said about the whole world existing for the heroine, who 'coincidentally' seizes all opportunities and luck and is loved and successful without context.
Take it back!
"Why are you here?"
I said, looking at the assassin Rango, who appeared with Reikart.
"Why am I here?"
I couldn't understand. What could we possibly have to do with each other? He's a terrifying assassin, and the heroine will come here in the middle of summer to reform him, and then he'll become a real priest, right?
Of course, he dies for the heroine later.
Reikart said with an excited face.
"He said he'd get us the list of those abandoned in the Contaminated Zone in Grandis if we get rid of the poachers."
"Huh?"
I kept asking back in disbelief, and Rango shrugged and said.
"You're looking for people unfairly abandoned in the Contaminated Zone, right? I guess you're wary because I'm wearing priest's clothes, but I hate the Order bastards too. Don't worry."
"Hey."
"I can get you the list, but you have to keep your promise. Cooperate until we've taken care of every last one of those damn poachers who appeared in Grandis."
"I'm just a powerless ordinary person..."
"He says you're his subordinate."
Rango pointed at Reikart.
"Just lend him to me. He's a damn good fighter."
Rango grinned, revealing his teeth. Cold white eyes gleamed between his distinct dark blue hair.
The next morning dawned.
I didn't sleep well. In my dream, all the male leads from the original work came out and surrounded me, saying that I was the reason they had become strange.
The female lead was nowhere to be seen, and I had to listen to them chattering on and on.
No, I really didn't want to meet you guys!
I didn't want to get involved with them. That's why I was stuck in that remote place, living on dew, wasn't it?
Reikart too. I tried so hard to throw him out, but he kept following me around, and what am I supposed to do when he won't leave even when I tell him to get lost?
"I let you off the hook because you're not the protagonist."
"What?"
Rango turned to look at me with a displeased expression.
He had taken off his priest's clothes and was dressed like a woodcutter, and he said he was going to take me and Reikart up the mountain behind Grandis, all the way to the wolves' habitat.
"Phew, I thought I had to go too."
Fatima laughed and pointed to the luxurious inn bed.
"Have a good trip. I'll stay here and guard the luggage."
"I wish I could take you with me. To suffer together."
"Hoho, more empty words."
I mean it.
I was dressed in a bizarre outfit, a noblewoman's traveling dress with a veiled hat, and Reikart was wearing a high-quality leather hunting outfit.
Rango stared at the two of us for a while, sighed, and then left the inn first.
"I'm crazy. What am I doing, bringing a clown and a young master?"
"That clown is your client, you bastard."
"Yeah, yeah."
He was holding a certified hunter's card from Grandis, which he must have gotten from somewhere. It was obviously forged, but we had to put on a funny act in front of the soldiers with it.
Rango said to the soldiers with a friendly smile.
"It's the season when we're not allowed to catch wolves, so I'm trying to earn some living expenses. These people came from the capital to see the Snowbeasts, so I'm just going to show them around the habitat."
"What? How rough is that mountain?"
"Hey, we're not going that far. Just the easy paths, okay? Easy paths."
Then he whispered in the soldiers' ears.
"If those idiots start whining as soon as they go up the mountain, I'll just take the money and come down. How about it, sounds good, right?"
I can hear you, you bastard.
The people of Grandis are on the side of the people of Grandis. The soldiers glanced at me and Reikart with a pathetic look and let us through.
I suddenly became a foolish noble.
"See, who told you to dress like a clown?"
Even Reikart nodded subtly at Rango's words, making me feel even worse. It seemed like it was no use saying a hundred times that Fatima had chosen the clothes.
Rango said soothingly.
"Client-nim. I don't know what happened that your family was abandoned in that terrible land, but you won't be able to get that list from anyone but me. So cooperate properly. Got it?"
"Tell him. I'm not going to do anything."
"You're the boss, aren't you!"
"But what's written on that list?"
"Name, crime, evidence, location where they were abandoned, administrator's signature."
That's quite detailed.
I nodded in admiration without realizing it.
The Contaminated Zone is vast and borders all three kingdoms, so knowing where someone was abandoned is very good information.
However, I was still hesitant about directly performing Purification on the tainted.
As if reading my mind, Reikart quietly spoke to me.
"It's a good opportunity. You can get the information you want and save the poor Snowbeasts."
I glared at the disobedient omnivore once and then asked Rango.
"Even if we kill all the poachers in the mountains, there's no guarantee that Holt won't send more."
"To scare them."
"How?"
"Peel off their skin and send it to their families."
"Hey!"
That's too cruel!
Rango asked, puzzled, when I shrieked.
"Those guys are catching my family, skinning them, and selling them for money. What can't I do?"
No, that's true, but.
Humans and animals are different.
"Not to me. Get lost if you're going to preach."
Rango widened his cold white eyes and flashed his whites.
Scary, assassins are scary.
I walked closer to Reikart.
Not different. So that's why he doesn't think anything of killing people. That's why he acted like a butcher every time he cut off people's heads and handed them over for money.
It's a good thing Reikart is stronger than Rango. I stuck to the world's top physical fighter and shrank my neck like a turtle.
"What's wrong, are you cold?"
Reikart asked cluelessly. I said I was fine.
Sweat was already beading on his forehead. The cool mountain breeze ruffled his hair, making it sparkle.
Reikart asked me.
"Want me to hold your hand?"
Why would I hold your hand?
"Here."
Then he casually held out his hand in front of me and smirked. It was a very, very arrogant and twisted smile.
Ah, so that's it.
He thought I was teasing him when I said I'd hold his hand in the Contaminated Zone. So he's getting revenge now, right?
Because he thinks I'll be offended if he does this.
"What a joke."
I laughed and grabbed his outstretched hand. Then I intertwined my fingers with his and made sure he couldn't let go of me.
"Hold on tight. If I fall or get hurt, it's all your fault."
"What, what? Why is that."
"We're holding hands."
And you told me to hold it.
No take-backs.
I was grinning happily when Rango turned to look at us and muttered.
"Get a room."
