Chapter 56
Belietta was the type to get angry if she had to do better than anyone else and couldn’t stand being worse than them.
Fiorette couldn’t help but berate herself for forgetting what she’d been thinking all along when it came to shooting her bow.
‘What if I had hit the last shot too?’
Trying to clear her mind of those thoughts she didn’t want to think about, Fiorette hurriedly tried to bow her head, but Belietta’s voice came first.
“You missed, huh? What a shame.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“No need to apologize. It’s tough to hit that target, after all. Not everyone born in a warrior family can shoot well.”
With a pleasant smile, Belietta reached for her thin outer coat and put it on.
“You can do better next time, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Don’t let it get you down. It was just one shot.”
Belietta chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand as she patted Fiorette on the shoulder.
Fiorette flinched, and as Belietta gazed at her, her smile faded and her eyes narrowed slowly.
“It was just one shot, right?”
“…”
“I like smart, capable people. The more cunning, the better. But…”
Belietta took a step closer to Fiorette, closing the distance between them.
Her lips came slowly toward Fiorette’s ear, stopping just close enough for Fiorette to feel her breath.
Belietta’s soft laughter echoed like thunder, and then she swallowed audibly.
“I really don’t like people who are clueless. I think being incompetent and careless is a terrible sin.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Make sure to remember this. Forget about what happened today. Got it, Fiorette?”
“…Understood.”
As Belietta quietly observed the side profile of Fiorette, who kept her head down, she stepped back.
Belietta smiled at Fiorette one last time, then turned slightly.
“Keep that bow. I tried it out, and it didn’t suit me at all. I’ll have to make a new one later. It seems to fit you well, so I’ll give it to you as a gift. Use it for the upcoming hunting tournament, okay?”
“I’ll do that, Your Highness.”
As Fiorette nodded, Belietta smiled at her and turned away.
Belietta’s expression softened slowly as she moved away from Fiorette but then suddenly stiffened.
A long sigh escaped Belietta’s lips.
“Just one shot…”
Recalling the last shot that had missed the target, the corner of Belietta’s mouth twisted into a bitter smirk.
“What a shame.”
She thought it would be fun today.
Belietta’s eyes gleamed mischievously as she pictured Fiorette’s frightened face.
* * *
With only a day left until the monster-hunting tournament, Rippleton was unusually quiet.
While mercenaries and wandering knights bustled about in preparation for the tournament, the flow of nobility was practically nonexistent.
The massive training grounds and tents set up inside the Rippleton estate were barely half full, and all Baran could do was let out a deep sigh as he observed the scene.
“This is a problem.”
Baran had been worried about the sudden hunting tournament organized by Bozbourne.
Although he had tried to prepare extra prizes and promote the event to encourage participation, the situation was dire.
No matter how much money he offered, it was difficult to draw in the nobility.
“Lord Nemir,”
The chamberlain in charge of managing participants called out to Baran, sounding anxious.
Baran tilted his head to look at the chamberlain.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s growing unease among the mercenaries and wandering knights participating.”
“Unease?”
“The monsters in Rippleton are wild and strong compared to other places. The reason there have been fewer casualties each year is that a high-level knight works alongside many mercenaries to defeat each monster. However, this time, the number of knights is low, and the participants feel unsafe because of that.”
Baran’s brow furrowed at the chamberlain’s words.
It was something he had been concerned about, but now it was becoming a real issue.
Baran sighed and scratched his head.
“Tell the mercenaries we’ll be hunting the monsters in smaller, and controlled groups this time. That should ease their worries.”
“We’ve been doing that already, but the problem is that the mercenaries and wandering knights are making other demands. They want a life insurance payout.”
“…What?”
Rippleton had never paid a life insurance payout to participants before.
This wasn’t a job or task; it was a tournament.
Moreover, they offered a high bounty on the monster heads and additional prize money.
To suddenly ask for life insurance in a tournament that had always run smoothly was absurd!
Baran hastily tried to hide his surprise and spoke urgently.
“That’s ridiculous… How much are they asking for?”
“They’re requesting payment in gold coins. The exact amount varies from person to person, but whatever it is, it’s a significant sum.”
Baran’s face fell at the mention of gold coins.
He turned to survey the mercenaries in the training grounds, drinking heavily, and frowned.
Baran shook his head.
“Mercenaries are people looking to make money off this tournament. If we start paying them life insurance, they won’t focus on hunting the monsters. We absolutely cannot give them life insurance.”
“But if we don’t pay, they’re saying they won’t participate in the tournament.”
“Damn it!”
Baran gritted his teeth and slammed his hand against the wall.
The chamberlain flinched back, but Baran didn’t have time to care about that.
His palm stung from hitting the wall.
Baran glared at the mercenaries before slowly speaking again.
“…What about the participation of other nobles? Have we figured out how many more will come?”
“Don’t expect much. It’s looking bleak.”
“Damn…”
Baran leaned his forehead against his palm and closed his eyes, muttering curses.
He felt trapped at every turn.
With his eyes closed, he thought for a while, trying to come up with a good plan, then slowly lifted his head and spoke.
“What about Lady Brilloxen? Any news?”
“That’s…”
“Sierra isn’t coming, Baran.”
The response to Baran’s question didn’t come from the chamberlain but from behind him.
Baran turned around quickly to see Aden, who had come closer and was clicking his tongue while looking out the window.
“Numbers are looking grim.”
“Your Grace…”
Baran bit his lip and bowed his head like a guilty person.
Aden looked at the dejected Baran and then clicked his tongue again.
He realized that by the time he heard about this situation, it was already too late.
Rippleton was slow to catch onto news, so he only learned about Bozbourne’s plans two days ago.
By that time, the mercenaries had already started to arrive in droves.
‘Belietta, and Bozbourne.’
Rippleton had officially complained to Bozbourne about the ridiculousness of the situation, but all they received in response was a vague expression of regret.
They claimed it was merely a coincidence that the dates overlapped, but Aden didn’t take that at face value.
“Coincidence? That’s ridiculous. They must have planned to sabotage Rippleton from the start.”
Aden turned his head as he closed the window.
“Do we have a way to deal with this?”
“It might be better to reduce the scope of the hunt and focus locally. I’m also considering extending the date by a day.”
“Not a bad plan. I’ll increase the number of knights and soldiers participating in this hunt, so make sure to proceed carefully to avoid casualties.”
“Understood. But didn’t you just mention that Lady Brilloxen won’t be coming…? Is she really not participating this time?”
Aden nodded briefly, recalling the letter he received late last night.
Sierra had written that she wouldn’t be able to participate and explained why.
Thinking about her apologetic tone, Aden let out a deep sigh.
“This is a big problem. Lady Brilloxen was our last hope.”
“Hope…”
At Baran’s murmured words, filled with deep disappointment, Aden chuckled softly.
That was not a word that suited Harmonia.
The only hope for Harmonia was the goddess Harmonia, and Rippleton’s future was growing darker with each passing year.
The one who had been a beacon of light in that bleak future wasn’t the goddess Harmonia or the emperor of the empire; it was a young noblewoman from a rural countship.
She was the one who supported Aden, who was overwhelmed trying to save and protect the many people rooted in Harmonia.
Countless burdens rested on her small shoulders.
Ironically, Sierra had no idea about any of this.
“I don’t understand when Harmonians started to treat hope so lightly, Baran Nemir. And doesn’t it feel like we’re placing a heavy burden on that little noblewoman by calling her hope?”
“…”
“People living on Harmonia don’t believe in hope. They only trust in the swords they wield. Have you forgotten that it’s supposed to be swords and conviction that save us?”
“I’m sorry, Your Excellency.”
Baran kept his silence while looking down at the noisy mercenaries before turning away.
“We’ve already received a lot of help. I can’t cause any more trouble.”
“Understood.”
“And make sure to convey this clearly to the mercenaries: Rippleton will never pay life compensation. Tell those who don’t like it to leave.”
“Are you sure that’s okay?”
“We don’t need to force ourselves to keep them around with money.”
Aden turned with a wide smile for Baran, who looked worried.
“Regardless of what they’re thinking, the fact remains that tomorrow, the monsters around here will be dealt with.”
Baran didn’t know what Aden was really thinking, but he didn’t believe he would say something like that without reason.
He just hoped everything would go smoothly.
“If any mercenaries start demanding life compensation, make a scene and crack some skulls. And increase the bounty on each monster. Since these mercenaries are only here for the money, that approach will be more effective in controlling them than just offering more cash.”
“Understood.”
Baran nodded and turned away, letting out a small sigh as he quietly watched Aden.
