Chapter 104: Three-Way Battle - 3
Chapter 104: Three-Way Battle - 3
In Lijin's room, Jiha sat beside her on the bed and they ate together.
When he picked up a side dish and fed it to her, Lijin grew flustered, suddenly embarrassed.
Once the meal was over,
Jiha rose from his seat.
"I'm going now."
"Yes, please be careful."
"Don't get up."
Lijin, wearing only a shirt, tried to get up quickly to see him off, but Jiha stopped her.
Not just with words, but by pressing down on her shoulder with his hand.
And then Jiha bent down and gave the seated Lijin a light kiss.
"I had a good time. Let's do it again sometime."
"...Yes."
A promise for next time.
Lijin smiled, genuinely pleased.
It was the first real smile she had shown Jiha.
Leaving Lijin's room, Jiha entered the Common mess hall.
Uben, who had been waiting, stood up.
Though they were alone, Uben lowered his voice.
"A reply has come back from the letter we sent to the red-light district."
"That was fast."
It meant Iroha had picked up on the gnolls' movements.
When Jiha extended his hand, Uben tsked in discomfort.
"Well... the thing is, they insisted they must speak with you directly, Chief. I sent everyone else away because it didn't seem like something they should see."
"What's going on?"
"...The person who came to deliver the message seemed to have some pretty strong feelings toward you, Chief."
"As if there are only one or two people with a bone to pick with me?"
Even as he retorted, Jiha was a little puzzled. This was the kind of thing Uben could usually handle with ease.
"So it's not just a mere messenger, but someone even you find hard to deal with. Who is it?"
"It's a Super Rare..."
When Uben answered uncomfortably, Jiha thought for a moment before nodding.
There were two Super Rares who might have a grudge against him, and only one would make Uben this uncomfortable.
"A fearless little puppy, huh. Tell her to come in."
"...I'll go get her, but how should we handle this? Should I have the others on standby?"
Jiha shook his head.
"I'll deal with it myself, so you stay out too. If the off-chance happens, it's easier if I'm alone."
"Understood. Please be careful."
Uben lowered his head and then left.
Now alone, Jiha grinned. He wasn't sure why the person he was about to meet was angry, but he welcomed it.
He was used to pinning down someone who lashed out in anger.
"Good."
As if responding to his mutter, he heard the door open, followed by quiet footsteps.
Jiha turned around and asked idly,
"Welcome. What was your name again?"
"It's Mayan. I'd prefer you didn't remember it."
The beastman woman dressed in a maid's outfit, with dog ears atop her head, answered coldly.
She was the maid who managed Enril's mansion, and a Super Rare Grade.
After a brief exchange of glances, they sat down facing each other.
Jiha pushed the glass of milk toward her.
"Want a drink?"
"I don't wish to drink something that's been sullied."
Her open hostility actually made things easier.
"Fine, shall we get straight to the point then? Hurry up and bark out what you've brought."
"..."
"Aren't you a puppy? You should bark."
Mayan's expression turned cold. Faced with an intensity that suggested she might lunge at him at any moment, Jiha chuckled softly.
"What? Are you a cat instead of a dog? Gonna start meowing?"
"Setting aside my unwanted role as a messenger, I have something to ask you."
"What?"
"...What exactly are you doing to my lady?"
Jiha frowned.
"That's irrelevant right now. It seems you have a lot to say to me, but first, give me the message Iroha sent."
As Jiha held out his hand, Mayan shook her head.
"It's not a letter. I was told to deliver it to you in person."
"..."
There had been a time when he'd contacted Mayan to take Enril home after she'd fallen asleep in the red-light district.
That was how Iroha and Mayan met, and it seemed they'd gotten acquainted.
'She managed to butter up a Super Rare in such a short time. She's really someone you can't let your guard down around.'
Jiha hid his thoughts and nodded.
"Alright, what was the message?"
"The gnolls have requested a meeting with you. Iroha guarantees your safety and told you to decide freely. It's tonight."
"...A meeting?"
"The gnolls said they want a peaceful resolution."
Well, look at this.
Yesterday they sent an assassin, and today they talk of peace?
"Shameless, but not to be underestimated."
"Iroha said you'd say that."
"Did she say I'd accept?"
"She said you'd accept for now. Both sides can bring three people besides the representative to the meeting."
"Three, huh..."
Mayan shook her head.
"No Unique Grades allowed. The gnolls apparently said they wouldn't show up otherwise."
"..."
That was obvious. They wouldn't want to sit face-to-face with someone accompanied by a strategic weapon.
Jiha drummed his fingers on the table, lost in thought.
'Insisting it be today means they don't want to give me time to prepare. The gnolls had two plans ready: one if I'd died yesterday, and this one to manage the situation because I didn't.'
He reached a conclusion.
"I'll have to go. But on the condition that their boss shows up too. It's a waste of time if the head honcho isn't there."
"Iroha will personally take responsibility and guarantee that part."
Jiha wanted to personally gauge what kind of man this enemy was.
And if things went south, he wanted to sweep them all away.
"They'll allow up to three companions..."
This meeting had nothing to do with Kamain. If Jiha reported it to Asira, Kamain would be in trouble too.
Meaning, both yesterday's attack and today's meeting request were the gnolls acting on their own. Kamain had only passed them information.
'Is Kamain someone to be disrespected like that? No, he's still a Super Rare, and with Asira behind him, he's not someone you can just ignore. So what are the gnolls relying on to act so brazenly?'
It was clear Kamain and the gnolls were in cahoots, but the power dynamic was strange.
"Say..."
"Hold on."
As Jiha frowned, Mayan shut her mouth in displeasure.
Like the dog she was, Mayan had a good nose and had noticed the change in Enril.
And she'd concluded it was because of Jiha.
"Three... Alright."
Jiha nodded.
"You get ready too. You're coming with me tonight."
"...Excuse me?"
At Jiha's nod, Mayan's brow furrowed.
"What kind of nonsense is that? My lady is the only one who can give me orders. I have no reason to take orders from you..."
"Then go get permission from Enril."
"..."
Mayan glared at Jiha. She read his attitude, the reaction that showed his certainty Enril would give her consent.
'If I can't bring a Unique, then a Super Rare is my best card. Taking someone with superior combat power is the right call, just in case.'
"...And why would I cooperate with you at that meeting?"
"Your rival's coming too, you know? If you screw things up, it'll be a stain on Enril's career."
Mayan looked baffled. But the next words made her freeze.
"You don't know what this meeting is about yet, do you? But you know it's important. Kamain, Asira's right-hand man, will also be there. Asira and Enril belong to opposing factions, so what happens if you mess things up? The mistakes of the subordinate are the responsibility of the superior."
"..."
"Even if you pull a runner from this job, it's the same. Kamain and his master Asira will hog all the credit."
As Jiha spoke smugly, Mayan shot him a burning glare.
"This is for Enril's benefit, isn't it? So are you going to tuck your tail and run?"
"Don't speak my lady's name so lightly, Common."
"Woof woof? Woof woof woof?"
"..."
The moment Jiha imitated a barking dog, a dagger somehow appeared in Mayan's hand.
Faced with her killing intent, Jiha asked calmly.
"What are you going to do after you swing that?"
"..."
Mayan huffed and heaved for a long moment, then concealed the blade back into her sleeve.
"It's not just for my own gain; it's about giving the credit to Enril, so why throw such a tantrum?"
"You..."
"I'll listen to your barking at length later. So stop this little fit."
From Jiha's perspective, no matter how angry Mayan got, it was just laughable.
In a situation where even her master Enril had to watch her step around Jiha, what could Mayan, a mere subordinate, possibly be counting on to act so cocky?
She probably thought she was some kind of guard dog, but to Jiha, she looked like a chihuahua.
'Should I tell Enril to control her subordinates? Or should I discipline her myself?'
While Jiha seemed relaxed, he was preparing for the off-chance Mayan attacked.
You could never predict what a person who was emotionally hostile might do.
"...When this is over, we'll talk separately. Properly."
Mayan turned around, gritting her teeth.
Jiha tossed words at her back.
"I don't care if you go ask Enril, but tell her I said this is confidential. If rumors leak beforehand, that's you screwing up the job."
"..."
Mayan left without answering. The dog tail poking out from her maid uniform was stiff and straight, a clear sign of how thoroughly angry she was.
Jiha nodded with satisfaction.
"Ah, this kind of thing really is easier."
Suppressing the other party, making them boil with rage, while getting exactly what he wanted.
'She can bark all she wants, but she still can't lay a hand on me.'
Mayan was wary of Jiha, but not to the point of trying to stab him right then. Most of all, Mayan was aware that if she acted recklessly, it would affect Enril as well.
So she wouldn't try to sabotage tonight's meeting.
Rather, she'd have no choice but to listen to Jiha and move loyally. She'd make her dislike blatantly obvious, but that actually made her easier for Jiha to handle.
Someone who openly shows their dislike is at least honest.
"Dealing with a shady schemer like Iroha is way more exhausting..."
Jiha smiled, running through various scenarios in his mind.
He would go, and his companions would be three. One was Mayan, who'd have to follow his orders despite hating it; another he'd pick from among the Commons. The last one would be Kamain—if he requested it from Asira, Kamain would have no choice but to attend.
"I'll keep the information from him until the very last moment..."
Kamain, completely in the dark about Jiha's secret meeting with the gnolls, would suddenly be summoned.
Then what would the gnolls and Kamain think of each other?
The people tangled up in this matter all had their own hidden agendas.
Each would be scheming to deceive the other, trying all sorts of plots to be the final victor.
But Jiha's plan would overturn the board from its very foundation.