Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Subjugation Squad (3)
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“...”
“...”
Elnor and Eliya sat silently, staring at the ground with the crackling campfire between them.
Given that two great nobles were present, it would have been impossible to make them prepare camp themselves. Despite their status, the two of them had taken care of all the camping preparations.
“Tents, sleeping bags, preserved combat rations. Wow, takes me back...”
“...Have you done this sort of thing before?”
“A lot. Not in the Campbell Baron household, though.”
“...?”
Dawood had given that cryptic explanation, but it seemed genuine enough—he had swiftly set up camp with practiced ease, leading the group.
And then he had whisked away the Grand Duke and the Margrave to devise a “subjugation plan,” leaving these two behind on night watch.
‘Just what the hell was this guy up to in the past?’
He was suspiciously skilled at hiding his talents.
You don’t learn this stuff anywhere but in the military, do you?
‘...Come to think of it.’
The reason she had first gotten close to him was pure curiosity about what kind of person he was—she had forced her way in.
She had assumed he must have some connection to the Tristan Ducal House and approached him for that reason.
But at some point, it shifted from that pretext to simply being drawn to the man himself, and she found herself spending more and more time near him.
‘I wonder what their relationship is.’
The thought crossed her mind as she watched Elnor poke at the campfire with a stick.
At the very least, they seemed tight. It was obvious from how they relied on each other first in crises.
So then.
Why did that man.
—Leave Eliya entirely in my care. I’ll make sure you won’t regret it.
Why say something like that?
Eliya’s eyes widened, her ears burning as she barely suppressed the heat rising in her face.
‘...N-No, I don’t like him or anything like that yet!’
At any rate, the grudge she held against the Tristan Ducal House was still alive and well.
Sure, that man kept saying and doing things that inexplicably burrowed into her heart, but if he thought she had fallen for him, he was greatly mistaken!
She had no intention of accepting that until that issue was resolved...!
‘...W-Wait a second.’
Wasn’t she just now thinking under the premise that she would accept it once that issue was resolved?
‘N-No, that’s not what I...!’
As she mumbled excuses to no one in particular, Elnor suddenly leaped to her feet from across the fire.
She was trembling visibly, gripping her sword—clearly terrified. Her expression remained unchanged amid it all, which was oddly impressive.
“...!”
Eliya’s gaze sharpened in tandem. If this woman reacted like that, there had to be a real threat nearby—
“...”
But when Eliya saw what Elnor had her sword trained on, her face went blank.
“...What are you doing to a bug?”
Elnor stared at the ground in disbelief.
A creature the size of a human palm was wriggling there.
“...This is a bug? Isn’t it some kind of beast remnant?”
“Country bugs all look like this. First time seeing one?”
“...”
What kind of demonic countryside is this?
As that thought flitted through Elnor’s mind, Eliya lumbered over and casually picked it up.
A beetle. An especially large one.
“Oh, it’s been a while.”
“...A while?”
“There were tons in my hometown. We used to play with them like this.”
Eliya beamed, handling it with expert ease.
The bug crawled up her hand and even her arm, wriggling all the while.
“...”
Elnor staggered backward at the sight.
It even crawled up to her face, but Eliya just giggled as if it tickled.
“Don’t let scary people catch you—live long and prosper~”
After playing with it for a good while, Eliya released the beetle and waved cheerfully as it scurried off.
“...Student Council President? What are you doing over there?”
Eliya then noticed Elnor, crouched far away, clutching her head and trembling as if she had seen a ghost.
“Don’t come any closer, you monster...!”
“...”
A woman who could slice through people without batting an eye—what a pathetic display.
‘She’s scared of bugs?’
Eliya mulled it over as she plopped back down by the fire.
It was a rare sight, to be sure.
She had only ever seen Elnor at the academy, exuding an impassive, stern aura—no one would have imagined this side of her.
Forget fears, she seemed like the type to personally slit a demon’s throat if one appeared.
“...”
Eliya watched as Elnor cautiously crept back to the fire, wiggling her toes.
Just as she had always thought.
If she hadn’t approached because she viewed everyone from the Tristan Ducal House as devilish scum, she never would have discovered this side.
‘...Or this.’
It all traced back to that man, in the end.
Without him, she never would have gotten entangled with them like this.
“Um, President.”
She blurted it out suddenly, probably because of those thoughts.
It was a question she never would have asked otherwise, but instinct told her this was her only chance.
“Are things bad between you and the Grand Duke?”
Elnor’s eyebrow twitched at the question.
“...What’s your angle in asking?”
“If it’s rude, you don’t have to answer. But.”
Eliya met Elnor’s eyes squarely and continued.
“I’ve been trained under the Margrave since I was little—beaten black and blue. He scares me, sure, but still.”
“...”
“I can tell he looks out for me. He dropped everything and rushed here despite being busy, right?”
Great nobles like them—simply stepping away sparked massive gossip.
Even with proxies handling territory affairs, they held final authority.
The fact that he flew here on a single letter showed how much he valued her.
And that was despite not being blood-related, just adoptive father and daughter.
But Elnor and Gideon’s relationship.
“...It seems like you view him as an enemy.”
Gideon’s attitude toward Elnor was terrifyingly consistent.
Dismissal.
He acted as if he didn’t even register her presence, whether she was there or not.
Elnor’s attitude was somewhat similar.
Except.
Unlike Gideon, her eyes sometimes flashed with undisguised hostility when she looked at him.
“It struck me as odd. What reason would a child have to glare at a parent like that?”
“An exceedingly rude question, Eliya Chrisanax.”
“...”
Fair enough.
Eliya gave a wry smile and nodded.
“But I can give a simple answer.”
Huh, really?
As Eliya’s eyes widened, Elnor continued in a calm voice.
“...There are many reasons.”
The brutal training from childhood, or the etiquette drilled into her as a noble lady to the point of abuse.
Her memories were filled with things that made it hard for a child to love a parent.
“...”
Even so, looking back.
She remembered her relationship with her father not being all bad. Quite harmonious, even.
At least up to a certain point.
“But the biggest one... well.”
That memory was still vivid.
“The Tristan Grand Duke killed my mother.”
Eliya’s breath caught.
What did this woman just say?
“Killed? What do you...?”
“Exactly that. Nothing more to add.”
It was a summer day.
Blazing sunlight. Her father’s study.
Young Elnor had run to him beaming, eager to show him something.
She couldn’t even recall what. Maybe a drawing she made that day.
And then.
The metallic stench of blood leaking from beyond the door.
Her father, holding a bloodied sword. And on the floor.
“...”
Elnor fell silent, closing her eyes briefly.
But when she opened them again.
“That man.”
Her voice remained steady. Her expression unchanged, impassive.
“Isn’t my parent. He’s merely an adversary I’ll topple someday.”
There was no chance to ask why it happened or what possessed him.
The hostility in his eyes as he spoke. That feral intensity that made her skin crawl just meeting his gaze.
It was so overwhelming even Eliya froze.
“Does that answer your question?”
“...”
A heavy silence settled around them.
Elnor calmly poked at the embers, her face serene.
‘...This woman.’
Eliya had just seen her as the enemy.
But clearly, she harbored far more complex circumstances.
Enough to make Eliya want to dig deeper.
As she gazed at Elnor with that in mind, the woman spoke up.
“More importantly. I answered your question, so may I ask one?”
“...Uh, sure?”
“You. How far have you gone with Dawood?”
“...”
Gone? What does that even mean?
“...What’s your angle in asking?”
“Hm.”
Elnor stroked her chin, exhaling softly through her nose.
“I’ve only managed a hug so far.”
“...Pardon?”
“Well, I’ve half-given up on him not fooling around elsewhere. It’s in his nature.”
“...”
“But.”
Elnor’s voice turned icy.
Eliya flinched despite just listening.
“You can’t blur the line between fooling around and the ‘real thing.’ It’s a problem if there’s another woman ahead of me. I might not be able to hold back.”
“...And if you can’t hold back, what then?”
“...”
Elnor fell silent, stroking her chin again.
She hadn’t thought that far.
“Ah, right.”
She spoke as if struck by a brilliant idea.
“How about killing that woman?”
“...”
“I can’t kill Dawood, after all. You’d agree that’s best, right?”
Best? For what?
Is she insane?
“That’s why I asked how far you’ve gone. Dawood even promised to visit your hometown before mine, which is suspicious—”
“...I-I haven’t even held his hand!”
It was a lightning confession.
Sad to admit it, but survival came first.
“...”
Elnor nodded quietly.
Seemed acceptable.
“Hand-holding is fine.”
“...”
“But no hugs. That’s as far as I’ve gotten. Got it?”
“...”
Right.
Trisha would sigh in exasperation if she saw how eagerly Eliya had been sent here, but Eliya just nodded.
Forget rivalry—survival first.
This duchess looked ready to kill any woman too close to Dawood.
“Eek!”
“Wah!”
As she mulled that over,
Two people dropped from the sky.
“...”
Being around that man seemed to mean sudden arrivals like this happened often.
Eliya eyed the two who landed with narrowed eyes.
“That guy, seriously! Just give coordinates and tell him to warp over—is that all it takes? I’ve felt it for a while, but he treats people like crap!”
“Sis, you say that, but you did everything Dawood asked.”
“...Be quiet, Yuria.”
Elnor’s eyes widened at the grumbling pair rising to their feet.
“Saintess Lucien?”
“Oh, Tristan Duchess?”
Lucien dusted off her clothes and tilted her head.
Their positions being what they were, they had brushed past each other at formal events, even if they hadn’t spoken directly.
Thus, Elnor—aware of Lucien’s stature—asked in uncharacteristically flustered tones.
“What brings you here?”
“...Originally, I came to mediate since I heard the Tristan Grand Duke and Kendrid Margrave were both gathering.”
Lucien scanned the camp.
She’d need to see the principals themselves to confirm, but the numbers suggested they were camping together.
Not exactly at each other’s throats.
“...From the looks of it, doesn’t seem like I need to mediate. Feels more like he summoned us for something else...”
“Where’s Dawood?”
Yuria cut in bluntly on her sister’s words.
Everything else was secondary.
“...”
Elnor flinched at that, but Yuria ignored her, scanning the surroundings.
Her fingers fidgeted nervously with her collar.
“...I wish he’d pet it a bit.”
“...”
“Or grab it and toss me around like usual...”
“...What kind of habit is that?”
As Lucien interjected with a dizzy tone,
Eliya, watching, felt a chill down her spine and whipped her head around.
Elnor’s subtle tremors had escalated to full-body shudders.
“...May I have your name?”
“Huh?”
Yuria turned to Elnor at her words.
“Yuria Grayhauncher. And you’re... Tristan Duchess?”
“Pleased to meet you, Yuria Grayhauncher. As you said, Elnor Erinarije la Tristan.”
Her words were polite. But Eliya’s spine chilled further watching Elnor.
“If I may ask... what’s your relationship with Dawood Campbell?”
Yuria tilted her head, pondering how to phrase it.
“...Someone super important to me?”
“...”
A crack-like twitch warped Elnor’s expression.
“Then, that collar... what...?”
“Dawood put it on me.”
“...”
“It calms me when I wear it. Back when he’d grab it and drag me around was the best—”
Around then, Eliya’s mind flashed back to those words.
—You can’t blur the line between fooling around and the ‘real thing.’ It’s a problem if there’s another woman ahead of me. I might not be able to hold back.
A woman who couldn’t tolerate even hugs with him.
Meeting one who loved being leashed and led by him.
“...”
Eliya let out a low hum.
‘...Dawood’s in deep trouble.’
He really was.
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“...Found it.”
He said, stowing the magic-engineering telescope.
Gray energy leaked sporadically from midway up the mountain.
“Looks way harder to catch than expected.”
That much visible demonic energy meant the demon fragment had deeply fused with the beast.
The fight could exceed their planned difficulty.
“Looks dangerous. Without a divine power expert, we’d be in for it.”
Krat remarked, but instead of replying, he chuckled and hopped down from the high rock.
“Already got one.”
Probably arriving at base camp by now.
‘Base camp, huh...’
That was one reason he’d only brought Gideon and Krat this time.
[System Log]
[ Targets ‘Eliya’ and ‘Elnor’ engage in a heartfelt conversation. ]
[ Bond between the two has slightly increased! ]
[ Forming parties with bonded members grants various stat bonuses! ]
Exactly.
During side quests like this, leaving party members together triggered “bond” events. Especially in shared “lodgings.”
Main quests wrapped quickly, side quests dragged—system design accounted for that.
“Hey, priest boy. Why so quiet?”
“...”
Lost in thought, Krat tossed that at Gideon, who stood blankly beside him.
Gideon merely clenched and unclenched his fist instead of answering.
“...Don’t meddle, barbarian.”
He snapped curtly, then turned and stalked off.
“What, where to?”
“...Hunting some beasts nearby.”
Subjugation tomorrow, yet off for needless combat. Neither he nor Krat stopped him.
They knew he needed to vent by slashing something.
“Hey.”
Krat’s voice was a touch lower as he eyed him.
“You know his state is serious, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re scheming something with it?”
“...How’d you know?”
“Not even pretending to hide it, huh.”
Krat smirked.
“Obvious. You’re no dummy, dragging a loose cannon like him here.”
He sighed.
“You know the curse on his house? One slip in the strategy, and he could get us all killed.”
“...”
He knew.
But.
Mediating between Elnor and him was essential to breaking that house’s curse, in his view.
For that, Gideon staying volatile was actually better.
“...Help me, and it’ll resolve easier than you think.”
“Whatever. Since I’m tangled with you, I’ll see it through. Use me however— I’ll follow.”
Krat grinned back.
“But.”
His eyes weren’t smiling.
“Screw up and hurt Eliya, you die.”
“...”
Typical.
Another doting dad.
‘...Kaliban would be thrilled.’
He thought, glancing at the amulet on his wrist.
This man’s devotion to Eliya stemmed partly from a “promise” shared with the one inside it.
Either way, it all unraveled in Chapter 4, centered on Eliya.
Bonding with Krat now would help then.
“...Won’t happen. Let’s head back. Need rest for tomorrow’s subjugation.”
He turned, tasks done—just finalize the plan.
Maybe a leisurely night—
[ Crisis detected. ]
[ Judged as direct threat to life. ]
[ Applying ‘Skill: Desperate Situation’ at EX rank. ]
[System Message]
[!Warning!]
[ Strongly recommend returning to camp immediately! ]
“...”
What now?
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