Chapter 3
Chapter 3
It did not feel good.
Even though she had a home, she could not return to it. For Iria, who had never left the alley since being thrown into this world, there was nowhere else to go.
Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten the knight.
Was last night’s knight the problem? She did not expect the knight order to react so aggressively.
As she walked, Iria thought.
No.
There had been no choice.
She had not been in her right mind. And she knew from experience what happened when she lost control in this borrowed body.
When Iria loses her sanity, it becomes a disaster.
Hadn’t it already happened a year ago?
She was a monster who could not maintain her mind without eating humans.
If she had not eaten the knight that day, something far worse would have happened.
And this was not the first time the knight order had interfered.
Like a rope that grows too long eventually getting stepped on, they had been slowly tracking her for a year.
It was inevitable. It just happened sooner because her meal yesterday was a knight.
She had grown somewhat attached to that alley, but it was not like she had nowhere else to go for a few days.
Of course, it would be inconvenient, but she had money now. The knight’s wallet from yesterday was surprisingly thick.
Late in the evening, Iria wandered near the alley and entered a lit tavern.
She did not know much about places outside the alley. Pretending to order a drink, she planned to ask about an inn to stay in for a few days.
“One of your best drinks, please.”
She sat down and ordered something at random.
The menu was handed to her, but she was still not used to this world’s writing system.
She had been studying for a year, but there were still more things she could not read than those she could.
However, the clerk did not immediately serve her alcohol.
Did she think Iria had no money? Iria shook her heavy wallet, but nothing changed.
The young clerk with a kind expression gave a bitter smile.
“Um, miss… I’m sorry, but could I see your identification?”
“Ah.”
As if understanding, Iria reached into her pocket.
Not for the knight’s wallet she had stolen yesterday, but for her original one.
Rustle rustle.
“Hmm…”
Where did I put it?
“Just a moment.”
Iria denied reality and checked both pockets.
But she could not pull out something that did not exist.
It was gone. Nowhere.
She searched every small pocket, but nothing changed.
“….”
A brief silence.
Then.
“I’m an adult. Look at my academy uniform.”
Iria pointed at her white uniform.
Generally, students entering the academy were adults. So sometimes, their uniforms served as identification.
But there were exceptions. The clerk looked slightly troubled.
“I’m really sorry, but we’ve had reports of underage students sneaking in. It’s hard for us to serve alcohol just based on academy uniforms.”
It was a day when she wanted to drown her frustration in alcohol.
Spring was still cold, lingering with winter’s chill. She had even been thinking about sleeping drunk if she ended up homeless.
Unfortunate, but unavoidable.
Iria frowned slightly and ordered something else.
“…Then lemonade, please.”
The drink came faster than expected.
A yellow non-alcoholic drink filled a wooden cup in front of her.
Sipping lemonade in a tavern full of drunkards did not feel great.
She could feel some stares, though not enough to be uncomfortable.
After taking a sip, Iria turned back to the clerk. She needed information.
“Is there an inn nearby where I can stay for a few days? I have money.”
“If you go east from here, there’s an inn called Red Moon. I’m not sure if there will be rooms available, though.”
“Is it that crowded?”
“Well… a mercenary group from a nearby town is staying there. I can’t guarantee there will be any rooms left.”
Nothing was going her way today.
She had been kicked out of her home, lost her wallet, and now there was no inn available.
Feeling exhausted, Iria let the lemonade slide down her throat. Instead of bitter alcohol, a refreshing lemon taste filled her mouth.
So I really end up homeless.
She emptied her cup and sighed with a fresh scent.
As if that were not enough, someone spoke to her.
“You need a place to sleep?”
Iria turned toward the voice.
It was the man who had been watching her from the start, giving her sticky, lingering stares.
A bald man with a rough face and a heavily built body. He was easy to remember.
He sat beside her and grabbed her shoulder with a scarred hand.
“You’re pretty for someone who’s out here alone. Run away from home? Want the uncle to take care of you?”
Laughter came from behind him. His subordinates, likely part of the mercenary group the clerk mentioned.
Iria read his memories by making eye contact and gathered information.
The man next to her was a rank 3 mercenary. The two behind him were rank 4.
They looked rough, but they were not purely evil people.
Unlike criminals who acted out of pure malice, mercenaries were people who were hired and paid.
But that did not mean they were good.
Being driven by money meant they would do anything for the right price.
They would probably even kill someone if paid more.
Some mercenaries were even former knights who had been expelled after causing trouble.
So what did these people want from her?
Iria asked, genuinely curious.
“What do you want from me?”
They had offered her a place to sleep, but nothing in this world was free.
So there had to be something they wanted.
She tried to read his memory further, but he was no longer making eye contact.
Instead, his gaze was fixed on her thighs and chest.
The bald man massaged her shoulder with a lecherous grip.
“I don’t need to say it, right? Just spend a nice night with us. You get a place to sleep, we get entertained. Sounds like a fair deal.”
Laughter erupted behind him.
Iria thought for a moment.
Is that so.
So they wanted her body too.
Men really are pitiful creatures.
She had once been a man before coming here, so she could understand.
But this time, they had chosen the wrong target.
Iria was not human. Even if she wore a human form, she was a monster.
The foolish mercenary could not tell the difference.
She nodded.
“Alright.”
She had nothing to lose anyway.
She followed them because they said they would give her a place to sleep, but a problem quickly appeared.
“Who are you looking at? You want to die?”
First, the tavern turned out to be a building completely rented by the mercenary group.
“Edwin, did you bring another woman again? Think about the people sharing rooms.”
“What? I’m not the only one who brought someone. Look at her. She’s an A-class woman.”
The atmosphere inside was rough.
Sharp gazes turned toward her. None of them looked weak.
Originally, she had planned to eat the bald man and his subordinates, but now it seemed like she might end up making an entire group her enemy.
If I kill them, I’ll be exposed immediately.
Killing humans was not simple.
You had to erase traces and manipulate memories of witnesses.
Not only that, you had to hide the body and escape unnoticed. It was not just about killing.
So she decided to cancel the idea.
She was not that hungry anyway. A warm room with a roof was enough.
“Come, this way.”
The bald man led her into an empty room in the inn.
It was cleaner and larger than expected. At least better than where she had lived before.
She immediately lay down on the bed.
Just that alone made her feel much better.
If she slept here, she would probably sleep well.
The bald man looked slightly confused as she acted like she owned the place.
“Hey, aren’t you a little too comfortable?”
“This is my room now. You all get out.”
“What are you talking abou—ugh!”
She grabbed his collar and made eye contact.
Inside the tavern, she had to hold back due to too many witnesses, but here was different.
It was an isolated space.
The mercenary had somewhat strong mental resistance, but Iria increased the intensity of her illusion.
The bald man’s eyes began to lose focus.
His body would soon relax completely.
“Hey! What did you just do?”
“Be quiet. You’ll attract attention.”
After easily subduing him, she turned to the others.
It would not matter if sound leaked out. The other mercenaries outside were drinking loudly.
Their voices would cover everything.
One by one, she caught their eyes and placed them under her control.
Soon, they would spend a very long night trapped in deep illusion.
She pointed at the locked door.
“If you’re lonely, go to the next room and bond with your comrades.”
Just not in front of me.