The Bet (2)

"Mind if I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

Brina was more than willing to answer her junior onahole, who still carried traces of her old rebellious self. At least until she heard the question.

"Why on earth do you follow that guy so devotedly?"

Jeanne was genuinely curious. Could mere pleasure make a sentient being submit like that? Even if his touch was converted to ecstasy by his Unique Authority, that alone didn't explain Brina's attitude. Unlike Slami, who seemed thoughtless, Brina appeared highly intelligent, yet she served Yeoul with utter devotion—like priests revering their god in church.

The Han Yeoul she'd observed wasn't worthy of such divine treatment. If anything, he was unhinged when it came to his lusts.

"And what the hell is he, anyway? How does a human wield an authority? Authorities are... powers granted to gods. I've never heard of even apostles handling them directly like that."

That was Jeanne's other burning question. Having studied theology as part of her knightly education, she knew authorities were divine powers. Even apostles, called proxies of the gods, only borrowed them indirectly. No one wielded them directly like Yeoul.

"How pitiful."

"What?"

At Jeanne's questions, Brina looked at her with profound sympathy.

"That's why you can't see Master's true nature—because you're lost in such pointless thoughts."

"His true nature?"

Jeanne echoed, and Brina's eyes sparkled as she launched into fervent oratory.

"I used to be rebellious like you. But once I beheld Master's true form, I changed."

"You asked why Master wields the authorities of the gods? Simple. Because Master is a god. It's only natural for a god to exercise his authority."

"Unlike the demon gods who view mortals as tools, or the gods in that tower, Master descended to our side and loves us directly."

"The flesh and spirit to receive his love, and the ecstatic rewards—they're all gifts from our god, Master."

"You haven't truly surrendered to his embrace yet, so you can't comprehend it."

"Stop with the useless thoughts. Surrender to the pleasure given to you. Become Master's tool. In that alone lies supreme bliss for us."

"When that moment comes, you'll understand."

"What true happiness is."

Jeanne unwittingly stepped back as Brina took her hand and drew close.

"...We'll talk later."

"Hehe..."

Leaving Brina's laughter behind, Jeanne fled the room. In an empty chamber, she muttered to herself.

"No point prying info out of her about him."

She'd approached to learn more for a sure win in their bet, but hadn't even broached the main topic. Brina's speech reminded Jeanne of the fanatics she'd seen during church missions to eradicate cults. They had that exact zeal in their eyes.

Those with such eyes wouldn't spill secrets under torture. They saw questioners as fools blinded by false gods, believing to their dying breath.

Brina had that same fanatic gleam. She truly saw Yeoul as a god without a shred of doubt.

"A god? Ridiculous."

Brina's words echoed: Of course he uses authority—he's a god.

"...There has to be some other trick."

Even if Brina was right, Jeanne refused to accept that creep as a god—or anything like it.

"Hoo. Focus on winning the bet first. No way I'll lose."

As Jeanne steeled herself, Brina asked Yeoul.

"Master, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠are you sure? Isn't it too advantageous for Jeanne...?"

"Don't worry. I've got a plan."

Yeoul flashed a relaxed smile, utterly confident of victory.

Clang!

Blocking the dungeon boss skeleton troll's attack with her shield, Jeanne raised her mace and activated her skill.

"Hup!"

The Heavy Strike skill, its impact scaling with infused mana, smashed into the exposed ribs.

Splat!

"----!!!!"

The mace's blow shattered the skeleton troll's stance momentarily. Seizing the opening, Yeoul—who'd been tanking alongside Jeanne—shouted.

"Nice! Press the attack!"

At his command, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Jeong-hwa and Brina lunged from behind, targeting the command nucleus.

Whoosh—

"---!!"

The skeleton troll twisted, blocking the daggers from its nucleus. As it swung its bone club at the close pair, Jeanne intervened.

"Not on my watch!"

Thud!

Without plate armor but lowering her center of gravity and throwing her full weight into the shield, Jeanne's tackle staggered the 3.5-meter beast.

"Take this~!"

Simultaneously, Slami's tentacle whip lashed the ribs.

Sizzle—Crack—

The acidic mucus corroded the bones. Most held thanks to protective necromantic mana, but the cracked ribs from Heavy Strike shattered.

With ribs broken, the heart-adjacent command nucleus was exposed.

"Good job, Slami!"

"Praise won't make me happy at all~?"

Ignoring Slami's tsundere tentacle-twirling, Yeoul readied his sword stance. His senses expanded, tracing the optimal path to the target. The blade followed the blue curve from low to high.

'Sinwol (New Moon).'

Yeoul's form blurred with the crescent sword-light, cleaving the nucleus in two.

Crash—

"Phew."

Relief from landing the technique in real combat escaped as a sigh, just as the skeleton troll's bones collapsed with its damaged nucleus.

The system announced rewards as the boss died. A 7th-grade dungeon's physical stat boosts were near my limits, so no high hopes—but luck was on my side.

"Perfect, the one I needed most. Nice."

Besides system rewards, I looted valuables from the skeleton troll and checked on the party.

"How's it feel, Jeong-hwa? Think 7th-grade dungeons are doable?"

"...No. The gap's bigger than I thought. I only landed one real attack at the end."

It was a clean win with no casualties, relentlessly pressuring the foe, but Jeong-hwa fretted over her low contribution.

"8th and 7th grade are a big jump. Still, you helped, right?"

"Yeah. Experiencing foes with superior physical stats was valuable. But the best part's the clearance reward—one rank higher. Hehe."

"How much'd you gain?"

"Don't freak out. All physical stats up by 2 each. Heehee."

"Jealous. I'm at the point where single stats barely budge by 1."

I'd hit the stage where only 6th-grade clears boosted physical stats anymore.

Jeong-hwa, boasting her gains, glanced slyly before continuing.

"So, about that~"

"No."

"You didn't even hear me out?"

"Obvious. You want to tag along on more 7th-grades."

"Why not? You said my combat sense works even a couple ranks up."

I had said that. Jeong-hwa's talent for rapidly learning techniques and applying them in battle was genius-level.

"With physical stats to match, yeah, you'd handle it."

"Then...!"

"Still no."

I shook my head firmly.

"Aww, why~?"

"Relying on pumped stats wastes your potential. Some skills only hone when you're weaker. And you know most hunters who rush ranks as buses die."

"Tch, got it."

She smacked her lips disappointingly but didn't push—probably knew, just testing. No inferiority complex like before, thankfully.

"Watch me. I'll catch up soon."

Her fiery resolve was invigorating.

Her mindset shifted? Growth's insanely fast now.

She hadn't shone in the boss fight, but skeletons were a bad matchup. Grabbing even one chance despite rank and type gaps was impressive.

At this rate, maybe 7th-grades together soon.

Her potential exploding post-8th-grade promotion was a sight.

"Brina and Slami did great too."

"Thank you, Master."

"Hmph~ ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Not happy at all~"

I petted their heads as praise.

"Want one?"

"Touch my head and you're dead...!!"

Jeanne, resting atop the bone pile post-battle, growled in refusal.

"So prickly."

"Reliable in combat, though... Sigh."

Jeanne sighed as her post-fight high crashed from Yeoul's quip. Not a tough foe, but leading a flawless win against a boss with solid orders. His methods were weird, but he'd bested her, so she inwardly acknowledged his battle sense.