A Beast with Nowhere to Go
After practically hopping with joy for what felt like an eternity, Rebecca noticed my leering, unabashed gaze. Her face flushed crimson, and she quickly lowered her head as she took her seat.
Belatedly, she tried to cover herself with her hands, seemingly unaware that such bashfulness only poured fuel on a man's fire. Not that her hands were anywhere near enough to conceal her voluptuous curves anyway.
"Now then, shall we get back to business?"
"Y-Yes."
"First, about a suitable compensation... What can you offer me?"
"...I-If it's gold coins..."
"I'm the third son of a ducal house. I've never lacked money in my life."
"Th-Then... what about a rare artifact...?"
"Oho, that sounds a bit more interesting. What do you have?"
"W-Well, you see..."
As she stuttered, desperately wringing her memory for anything of value, I listened to her answers and shook my head with a look of disappointment.
"Nothing but useless junk."
Panicking at my lukewarm reaction, Rebecca raised her voice with sudden fervor.
"Th-Then! What about free commission vouchers?!"
"Free commission vouchers?"
"Yes! If it is a request from you, Lord Alzen, I will carry it out without a single complaint! Without accepting any compensation whatsoever!"
"...That's not bad. How many are you giving me?"
"Pardon?"
"Those free commission vouchers. I'm asking how many you're offering."
"Uh, um..."
Her orange eyes darted frantically back and forth. Rather than calculating profit and loss, she was desperately trying to read my mood and stay in my good graces.
"...H-How about a hundred times?"
"Oh? That's quite generous. Are you really fine with that?"
"Of course."
"Good. Deal. Muriel."
"Yes, Lord Alzen."
"Go inform the alchemists to clear out the workshop for the next few hours. Ah, and stop by the magic workshop to sweep up all the magical reagents you can find."
"Understood."
Muriel offered a polite bow and glided out of the room with soundless footsteps, prompting Rebecca to stare at me with bewildered eyes.
"L-Lord Alzen...?"
"Consider it special service."
"Excuse me...?"
"I'm going to brew the medicine right here."
She sprang to her feet.
"I-Is that even possible?!"
"Of course it is. I already know the recipe, so what's so hard about it?"
In the game, it was implemented as an alchemy minigame. Even setting Leona aside, rare patients afflicted with Mana Perforation popped up from time to time; whenever I needed to win them over or exploit them as pawns, I had to brew the cure, meaning I had cleared that minigame hundreds of times. Of course, a game and reality were two different things, but seeing as I knew all the ingredients, the process, and the exact order, it would work out somehow. And if it didn't, I could just haul in an alchemist and a mage to finish the job.
"Thank you. I don't know how I could ever repay this kindness..."
"No need. It was a fair trade, wasn't it?"
"...A man of your standing, Lord Alzen, could have extracted far greater profit from that information."
"Who knows? To me, this is the bigger profit."
"......"
A faint glimmer of reverence began to creep into her gaze. She seemed to be misunderstanding something, but it was a favorable development, so I had no intention of correcting her. The more she looked up to me, the better she would follow orders.
"Lord Alzen. Preparations are complete."
"Oh. That was fast. Let's talk on the way."
"Y-Yes!"
Having Rebecca, who had shot up from her seat, fall into step beside me, I unsteadily trailed behind Muriel.
"By the way... Leona caught the disease when she was eight, so she's been suffering for two years now, hasn't she?"
"...Y-Yes!"
She stared blankly at me as I tossed out the detail so casually, almost as if I had witnessed it firsthand, before snapping to her senses and hastily nodding.
"You must have gone through hell. Even for a Gold Rank adventurer, covering the medical expenses couldn't have been easy... Do you really make that much?"
"Ah, well, I had some savings put aside. I've been barely scraping by on that."
Mana Perforation was, just as the name implied, an affliction where mana bored holes straight through the physical body. Muscles, internal organs, bones—it spared nothing. If such a disease existed in the modern world, the mortality rate would have been a flat hundred percent, but the healing and recovery methods in a fantasy world defied common sense. Potions, artifacts, divine magic, and the like. As long as you had enough coin, alleviating the symptoms wasn't impossible.
Still... during that time, both Rebecca and Leona must have lived through sheer torment. Leona, never knowing when or where a hole might tear open in her body, would have groaned in endless agony and terror, while Rebecca, forced to watch over her day in and day out, must have endured gut-wrenching stress.
When we arrived at the alchemy workshop, an empty, silent room greeted us.
"Lord Alzen. You may use this station."
"Yeah. Thanks."
Stepping up to the table Muriel had prepped and cleaned, I carefully inspected the alchemy cauldron, the implements, and the assorted magical reagents.
"Yep. This should do it. Ah, Muriel. Go fetch some dryad root and fairy dust from the storeroom."
"Understood."
Gulp!
Filling my mouth with liquor, I savored the smoky, deep woody aroma and faint fruity notes before swallowing it in one go.
"Khaaah...!"
The searing heat raced down my esophagus, giving my mind a sharp jolt of alertness. Of course, it didn't take long for the creeping drunkenness to catch up and leave my head spinning.
Noticing Rebecca's anxious expression, I flashed a grin and loosely waved an arm.
"Phew... Well then, shall we get started...?"
"U-Um..."
"Hm? What?"
Rebecca spoke up, but without stopping my hands, I mixed the magical reagents in their precise proportions and began stirring.
"Is it truly all right for me to watch?"
"Isn't that obvious? I told you I'd teach you. Did you think I was just going to hand over the medicine and call it a day?"
"...!!"
Her eyes went wide.
"Heheh, look at that face... For the record, whatever you do with this knowledge is up to you. Spread it around, sell it off... do whatever you want."
"W-Why are you showing me such undeserved generosity...?"
"Hm? Ah, is that how it feels to you?"
To me, it was simply a fair transaction, so it felt entirely natural, but apparently it wasn't so simple from her perspective. Then again, setting aside the terms of the trade, there was a massive gulf in status between a commoner and the third son of a ducal house, so her reaction made sense. Having lived in a modern society, that was an aspect I hadn't fully adjusted to yet. Not that I had any intention of adapting to it anyway.
"If I treat you well, I can put those free commission vouchers to proper use, can't I?"
"I will never betray your trust. Once I give my word, I uphold it to the death."
Her voice rang out firm and profound, like a massive pillar of conviction tolling deep within her soul.
"Heh. I know. I know all too well."
Looking into her eyes with a faint smile, I watched her shrink her shoulders slightly and draw back.
"Even so, emotions influence things like enthusiasm, drive, and all sorts of other areas, don't they? This is just a scheme to maximize all of that. In short, you're being buttered up right now."
"...Fufu, I see. In that case, I shall gladly accept it."
Nodding at her gentle smile, I lifted the base potion I had just prepared and went to pour it into the alchemy cauldron. Or rather, I attempted to pour it.
"Hrk... Rebecca. Mind giving me a hand with this?"
When I sheepishly pointed at the heavy container of base potion, she blinked in surprise before bursting into a soft chuckle.
"It seems you need to build up some stamina, my lord. Being so thin and scrawny... Gasp?!"
Mid-sentence, her face turned pale as a sheet. Clapping both hands over her mouth, she frantically bowed at the waist.
"I-I am so sorry! Forgetting my place and uttering such insolent words...!"
"No, forget that, just pour it in for me."
"Ah, y-yes!"
She effortlessly hoisted the jug of base potion that I couldn't budge and dumped it cleanly into the cauldron.
"Lord Alzen. I have brought the dryad root and fairy dust."
"Right. Good work."
Setting the root on the table, I picked up a knife to cut it into small pieces, only to pause and turn toward Muriel. When I had an unmatched expert in slicing and dicing standing right beside me, why bother tiring my own arms?
"Muriel, chop this finely, will you?"
"...Understood."
Drawing a dagger, she executed clean, disciplined cuts. Honestly, I half-expected some flashy sword dance, so watching her chop it as tamely as if prepping ingredients in a kitchen left me slightly underwhelmed.
"Is something the matter, Lord Alzen?"
"No, nothing. Right then..."
After dividing the chopped dryad root into three portions and soaking each in a different reagent, I lightly sprinkled fairy dust over the pre-mixed solution. Plumes of purple smoke billowed up in thick clouds. Dumping that mixture into the cauldron, it began bubbling furiously despite the absence of an open flame.
"Yep. Going smoothly."
Next was adding the reagent-soaked roots in the proper sequence and waiting a bit. Knowing both the ingredients and the procedure made the entire ordeal laughably simple. Shortly after, as the boiling cauldron settled down, I peeked inside.
"Great. It turned out well."
A thick, viscous liquid shimmered with a deep, radiant teal, as though pure emeralds had been melted down into a molten glow.
"Rebecca. This is the cure for Mana Perforation."
"Ah...!"
Rebecca's body shuddered violently.
"If, if I feed this to her... my sister will..."
"Yeah. She'll make a full recovery."
"...Th-Thank you...!"
Drip. Suddenly, tears welled in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
Having never imagined she would cry, I was taken completely aback. Even in the game's storyline where her sister died, she had forged bitter hatred rather than shed tears... To break down like this, she truly must have suffered through unimaginable pain.
"Give her one bottle a day, once a day. Don't get greedy and feed her more, or there could be side effects, so keep that in mind. Keep it up for about two weeks, and she should be completely healed."
"Y-Yes...!"
Portioning out the cure from the cauldron yielded exactly twenty glass bottles. After meticulously sealing their stoppers, I smiled and tapped Muriel's shoulder as she tactfully presented an alchemist's satchel. The bag was made of thick, high-grade leather with individual dividers, and once all the bottles were packed inside, it grew quite heavy.
"Take it, Rebecca."
"Thank you... Thank you so very much...!"
Slinging the bag over her shoulder, Rebecca continued sniffling and wiping her eyes.
"Hmm..."
Seeing her like this felt so unfamiliar and awkward that I had no idea what to do with myself. Should I comfort her or something...?
"...Rebecca. You want to get back to your sister as soon as possible, don't you? Leave right away."
"B-But... sniff, is that really all right...?"
"Of course. Off you go."
Taking another swig of alcohol, I waved my hand dismissively. She bowed deeply and vanished with hurried steps.
"...Exhausting."
"You moved about before your body had fully healed, after all. Let us return to your room at once. Shall I support you? I could carry you on my back, if you prefer."
"I can walk on my own. Don't get cheeky."
When I scowled and glared at her, the corners of her mouth subtly curled upward. Smiling? Look at this sly fox... Contemplating whether to scold her, I smacked my lips and quickened my pace instead.
All subsequent visitors were canceled. I was simply too exhausted, and the alcohol hit me all at once, putting me straight to sleep the moment I collapsed onto the sofa.
Before long, the lavish, expansive chamber was bathed in the deep crimson hues of dusk.
Muriel, having cleared away the liquor bottles and snacks strewn across the table, quietly gazed down at Stanasila Alzen sleeping on the sofa.
"Ngh... Haah, haah..."
Today, without fail, he was suffering through a nightmare.
Grinding teeth. Cold sweat pouring down like a waterfall. Flailing arms and twitching limbs.
Recognizing the severity of the symptoms at a glance, Muriel retrieved an artifact from her robes and activated it. A soft, gentle teal radiance rippled outward.
"Haaah, haah... haah..."
Bathed in the soothing light that enveloped the entire room, Stanasila Alzen's convulsions noticeably subsided. Yet she knew this was far from over.
"...I'm here. I'm right here. I'm... here... like this... I'm alive."
Listening quietly to his voice muttering with desperate, yearning, and agonizing sorrow, Muriel gently took his hand. At that, he pulled her hand desperately toward himself, fumbled a few times, brought it to his mouth, opened wide, and clamped his teeth down on it without hesitation.
Hard enough to draw blood.
"Remember me..."
Hearing his plaintive, muffled sob, Muriel let out a quiet sigh and tenderly stroked his hair.
"No matter how many times I see it, you look just like a wounded beast."
Murmuring softly, her hand traced the delicate contours of his gaunt face.
"How troublesome. I've always had a soft spot for this sort of thing. Mmm..."
Flicking her tongue to lick away the trickling blood, she grasped his hand with her other hand this time. Sure enough, feeling the familiar sensation of her flesh being chewed upon, she continued stroking him as she gazed down.
"Such a strange, peculiar person."
To be frank, Muriel hadn't been particularly pleased when she received the order to guard, attend, and keep watch over Stanasila Alzen. After all, Stanasila Alzen's reputation was infamous enough to echo across the entire continent.
Furthermore, the reason she was summoned had been Alzen's demand: "If possible, I want a voluptuous beauty." Naturally, her negative feelings had only deepened. Proud of her martial prowess and abilities, she had hoped to be assigned to a more meaningful duty rather than keeping tabs on a trashy, good-for-nothing delinquent.
Urtega was not a man who treated Shadow Knights as disposable tools; had she expressed her refusal, he might have rescinded the order... but she hadn't done so. Because it was Stanasila Urtega's command regardless.
She owed Urtega a debt of gratitude she could never repay in a lifetime. Martial power that normally couldn't be obtained even after decades of effort, and vengeance that should have consumed most of her life to achieve—when all those monumental tasks were accomplished far earlier than she could have ever imagined, she had felt as though her life was already complete. That was why she had willingly resolved to dedicate the rest of her existence to Urtega. Therefore, if it was his command, she would simply obey.
...Truth be told, she had also been curious as to why Urtega—a man who could remain cold-blooded even toward his own kin—would go so far as to indulge Alzen's absurd demand by dispatching her, and she couldn't help being intrigued by the recent rumors and exploits surrounding Alzen.
Thus, the reality of Stanasila Alzen she faced in person... was not all that different from what she had pictured.
A lewd gaze dripping with desire as he swept over her body. A posture devoid of aristocratic refinement and decorum. Carrying alcohol and cigarettes with him all day long. Words and actions devoid of even a shred of will to live.
It was an appearance that could only disappoint, but... strangely, there were times when his eyes transformed. The atmosphere around him would shift so entirely that he seemed like a different person; the piercing depth and sharpness in his gaze were enough to put even Muriel on edge.
Added to that was the staggering array of information he casually spilled—things that, by all rights, he should never have known. Even during the war against the demon kind, Muriel had heard Alzen's voice ringing far and wide through amplification magic, but seeing it unfold right before her eyes carried a wholly different weight. Watching people turn flustered, bewildered, and shaken as secrets only they should know poured from a stranger's lips was as thrilling as watching a theatrical play.
Only then did Muriel finally feel a surge of motivation to remain by Stanasila Alzen's side.
Just how far did Stanasila Alzen's knowledge reach? What was his true objective? What would he achieve, and what would he accomplish?
She was dying of curiosity. She wanted to watch until the very end. Even if it meant dedicating her body and soul, should the need arise.
"Mmm, but it really is quite unexpected that he hasn't laid a finger on my body yet..."
According to rumors... no, there was no need to look at rumors. Ever since their first meeting, Alzen's sticky gaze had constantly raked over her body. A gaze burning with undeniable, instinctual male lust and desire. When she had stood naked before him, he had even grown noticeably erect, so he certainly wasn't impotent. Yet she couldn't understand why her purity remained intact to this day.
"What could be the reason...? It's certainly not because I lack charm..."
Although Duke Urtega had granted permission to beat him half to death should he demand her body, she had no real intention of doing so. Not only did she not place much value on chastity, but she also felt that giving herself to him might be necessary if she wanted to stay beside the precariously fragile Stanasila Alzen.
Tilting her head in contemplation, she stroked the sleeping Alzen's hair and smiled like a young child eyeing a new toy.
"Fufu. Gently teasing him and seeing how long he can endure might be quite entertaining in its own right."
Pulling her hand free from Alzen's bite, she wiped it clean and treated the wound so that no trace remained, deciding to sleep beside him. And so, as darkness descended upon the room, only the steady, rhythmic breathing of a man and a woman echoed quietly in the night.