Chapter 341
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Another Tale (3)
???
Why'd she become a gray tower apprentice?
Wouldn't that crazy menhera bitch pick dying in sewers with black mages over sharing space with humans or elves?
"What in the world is going on here? Didn't we scrap that setting from the start!?"
Rishir, who had barely escaped from the pursuers(?), was grilling the root cause of all this chaos with the most wronged look on his face.
Lately, as Bondalles buzzed with all sorts of outsiders—
She had proclaimed herself Rishir's fiancée, throwing the whole place into an uproar.
"What? Klana!"
It was Klana.
To shake off Outer Sword Rodan, who had spotted and approached her—
She had claimed to be Rishir's fiancée instead of the Blue Lotus.
"Say something!"
The indigo bob-cut (former) killer demon maintained her signature air of detachment.
In other words, she teetered right on the edge of brazenness as she dealt with Rishir's interrogation.
"Wasn't me."
"What!? What kinda nonsense is that!?"
"Technically, it was the work of my other personality, which you could say you created."
Even in her brazenness, Klana had her rationale.
She was trying to pin the blame for everything on her alternate personality, 'Clea.'
"Don't lie to me!"
"Pardon?"
But Rishir wasn't playing along.
He shot it down flat.
"Rodan told me everything! He said he sensed his master's energy, went to check, and there you were, Klana!"
"...And what of it?"
"When Clea's personality is out, you don't sense that energy!"
"..."
Whether she hadn't realized it herself, massive ripples stirred in the killer demon's inner world.
"What do you even know?"
But was she truly the Blue Lotus?
She perfectly concealed her inner turmoil and turned the tables, interrogating Rishir instead.
Deceiving others was child's play for one who had mastered the art of assassination.
"Wha—no! Look how brazen she is! Hey, Klana! I saw it all! You flinched!"
"No idea what you're on about."
"Your energy flickered! I saw it!"
But was he a true hero?
He managed to catch the faint ripple in her energy—the turmoil she had perfectly hidden.
"..."
Finally, Klana's agitation showed on the surface.
It wasn't just getting caught lying; the way she got caught—
It felt like a kid busted by an adult for a lame lie.
The unfamiliar humiliation pressed even harder on the killer demon.
And so—
The killer demon pulled out her final card.
"Anyway, that guy did it."
It was 'Klana Style: Belly Cut.'
Not fully mastered yet, perhaps—her face flushed faintly with shame.
"No, what the—argh. Fine! Let's say that's true! So why the hell did Clea do it? She saw Rodan overjoyed at reuniting with his master right in front of her—"
"...He's reached his own completion in his heart. In that state, my influence would only be a bad one."
Rishir's brow twitched slightly.
"Oho—so you were thinking about Rodan!"
"What—"
Klana scowled like she'd bitten into something foul.
Then, as if desperately changing the subject, she pivoted.
"To begin with, you're the one who twisted up a relationship I'd neatly tied off."
Klana referenced the incident back then.
When Rishir, to calm Rodan who had lost his ego sword, impersonated the Blue Lotus.
"No, that was—"
"You, you bastard—"
How long had they gone back and forth like that?
"So—what now? You can't keep pretending to be my fiancée until Rodan leaves Bondalles."
"Talking nonsense."
"Huh?"
"Pretending to be fiancée—what's the big deal?"
Klana, who had been avoiding his gaze the whole time,
Finally met Rishir's eyes squarely and spoke.
"Chat periodically, mix bodies a bit—isn't that it?"
"Mix what!?"
"Your reaction reeks of green. Why act like this? Like a kid who's never mixed with a woman."
Rishir was momentarily speechless at Klana's reaction, which seemed to genuinely pity him.
"Damn, you really say whatever. So what, you're some expert who's mixed plenty with men, huh?"
"Spouting nonsense again—"
"Did I say anything wrong? Just throwing your words back at you."
"Are you saying a swordsman who's never cut anyone is the same as one who's never been cut?"
"..."
This time, Rishir was utterly speechless.
"Countless guys have lusted after this body. And plenty lost a limb for it. What about you? Think you have that kinda animal charm? Bluntly—has any girl ever jumped you or schemed to get your body?"
Rishir started to mention the True Ancestor and succubus who used mind magic on him, but pride stopped him.
His lips were pouting before he knew it.
"So, what're you getting at?"
"Don't play hard to get. Anyone can see you benefit here. Or maybe—"
Klana paused, as if pondering, then threw out casually.
"Hey."
"?"
The moment Rishir's gaze reflexively locked on her.
She yanked open her shirt front, baring her skin.
"What the—!?"
Rishir whipped his head away in shock.
Klana, face unchanged,
Just nodded as she watched him panic.
"Guess you're not unexpectedly more into guys."
"Unexpectedly!? What do you mean by that!?"
"What else. A beauty like me offers her body, and you bolt like a hairless newbie—reasonable suspicion, no?"
"Please, your wording—"
The true hero couldn't keep up with the killer demon's relentless barrage.
At this point, he couldn't even recall how the conversation had gone off the rails.
"I won't say I bear zero fault here. Tricking that guy—the Outer Sword—with impure motives, that's on me."
In the same vein—
Klana pointed at Rishir as she added.
"You won't claim zero fault either, right? So cooperate properly. Until the Outer Sword leaves Bondalles."
"..."
Rishir's thoughts grew complicated.
He suddenly recalled the first time he'd met Klana.
Back then, she'd have led with violence in a situation like this.
Solved the root problem before dealing with the hassle from the Outer Sword.
Thus—
This current situation showed Klana's positive change.
"Hoo."...
As Rishir gathered his thoughts to speak—
Bang!
The door flew open as intruders barged in.
The pursuers(?).
A group of women led by Fienne.
"Rishir! What the hell is this!? Your fi—fiancée was supposed to be me!"
Fienne spoke in an unnatural tone, like reading from a script.
Probably, some discussion had gone down regarding this fiasco.
Then.
Fienne's eyes went wide.
Rona beside her too.
The moment they spotted Klana next to Rishir.
More precisely, confirmed her attire.
Her shirt front torn open, skin exposed.
"What, you two doing sec—"
Fienne hurriedly clamped Rona's mouth.
"What are you doing in broad daylight!?"
Klana let out an amused chuckle at their sight.
"Does this really need to wait for night? Just grown adults getting together."
No thought to fixing her clothes—she flaunted her bare skin even more boldly.
Fienne's jaw dropped.
"Wh-what vulgarity...!"
"Vulgar? Wrong word. How's a body without a single blemish or discoloration vulgar? Oh."
Klana smirked provocatively.
"From your angle, maybe. Not everyone's got this pale pink shade."
"Wha—"
Fienne's mouth and eyes widened by the second.
Finally.
She shrieked.
"Mine's pink too!"
"Hm."
Rona beside her lifted her own shirt to check, then nodded confidently.
'What the hell are you all doing...'
Rishir's head spun.