The Art of Negotiation
Jill was invited into Viscountess Beatrice's drawing room.
The room was excessively peaceful and luxurious, making it hard to believe that just moments ago, they had been locked in a life-or-death struggle. With its premium marble floors, gold-leafed furniture, and a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling, it felt like an entirely different world.
Amidst all this opulence, Jill was curled up in the corner of a sofa, wishing she could just curl up and die. Her hands gripped the edges of her cloak with white-knuckled intensity.
'...This is so humiliating.'
If she had just wrapped herself in the cloak from the very beginning, people might have assumed she was underdressed. But by now, practically everyone in this castle knew she had been running around completely naked with nothing but a single cloak flapping behind her.
Unlike Penis, Jill didn't possess the shameless, 'So what?' mental fortitude to shrug it off.
On the other hand, Viscountess Beatrice, sitting across from her, had her legs elegantly crossed as she held a teacup. Her relaxed smile and neat, poised movements made it hard to believe she was someone who had just watched her own castle get partially demolished.
Behind her stood her older brother, Erolt, like a stone statue, still radiating that monstrous, oppressive aura.
"How is the tea?" Beatrice asked with a gentle smile.
"Ah, yes... it's delicious. Haha..." Jill laughed awkwardly and took a sip. To be honest, she didn't know the first thing about tea, let alone how to appreciate its flavor right now.
Beatrice observed Jill for a moment before gently setting her teacup down.
"It was truly astonishing. To think there were people capable of going toe-to-toe with that monster, Viscount Valentine. Who on earth are you all? I cannot help but wonder... where did you come from?"
Jill's hand froze mid-air.
"Ahaha, well, you see..."
'I mean, who would believe me if I said I died, met God, and then God reincarnated my own dick as a hyper-masculine man while turning me into a woman before dropping us into another world?'
Jill clutched her head in her mind.
"Actually, I don't really know either," Jill mumbled, offering a vague, evasive smile.
"It's not so much that I lost my memory, but rather... I just woke up and found myself here. Since then, every time I open my eyes, some disaster has happened, and when I blink, I'm right in the middle of another mess... Honestly, I have a lot of questions about my own life too."
Beatrice's eyes narrowed slightly.
"A suspicious woman claiming amnesia, and a man capable of fighting Viscount Valentine... What an incredibly intriguing combination."
Jill nervously toyed with her teacup. Just as she was worrying about how to handle any further prying questions, a knock sounded at the door.
"Excuse us."
The door opened, and Astrid and Eliana stepped inside.
"Eliana!"
"Lady Jill!"
"What happened to Penis?"
"A priest is looking after Lord Penis right now. Fortunately, they said there are no major injuries. He simply collapsed from complete exhaustion... They assured us he'll be perfectly fine after a good rest."
Hearing those words, Jill let out a sigh of relief.
'Thank goodness... I was seriously terrified he might actually die.'
Eliana smiled brightly as she delivered the news of Penis's safety.
"He is currently resting in the infirmary. He should regain consciousness shortly."
'Dammit, making me worry for nothing. So he's just sleeping like a log, huh?'
Beatrice watched the three of them for a moment before turning her gaze back to Eliana.
"Well, now that the major battle is over..." She lightly swirled her teacup as she continued.
"This is where the real discussion begins. Lady Eliana, the legitimate successor to the Winterfell Dukedom, currently a fugitive on the run."
Beatrice's voice dropped to a low, serious register.
"Tell me, what can you offer me? Why should I throw my support behind someone who lacks both power and a political foundation? The scales of business are cold and calculating, Lady Eliana."
Her words carried a sharp, undeniable truth. After the previous Duke's sudden death on the northern front, his only daughter, Eliana, possessed more than enough legitimacy and justification to inherit the family name, but she utterly lacked the power to defend it.
Eliana fell silent for a moment. Then, she raised her head and stared directly at Beatrice with clear, unwavering eyes.
"Viscountess, the situation has changed."
Instead of her usual timidity, Eliana's voice now possessed a firm, resolute core.
"As for power... did we not just demonstrate it?"
Beatrice's eyes widened slightly at her bold response.
"Lord Penis, Lady Jill, and my loyal knight, Astrid. Though our numbers are few, they have just proven that they can stand on equal footing against my uncle, Viscount Valentine."
Eliana spoke clearly and precisely, without backing down even an inch.
"Hohoho!"
Beatrice couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"How amusing. You certainly got me there. But Lady Eliana, that is merely individual martial prowess. Do you truly believe the nobility will risk their lives to follow you based solely on that?"
"Of course, that alone is not enough." Eliana's eyes gleamed.
"However, this incident has proven that my uncle's power is not absolute. Those who have been holding their breath, suppressed by his sheer might, will have begun to waver after witnessing Lord Penis's strike."
She looked Beatrice dead in the eye.
"In this situation, if you, Viscountess Beatrice—the great merchant of the North—take my hand, where do you think the hearts of those fence-sitting, neutral nobles will turn? Especially when legitimacy lies with me, and the balance of power has finally been restored."
Beatrice's smile deepened.
"Ha! You speak well, Lady Eliana. But doesn't that also mean that if I do not help you, the balance of power will completely shift back to Viscount Valentine? Are you threatening me to pick a side right this instant?"
Beatrice laughed merrily, though one could almost hear the sharp clicking of an abacus calculating the risks in her mind.
Jill blankly watched the battle of nerves between the two women, staring down at the tea leaves floating in her cup.
'Whoa... the tension is suffocating. But this is going well, right? Since when was Eliana such a smooth talker? She used to do nothing but cry, but she's actually got some bite to her now.'
Jill swallowed a yawn.
'Do I really need to be sitting here? I don't know the first thing about politics anyway. I just want to go lie down... I'm exhausted.'
Just then, feeling a prickling sensation on the back of her neck, Jill raised her head. The massive shadow standing behind Beatrice—Erolt—had his gaze locked entirely on her.
'Uh... what? Why is he staring at me like that?'
Jill flinched and pulled her shoulders in. Erolt's gaze was like a wolf sizing up its prey.
'Wait, is he staring because I'm pretty? Well, I suppose I am rather gorgeous right now.'
While Jill was busy rolling her eyes and letting her thoughts wander, Erolt slowly walked over and stopped right in front of her.
As Jill froze in sheer panic, Erolt threw an entirely unexpected curveball.
"I request a duel."
"...Pardon?"
Jill doubted her own ears.
'Wait, aren't we in the middle of a negotiation right now? Why a sudden duel? Is this guy a battle maniac too?'
Jill shot a pleading look at Beatrice for help, but the Viscountess merely rested her chin on her hand, smiling as if she found this incredibly entertaining.
"Oh my, it is rare for my brother to initiate a challenge. We can handle the negotiations on our own. You two go ahead and enjoy yourselves."
"What?! No, wait a minute! I don't even know how to fight!"
Jill waved her hands in frantic refusal, but Erolt was already walking out the door. His posture made it clear that he would not take no for an answer.
"Hey! Excuse me!"
Jill looked back and forth between Beatrice and Eliana, but even Eliana was cheering her on with eyes that practically screamed, 'You can do it, Lady Jill!'
'Ugh, seriously! Why is my life so incredibly messed up!'
With her cloak fluttering behind her, Jill reluctantly followed Erolt out in a daze.
Upon arriving at the spacious training grounds, Erolt came to a halt.
"You," Erolt spoke, his back still turned to her.
"When I was young, I loved learning the sword. I loved it so much that I would forget to eat. I abandoned my home, my family, and wandered the world solely for the sake of the blade."
He slowly turned around to face Jill.
"I traversed countless battlefields, earned renown, and was bestowed with the undeserved title of the 'Black Wolf.' I truly believed I had reached the absolute pinnacle of the sword."
His eyes wavered slightly.
“But earlier, watching your battle, my perspective shattered. For the first time, I questioned my own blade. It wasn't swordsmanship, nor was it martial arts... It was simply overwhelming, raw violence.”
As Erolt slowly drew his sword from its scabbard, a chilling aura sliced through the night air.
"I must confirm it. Even if it is but a fraction of that power... I sense a similar energy radiating from you."
A cold sweat broke out on Jill's forehead.
'Look, mister. Why are you being so dramatic? You just want to fight, don't you?'
Jill let out an awkward chuckle and took a step back.
"Um, I think there's been a misunderstanding... I'm just an ordinary... well, slightly unusual girl? I'm really weak. I'm nothing like that Penis guy, I swear!"
But his ears seemed completely closed to her protests.
"Here I come."
"Huh? What do you mean 'here I'—Kyaaaah!"
Erolt closed the distance in the blink of an eye, forcing Jill to scream and roll across the ground.
Whoosh!
Erolt's blade sliced clean through a few strands of Jill's hair.
"Are you insane?! Are you actually trying to kill me?!" Jill shrieked, scrambling back to her feet.
Erolt swung his sword without a word. His blade was as swift and sharp as a flash of lightning; dodging it by sight alone was utterly impossible.
'I have to dodge! If that hits me, I'm dead!'
Jill's legs moved entirely on instinct.
Jill's body glided across the ground in a bizarre, fluid trajectory.
Swish! Swish!
Erolt's sword strikes rained down like a tempest, but Jill slipped past them by a hair's breadth, weaving left and right.
"Ho... quite a bizarre footwork technique." Erolt's eyes flashed as he accelerated his attacks.
'This is bad! Just dodging won't solve anything!'
If she kept running, she would eventually lose. She had to strike back.
Jill aimed for a gap in Erolt's defense and threw a punch. It was a blindingly fast strike crackling with blue electricity.
Clang!
Like an iron wall, Erolt effortlessly deflected Jill's fist with a slight twist of his blade.
Without pausing, she unleashed a barrage of strikes.
Kicks, punches, elbows. A storm-like combo poured down, but Erolt parried every single blow with minimal, efficient movements.
But... something was strange.
'Huh?'
As she unleashed her assault, Jill felt a strange sense of incongruity.
The suffocating terror she had felt when facing Viscount Valentine, that crushing pressure of standing before a colossal mountain... she didn't feel it from Erolt.
Of course, Erolt was incredibly strong. But he didn't feel like an invincible monster she could never hope to defeat, unlike Valentine.
'Wait... is he actually manageable?'
Jill's eyes widened.
She had been severely underestimating her own strength after being beaten and violated by Valentine, but in truth, Jill already possessed superhuman physical specs.
'Maybe... I can actually win this? Is a Master-class knight really not that big of a deal?'
Just as a smug smile began to creep onto Jill's lips—
"Your mind is wandering," Erolt's voice rang out, chillingly cold.
"My apologies. I underestimated you."
Hummmmm!
A pale blue light erupted from Erolt's sword, and the atmosphere shifted instantly.
"Now, I shall get serious."
"W-Wait a minute! Time out! Time out!" Jill waved her hands frantically.
Boom!
Erolt swung his sword, unleashing a gale-force blast of aura that swept over Jill.
"Kyaaaaaah!" Jill shrieked, rolling across the dirt.
"I'm gonna die! I'm seriously gonna die!"
Jill desperately tried to counterattack, but Erolt's sword, now coated in aura, was on an entirely different level. Before her fist could even get close, the razor-sharp sword qi made her skin tingle with painful vibrations.
Jill unleashed her ultimate skill in a final, desperate struggle.
However, Erolt simply swept his sword in a casual, horizontal arc.
Slash!
The lightning was effortlessly split in two.
And in the very next instant, the cold sensation of metal pressed against Jill's throat.
"..."
Jill swallowed hard. The razor-sharp tip of the blade had stopped right in front of her throat.
If it had advanced even a fraction of an inch further, she would have been finished.
Erolt looked down at Jill with indifferent eyes, his breathing completely undisturbed.
“I surrender.”
Jill reflexively threw both hands in the air.
“I surrender! I surrender!”
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the dirt.
Her entire body trembled so violently she felt like bursting into tears.
'Strong, my ass... What a miserable fate.'
Once the terror of near-death began to fade, a wave of sheer resentment rushed over her.
“Hey, mister!” Jill pouted, grumbling loudly.
“If you want to fight, wait until that monster Penis wakes up and challenge him! Why are you picking on a weakling like me?!”
Jill poked the dirt with her finger, huffing in frustration.
“You should be fighting monsters like him. I'm just everyone's punching bag.”
But instead of answering, Erolt silently sheathed his sword and shook his head.
"No, you are not."
With a crisp click, the sword was fully housed in its scabbard.
"You are plenty strong. You simply do not trust your own power. It seems you do not yet know how to fully wield it."
Erolt looked down at Jill with a solemn expression.
“Thanks to you, I have gained much. I believe I have glimpsed a clue to a realm my blade could never reach before.”
His gaze lingered on Jill.
Rather than pure lust, it was a look of genuine curiosity, mixed with a strange, burning intensity.
But to Jill, who was on the receiving end of that gaze, it was nothing but uncomfortable.
She subtly pulled her cloak tighter around herself.
"...What are you staring at? It's embarrassing."
As she muttered softly, Erolt finally seemed to realize he was being rude and averted his eyes.
Then, with his usual stoic expression—though laced with a hint of hesitation—he spoke.
“I... believed I would love nothing but the sword for the rest of my life.”
“Huh?”
“I never cast a glance at anything else. Women, alcohol, power... becoming stronger was the entirety of my existence.”
Jill clicked her tongue inwardly.
'Why is this guy suddenly pouring his heart out? Talk about TMI.'
Regardless of Jill's inner thoughts, Erolt continued calmly.
“But today, in our duel... I felt something far more intense than the sword.”
He looked at Jill once more.
“I shall help you persuade Beatrice.”
Jill's ears perked up instantly.
"G-Really?"
"Yes. My sister is highly calculating when it comes to profit, but she rarely refuses my requests."
Jill cheered inwardly.
'Oh yeah! That's right, if I had to roll around in the dirt this much, I deserve a reward! All this suffering was worth it!'
If they could secure Viscountess Beatrice's backing, Eliana would survive, and Jill could finally escape this exhausting fugitive life, at least to some extent.
Just as Jill was about to smile and offer her thanks, Erolt added one more thing.
“And one more thing.”
“Yes? What is it?” Jill tilted her head.
Erolt remained silent for a moment, then spoke as if he had made a grand resolution.
“To rid myself of this boiling, unfamiliar desire so that I may focus on the sword once more... sleep with me, just once.”
“...Pardon?”
Jill doubted her ears for a second.
“What did you say? I didn't hear that right, did I?”
“I said, sleep with me.”
Erolt replied as calmly as if he were commenting on the pleasant weather.
Jill's jaw dropped.
'Wow... insane.'
Jill looked up at the sky and let out a silent scream.
'Hey, you goddamn piece of shit God! Why is the world you sent me to like this?! Why is everyone around me a shameless, self-centered, horny pervert?! There isn't a single normal person here, not one!'
She felt like screaming at the top of her lungs.
'...Wait.'
Eliana's words from the drawing room flashed through Jill's mind.
'If Viscountess Beatrice takes my hand... and the balance of power is restored...'
Beatrice's support meant securing vast funds, military forces, noble backing, and the Master-class power of the 'Black Wolf' Erolt himself.
With that strength, they could actually stand against that terrifying Viscount Valentine.
Jill bit her lower lip hard.
'Do I just... close my eyes and let him have his way with me once?'
Her reason screamed in protest.
'Are you crazy?! You're a man! Have you no pride? Is selling your body that easy to you?!'
But another voice whispered.
'You've already been used by Penis, by Valentine, by men... you're already worn out. If you just endure a little more, things will get so much easier. Is there really any point in refusing?'
Jill felt a sudden wave of terror toward herself. Not because of the act of selling her body, but because it was gradually becoming a natural, logical choice.
Her pride as a man was fading, and she was becoming accustomed to offering her body just to survive.
As Jill stood frozen in confusion, unable to utter a word, Erolt nodded silently.
“I shall take your silence as consent.”
“…Pardon?”
“I will go and finalize the discussion with my sister.”
Erolt continued calmly.
“Wash up, and wait in my room.”
Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode away, vanishing into the darkness.
Jill stared blankly at his retreating back before snapping out of it a second too late.
“W-What! I haven't given you my answer yet!” Jill jumped up and shouted.
“Hey! Excuse me! Mister!”
There was no response.
“Who said you could decide that on your own?! Hey!”
Ultimately, her strength left her, and she slumped back onto the ground.
“…Sigh, my life is a joke.”
The moon in the night sky was exceptionally bright.
Feeling an extra wave of sorrow, Jill hung her head.
