Time for Rewards
The moment I realized Ork had no ulterior motives, I dropped my guard and sheathed my sword.
Anyone who was already a hardcore fan of Hades—who had been active for less than a week—clearly wasn't right in the head.
An orc who had been consistent from the very beginning.
There was no need to waste time fretting over whether he was some mastermind or a hidden powerhouse.
If he had harbored grand ambitions of controlling the world, he would have left long ago. Especially since Asmodeus didn't seem particularly intent on restraining him.
"Can you trust me now?"
"I can't trust you completely, but at least I believe you have no dark intentions."
"That is more than enough."
"So why did you come out as well? Just tagging along?"
At my question, Ork bowed politely at a perfect ninety degrees.
"No. I came to formally apologize to all of you."
"Why apologize? If it's for Asmodeus's rough words and actions, I provoked her too. You don't need to apologize on her behalf."
"I never mentioned it, but the dungeon's exit was actually right above where the Queen was staying."
"Hmm…?"
"It seemed to me that you were searching for the exit, yet I deliberately guided you to the Queen's chambers."
"Reason?"
"Somehow I thought it would be entertaining if I paired the two of you with the Queen."
I didn't particularly mind.
I had nearly lost my life, but I had gained something worth risking death for.
Happiness exchanged for a side character's misfortune.
That alone made facing Asmodeus worthwhile in my eyes.
"I'll forgive you."
"Truly?"
"Yeah. But will the princess forgive you?"
"Snort!"
No sooner had the words left my mouth than Princess Charlotte seized Ork by the collar and slammed him to the ground.
She immediately began stomping on his body with her feet.
"Die! You damn pig!"
"Snort! Snort-hii…!"
Even while being trampled by Princess Charlotte, Ork looked delighted.
He even twisted his head in an attempt to peek under her skirt, only to receive a vicious kick to the face before he could manage it.
Ah, his neck just snapped.
An attack that would have killed a human instantly, yet he was still alive.
His tenacity was enough to make one wonder if he wasn't an orc at all, but an undead.
Deciding that beating him to death was pointless, I grabbed Princess Charlotte and pulled her back.
"Princess, please stop now."
"Let go of me. Sir Bern, you aren't sympathizing with this pig, are you?"
"Of course not. I simply thought we ought to give him a chance at rehabilitation."
"Rehabilitation… you say?"
"Yes. Seeing him apologize, it seems he has the will to reform. Shouldn't we therefore examine his sincerity?"
In other words: don't just talk—offer proper compensation.
I shot Ork a pointed look with that meaning, and he nodded.
He seemed to understand.
"Understood. Since I have caused trouble for both of you, I shall provide compensation befitting the offense."
"Excellent attitude."
"Then first, for this gentleman, the skeleton necklace I mentioned earlier……"
"Don't need it."
I could obtain one whenever I wanted, and knowing exactly what was inside Hades, I had zero intention of going around bragging that I was her hardcore fan.
I gestured for something more practical or valuable instead. Ork rummaged in his coat and produced something else.
"Understood. Then how about this?"
What he handed me was a leather arm guard.
I accepted it on reflex and turned it over, examining it from every angle.
I had half-hoped for something like built-in blades that could be launched, but no such function existed.
Ork, however, revealed the leather's true purpose.
"Inside that arm guard is a magic engraving. If you fill it with mana in advance, you can deploy a protective barrier when needed."
"Oh, useful when your life is on the line. For reference, what's the grade of the protection magic?"
"It easily blocks up to fifth-rank magic. Moreover, it contains a stretch engraving, so it adjusts to fit the wearer's body."
"This is good. Thanks—I'll put it to use."
Until now I had possessed more than enough means of attack, yet almost nothing for defense.
I only wore light leather armor beneath my clothes for ease of movement; I had no other protective gear.
But the guard Ork gave me not only shielded the arm itself—it formed a barrier that covered the entire body.
And it was an artifact that infinitely refilled the barrier simply by pouring mana into the engraving.
I could have sold it for a fortune, but I decided to keep it for my own use.
"Next, for the princess, a dildo that our Queen highly praises and frequently uses……"
"If you don't want that thing jammed up your own ass, you'd better stop right there."
I hurriedly cut Ork off.
The item itself was so impure that death would have been a light sentence for offering it, and for Princess Charlotte it was the single object she needed to stay farthest away from.
It was practically the key that would unseal her; if it ever found its way between her legs, some man's life would be over.
"Understood. I shall gift the princess a necklace convenient to wear around the neck."
"Not that skeleton necklace again, I hope?"
"It is not, so please set your mind at ease."
What Ork produced was an ordinary gold-plated necklace.
Its only distinctive feature was a dark-red bloodstone hanging from it.
"So what exactly is this necklace?"
"I do not know the details myself, but I have heard it is a bloodstone containing a portion of the First Hero's blood."
"The First Hero……"
"The previous king. To me, he is an ancestor. You—where did you obtain this?"
"It was given by a human alchemist who was once close to the Queen. But long ago, after the Queen suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the First Hero, she found the stone repulsive and left it in my care."
Chronologically, Asmodeus should have lived far longer than the First Hero.
If someone of her tremendous experience and power had been so thoroughly overwhelmed, just how strong had the First Hero been?
Kang Junhyuk—or perhaps talent and strength that rivaled or even surpassed him.
In that sense, a bloodstone necklace containing the First Hero's blood was beyond any monetary value.
Even if it possessed no special effects, one could not ignore the sheer symbolism.
"……Thank you for the precious gift."
"Snort-hii! If you are truly grateful, just one pair of the princess's panties…… I jest, of course."
A princess of a nation had expressed her gratitude even using honorifics.
Ork puffed up with pride for a moment, then immediately straightened under the murderous glare that followed.
I had always thought he was the type who begged to be beaten.
"Anyway, we will overlook your sins just this once."
"Snort! Thank you."
Having received forgiveness from everyone, Ork declared he would return to the Queen's side and set off toward the mansion.
For all his grumbling, Asmodeus clearly remained a precious person to him.
"Princess!"
Not long after Ork left, the Garden Knights and their captain, Julius, arrived.
Rene and I had already hidden ourselves, so we were able to watch the princess depart without any friction.
Even as she left, Princess Charlotte suddenly glanced back toward the bushes where I was concealed and murmured under her breath.
See you later.
I really don't want to get involved any further……
With that quiet complaint, I sent Princess Charlotte on her way as well.
"Is it completely over now……"
[Not yet. We still have the long-awaited big event remaining!]
What are you talking about? We safely escaped the ancient dungeon and parted ways with Princess Charlotte.
[Contractor, have you already forgotten the events before we came here?]
Uh…. We came after the gladiator tournament in Lebron, right?
[And what was the purpose of participating in that gladiator tournament?]
To obtain the magic sword, of course.
[Exactly that! This body can feel it—that magic sword is approaching us…!]
The magic sword couldn't have grown legs.
If it was coming toward us, that meant Lin had successfully seized it.
But how was she finding her way to where we were?
"Ah! Master!"
Speak of the tiger and it appears.
Lin came running and threw herself into my arms as I stood there.
We had been apart for only half a day, yet she was rejoicing as if she hadn't seen me in nearly a month.
"Oh? It's Lin! You managed to track us all the way here?"
"I kept sensing Master's energy and followed it!"
"That's a little scary."
It sounded as though she could find me no matter where in the world I went.
Surely that couldn't be true… right?
I wanted to believe so, yet somehow I couldn't bring myself to declare it with absolute certainty.
[Contractor! Quickly the sword…! Ask to see the magic sword!]
I know, so stop rushing me.
I didn't want to shatter the moment of reunion.
But with Frach going strangely berserk, I carefully asked Lin.
"Lin, did you bring the magic sword?"
"Of course!"
Lin drew a sword tightly wrapped in cloth from her waist.
Like a knight offering a blade to a king, she dropped to one knee and presented the magic sword.
Thinking it a bit excessive, I scratched my cheek and accepted it.
[Quickly! Quickly…! Unwrap the cloth and look!]
I know.
I could feel Frach's frantic emotions.
What on earth was this that made her so impatient?
I simply could not understand a magic sword's senses.
[Did Polymorph drop?!]
With a line straight out of a gacha player's mouth, Frach's body trembled with excitement.
But the instant the true form of the cloth-wrapped magic sword was revealed—
Frach fell silent for a long while, then finally spat out a single short, heavy word.
[Mom.]
You only have a dad, don't you?