Chapter 15
“Whatever you prefer.”
“What I want to do in the forest right now is cleaning. Monster cleaning. And ultimately, dragon hunting. But the dragon is inside the castle. So if I want to catch it, I have no choice but to go inside.”
It was a confession delivered bluntly, yet with undeniable sincerity—the kind that no one could doubt. If this didn’t happen, she wouldn’t be able to return home, effectively stranded in this other world. Her words carried the weight of truth so fully that it would be impossible for anyone to accuse her of lying.
Cleaning? Dragon? Hunting?
The man sitting across from her, struck by the sheer intensity of her sincerity, was thrown into chaos. Question marks seemed to swirl violently in his eyes.
Understandably, it was too much to process all at once. Considering this, Taeri poured the wine from his glass into water, subtly telling him to calm down first.
Claude downed it in one gulp, then set the thin glass down with a clink.
“I need to confirm something. I want to make sure I heard correctly.”
“Go ahead.”
“By cleaning, you mean… what I think you mean? Massacre?”
“Massacre? That’s an exaggeration. I just mean… extermination.”
“And a dragon… There’s a dragon in that forest, or rather, in the castle?”
“Yes.”
“…Hah.”
The shock left him so stunned that he didn’t even ask how she knew—it was enough for him to simply press his forehead with his hand.
Seeing him take blow after blow, almost like a hammer striking repeatedly, Taeri couldn’t help but feel a little pity—but she steeled herself and reiterated that it was true. He was destined to become a dragon slayer eventually; taking the first hit would hurt less in the long run.
“Have you ever seen a dragon in the forest? Any traces, rumors?”
Claude shot her a look that said, Is now really the time to ask that?
“No, nothing. If you had, you’d be dead right there, and there’d be no rumor left. If a dragon ever left a trace, it would signal the forest’s destruction, and what could we do? We’d just have to die.”
“I see. So, not yet.”
“Not yet?”
Claude looked like he was about to lose his mind, but Taeri started moving on to the thought she had been nurturing for some time.
Even the invincible protagonist has stages in a game; you can’t overcome all obstacles at once. The challenges in front of him would eventually disappear, but not immediately.
However, what if she—someone who had already gone through the game once—helped him from the side? Couldn’t she guide him from the first floor all the way to the top in one leap?
It’s not impossible.
A swift, decisive ending.
She had pinpointed a perfect possibility.
“I don’t know everything, but I know a little about the curse.”
She tossed out the bait, and as expected, his eyes immediately flashed.
“Valoran is a country of knights who worship Agasa, the goddess of justice. That’s why the governor’s holy sword is Agasa’s sword.”
“That’s right.”
“But wizards don’t rely on gods. We rely on engineering and the laws of mana. That doesn’t mean there are no respected deities. Izares has one such god: Babel.”
“Babel, the god of truth.”
Ah, Babel is the god of truth? Taeri absorbed the knowledge quickly, nodding and continuing the conversation naturally.
“The curse of the Black Forest was inflicted by Babel. You’ve heard the story of the Izaresian king breaking a divine taboo and bringing calamity, right? That was Babel’s taboo. And the dragon—”
“The symbol of God Babel.”
“Exactly. I think you can understand why the dragon remains in the castle. The dragon is the ultimate beast that must be slain in the forest and the very mark of the curse left by the god.”
All of this she deduced from lines the dragon itself would say during the final battle.
Every time Taeri tried to slay the dragon, she died countless times. Upon respawning and challenging it again, the dragon repeated the same words.
When entering the boss room, a boy reading a book appears and warns, “Step back, knight.”
If you ignore him and proceed, the boy instantly transforms into a massive dragon and roars, saying, “How dare you trespass into the domain of my omnipotent friend.”
Combining this with countless other breadcrumbs led to a clear interpretation—but as a gamer focused on combat rather than story, this was the only bait she could throw for Claude. Still, it was enough to negotiate with him.
“If the dragon isn’t slain, the curse will never end. Without hunting the dragon, the forest cannot be restored.”
Restoring the forest meant returning its ecosystem to its former state. It sounded convincing even as she spoke.
“So… do you want to come with me… to hunt the dragon?”
Claude, fully absorbed in her story, looked as if he had just been hit by another fist.
When she hesitated shyly, wiggling her fingers, he wondered what she would say next. She wanted to go hunt the dragon. It was like a date proposal, but the words were more like: “Hey, buddy. Want to see hell with me?”
He was too drained to respond to the absurdity. Meanwhile, the carefree princess struggled to open the lid of jam for her bread, as if her hands had a mind of their own.
She can’t even open a jar, and she wants to hunt dragons?
Without waiting for her to ask, he grabbed the jar and opened it in one motion. She gave a small cheer and applause, and he instinctively felt proud—hating himself for it, he took a deep breath and growled at himself.
Crazy man, don’t like it. Why are you enjoying this?
The princess, thrilled, prodded him with a radiant smile.
“Have you thought about it?”
“Do you think I have?”
“Try thinking about it. I won’t let you regret it.”
“From the moment I heard that, I’m already regretting it.”
“Let me explain the plan—”
“Don’t. I’m not listening.”
“Oh, come on. Please.”
Please? She thought saying that would be enough to get him to comply.
Claude glared at her with simmering eyes, but as she wagged her finger playfully, his stern look softened slightly.
That was her chance. The princess quickly blurted out her plan.
“The plan is simple. We infiltrate the castle through a hidden back entrance and smash the dragon’s head. They’d never expect us to come that way.”
You are something else, really…
“You might think it’s reckless and absurd, but this is the only way. I know where the back entrance is. The key is speed. Of course, hunting a dragon means you must be ready to burn everything down, but… what do you think?”
“What do I think? As you said, it’s reckless and absurd. You don’t seriously think I’d agree to such a destructive plan.”
“What if I paid you? If I rewarded you fairly, would you agree?”
“Absolutely not. Never.”
Why did he even give her the chance to speak? This was entirely his own fault. The princess bore no guilt; she was simply a magician born to chase fantasies. Claude, a natural knight, preferred clear distinctions between dreams and reality.
“I have no interest at all.”
“Then at least help me with the monster cleaning first. After that, I’ll give you what you really want.”
Even as he refused, she pressed on, confidently implying she could take down the dragon herself if necessary.
She’ll really give me what I want? Claude snorted quietly.
“You know what I want?”
“The kingdom is falling, but there is land and rank here. Earlier, I saw people calling the governor a minor duke, which is a title inherited from his parents. But if you give me what you’re offering, I could gain a position even higher than that of my parents.”
“…!”
“The Sonetiga family has ruled Izares for a thousand years, and the name carries tradition and honor. Naturally, the ruler of this land would wield the corresponding power.”
“What… are you saying?”
“I’ll hand it over. Land, throne. Complete, independent ownership beyond anything the emperor could grant. Isn’t that what you want?”
He wanted to protest, but his mouth froze. The value of what the princess was offering stunned him, and the fact that she had identified exactly what he wanted shocked him even more.
“Right now, I’m basically a sword-wielding bandit. The governor’s authority is just power delegated by the emperor, and you want to escape that influence, don’t you? That’s what I assumed.”
How does she even know that? A desire he had never voiced, never shown to anyone, was suddenly tingling in his hand, palpable as if alive.
“This… is an extraordinary proposal.”
The words came out in halting bursts, as his heart raced like wildfire. The princess’ offer made his chest pound uncontrollably.
If she goes this far, what am I supposed to do? I wanted to take it, but should I hold her hand instead?
Her flushed lips curved into a perfect, vivid smile.
“You’re really giving me all of that? I don’t even have time to feel nervous—how wonderful.”
“It’s no lie, so feel excited without hesitation.”
Don’t be ridiculous. I won’t get excited, he told himself—but seeing her pure, focused face, the crescent-shaped blush in her eyes sparkling like rubies, his own cheeks burned bright.
Her unreserved smile asked the unspoken question: “So, will you come with me?”
Damn it… I’m excited.
