The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 15

“The arrogant humans think that if they repent, everything will be fine. Instead of conscripting men, they hide and pray, and that’s why Tiran ended up like that, right?”

The men snickered, mocking the church. Leon, as always, remained unresponsive, simply placing a bowl of stew in front of Veronica.

“Tiran ended up like that? Does that mean it was captured?”

“Sadly, yes. The strongest frontline has been breached, and Bahamut’s advance to the north has begun in earnest. Still, as far as I know, several cities are holding out under siege.”

That meant the entire south hadn’t fallen yet, though without reinforcements, it was only a matter of time.

“We’re living through history. If humanity survives, this invasion will probably go down in the books as the greatest war in history. Isn’t that interesting? Not even a century ago, nations were tearing each other apart in conquest, and now, we’ve all united against a common enemy.”

The men of Ruega seemed well-versed in the political situation, even among commoners.

Thinking about how ignorant she had been until meeting Leon, Veronica suddenly shivered. A young man sitting next to her must have thought she was cold because he poured her a drink to warm her up. That was when Leon, who had been silent until then, interjected.

“My wife doesn’t drink.”

“Oh, are you devout? I thought entering the wilderness meant you had little faith.”

“Faith and alcohol are separate. I just don’t enjoy drinking,” Veronica agreed with Leon.

However, the young man wasn’t ready to give up. “In Ruega, it’s customary to serve alcohol to guests. Please, consider it a gesture of respect. It’s not strong.”

It would have been awkward to refuse again after such insistence. Just as Veronica was about to accept, Leon spoke again.

“I’m well aware of that custom. In fact, one person can drink for their entire family, so I’ll drink my wife’s share too.”

Leon’s smile was playful but sharp as a blade. After a brief moment of silence, the young man raised both hands in mock defeat and laughed.

“Ah, haha, my apologies. Every time I visit Kaisenmeer, I make mistakes. I forget that this land practices monogamy. With a beautiful wife like yours, it’s no wonder you’d be jealous.”

Instead of responding, Leon casually downed Veronica’s drink. Only she felt bewildered.

Jealous? Him? The same man who had held a sword to her throat when they first met?

“…Is Ruega a polygamous society?”

“No. In fact, the institution of marriage was abolished a century ago. Ruega respects the biological nature of humans. While loving only one person for life might create a stable society, it goes against natural instincts. Though, I understand Kaisenmeer holds marriage vows in high regard due to religious influence.”

Leon, who had swiftly finished two drinks, chuckled. For someone who had sworn a vow of lifelong celibacy, such talk must have been particularly amusing to him.

At that moment, the other men began loudly discussing conscription, the war, and localized battles, diverting everyone’s attention. While listening to the conversation about the western front, Leon occasionally glanced at Veronica as she ate her stew. She seemed content, warmed by the friendly atmosphere.

“I can’t remember the last time I had a proper meal. This is delicious.”

“We’re honored that you’re pleased, madam,” said one of the Ruegan men kindly.

The Ruegans were friendly enough to offer an empty wagon to the couple who had fled in such a hurry.

Thus, the strangely peaceful night wore on.

***

As expected, something was added.

Leon felt a splitting headache as he calmly assessed the situation.

The woman had already fallen into a deep sleep. The warm meal seemed to have exhausted her. Just to be sure, Leon brought his hand to her nose and felt her steady breathing. It wasn’t the stew that had been drugged—it was the drink.

Even he felt sluggish. If Veronica had drunk it, she would have been completely unconscious. It wasn’t hard to guess what they wanted.

“What should I do? Should I just take the supplies and leave? Or should I try to extract more information?”

He spoke as if consulting with the sleeping woman, twirling her hair around his fingers. Her soft, smooth black hair felt like silk, slipping through his fingers like water. She burrowed closer, seemingly enjoying the feeling of him playing with her hair. He was just beginning to focus on the soft scent of her skin when—

Rustle. A suspicious sound came from outside the wagon.

It was the middle of the night, and their wagon was at the edge of the campsite. Leon grabbed his sword and sat up. Though his footsteps were silent, human presence could not be masked entirely. The sound of clothing brushing and the subtle shifts in the air. Leon listened carefully before drawing back the wagon’s curtain.

He stopped just as a cold axe blade touched his neck.

“You’re up and about after drinking that? Impressive,” someone said from the darkness. It was the same man he had sparred with earlier.

Leon looked down at the axe and responded with a casual remark, “I drank it, so I had to get up to relieve myself. Don’t tell me Ruega has a custom where guests need permission to use the bathroom?”

“That depends. If someone is confident they could take on eleven men and win, they’d need all eleven to give them permission.”

As if in response to his words, torches began lighting up around them. Leon slowly surveyed the fire and the men surrounding the wagon, their weapons glinting red in the light.

“Why so quiet? Where’s that bravado you showed earlier, talking about death and plunder in front of Ruegans?”

The man sneering at him hesitated for a brief moment as Leon, who had been calmly surveying the scene, locked eyes with him. There was something unnerving about his intense presence, unshaken even after consuming enough to knock out any normal person.

“What do you want?”

“What?”

“I was treated to a hot meal and clean water, so I’ll hear you out.”

The man stood dumbfounded for a second, then burst into loud laughter. “Did you hear that? He’s willing to listen if we tell him what we want.”

Laughter spread through the camp, but Leon didn’t flinch. He only thought about how unfortunate it was that the noise might wake Veronica from her dreamless sleep.

“Hand over the woman and that sword you didn’t show earlier. Then, lick our boots and beg for mercy. Who knows? We might let you live.”

At the predictable demand, Leon let out a low sigh. “Sorry, but the woman isn’t up for negotiation. But I can show you the sword.”

The man with the axe didn’t understand Leon’s words. Or perhaps it was simply because a man with half his torso severed can’t think clearly. He stared down at his waist in shock, and as blood sprayed out, he collapsed backward among his stunned companions.

As the body hit the ground with a sickening thud, silence fell over the camp. Leon wiped the blood from his sword and looked around at the remaining Ruegans, who still hadn’t fully processed what had just happened.

“I told you. I’ll deal with the unarmed ones last.”

It was the same warning Leon had given them when they first met. The Ruegans, snapping out of their shock, glared at him and gripped their weapons tightly.

This was exactly what Leon wanted. Killing an armed enemy was a different matter entirely for a knight like him. However, perhaps due to the drug still dulling his mind, Leon forgot one important thing—his traveling companion was still inside the moving wagon.

***

Clang, clang. The loud noise woke Veronica from her sleep. The sound of swords clashing was louder than she had expected. As her eyes snapped open, she was immediately overwhelmed by panic for a different reason—the wagon was shaking and sliding.

“Stay quiet. Make a sound, and I’ll kill you.”

Before she could grasp the situation, someone clamped a hand over her mouth and climbed on top of her. Had it not been for his distinct accent, Veronica wouldn’t have recognized the man as the friendly young Ruegan from earlier. His tone now was terrifyingly cold.

“Noah Berg? Don’t make me laugh. A redhead wielding the sword Apocalypse. The man with you—he’s Leon Berg, isn’t he?”

Veronica couldn’t answer with her mouth covered, but the man seemed to read her response from her eyes. He laughed maniacally before suddenly stopping and muttering a curse.

“Damn it. Just my luck.”

It seemed their cover had been blown, and she was being kidnapped. The man’s attitude was anything but friendly, bordering on outright threatening. Veronica began to feel for the knife Benjamin had given her as a “birthday” present, which she had tucked into her pants just in case.

“A so-called holy knight dragging a woman into the wilderness. What a joke. He’s a murderer, you know. Do you even know who that bastard really is? Do you suck him off every night without knowing? Huh? Before the damn Bahamut crawled up, that bastard ran around slaughtering us in the name of a holy war or something!”

The man spat curses, but before Veronica could fully understand what was happening, a shout came from the front of the wagon.

“Oliver! He’s catching up!”

“Shut up. Then drive faster!”

“Damn it, that’s the warhorse we were eyeing yesterday. How are we supposed to outrun it with all this cargo?”

Leon was coming for her. He needed her. He wouldn’t abandon her easily. Hope flared in Veronica’s chest as she struggled against Oliver, but he reacted violently, squeezing her injured ankle.

Veronica let out a pained moan through her sealed lips.

That sound seemed to spark something in Oliver’s eyes. His gaze suddenly darkened with malicious intent.

“Now that I think about it, I didn’t finish explaining yesterday. In Ruega, we don’t marry because women are shared. Typically, we find a woman, and the men in the family take turns with her. After my father and brother have their turn, it’s mine.”

Veronica didn’t scream.

Leon was coming for her, but waiting for him would be too late. She didn’t want to be saved again. Not like this.

As Oliver reached to tear her tunic, her hand finally grasped the cold handle of the knife. Just as the wagon jolted to a halt, Oliver looked up in confusion.

Thunk. The dagger pierced through his skull. Just like Bahamut had killed Benjamin, but this time, the blade went in through his mouth and out the back of his head. Veronica locked eyes with his frozen, wide-eyed stare. She would never forget that look for the rest of her life. Blood poured down like rain.

At that moment, Veronica heard something break. But the sound didn’t come from outside—it came from within her.