Just like Marquis Matapju at that time, Darrhan was arrogant, repulsive, and even had a thoroughly matching expression.

“A small mercenary corps, and under the protection of me, Marquis Matapju, entering this small village with doubts….”

Marquis Matapju did not hide his laughter in front of the nobles.

“Now that Duke Gwendhill is not here, you’re trembling like this.”

“…!”

Just one word.

Marquis Matapju summarized Darrhan’s disgusting true feelings with just one word and scorned him.

“The Emperor seemed to be worried a lot. With a solid shield gone, the cowards are whining, saying that they are deeply concerned about the future of the empire.”

“…Marquis Matapju, are you insulting our entire nobility right now?”

It wasn’t easy to maintain composure.

Despite Darrhan’s attempt to endure, he remembered the disgrace so far while resisting Marquis Matapju’s unwarranted wordplay.

“If you keep coming out like this-.”

“Oh, is this not ‘misunderstanding’ but ‘insult’?”

Marquis Matapju lightly flicked his fingers, making it resonate clearly in the ears of all the nobles who visited the village.
[Now that your usefulness is exhausted, are you now afraid of Marquis Matap’s power? Then, stay quiet. Don’t just stand there like that.]

Afterward, Marquis Matapju cast a soundproofing spell and directed a refreshing smile towards Darrhan.

[We have received the favor of providing a refuge for the residents here, so we will let you stay quiet for a while.]

It was a statement that, for a while, they would overlook the disparagement and suspicion towards Marquis Matapju, which Darrhan had spread rumors about the Sepia Village according to his taste.

At that moment, Darrhan sensed it.

That after removing Duke Gwendhill from the path, another troublesome figure had appeared.

[There are so many secrets hidden here by the Marquis, so I’m a bit busy.]

Marquis Matapju narrowed his eyes like administering medicine.

At that moment, Darrhan felt an indescribable ominous feeling, along with the premonition that his purpose for coming to the village had already been exposed.

[I don’t understand what you’re saying.]

Pretending not to know, Darrhan desperately put on a relaxed smile, and Marquis Matapju shrugged his shoulders.

Expecting that there would be no significant gain in confronting him, Darrhan stood up first under the pretense of leaving.

[Contrary to what I heard, it seems like nothing special is happening in the village. I’ll take my leave now.]

To avoid looking like he was fleeing, Darrhan turned gracefully while holding a walker stick.

Ignoring Marquis Matapju’s common greeting, Darrhan called for the former doctor.

[How about the Welcoming Herbs?] [Oh, yes. There was nothing special that changed. The magicians still view them as ordinary flowers, and the residents seem uninterested in harmless poisonous herbs.]

Was it a misjudgment?

[What about the collection?] [The magicians and mercenaries are scattered throughout the village, so we couldn’t collect a large quantity.]

Although Darrhan was relieved to hear that they had collected the amount needed immediately, he couldn’t shake off a subtle sense of discomfort.

[Stay in this village and continue to manage the Welcoming Herbs. Keep an eye on whether there are any suspicious points or if someone notices.] [Yes, yes? A-alone, do you mean?]

Naturally, they attached a subordinate who could be useful as an assistant to the former doctor, who was not delighted.

Still, Marquis Matapju’s smile persisted.

It felt like something hard, like a nail, was stuck in his throat and wouldn’t go down.

“Thinking about it, it was ambiguous.”
Still, Darrhan felt more animosity than favor towards Marquis Matapju. However, his attitude had changed considerably from the last time when animosity had coalesced into a united front.

Although there was no occasion for Darrhan, the leader of the neutral faction, to gauge Darrhan’s intentions, Marquis Matapju seemed to make an effort to maintain a certain level of decorum.

“Obtaining the enormous mana hidden underground, does that mean you’ve obtained everything there is to obtain?”

While Marquis Matapju, whose thoughts remained unreadable, could be suspected, Darrhan couldn’t continue to be dragged around aimlessly.

Darrhan coldly smiled as if Marquis Matapju’s visible distressed expression was nothing but an act.

“Lord Viscount, we have arrived.”

The destination of the carriage was the Chelonar Viscounty, which had established numerous academies from the east to the northeast and had a long history.

“Long time no see, Viscount Bridend.”

The blue-haired Chelonar Viscount greeted Darrhan.

There was no sign of embarrassment from the Viscount despite the abrupt visit.

Acknowledging the need for facial expression management as befitting the leader of the neutral faction, Darrhan realized that this person should be removed from the stage set by Darrhan as soon as possible.

“Long time indeed, Viscount Chelonar.”

With a walker stick in hand, Darrhan nodded his head, forming a snake-like smile.

Even if a crimson poisonous herb was revealed to Marquis Matapju, it was okay. Matap’s abilities wouldn’t allow him to discern the utility and effects of the poisonous herb. Even if they were lucky enough to extract venom, how would they prove its effectiveness?

‘Unless we touch forbidden magic.’

To Darrhan, the crimson poisonous herb was the best assassination weapon that left no evidence.

“Viscount’s daughter is five years old, isn’t she? So, I brought a cake as a visitation gift.”

“…Thank you for taking care of my daughter, Lord Viscount. Please come inside.”

After confirming the cake box with the butler of the Viscount, Darrhan and Viscount Chelonar moved together.

At that moment, the five-year-old daughter of Viscount Chelonar was running toward them.

“Papa!”

“Eryl, be careful not to fall.”

Viscount Chelonar lifted his daughter in his arms.

The child’s large eyes were fixed on Darrhan.

“Papa, who is he?”

“Eryl, excuse me. This person is…”

“It’s okay. She looks quite remarkable, resembling the Viscount. Um, Eryl, do you like cake?”

Darrhan put on a kind disguise and a gentle smile.

Although a momentary unease flickered in Viscount Chelonar’s gaze, Eryl nodded with a bright smile.

“I bought the biggest one, fortunately.”

Eryl’s eyes lit up upon seeing the cake brought by Darrhan as a visiting gift.

Darrhan happily laughed, thinking about the empty bottle in his pocket.

The five-year-old child in front of him was the perfect vulnerability and leash, the illegitimate daughter recently acquired by Viscount Chelonar, and Darrhan’s plan was well underway.

Thanks to the warm stones brought by Ren, the dry air quickly spread inside the damp cave.

After filling the boat with the food obtained from the Sepia Village, Sharti fell into a doze.
After comfortably wrapping her in a blanket, Ren secretly went outside the cave again and brought back a heated stone. As Sharti fell into a deep sleep in a warmer sleeping spot than ever, Ren quietly shifted his body.

“……. ”

Lying down next to Sharti with his arm around her, Ren looked at her peaceful face absentmindedly. Her white face was so fair that her jet-black hair seemed even darker. As Ren silently examined her face without a single burn mark, his fingers kept twitching.

‘I want to touch her…’

However, Ren refrained from reaching out, fearing that Sharti might wake up. It was precisely at that moment, while Ren hesitated, aware of Sharti’s potential to wake up, that she mumbled in her sleep.

“…Ren…”

Although Ren was startled by her sleep talk, the moment she called his name, a smile spread across her lips.

“…Love you…”

“……!”

As if suddenly attacked, Ren jumped up and hurriedly went outside the cave. Thus, Ren sat in front of the campfire for a while, crouching down and diligently searching for stones with a fire striker.

If he returned like this, Sharti would probably wake up at the sound of the heartbeat.