I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 53

Peidos chuckled softly, finding my dumbfounded expression amusing.

“After the expedition, you can go straight home without returning. You can rest for about two weeks. I’ll treat it as a reward leave.”

“Really?”

It was welcome news. When I last visited Liche with Keene, I hadn’t been able to see my family, so I had been a bit disappointed.

As we resumed marching, I noticed that the expedition team was heading in a different direction than before. It seemed they had adjusted the route to make it difficult for any outsiders to follow us. Rancho, who believed we were heading southwest to Hueta like me, mumbled in confusion.

“Where on earth are we going?”

Even though I knew the answer, I chose to stay silent, unsure if it was okay to share. Come to think of it, why did Peidos tell me such a confidential matter without any hesitation?

Was it simply because I was from Liche? Or maybe…

“It feels like we’re going to Liche or Oshtin.”

At that moment, novitiate priest Pine interjected. With his honey-colored, deep blond hair and freckles, he had the youngest face among the priests in this expedition.

“Liche or Oshtin? Not Hueta?”

“We’re climbing Mount Monta, right? If we go right from here, it’s Oshtin, and if we go left, it’s Liche.”

“Oh, my intuition tells me it’s definitely Oshtin. Hey, Duna, want to bet? The loser gives up a month’s salary. How about it?”

I gave him a pitying look and replied.

“Do you want to write an even longer will? I’ll be satisfied with two weeks’ pay.”

“Great! You’re really doing it, right? Huh?”

“Eyy, Rancho. You know His Holiness forbids gambling.”

Pine, who stopped Rancho from digging his own grave, smiled kindly and held him back. I looked at Rancho, who always boasted about having divine intuition despite his poor judgment, with disbelief.

Well, it’s fine by me.

“Two weeks’ pay, huh.”

I wondered what I could do with that.

* * *

“Unbelievable…”

Two days later, when we finally arrived at the cave presumed to contain the relic, Rancho, who had been so confident before, quickly turned pale.

He grabbed several priests and asked if this was really Liche, then staggered like an actor in a tragedy, holding his head with his hands. His lips parted weakly, and a voice filled with despair flowed out.

“I was sure it was Oshtin…”

“I’m a native of Liche, and this is definitely Liche.”

This familiar place was the back mountain I occasionally crossed when going to Oshtin. I didn’t even know there was a cave here, let alone imagine that an ancient relic would be beneath it.

Could Peidos’ visit to Liche a year ago have been because of this relic?

“Greetings, people of the Holy Kingdom.”

At that moment, unfamiliar foreigners appeared.

Despite the priests immediately taking a defensive stance, they laughed nonchalantly. Judging by their dark skin and turbaned attire, they were undoubtedly companions of the unpleasant man I had encountered.

It seemed we had failed to shake them off.

“We love exploring too. Let’s join you.”

“Step back! How dare you heretics interfere with a sacred mission!”

If Pine was the youngest priest in the expedition, the priest who just shouted, Mullion, was the oldest. He had worked as a chief mage at the Magic Tower before repenting and naturalizing, and his priestly aura surpassed that of priests born and raised in the Holy Kingdom, often causing confusion.

I had heard rumors about the mage from the Magic Tower, but this was my first time seeing him in person. I looked curiously at the old man with long white hair.

“Our scriptures also mention holy relics. Ancient relics aren’t exclusive to the Holy Kingdom. Especially since Liche was once under Lucan’s rule.”

“How dare you!”

Taking advantage of Mullion’s trembling, another man pushed his companions aside and stepped forward. His tall, slender figure and familiar features made my eyes widen.

It’s that man from before!

“Are you Peidos Carmel?”

“……”

The red-haired man, who had consistently behaved rudely, showed no exception when addressing Peidos. As Mullion berated him loudly, he responded by digging his ear with his finger.

“Such insolence!”

As the elderly priest, his blood pressure rising, grabbed his neck and staggered, the priests behind him supported him. Unfazed, the man spoke again.

“They say you’re the face of the Holy Kingdom. Seeing you in person, I understand why the girls go crazy over you. Huh?”

“……”

Peidos’ face grew cold at his disrespectful remarks. This also greatly displeased the other priests who respected and followed him. Eventually, a Holy Knight, unable to contain his anger, stepped forward, snorting.

“Hey, redhead! If you keep insulting our commander, I won’t stand for it!”

It was the woman I had seen when we visited the East Hall. Was her name Ali?

However, the other side responded arrogantly. Despite having started the quarrel, they scolded us instead.

“Hey! How dare a mere knight speak so freely?”

“You little…”

As the man, presumably the subordinate of the red-haired man, arrogantly shouted with his protruding belly, Ali, her face flushed with anger, ground her teeth. Just as the enraged knight was about to draw her sword to teach them a lesson, Peidos, who had been standing quietly, raised his arm to stop her.

Maintaining a calm demeanor, he glared at the Lucanians for a while before finally uttering shocking words.

“You are Prince Nizaz.”

At this, the Lucanians wore triumphant expressions. On the other hand, our priests widened their eyes.

That man is an imperial family member? Someone who speaks like that?

While there are plenty of princes in Lucan, Prince Nizaz, as the eldest son, was the closest to the crown prince along with the third prince. Stories of those two competing for the throne were not uncommon, but to think that such a man was a candidate for the emperor?

“As expected. You recognized me right away.”

“I understand that we have not received an official letter. Did you inform His Majesty the King of your visit schedule?”

An unscheduled, unofficial visit. If it was to interfere with the exploration of relics, it could cause serious diplomatic repercussions. Pointing this out made Nizaz smirk.

“I have a bit of a fondness for the trade merchants, so I came to observe and encourage them. While hiking to take care of my health, I coincidentally met you all. Any objections?”

“……”

At such an absurd excuse, a laugh escaped my lips. Whether he heard it or not, Nizaz turned to look at me.

His golden eyes, recognizing me, curved into a circle.

“Oh, isn’t it the cutie? I was quite disappointed when you left so suddenly the other day. Hm?”

“……”

I returned a disdainful look to the prince who was spouting such annoying words. At his comment, which seemed to suggest he knew me, Rancho nudged me with his elbow, persistently asking.

“What? What? How does he know you? He said he met you the other day? Where?”

With a sigh, I answered vaguely.

“…It wasn’t constipation, it was because I met that man and got delayed.”

“What? Why are you telling me this now?”

Incredibly, Nizaz even winked at me amidst all this.

As I frowned at the nauseating sight, Peidos suddenly stepped forward, standing between Nizaz and me. Just as I was staring blankly at his broad back, blocking the prince’s view, Peidos said something unexpected.

“Very well. I will allow you to accompany us.”

…What?

The shocking words caused a stir among the priests. Rancho, in a panic, muttered, “What? Are we really going to travel with those guys? Am I hearing things?” while Pine sighed, “We’re already on a dangerous journey, now we have to watch our backs too.”

“Commander!”

It wasn’t just us who were shocked; the paladins also had surprised expressions. However, Peidos ignored his subordinates’ reactions.

Nizaz laughed heartily, placing his hand on his waist.

“As expected, your commander is reasonable. In such an ancient ruin, the more people to act as shields, the better. It’s wise to help each other.”

“……”

“Then, see you tomorrow!”

Leaving ominous words behind, the prince turned away, waving his hand. At his signal, his men also started to follow him away.

As I watched the opposing forces prepare to camp near the cave, Ali asked Peidos with a puzzled face.

“Commander! Why did you accept them?”

This was a question that all of us, including myself, were curious about. As we pricked up our ears and waited, Peidos calmly replied.

“The prince is right. The ruins are dangerous. We need their help to dismantle the traps.”

“……”

Suddenly turning his head, our eyes met. In his sharp blue eyes, a fierce determination was burning intensely.

“I intend to bring everyone out alive. If it helps, I won’t hesitate to take the hand of a heretic.”

Leaving those words, he turned his back at the entrance. The officer following him shouted, “The sun is setting soon, so make your camp! We start the exploration at dawn!” urging the knights.

As I watched his silver hair recede into the distance, Rancho sidled up to me, grumbling with a bewildered expression.

“What is this? It’s already dangerous enough, and now we’re joining forces with savages.”

“……”

I felt the same unease. Could we really trust them?

“By the way, what happened to your arm? When did you get hurt?”

“Huh? Ah…”

Following Rancho’s gaze, I looked down to see a long scratch. It must have been from brushing against a branch while cutting through the forest.

“That must sting. Want me to treat it?”

“It’s nothing. We should save the holy power.”

Though I usually made a fuss over injuries, I felt no desire for treatment, perhaps because the wound had already stopped bleeding or because I had too much on my mind.

[ I intend to bring everyone out alive.]

The exploration team consisted of twenty-two members in total. Including non-combat personnel, fifteen would enter the ruins.

Could all of them really come out alive?

“Huh?”

As I walked absentmindedly in line, someone suddenly came up close beside me. At first, I thought it was Rancho, but he was complaining to Pine ahead of me.