Chapter 15

Just Do What You’re Good At

Zed glanced aside at Ferda’s words.

The disloyal servant he mentioned was undoubtedly the little girl who had been following him around.

Zed made his living through sheer perceptiveness, so he could at least tell where murderous intent was being directed.

‘No matter how I look at it, that killing intent seems to be aimed at him, not me…’

It was not his imagination.

That was exactly the case.

Luri was extremely irritated by the fact that Ferda had lost money.

Compared to Valdrova’s entire fortune, it was not a large sum, but neither was it an amount an individual could casually throw around.

Especially not in Halim.

It was certainly not money that should have been spent in a gambling house.

Yet Ferda had scattered it around at his own discretion.

Naturally, Zed knew nothing of those circumstances, so he could not help being confused.

“…Fine.”

The dagger in Zed’s hand spun once before slipping neatly into his back pocket.

“Let’s talk first. What is it you want to say?”

“This is not a suitable place for a sensitive conversation. Let us go somewhere we can speak privately.”

“Follow me.”

Zed guided him to his room.

He was staying in the most expensive suite in the casino hotel.

Despite the luxurious room, the drink he took out was cheap rum.

“It’s my favorite liquor. I don’t know whether it’ll suit the refined palate of a young nobleman, but would you like to try some?”

Ferda shook his head.

“I do not drink.”

“You’re a mage, yet you don’t drink?”

“I refrain from drinking precisely because I am a mage.”

“A mage who doesn’t enjoy alcohol? You’re an odd one.”

For mages who had to spend their entire days thinking and concentrating, women and alcohol were their main forms of escape.

Of the two, alcohol was cheaper, so there were more than a few mages who drank straight from the bottle.

Ferda had always needed to run forward without looking anywhere else, so he never drank, and abstinence had naturally become a habit.

“So… how did you learn that name?”

“I came across it while gathering information.”

“And where did that information come from?”

Naturally, it had come from Zed himself.

Even if Ferda told him that, he would never believe it, so Ferda decided to evade the question.

“There is no meaning in telling you now. What matters is that I know.”

“If you only came here to probe me like this, maybe I should have killed you even if it meant dying myself.”

“I am not probing you. I know about you. You prey on unfortunate women, swindle nobles, and slowly accumulate money because you intend to enter high society, do you not?”

Ferda continued.

“You need to rise in status and build connections among the upper class if you hope to find your younger sister, Emilia.”

Zed, who was skilled at maintaining a poker face, stared at him without expression.

His hands, however, betrayed his agitation.

There was not the slightest hint of speculation in Ferda’s words.

They were filled only with certainty, and that certainty had accurately struck at Zed’s intentions.

“Impressive. You don’t seem to be using magic, yet it feels as though you’re looking directly into my head…”

“It is not difficult. There was once a time when I thought much like you.”

It was something Ferda had imagined after being cast out by his family.

He would become greater than the Rosnova family and place them beneath his feet.

Back when he was still naive, Ferda had vowed to force them to admit their wrongdoing that way.

‘Though I ultimately failed.’

The Magic Association had refused to accept Ferda because he possessed the Red Circle.

Zed had also failed to gain entry because the label of being a widowed marchioness’s plaything had become a stain upon his reputation.

“I will provide you with that foothold.”

“A fresh-faced young noble like you?”

Fresh-faced young nobles.

No matter how talented they were or how much attention they received, it was common for them to quickly stumble and end up branded as traitors.

The weaker their connections and the younger they were, the more difficult it became.

Someone like Ferda, who had only just reached adulthood, was as precarious as a candle in the wind.

However, Ferda was far removed from an ordinary mage.

For one thing, he was the Dread Queen’s future husband.

“It seems I should introduce myself again. My name is Ferda Valdrova.”

“Valdrova… That’s the Red Dragon’s name, isn’t it?”

Zed snorted.

“You do know that, in noble society, taking that name amounts to social ruin, right? What kind of lunatic would become engaged to a Red Dragon?”

“That lunatic would be me.”

“…Seriously?”

Ferda’s expression did not change even once.

Zed scratched his head with an awkward look.

“Damn. If it were information that important, it should have reached my ears much sooner… I suppose losing track of time is unavoidable when you spend all day in a casino.”

After offering that flimsy excuse, he changed the subject.

“In any case, if you’re Valdrova’s man… even if people treat you like a kept husband, you must still hold tremendous power.”

“That is correct. I can grant you access to the upper class you are risking so much to enter.”

Zed, who had lowered his head, slowly raised his eyes toward Ferda.

“What do I have to do?”

Ferda held out his hand to Luri.

Just as she had with Burnell, she handed him a letter of appointment.

“You will use your abilities to serve under me as an attendant who carries out assignments.”

“What kind of assignments?”

“They will range from trivial matters to major undertakings. However, I will not order you to do anything beyond your capabilities.”

Zed carefully considered those words before asking,

“…So I’d be your lackey?”

“An attendant.”

“That means a lackey.”

“Then make your choice. You can become a lackey with a path into high society, or remain an idiot who can never enter it and is mocked as nothing more than an upstart.”

It was an unpleasant way of putting it, but Ferda was not wrong.

Would Zed remain a womanizing swindler treated as a vulgar parvenu?

Or would he become a lackey who, despite the hardship, possessed a firm position?

Zed began calculating the possibilities in his head.

“If I refuse… will you report me?”

Ferda tilted his head.

“What would I gain by reporting you?”

“You’re a mage, aren’t you? And I belong to the Red-Eyed Tribe. The Red-Eyed Tribe is not supposed to exist anymore. You seem to have the advantage.”

Those born with that bloodline possessed the peculiar ability to disperse magic.

The relationship between them and mages was as clearly divided as that between cats and mice.

“No matter how much I consider it, I see no benefit for myself.”

“I heard mages celebrated day and night for three days when my people were exterminated. Are you different?”

“What a foolish question. Fearing the Red-Eyed Tribe merely because magic does not work against them is no different from hiding beneath a blanket and crying because one is afraid of ghosts. Such a person is unworthy of being called a mage.”

It was an outrageously arrogant answer.

And yet, Zed did not find it irritating.

‘What a strange bastard.’

When someone acted that way at such a young age, it was usually because they relied upon their status or arrogantly overestimated their own potential.

Ferda, however, gave off no such impression.

‘He looks like little more than a brat who has just come of age…’

Yet he behaved like a high-ranking noble whose position was already firmly established.

‘Perhaps he really could resolve what I want…’

Even Zed, who did not trust others easily, found himself beginning to wonder.

“Ah, damn it.”

Zed raked his fingers violently through his hair.

“Is this what it feels like to make a deal with a demon? It feels disgusting, yet tempting enough to piss me off.”

Zed rolled the silence around inside his mouth as he tapped the appointment letter with his finger.

“Fine. I’ll do it, my noble lord. But I have conditions. That much should be acceptable, right?”

“State them. I will write them down now.”

Ferda pulled the pen from his breast pocket.

Zed raised two fingers.

“First, I must be paid an appropriate amount depending on the assignment. Whatever else may be true, I need money to do my work.”

“Of course. You will be compensated.”

“Second, if I ever feel that you are excluding me or merely using me, I will leave you without hesitation. That is acceptable, yes?”

“It is. I have no intention of deceiving or manipulating you. Is that all?”

“Yes. For now.”

In truth, Zed had wanted to add one more clause.

A clause stating that he would only do this until he found his younger sister.

‘That could end up becoming a shackle that only delays things.’

And so, Zed ended his conditions with those two.

“Since we are discussing terms, I will add one more.”

Ferda took his pen and wrote another clause into the blank space on the appointment letter.

“Our contract will remain valid only until you find your younger sister.”

Zed raised his head in surprise.

“…Are you really all right with that?”

“Once you find your sister, it is over. What you do afterward will be entirely up to you.”

His manner and terms were impeccably straightforward.

Zed was dumbfounded by the complete lack of greed.

Ferda had even established the time limit that Zed had deliberately avoided mentioning.

‘What the hell is this guy?’

Zed’s questions about the kind of person Ferda was only continued to grow.

No matter how wildly Zed struggled, Ferda remained composed, as though everything was still within the palm of his hand.

He possessed the qualities found only in true nobles who had endured every manner of hardship.

“It bothers me that he knows about Emilia, but…”

At the same time, Ferda was the only person who knew about her and might be able to help him.

Whatever his actual abilities might be, his position was undeniably trustworthy.

For now, Zed had no choice but to place his trust in him.

“Fine. I understand. No—I understand, my lord.”

Now that Ferda was his employer, Zed switched to formal speech.

With that, every condition had been settled.

Ferda’s reason for establishing the time limit was simple.

‘Nothing good will come from holding on to him by force.’

Ferda desperately needed Zed’s capabilities, but he had no intention of forcing him to remain and turning him into a slave.

Besides, even if Ferda tried to restrain him, Zed would never remain captured.

He was a master thief who had escaped infamous prisons time and time again.

‘And… finding her will not mean that everything is over.’

Ferda watched Zed place the appointment letter in his pocket before speaking.

“Then I shall give you your first assignment immediately.”

“Already?”

“I would like to commission you using the money you took from me.”

“Wasn’t that money I won from you?”

“It was originally intended as payment for a commission. When you were about to fold, did I not reveal the information you wanted? Treating it as payment for a job will be better for both of us.”

“Well, I suppose doing the first job for free isn’t such a bad way to look at it. So what are you going to make me do?”

“For you, it will be exceedingly simple.”

Ferda pointed to one of the names on the list Luri carried.

—Echidna Philiasee.

“Simply do what you are good at.”

***

Once their business was finished, Ferda’s carriage hurriedly departed Halim.

Unlike when they had met Burnell, Zed had now joined them for the journey.

“As expected of the future husband of the Dread Queen. This carriage is incredibly comfortable. The interior is spacious, and even when the roads are poor, there is barely any shaking.”

Zed naturally changed the subject and smiled.

“And it even comes with a lovely, petite attendant.”

He casually placed a hand on the seat where Luri sat and leaned toward her.

It was the instinctive behavior of a born seducer.

“I don’t believe we properly introduced ourselves. May I ask who this gracious maid might be?”

“I shall explain it kindly.”

In response to his question about her identity, Luri answered with Dragon Fear.

“Gasp!”

Zed, who had been attempting to flirt with her, recoiled and clutched his chest.

Although he belonged to the Red-Eyed Tribe, Zed was still human and possessed a natural fear of dragons.

“Haaah… Th-This is… a d-dragon?”

“She is a Dragon Spawn. The personal attendant of the Dread Queen Valdrova.”

“I’ve never heard of a Dragon Spawn using Dragon Fear… And she doesn’t have horns or a tail.”

“It simply means she is an exceptionally powerful Dragon Spawn.”

“I thought she would be a half-elf or perhaps a halfling at most…”

Zed suddenly recalled when he had threatened Ferda with a dagger.

Had he continued brandishing it back then, there would truly have been nothing left of him.

Zed repeatedly slapped the front of his shirt to cool his cold sweat.

Luri glanced at him as though he were pathetic before sitting primly once more.

“Do not worry. She may be ferocious, but she becomes docile if you place food in her hands.”

“Who are you calling docile?”

Ferda nodded at Luri’s objection.

“True. Rather than docile, you are more like a dog.”

“What? Are you insulting me again?”

“It is a compliment. There is a small but courageous breed of dog called a Chihuahua. I thought it resembled you.”

“Could you please ask me to strike you just once?”

“I would rather not. I have no interest in pain.”

Ferda continued provoking her while Luri’s expression steadily darkened.

Had an ordinary person been struck directly by that Dragon Fear, they would already have been unable to breathe.

Yet Ferda remained perfectly calm.

Zed, the only one trapped between them, finally spoke.

“I think I’ll go spend time with the coachman. Call me if you need me.”

What good was a comfortable seat?

Peace of mind mattered far more.

***

To find Echidna Philiasee, Ferda entered deep into the forest.

Eventually, they reached a point where the carriage could proceed no farther.

“They say we can’t go any farther. The road becomes too narrow.”

“Then we shall have to walk.”

“It is quite a distance, but it is not particularly steep. Let us consider it a pleasant stroll.”

With no other choice, Ferda climbed down and began walking with Luri and Zed behind him.

The two following him treated it as nothing more than a light walk, while Ferda was already covered in beads of sweat.

“You should improve your stamina.”

“Surprisingly… this is already my maximum.”

“Wouldn’t it improve if you worked a little harder?”

“My family was once a knightly house, and this body is the reason I became engaged to the Dread Queen.”

“Ah, I see…”

Zed scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Would you like me to carry you?”

“I decline.”

Although the walk was difficult, Ferda refused to lose time and forced his legs onward through sheer willpower.

At last, a solitary house appeared in the middle of the deep forest.

“That must be it.”

“It certainly has the sinister aura one would expect from a witch’s house.”

“It is also the place you are about to enter.”

“I know. Hmph…!”

Zed stretched his body and prepared himself for the assignment.

“Phew. Seducing a witch for my first job… It feels as though I am walking into a tiger’s jaws.”

“There is no need to be overly nervous. You only need that face of yours.”

“That makes it sound as though I would be a corpse without my face.”

Ferda stared at Zed’s face for a moment before replying.

“Without that face, you may indeed become a corpse.”

“Ha. You really do keep insulting me. Fine. Just watch.”

Zed swept both hands through his hair, styling it into place.

Entering full seducer mode, he walked toward the witch’s house.

“What exactly is this Echidna Philiasee?”

Luri asked once Zed had moved farther away.

“She is a witch.”

“I know she is a witch. Witches are women who become ritual sisters and merge into one collective, are they not? That is why they receive the surname Philiasee upon becoming witches.”

“Correct. You know your facts well. Have a piece of candy.”

“Do you think I am a child?”

Despite saying that, Luri accepted the candy and rolled it around inside her mouth.

“What I am asking is why you are going out of your way to recruit a witch.”

Recruiting a witch was dangerous.

That was especially true for those connected to the name Philiasee.

Among women gifted in magic, only mages possessing a Red Circle could become witches.

A Red Circle was formed through intense emotion.

In most women, its awakening originated from resentment toward a husband and obsession with a child.

In other words, witches were predominantly a group of women who harbored extreme hatred and disgust toward men.

“That is why witches are said to be impossible to reason with and highly self-centered.”

“That is mostly accurate.”

“If even those gloomy women branded her a heretic, is she another person like Burnell?”

Burnell?

“She is probably closer to my fiancée than to Burnell.”

“How dare you compare some mere witch to my master? Do not speak so carelessly.”

“I only meant that they are somewhat similar.”

Luri glared at him with wide eyes and growled.

No matter how Ferda looked at her, he could not erase the thought that she resembled a dog.

“There is no need for concern. The very reason Echidna was branded a heretic by the Philiasee witches is what makes it possible for us to recruit her.”

“Because of it?”

Before she could properly voice her question, Zed emerged from the witch’s house.

It had not even been three minutes since he entered.

Wearing an awkward expression, Zed scratched his head as he returned to them.

“Umm…”

Special note regarding Echidna Philiasee:

“She took one look at me and said she would agree to absolutely anything. Is this really correct?”

She was hopelessly obsessed with handsome faces.