Chapter 153: The Siren

The Helmont name certainly proved useful wherever they went.
Even in a small country village like this, their name carried an imposing weight.

Is it more infamy than fame?

Usually, the more sensational a rumor, the faster and wider it spreads.
He guessed the rumors about Helmont were probably of that nature.

“Oh, my heavens! We are so sorry!”

The men who had been openly hostile just moments before were now kneeling and apologizing.

Looking down at the man called ‘Petri,’ who was bowing his head low, Isaac asked.

“Why did you act that way earlier? Cursing at me when we’ve never met.”

At Isaac’s words, the faces of the villagers who had come out to watch turned ashen.
A collective sigh escaped them, as if they could already foresee the consequences of having treated a member of the Helmont party so disrespectfully.

“I-I’m sorry! This fool, he just… he had a very bad day yesterday! I-If you could spare me just this once, I will live my life in gratitude.”

“…”

The excuse itself lacked sincerity.
Petri peeked up nervously, then bowed his head again, pressing his story.

“A-Actually, I have a beloved! A woman with whom I have shared my heart, one like no other, but last night I saw her bring another man into her home—.”

A pitiful tale.
But amusingly, the backlash came from the surrounding crowd.

“Hey! Petri! What nonsense are you spouting!”

“A woman you’ve shared your heart with?! Ha! Since when did you have a woman!”

“That man, he’s lying! Don’t forgive him, just strike his head from his shoulders!”

The tide of the villagers’ opinion turned in an instant.
Not just Isaac, but the rest of his party stared at the villagers, bewildered.
Just moments ago, these men had been united in their loyalty to protect Petri.
But the moment the subject of a ‘woman’ came up, they instantly turned their backs on him, demanding his immediate and severe punishment.

Well, that makes sense.

It is the nature of men to show off when they want to impress a woman.

Isaac finally understood why there were so many men in this village, and why they were all dressed up in their own ways.

Leaning slightly towards his master, Isaac whispered.

“Grandmaster, it seems there is a special woman in this village.”

“Hm, I see how your thoughts arrived there. You’re saying there’s a siren here, are you?”

The Grandmaster, having caught on from Isaac’s words, nodded in understanding.

“If you were a woman, you’d be just like her.”

“…”

“Am I wrong?”

“You are quite wrong.”

The Grandmaster clicked her tongue and crossed her arms, muttering.

“I don’t think so.”

They ended up having lunch not at the tavern, but at Petri’s house.
The ill-tempered man, who was one of the village hunters, had invited them, saying he had caught a deer a few days ago and would cook it as an apology.

His home was on the outskirts of the village, right where it met the wilderness.
A sturdy log cabin served as his dwelling.

The interior was as modest as the exterior. Surveying the inside of the house, Sharen spoke up immediately.

“This house is small. It’s like a storage shed. We should have just eaten at the tavern. It smells like a bachelor’s den, too. You know, the smell from Lohengrin’s room.”

“…”

Petri’s shoulders flinched.
That one seemed to have hit its mark.

“Even a Helmont would get a stomachache from eating in a place like this. Isaac, let’s just go eat at the tavern, even now.”

“…Are you by any chance under Vassalization?”

“Huh? No, I’m not.”

They sat around a circular table, waiting for the food. Isaac looked around the interior and asked casually.

“You said you caught a deer?”

“Ye-Yes! That’s right!”

“Where are the antlers and the hide?”

“…Pardon?”

Petri looked flustered, but Isaac simply repeated his question calmly.

“The meat is good, but the hide and antlers are worth more money, aren’t they? I just don’t see them anywhere.”

“Ah… umm. I, uh, gave them as a gift.”

“A gift?”

“To the beloved I mentioned earlier. I gave them to her.”

Sharen, who had been listening, chimed in again.

“The others said you don’t have a beloved!”

“N-No! I really do! They’re all just jealous of me! Her name is Scarlett, and she lives at the northern edge of the village. It’s a cozy wooden house. Easy to spot with its red roof.”

“Hah, as you know, we are outsiders merely passing through. If you vent your frustrations to us, no rumors of your little love squabble will spread… so go on, let it all out.”

The Grandmaster grinned, her tail and ears perking up, clearly eager to hear a love story.

“Not interested.”

Rianna just waited in silence. It seemed to be the first time she had remained so quiet while under the Vassalization curse.

“Feed me, Isaac.”

“…When the food comes.”

“Really? I’ll eat slowly, then.”

No, to be precise, she just wasn’t interested in the village.

In any case, at the request of the Grandmaster, who was brimming with interest in the love triangle, Petri finally slumped his shoulders and explained.

“W-Well… she receives a great deal of courtship from many men. You could say that most of the men in this village are in love with her.”

Suddenly, the gazes of the three women fell upon Isaac.

“…What are you looking at.”

In a rare display, Isaac retorted sharply, and the women sheepishly turned their heads away.

“But she truly loves me! She told me so herself!”

“Tsk.”

The Grandmaster smacked her lips and reached for the food.

“Let’s just eat. I thought it might be an interesting story, but it’s just a bit too pitiful, so I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”

“Loser!”

“L-Loser?!”

I’m starting to think she really is under the Vassalization curse.

“So is that why everyone glared at Isaac when he showed up in the village? I was pretty angry, you know.”

At Rianna’s cold voice, Petri’s face went pale and he quickly answered.

“Y-Yes, that’s right. Since you are a man of such outstanding appearance, we were worried you might take an interest in Scarlett, so we…”

“Isaac doesn’t take an interest in women that easily.”

Rianna warned him curtly.

“Understand? Don’t take Isaac so lightly. He’s not that kind of man.”

“Ye-Yes! I’m sorry!”

“Repeat after me. Isaac doesn’t give his attention to just any woman. He only gives it to special women.”

“S-Sir Isaac only gives his attention to special—!”

“Ah, that’s enough.”

Unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, Isaac cut in, stuffing food into her mouth.
Unable to speak because of the food, Rianna chewed contentedly.
Her expression had become so nonchalant that she was starting to seem a bit brazen.

She’s getting more and more used to this.

“Isaac, I’m done.”

“…You’re getting strangely shameless.”

“Ahhh.”

He grumbled as he put more food in her mouth, but Rianna simply closed her eyes and held her mouth open.

“The sister I knew is crumbling away.”

Sharen muttered, looking uncomfortable, but Rianna pretended not to hear.
It wasn’t as if she could hide it even if she wanted to right now.

It was then.
A commotion could be heard from outside.

It was filled with the voices of men, and a strange, incense-like scent wafted in through the window.

A knock, and the door opened.
A mysterious woman stood there.
Physically, she looked similar to Sharen, but she seemed strangely mature.

“Ugh.”

“That smell…”

The scent was so strong that Sharen and Rianna, who were sensitive to smells, wrinkled their noses.

But their groans were drowned out by Petri’s shout.

“S-Scarlett! What brings you here?!”

So that’s Scarlett.

She was certainly beautiful, but Isaac glanced over at Rianna.

As if sensing his gaze, Rianna met his eyes and asked.

“Who’s prettier?”

“You were never the type to ask things like this.”

“I-I thought about it every day, in my heart.”

So that’s how it was.*
*Isaac didn’t answer.

To put it coldly, the charms of Scarlett, who had captivated the village men, held little interest for Isaac.

“I came to thank you for the antlers and hide you gave me.”

Scarlett stepped inside naturally.
Judging by the voices coming from beyond the door, it was easy to see just how popular she was.

“Oh, were you in the middle of a meal? I’m sorry. But those people are…?”

“Th-They are guests! Would you like to join us, Scarlett?”

Elated that the woman he liked had arrived, Petri ignored his guests and immediately invited Scarlett to sit.

Scarlett approached with a smile in her eyes and said.

“The Vassal shall obey the command—.”

CRUNCH!

Scarlett’s words were cut short by the blade shoved into her mouth. Her eyes widened as blood poured out.

It was a sudden turn of events.
Isaac, who had thrust his sword into her mouth, glared at her with menacing eyes and said.

“You. Your eyes have been on Ria since the moment you walked in.”

“…!”

“If you can’t even manage your gaze, how do you expect to survive in this harsh world?”

The Grandmaster chuckled, grinning.

“S-Scarlett!”

At Petri’s cry, the village men outside rushed in.
They saw the sword embedded in Scarlett’s mouth and stared at Isaac, stunned.

But Scarlett’s eyes widened, and she reached out her hand.
A mouth appeared on her palm and began to speak in Scarlett’s voice.

“Rianna, right now you will—!”

“Hah—!”

SLASH!

This time, the Grandmaster’s odachi flashed out, and Scarlett’s wrist was severed.
As the hand fell cleanly to the floor, Isaac quickly pulled Rianna into an embrace and covered her ears.

“I think we need to leave.”

“Hold on to her tightly. These fiends are trying desperately to take your ex-wife.”

“Oobuhbuh!”

Sharen, who still had meat in her mouth, thrust out a hand, and the men at the entrance were sent flying back by an Inferno Surge.

Having gained her own share of experience, Sharen now knew how to react quickly in such situations.

Isaac held Rianna’s head, covering her ears.

“Ria, just say anything. Don’t listen to the noise outside.”

He said it so that Rianna’s own voice would block out any external sounds.

“B-Being this close makes my heart pound so hard.”

Rianna let out a hot breath, looking up at the nape of Isaac’s neck.

“I love you. I really love you.”

“…”

“I-I really can’t hold back anymore. I love you, Isaac. I love you. I love you.”

Feeling her breath travel up his neck to his chin, Isaac felt a pang of regret.

Perhaps this was a role he should not have been the one to play.