episode_0036

As the sun set, the party halted their journey. While Ariana’s magic could dispel the darkness that often hindered their travels, there was no solution for the horses’ exhaustion.

While Laurent tended to the horses, Ariana stepped out of the carriage and leaned against a tree. Nearby, Lilit, who was stirring a pot of stew, grumbled.

“Can’t you do some work instead of just lazing around? You always make me do everything while you just play!”

“Why should the owner work when there’s a slave? Besides, I’m the one paying for all the expenses.”

“Shut up! A slave is still a person!”

To quell Lilit’s usual one-woman protest, Ariana shot her a glare—a final warning before resorting to force.

But today, Lilit’s defiance was unusually fierce. Trembling yet unwavering, she met Ariana’s gaze head-on. Still, Ariana hesitated to beat her mercilessly as before, considering the help they’d received from the blacksmith.

“Ugh, you’re so annoying…”

Come to think of it, Ariana had grown lazier since taking Lilit along. She dusted off her backside and stood up.

With a casual wave of her hand, several trees were cleanly severed. Their bark stripped away, four of the largest trees stood vertically at even intervals.

Around these four pillars, the remaining logs neatly assembled themselves, and in an instant, a log cabin was complete.

“Tonight’s campsite. That should do, right?”

“Uh…”

Lilit’s stew hadn’t even finished cooking yet. She felt oddly deflated.

When she’d told Ariana to work, she’d meant both to share the burden and to make her struggle a little. But seeing everything done so effortlessly only left her feeling deprived.

She couldn’t even complain—building a cabin was incomparable to cooking a meal. All she could do was swallow her inexplicable frustration.

Wait, if Ariana could make a house this easily, did that mean they’d been sleeping outdoors for no reason all this time?

“Whoa. What is this?”

Laurent, who had just returned after letting the horses rest, asked in awe. Ariana shrugged smugly, then pointed at herself with her thumb.

“Tonight’s temporary lodging. I built it.”

“Incredible. As expected of Riel Frost—building a house is nothing to you.”

Hmph. Ariana hummed a tune, unusually pleased. Lilit quickly turned her head—just in time to see an empty barrel rolling on the ground.

“When did you drink again?! How do you stay so thin when you guzzle like that?”

Naturally, the eyes of the other two followed. Every time Ariana swayed drunkenly, Laurent’s gaze drifted along with her curves.

Lilit’s eyes narrowed as she glared.

“Where the hell are you looking, you bastard?!”

“Ow!”

A searing heat flared against his back in the shape of a handprint.

“You were looking too, Miss Lilit!”

Laurent grumbled with a resentful look.

“Are you seriously comparing yourself to me? If you want a look that badly, why don’t you chop off that useless thing of yours first?!”

“Useless?! Have you even seen it?!”

“I don’t need to see it to know. A 78-pointer like you.”

It wasn’t a low score—in fact, it was quite impressive for an average man. But it was nowhere near enough for Ariana. At least, that’s how Lilit saw it.

Who was Ariana? A woman who had captured the attention of two men Lilit had once targeted—both scoring in the 90s. Especially Ian—even now, Lilit regretted letting such a good man slip away.

“What kind of score is that? It’s kind of insulting.”

“Hmm, your score as a man?”

A vein bulged on Laurent’s forehead. As a young man who took pride in maintaining his physique, he wasn’t about to let that slide.

“I can’t just ignore that. Should I show you firsthand?”

“Pfft, lowering your voice like that doesn’t make you scary. You can’t fool my eyes—a 78 is a 78.”

Provoking Laurent further, Lilit inwardly cheered. It had been a while since she’d had some fun with a man.

After dinner, Lilit and Laurent had another kind of “meal.” By the time they finished cleaning up, the night had grown deep.

When they entered the cabin, the only sound in the silent room was Ariana’s soft breathing as she slept against the wall.

“She’s asleep. Let’s go in quietly so we don’t wake her.”

Laurent whispered into Lilit’s ear. His tone had grown noticeably gentler since their first time.

Was he starting to think of her as a lover? Men like him were always clingy when it was time to part—so annoying.

“No need.”

“Huh? What do you—”

Following Lilit’s pointed finger, Laurent turned to see Ariana already awake, walking toward them.

“Oh, did we wake you?”

No answer. Ariana simply walked past them and outside.

“Where is she going?”

“No idea. I asked once before—she said she had research that could only be done at night. She goes out every night.”

“Should we follow her?”

“Don’t. Pissing her off won’t do you any good.”

Once Ariana was out of sight, the only people left were each other. A beautiful woman and a young man—naturally, the atmosphere grew strange.

“One more time?”

“Not that I mind… but you’re already recovered?”

“I’m not that bad, am I?”

“True. Good size, quick recovery. I’ll admit it—among 78-point men, you’re the best.”

At dawn, the party resumed their journey. Seated in the carriage, Ariana pressed her eyelids, dark circles shadowing her eyes.

“Master, didn’t you sleep last night? You were already awake when I got up.”

“How could I sleep in that filth you two left behind? Did you think I built that cabin just so you could have fun without me noticing?”

Lilit would never know. The moment Ariana had stepped inside, the stench had assaulted her nose, making her consider flipping the entire building over a dozen times. She’d only held back because hurting Laurent would leave them without a driver.

“Next time your disgusting cum stench hits my nose, don’t expect me to let it slide.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Ahem.”

Overhearing the conversation from the carriage, Laurent awkwardly cleared his throat. Ariana and Lilit both stuck their heads out to look at him.

“Um… we’ve arrived at the village. This is as far as I can take you.”

“You said the Holy Kingdom is just a few days from here, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“We got here faster than I expected.”

As they stepped out and approached the village gates, a guard intercepted them.

“Halt for inspection— Riel Frost?!”

The guard’s eyes widened as he raised his spear. She was a criminal branded a traitor by the Empire.

It was only natural for an imperial soldier to raise his weapon against a wanted fugitive, yet Ariana found his reaction amusing and smirked.

“Interesting. You know who I am, yet you still point that spear at me?”

“Whether you were part of the Hero’s party or a Grand Archmage, it doesn’t matter. I’m here to arrest an enemy of the Empire.”

“Fool. You couldn’t take me in a million lifetimes.”

“Shut your mouth!”

Ignoring the warning, the guard thrust his spear. Ariana didn’t even bother dodging—she let it strike her.

Clang!

The spearhead shattered against her mana-reinforced body.

“Guh! You bitch!”

By the time the guard reached for his dagger, Ariana’s finger had already tapped his forehead.

Tap.

With a light flick, his helmet split in two and clattered to the ground.

Cold sweat dripped down the guard’s face. With his helmet gone, it was obvious what would split in half next if her finger touched him again.

“Mind stepping aside?”

Her tone and expression were gentle, but the earlier display had done its job. His amygdala overruled rational thought, forcing him to stagger back.

As the party passed, the guard could only watch, rubbing his trembling legs.

Inside the village, the glares directed at Ariana were unmistakable. The atmosphere here was starkly different from the other villages they’d visited.

Unlike places that still treated Riel Frost as a hero or remained ambiguous, the hostility here was palpable.

“Laurent, I think this is where we part ways.”

“Huh? But…”

Laurent looked at Lilit with reluctance.

“Hm? What?”

But Lilit only gave him a puzzled look, as if asking if he had something to say. The difference in perspective between someone with a single experience and someone who’d surpassed four digits was vast.

Her somewhat cold reaction made the young man laugh self-deprecatingly.

“No, it’s nothing. I suppose acting friendly with Lady Riel in a village like this wouldn’t end well.”

After Laurent left, Ariana casually brought up the topic as they wandered to restock supplies.

“You’re just letting him go like that?”

“Letting what go? Laurent? I’ve been with more men than I can count—acting like some lovestruck girl now would be ridiculous.”

“But you said he was the best?”

“You heard that? The best among 78-pointers is still just a 78. Sticking with you, Master, is way more beneficial.”

Ariana gave her a puzzled look, not understanding.

“Those two men close to you are no joke. Both over 90 points—I almost wondered if you had the same Mystic Eyes as me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. They’re just friends.”

“Friends who fought the Hero’s party for you. I thought Daniel was the only man worthy of you, but after seeing that Ian guy, I changed my mind. You’ll regret it if you let him go. Over 90 points, handsome, and utterly devoted.”

Lilit kept egging her on, saying she’d never find a better man and should go back and claim him now.

“You know I can’t do that right now.”

Lilit had meant it lightly, but Ariana’s mood dampened. She thought of Ian’s face. If she’d left right after their parting, he’d have reached his territory by now.

He probably hadn’t forgotten her yet. But with time, he would. Humans were like that.

And he’d find another woman—preferably Millaine, in Ariana’s opinion—to cherish. That was for the best.

So, looking up at the sky, Ariana kept walking forward.

“Besides, a good man like that shouldn’t be stuck with someone like me.”