Chapter 69: How to Unleash Two Crazy Masochist Females

The revenge was over in an instant.

So simply, it felt hollow.

Hearing that his mother had been broken had initially enraged him, but that fury was now gone. His hair, which had stood on end, was back to its usual fluffiness. His father, Ozel, for all his usual bravado, had been a disappointment, making the whole affair feel even more empty. He’d been captured and dragged away so easily it felt wrong. Standing alone and bewildered in the empty mansion, Tanjelo recalled what had happened.

He’d planned to be angrier… but in the end, he wasn’t even allowed to hit him, just watch as he was dragged away.

‘So this is what revenge is like? I thought it would be more… desperate… more heated… something like that…’

He had intended to ask to land a single blow before they took him away, but his opponent was the Second Prince. When he tried to speak, the Prince shut him down, saying, “I cannot allow you to face him.” He couldn’t even ask his father why he’d betrayed him, couldn’t even see Ozel’s face. In the end, he just had to let him go. Tanjelo might be the Hero’s husband, but that didn’t completely erase the stigma of being a traitor’s son. Separating the main culprit from his son to prevent any unforeseen incidents was probably the right call.

‘Just when I thought I was done with my father, now it’s my mother and the commercial city… and on top of that, the First Prince…’

He sat blankly in the office where his father used to sit, lost in thought.

-First, his mother’s situation.

Rose Tripol, with her past, having been broken, and bound to this family for so long… The shock of seeing her husband Ozel—her master and the pillar of her heart—dragged away must have been too great, for she had taken to her bed and was now being cared for by the maids. It seemed that despite everything, she had ended up loving such a man, and her heart was in such turmoil that she wouldn’t be able to get up for some time. Tanjelo had wanted to embrace his mother and rejoice over this, but reality was harsh. He’d never dreamed his mother would react this way, and was even beginning to regret his actions, wondering if he’d made a mistake.

-Next, the matter of the commercial city.

The explosions echoing from outside were the sounds of the Hero and Reina wreaking havoc in the traitors’ territories and cities. Thanks to them, the situation was being resolved quickly. He had received an interim report from Prince Rius: just as they suspected, the traitors had been smuggling and committing treason through a route connecting [a city near Tripol – the commercial city – the Empire]. The commercial city, while officially neutral, would do anything for money and had thus been secretly treated as an enemy. The Prince said he would soon dispatch men there. Since many merchants within Tripol also had contracts with the commercial city, Prince Rius had asked Tanjelo, as the new Head of the Family, to handle them.

-Finally, the First Prince.

Through the Second Prince, Rius, he learned that the Hero was being targeted by the First Prince. And by extension, his own life was in danger as the man she was supposed to marry. Exposing the traitors at this time was both good and bad for Tanjelo. If he had reported them any later, he might have ended up on the interrogation list himself, crushed by the First Prince’s faction and killed. But even though he had exposed them, the title of ‘Ozel’s son’ wouldn’t disappear, and he was told the First Prince could come after him at any time.

“If I divorce her, I might save my own life… but the Hero is already carrying my child… No, if I ask for a divorce, she’ll probably kill me herself…”

Mutter, mutter… Mutter, mutter…

Feeling trapped on all sides, he pressed his forehead against the office desk.

“Prince Rius’s faction said they’d protect me for now, but… hmmm…”

Prince Rius had said this:

『The entire Order of Knights saw the Hero’s pregnant belly. Once this is over, I’ll return to the capital and report the pregnancy to my brother, so don’t worry. No matter how blind a fool he is, he wouldn’t do anything excessive to a woman with a child. And as his younger brother, I have no desire to see my high-and-mighty brother shaking his ass for a widow.』

Then he had laughed heartily and declared he would return when the work was done. Thanks to the Hero and Reina, the suppression itself was quick, but the interrogations and investigations were still ongoing, so the prince’s side was clearly busy. The traitors were captured and promptly sent to the royal capital. The empty territories were to be managed by a proxy in the prince’s name, and would later be divided among those who had distinguished themselves in the last war. Tanjelo would also be summoned to the capital for questioning later, but it was a mere formality, and a safe interrogation was guaranteed under the names of Prince Rius and the Hero.

“The capital… the Prince… the Demon Lord’s army… the Empire… the commercial city… Mother… the Hero…”

He had brought this upon himself, but he didn’t like the look of it at all. He spent the night in this state, and the next morning, loud footsteps echoed through the mansion, empty except for the maids. The explosions that had lasted all night had finally subsided, so it was easy to guess who had arrived.

“Tanjelo~! We’re back~!”

“Ahahaha~! That was fun! It’s been a while!”

It was them, just as he’d expected. They were covered head to toe in dirt and blood, cackling with excessive excitement, making him wonder what on earth they had been doing.

“Welcome back. You both worked hard. But where is Prince Rius?”

“Lord Rius is still at the base, interrogating the key figures first. We came back because our job of suppressing the territories is done.”

“Hehehe… Heheheh… Man, people were flying everywhere~! Those bastards must have heard soldiers were coming from the capital, because they were all prepared! Ahahat! It was so fun! Right?! You had fun too, right?!”

“It was a good way to stretch my legs after so long. Bowling with cannonballs was fun, and it was good exercise for all the stress I’ve had lately.”

“Yeah~! That was hilarious! Seeing people go flying with a bang~!”

Kyahahaha~! Uhuhu~!

As Reina laughed vulgarly, the Hero also laughed, her voice higher than usual. It made sense they were so keyed up after killing so many people. Tanjelo let out a sound of admiration at this new side of the Hero. She was always kind, but merciless to her enemies. A hero is a hero, after all, he thought, his estimation of her rising.

“I heard you made a scene yourself, Tanjelo.”

“Me?”

“I heard you got annoyed with the Prince because you couldn’t hit your father.”

“Ah, that… I know being dragged to the capital and interrogated will be far more painful for him than me hitting him once… but, you know… if I don’t hit him myself, my chest feels all… stuffy, you know? So I said a few words, but of course, I wasn’t allowed… Thinking about it after I cooled down, it was a stupid thing to do, getting annoyed at a prince, of all people~! Ahahaha~!”

“I know that feeling~! I totally get it~!”

“It’s not that I don’t understand the feeling, but Prince Rius has a point. It would be a problem if you accidentally hit him too hard and killed him.”

Nod, nod.

The Hero and Reina had different opinions, but Tanjelo didn’t mind and relaxed his expression.

“I know. That’s why I was just spacing out alone until you two got back… So, how was it?”

“I just told you. We blew everything away.”

“Bang, bang~! Bang, bang~! It was so fun! You should have seen it! Haha!”

“No, not that… What about that story? After hearing the whole situation, I’ve been thinking a lot… about the First Prince…”

“Ahh… that…”

Fortunately, it seemed Prince Rius had warned her as well, as the Hero nodded deeply.

“I heard they tried to assassinate you. When I heard that, I almost flew to the capital right then and there to smash the castle, but I barely managed to hold myself back.”

“…You were that pissed off?”

“Let me ask you instead, why are you so calm, Tanjelo? It looks like your ‘switch’ has turned off again… Are you already letting your guard down just because the job is done?”

“It takes energy to stay angry… With my father captured, it feels like my fuse has been put out… I’ve been maintaining that tense, crackling mood for a while now, and right after my mother collapsed, I was kind of out of it myself… Huuu…”

People don’t change that easily.

“I see… So when you get your energy back, you’ll be all sharp and tense again? Then it’s fine. Either way, you’re the Tanjelo I love.”

“Ugh… Can you not with the PDA right in front of me…”

“Reina, you have someone you like too~! So you should know how I feel~!”

“I told you, I don’t know how that’s going to turn out! Anyway, stop trying to drag my love life into this and get to the point. That’s why you came straight here without even washing up, right?”

“Oops! Right!”

“…The point?”

He leaned his shoulders against the back of the chair and asked arrogantly, as if to say ‘what is it now?’, but the Hero simply rattled on without any particular theatrics.

“Prince Rius himself proposed that, if it’s okay, we go to the commercial city and conduct a preliminary investigation.”

“Not the knights, but the Hero? Why?”

“The commercial city is involved in most of this affair, and they’ll eventually have to send an investigation team, but it seems like that will take some time on their end, so they wanted to send us ahead. I wouldn’t have minded agreeing right there, but I’m not on my own anymore. I’m Tanjelo’s wife, so I told him I needed your permission and turned it down for now. With the house in this state, you’d be too lonely by yourself, wouldn’t you?”

“But you’re the Hero. Are you going to prioritize me over your duty?”

“Is it wrong to prioritize the person I love?”

“No, it’s nice to be loved, but… I feel like we’ve done something bad to Prince Rius…”

He scratched his forehead, worrying that they might end up on the Second Prince’s bad side.

“Then what about you, Reina?”

“I can fly over there right now, but unfortunately, using my head isn’t my specialty. You two, of all people, should know that, right? Even if I went to the commercial city, do you really think I could handle that kind of work well? I’d definitely cause some trouble.”

“……Ah.”

“Right…”

The reason he specifically asked the Hero was simple and clear.

The Second Prince was truly a wise man.

“Ahem… So, I was asked to go to the commercial city and sort things out… What do you think, Tanjelo? If you say no, I’ll stay in Tripol. He knows it’s an unreasonable request, so he said he won’t make an issue of it.”

‘He can say whatever he wants. Even if he doesn’t make an issue of it, hurting his feelings is another matter.’

He was already the son of the main culprit. The only things protecting him were the names of the Hero and the Second Prince. Therefore, he had no choice. Even if he acted spoiled here and kept the Hero by his side, if he earned the Second Prince’s ire, there was no telling how he’d be dragged into trouble.

‘He’s already done more than enough for me, what with the information about the First Prince…’

Nod.

“I’ll allow it. I’ve thought about it, and there’s no reason to refuse.”

“What, are you sure? You and the Hero are practically newlyweds.”

“Even so, I can’t hold the Hero back for my own selfish reasons. She’s carrying my child, so even if we haven’t had a ceremony, she’s as good as my wife. It’s not in her character to go off and do anything foolish, so there’s nothing to be anxious about, right? Besides, unlike other families, we still have the dark elf maids here. I plan to use them as my hands and feet to put Tripol in order.”

“Noah… Where is she now?”

“She’s dealing with the merchants who have ties to the commercial city. Especially the ones with shady backgrounds. Unlike you two, she’s been working since before the prince arrived, so she should be back soon…”

“For that long? You mean she’s been up for days? Whoa… She may be an idiot and a pervert, but she gets the job done…”

“I agree. We can definitely trust Noah with this.”

The Hero nodded with a convinced expression, and Tanjelo drove the final nail into the conversation.

“Then, Hero, I’m asking you to investigate the commercial city with Reina. You can come back anytime after the job is done. I’m not worried since it’s you two, but if it gets dangerous, run away immediately. And please don’t do anything that would put your chastity at risk. I’m a possessive man, so I might go crazy if anything happens to your body.”

“He threw such a fit just from hearing about his mother, so of course he wouldn’t stand for it if someone dishonored the Hero.”

“Reina, you need to be careful too, don’t just laugh it off. If you start enjoying yourself, talking about getting raped or whatever like you usually do, and end up causing trouble for the Hero, I’ll be angry, no matter who you are. This is a very important matter related to the Demon Lord’s army, so please take it seriously. Do you understand me?”

“How can you say that to a member of the Hero’s Party! I mean, I might mess around a little, but…!”

“─A little?”

“I get it~! I’ll be careful not to cause any trouble for the Hero!! Tch~!”

“Okay. I’ll be careful too. Even if I get dragged into something because of Reina, I’ll resist as much as I can… Is that good enough?”

“…Yes.”

This kind of advice was all Tanjelo could offer. Prince Rius would give them the detailed schedule and mission outline, and from the atmosphere, it seemed they would be leaving right away. He watched them leave the room, a sense of disappointment showing on his face.

‘They’ll probably leave this afternoon or evening at the earliest… tomorrow morning at the latest… If I had my way, I’d want to spend one more night with her, but there’s no time for that…’

Between the prince targeting his life and the mountain of problems with the territory, he had no time for such luxuries. And sure enough, just as the Hero and Reina were leaving, Noah, finished with her work, threw down a pile of documents, not even trying to hide her exhausted face.

“What’s this…?”

“These are the documents containing the information needed to clean up the territory… merchants, guilds, escorts, clients, and others who were in contact with the Empire.”

“You want me to go through all of this and make a judgment?”

“Yes. Please do it as quickly as possible. If we don’t deal with this now while Prince Rius is here, they will return later as blades of betrayal.”

“This… I don’t think I’ll be sleeping for a while…?”

“Heh, is that so? I’m the opposite.”

─Thud!

With that, Noah, unable to overcome her exhaustion, fell backward. It was clear she had been overworking herself to be forgiven for her past deeds. Thanks to her dedication, even as his beloved was about to leave, he had no time to dwell on it because of the territory’s problems. As Noah said, if Tanjelo didn’t personally sort through and decide who to keep and who to dispose of, it would cause problems for the management of the domain later on…

‘The Hero is different from Reina… I asked her to, so she’ll protect her own chastity…’

The foolish husband, who knew full well how hollow that belief was, yet still brainwashed himself into focusing on the territory’s affairs.

Did he know?

That he had just let a ‘genius masochist’ on par with Reina loose on the world…

‘Hero… I’m trusting you…’

It was a truly fucking meaningless belief.