Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 77: Demonic Disease (5).

“Ugh.”

Natasha opened her eyes. The blurry focus gradually became clear, and soon, the bright sunlight filled her vision.

“………Ah……….”

She blinked her eyes open and abruptly sat up.

“Ugh”.

A brief groan escaped her lips due to the intense pain coursing through her body, but she clenched her teeth and got up to go out to the terrace, bathed in sunlight.

It was a peaceful morning filled with warm sunlight and fresh air. She no longer felt nauseous. …How long had she wished for this moment—!

Despite being overwhelmed with emotion to the point of heartache, she did not cry. Instead, she made a strange, choking sound, neither laughing nor crying.

‘I survived. I really did…. Really….’

Now, everything had returned to a normal life, except for her body.

Natasha quickly entered the room again and gulped down the porridge that was placed on the table. She didn’t taste the disgusting flavor at all. On her tongue, she almost reached a climax in that ecstasy.

She shouted towards the maid waiting outside the door with a hoarse voice.

“Porridge… bring me more porridge, more…!”

Startled by her mistress’s voice, the maid flung the door open. “Ah—.” The maid saw Natasha holding the porridge bowl and banging the table, screaming for more porridge.

“Ah, understood—!”

Soon, the news that Miss Natasha had woken up spread like wildfire throughout the Count’s grand mansion. The Count, along with her siblings, all rushed in.

“Natasha, are you coming to your senses now? Oh, my daughter…!”

The Countess, too, shed tears of joy that her daughter’s illness had been cured. Of course, the naturally blunt Natasha maintained a calm demeanor even after having being to the brink of death and back.

The Count, arriving belatedly, hugged his fully awake daughter tightly and patted her back.

“You’ve been through so much. Really, so much. …Natasha, you were right. You overcame it with your willpower. You, with your willpower, overcame it.”

Though everyone afflicted with the demonic disease died within at most two months, Natasha alone endured for a whole half year. It would have been impossible to achieve such a feat without her unwavering willpower to survive.

Moreover, being cured of the demonic disease, which was almost deemed incurable, made her accomplishment all the more remarkable.

Of course, Natasha didn’t think all of this was solely due to her merit. The Count, who stood by her side without giving up until the end, and Group Leader Allen, who identified and eradicated the root cause of the disease, also played significant roles.

“Since you still need more rest, everyone should go back.”

The Count dismissed the household members and was left alone. Natasha gulped down the lukewarm porridge brought by the maid once again.

“One more.”

After eating twice more in succession, Natasha lightly patted her satisfied stomach. Only then did she feel strength returning to her body, which had always been weak.

“……Did Group Leader Allen not come?”

The Count smiled meaningfully.

“I sent someone earlier, so he should be arriving soon.”

Just as a tiger appears when talked about, news arrived that Group Leader Allen had just arrived.

“Ah, Your Excellency was here too.”

“Hm. I just finished my business.”

The Count was not the kind of person to intrude on their intimate moments. As soon as Allen saw the Count close the door with a thud, he turned to Natasha with a slight smile.

“Fortunately, you’ve woken up safely.”

“It’s all thanks to Group Leader Allen. Thank you, truly.”

As Natasha gave a light bow, Allen smiled mysteriously, and his eyes twinkled.

“If the lady hadn’t held on, there wouldn’t have even been a chance. You’re incredible.”

This time, she did not feign modesty. In that dreadful environment where even a speck of sunlight made her nauseous, her mental strength to endure half a year consuming detestable soup was indeed worthy of applause. ……She was profoundly moved to have her arduous struggle acknowledged by Group Leader Allen.

“So…, how do you feel?”

‘……Feelings…….’

“I’m happy. ……To be alive.”

“That’s a wonderful sentiment.”

The man and woman faced each other and smiled faintly.

“Well, let’s rest for now. Lady.”

“……See you again next time.”

Allen left again with an attractive smile, like the wind. …His smile remained in her head, indelible.

Count Viya warmly welcomed Group Leader Allen. How could he treat the benefactor who saved the life of his dearly beloved daughter lightly?

“It’s all thanks to the Group Leader. You did it. Truly, you cured the demonic disease.”

“It’s everyone’s achievement. …Especially, your daughter held on well. Without that, there wouldn’t have even been a chance.”

“……Yes, it was the opportunity that the child held onto until the end. And you saved that opportunity.”

Allen gave a faint smile and merely nodded his head in greeting. He knew that, at this point, swallowing his words was far more effective than babbling on.

The Count, who had been staring at him for a while, let out a single exclamation of “Ah” and then took out two heavy purses of money he had prepared and placed them on the table.

“Out of four thousand gold coins, here are two thousand.”

Inside, Allen thought, what about the other two thousand?—, but instead of saying it out loud, he simply stared intently at the Count. Count Viya revealed the internal affairs of his family.

“We ran into some difficulties in gathering such a large amount of gold coins all at once. The price of grain suddenly spiked, and we had to use a lot of our spare funds to stock up adequately. So, we might need a bit more time, …would you be able to understand?”

“Ah, I see.”

It was a situation that could be fully understood. After all, grain prices were skyrocketing across the continent, and hoarding was rampant everywhere. The Viya family must have felt a sense of crisis and emptied their emergency funds to buy and store a large amount of grain. The Count could not have expected that thousands of gold coins would suddenly be needed like this. …It was due to several coincidences.

“If it’s urgent, I could even offer jewels.”

“No, you can take your time to prepare it.”

It wasn’t that he wasn’t going to give it, but that he would somehow prepare and give it. Allen had the patience to wait that long. However, receiving and disposing of jewels seemed a bit bothersome….

Allen thought it wouldn’t be bad to take a break and catch his breath while receiving VIP treatment here. After all, hadn’t he been running non-stop from the west to here?

He first made sure to secure two thousand gold coins. In truth, this alone made the mission a great success. After all, the work he had done in the West was exhausting, and he had received less than this.

“Until the funds are prepared, rest easy here. If there’s anything uncomfortable, feel free to speak up. …As I said before, you are no different from a comrade to me.”

“Your Excellency, with you being so considerate, I truly couldn’t ask for more. …Then, I shall take my leave now.”

“Understood.”

Allen left the Count’s office, feeling the pleasant weight in his possession.

……A month truly passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Natasha had put in grueling effort and had gained a decent amount of flesh and muscle. ……Though her small stature meant her chest was a bit smaller than average, which was a flaw, she now looked quite the lady.

‘……Hmph. As for the chest, overcome it with willpower……!’

Sometimes, when she saw the cow-like large breasts of Elena, the mage from the Allen-Mercenary Group, she felt an inexplicable sense of defeat… but then, the thought that she had overcome it with mental strength came to mind.

When she was meditating, comforting herself that having such large breasts would only be cumbersome, Allen came to visit her.

“You’ve really gotten a lot healthier. You look very good.”

“…Thank you. I’ve only recovered about 30% of my original skills, but… yes, well, I guess I’ve become somewhat useful now.”

[Attributes]

Strength: 47

Agility: 41

Stamina: 39

Intelligence: 16

Magic Power: 28

[Traits]

♦ Genius

♦ Indomitable Will

♦ Reckless

♦ Narcissism

♦ Sensitivity

♦ Insomnia

♦ Enlightenment

♦ Trust

♦ Attachment

Itty Titty Natasha’s stats had transformed beyond recognition in just a month. If this continues for another month, she will almost regain her former skills. Of course, it would vary depending on the effort, but given she was even more obsessed with training than the training fanatic Viktor, there was a good chance she could fully recover her abilities. Especially with the [Enlightenment] trait she acquired, her growth rate was now noticeably improved.

‘…Honestly, it would be a lie to say I do not covet her. Someday, she’ll become one of the 10 Strongest.’

“I’m leaving soon.”

———!!!

Natasha, who always maintained her composure, had her expression crumble in an instant.

“…Leaving, you say?”

“Yes. I received the rest of my payment a while ago, so I should leave tomorrow or the day after. We are a mercenary group, after all.”

‘I had thought this day would come eventually. …But now that it’s actually happening, my heart is pounding, and my chest feels tight.’

“I see…”

Allen stared at Natasha for a long while before striding over to the table and sitting down in a chair. He then gestured for her to take the seat opposite him.

As Natasha sat down, Allen opened his mouth with a more serious expression than ever before.

“Natasha. I want to recruit you into my mercenary group.”

—!

He spoke directly without beating around the bush. He knew that would be more effective with her.

“If you want, we can start negotiating right here.”

It was a new side of him she had never seen before.

Allen waited leisurely for Natasha to say something.

…Honestly, she felt slightly embarrassed to bargain over herself. Maybe not in the past, but now, she felt greatly lacking.

“…Really, is it okay? If it’s just out of pity, I’d rather not.”

“I have absolutely no sympathy. In my mercenary business, I am very cold-hearted. I’m making this offer because I think it’s okay. …I’ve been sparing my words as a way to tell you to focus on recovery, but now we can’t wait any longer.”

Natasha felt overwhelmed by Allen’s sharp gaze. …Who would have thought that such sharpness was hidden within such warmth and leisure?

“If you’re worried about your current physical condition, it’s okay. I’m investing in your future. This is not a short-term contract, but a long-term one.”

Chewing her lip, Itty Titty Natasha hesitated for a moment and then made her decision immediately. …In fact, she had desperately wanted to leave with him. She had only held back her words, worrying that it might be a burden to say she would follow him first. But if he asked first, it’s a different story.

There was no need to think about it for long. She already wanted to leave with his mercenary group. In addition, she wanted to experience the vast world firsthand. Not just to hear about it, but to actually see it with her own eyes…!

“…I understand. I will do so.”

She, who did not particularly enjoy using flowery language, preferred to get straight to the point without beating around the bush.

“So, how much do you think the employment fee should be?”

“……Well.”

After pondering for a moment, she cautiously started to speak.

“That, the female mage, how much does she get?”

“There’s nothing decided for sure… but I give her about twenty gold coins.”

It seemed a bit low. Only twenty gold coins for a mage.

However, Group Leader Allen was not the type to lie. There must be some circumstances between the two.

She couldn’t ask for a high number. After all, he was her benefactor, and he knew her current situation all too well. With a conscience, she couldn’t bring herself to act without one.

“…Then, I’ll only take twenty-one.”

An inexplicable sense of competitiveness…, no, a spirit of rivalry.

‘………It’s definitely not because of my chest. Definitely—!’

“Agreed.”

Allen readily accepted. To think such an incredible talent would join for just twenty-one gold coins, of course, he had to snatch up the opportunity.

He extended his hand as a sign that the negotiation was complete.

“Twenty-one gold coins a month for two years. Let’s agree on that.”

“Understood, Group Leader Allen.”

Itty Titty Natasha quickly grabbed the hand Allen offered.

………Unaware that it was the hand of a money-obsessed demon.