The S-Class Hunter Doesn't Want To Be A Villainous Princess - Chapter 32

"You said you have an information guild, right? Just put in one request for me."

"A request?"

"Yes. A very, very difficult request."

If successful, it could immediately make a name for itself.

Cedin nodded silently, understanding her words.

"Shall I make it very flashy?"

"You understand me right away. Yes, please do that."

Cedin smiled confidently as if to say, trust me. Looking at Cedin like that, Renee somehow felt guilty.

"Aren't you going to ask what my plan is? Why do I want to announce that I'm a Sword Master? You must be curious."

"If you wanted to say it, I think you would have already."

Renee was slightly surprised, her eyes widened.

"Because Renee is a person who does whatever she wants."

[The <Lord of Vicious Blood> says he suspects whether he's a shaman.]

[The <Queen of Waves and Healing> praises Cedin Anshirad's foresight!]

[The <Emperor of Temptation> protests that he knows that much too.]

"But you don't have to hold back. You can do whatever you want."

"What Renee wants is what I want."

At Cedin's firm words, Renee's doubts grew.

'So why? You didn't answer last time. Why are you being so nice?'

[The <Lord of Vicious Blood> says you should stop showing off that you've never been in love.]

'What did I do!'

[The <Lord of Vicious Blood> says only those who have never been in love are suspicious!]

'Stop touching that.'

Renee grumbled to herself. But her question did not come out and disappeared.

If she had asked, Cedin would surely have answered.

And that answer would have forced Renee to make a choice. She didn't want to choose yet.

'I don't want another option like that popping up.'

Ugh. She was already drained from choosing between Ishir and Edin. She wanted to postpone the choice for a while.

"What should the reward for the request be?"

Whether he didn't notice her feelings or not, Cedin kept asking her.

"It's okay without a reward. It's not because of the reward anyway."

"No. If there is no reward, it will not be a hot topic. The reward must be more valuable than anything else for what Renee wants to be achieved."

It sounded right. People gauge how difficult a request is by the reward.

"Then what should it be? Should I rob the Duke's warehouse?"

It seemed like it wouldn't matter if she robbed the Duke of Marchius, who she didn't like.

"If it's okay with you, can I decide the reward?"

"Huh? But I don't want to borrow your money."

It felt a bit uncomfortable, like stealing money with her nose. Renee smiled awkwardly.

"Renee."

"Hmm?"

"How would you feel if I told you I was afraid of getting hurt by bandits?"

"Are you kidding? I should be worried about them dying."

"That's how I feel right now."

"...I understand."

Cedin seemed somewhat proud.

Looking at his big mouth. He seems to have more money than I thought.

He said he had an information guild, so in his previous life, was he like a mafia boss?

Renee imagined Cedin in a black coat smoking a cigar and laughing to herself.

"What's so funny?"

"No, I just imagined something cute."

But why is Cedin still just a knight with such wealth and power?

He could probably start a country with that. Renee tilted her head.

"Cedin, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why are you still a knight? Not that being a knight is bad...."

"Are you curious why I didn't receive a title?"

"Yeah. Am I too materialistic?"

"For a similar reason to Renee."

A similar reason to me? Renee recalled what reason she had given.

"No way...."

"I wasn't interested in those things. At least until now."

"Do you have it now?"

"Well, I thought I didn't need it-"

Cedin sat up and adjusted his posture so that Renee could sit comfortably.

When Cedin supported Renee's back with his right arm, the posture of Cedin looking up at Renee became the posture of Renee looking up at Cedin.

Renee didn't even realize this strange change.

Just-

'This guy, he seems to have held a lot of women? Otherwise, how could he adjust his posture so comfortably?'

She was just calmly thinking about this.

"But there are some inconveniences without it."

"Inconvenience? What kind?"

She couldn't imagine Cedin being uncomfortable with anything.

Renee had never seen Cedin grumble or complain.

Cedin was always obedient and followed all her words.

'This world seems to have a lot of respect for the master. I like it.'

One way or another, Renee was well over five hundred years old.

If she had given up on the tower halfway and wandered, she would have surpassed a thousand years.

"You shouldn't underestimate someone just because of their status."

"Is there someone like that? What a despicable person."

"Right? I can't even touch him and can only watch from afar, but he only believes in status."

"That's not right. If he's tormenting my disciple like that, bring him to me. I'll scold him."

"No, Renee."

For some reason, his eyes seemed to sparkle, more than usual.

"I don't want to dirty Renee's hands."

Cedin placed Renee's hand on top of his head.

He knew exactly what Renee liked. More than Renee herself.

"So just pat me. I prefer that."

Renee glanced at Cedin with a suspicious look in her eyes, as if he seemed too happy.

However, if Renee had looked at Cedin a little more closely, she might have realized that he wasn't actually happy.

That his eyes were sparkling with something else.

***

"Have you heard the rumor?"

"I have. The rumor about the appearance of the Red Dragon, right?"

One day, a rumor started to spread on the streets of the capital.

It all started with Kayla, the owner of a fruit shop on Tis Street.

Kayla didn't just sell fruits.

She was a merchant who sold fresh apples, pears, and rumors.

"They say the Red Dragon has appeared in our neighboring kingdom, Malapa!"

The rumor was spread through bags of fruits that were sold to people.

As people carried the bags home, the rumor intertwined with the flesh of the fruits and settled in the seeds.

"Some crazy person woke up the Red Dragon from its slumber. They went in expecting to find a treasure, but instead..."

"There was a Red Dragon, they say!"

Those seeds were planted in the hearts of many people.

At first, the rumor was ignored like any other gossip, but it started to grow due to the increasing anxiety.

People spread the seeds that were planted in their hearts to others.

"They say that Red Dragon is the same one that destroyed the ancient kingdom of Davalon a thousand years ago."

"What are we going to do? What if that monster comes to our Empire?"

"They say the outskirts of Malapa have been completely destroyed. Fortunately, people were able to evacuate in time, but..."

And so, those seeds nourished the hearts of the Empire's citizens and grew steadily.

"Oh no, my maternal aunt lives near the border of Malapa, and her ranch has been completely devastated! Well, it seems like that monster didn't head toward the center of Malapa, but turned towards our Empire instead. Then next time..."

"It will be our Capital!"

Another fruit was born.

Kayla didn't rush. She waited until the fruit was fully ripe.

It didn't take long.

As people's hearts became heated, the fruit quickly ripened.

When the fruit turned completely red, Kayla picked it.

She carefully cleaned and prepared the fruit, then dedicated it to her boss.

"Kayla of Tis, I have completed your orders."

"Good job."

Her boss was someone who knew exactly how to sell the fruit.

He placed the fruit on a silver plate and attached the highest price tag.

Then, he displayed it where everyone could see it.

[Recruitment]

The <Moonshine> Guild is looking for a Dragon Slayer who can kill Malapa's Red Dragon 'Harlan' and bring peace to the empire.

Request Details: Proof of 'Harlan's' corpse (neck or heart)

Request Reward: Ownership of the entire upper tier of the <Moonshine> Guild (Galaxis, Verona, Pagatan, etc.)

And,

Mercenary King, Cedin Anshirad.

The announcement was posted all over the Capital.

When people saw the announcement, they praised the noble actions of the <Moonshine> Guild.

"As expected of the best guild in the Empire, their influence is immense!"

"To think they would do such a task that even the Imperial family should be ashamed of!"

Most people praised them, and

"Galaxis and Verona. The top two territories are being offered. Was it really the <Moonshine>'s possession?"

"It's surprising, but to give up something like that. It's practically giving up more than half of the Empire. I don't know who the guild leader is, but they're truly amazing. The Imperial family should be on guard."

Those who knew how to doubt were amazed, and

"This could be a chance for a life-changing opportunity."

"Exactly. The fact that such a reward is at stake means that it's a mission that can't be accomplished alone. It's the highest reward in history! So, should we all gather and give it a try? It's better to have many than one."

Those with ambition exclaimed.

But the end of that praise always ended with the same question.

"But what does it mean that the reward is Mercenary King, Cedin Anshirad?"

And there was one person who had that question.

[The <Lord of Vicious Blood> is opening a bag of popcorn.]

[The <Queen of Waves and Healing> is opening a bag of popcorn.]

[The <Emperor of Temptation> is opening a bag of popcorn.]

"Cedin!"

That person was destined to possess the Mercenary King.

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