Clink—
The sound of a silver teaspoon scraping the inner wall of a teacup sounded exceptionally sharp.
The Spring Garden of the Northern Ashuhalt Duchy.
Inside the glass greenhouse where the temperature was maintained by magic, it was full of the scent of colorful flowers and laughter, but the eyes of the young ladies sitting there were as cold as frost.
"Oh my, Lady Lorraine. You don't seem to be enjoying the tea much today? It's precious tea obtained from 'Daeryeo' with great effort."
Julia, the eldest daughter of the Marquis Helmon family, smiled brightly as she folded her fan.
The Helmon family was the most powerful faction within the Ashuhalt Duchy and the core of the Imperial faction that had kept the Duchy in check for generations.
There was a sharp edge to her question. It was a probing attack to check Lorraine's state of mind.
Lorraine answered calmly and put down her teacup.
"No, the fragrance is so wonderful that I was just late in appreciating it."
Her fingertips trembled minutely, but she hid it by gripping her skirt tightly under the table.
Julia did not miss that fleeting stiffness and exchanged glances with the other young ladies sitting beside her.
"Speaking of fragrance, it reminds me. Do you happen to know about that, Lady Lorraine?"
"What are you referring to… Please share your lofty knowledge, Lady."
Julia said with the corners of her mouth raised.
"I mean the 'Ice Bone Bear' that lives deep in the Monster Forest to the west of the Duchy. They say scented candles made by grinding that bear's claws are excellent for stabilizing the mind and body. It's already a hot topic in high society, surely the daughter of Ashuhalt, the master of the North, wouldn't be unaware of it, right?"
The air froze instantly.
Ice Bone Bear.
A monster rumored to be particularly clever and strong even among the rugged monsters of the North.
Julia's intention was clear.
To catch an Ice Bone Bear, one must mobilize the family's elite soldiers.
In other words, it was a blatant provocation asking, 'Is your position solid enough to command the family's military forces at will?'
"Of course… I use it. The forest to the west of Ashuhalt is practically our family's garden, after all."
Lorraine replied with a forced smile.
Silence followed.
The young ladies examined each other's faces, gauging whether Lorraine's answer was truth or bluff. Julia opened her mouth again.
"Oho? As expected of Ashuhalt. You wouldn't happen to be hunting it personally, would you? Since Lady Lorraine's 'beauty' is far more… outstanding than her talent in swordsmanship."
Snickering laughter erupted from around them.
The phrase 'outstanding beauty' was practically an insult to a member of the Ashuhalt family.
In a family where martial power equals authority, Lorraine was the nuisance who was the only one unable to hold a sword.
Julia elegantly stabbed Lorraine's sorest spot, then drove the wedge in with a victor's smile.
"I would love to see what Lady's Ice Bone Bear scented candle looks like at the next tea party. With Lady Lorraine's discerning eye, it must surely be of the highest quality, right?"
This was a request for a duel in high society.
If she couldn't bring the claws by the next gathering, Lorraine was bound to be branded a 'liar.'
After the tea party ended, Lorraine headed straight for the family training grounds.
There, her second older brother and Expert-level knight, Vince, was absorbed in his practice.
"Brother, I have a favor to ask."
"Speak. Briefly."
Vince answered without stopping his sword. The sound of sharp sword energy cutting the air brushed Lorraine's eardrums.
"I want to catch… the Ice Bone Bear in the western forest. Could you lend me just a few of the family's soldiers?"
Vince's movements stopped.
He looked down coldly at Lorraine without even wiping his sweat.
In those eyes, instead of affection for a younger sister, there was contempt as if looking at a pathetic creature.
"Reason?"
Lorraine bit her lip.
She couldn't lie anyway.
Vince Ashuhalt's brow furrowed mercilessly upon hearing the circumstances.
"Are you out of your mind? You want to move the family's elites for some girls' scented candle prank? Lorraine, if you bear the name of Ashuhalt, do not even let such words out of your mouth. Soldiers are not toys."
"But Brother, my standing in high society is at stake here…!"
"Is that the family's standing, or your standing?"
Lorraine's fists trembled. Seeing that, Vince continued.
"Catch it yourself, or just quietly suffer the humiliation. That is the share of the incompetent."
"I under… stand…."
Vince swung his sword again.
Lorraine couldn't say any more and turned away.
Even if she went to her father, the Duke, the result was obvious.
No, if she saw her father over something like this, he would probably scold her even more.
In Ashuhalt, the voice of one who cannot prove martial power was nothing more than a hollow echo.
'Catch it myself?'
Lorraine looked down at her slender hands.
A body that struggled even with the weight of a sword, let alone Aura.
But she couldn't back down like this.
She had to move not for the family's prestige, but to prove her own existence.
Lorraine put on an old robe to hide her identity and headed to the lower-class district below the castle walls.
She opened the door of the mercenary guild 'Black Moon,' a place where nobles rarely set foot, reeking of rusty iron and pungent alcohol.
"Wheeeew—! A precious guest has arrived. Don't know who it is though. Kuhahaha!"
The Guild Master 'Maro' realized at a glance that she was not of ordinary status.
However, thinking that a noble knocking on a door like this couldn't be in a proper situation, he decided to tease her.
Lorraine brought up the request with a trembling voice.
"I want to hunt an Ice Bone Bear. I came to ask for a skilled mercenary."
"Ice Bone Bear? Hmm…."
"Will it be difficult…?"
Maro tilted his head.
"Well, if we look, there won't be a lack of people to catch it, but is this a mission that can be done by multiple people?"
"That's… not possible."
Rumors spreading that an Ashuhalt hired mercenaries to catch an Ice Bone Bear?
Lorraine would become a laughingstock in an instant.
Maro scanned Lorraine's appearance and smiled fishily.
"Hmm, then no one will want to do it…. It's dangerous, that guy."
Lorraine said as if pleading.
"Is there really no way?"
Maro stopped speaking and smirked.
"Well… I don't know if he'll succeed…. But there is just one guy. That guy crazy about requests might do it."
Lorraine's expression brightened.
"Who is that?"
"'Mercenary King,' Danel. Kuk kuk."
Lorraine looked quite surprised.
Because the name 'Mercenary King' that Maro mentioned teasingly felt impressive to her.
Like that, she sought out Danel's hut.
"C-Could you please open the door…?"
Creak—
Under the moonlight pouring in as the door opened, the silhouettes of two people appeared. My impression upon confirming their faces was simple.
'What the, what is this unrealistic appearance?'
Silver hair that looked like it was made by melting the eternal snow of the North fluttered in the night breeze, and the blue eyes looking up at me were deep and clear like a primordial lake.
Perhaps due to the cold, her slightly reddened nose and small fruit-like lips were trembling.
It felt like a cool breeze was blowing from somewhere, and a fragrant scent was amplified, paralyzing my nose. Furthermore, there was a sensation of my vision brightening implicitly.
'What is this… Is it magic!?'
Alarm bells rang in my head.
I've heard of it. Mental magic!
Otherwise, the phenomenon just now cannot be explained.
It was before I even put strength into the sword I was holding.
Schwing—!
"Put down the sword."
The low voice of the black-haired guard next to the silver-haired woman struck my eardrums.
'Fast….'
Her sword was already touching my neck. However, that didn't mean I couldn't react. I just stayed still because there was no killing intent itself. Without even knowing who they were.
I acted as if wrongly accused and said.
"…Damn it. What kind of people are you? I didn't do anything wrong."
At that, the woman who appeared to be the guard spoke.
"The Lady will speak. Please calm down."
"You used charm magic and say it's nothing?"
"There is no mage here."
"What?"
Only then was the woman's face captured in my eyes once again.
Looking again, I had never seen such beauty in modern times or in this other world.
'Ha?… Does this… make sense?'
This situation right now is happening because the woman in front of me is too beautiful?
And not magic?
It was an incomprehensible situation.
"Damn it, are you saying this really isn't charm magic?"
"It is not. I question what on earth makes you judge it so."
"Really?"
"Yes."
I felt a sense of disconnect, but decided to let it pass for now.
Since I could move my body with a sword to my neck.
I stared blankly at her, then came to my senses thanks to her clear voice.
"A-Are you perhaps the Mercenary King?"
Even her voice was unrealistic.
It was so unrealistic it was almost unpleasant.
But this wasn't the situation to think about such things.
A powerful presence and nobility inferred just from appearance, and a skilled guard.
She was undoubtedly a noble lady.
"What brings you here? For a noble lady to come to such a humble place."
At my cynical tone, her shoulders flinched.
But she did not run away and stared straight into my eyes.
"I want to make a request… a request. I came because I heard it must be you."
At those words, I immediately guessed who sold my location info.
'Maro, that damn old geezer…!'
While thinking that, I examined her carefully.
The desperation in Lorraine's eyes was slightly different from the desire clients usually showed.
It was that desperate earnestness, like the front paw extended by a mouse cornered at a cliff's edge.
'Which family is it? If it's a ruined family with nothing, it's awkward to get involved.'
To figure out her identity, I examined the armament status of the attendant standing next to her.
And a crest caught my eye.
It was a very small crest engraved on the handle of a high-quality dagger, but I did not miss it.
'That crest is…?!'
The 'White Silver Falcon' symbolizing the absolute ruler of the North.
It was none other than the crest of the Ashuhalt Duke's family.
'Then this woman is… the daughter of the Ashuhalt Duke?!'
My heart beat started to speed up.
One of the few families possessing the highest-grade Aura cultivation method I have longed for all my life!
If I use this woman, a crack might open to enter the library of that solid Duke's family.
I put a good-natured smile on my face first.
"It's humble, but if you don't mind, please come inside, Lady. The wind outside is cold."
"D-Did you notice?"
"Isn't it obvious? Would there be any other noble lady as beautiful as this besides Ashuhalt's 'Lady Lorraine'?"
I extended my arm and escorted them.
"Excuse me."
Along with the cold night air, the fancy scent of the Duke's family strode into my hut.
Thud—
It was the moment my life began to twist in a completely unexpected trajectory.
We sat around the wooden table of the old hut.
"Then, let's hear the story. What is this request that brings a noble lady all the way here?"