The Villainess in the Romance Fantasy Is Strange - Chapter43

43. Hunt Festival (2)

The map where he ran forward while riding on the back of a unicorn.

Perhaps it’s because of the rapid speed, the competitors who started at the same time as me are still far behind, so I can’t see them.

No matter how fast the horse is, it’s about 70 km/h, so if you’ve come this far, you won’t be able to catch up for a while.

I felt sorry for Vern for running ahead like this after declaring that we would compete. I can’t help it because what I’m going to do from now on has to be done secretly.

I grabbed the reins of the unicorn and pulled it to a halt.

-Hee hee hee!

“Wow. Woah.”

I looked around from the back of the unicorn. The front is a vast field, and the left is a forest area with trees and grass growing tightly.

And this place where I am standing seems to be about that turning point.

If my memory is not wrong, Edwin of the original story started from this place and headed towards his left side, breaking his horse’s head and moving forward.

The reason why I dared to go into the woods, leaving the field where the horse was comfortable to run, was probably because I judged that it would be difficult to aim for a strong monster in the field because there were many competitors.

“Well, it doesn’t make sense at all… ….”

The hunting festival is a festival that requires a decision to be made within half a day, so it would be foolish to go into the woods and search for monsters, where the speed of progress is noticeably slow.

The other nobles aren’t all fools, and there’s a reason why they insist on fields where there are obvious competitors. There must be as many monsters as there are competitors, so originally, Edwin should also go to the fields and look for monsters.

However, Edwin is the male protagonist of the original work who is fully protected by the world.

When you fall down and roll on the ground while training, you find a legendary magic tool buried in the nearby soil, and the antique scabbard you bought out of curiosity while out drinking was actually a relic scabbard that kept the legendary sword. Because you are literally insanely lucky.

In this world, the path Edwin took is the right path. Even if it’s a direction that greatly diverges from common sense.

“Let’s go.”

-Pureung-!

So I rode the unicorn into the woods just like Edwin had done.

According to the original story, Edwin finds a shabby natural cave after wandering in the forest for about 20 minutes. A cave that looks old and outdated, and it would be a waste of time to enter it.

However, as I said before, Edwin is an amazing man when it comes to luck. Maybe that’s why, as if possessed by something, he came deep into the cave. He finds a monster of a level that can be said to be almost a chance.

-Hee hee hee!

A unicorn awakened my mind, which was lost in thought.

As I lifted my head while holding the reins, the entrance of a natural cave that seemed to have been formed for quite some time was in front of my eyes.

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There is no way there are two caves in a row in a forest area where even one cave is not easy. Apparently, this is the cave that Edwin had discovered.

“…… You arrived earlier than expected.”

Lucky Edwin said it took 20 minutes to find it, so I thought it would take three times that amount, an hour. Perhaps it was because the unicorn was originally a divine beast that lived in the forest, but it took less than 10 minutes to find it.

I gently brushed the unicorn’s mane to show that I did well. Then, as if he was trying to reject my touch, he shuddered and shook his body.

-Purruleung!

“Oh, I got it. Okay. Oh, it bounces really well.”

Although she is a shinsu with a strong sense of self-respect, even with the setting that she doesn’t like being touched by men, she’s very angry. I gave up touching and got off the unicorn’s back.

Looking around to see if there’s a place to tie it up, there’s a thick, hard tree stump right next to it.

“Even if it’s frustrating, bear with it for a bit, I’ll finish it soon.”

-Pureung.

I’m not going to run away because I’m tamed by Lia, but just in case you don’t know. She entered the cave with the reins fastened to the base so that she could not get out of this area.

──Tap, pop.

Water drips from long stalactites hanging from the ceiling. There is a puddle at the bottom of the hollow, and because of that, it is quite damp and cool inside.

Inside the cool, damp cave. As described in the original work, it seems that the environment that ‘gnome’ would like the most was formed naturally.

I put my left hand on the handle of my sword and slowly made my way into the wide and deep cave.

Three minutes, five minutes. 10 Minutes… ….

Like that, let’s walk for about 15 minutes while keeping an eye on the front. Finally, I was able to find a large space inside the cave.

In an incredibly large space, the height to the ceiling is well over 10m, and the width on the left and right is about three times that.

I see a ‘guy’ wrapped up in a coil.

His body is big, and he’s big again. It is large enough to occupy 30% of the entire space even though it is crouched down.

No matter how you look at it, it doesn’t seem like a naturally occurring monster, the reason why its body is so big….

-Grrr ….

It was then. The one who sensed my existence with his developed five senses raised an eyelid the size of a human head.

Huge golden eyes contain me. His mouth opens slowly. Dozens of pairs of gray-white, sharp teeth were exposed, and a low, deep cry flowed out.

This is not a roar, but the emotion contained in that roar is obvious hostility.

“… ….”

Gold and black scales, sharp horns. Eyes that shine brightly even in the dark.

As can be seen from the resemblance to the Gwangryong (狂龍), which was said to have driven the empire to the brink of destruction.

-Grrr … !

He is the offspring of the savage berserk dragon and the dragon hatchling.

“That’s what I’ve been told.”

The dragon, the mother of hatchlings and an adult dragon, is an out-of-standard monster.

In terms of rank, it is a dangerous species with an immeasurable level beyond S-class. Probably only Bern, the hero who founded the empire, would be able to deal with him alone.

However, this guy is not as good as his mother. More precisely, he asked less since he was still born.

If I had kept growing like this for a hundred years, no, fifty years, I would have surpassed my mother. In the original story, he was unluckily caught and killed by Edwin. Now that Edwin didn’t participate in the hunting festival, I found out.

“It’s a hatchling’s neck… ….”

If you search the whole area, there is probably no monster more valuable than the ‘Dragon Hatchling’.

In other words, if I just pick off this guy’s head and take it, I’ll win the hunting festival, so even a bottle of alcohol, the emperor’s bounty that Lia so much wants, will be mine.

I drew my sword.

Following me, the dragon hatchling also raised its huge body.

[Br]

“…… Goes!”

Right after my shout and the hatchling’s roar overlapped.

Zeuong——!

Me and his new model collided in the air.

* * *

In the meantime, this is inside the castle of Baron Lance.

Right after the young children of each aristocratic family left the fort with courage, saying they would win the championship of the hunting festival.

Women, not men, waiting for them to come back. I was talking about various things with like-minded people.

Unlike most young ladies, each of whom hangs out with someone of the same level as himself. Next to Lia von Eleves, the daughter of Count Eleves.

“Lia-sama. Lia, how is your hair so beautiful? Do you have any special management methods or secrets?”

The third princess of the empire. Iris von Edwards was seated.

Looking at Iris von Edwards, with gorgeous, shiny blonde hair just like my mother’s. Leah smiled shyly and she nodded slowly.

“Yes, what is it? Secret… …. What to say. I wash my hair every day with a special soap produced in our estate.”

“Oh, special soap?”

Iris showed great interest in Lia’s words.

Lia held the ends of her own hair and rubbed them gently.

“Yes, it is a special soap that is still in the prototype stage. We only produce it in small quantities and give it as a special gift to the nobles around us, so you probably haven’t heard of it.”

“Aha, a special gift…… !”

Iris flashed her eyes.

“Hey, Lia. If you’ll excuse me, can I receive that special gift too? I’m having a lot of trouble with my hair these days.”

“… ….”

Lea pondered for about 5 seconds at Iris’ quiet question.

No, she was more precisely pretending to be troubled. No matter how much she is the imperial princess, if she readily gives everything she asks for, she’ll just be a convenient sidekick.

If she’s going to give it to you, she’s subtly condescending. As if she’s not giving it to just anyone, she should try to appeal as much as possible. Wouldn’t she have something left?

After taking enough time, Lia touched her lips as if she was in trouble. She got lucky slowly.

“Umm, I see. Because she is no other person, she is the princess.”

“Really? Thank you I will never forget the grace that Lia gave me!”

‘Yes. You can never forget it. How much does it cost for one…… !’

“Ah, I’m only giving you a bar of soap, but what about grace? Actually, I want to give you something better, but I haven’t officially become the successor yet. With so few resources available…….”

I don’t have much, but I’m taking some of it and giving it to you-. Although Lia’s words were full of appeal.

Iris, who has a bit of an innocent side, took it right away, and she held Lia’s hand as if she was moved.

“Ah, that’s right…… ! Then, Leah. I’m so sorry if I just receive it. I’d like to give you something in return. If you don’t mind, why don’t you make friends with me by letter…… ?”

Letter friends.

As the word says, they are close friends enough to exchange letters with each other.

Leah looked at Iris, whose cheeks were blushing, as if she was ashamed of herself even though she had invited her.

‘…… Oh my, what kind of rice cake is this?’

“Yes, of course. It would be an honor for me to be friends with the princess by letter.”

She smiled softly and nodded her head.

“…… Mmm! So, Leah?”

Iris said shyly and looked up at Lia.

Lea was momentarily taken aback by the sudden jump in shorts, then realized that this was the princess’s own ‘expression of affection’.

‘Since we’re friends who exchange letters now, they probably want to be able to speak casually. In reality, though, there are very few cases where we can talk to each other within a day of meeting each other. Still, since the opponent is the princess……. Would it be right for me to match?’

“Yes, Princess.”

“It’s okay for Lee and Lia to speak plainly…… ?”

“No, because now other people have eyes to see…” .”

Lia whispered softly into Iris’s ear.

“…… I will speak only in places where no one else can see. Are you okay though, Iris?”

“Oh… …. Ugh, okay!”

Iris smiled brightly and held the hand that held her against hers. She waved.

“Oh, yes. Lia, I have a question, can I ask you one thing?”

After laughing like that, Iris let go of Lia’s hand and asked, as if she had just remembered.

Leah nodded her head coolly.

“Yes, what are you curious about?”

“A while ago, there was a man who was talking very close to Lia. Is he Leah’s fiancé?”

Although it is correct to say that she is an escort knight, not a fiancé.

For some reason, when Iris asks such a question, her eyes seem to twinkle.

Lia is really what she ever wanted. Little by little, she decided to mix up the lies.

“Yes, yes. Fiancée, fiancée. We were engaged since we were very young, seven years ago.”

“Wow, seven years? So Leah, she’s been building her love with a guy like her for 7 years…… ?!”

“Yes, what. That’s it…… ?”

“Okay, well then.”

With a slightly agitated look on her face, Iris came close to Leah.

“Key, have you ever kissed?”

“No. That’s it, yet…….”

“Huh? Really? Why? If she’s been engaged for seven years, shouldn’t she already have?”

Considering the conventional wisdom of the empire, it was a very natural question.

Unless there is something special going on, it’s natural for a man and woman who are engaged to get married soon. Marriage is the promise of a future for two people.

For engaged men and women, it is only natural to kiss once or twice.

“Are you sure you don’t like each other?”

“Oh no! That’s not it.”

“Or, what is it?”

“…… Ka, Cain is so good. I’m busy with family matters. Key, I didn’t have time to develop the relationship to the point of kissing.”

“What do you mean, no time to develop the relationship? If I didn’t have time, I should have made time to advance!”

Assuming that Cain and Lia are engaged, Iris’s words were perfectly correct. Leah couldn’t say anything.

“Even if I give in one hundred steps and say it’s okay now. What if the two of you get married later? Even after you get married, you’re not going to make love or have children on the excuse of not having time?”

“Oh, no. You have to give birth, you have to give birth a lot….”

“But why haven’t you kissed me yet? If you’ve been engaged for 7 years and you haven’t even kissed, will you have a child at 30?”

“Uh, um… ….”

As Leah licked her lips, Iris crossed her arms with a rather solemn expression.

“…… Probably not. Leah!”

“Yes, yes?”

Chuck, Iris pointed at Leah.

“Before the day ends, be sure to kiss her fiancée! This is an order she does as a princess!”

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“Yes, yes…… ?!”