No to Being the Suffering Heroine!

Cornelo couldn’t see through Hilde’s true identity due to his half-baked knowledge.

“Whoever it is, if they stay quiet like this, there shouldn’t be a problem… But I doubt it’ll end so quietly.”

However, as the boss of the largest Pesengwigel in Pichere, he had lived through this for over ten years.

While he couldn’t quite grasp Hilde’s true identity, he could guess that the chaos which started after Dan Furb was slain wouldn’t stop here.

In fact, anyone who heard about the tragedy in the slums could easily predict what was coming.

Just five days had passed since ‘Krimhilde’ set foot in the city, and yet, the commotion had already begun.

If anything, it would only get louder from here. No way would it quiet down.

“A troublesome woman has crawled in at such a time…”

Cornelo sighed, mingling it with the thick cigar smoke.

He thought that relying on brute strength, Lakan was of equivalent level, but his purpose was utterly unknown. He was a reckless fool who could create endless chaos if left unchecked.

For Cornelo, who had been focusing on stabilizing the city since his meeting with the kingdom’s knights, she was a woman whose every action and character only grated on his nerves.

Moreover, the fact that she showed up at ‘this time’ only rubbed salt in the wound.

“If she’s such a bother… should we convey our ‘greetings’ in our own way?”

His subordinate asked if it was fine to send an assassination team to deal with it, as they always did. Normally, Cornelo would have nodded immediately and instructed them to suggest a suitable candidate, but he shook his head after a brief moment of thought.

“No, no. That seems a bit hasty. The chance of just incurring losses is high.”

Assassination was always the fastest and most reliable method to solve problems, but you had to pick your target carefully. If it failed, it could turn even worse.

“There are too many issues to deal with when simply handling it… Not to mention, there’s no guarantee that she’s the only major player.”

Cornelo’s instinct and judgment that had brought him to his current position were now presenting themselves as a form of unfounded anxiety.

Jumping to kill her would be the worst option. If he acted recklessly, not only would he fail to eliminate her, but he would also suffer significant losses.

And, as always, Cornelo didn’t dismiss his instincts as mere foreshadowing.

“Then…?”

“Rather, it might be better to formally invite her. After all, it wouldn’t be late to hear her thoughts and decide after that.”

Putting assassination on the back burner, he decided to meet ‘Krimhilde’ in person to discern her purpose and intentions.

That was the conclusion Cornelo arrived at after deep contemplation.

◆◆

“Lakan backed off against one woman? That beastly idiot has truly embarrassed himself!”

The organization of women formed by the courtesans of the pleasure district, Maenades, had their leader named Rydmila, a woman in her early thirties.

“Krimhilde… how admirable, I almost want to scout her as my subordinate!”

With hair shining like melted gold and a playful gaze like a fox, her eyes gleamed purple as if adorned with amethyst.

Long, thin gloves wrapped around her arms, with a polar bear skin cape that accentuated her exposed shoulders and armpits.

Was this what they meant when talking about inappropriate attire?

The crimson dress seemed to cling too tightly to her ample curves, the deep slit revealing smooth white thighs openly.

Queen of the pleasure district, Rydmila Elzardiah, she looked every bit the part of her title.

“What do you think? Ordine.”

Rydmila called her close as she laid diagonally on a lavishly decorated leather sofa, asking her for the details of the event.

“They’d probably turn it down outright. Why would a capable person want to get involved in a brothel? It’d be lucky if they don’t go on a rampage out of humiliation.”

The young woman named Ordine shrugged her shoulders and smirked.

“Oh, you really don’t get it. People’s tastes are unexpectedly diverse and perverse!”

Rydmila playfully pulled Ordine close and caressed her shoulder, smiling seductively.

“Many look down on this work as inferior, but there are women out there who enjoy being trampled by the weak and pathetic, you know? Like that one female knight who dreams of being the Goblin Mother, maybe.”

“Another bizarre joke…”

Ordine rolled her eyes with a wry smile, as if pleading for some decorum. Yet, as always, Rydmila merely found it adorable and snickered.

“There aren’t many perverts like that, but for sure, that girl isn’t one. I heard she’s some kind of eagle assassin…”

“Shadow of the Eagle? Hmm… that’s probably a lie. Even if it’s true, she’s acting on her own volition.”

“A lie, you say?”

“Yep. The Shadows of the Eagle have no particular interest in this place. It’s a hassle to eat, and there’s nothing to gain, like… chicken neck bones.”

To the Shadows of the Eagle, Pesengwigel was just a neck that wasn’t even worth the effort. Rydmila knew this very well.

Thanks to the tidbits of information her customers at the brothel let slip, she could easily keep up with the worldly affairs even while being stuck in this city.

“That dumb Lakan thinks the eagle withdrew out of fear of Bagest, but that’s just not logical, right? How many cities have they occupied?”

In this city, the eagle was driven out like a beggar with just one battle. However, they were in fact a massive organization that infiltrated most of Hervor’s underworld.

If they had truly committed to seizing Pesengwigel, they could have wiped out Lakan’s Bagest within a few days, even if they prioritized managing other cities.

The fact that the Shadows of the Eagle stepped back from Pesengwigel is proof that they had no interest whatsoever in this city’s benefits.

At this point, they might have regretted missing out, but even if so, this disaster was so unlike them.

If the Shadows of the Eagle really wanted to take over Pesengwigel, they would have chosen a more subtle and deadly method to deal with everything quietly.

“So… does that mean that woman engaged without any backing?”

Ordine leaned back, resting her upper body on Rydmila’s skin, asking.

“Well, I can’t know for sure without meeting her. She could be a strong, dumb brute like Lakan, or maybe she has a plan to defend herself even while turning half the city into enemies…”

Her gloved arms snaked around Ordine’s upper body, playing with it like a serpent.

“But… no matter what, the Bagest must be stirring right now. Lakan got humiliated after all.”

“Y-Yeah, I suppose…?”

Ordine’s face flushed bright red, reflecting the candlelight, and her breath gradually quickened.

“I think we had a few of their members among our regulars, right? Maybe we should gently prod them this time?”

Rydmila whispered with a chuckle in Ordine’s ear.

“You know, Lakan seems to be past his prime and it might be time for Bagest to welcome a young, ambitious, and decidedly manly type of leader… like you.”

Since Lakan had made a fool of himself in the battles he personally led, she would use this opportunity to stir his subordinates into rebellion.

“Ah, that does sound good, but… would it really be effective? Just a few words…”

“A few of them will fall for it. Sweet whispers often make men foolish, and ambitions beget blind followers.”

While the caution of careful selection for the right targets was a precondition, Rydmila was confident that this scheme would work.

In this place, most beastfolk were not particularly bright and were impulsive, so with just a little push from behind, they would slither right into their own graves.

Of course, Rydmila didn’t actually believe those fools would manage to overthrow Lakan or take his place.

“Naturally, there’s no way they’d win against Lakan… but if infighting occurs repeatedly, their power would weaken significantly. They wouldn’t be able to act all high-and-mighty anymore.”

Her aim was not to guide Lakan into slaughter by his own subordinates, but to significantly diminish the power of Bagest through internal strife and rebellion.

In doing so, she sought to deflate Lakan’s authority and momentum.

“S-So, what about that woman… hoh, what should we do…?”

Ordine asked, seeming ready to carry out the directives with a slight nod.

“Krimhilde? It’s not like we have to meddle. As long as she doesn’t touch us, we can just ignore her.”

“Ugh, huh… I see…”

Ordine nodded with an excited face.

“So let’s proceed as originally planned… and prepare to welcome ‘that person.’ Got it, Ordine?”

“Y-Yes, yes!”

With her dazed eyes looking sideways, she turned toward the gaze of her superior playing with her.

Their lips met. Their tongues intertwined.

Breaths quickened and heated moans blended together as the candles in the bedroom melted and glowed hotter.

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