......
"They only come to report now after their failure, these incompetent fools…"
"I'm afraid… they're here to deal with the aftermath of their fallen comrades."
"Tsk. They should have sought help from other large guilds…"
Upon hearing that the adventurers who had failed to defeat the Hero Devourer had come to visit, Baron Evid put down his teacup and frowned in annoyance.
His anger wasn't simply due to the failure—this possibility had been anticipated.
This operation was originally initiated to boost the morale of large guilds, hoping that as long as it wasn't a divine beast that won, it would be fine.
But at the very beginning, the 'Blue Wolf' guild, which he had sponsored, disbanded after its guild leader, the hero, was killed in battle. Worse still, it was that divine beast that completed the rescue of the survivors and the defeat of the Hero Devourer.
Thanks to this, rumors spread among the adventurers that divine beasts were superior to ordinary heroes, and even some nobles began to discuss whether their lords were worth paying attention to, making the situation increasingly strange.
This was originally intended as a casual attempt to create public opinion to suppress the mythical beast and the abnormal lord's family. It ended up doing them a huge favor.
Avid dismissed the plan he had been brewing in his mind for so long, feeling utterly exhausted at having to start all over again.
"How infuriating...to continue letting that insane mother and daughter run rampant..." A throbbing pain shot through his temples, and his body felt as heavy as lead.
Baron Avid, who had been inexplicably lethargic for days, was completely exhausted just thinking about having to devise a new plan to suppress the lord's family.
His energy was draining away, leaving him with a strange, listless weariness.
To dispel this inexplicable sense of powerlessness, Avid reached for the bitter tea his wife had bought and sighed deeply.
"What should we do with those Blue Wolf adventurers waiting for orders?"
"What's the use of reporting now? You all knew this already, didn't you? Just making excuses to ask for favors. Give them some small tokens and send them on their way..."
"Hmph... Can't we hear what they have to say first, darling?" A soft female voice drifted in, accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
Evid withdrew his hand from the teacup and looked at his wife, Alina.
"...I see you smoking everywhere lately, Alina."
"Oh dear. Didn't you know? It's become popular in Ladia recently. Isn't the smell wonderful?"
"Uh..." As he smelled the thick smoke exhaled from Alina's mouth, Evid pressed his forehead, feeling his strength rapidly draining away.
This young wife, not far from his age. He had initially thought she was just indulging in tobacco casually.
Evid simply couldn't understand why this kind of tobacco would become popular, and why anyone would find it pleasant.
The pungent smell of burning vegetation. There was also a certain chilling, fishy stench.
It was an eerie smell, like stepping into a monster's cage.
In just a few days, the entire house was permeated with this intense stench.
Evid shook his head at his young wife's incomprehensible quirk, his hand, which had paused, picking up his teacup again.
"But...why are the adventurers? What happened?"
"Those people who have been collecting the necessary monster materials for us for years, now they refuse to meet us, saying they don't need them. How cold-blooded! I heard only three women barely survived."
"Uh...they're just dealing with servants anyway, why bother..."
"At least they should have thanked you? When did you become so heartless?"
"Ah. I know. I know." Feeling the throbbing headache from Alina's exhaled tobacco smoke, Evid instructed his secretary to bring the adventurers in.
The elderly secretary, seemingly also choked by the smoke, immediately nodded and left the room.
Evid sipped his tea, gazing at his wife alone.
Watching Alina's increasingly heavy makeup and subtly changed style of dress, Avid watched as she raised the corners of her mouth and exhaled a thicker smoke ring.
"How does the tea I bought taste, darling? The maids all seem to enjoy it..."
"...Hmm. I'm not quite sure... Is this the most popular tea lately? I've been drinking it because you said it's good for my health..."
"...Heh heh ♡" Lately, Alina has not only been smoking tobacco but has also been getting rid of all her stockpiled tea, stubbornly choosing this strangely flavored one.
Although he had to drink it because of his wife, Avid found the tea utterly unpalatable.
A nauseating, bitter, fishy aroma. And a lingering, astringent taste that seemed to stick to his throat.
He forced himself to drink it, even though it was supposedly good for his health, but he couldn't get used to the unease that welled up in his chest each time he drank it.
'...Looks like I'll have to prepare my own tea from now on...' Baron Avid, who had originally intended to arrange household chores according to his young wife's preferences.
Thinking he would never drink again, he downed his teacup in one gulp.
Evid, drinking tea in this manner, was so engrossed in the awful taste that he didn't notice.
Alina, exhaling tobacco smoke, was watching him with a strange smile.
......
"…You, are you the adventurers I met before?"
"…Heh. Yes. That's right, Baron."
"…Ha. I really am…"
Looking at the three women kneeling before him, Evid frowned and sighed.
They were faces he had seen not long ago, but their current appearance was completely different from when they had gathered with the dozen or so blue wolves.
Their vulgar clothing, excessively revealing their skin. And the unpleasant tattoos on their exposed skin.
These three female adventurers, seemingly proclaiming themselves prostitutes, looked so awkward that it was hard to know where to look.
'Even the lowest and most dissolute adventurers should have their limits…' The last vestige of pity for them vanished completely, and Evidard clicked his tongue, averting his gaze.
"Hmph… alright. Looks like you've come to report a failed mission, but I already know. We'll give you some compensation; take it and that's it. It's a deal between our Baron family and you."
"No. We're not here to report anything."
"No need for explanations. I'm busy. The rest is with my secretary…"
"We've come to punish you, Your Excellency."
"You say explanations are useless… what?" Baron Evidard closed his eyes, seemingly not even wanting to look, propping his forehead up with his hand as he leaned back in his chair.
The moment he opened his eyes in surprise upon hearing the adventurers' words, the old secretary beside him collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from his head.
This trusted confidant, who had served the Baron family like a foster parent for so long… Seeing the elderly man collapse, covered in blood, Baron Avid, in shock, ducked under the table and cried out:
"These...these crazy women!? Guards!!! Seize them!!!" Baron Avid frantically searched the table, calling for the guards outside. He was completely bewildered by what was happening.
A noble's mansion was not merely larger than a commoner's house.
Multiple security spells, designed to handle various dangerous situations, were standard equipment in noble mansions.
A spell powerful enough to kill should have been blocked by one of these security spells.
How could they have succeeded so easily?
He frantically tried to retrieve an expensive defensive magic item from somewhere in the drawer, but for some reason, the magic item he had clearly placed there was gone.
"...Pfft. The magic item inside, I've already taken it. Darling."
"Alina, you're here too...!...Wh-what?" Realizing his wife was also beside him, Baron Avid was about to call out to her.
But hearing his wife's snickering voice, Avid's hands, which were searching the table, froze.
What had his wife just said? Staring blankly across the table, he saw Alina standing with the adventurers as if they were her companions.
"You, you, you, you!? What are you doing now!?"
"Thank you, Marina♡ for helping you deal with that old geezer♡"
"Don't mention it. Since our master is here, of course we have to clean up thoroughly♡"
Ignoring his words, Alina chatted warmly with the adventurers as if they were friends.
The four women took out tobacco, put it in their mouths, and took turns using magical items to light it.
Witnessing this scene, Evid let out a near scream, as if he had seen something unbelievable.
"Alina!? Did you orchestrate this!?"
"Pfft♡ Although I didn't orchestrate it... but it's true. I was the one who disarmed the security magic or moved the guards♡"
"You, you're insane!? Why did you do this!?"
"Hmph...♡ How shameless...♡ You don't even know you've committed a crime♡" Alina and the adventurers chuckled, exhaling smoke rings, casually pulling open her dress as if it were too hot.
Whether it was originally worn under the dress or not, Alina's attire instantly transformed into a tight-fitting dress.
The dress was so short that her underwear was barely visible. Also revealed were the tattoos etched on her body.
In Evid's eyes, she had become one of the adventurers beside him.
"You, you... why..."
"Master. The lord has come to visit... Ahhh!?" Completely unable to accept the situation, Evid trembled, staring intently at his wife.
At that moment, the maid who came to report saw the corpse and screamed.
"Aaaaaah!!! A corpse!? Who...whose...! Waaah...!"
"Come. Quiet. A maid serving a noble shouldn't be making such a racket, right?"
"Haaah...! Ah, Lady Alina...?"
"Go out and fetch Lady Celeste and Master with utmost respect. Understand?"
Covering the maid's mouth, the Baroness smiled and ordered her to greet the visiting guests.
Realizing the situation was dire, the maid nodded tremblingly.
Watching the pale-faced maid stagger away, Alina stared at Evid, who was trembling under the desk.
"Alright. You...♡The one who's going to punish you is here♡"
"Punish...punish...punish...? Alina. What is it..."
"Hehe...♡Really, your memory is like garbage♡Who's here now...♡"
Alina looked down at Evid with the same disdainful gaze she had for trash, joining the adventurers in a wicked chuckle.
Dizzy from the blood-soaked room, Evido was pierced through the chest by his wife's giggling laughter.
The room reeked of a wild beast. He himself was emanating that same beastly scent.
"It is the Demon King who has come to punish you, you insolent and arrogant fool!"
Four domestic animals were ready to greet their master.