《NO STRINGS ATTACHED》CH. 21
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Butler Isvan: They enjoy the company of prostitutes, Master. That is where the wolfman met your son.
Don Esteban Lemington: ...I see. Nervermind this. Did you say that they were attempting the rank A examinations?
Butler Isvan: Yes, Master. For the Delver's job.
Don Esteban Lemington: And that is where we will be playing our cards, Isvan! This is our chance! Contact the strongest A-rank adventurers that we have relationships with and offer them a bonus to participate in that evaluation. Also, put a bounty on their heads during the event. A thousand golds each.
Butler Isvan: As you wish, Master. However, may I?
Don Esteban Lemington: Speak.
Butler Isvan: I believe it would be unnesseray to put one on the priestess. She seems unrelated to the trio.
Don Esteban Lemington: That is likely true however it is a fact that she joined them. Moreover, this will help motivate those murderers. Now, go. I expect good news for once.
Butler Isvan: Of course, Master!
The butler left behind a grinning Patriarch already gloating at his ingeniosity. Soon he would get to avenge his son.
...
In a different estate, one belonging to House Kennington.
The Patriarch of the House Kennington, Don Rogen Kennington, was enjoying his afternoon tea when a messenger came to him bringing the news.
Don Rogen Kennington: Oh? Interesting. This is very good news. Butler, please reward this messenger with a gold coin.
Messenger ???: Thank you, my Lord!
Butler ???: Right away, Master. Sir Messenger, this way please.
While some messengers were killed, some were rewarded for the very same news. This only showed that one information was neither good nor bad but the people themselves were the one to decide it.
Don Rogen Kennington: To think the second son would croak so stupidly! What do you make of this, Steven?
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The Duke was asking his first son and heir that was sitting to his right. He was a man in his thirties with a chivalrous face and an amiable smile. Yet, his words were cold as ice.
Don Steven Kennington: Good riddance. That trash was nothing but a disgrace to us Nobles.
Don Rogen Kennington: That is true but what matters to us is what we gain from it. Now, any ideas, my son?
Don Steven Kennington: ...We can stay outside of it and observe. If Lemington fails, we will be able to profit from their failure while also learning more about this strange newcomers. If Lemington succeeds then we have one less variable to consider and we can return to how things were.
Don Rogen Kennington: Which means?
Don Steven Kennington: ...We need him to fail.
Don Rogen Kennington: Exactly! Now, go and contact all of the adventurers who have a relationship with us and those that have relationships with him. Whatever he paid for them to kill, pay more for them to give up during the battle.
Don Steven Kennington: Right away, father. Thank you for guidance.
Don Rogen Kennington: Don't forget, son. You can't be associated with any of this.
Don Steven Kennington: Of course, father!
...
In the royal palace, a young sixteen years old princess was receiving a message that came not long ago. It was news regarding her fiancée. He was dead now. Killed by a random commonner through a law-abiding duel. She looked outside the window of her elegant bedroom towards the sky and laughed happily.
This lecherous pervert of a fiancée that had been the nightmare of her nights was gone. For good. She was now free once more. Not for long most likely but still. At least, she did get another shot at "forced marriage for ties", one of the favorite games of her Royal Father, may he croak too.
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Two more years and she would have ended up reaching adulthood and forced to marry him. She truly escaped a scary fate. What delightful news.
She asked the maid who brought her the message:
Princess ???: Can you tell me more about this?
Maid ???: Yes, My Princess. It is reported that a wolfman fought with your deceased fiancée, may he rest in peace, and the battle became so big that they had to settle it through a duel to the death. The battle happened today at noon and a magnificient battle unfolded between the proxies of both. In the end, a man named Shen, proxy of the wolfman managed to barely get the win. With the win secured, the beheading went as legally dictated.
Princess ???: Nice story, Macy. You will no doubt be able to escape the lie detection if they ask what you told me. Now, give me the truth.
Maid Macy: The trash was beat up savagely and thrown out of a bordel by a righteous wolfman. In anger, he ordered for a duel to the death by proxy as he did not dare battle himself against the wolfman. The wolfman picked the leader of his adventurer team, a man named Shen. That man defeated the trash's proxy in mere seconds and went on to behead the trash himself.
Princess ???: Do you mean that..?
Maid Macy: Yes, Princess...*Sigh*...That trashy fiancée of yours was trying to use his status to leverage on the judge to state the duel void. Well, that adventurer did not give enough time for such a thing to happen.
Princess ???: To have won a duel against the Lemington's...They are likely not the average adventurers, right?
Maid Macy: That...I don't know. They only registered a few days ago and haven't faced the examination yet.
Princess ???: Interesting...Well, I can't let a debt of karma remain unpaid. Go talk to the adventurers that will be doing the examination and ask them to go easy on them on my behalf.
Maid Macy: This...Are you sure, My Princess?
Princess ???: Of course I am, Macy! They did free me from a horrendous future after all, they deserve some reward even if just this much might not be enough...Right... What kind of weapon was this Shen using?
Maid Macy: He was weaponless, My Princess.
Princess ???: Oh...Well, what about his armor?
Maid Macy: It was leather armor, My Princess.
Princess ???: Good. Then, go ask the royal smith to make him one and deliver it to him with my thanks...No! Wait. It should not be known that it was from me...Let's make it a gift from "a grateful woman who benefited indirectly".
Maid Macy: ...Whatever you want, My Princess.
"Maid Macy: It's really sad to serve her. To think she still believe that she can order such things to be done...She's nothing but royal goods to be sold to the highest noble bidder... Well, I can just tell her in a few days that everything was done as she asked...Poor girl. At least, she hadn't officially come into adulthood yet and won't have to marry that trash of the Lemington's."
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