Taming The Villainesses

Episode 277.1

It’s been a few days since the meeting with Mirna

I’ve been busy as usual, juggling many tasks.

From dealing with the Bellhawk family, handling the quarantine for the nymph flu Coronoi, to preparing for the upcoming tournament.

There was a mountain of never-ending work piled high on my desk.

“There is no end.”

But that’s not all. In the great capital city of Monarch, problems were pouring down like a waterfall.

━Wasn’t there a clash between Yujinoi and Punchinoi not long ago?

━Punchinoi? You mean the prince of the underground fight club? The Honey Fist? But wasn’t Yujinoi supposed to be an urban legend…?

━Iyah, that was the first time I’ve seen a battle like that. Crushing honey with his bare hands to make candy, such grip strength. I’ve never seen skills like that. The fight between those two completely wrecked a building….

A fight between Yujinoi and Punchinoi?

Hearing the conversation from outside my window, I poked my head out.

As soon as the nobles noticed my face, they started clearing their throats and quickly scattered away.

━We should get back to work. We’ve been slacking off.

━Ahem, right, let’s go. There’s work to finish before lunch.

“…….”

They must have thought I was warning them to be quiet. But seriously, couldn’t they at least tell me who won before leaving?

In the end, I spent the whole day working, unable to find out how the battle between the two strongest nymphs ended.

Should I just take the day off? With that thought in mind, I pushed the stack of to-be signed documents to one corner of my desk and stretched out lazily.

“Ahhh…!”

Crack, crack.

The tension in my body released as my arms and legs stretched out, it felt pretty good. Stretching has an unexpectedly effective way of relieving stress.

With my head now clear, I noticed a letter that I had kept in the corner of my desk. The letter had the words “Teo Gospel” written on it.

Flip.

The reason I’ve been so distracted from work lately was largely because of this letter.

Even though I’ve read it several times already, I decided to take the time to read it again, from top to bottom.

「Comrade Teo, it’s me, Marmar Marnoi! The summer is very hot, but I hope you’re doing well in Monarch City!」

Seeing the clumsy handwriting, I could almost picture the small orange-haired girl bustling around in front of me, her voice vividly echoing in my mind.

The content of the letter was light-hearted, mostly just a friendly check-in.

「Comrade, the squirrel you left in my care, Keongkeong, has brought back a bunch of females! So, I put them all together in a box, but they bit him, and now he’s got a bald patch on his back!」

There were also updates on my friend, the dog squirrel Keongkeong, and mentions of the imps Gargar, Tartar and Purpur.

「And so, I won third place in the Ark Queen Contest this time, and got a sightseeing voucher as a prize! It’s a tour of the Great Wall beyond the Witch Forest. I’m planning to go with the other imps for a few days!」

This was the part I was most concerned about.

Marmar mentioned her plan to travel with the imps during the summer break.

The Great Wall in the northern region of Angmar was strictly managed but also serves as a tourist attraction for civilians.

The massive wall, ‘Clarice,’ was considered one of the greatest man-made structures, enough to inspire awe for human civilization and caution towards the Shadow Army.

However, I knew all too well that it wouldn’t be surprising if the Great Wall Clarice had collapsed by now.

Though it’s said that budget and support have been allocated for its maintenance, knowing my friend was headed there left me with an inexplicable sense of unease….

Seuk.

I stood up and looked out the window.

As I watched the clouds drift north, I suddenly felt a desire to head north as well.

I had originally planned to visit the wall at least once. Perhaps I should take this opportunity to inspect it.

“Martial festival.”

The Queen’s martial festival would also be held in the Witch Forest to the North, close to the wall. It wouldn’t be a problem to stop by under the pretext of checking security before the event.

“Isaiah Gospel.”

Since I had heard that Isaiah Gospel, who was suspected to be the father of this body, disappeared beyond the Witch Forest and the wall, Wall Clarice was a place I’m concerned about.

Alright, it’s decided.

“So, when are you planning to come in?”

When I asked towards the door, I heard a startled sound from outside. Soon after, someone cleared their throat and cautiously opened the door, just enough to poke their head in.

“Sir Theo, when did you notice?”

“Actually, I noticed as soon as you arrived at my door.”

“Ehum.”

Mirna Draco opened her fan and covered her face. It seems that she’s embarrassed at being caught lingering outside my office.

* * *

I handed Mirna a cup of ‘tea.’

It was a glass of lemonade, with a touch of refreshing lemon, honey, and a bit of sugar—topped off with sparkling water and well-mixed with ice.

Mirna, who had been looking around my office with a somewhat reserved expression, took a sip of the lemonade I offered her, and her face lit up.

“It’s good.”

“I thought something cold and refreshing would be perfect for a hot day like today.”

“I’ve noticed this before, but Sir Theo seem to have a knack for making things. Whether it’s cooking, tea, or even crafting magic rings and spells.”

Is that so?