Chapter 21: The Witch’s Coercion

As a commoner-born, Eze had little love for nobles—in fact, they were the second greatest source of stress in his hero work.  

(The first being his teammates.)  

But with the other party greeting him warmly, Eze couldn’t afford to make him lose face.  

“Thank you very much, Viscount Edgar.”  

Returning a polite bow, he sat beside Velrian.  

Just as he was about to probe the viscount, Velrian’s delicate fingers, wrapped in black lace gloves, naturally slid onto the back of his hand.  

Caught off guard, Eze instinctively tried to pull away, but some subtle spell from Velrian left his left hand frozen like stone.  

“You—”  

“What? Shy? Oh, come on. We’ve gone from lovers to husband and wife—what’s there to be embarrassed about?”  

The witch spoke with a charming smile, her eyes glinting with mischief—and a hint of threat.  

The threat’s meaning was clear: “Hero, you don’t want your secrets exposed to other nobles, do you?”  

Devious.  

But fully trapped, Eze could only play along, forcing an awkward smile as he tried to push her away.  

“Alright, we’ll talk later. There’s a guest here…”  

“What’s the issue? Our relationship isn’t some shameful secret.”  

Velrian, pressing her advantage, leaned even closer.  

“And, like when we’re alone, can’t you call me ‘darling’?”  

Stomachache, flushed face, pounding head.  

Eze wanted to stab himself—why didn’t he just say hi and leave?  

Thankfully, their blatant display of affection was a bit much. 

While Eze grappled with his predicament, Sean Edgar, left on the sidelines, coughed awkwardly and joined the conversation.  

“Ahem, you two have such a great relationship.”  

“Uh, well…”  

“Of course!!”  

Before Eze could finish, Velrian, escalating further, wrapped her arms around him, interrupting while stroking his face to flaunt their “affection.”  

“As Viscount Edgar knows, noble-commoner marriages are tricky. If our bond wasn’t strong, we’d have been torn apart long ago!”  

Velrian’s skin was smooth, and her lower-than-human body temperature made the intimate contact feel cool and jade-like.  

Coupled with her faint incense scent and stunning features, even someone as composed as Eze was momentarily dazed, at her mercy.  

Seeing this, Velrian smiled softly and pressed her performance.  

“But the family’s opposition was too strong, so we had to escape the drama. That’s why we came to this long-unused secondary residence. As I mentioned, we’ll be staying a while.”  

“No trouble at all. It’s an honor for a border city so close to the war to host Miss Vivian.”  

Most people would’ve cringed at such a blatant display.  

But nobles are nobles—Sean’s polite smile never wavered.  

“Is there anything I can assist with?”  

Velrian inched closer to Eze, casually asking:  

“Are there any good date spots near Tafia? Scenic places would do. We’ve been so busy traveling, we haven’t had much time for ourselves. We’d love to honeymoon here.”  

At this, Sean’s flawless smile faltered, showing a hint of discomfort.  

“Well, there are scenic spots, but I’d advise you both to avoid leaving the city for now.”  

“Oh?”  

Snapping back to clarity, Eze seized the chance to steer the conversation, pushing away the clingy Velrian and asking seriously:  

“What’s happened?”  

Sean nodded.  

“Recently, crystal rock centipedes have been active in the forests near town. It’s dangerous to go out.”  

Crystal rock centipedes—massive magical beasts dwelling deep in mineral veins, feeding on crystals. Up to dozens of meters long, their mineral-armored bodies were impervious to blades, and they could spew toxic mist capable of melting stone.  

Theoretically, they had the destructive power to level a city—a natural disaster.  

Even Eze had never encountered one.  

Sean sighed:  

“I’ve issued a subjugation request to the local adventurers’ guild in my name as lord, but… the town’s strongest adventurer team was found dead in an alley yesterday, cause unknown.”  

Most likely the unlucky fools who tried to mess with Eze and got instantly killed by Velrian.  

Eze glanced at the culprit, who pretended not to notice, sipping red tea from a cup on the table.  

“This morning, the guild informed me they’d need to send high-tier adventurers from nearby towns, which will take days.”  

“Alternatively, they could deploy local adventurers, but to compensate for their lesser skill, they’d need more people, meaning…”  

“More money?”  

“Yes, double.”  

Sean gave a wry smile and nodded.  

“As a lord, if I doubled taxes, I’d be lynched by the townsfolk tomorrow. Those guys sure know how to rake it in.”  

The adventurers’ guild in this world wasn’t some charity.  

With their vast influence and considerable combat power, they monopolized monster-hunting jobs across human nations, charging steep fees indiscriminately.  

Indiscriminately, as in, noble or commoner, you paid every coin.  

Subjugating a beast like a crystal rock centipede was already astronomically expensive—doubling that was a gut punch even for a city’s lord.  

Hearing this, Eze leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and thought briefly.  

Then he shook his head.  

“Viscount, are you sure it’s a crystal rock centipede?”  

“What?”  

“Crystal rock centipedes live deep in mineral veins and rarely leave their territory. In centuries, sightings are rare. Are there large veins nearby?”  

“No.”  

Eze shrugged.  

“Then it’s not a crystal rock centipede. Given the habitat, it’s likely a forest centipede or deep valley centipede… Have there been attacks?”  

“Yes, several—villagers, merchant caravans, near the main roads.”  

Eze frowned.  

“Main roads? Forest and deep valley centipedes don’t stray far from their territories, so attacking humans in active areas is unlikely. The remaining centipede types around here… maybe a nocturne centipede?”  

“Nocturne centipede?”  

“A nocturnal centipede with no fixed territory, wandering freely. It’s among the weaker centipede-type beasts. I think it’s the most likely.”  

Sean’s expression grew grave, a flash of irritation crossing his face as he muttered:  

“Tch, those bastards—”  

“What’s that?”  

“Nothing.”  

Realizing his slip, Sean quickly switched to a slightly more genuine smile and asked Eze:  

“Mr. Ain, you seem quite knowledgeable about magical beasts?”  

“A bit.”  

That was an understatement.  

Thanks to his hero status, Eze had read extensively in the church’s library.  

He might not match top scholars, but he was a walking beast encyclopedia.  

For the Anlin Plain operation, he’d studied every possible beast in the region.  

Sean’s eyes seemed to spark with interest.  

“Then, Mr. Ain, can you distinguish between these centipede types?”  

“Well… their shell color and material differ, as do their sizes and antenna shapes. Oh, and their venom varies greatly.”  

“How so?”  

“Most centipede beasts’ venom, at worst, kills you. But crystal rock centipede mist can melt stone—it’s on another level. You’d need entirely different antidotes and gear.”  

“Special gear?”  

“Yeah, potent antidotes, anti-corrosion agents, full-body high-purity steel armor, specially treated veils. Regular centipede beasts don’t require those.”  

Eze added:  

“Get me some venom, and I can identify the type.”  

“Special gear… good, excellent!!”  

After a moment’s thought, Sean slapped his thigh, stood, and grabbed Eze’s hand with an eager smile.  

“Thank you so much, Mr. Ain.”  

“Uh, I didn’t do much…”  

“No, you’ve helped immensely! Please, you and Miss Vivian must attend a banquet I’m hosting soon. Invitations will be sent shortly!”  

“No, that’s not—”  

“You must come! I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave. No need to see me out—”  

After shaking Eze’s hand so hard it nearly dislocated, Sean hurriedly left the mansion.  

Watching him go, Eze stretched his stiff neck, rubbed his twitching face from the forced smiles, and sighed tiredly.  

“Easy to deal with.”