Surviving as the Wife of the Swordsmanship Clan’s Troublemaker - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 101

“How much?”
Docheop asked.
“A great deal.”
“Bring enough to burst the ship.”
He drew his sword.
Silver radiance rippled across the blade’s surface, sweeping across the night sea. A massive winged creature circling overhead recognized that aura and wheeled sharply in response.
Its enormous wings tore through the air as it dove, and the ship lurched violently. The water churned, sending waves crashing across the deck.
Then—a flash.
Docheop swung his sword, and the massive bird’s head thudded onto the deck.
Silence fell for a moment. The sailors and passengers exchanged glances before erupting in cheers.
“Waaaaah!”
Applause thundered from all sides.
I emerged from my corner and clapped along with them.
I’d already seen how Docheop’s body had grown larger and more muscular since reaching seven stars. But hearing numbers climb and witnessing actual combat were entirely different things. His skill was extraordinary.
“The protagonist is the protagonist, after all.”
My heart still raced. He stood on the deck brushing back his hair, his eyes searching until they found me. When they did, his gaze softened.
The moment our eyes met, my body trembled. My heart pounded even harder.
‘I must be losing my mind. Why am I shaking like this?’
I pinched my thigh with trembling fingers. Perhaps entering this fantasy world had scrambled my sanity as well.
“Hallara.”
“Oh, we’ll eat well tonight.”
Embarrassed without reason, I avoided his gaze and moved toward the dead creature. As Docheop followed, people gathered around us.
“You’ve saved us, Soldier!”
An elderly man with a slight frame cried out, his voice trembling with emotion.
“You don’t seem to be just an appraiser… you look noble at a glance. Which family’s young lord are you!?”
“We nearly became that creature’s meal, or worse—fish food in the sea!”
The people surrounded Docheop, each throwing in their own words.
[Hallara.]
Junel poked his head through the crowd.
“Junel? Weren’t you in the room?”
I’d even waved them off to spend intimate time together, yet Junel had followed anyway.
[The moment Docheop drew his sword, I was drawn here as if by instinct. But that’s not the important part.]
“What is it?”
[Come here, quickly!]
I glanced at Docheop. Extracting him from his newfound stardom would be difficult.
[Over here, here!]
I followed Junel toward an empty section of the deck. The dead creature’s blood squelched and stuck to my shoes.
It was where the bird’s neck had been severed.
“Rummage around in there a bit.”
Junel pointed to the spot where Docheop’s blade had passed through. Blood dripped steadily from the wound.
“Surely you don’t mean I should stick my hand into that bloody mess?”
“Of course you should. That’s how you get it out. Balanka’s Pearl!”
Balanka—that must be the name of this creature.
“If it’s a pearl, is it expensive?”
“Probably worth the price of a sailing ship or two, I’d wager.”
Squelch!
At those words, I plunged my hand in without hesitation.
“I’m quite skilled at butchering poultry, after all.”
If I thought of it as meat, there was nothing I couldn’t do. As I stirred through the warm flesh, something hard brushed against my fingers. This was it!
I clenched my fist and pulled my hand out with force.
Splurt!
Blood erupted like a fountain in my wake. A crimson shower drenched my robe, but amid the spray, I caught the glimmer of something brilliant in my palm and grinned wickedly.
“Well, well. Haven’t seen one of these in ages. And a proper one at that. A pureblooded Balanka, no less. For Docheop to fell it in one strike… Has he awakened? Did his technique improve as well?”
Junel, hovering in the air to avoid the blood, let out a whistle of admiration.
“Nikolai must have taught him some techniques.”
I wiped my face with a satisfied smile. A pearl from a monster—it was like something straight out of a fantasy novel.
“Eek! Look over there!”
The deck fell silent once more before someone cried out.
“What in the world is that?”
Me?
I suppose so.
All eyes turned toward me.
I laughed and called out to the crew.
“Anyone interested in Balanka’s Pearl?”

***

“How did you know to retrieve the pearl?”
Docheop asked as he dried my freshly washed hair with a towel.
“Junel told me to go get it quickly. They said I could get the price of a merchant ship for it, so I took it out right away.”
“A spirit followed you all the way here? I thought Junel never left Bloodmere.”
He seemed to know more about Junel than I expected.
“Yes. But when they heard you were a 7-star noble, they decided to be brave. Fortunately, they seem to have the energy for it. I can tell because they’re treasure hunting like usual.”
“Really? That’s strange. They wouldn’t budge when I asked them to become my companion…”
“Pardon?”
“Did they perhaps say anything strange to you?”
He asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Anything about me.”
“Well…”
Junel had said the usual things—that Docheop seemed to love me and other odd remarks. But I couldn’t tell him that. It would be like asking Docheop if he loved me.
“Nothing in particular.”
“I see.”
He smiled with a slightly disappointed look in his eyes. I wanted to ask why, but it didn’t seem particularly important.
There was something more pressing.
I left the room and found the person I’d seen earlier.
“You really will pay me generously, right?”
I’d found the person to hand over the pearl to.
“Of course. I brought plenty of spending money today.”
The person was a fifteen-year-old boy standing right in front of me. His name was Toby, and he was from the Southern Empire with an attractive dark complexion.
“I don’t usually trust nobles, but I’ll trust you, sister. Because you’re pretty.”
Toby said with a cheeky grin.
“But you really will guide me to the Southern Empire’s Grand Temple?”
I’d decided to take the pearl to the Grand Temple. A merchant had immediately offered the price of two merchant ships for it. They seemed to have recognized that this wasn’t an ordinary Valanka pearl, but a pureblooded Valanka pearl.
But there was something more important than money. Since I’d come all the way to the Southern Empire, I needed to find Docheop’s companion, and they were in the Southern Empire’s temple. I’d been worried about how to enter the temple during a honeymoon, but I’d found quite a good excuse.
“Of course. Our village makes seasonal offerings of various local specialties to the temple.”
“They’d like a Valanka pearl too, wouldn’t they?”
“Without a doubt. Valanka only appear in the Southern-Western Empire Border Strait, after all. They’re worth far more than jewels mined from quarries.”
In other words, the temple wouldn’t turn away a customer offering a donation.
“Good.”
“But you seem quite devout, sister. Making such a generous donation of something so precious.”
Toby gave a thumbs up as if impressed.
“Right, yes.”
I laughed awkwardly and excused myself to head back inside. I was sorry, but I didn’t worship the god from a novel.
“Are you really going to hand over that pearl? You even shed blood for the price of a merchant ship.”
On my way back to the room after meeting Toby, Docheop caught me off guard.
The problem was this: would he understand if I said I wanted to go to the Grand Temple on our honeymoon, when I wasn’t even a believer?
“I’ve always wanted to visit the Grand Temple.”
Your colleague is there, I wanted to say.
But he didn’t yet know of my colleague’s existence—such words would mean nothing to him.
I swallowed hard and waited for his response.
“How fortunate.”
Docheop answered in his measured tone.
“The hotel where we’ll be staying is near the Grand Temple.”
He offered precisely the answer I desired. From choosing the Southern Empire for our honeymoon to the lodging being situated near the temple—there was nothing about it that displeased me.
I rolled up my sleeves to respond to him.
“Then shall we fill our bellies before we depart?”
Today I would treat everyone here to a new dish.

***

By the time Hallara and Docheop’s party arrived in the Southern Empire and boarded the carriage heading to the temple.
Nikolai was making his way to the Underground Prison.
“Nilson. What has Helbeorn been up to lately?”
I hadn’t seen Helbeorn in days. Our relationship had soured since I imprisoned him, but it had never been this quiet.
“He departed with the second son of the Tierfall Family at the wedding, my lord. There’s no record of where he went.”
Nikolai clicked his tongue.
“Unaware of his mother’s worry.”
Helbeorn displeased me these days. More so than Docheop.
Now that both my sons had absented themselves, I resolved to become an even more dependable son to Francesca.
To that end, I sought out the traitor in the Underground Prison, clutching in one hand the gift Docheop had left behind.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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