A Hero Saves With Her Body - Chapter 87

Jerome whispered to Rosé discreetly.

“You can only find it at the boundary, right?”

Caught red-handed.

Indeed, the eyes of the tailor shop owner cannot be deceived. It was so easy to reveal that it was ‘Made in Gate.’

“How can we solve this? The owner treasures it very much.”

“There is one way.”

Emphasizing ‘one way,’ Jerome handed the black cloak back to Rosé.

“You need to buy the same fabric as this from the boundary products sold by Pumong.”

“…Pumong?”

“Yes, most of the products in the boundary are affiliated with the imperial family. It’s difficult to find it without Pumong.”

Rosé shrugged her shoulders. That darn Pumong. Everywhere she went, that was all they talked about.

Jerome lightly patted Rosé’s shoulder, who seemed disheartened. After all, it was known that the prices of boundary products offered by Pumong exceeded imagination.

“If that’s difficult, how about trying to find the culprit who cut the fabric?”

At Jerome’s joking remark, Rosé’s eyes widened. The culprit who cut the fabric?

“What do you mean?”

“Someone seems to have cut the fabric with a dull knife or blade… Isn’t that right?”

Rosé gazed quietly at the end of the cloak pointed out by Jerome.

The zigzag cutout indeed looked as if someone maliciously tore it, just as he described.

‘Could it be someone inside the boundary…?’

No, that couldn’t be possible. If someone had been there, Elion would have noticed it immediately. Unless there was an invisible person…

“If you happen to get the fabric, I will take another look. But for now, I can’t help you.”

With a disappointed look on Rosé’s face, Jerome asked her to wait for a moment and went to his private office with a work desk. There, he found a wax-sealed invitation and handed it to her.

“This is an invitation to Michol Salon’s ball. Please attend when you have the time.”

Michol Salon’s private invitations were only given to wealthy women with assets of over 15,000 phondos or young nobles from families with three or more generations of titles.

It was an invitation that a mere maid like her couldn’t even dream of, but Jerome personally liked Rosé, as the invitation suggested.

“If someone like you comes, the children will also be pleased.”

In Jerome’s mature gaze that exuded sophistication, Rosé unknowingly blushed.

Children? He looked so young; did he have children? If he had a son, he would probably be very handsome, like him.

Glancing at the invitation, Rosé briefly looked at the target card displayed next to Jerome. The card that appeared about 10 minutes ago indicated an A-tier.

Jerome Truin (A-Tier)

Characteristic: Founder of Michol Salon. Possesses innate talent in clothing production and alteration.

Appearance: Dark brown hair and black eyes. Slightly visible muscles that made him an attractive middle-aged man.

g*nitalia: Well-hung. Very dark brown. Very thick shaft. Very large t*sticles. Very strong output. Rectangular shape. Slightly strong rigidity.

Average Monthly ej*culation Frequency: 13 times

Pubic hair: Average density. Slightly short. Very dark red. Slightly thick. Slightly coarse.

Rewards: Sociability 6, Etiquette 5

Hidden f*tish: Outdoor exposure

‘If it’s outdoor exposure, where should it be?’ 

Her curiosity piqued—about whether he enjoyed exposing himself as an exhibitionist or liked seeing her n*ked body, Rosé decided to maintain her composure for now.

“Thank you. I’ll take my leave now.”

The A-tier target was a problem for later. Finding a way to mend the black cloak was more urgent at the moment. But more importantly…

‘Looks like I need some sleep.’

Yawn.

Inside the shared carriage heading towards Blue Rock, Rosé dozed off with her nose twitching as if trying to chase away flies.

On the way home, she had no idea what awaited her at the end.

* * *

“Blue Rock!”

Ugh. Drowsily opening her eyes, Rosé hastily got out of the carriage when she saw the blue fence outside the window. The coachman clicked his tongue, lifting his whip as if debating whether it was an elephant’s sound or someone snoring.

The fence was wide open. She was sure she had closed it tightly when she left. Was Elion or her master coming?

‘No. Maybe it’s just broken…’

Looking at the fence that seemed as fragile as a winter tree branch ready to snap, Rosé let out a deep sigh.

How much would it cost to repair this? It would probably cost at least around 100 sillas.

But when she arrived at the front door, Rosé realized that the damage on the fence was not just a coincidence.

The front door was wide open. Rosé picked up a fallen branch lying next to the entrance.

It was a branch left untouched from Elion’s pruning last time. In this dire situation, it served as a makeshift weapon.

Footsteps of an unknown person were visible in the living room. With the branch held high, Rosé cautiously entered the living room.

Under the sofa, black boots were visible. Startled, Rosé raised her head to confirm the owner of the black boots.

“Why are you here just now? I was waiting.”

Sergi’s brown eyes shone persistently, like a man reuniting with a lost wife. Rosé hesitated and sat down.

“Please, give me just one more week.”

She knows the reason he rushed to Blue Rock. 3,510 sillas. Even after deducting the money earned from door-to-door sales, that much debt remained.

But within a week, a solution would arise. The Duke she promised to marry will be back to his estate by then, so she could ask him for a loan.

“I will definitely repay in a week! I can do it!”

Rosé pleaded with Sergi, clasping her hands together. Tears and sniffles were essential.

But Sergi watched Rosé’s tears with indifference, as if he were looking at a speck of dust rolling on the floor.

“Please! Just one chance…!”

“The black cloak.”

Rosé sniffed back her tears. What did he just say?

“What is that black cloak?”

Rosé, with her tears dried up, looked at what was in her hand. Indeed, there was a black cloak.

“Oh, this is because it’s cold, as a substitute for a coat… Well, black cloaks are trendy these days!”

Rosé hastily hid the cloak behind her. It was true that black cloaks were in fashion. Just today, she saw at least ten people wearing black cloaks in the city.

Sergi, who was silently watching Rosé, chuckled. He seemed to be looking at an ant larva on the verge of death under a large cookie crumb.

“It looks like the garment is torn.”

“I-I tripped and fell.”

“Oh, I see.”

Let’s just move on. Rosé hid the black cloak under her buttocks and glanced at Sergi.

With his handsome face, he smiled charmingly and took something out of his coat pocket.

What is it? Narrowing his eyes to inspect it carefully, Sergi swiftly snatched the black cloak from her hand.

“Was the place you fell over a boundary?”

The black cloak, and the scrap he pulled out from it. Sergi examined the two and smiled.

“Black cloak. It’s yours, right?”

— Someone seems to have cut the fabric with a dull knife or blade… Isn’t that right?

Could he be the culprit who cut the cloak…?

“Sorry for cutting it.”

“Ahh!”

Suddenly, someone appeared in front of Rosé. A man with black hair was dressed like a bear hunter.

But on his waist was a sword sheath engraved with the symbol of a swan granted by the Emperor.

“Hello. I’m Podrick.”

Podrick drew symbols as if showing off to Rosé and then turned back into being invisible.

The hex symbol shining in purple. A special ability that ordinary people couldn’t comprehend. In that case, who is that man…?

— They are an elite force of Pumong patrolling the upper boundary. I heard some of them are former Blue Knights.

“Enough with the greetings.”

Sergi sat down in front of Rosé and extended his hand.

“Grab it.”

“Me? Grab it?”

Her hand moved anyway. Sergi impatiently grabbed her hand and effortlessly pulled her up.

After a while, a stiff document flew from the air and landed on her palm. It was Podrick’s doing.

“Black Cloak. Choose.”

“What?”

“Whether you sign the contract today, or…”

Sergi, with his lips, pursed, probably gestured towards where Podrick was.

Bang! A bullet shot from a seemingly empty space narrowly missed Rosé and left a hole in the ground. Her hand holding the paper trembled.

“Will you choose to die here.”

‘No, I can’t! I can’t die!’ If she died, she couldn’t go home. She couldn’t afford to die like this in possession of someone else’s body. With a face as if she would vomit, Rosé quickly read through the document.

Guild Standard Membership Contract

‘Black Cloak (Rosé Mora)’ hereby enters into the following Guild Membership Contract with ‘Pumong’.

1. Contract Period: 2 years

2. Activity Area: All territories of the Kithlode Empire

3. Activity Content: Collection of advanced boundary materials

4. Activity Hours: All hours excluding legal holidays (However, in case of overtime activities, substitute holidays will be designated.)

5. Salary: 50 sillas per week. Of which 40 sillas are allocated to the guild for debt repayment purposes.

6. Paid Annual Leave: In accordance with the Imperial Guild Law standards.

7. Others: Matters not specified in this contract shall be governed by Imperial Guild Law.

‘Collection of advanced boundary materials…’ In other words, risking her life in places where monsters roam.

When she recalled the past Grade 1 and 2 boundaries, it was definitely not an easy task. She was already busy enough to flee from monsters, yet now she had to collect materials among them.

But…

Rosé looked at the ground, pierced by the bullet, with a face that seemed like she would cry. To die or live. No, to die now or to be beaten to death by monsters.

“……I will do it!”

It’s probably better than to die by the demon’s hands.

“That’s right.”

Sergi’s lips loosened as if he were listening to a well-behaved puppy. Soon, a pen was handed to Rosé.

Rosé held the contract up to the floor and carefully wrote her name in each signature box. And finally, one last dot.

With a trembling hand, the documents were transferred to Sergi’s hand.

“Report to the headquarters starting tomorrow. You’ll be assigned a personal carriage.”

As Sergi’s plain words came to an end, Podrick suddenly materialized. Rosé let out another cry at Podrick’s sudden appearance.

“Well then, see you later, Miss Newbie.”

Sergi and Podrick. The two casually turned their backs as if asking when they had intruded, and smoothly left the reception room.

A system window popped up at that moment.

〈SYSTEM〉 A special recruitment has occurred in the career field of ‘Mercenary’.

As a result, the 1st and 2nd promotions are completed.

〈SYSTEM〉 Acquired the title ‘Black Cloak of Pumong’.

Intelligence decreases.

Faith decreases.

Morality decreases.

〈SYSTEM〉 Acquired the title ‘One of the Seven Executives’.

Etiquette decreases.

Morality decreases.

* * *