13.

“Hnngh…”

Heated breaths escaped between their intertwined lips.

Hector, tightly filling Charlie’s intimate place, attacked fiercely as if to shatter all bodily sensations.

[Lord Tanner said it’s a mana stone necklace with a very powerful shield spell.]

Charlie showed Hector the mana stone around her neck and said,

[I must be crazy. Risking my life like that. I haven’t even properly spent the money I earned…]

It wasn’t a lie.

Charlie had known the true nature of the mana stone from the beginning. That’s why she reached out to embrace Luke and Kieran.

[I did it because I trusted this, right?]

Of course, if you call it a sacrifice, it was a sacrifice.

It’s true that she used herself as bait, waiting for Josh to attack.

But she had unwavering faith in the mana stone, which was like Hector’s avatar.

[And why should I run away? If anything happens, I’ll stick right behind you and use you as a shield.]

Who was Hector?

The strongest in this world, the killer of all…

No, wasn’t he the Grand Duke?

He was closer to a nuclear weapon than a shield, but anyway, she was sure that being behind Hector was the safest place.

[Right.]

Perhaps her quick thinking had paid off. Hector smiled faintly.

[Use me as your shield.]

And fortunately, he didn’t ask how she knew Josh was a spy.

Instead, a deep kiss followed.

“Ahnn, hnngh.”

And so, this situation came to be.

Charlie wrapped her arms around Hector’s heated neck and breathed heavily.

“Charlie.”

Though they were already joined as one, what more could be lacking?

Hector called out Charlie’s name, ceaselessly caressing her as if confirming her existence.

“Charlie.”

“Nngh… hah.”

The soft whisper tickled Charlie’s ear.

Her vision blurred and her heart leapt like it’s about to burst.

“Hnng…”

The kisses that he had been showering all over her face settled on Charlie’s nape.

As the parted lips bit into the pale skin, a red gleam flashed in Hector’s eyes.

This was Hector’s temporary marking.

“Ngh!”

The sharp teeth dug into the skin, but it was only a sting, so it wasn’t painful.

The marking felt like falling into a pit of fire, her whole body boiling.

The heat that spread from her chest soon turned into a burning thirst.

Charlie instinctively reached out to her oasis.

“Haahh… Hector.”

Charlie trembled and moaned as Hector’s pheromones engulfed her entire body.

But Hector didn’t stop his movements.

The slender body rocked up and down.

“Ahnn, haaahh…”

Hector gripped Charlie’s waist to hold her in place.

This caused the stimulation from the massive p*nis to be transmitted intact.

Soon after, an overwhelmingly enormous pleasure swept over her.

“W-wait. Haahnn.”

Charlie flailed about, trying to escape.

But the more she did so, the more fiercely Hector thrust in.

“Ah, no– hnngh!”

Soon after, her body that reached climax trembled finely.

The pheromones bursting from Charlie were intensely thick.

Hector’s mixed pheromones were the same.

Only then did satisfaction appear on his face that had been wrapped in anxiety.

“It’s okay, Charlie.”

His straight fingers gently stroked her bitten lips.

In contrast, his gaze that was fixed solely on Charlie was intensely burning.

“Haah… hng!”

Hector embraced Charlie and pushed his hips in deeply.

Charlie’s head tilted back involuntarily and her waist arched like a bow.

“Don’t hold back.”

Hector lightly licked her earlobe.

Finally, Charlie’s strength that had been desperately holding on gave way.

Following that, hot heat poured into her body.

“Hnng, haaah…”

The love juices that spilled out, flowing down Charlie’s convulsing b*ttocks, wet Hector’s thighs.

“Ngh…”

Hector’s brow furrowed at the strong tightening.

His sturdy body bent weakly and leaned against her.

However, Hector’s hands holding that were Charlie showed no signs of letting go.

“Haanh! Haaahng.”

Without even a chance to say it was enough, Charlie let out a shrill cry at the thrusting movements she felt once again.

The s*men and love juices that flowed out, mixing and intertwining, made their way down the narrow passage with a gurgling sound.

The sound of flesh colliding echoed inside the tent.

“Haah…”

The red eyes, consumed by excitement, persistently followed Charlie who was floundering beneath him.

* * *

Noel didn’t hesitate to root out the spies.

Some, as Hector said, died with their limbs exploding when they tried to confess, while others died caught by Noel when they tried to flee in fear.

It was a moment when friends and foes were clearly divided.

“Josh…”

Noel, shaking off the bright red blood on his face, turned to look at Josh.

Now Josh was the only traitor left.

“Mmph…”

Josh, gagged and forced to kneel, trembled in fear.

There was no mercy in Noel, who was killing those who were once his subordinates.

The emptiness that had occupied the jade-like eyes was now filled with killing intent, and his usually languid expression was twisted with anger.

“You know what.”

Drip, drip.

The falling blood marked Noel’s footsteps.

Kieran tightly shut her eyes.

“I hate bastards who cause trouble the most.”

Noel bent his knees to meet Josh’s eye level.

“And stupid bastards even more.”

Josh flinched and retreated at the smile Noel made.

“Did you think Kaisis would save you?”

Noel removed Josh’s gag.

Tears and sweat mixed on his face, with blood of unknown origin clotting.

“You should have died fighting back instead.”

“……”

His drooping eyebrows feigned sympathy, but couldn’t hide the sneer that appeared and disappeared at the corners of his mouth.

Noel stood up.

“…Then your family would have lived.”

“……!”

The reason Noel had been hiding his strength and lying low was because he knew Kaisis’s true nature.

He obtains what he wants by any means necessary, and eliminates everything that gets in his way.

Leaving no future troubles was Kaisis’s iron rule.

“See for yourself with your own eyes.”

At that moment, a mysterious light with a blue-green hue spread beneath Josh’s feet.

“The price you paid for betraying me…”

Noel flicked his fingertip without hesitation.

* * *

Without fail, the sun set and rose again.

And so, the morning that finally signaled the end of the expedition dawned.

The Hunt Knights looked as if nothing had happened.

“If I had gone scouting, I’m sure I would have caught cerberus.”

Charlie watched Luke bickering with Leon from a distance.

“Hey. Do you think cerberus is some dog’s name?”

Leon snorted.

At that moment, Gerard cut in with a snide remark.

“It is a dog though.”

“What?”

“Cerberus is indeed a dog.”

Percy added.

“Just with three heads.”

Even Derek, who was quietly tying his cloak to his armor, chimed in.

Luke, all excited, raised his nose.

“See? It is a dog, isn’t it?”

“That… was a dog?”

Leon scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

“Then is it a cat?”

“It’s obviously a dog.”

Charlie stared at the red cloak tied again on Luke’s shoulder.

Beneath it, the sword of the vice commander boasted a brilliant glow.

Of course, neither Hector nor any of the members called him Louis.

‘Thank goodness.’

Charlie, letting out a sigh of relief, turned her gaze.

Then she looked down at the large pouch in her hand.

[Miss Charlie. This.]

Inside the heavy pouch that Leon had handed over as a representative, there were monster teeth, claws, horns, and even unidentifiable bone fragments.

[These are souvenirs for Miss Emma.]

In fact, she had already prepared souvenirs for Emma.

It was a small, cute pebble she had picked up by the river at their first campsite.

‘I must be crazy to mention it…’

A wry smile escaped Charlie’s lips as she held the grotesque bundle.

The moment she shows this to Emma, she’ll faint at the very least.

But she couldn’t bring herself to refuse when they were so excited to give it to her.

“Why not just pluck a dragon scale while you’re at it.”

Charlie was muttering quietly when,

“How did you know?”

Charlie slowly turned her head at the low, thick voice.

Hector was standing there, looking surprised.

“A d-dragon scale?!”

In an instant, all the members’ attention was focused.

“A souvenir.”

“……”

Charlie blankly looked down at the large, reddish piece placed in her hand.

“This is yours.”

Then a red stone piece was placed.

“Isn’t that a dragon core?”

The voice of one shocked member pierced Charlie’s ears.

No matter how much of a main character he is, a dragon isn’t just the name of someone’s pet dog. When on earth did he go and catch one?

No, that’s not it.

“Why suddenly a dragon…”

“Don’t you like it?”

“You’re saying I like it?!”

“Yes.”

Just as she was wondering what this was about, the image of the huge carrot dragon flashed through Charlie’s mind.

[I didn’t know you liked dragons.]

Then, seeing Hector’s nonchalant appearance, a smile spread across Charlie’s face.

[…Run away instead.]

Unlike yesterday, there was absolutely no anxiety to be found in Hector.

This is also fortunate.

“You’ll have to give me a bonus when we get back.”

Charlie said as she stuffed everything into the pouch.

“A bonus?”

“It’s called hazard pay, compensation given separately from the salary.”

Hector’s eyes, which had been gazing intently at Charlie, wrinkled gently.

“I see.”

* * *

As they left the encampment and the treacherous path was coming to an end, Charlie got into the carriage.

It was because her body was tired from last night’s lovemaking.

Perhaps that’s why. She fell asleep without even getting motion sickness.

In fact, even when riding a horse, she was practically asleep, leaning against Hector’s broad chest.

Noel’s brief bow to Hector and Cedric’s sharp gaze went unnoticed.

Thus, the expedition arrived at their initial encampment.