The Heroines Who Framed Me Are Clinging to Me

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 38 - Reward

"...The important thing is that it’s on the third floor... that's where it’s located."

Six Kill, who obediently revealed the information, was like a broken dam spilling out everything needed.

Lloyd stared at the medicine bottle in his hand, impressed.

"Effective even for making someone confess, huh."

He felt that he had gathered all the necessary intel by now.

The drugged-up Six Kill, now swaying, could no longer keep his head steady and let it droop.

Lloyd stretched his legs and stood up from his crouched position.

"... My whole body aches."

It was only natural that someone of Six Kill's caliber would have magical or mental barriers in place.

Having to go all out with magic after such a long time made his body throb here and there.

It was only thanks to the exceptional cognitive processing unique to Lloyd’s body that he managed to get through it. Otherwise, he might’ve struggled quite a bit.

"Still, I managed to get some crucial information."

The value of the intel Six Kill spilled under the influence of the drug was by no means insignificant.

Above all, Lloyd was now certain about two things he had been suspecting for a while.

1. In Eastan, there’s a shadowy force controlling the entire city.

2. The "potato deaths" in this small village were merely a prelude to the larger scheme they were plotting.

Most importantly, it was clear that the Hero, Claire, was involved in all of this.

"I could unravel things step by step since I’ve found a lead, but..."

Lloyd looked down at the key in his hand.

No need to take a roundabout way when you can go straight to the goal.

"Lloyd! Are you okay?"

A commotion arose from behind him as the village chief came running over in a hurry.

‘There shouldn’t have been that many traces left.’

Yet he’s managed to follow quite well.

He’s someone whose past Lloyd was starting to get curious about.

"What in the world is this..."

The chief, who was greeted by Lloyd’s expectant gaze, clutched his head in disbelief.

And understandably so. A masked man with a severed ankle was staring blankly into space, while the boy responsible for it stood there with a calm, indifferent expression.

A serious incident had occurred in the village.

It was clear that this would cause trouble. But what troubled the chief even more was his intuition telling him that this incident wouldn’t be the end of it.

"... Care to explain?"

At the chief’s question, Lloyd clapped his hands together.

The chief frowned, staring at his own hands as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just done, then looked back up.

"What was found in the potato field was a sedative."

"... A sedative?"

"Yes. Try taking a whiff of this."

Lloyd tossed the medicine bottle to the chief.

The chief caught it with one hand and sniffed it cautiously.

"And here’s a sample of the soil."

Another medicine bottle.

When did he even collect that?

Setting his doubts aside, the chief sniffed the soil, his eyes widening as he did.

"...There’s definitely something mixed in."

"Exactly."

"But a sedative is supposed to affect human consciousness, isn’t it? What could that possibly have to do with potatoes..."

"When making sedatives, various herbs are used, but minerals are also involved."

Lloyd recalled the time he visited Malio’s workshop to purchase sedatives.

Back then, he had thought Malio was just being overly talkative, but now, those explanations turned out to be valuable hints.

"As you know, changes in soil composition can sometimes have fatal effects on plants. When heavy metals are properly blended in, the impact becomes even more dramatic."

Thud.

Lloyd nudged the half-conscious Six Kill’s pant leg with his foot.

Several medicine bottles rolled out.

"...Sedatives?"

"Yes. They’re all the same substance."

According to Six Kill, the discovery of the effect was accidental.

As soon as it was applied, it would cause specific crops to wither within a day.

"They planned to ruin a village known for its potatoes by exploiting that effect."

"What!"

"In order to turn this place into a base for producing the drug."

"These bastards!"

The chief’s demeanor instantly became fierce.

The continuous attacks on the village.

Among them, this one was by far the most dangerous, pushing the village to the brink.

Without Lloyd’s intervention, surely...

"Lloyd!"

An urgent voice called from behind.

Under the moonlight, the sight of shining platinum-blonde hair drew near.

It was Princess Yulia, rushing over in a hurry.

Looks like she finished dealing with Seven Kill and handled things well.

"Lady Yulia...?"

Even as Lloyd called her name, she didn’t stop and continued running straight toward him.

Before he could even take a step back, she quickly pressed her forehead against his.

Her scent brushed past him.

Lloyd’s eyes widened.

"Get a grip, Lloyd. You’re not being taken over by Ortega, right? You can handle this much, can’t you?"

Slap, slap!

Yulia even started smacking his cheeks.

The bewilderment in Lloyd’s eyes gradually shifted to exasperation.

"I’m fine."

"I don’t believe you. Just look at all this blood! You’re definitely Ortega! Give Lloyd back!"

Smack, smack.

Yulia’s slaps grew stronger and stronger.

Lloyd quickly stepped back.

"Seriously. I just took a sedative pill."

"... A sedative?"

Yulia looked at Lloyd’s fingers.

As he shook the medicine bottle, her gaze wavered along with it.

The blue gleam in her eyes quickly faded away.

"Ahem. You should’ve said that earlier."

Lloyd’s eyes narrowed.

It seemed like she just wanted an excuse to hit me.

Yulia, rolling her eyes sheepishly, crouched down in front of Six Kill.

"Hey, mister, is your ankle okay?"

Of course it’s not.

Lloyd sighed and turned his gaze away from Yulia.

As he did, he saw the sun beginning to rise from the distant fields.

The surroundings gradually grew brighter.

Lloyd muttered as he turned back to the village chief.

"I think I’ve figured out what this village’s treasure is."

"...What do you think it is?"

"It’s the land itself."

A wide plain where you can see the sun.

Soil fertile enough to keep potatoes growing endlessly.

And an adequate water source.

On top of that, the village’s location offers easy access to both the city center and the capital.

The true treasure of this village is the land.

"Sharp observation."

The chief genuinely acknowledged it.

"There have been times when people targeted our land. And they were always formidable opponents, smart enough to recognize the value of this land."

This group of assassins is no different.

They stealthily pushed the village into a crisis.

They were daring enough to pour all that expensive sedative across the vast fields while keeping it discreet.

According to Six Kill, the plan was to use the land as a farm to cultivate key ingredients for the drug.

‘It doesn’t seem like they’re acting alone.’

The Seven Kill Squad is merely an assassination group.

To produce and distribute drugs, there must be a powerful financial backer hiding behind them.

It’s likely a guild heavily involved in the distribution business.

‘The shadowy forces controlling Eastan from behind.’

The Seven Kill Squad and that guild are Lloyd’s targets.

Well. Since he now had critical testimony and key items pointing toward the Seven Kill Squad, he’d start by taking them down first.

‘Assassins are tricky to deal with.’

Even among Six Kill and Seven Kill, those two are just small fry.

He couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of formidable foes were waiting ahead.

‘Handling this with just the two of us might be tough.’

Having a proper tank on the team would make the task of taking down the Seven Kill Squad a lot less daunting.

But who should he bring along? There wasn’t anyone who came to mind.

As Lloyd tapped his chin, deep in thought, the chief approached quietly despite his large frame.

"Would you allow us to treat you to a meal?"

"Of course, I’d be delighted."

Lloyd’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the chief.

◆

The promised dinner time.

As they walked to the chief’s house, Yulia spoke up.

"I’m really looking forward to the feast they’ll prepare."

Her eyes were practically shining.

"I didn’t know you had such a big appetite."

"It’s not about greed! I just... I just wanted to eat a proper feast for once."

Well.

Even though she’s the Third Princess, the food she usually eats in the imperial palace is on a whole different level from what commoners get.

While she’s not the extravagant type, it’s understandable if she craves it from time to time.

Watching Yulia get all excited at the thought of the feast didn’t quite stir any pity in him. After all, commoners are the type to be thrilled just by seeing a meat dish.

And so, they entered the chief’s house.

"Here it is! Dig in, everyone!"

Despite the chief’s confident gesture, the spread on the table was rather underwhelming.

"Potato rice, potato stew, potato pancakes, potato fries, potato..."

Princess Yulia muttered blankly.

The chief, oblivious, laughed heartily.

"A feast made from the finest potatoes our village has to offer! Though they’re storage potatoes... please enjoy them with the heart that went into preparing this final batch!"

"...Yes."

Yulia answered listlessly, and Lloyd couldn’t help but chuckle.

Unlike her, Lloyd was genuinely curious about how the potatoes would taste.

‘Might as well give it a try.’

Carefully putting some mashed potatoes in his mouth—

The texture was smooth, with not a single lump, melting away instantly, while the rich buttery flavor gently enveloped his palate.

"Oh..."

A soft exclamation escaped him.

The chief and Jenna beamed proudly.

"You’ve got a refined palate, Lloyd! Truly worthy of being our village’s savior."

"...You’re too kind."

"Not at all. Without you, our village would have been ruined! Eat as much as you like!"

Lloyd began to enjoy the potatoes.

Watching him eat, Yulia also cautiously took a bite and then—

"!"

She, too, began devouring the potatoes.

As they ate, Lloyd brought up the topic.

"By the way, about the royalty you promised."

The reward was important, after all.

The chief chuckled as if even that pleased him.

"Indeed, that’s important! Our village’s monthly net profit averages about 30 million Krone."

"3-30 million!"

The fee the chief promised was 10% of the monthly net profit.

Even just 10% was a considerable amount.

Both Lloyd and Yulia’s eyes widened in surprise.

"It’s more than worth it. Without you, we wouldn’t even be able to recover that amount."

"A wise decision."

"Haha."

The chief laughed heartily.

"Lloyd, I have a proposal for you."

"What is it?"

He spoke cautiously, gauging Lloyd’s reaction.

"Would you consider living in our village?"

"What?"

"Jenna seems to like you, too."

Jenna, who was sitting across from Lloyd, bowed her head shyly. Her ears turned red as she blushed.

The sudden turn of events was enough to catch even Lloyd off guard.

"What do you mea—"

Just as he was about to turn his head, Lloyd was startled.

Princess Yulia was glaring at him with fire in her eyes.

It was almost as if her eyes were glowing red.

Even more terrifying than her Reverse Eyes.

"Don’t even dream about it."

Growling, Yulia continued.

"Lloyd is my advisor."

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]