35 A Tenuous Agreement

"I refuse," responded Alice, her tone neutral as she crossed her arms and averted her eyes like a stereotypical kuudere.

Undaunted by Alice's refusal, Cairn raised his right brow and said, "Then I guess we'll just wait here till that Amelia girl returns."

Punctuating his statement, Cairn retrieved a cookie from his Inventory and started eating it right before Alice. The petite Chimera followed his actions with her eyes but didn't say anything until Amelia appeared less than a minute later, bowing politely as she stated, "Her Highness will see you now..."

"Lead the way," said Cairn, soon after following Amelia into the bakery area of the cafe before heading down a flight of stairs leading to a parlor-like basement. He expected to be directed to a private dining room, but what awaited him was a spacious, dimly lit area resembling a nightclub. It had red velvet carpets spread across marble floors, a fully stocked bar, a stage resembling a catwalk, and multiple circular smaller podia with poles in their centers, each encircled by luxurious, semi-circular sofas covered in red leather...

Though the space was presently empty, Cairn didn't need to be a genius to understand what the private facility was used for. He had never seen a venue quite like the one currently in front of him, but he had visited more than a few strip clubs during his time in the military.

"Right this way," said Amelia, gesturing to a section of the club that was chained off, leading to a set of curving stairs and a venue that overlooked the showroom from above.

Following Amelia up the stairs, Cairn's brain momentarily stalled when he reached the top of the stairs and noticed a lithe woman with short, raven-black hair seated in a very unladylike manner with her arms spread wide and her feet kicked up on a low, square table. She had the same outfit as the woman that had seized Tarou, consisting of a cropped, long-sleeved top, and dark blue, nearly black trousers that were currently unbuttoned. She also wore ornate leather bracers, matching greaves, and a series of leather straps forming a holster system that supported several knives and emphasized her modest but well-shaped bust...

"So, you're the Champion...?" asked the raven-haired woman, confirmed to be Princess Hilde via Cairn's Insight. As for her previously long, blonde hair, he assumed it was a wig.

"Yeah, but you knew that when you nabbed one of my Party members," replied Cairn. "Speaking of which, how long are you going to keep hiding, you little shit?"

Poking his head out from behind Hilde, Tarou issued a disproving "Chi!" as he waved his tiny hand like a fist.

"Anyways...what did you want?" asked Cairn, meeting Hilde's gaze despite knowing she was blind. She had angular, silvery white eyes that gave the impression she could see through anything, but if you looked closely, her tiny black pupils didn't fluctuate in the slightest.

"I want you to leave the Capital," replied Hilde, her response terse and to the point.

"I will, eventually," replied Cairn. "But, seeing how quickly you got to us, you should know how long it took us to get here. I'm not leaving before the Decennial Tournament of Champions concludes."

Narrowing her eyes, Hilde asserted, "The only things awaiting you in this city are hurdles, hindrances, and politics. As you are now, you would just be used by those who seek to attain greater power or maintain the status quo. As an 'outsider,' you should just mind your own business or disappear silently in the Frontier..."

"Mmm...you make a fair point," conceded Cairn. He truly was an outsider, and though he had never been in a similar situation, he could understand why a native of Cliabhaan, much less a Princess, wouldn't want someone completely foreign to them meddling in their affairs. Yet, because of his status as the Champion, countless people would want to befriend or use him to further their ambitions.

Shaking his head, Cairn added, "Still, while I get where you're coming from, I can't just leave after coming all this way. I have a letter to deliver, and I made a promise that needs keeping. Beyond that, I'm also looking for allies to accompany me into the Frontier. Until I complete those three objectives, I'm not going anywhere."

Closing her eyes, Hilde exhaled a sigh filled with exasperation. Then, with the suddenness of a wrecking ball smashing through someone's bedroom while they were beating their meat, she opened her eyes and said, "If you remain here, my father, the King, is going to propose that we marry. I have no interest in men, much less getting married, so If you agree to his offer, know that I will do everything I can to kill you, your companions, and then myself..."

As the one charged with Hilde's protection, having watched over the blind Princess her entire life, Amelia appeared heartbroken as she clutched her chest and muttered, "Princess..." in a faint tone.

"I'm serious," said Hilde. "This one might have refused your services now, but he's still a man. So long as that horrid thing dangles between his legs, he will eventually show his true colors..."

Exhaling a scoffing chuckle, Cairn wore an incredulous expression as he remarked, "Wow. I can get not wanting to marry a stranger, but you're a few cuckoos short of a functioning clock. If some jerk hurt you, you have every right to be pissed off at them. But condemning all men because of the actions of a select few? That would be like me saying all women are blind, two-faced thieves that are secretly members of the royal family. But that isn't the case, is it? The reality is that we all have our circumstances, so get over yourself, Princess."

"You die now," said a soft, emotionless voice behind Cairn, causing every hair on his body to stand on end. Fortunately, just as Alice pulled out what looked like a giant tooth on the end of a golden rod, counterbalanced by a square-shaped hammer bell, Hilde commanded, "Cease your actions and leave us," in a commanding tone.

Hearing the Princess's order, Alice stopped her hammer mid-swing, the tip less than 20cm from Cairn's nape. Then, like a pair of machines, she and Amelia departed the second-floor booth without a word, positioning themselves at the base of the stairs' landing.

Following the duo's departure, Hilde exhaled another exasperated sigh before standing up, Tarou climbing up and onto her shoulder as she ran her fingers through her comb-over hairstyle, asking, "Do you drink?" in a lazy droll.

"Only in good company," replied Cairn, sporting a rather smug smile as Hilde frowned.

Stepping past Cairn, Hilde made her way around the backside of a private bar, effortlessly procuring several bottles of alcohol, shaved ice, and a few other miscellaneous ingredients before expertly mixing them in a metal shaker, all while staring in his general direction. Her 'performance' would have been impressive for a normal person, so it was all the more so because she was blind.

"Mana Sense seems pretty useful," remarked Cairn, causing the frown on Hilde's face to deepen.

"Insight..." muttered the Princess, emptying the contents of the shaker into two crystalline cocktail glasses. She already knew Cairn possessed Insight, which is why she didn't bother to conceal her identity, but it was still annoying to hear him casually reveal her 'secrets.'

"Here, drink," said Hilde, setting the example by taking a sip from her own glass.

"I'd rather just go," declared Cairn. "As for the whole 'marrying you' thing, you don't have to worry about that. I've already decided I wasn't going to tie myself to any established powers or organizations. Once my business in Runegraad is complete, my Party will make for Frontier and do our own thing. We'll probably return at some point, but your lot has had a thousand years to get your shit together. We shouldn't have to wipe your asses for you."

Finished with what he had to say to the Princess, Cairn turned to Tarou, meeting the tiny rodent's gaze as he asked, "Are you coming with me or staying here? If it's the latter, I'm kicking you from my Party. I imagine the Princess here will take good care of you, but Kaia will be upset, and you'll lose your chance to eat Dragon Bones."

Though the idea of staying with the Princess was tempting, Tarou didn't hesitate to climb up Cairn's arm and onto his shoulder. Elle had told him he could evolve by eating seven different types of precious metals, so as much as he 'loathed' Cairn, he intended to accompany his nemesis to the end. Then, once he became the Supreme Lord of all Chinchillas, he would make Cairn and all other males bow before him...

Unaware of Tarou's thoughts, Cairn turned to leave but stopped when Hilde called out to him, stating, "When our paths invariably cross in the palace, you should treat it as our first encounter..."

Turning to stare at the Princess over his shoulder, Cairn hit the nail on the head by asking, "The King isn't aware that his darling daughter is a Rogue who operates a secret night club? I doubt that..."

"Regardless, you should treat this encounter as if it never happened..." said Hilde, her expression severe and icy.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Princess..." replied Cairn, waving lazily as he made his way down the stairs, stepping between Amelia and Alice on his way out. The latter was still wielding her fang-like hammer, but though she followed Cairn with her icy blue eyes, she didn't attempt to murder him as she did before.

And thus, Cairn's first meeting with the Third Princess of the Runegraad Kingdom came to an end...

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With Elle and Kaia in different locations, Cairn tracked down the former to a large building resembling a brick-and-mortar, industrial-era factory. The interior had a variety of machines that automated the forging process, but Cairn only gained glimpses of them through the factory's paned windows as he made his way around the building, following Elle's marker to a much smaller workshop resembling a cottage.

Knocking on the building's front door, Cairn heard the sound of footsteps but noticed Elle's marker didn't move. Instead, the person to answer the door was a Dwarft who looked nearly identical to her, the only difference being that she had tufts of blue hair resembling horns and matching blue eyes.

As Cairn used his Insight to identify the Level 47 Dwarf as Maribelle, the pint-sized 'Artisan' was simultaneously using her Inspect to analyze him. When she confirmed who he was, a smile developed across her face as she remarked, "I had heard that the Champion would be swinging by, but I didn't believe it. And this is—oh my~."

Causing Cairn's right eye to twitch, Tarou leaped at Maribelle, diving into her breasts before slinking into her custom bodysuit, causing her to laugh as he explored the interior.

Unbothered by Tarou's antics, Maribelle allowed him to do as he pleased, looking up at Cairn as she said, "I heard from Elle that you had some big project planned for the Frontier. I won't serve under anyone, but if you've yet to recruit an Artisan, I'd be happy to join you."

"Sounds good," replied Cairn. "But what about the factory? I doubt your workshop just happens to be attached to it."

"Eh, it is what it is," answered Maribelle, shrugging her shoulders as if it was someone else's problem.

"Since you and Elle seem to be getting along, you should know what kind of people Dwarves are," added Maribelle. "The whole reason we venture outside is to find ourselves and pursue our interests. Besides, it's not like the factory will cease to operate once I'm gone. I placed someone else in charge decades ago."

"Well, you should still get your affairs in order," expressed Cairn. "We won't be setting out for at least a few months, so there's no need to rush things."

"If you say so," replied Maribelle, clearly not taking Cairn's words to heart. She was a fair bit older than Elle at 479, so her curiosity and intrigue in the outside world had already begun to wane. That's why she had no problem dropping everything to accompany Cairn and his Party. Life in the Capital had simply become boring.

Thumbing to the interior of her cottage, Maribelle said, "Well, Elle is in the back right now. I'm having her manufacture a bracelet to verify her skills. Wanna have a quickie while we wait?"

Though he anticipated it after his encounter with Nello, Cairn exhaled a dry chuckle in response to Maribelle's proposition. At the same time, he couldn't help pitying his past self's appearance. He had been single for nearly seven years before his untimely demise. Now, in just a few hours, three different people had propositioned him for sex. He would be lying if he said it didn't stoke his ego, but he was starting to understand why so many handsome men and attractive women felt exasperated dealing with others...

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(A/N: A handsome face and an athletic figure go a long way...)