[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 32

It knows where he was. Today was the day he would die. 

"Damn it." 

Jade closed his eyes, his hand gripping the dagger at his waist. 

A basilisk was a monster even more challenging to defeat than a dragon in some ways. Its scales were impervious to blades, and if you made eye contact, you would be paralysed. 

Its only weakness was its two yellow eyes, but how could you attack its eyes without looking at them? Especially alone. 

This fight was impossible without the help of a skilled mage. 

Splash! 

The serpent swam rapidly through the swamp, the sticky water rippling heavily as it brushed against his arm. Jade clutched his dagger and took a deep breath. 

Someone once said they always prayed before drawing their sword. Was it the retired knight from the west? He had joined the guild after losing all his wealth trying to cure his daughter’s incurable disease. Perhaps because he had been a knight, he still had faith. 

"Theresia, watch over me, lift me from the approaching tide of death, and let victory be where my sword is." 

But Jade’s prayer was different. 

—One strike, clean, without mistakes. 

He repeated those three words emotionlessly, swinging his sword as he endured his past life. This time would be no different. He just needed to do the same. The same... 

It's better to kill myself than be paralysed, digested alive inside that snake, and end up a ghoul or a zombie. Jade touched his neck, feeling for his carotid artery, and muttered to himself. 

"One strike, clean, without mistakes..." 

But just as the blade was about to pierce his throat, something grabbed the edge of his robe and pulled him back. The unexpected attack made his knees buckle. The dagger slipped from his hand and plunged into the swamp. Before he could fully grasp what was happening, a curtain of long, dark brown hair fell in front of his eyes. He felt a hand grab his chin. 

Then a thin voice whispered. 

"Swallow." 

A person? 

Jade wrinkled his nose, trying to figure out who had approached him. But he couldn’t. 

The stranger’s lips brushed against his. They pried his lips open, and a small, soft tongue slipped inside. His mind went blank, and his body froze. It was a sudden, outrageous, and embarrassing act that didn’t match the situation. 

He was so shocked that he forgot he was facing imminent death from a basilisk that was nearly upon him. 

A siren? That’s impossible. There’s no way a creature known for luring sailors across the sea with its beautiful voice would live in this awful forest. Besides, I’ve never heard of a siren getting close enough to kiss someone. 

In the end, he was as helpless as an animal caught in a trap, his mind slipping away as he succumbed to the act. Fortunately, the foreign tongue eventually withdrew, leaving behind a round, hard candy in his mouth, along with a sweet taste mixed with saliva. 

"No time to explain. Bite down and swallow it. If you don’t want to die!" 

The woman barked at him. Jade exhaled the breath he had been holding and stared up at the stranger. Dark brown hair, grey eyes, capital accent. A woman about chest-high to him. 

Splash! 

The shadow of the serpent loomed over the roots they were hiding under. 

There was no time to think. As if possessed, Jade bit down on the object in his mouth. A strange aroma and flavour filled his mouth, and at the same time, his mind grew hazy. Whether it was due to the suspicious candy or the fact that this mysterious person had just stolen his lips, he couldn’t tell. 

Questions swirled in his mind. 

Who is she? What is she doing to me right now? 

* * * 

Kirona was planning to assemble a new order of knights in the East. Since no one had followed her here, she would have to use the money she brought to recruit mercenaries and form a hunting party. 

But reality was far from accommodating. 

"I’ll give you money and glory. How about taking a gamble? Isn’t it too unfair to die stuck in the East? I’m from the capital. If you come back with me after achieving great deeds, you’ll gain countless rewards." 

The response was always laughter and a cold retort. 

"Who are you supposed to be? You think mercenaries are idiots? We’ve seen plenty like you who talk big." 

"Kid, you’d better get lost before I cut your throat." 

"Oh yeah? Why don’t you make me a knight while you’re at it? Are you going to lay out a carpet and shower me in gold on the way back to the capital?" 

She couldn’t exactly tell them the truth, that she was the crown prince of the Empire and could actually deliver on her promises. 

Those who were deemed competent laughed her off, so Kirona had no choice but to lure in inexperienced rookies with promises of a large sum of money as she scoured the East. 

Unfortunately, they were indeed so lacking in skill that they all ended up dead or fled before she could return to the capital with them as her knights.