Jade watched and then suddenly shouted. That money-crazed lunatic had gone too far. He was certain that Zelda had doubled the debt and allowance when she spoke. Seeing him trying to intervene, Kirona raised her hand to stop him.

Money didn’t hold much meaning for Kirona. If someone was mad about money, if they were a mercenary who only cared about money, that was even better. Kirona was one of the wealthiest people in this empire.

“I’ll pay off that debt and give you whatever you ask. Once you can return to the capital, I’ll make you an official knight. Then you can receive things that money can’t buy: land, titles, honour…”

“I’ll take it! And just give me orders. If you command it, I’ll even lick the soles of your feet. Should I do it now?”

It didn’t take Zelda even a second to decide. Jade let out a hollow laugh. He had expected it, but seeing it happen before his eyes was still surprising. Zelda Black’s master had swiftly changed from Beatrice to Kirona. Without a moment’s hesitation, Zelda abandoned the guild she had worked for over seven years.

Kirona then turned her gaze to Marlon. Marlon’s expression had turned serious. Before Kirona could say anything, Marlon spoke up.

“I should serve you without any compensation. It was a long time ago, but I was knighted by the royal family.”

Kirona looked at his upright face and shook her head.

“What you want to do and what you can do are different. If you truly needed nothing, you would have remained a knight, not become a mercenary.”

“……”

“You need something, don’t you?”

It was just as rare for a knight to become a mercenary as it was for a son of the Eclipse family to fall to the rank of a mercenary. Zelda and Jade exchanged subtle glances at Marlon. Kirona realised that Marlon’s story was famous even within the mercenary guild.

“I have a daughter with an incurable disease. She’s very sick. I needed money.”

“What kind of disease?”

Kirona felt her heart sink. Ever since she fell ill, she always empathised with stories like these.

“Red Guest. She’s thirteen years old and has been battling it since she was a newborn. She’s never been outside.”

“Red Guest is not an incurable disease. There’s medicine for it.”

While it was a rare disease, it wasn’t without a cure. Some noble children had suffered from it, and Kirona had seen Emma Hugin cure them.

“……The cost of treatment is astronomical. It’s practically an incurable disease. Even if I take on high-paying jobs, all I can do is extend her life.”

Marlon hesitated before speaking. He bit his lip and shook his head. Kirona smiled, knowing what he must be thinking.

“If there’s a treatment, it’s not an incurable disease, no matter how expensive it is.”

“The treatment costs 1 billion Elysia per year.”

“How long would it take if you started the treatment?”

“About three years.”

“3 billion Elysia. Fine. Let’s say I’m so moved by your loyalty that I gift you the treatment cost.”

Marlon froze in place, his mouth hanging open. In that moment, Kirona found herself envious of Marlon’s daughter, whom she had never met. She also felt relieved that there was a cure for the child’s illness. Her heart ached.

“Do you need time to think?”

Marlon, who had been standing up, immediately knelt and bowed his head to the ground. He took Kirona’s hand and kissed it, pledging everything to her.

“I will offer you my heart. I will ensure that you leave this forest.”

Kirona then looked at Jade Eclipse for the last time. Of course, Kirona knew he had no choice. He was a mercenary bound by 2 billion Elysia. Even without asking, she knew he would help her. Jade, who had been staring at Kirona, had the audacity to ask first.

“What’s the reason for throwing money into the air like this?”

“If I can buy desperation with money, isn’t that a good deal?”

“Even so, it’s excessive. No matter how much money you have, the amount is suspiciously large.”

Zelda tried to smack Jade on the back of the head, but Jade ducked his head to avoid it. Kirona met his gaze directly and said,

“I don’t have time. But I do have a lot of money.”

Kirona turned to Marlon, smiled, and then revealed a long-held secret that she had hidden deep within her heart.

“Have you heard of Tetra Fever? The whisper of the five demons.”

A suffocating silence fell. The atmosphere froze. Everyone must have known about this infamous disease. Kirona swallowed once and spoke again.

“I’ve already had the fever twice. I need to find the Flower of Nadaline before the final fever arrives.”

“……But the Flower of Nadaline is……”

Zelda interrupted with a surprised look. Kirona shook her head. She probably wanted to say that no one knew if the flower even existed. But……

“There’s no other way. The Emperor and Emma Hugin both say there’s no cure. And my mother has abandoned me. That’s why I came to the East alone.”