“Darling~ Come now, let me walk the streets a bit with you~ I know that women here get taken by some handsome baron, but I still want to go outside despite the danger of being abducted~”

“….. ….. ….. ….. “

“Oh darling, I’m so scared and I wonder if the crows of this baron will find me~ But if they do, I am sure you will able to protect me and not run away~ Right~?”

“…. ….. … …..”

Ronin wished that someone could just bury him 6 feet under than make him hear Cermin Drychspiel’s impression of a scared woman.

His acting was so terrible that it revealed their entire plan. And he kept on talking with tildes at the end of every sentence!

You’d think someone who spent a lot of time with women would know how they act, but no! Trust in Cermin to fuck that up!

“Darling—”

“Darling, why don’t you just keep calm and enjoy the peaceful quiet with me for now?” Ronin told him, gripping his arm tightly. “Could you do that for me, please?”

“O-Oh, you’re right, darling….. I’ll keep calm and not worry about the crows surrounding us.”

Ronin really wished he didn’t agree to this terrible plan in the first place.

But after managing to defeat Lovushka and saving Cermin, he gained 20,000 V-points.

And another 40,000 for being able to lie his way so that he remain unaware of his true identity despite knowing his skills.

So this proved that the higher he gained Cermin’s trust, the more V-points he earned.

He had to agree to Cermin’s whims about helping people then, even in this ridiculous plan.

The plan wasn’t really ridiculous by itself. What makes it ridiculous was that out of all people, it would be Cermin pretending and infiltrating!

Ronin offered to be the one to infiltrate himself, but Cermin shook his head.

“I can’t put you in danger again because of me. You or Zeriav.” He turned to the priest as Ronin was casting Fool’s Eye on him. “I need to do this alone, and save the people so we can travel again after.”

“What are we supposed to do then while we wait for you? Can’t we help and just pretend to be three young ladies? Ronin said with a tone full of worry.

He was worried that Cermin would get himself killed on this side quest and he would not be able to get that Flame had long been cultivating.

It was a concern over having your food stolen from you, not for its well-being.

Hildas had a girlfriend who she hid under her house in this cellar from the Baron’s clutches. She was a beautiful Sand Heartstone blonde with a beauty mark on her cheek.

They used a strand of her hair so Cermin could pretend to be her, and Ronin could pretend to be his husband.

Then, they set off into the night to ‘celebrate their wedding’, and take a romantic stroll.

Carmine, as Cermin pick the name for himself, was just a sweet girl who was traveling with her new husband into the lands of Calegana in Azurra.

They were from another city in this kingdom, and had been married for 2 years.

She had heard the news and was terrified, but her husband reassures her and insists on going because of his business here. That was the background story they thought of hastily.

They were strolling on the quiet streets, completely alone. No one in their right mind would walk around at night, especially not with young women who the Crow Baron may take interest in.

The pale moonlight shone on them, and Cermin clung onto Ronin’s arm tighter.

Ronin, who was averse to touch, was about to push him away on reflex. But Cermin pulled him down to whisper in his ear since he was shorter as ‘Carmine’.

“The crows are not paying attention to us. You’re acting too distant from me, darling.”

Ronin scowled. “It’s most likely that they’re taking a while to observe us. Darling.”

“Yes, because we don’t seem like a couple yet.” Cermin insisted. “You need to act more romantic, they can determine if you’re a bachelor or not if they stare too long in your eyes.”

Ronin furrowed his brows, and kept his eyes away so the crows couldn’t determine he was not only a bachelor, but a virgin with no interest in anyone in this universe.

He thought of a way to make the crows believe they were a couple, and decided…..

To pin ‘Carmine’ on a wall, and bury his face on her neck!

“Ah~ D-Darling….. What are you doing~?”

Ronin didn’t really place his face on Cermin’s neck, but just hovered slightly above it while pulling at the collar of his dress.

That way, the crows may think there’s something suspicious going on.

“I’m just so happy about our marriage….. Two wonderful years with you and I can’t take it anymore. I know you told me to wait but I have waited for so long…..”

“I want to show my love for you and let it bloom like a seed….. To consume you and the fire in our hearts to become one…”

He went to lift Cermin’s skirt, saying these things loudly for the birds to hear.

Cermin’s face reddened at how sincere he was in acting like a doting husband that had a bit of wild side after waiting for so long to consummate their marriage.

(Ronin is so good at acting! It’s crazy, dude! How can he sound so realistically desperate for me like this!?)

“B-But right here on the streets, d-darling?” Cermin was too flustered.

Plus he remembered that Ronin was interested in men, making things even more awkward….

‘I’m not fucking interested in….. Ah, whatever! Let’s just get this over with!’ Ronin in annoyance really could not help it….

And bit Cermin’s shoulder!

“Ah! D-Darling, why did you….. Nnngh…” Cermin groaned and punched his now delicate womanly fingers on Ronin’s shoulder.

But Ronin did not stop, because the louder Cermin screams…..

The more crows perched closer to them, and took interest in beady eyes.

“Oh, darling… Stop…. Please, I…..” Cermin felt Ronin was really going to tear his flesh and eat him alive. He struggled, but then…..

“Such despicable behavior should not be tolerated in my town.”

Ronin perked up his ears and stopped biting on Cermin’s neck. He turned to see….

A strikingly beautiful man with purple hair, standing tall with his chin up and wearing the most intricate and fancy black suit.

His coat seemed to be lined with thick black wolf fur, but on a closer look, they were actually black feather quills. Such would require about a hundred birds just to have that lining.

“Lovely lady, isn’t this brute so dislikable?” He offered his hand, his blood red eyes swirling in strange patterns.

“To have a husband who treats you this way…. Having the whole world see you treated like a whore in the streets.”

‘Great. I’m now a bad abusive husband. Never thought I’d see the day.’ Ronin said sarcastically in his head.

But he had to act like he was overly protective, and covered Cermin with his body. “Stay away from my Carmine!”

“Ah, is that your name?” The Crown Baronn gave a devilish smirk. “Carmin, dear. Why don’t you come with me? I can treat you like a royalty as you so deserve. A princess in my castle.”

“A princess~?” Cermin pretended to be entranced by him.

“Yes.” The Crow Baron said. “And if you decide to stay in my castle after sleeping the night, I will let you live a life full of lavishness with all the other poor damsels I helped.”

“I won’t let you.” Ronin gritted his teeth, but he was more focused on seeing if this Crow Baron only had the ability to enchant women…..

Or if he had other useful skills against resistance like this.

“Good sir, can you not be a gentleman and let her decide? She doesn’t want to be with an aggressive man and wants to feel safe.”

He raised his hand and showed his paIm over Ronin’s face. “How about we make a wager? If she doesn’t stay with me after spending the night in my castle, then you can have her back.”

“And what if I don’t agree to your terms?” Ronin said. “I know about your law. We have no relatives here, nothing for you to threaten me with.”

“Oh, but I can sense that you do have someone related with blood here.” The man smirked. “Shall I have my crows follow him?”

Cermin was confused, blurting out. “Who?”

The Crow Baron had been so quiet mentally, just like Zeuxis was earlier. But it was not because Ronin lost his mind-reading skill.

It seemed that if Daemons focused hard enough, their thoughts could not be privy to him. They were creatures greater than humans after all, but not completely gods.

So he can’t see what he was thinking, but he can sense…..

That this Crow Baron was aware of something more than he was letting on.

“Shall I tell your wife who your kin is?” The Crow Baron tilted his head.

Then, Ronin sensed it.

Someone behind the house nearby. Watching. A strand of platinum caught his eye by a millisecond.

He finally understood what was going on. Espinella had warned him after all.

And so, the best choice was to take care of this while Cermin was away.

“Fine. I agree to let you take my wife for the night.”