Don't Burn Them! Even Witches Have Value!

Griffin felt his blood vessels nearly freeze in an instant.

This freezing did not come from that princess's ice magic.

Rather, it was the effect of the terrifying killing intent from that fox woman, as if a fearsome beast was staring at its prey.

Wait, this appearance, this level of strength...

"The Cruel Fox..."

He spoke with a slight tremble, saying the only name from the intelligence reports that fit.

'No, I must retreat!'

Griffin unhesitatingly dropped Lynn from his shoulder, and then his figure accelerated again, intending to kick off the wall and leave from over Daina's head.

"How annoying~ Don't call people by such an unpleasant nickname."

Daina, holding her face like a shy young girl, slightly lowered her center of gravity.

"Thump!"

Accompanied by the sound of the floor shattering and the air tearing, her figure disappeared from the eyes of Lynn, who was falling toward the staircase steps, in an instant.

"I can get away!"

Griffin gritted his teeth, his accelerating figure already having rushed out of the circular staircase.

To be precise, his upper body had rushed out of the staircase's range.

Just as Griffin began to instantly think in his mind about the most labor-saving and swift escape route, his airborne figure came to a halt.

A hand as slender as if it had no bones had, at some unknown time, already grabbed his ankle.

"Casually calling a girl by a nickname will make her angry, you know.

However, big sister here is very gentle.

So, I won't skin you this time~"

The next moment, the slender palm suddenly exerted force, like a closing iron clamp, and in an instant, it broke Griffin's ankle bone.

"Ugh!"

The pain of a broken bone assailed him, and even a professionally trained killer couldn't help but let out a pained, muffled sound.

"Mhmm~"

A pleased, light hum sounded out, followed by an irresistible, twisting, immense force.

Griffin, like a tattered cloth bag, was instantly dragged back. He drew a graceful arc in mid-air and crashed heavily onto the ground.

"Boom!" x2

At the same time, Lynn, who had been thrown down, also hit the steps.

"Ouch ouch ouch!"

Lynn, clutching his chin, started rolling around on the steps, and only then did Iyanna, who had been chasing behind, arrive on the first floor.

Everything happened in an instant.

"Oh my, it seems I got a little too excited."

Daina, once again standing in her original spot with a dazzling and beautiful posture, elegantly put the ring back on her little finger.

Her left foot was heavily stepping on the back of the incapacitated Griffin, her sharp fox claws piercing into the flesh and blood beneath the night-crawling suit.

The surging aura returned to calm. Apart from the staircase destroyed by her monstrous strength, there was no trace of the fight just now.

"Boss, are you okay? Wuwu, it's all my fault."

After being helped up by the droopy-eared Iyanna, Lynn looked at Daina with some disbelief.

Although she didn't have a system panel at this moment, when she had taken off the ring just now, Lynn had clearly seen her information—

【Name: Daina Coldmoon】

【Race: Demi-human (Fox Tribe)】

【Talent: S-Rank Warrior, A-Rank Strategist】

【Battle Aura Level: C-Rank】

【Stamina: S-Rank】

【Physiological Indicators: Healthy enough to tear you apart by hand】

【Favorability: +10 (An interesting Milanese specialty snack)】

He was scared to tears.

So he had been haggling with such a stat monster all this time?

After seeing Griffin's skills, he could roughly confirm that his former Knight-Captain and combat instructor from his earldom was about at the level of the other party's peak state.

And Daina's Battle Aura level was C-Rank; she could probably trade blows with his cheap old dad, right?

Incidentally, an S-Rank warrior talent was also the highest known so far; the Captain of the Guard at the Viscount's house was only B-Rank.

Speaking of which, why did a fox spirit have such terrifying combat power!

"Oh my, don't look at me like that, Lord Lynn."

Daina was just about to display her traditional arts, but quickly realized Iyanna was present, so she cleared her throat:

"Why are you so surprised? My main job is a Shieldmaiden, you know. The rest are just side jobs.

Incidentally, my cute little sister's martial arts were also taught by me."

'Was her sadism also learned from you?'

Lynn really wanted to complain like that.

"Mmm! Big sister Daina, you're so amazing!"

Iyanna, her eyes sparkling, leaned close to Daina.

"Yes, big sister here is indeed very amazing.

Does little Iyanna want to learn? I can teach you when there's a chance."

Just as the gentle Daina reached out to stroke the wolf tribe girl's ears, Elysia, holding a candle, arrived late:

"I'm exhausted... eh? I didn't expect you to still be alive and well."

"Hey, why do I feel like you really wanted something to happen to me."

"Haha, did I? It must be your imagination."

As she bickered with Lynn, she held up the candle and looked forward again, and was shocked to see the tragic state of the staircase:

"Ahhh! My staircase!"

"That's right! Our staircase, ahhh!"

————————

"What do you mean 'compensation for the staircase'? Big sister here saved you, you know?"

Sitting at the dining table lit by only one candle, Daina's fine brows above her squinted eyes twitched.

"One thing is one thing. It can be deducted from the compensation, but this item cannot be absent."

Lynn, whose one hand was burned and could only hold a piece of black bread to gnaw on with the other, responded with a straight face.

"Hehe, is that so... speaking of which, are you a legendary vegetarian?"

"No, he's purely a money-saverist."

"Elysia! Have you finally understood my heart!"

"...Oh my, is that so? By the way, who is this shriveled gentleman?"

"I am Theodore. It's just that I've been so engrossed in the world of truth recently that I forgot the time for meals. Please don't mind me, miss."

"Mmm! How can you forget to eat!"

"By the way, do none of you care about that fellow above our heads? Am I the only one who cares? Am I the weirdest person?"

Elysia, who finally couldn't take it anymore, pointed at Griffin, who was tied up and hanging upside down from the roof beam above the dining table.

"That's right, Miss Daina, aren't you going to take this fellow with you?"

Lynn looked at Daina, who was eating with elegant but extremely fast movements.

After placing the fifth empty bowl beside her, she smiled and waved her hand:

"This is truly a troublesome matter, but big sister here has other things to do this time.

Although taking this man along could relieve boredom on the road, it's too much trouble."

"Mmm? Why can it relieve boredom?"

"Guah! Because, because two people can play games, haha!"

The fox woman, who had forgotten Iyanna was present, her ears suddenly twitched.

"Ahem, in short, my main purpose this time was just to confirm the trade contract.

Lord Lynn, I can indeed accept the proposal you gave regarding the Magic Stones.

A small trial purchase as a start, and we will discuss subsequent trade after my little sister or my uncle makes a decision.

However, one thing I'm more curious about is, why do you, my Lord, need so many marine products and ores?"

"Of course, it's because I really like to eat seafood."

"Oh my, then do you also really like to eat ore?"

"Elysia really likes to eat it."

"No, I don't!"

Looking at the exasperated silver-haired witch and the straight-faced Lynn, Daina smiled:

"You are a very, very interesting person.

If you create any interesting products with Frost's resources, you can contact us in a timely manner."

After speaking almost explicitly, she wiped the corners of her mouth and stacked the seven empty bowls neatly.

"Then, I will take my leave first, Lord Lynn. Are you sure you don't need me to teach you some special interrogation techniques?"

"Rest assured, obtaining intelligence from the Blood Snake Society is my part of the job in our agreement. I will not be careless."

Lynn revealed an amiable smile:

"And, I don't think I need any extra knowledge. Hehehe..."