(EP-147.1) #7

147 – Pincer #7

Elga and Mirna were growling at each other.

In my eyes, it seemed as though spears and blades were clashing behind them as they quarreled.

It was a kind of war.

The drawn-out feud from the long history of Angmar was unfolding right this very moment at a café table.

And Elga was the one who initiated it.

To just say to Mirna’s face, “I’m interested in this guy.”

… It was such a shocking confession that I couldn’t help but feel tense.

‘Damn it.’

Elga was out of control.

Amidst all this, Mirna spoke up.

“Then, let me propose one condition. It’s only fair that I set a suggestion of my own.”

‘A condition?’

Understandably, I expected Mirna to refuse and say something like, “You dare aim for my fiancé? Lady Lioness, do you have no pride?”

But I was wrong.

Rather, Mirna seemed to have considerable confidence in the face of Elga’s provocation and even made a proposal of her own.

“Lady Lioness. You’re not afraid of my proposal, are you?”

“You think I’m a coward like you? Okay then, what’s the offer?”

Elga slightly lifted her chin as if she was challenging Mirna. In response, Mirna, who was hiding her face behind the open fan, calmly said.

“Let’s set a date.”

“A date?”

“That’s right. On that day, we’ll ask Theo Gospel to decide the winner. The chosen one will take it all.”

“Hmm, take it all? You’re that eager to lose?”

Elga continued to provoke Mirna as if she didn’t even consider the possibility of losing.

Now that I thought about it, Elga wasn’t particularly skilled in logical conversations, but she seemed quite adept at engaging in arguments that would infuriate her opponent.

As someone who roamed the battlefield, she’d got quite the talent for trash talk.

In response to Elga’s provocation, Mirna smiled casually, as if she was either unfazed by Elga’s taunts or genuinely confident.

“300,000 gold.”

“What?”

“The loser will pay the winner 300,000 gold as a congratulatory gift. What do you think?”

“… Hey, are you kidding me? 300,000 gold is enough to build and operate a fortress base! You want to bet that amount!?”

Elga appeared somewhat bewildered by Mirna’s big offer. It was understandable, as 300,000 gold made for an overwhelming sum of money.

It was comparable to several years’ worth of a family’s budget.

With such a large amount at stake, the disparity between the winner and the loser would become quite pronounced.

“It’s similar to the amount the loser paid as reparations in the war between dragons and lions. Do you have any objections? Or should I reduce the amount a bit for you, the one who will end up losing?”

This time, it was Mirna who was doing the provoking.

Elga gritted her teeth so hard it made noise. I wondered how such a sound could be made from a human mouth.

“Yes. I do have an objection. It’s not a war between ‘dragons and lions,’ it’s a war between ‘LIONS and dragons.’ We’ve won more. Don’t you know that?”

“You also had far more casualties.”

“Oh really, casualties~? So where are all your family members now? Did they end up in graves after practicing necromancy?”

“What did you just say-!?”

Enraged, Mirna slammed the table.

I was taken aback by the sudden escalation, realizing that I needed to wrap up the conversation before things got out of control.

“Both of you should stop here for now. It’s getting late. If you talked more, you would only end up raising voices.”

* * *

Elga and Mirna parted ways, each heading in their own direction.

I, too, returned to my dormitory.

After the events of today, my mind was buzzing with thoughts, leaving me feeling restless. As I was reviewing how the situation had unfolded, someone knocked on my door.

━It’s me, hurry up and open the door.

It was Elga.

Just in time, since I also had a lot to say to her.

When I opened the door, I saw Elga standing in front. She had already taken off her makeup and changed into comfortable clothes.

“Hey, I know you have a lot to say. But let me say a few words first.”

Elga seemed to have sensed that I was about to pour out my thoughts to her. Still she seemed confident, so I decided to hear what she had to say.

After looking around, Elga came in and closed the door.

“Mirna, if you want to completely win her over, this method is the best. It’s about invoking jealousy and competition.”

Hearing this, it seemed that this was indeed all planned and plotted by Elga.

“I did this to help you!”

Elga defended herself, claiming that she did it for my sake.

Putting aside the myriad of emotions swirling within me, I asked in a calm tone.

“So, you bet 300,000 gold for me? The contract has been written, there’s no turning back.”

“What 300,000 gold…? I didn’t even think of it. I have nothing to lose anyway, right? After all, you would choose me, right?”

“What….”

Neither Elga nor Mirna was thinking that they were going to lose.

I didn’t know where all this confidence was coming from.

I wished I had even half of it…