I, Viretta, Am Going to Hunt a Dragon-Chapter 55

“Oh, come on, lighten up. She probably didn’t actually intend to kill you.”

“R-really?”

“Probably just half-kill you.”

“……”

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If there was ever a phrase that embodied unhelpfulness, it was that one.

Though their bodies ached all over, the surviving debtors exhaled in relief.

Even so, the despair of the situation weighed heavily on them.

The more softhearted among them lowered their heads and began sobbing.

“Sniff… Sniff… It’s really over for us now.”

“We’ll be dragged off to Medleidge’s underground labor camps.”

“Our whole families will become slaves… Ugh.”

Medleidge was well-prepared when it came to debt recovery. Those deemed incapable of repaying their debts were sent to hard labor camps or sold as slaves.

Though slaves weren’t stripped of their right to live, their lives would undoubtedly be miserable.

As tears streamed down the faces of those terrified of becoming slaves, Saffron scowled in open irritation.

“Hah, this is why amateurs are so hopeless… Do you really think shedding a few tears will fix the life of a slave? It’s almost funny how lightly you’re taking this situation—wasting your waterworks like it’ll make any difference.”

Given his circumstances, it was no surprise he was in a foul mood.

Unlike them, who were only about to become short-term slaves, Saffron was already a slave.

Watching them cry over something he had long since accepted made it impossible for him to feel sympathy.

Even as he sneered, Saffron furrowed his brows and cast a shadow over his face, fully aware of how wretched the life of a slave could be.

“And now, for a miraculous sale to rescue you all from this dreadful crisis!”

Right beside him, Viretta suddenly raised her fingers cheerfully.

“You’re in luck.”

“……”

That was hardly the kind of thing to say to people who’d gone into debt, fled under cover of night, turned to banditry, and nearly died from a lightning strike.

“Meeting me today is the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to you. As the proud daughter of Medleidge, I, Viretta Medleidge, am offering you a chance to clear your debts. Limited time offer! Don’t miss it—this opportunity won’t come again!”

Hearing her words, which sounded more like a traveling salesman’s pitch, the debtors slowly lifted their heads.

“W-what do we have to do?”

Satisfied with their attention, Viretta raised her chin proudly.

“We’re here to hunt a dragon.”

“What?”

“We’ve come to slay the dragon to solve your problems, as the only conscience of Medleidge.”

Currently, the economic collapse in the southeastern region of Filian was largely caused by the dragon nesting in the Root Mountains.

Even though these debtors only owed a reasonable amount, they had fled because there was no way to save their village.

If the dragon was eliminated and the mines reopened, the village would revive, and they could start repaying their debts.

The only issue was that dragon hunts required an enormous amount of funding—something far beyond their reach.

That was precisely why this hunt was so significant.

Viretta was stepping up to do what no one else dared, making it the perfect opportunity to redeem her reputation.

“With me, Viretta Medleidge, my devoted fiancé, my knight sworn to eternal loyalty, a battlefield-proven mage, and a butcher who can skin even dragon hides, we’ll tear that dragon apart.”

“Me?”

Saffron jerked in disbelief.

“Yes.”

“Even a slave like me knows you’d be better off getting married and changing your dissertation topic instead.”

“Oh, don’t make such petty suggestions. Now that you’re one of us, you should step up with confidence.”

“With that?”

“Yes.”

“Me?”

“Yes!”

“Why?”

Even as Saffron hit her with the classic trifecta of doubt—‘With that? Me? Why?’—Viretta kept smiling.

She tried to appear warm and reassuring, but to the debtors, her persistent smile only instilled terror.

Sometimes, someone who smiles no matter what is the scariest kind of person.

“Because it’s for me, of course.”

“Me?”

“Yes!”

“Why?”

“Life is about carving your own path, Saffron. You can’t stay in the same place forever. Right now, it’s about risking your life and claiming glory.”

“You mean me?”

“If it’s you, you can do it. Remember—life is all about taking that one big shot! Got it? Life is one shot!”

Viretta’s final words were shouted at the debtors, who were seated in four neat rows, kneeling before her.

Hearing her bold declaration, the debtors looked bewildered for a moment, only to fall back into expressions of resignation.

“We’d be deeply grateful if Medleidge could hunt the dragon for us… but three hunting parties have already been wiped out.”

“Then the fourth will succeed.”

“But even skilled mercenaries—”

“Thinking ‘there’s no other way’ is the mindset of common fools. A brilliant hunter catches their prey by striking its weak points, setting the stage, and swiftly taking its head!”

Viretta declared with sweeping gestures, but to Mekkely, she seemed hopelessly weak.

There was nothing in her bearing that resembled the hardened dignity of someone seasoned in battle.

Unlike Iola, who had faced them alone, or Moslin, who had effortlessly taken them all down with magic, Viretta showed no signs of possessing the qualities of a warrior.

No matter how he looked at her, she seemed fragile.

Someone like that had no chance of hunting a dragon.

“But—”

“But what?”

Viretta coldly cut off Mekkely’s words.

With her hands on her hips, she leaned in, lowering herself until their eyes were level.

“Do you have anywhere else to run? There’s nowhere left, is there?”

“Well…”

“You’ve run and fled until you ended up here. Where else do you think you’re going to go? I’m not even asking you to hunt the dragon—I’m saying we’ll do it.”

Her lilac eyes, which had seemed soft just moments ago, pierced Mekkely with intensity. Despite her cheerful tone, her words carried weight.

“I understand wanting to say, ‘But it’s difficult.’ However, the words that must follow are, ‘We’ll do it anyway.’”

Viretta grabbed Mekkely’s chin, despite him being at least ten years her senior. From afar, Iola stirred slightly on his sickbed.

“I’m going to hunt the dragon. You all can help me and earn the honor of having your debts forgiven. Do you trust me?”

“Uh… uh, no.”

Viretta’s voice was pure and strong, the kind that made you want to nod along instinctively.

But no matter how convincing it sounded, some things just weren’t possible.

Already broken by debt, Mekkely spoke the truth, denying her words head-on.

After all, she was the daughter of Medleidge. She might belong to the family that would collect their debts, but she wasn’t the heir to the business—just a daughter.

She was nothing more than a notorious troublemaker. Not a noble, not a ruler—someone who had no reason to consider their plight seriously.

“That’s wonderful! Great plans always bloom from doubt and skepticism. You pass!”

And just like that, he was dismissed.

Mekkely couldn’t help but laugh as she ignored his concerns and stamped him with approval.

Her complete disregard for his opinion was ridiculous, yet her stubborn refusal to back down in the face of absurdity left his heart strangely tickled.

Half a year had passed since their lives were ruined by the dragon.

Forced to flee from debt collectors after witnessing three disastrous hunting attempts, they had been reduced to destitution.

Even as they resorted to thievery to survive, guilt gnawed at them.

They pretended to be ghosts to scare people away, unable to fully embrace the role of criminals.

And into that cracked and broken resolve, Viretta’s boastful words poured like rain, softening their despair.

She might be the one declaring a dragon hunt, but the outlook was still bleak.

Yet her absurd bravado was oddly bright—and strangely comforting.

“…All right.”

Mekkely finally burst out laughing and bowed his head.

A little distance away, Ranken, who was tending to Iola, pointed a thumb at Viretta.

“Take a good look, Iola. That’s Medleidge for you—looting even their father’s debt. That’s your future wife right there.”

“She’s amazing.”

Iola, who had been straightening his charred hair, smiled brightly.