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Act 2-11.1: Love Potion
Gallios’s wife, Peneroa, was waiting for her husband at home. She had married Gallios around five years ago. By that time, the 22 year old Peneroa had already been married three times in total. She had learned her lesson from her previous two marriages, in which her husbands were killed by monsters during their hunt, and had decided to choose a strong man as her next marriage partner. Fortunately, cupid’s arrow had followed her decision and had led her to meet and fall in love with Gallios.
Despite the fact that Gallios was more than ten years older than her, their relationship as a married couple was smooth sailing and filled with love.
However, Gallios was helping Rember this time, thus he might return late, which was why she was house sitting alone for the rest of the day. She waited patiently until day turned to night. It was then that she noticed someone approaching the house entrance. She looked eagerly, hoping it was her beloved husband.
「I’m home, Peneroa-san.」
The one who came was Kuro. However, this did not subside her happiness as the young man before her was their benefactor.
During the latest subjugation mission, Peneroa was overcome with worry as she waited for her husband, who had not returned despite it being very late at night. Her worry was not unfounded as she had discovered later on that her husband had been injured. As she recalled that damned night, she couldn’t help but remember her astonishment as she saw Kuro, a young and small looking man, carry her tall and muscular husband, who was twice his size, on his back at night. She was very grateful towards that youthful man.
That’s why the couple welcomed Kuro to stay in their home as their guest.
According to Rember, Peneroa’s little brother, Kuro might probably be a magician. Though Nimri was the only magician she knew, to her Kuro felt even more mysterious than Nimri who was older than him. But that was all she felt he was, mysterious, because there wasn’t any bad aura that surrounded him, he was definitely a good person. To be exact, his presence was somewhat soothing and made her feel relieved.
「Uhm, can I invite an acquaintance, whom I met in the festival, in?」
Kuro asked for Peneroa’s permission as he looked at the person who stood behind him when Peneroa came to greet him.
Though Peneroa almost failed to notice the presence of the other person, upon a closer look, she noticed that the other presence was a woman who covered her face with a hood.
She was really surprised upon seeing a woman come with Kuro.
「But well, my husband did say that Kuro-sama might bring back a woman today… I see now…」
But of course, she knew from Kuro’s reaction that he wasn’t used to doing this sort of thing. She was really surprised upon finding that Kuro really DID bring back a woman.
「W-Wait a minute, you’re mistaken Peneroa-san! We really are just acquaintances!! 」
Kuro’s face flushed red, he couldn’t hide his embarrassment.
Peneroa then looked at the woman behind Kuro again. Though her face was hidden with a hood, just by the shape of the women’s lips that slightly peaked out, Peneroa knew that she was a dazzling beauty.
The woman was quite composed, the exact opposite of the flustered Kuro.
Thus, she guessed that it might be a one-sided love from Kuro’s side.
That’s why Peneroa decided to help Kuro in his quest to gain the love of the woman behind him.
「Just kidding, Kuro. Welcome to Rox Kingdom, Kuro’s acquaintance.」
After she welcomed them, the pair started to head toward the detached room. This detached and empty room found in the Gallios couple’s house was the one Kuro was using during his stay in Rox Kingdom.
As Peneroa saw the receding backs of the pair, she suddenly tugged Kuro’s arm.
「Is something the matter?」
「I’ll bring beverages for you and your acquaintance later, do you want the usual?」
「Thank you very much, Peneroa-san. Yes, give me the usual.」
「Okay, that Misenen-thing again, huh.」
「Yup, coz I’m still a misenen (underage).」
「What about your acquaintance? Is she a Misenen too?」
Kuroki pondered for a while upon hearing Peneroa’s question.
「I’ll leave the choice to you… I mean, she might not be a misenen (underage).」
「Leave it to me then, I have just the right drink for her.」
「Thanks, Peneroa-san.」
Kuro bowed his head as he thanked Peneroa. His polite attitude made Peneroa want to help him even more than before.
Kuro and his companion then went to his detached room.
（Yosh! Let’s share some of the top quality mead I got from our neighbour with Kuro’s companion.）
Mead was a kind of liquor used for newly-wedded couples.
Peneroa offered a silent prayer before heading to the kitchen—she prayed for the success of Kuro’s romance.
◆
— I can’t become your knight.
Rena was rather shocked upon hearing the man by her side say those words.
However, she quickly regained her composure upon hearing his argument. The Dark Knight had said that someone who easily betrays others on a whim wasn’t suited to become a knight, which she readily agreed with.
But, it was this argument that made Rena want the man before her even more.
Yes, she wanted him regardless of his will.
（Fufufu, you’ll be mine even if you don’t want to, Dark Knight.）
Rena touched a certain small bottle in her pocket as she revised her plan about using the potion on Chiyuki.
Rena was really surprised upon meeting the Dark Knight in this country. She never thought that such a coincidence would happen. But, when facing him again, she immediately felt relieved since she didn’t feel any killing intent from him. It was the same when they faced each other before in her temple in the Holy Republic of Lenaria.
（He doesn’t seem to be hostile toward me. Well that’s only natural since killing a beauty like me would be the greatest loss to this world.）
Rena slightly smiled at the thought.
If he was only dazzled by her beauty, then the Dark Knight wasn’t that much different from the other men who always tried to woo her. The only difference was that the Dark Knight was probably the most powerful knight in this world, even with the Gods taken into the equation.
She thought that there was nothing better than turning that kind of man into her slave.
In addition, appearance wise, she preferred the Dark Knight over Reiji.
That’s why, Rena became even more determined to turn the Dark Knight into her slave, wrapping a choker around his neck.
（Just imagining his figure groveling in front of me is enough to excite me. If it’s him, I’ll even allow him to kiss my feet.）
Rena had uttered a random lie on the spot when the Dark Knight asked her the reason she came to this country. But of course she knew that the Dark Knight wouldn’t believe her so easily.
（I’ve won the war as long as I tame the Dark Knight right here, right now! With him as my subordinate, killing Modes is easy peasy, even without Reiji and co’s help.）
Thus, Rena allowed the Dark Knight to accompany her as she looked for a chance to make him drink the potion.
At last, they came to a certain human residence, the Dark Knight’s base.
It was a shabby residence, but Rena endured it for the sake of victory.
The room the Dark Knight stayed in was really small, there was only one bed and one table in it.
As she quickly looked around, the Dark Knight brought a chair for her to sit.
（Such a dirty chair. But I have to endure this for now. I have to do this quickly!）
After glancing at the chair, Rena decided to leave the room to achieve her goal of feeding the potion to the Dark Knight.
「Where are you going, Rena?」
The Dark Knight asked her as she started leaving.
「I’ll be back in a while. Moreover, it’s rude to ask that kind of question to a woman.」