"That is not needed princess, a woman of your integrity wouldn't twist facts to enact your wishes. All I wish s to see the girls cleared of charges, as this entire matter started because this boy made a scene I will leave his punishment to you. But be magnanimous if only for my sake."
Translation: "Drop the matter here. Get even how you wish but you cannot kill or maim this boy. Do so only if you wish to see me as an enemy."
Despite the pleasant-sounding words, Rhyne and Gil felt the hidden barb in the old man's words. Yet, power was all that mattered in Valorius, and the country even the continent bent to the will of the powerful.
Swallowing hard Rhyne only answered after a few moments. "…I will keep it in mind Lord Alabarda." At her reply, Krayto tapped Hiro on the shoulder and quickly left the justice hall.
———————————-
After the old man left, the smile on the princess's face melted like snow in spring. In its place, a grimace unbefitting the beauty showed itself. "Gil! Why didn't you tell me Lord Alabarda was coming? I shot myself in the foot with that one line! How can I get his support for the throne now?! Drop to the floor and come here!"
Gilthunder crawled on all fours towards Rhyne, as she stepped off the bench. The woman suddenly pulled a riding crop and weakly beat her palm with it, as if to intimidate the crawling hunter. When Gil reached Rhyne, she then proceeded to spank Gil on his ass so hard the crop almost broke.
One should remember that Rhyne had 200,000 points in STR, so there was no way that didn't hurt but contrary to expectations Gil didn't stay quiet and started to moan in pleasure instead. "You disgusting pervert I am here trying to discipline you and not only do you drown in pleasure but get a raging boner as well."
Hiro who watched the show felt himself close to puking in disgust, the suave hunter was a freaking masochist! Rhyne then pulled Gilthunder by his hair to bring his face closer for a kiss.
After a few seconds of deep passion, complete with tongue, she slapped his cheek with the crop and stomped his head on the ground. She then proceeded to sit on his back like a makeshift chair.
Gil who was gasping and moaning with a flushed face straightened his back if only to make a better seat for Rhyne. However knowing he was a degenerate masochist, seriously acting like furniture might be all he wanted. The princess then pouted in unhappiness as she faced Hiro.
"Why can't I just get rid of you? Thank the heaven's the old bastard is staying here for business. Otherwise, you would already be dead. Hmm… I can't just let you off as it would be bad for Starfall but I can't exile or kill you either… What to do? What to do?"
Hiro who was being threatened with execution couldn't help lambasting her in his mind.
'Excuse me, what the actual fuck! Are you a mafia boss or something? Who the hell talks to people like that? Aren't you afraid I'll try to kill you first or report you to the authorities or something? Well, she is very strong, it's not as If I could anyway… okay she is the princess and the saint or something so I guess no one would believe me either. But man this bitch is crazy!'
Rhyne then smiled as she saw Hiro making faces. "Fufu, your stupid one-man plays are ever so amusing… Faces, stupid-looking faces … I got it!"
The princess then slapped the ass of Gilthunder in excitement. "The Manticore! Right if you can fight, you can serve as bait!"
"I can what?" Hiro heard an ominous-sounding term from Rhyne's little epiphany. As he was powerless he could only accept whatever trap or plot the perverted princess could think up.
"Today is the twelfth day of the month of lions, in exactly thirty days in the month of virgins my husbands are going to hunt a monster in the highlands. It's a powerful manticore who breathes fire so the locals call it a dragon. I will give you thirty days to prepare. You will join the expedition as compensation for beating up my lovers."
Hiro who grew anxious couldn't stifle his outburst. "What? How powerful is this thing if only spouse-rank subs are coming? And you want me to join them? It's an execution!"
The princess then made a fist and rested her chin on it. "I care not what you do or do not do from this point forward. I will drop all charges against you and your women in exchange for one task.
A month from now you will go with my men to a cave in the north where you will slay the manticore there."
Rhyne then added. "I forgot to add, complete the task and all charges against you and your freaks will be cleared. Fail and I will have the heads of your beloved pets mounted on pikes, Do I make myself clear?"
"This bitch…. Didn't Ojisan say it already? You cannot harm his adopted daughters nor kill me." Hiro then attempted to use Krayto as both a shield and a deterrent but the response he got left him crestfallen.
"Ojisan? Who calls the Halberd who cleaves kingdoms ojisan? Well no matter, I guess I cannot kill them then. I could always sell them into slavery. I can make up crimes as I want. In a month the old bastard is going to leave. I didn't kill his daughters so it should be fine.
"For you similarly I didn't harm or hurt you I just gave you a request. If you die to the manticore it is your fault. I didn't sabotage you nor prevent you from succeeding. How you do is entirely up to you. So to repeat the request. Thirty days from now you will head into a cave in the highlands with Starfall, you live or die is of your own accord.
"If you die, or your contribution is lacking your freaks will be sold into slavery. Not like someone would be interested in buying them though. Well, I guess I can always get them as toys for Artorius as dogs or something to relieve his stress."
Hiro who heard the nefarious plots the bitch in front of him was making felt his blood boil. Hearing his women being made into slaves, in which they could be raped, beaten, and tortured without consequence made all traces of emotion vanish from his face.