Chapter 11: A Man of the House (2)
The next day, Benjamin and Estelle found themselves on the summoning altar.
The latter wore her kimono and had geared herself with the new talismans for all purposes, with three main ones being healing, defense, and stamina.
She also had offensive talismans, which she would use to defeat the phantom, but the priority of it was less important now that Benjamin was next to her.
Feeling her muscles still sore and aching from the constant training, Estelle craned her neck to look at Benjamin and asked, "Should I summon the low phantom now?"
"Not really," Benjamin replied, confusing the wolf woman.
For a moment, a sense of dread surged from Estelle's little heart. If she didn't mean to summon the phantom on the summoning circle, then for what purpose had they come here?
Benjamin's voice was flat and without emotion, so Estelle grew scared and worried that perhaps he had removed his mask and revealed his true colors. She didn't want to believe in that possibility as she had fallen in love with him and would rather be mistaken than think of him as an enemy.
However, Estelle was now the only owner of the shrine, and she had a mission to uphold. She had to think straightforwardly about her duties and her family's safety, which was the only reason she hadn't followed her genuine feelings.
More than anything, Estelle was frightened of being betrayed and being alone again.
Benjamin knew that he must have induced a lot of thoughts in Estelle's little head, so he didn't keep her in an unknown and took out a talisman from his pocket.
Estelle's eyes widened, "This is… one of the talismans I wrote-"
Her heart jumped.
What she had written wasn't there. Instead, a different meaning was described on it in an ancient language. It took her some time to read it as she wasn't as fluent as Benjamin, who had naturally benefited from investing in her.
When Estelle read the word, Benjamin poured his mana into the talisman.
The summoning circle shone, but only for a second. The defensive circular formation surged from the periphery of the summoning altar, locking two of them inside.
The phantom hadn't appeared.
It was because of the talisman Benjamin held in his hand.
[Liberation.]
"Since when have you been able to write talismans like her?" said a liberated existence through Estelle's lips. Her eyes were red, and the ferocious aura had somehow sculpted Estelle's lovely baby face into a wild mask, breaking forth more of her maturity.
Benjamin curved his lips up, "You give me too much credit. I can't write them since I don't know the method or have the required skills and capability for it. I can change the meaning slightly, though."
Taking out another talisman, Benjamin showcased the liberated woman how some words had similar writings that could have easily been changed. It was possible because those writings had kanji-like writing, and he had seen his guild members doing the same trick.
"This one means [Death], and if I scratch this stroke and add three here… it becomes [Liberation]," Benjamin explained before shoving the talismans into his pockets.
He held his hands there as well.
"What did you bring me out for?" asked the woman, her eyes glowing with killing intent.
Benjamin tilted his head, "Should I speak from the beginning? Well, here we go. So, as a guild leader, I only look for ambitious people, with other factors being secondary. I don't mind having bastards under me, as I am more of a thug myself. As a man, I'd rather become close with women who are obedient, strong, independent, and with perfectly toned and sculpted thighs."
"…" Estelle's eyes narrowed.
He continued with a smile, "Estelle isn't strong, nor does she have thighs that I'd love to find myself in between. Her independence is quite questionable as she has a disposition to depend on others, but she surely can be independent herself if the situation requires her to be. As for the obedience, I love how she can take advice and listen to me. She has a lot of room to grow to become my type… but there's a problem within her—you."
"You want to kill me? Human! You might be famous as The Executioner, but your deeds happened in different worlds, and your fame and strength aren't even comparable to my origins! If you want me gone, kill Estelle. You'll get rid of me for a decade, at most," replied the existence with a smug smile on her face.
"It's a little different," Benjamin refuted her words. "Just imagining a possibility of you taking over Estelle when I snatch her lips is quite jarring. I also have been keeping her tired just so you couldn't take over her and cause problems for me. Sleeping with a killer in the same house is not something I'm into. But killing you? Ah, please. You're in the body of a protagonist. Don't you understand what it means?"
"What?"
"The possibility of you getting tamed and Estelle using your strength for herself is at its highest," Benjamin sneered, erasing the smug smile of the liberated soul.
He prompted a bark from her and even made her take a step forward with the intent to pounce at him. However, that had only shown her in what state Estelle was. Her muscles were so sore that one step forward hurt her.
It made her question Estelle so as to how this foolish woman could have even thought of coming here in such a state.
She then lifted her eyes and glared at the man—Benjamin.
It was because of him.
It didn't mean that this much pain would be able to stop her. Also, Estelle wouldn't have come here without her talismans—regardless of how much she trusted in Benjamin—so she was geared from head to toe.
Using those talismans for her sake, the liberated soul increased her stamina and strength. An offensive talisman slipped into her hand, and now she only had to plant it on Benjamin's face to teach him a lesson.
She also had a crucial advantage over him.
The liberated soul didn't care much about Estelle.
She could use her body to get close to him while shedding all concerns about her life. Conversely, there was no way Benjamin, who was attracted to Estelle, would hurt her.
"Seems like you need some correction," Benjamin had seen through the bold and straightforward movement.
When Estelle was in his range, he quickly spun and kicked Estelle's face, sending her flying. She flew like a rag doll and bounced off the ground a few times before getting stopped by an invisible wall.
"I'm not a protagonist," Benjamin sneered.