How I Tame My Valkyrie Harem

Chapter 195: Equidna’s Manipulation

"My adventures?"

"That’s right," Equidna said to him in a gentle voice.

"What kind of things do you want to know?" Leo asked Equidna.

"Well, I’m asking you as a recruiter. Personally, I believe I have a good eye for seeing people’s potential, but Silver Fang isn’t the kind of place you can enter just because of a recruiter’s hunch. So I need to know what kind of feats you have to your name. For example, tell me about the most dangerous adventure you’ve ever experienced."

Equidna’s words were cunning and slippery, like an eel. She wasn’t lying, but it felt as though she was omitting her true intentions. Leo didn’t seem to have noticed the subtlety, as he was too busy overthinking things about himself.

The young man looked away from her. He certainly seemed to want to say something to the girl, but for some reason, he was still hesitant.

"Come on, Leo. I can’t recommend you if you don’t have at least some experience. You have to sell yourself if you want to have a chance," Equidna said.

"Actually," despite his hesitation, the young Swordsman began to speak, "there is something. My party and I fought a Boss above our difficulty level in a low-Rank dungeon."

Leo recounted in detail the fierce battle he and his companions had fought against the Sheep. The young man neither diminished his partners’ feats nor exaggerated his own. His sincere words described what had happened as faithfully as possible.

"What an incredible story. Those companions of yours are truly amazing," Equidna said in wonder. "Richard Forster and Sarah Lockhart. I would certainly like to meet them someday. Those two seem like good companions."

"Yeah... they are," Leo said, guilt in his voice.

"But a powerful Boss should have been protecting something truly valuable, shouldn’t it? Did you find anything of value there?" Equidna’s words asked for more, but Leo didn’t seem confident enough to tell her what had happened.

"Is there a problem, Leo?"

"It’s just that you probably won’t believe what I’m about to say."

"Hey, are you doubting me?" Equidna said to him, puffing out her cheeks. Then her expression changed into a gentle smile, and she said in a voice as soft as silk, "Don’t worry. I believe you, Leo."

"That’s something a recruiter should say. Aren’t you being too biased?"

Equidna had an innocent smile on her face. "I can’t help it. A hardworking boy like you... I truly want to see what kind of man you’ll become."

Leo stared at her, his eyes fixed on her, as if Equidna had flipped a switch in his mind. Her gentle words made Leo want to believe in her, want to trust her. Want to tell her.

"It turns out my companions and I found a Lost Temple in that dungeon." He finally told the girl the truth.

Equidna’s jaw dropped at the shocking revelation. "A-A Lost Temple? That’s truly impressive, Leo."

"It really was. I was surprised when I discovered it. After we defeated the Boss, I saw something shining on the wall and managed to find it. But for some reason, my companions couldn’t see it."

A smile bloomed on Equidna’s face when she heard that. "I see. So you received a blessing... No, I think you would have entered Silver Fang already if that were the case."

"You’re right. I decided to give the blessing to my friend, Rick," he said to her. "It just felt natural to me, because it was thanks to him that we were able to leave that place alive, but..."

"But?"

Leo’s eyebrows furrowed nervously. "I can’t forget that feeling that I was being called closer to that statue. That it should have been me receiving the blessing, not him."

"Do you regret it?" Equidna asked in a voice as treacherous as a serpent’s. "Do you regret letting him take the blessing for himself? If you could go back, would you take the blessing for yourself?"

"Without thinking twice," Leo said in a discouraged but sober voice. "I don’t hate Rick, and at the time, I thought I had done the honorable thing, but if it weren’t for me, they wouldn’t even have found it in the first place. Now I see that power was rightfully mine."

"I see," Equidna said, as if she had grown excited by the conversation, even though Leo was visibly reopening a wound in his heart. "Well, I honestly think you have what it takes for a recommendation."

Leo’s eyes widened, the light of hope returning to his pupils. "Are you sure about that? I told you, I didn’t defeat the Boss, and I don’t have the blessing."

"I heard your story perfectly, and I’m certain you’re perfect for Silver Fang, Leo."

"Why?"

"Of course, defeating a Boss and receiving a blessing are impressive things, but the ability to see what no one else can and find what is hidden is equally rare. What I mean is that you’re special, Leo."

Leo’s eyes were fixed on Equidna, paralyzed by her praise and charisma. No words came out of his mouth, so the girl continued.

"I’m going to write a letter to a friend of mine in Silver Fang. Take it to Backwater City as quickly as possible, okay?"

"Couldn’t it be in this city? Better yet, couldn’t you come with me?" he asked.

"Frankly, you’re not going to get in through the conventional way. Only by speaking to the right person can you enter. Consider yourself lucky to have this opportunity. As for going with you, unfortunately, I can’t do that. I still have some matters to resolve in this city."

"I-I see."

Equidna answered Leo with another smile. A beautiful smile that covered her true intentions like a mask.

...

We listened to the whole story Vulcan told us, from the bar conversation to the last moment the mercenary’s subordinate saw Leo together with Equidna. Now we knew where Leo had gone and where we should look for him. After hearing everything we wanted, there was only one thing I was capable of saying.

"How..." I said, still dumbfounded. "How can someone be so stupid?"

I spoke angrily, barely believing what had happened. Leo hadn’t come into contact with Silver Fang, but with Equidna, one of the Night Apostles’ members in person. The same woman he and Diane had fought earlier.

"Rick, please calm down," Diane said to me.

I looked at my Valkyrie, who had followed me up to that point. Having her by my side, staring at me with her amethyst eyes, made me relax a little, even after the absurdity I had heard.

I took a deep breath. There was no point in getting angry. That would only cloud my thoughts and make things worse.

"Are you sure you gave us her physical description correctly, Vulcan?"

"Absolutely sure. Fair skin, two-colored hair, blue and pink, young and slender. That was also the woman who was here before you two arrived."

But the description of her behavior was completely different from what she had shown us in the forest. It really did seem to be her. "Maybe she should win an Oscar for playing the good girl so well."

"Oscar?" Diane asked me, not understanding the reference from my world.

"Forget it," I simply said to her. I was still reflecting on the situation. "Anyway, following the advice of a stranger to enter Silver Fang in such a suspicious way. What would that idiot do if they were planning to kill him and sell his organs?"

"T-That doesn’t seem like the kind of thing they would do to him," Diane said to me. "But I think I understand why he did it."

"And why was that?" I asked her, still nervous.

"He was alone and desperate, probably afraid to go back home. I think that in that situation, he was vulnerable to anyone who tried to use him, as long as they said exactly what he wanted to hear. She also had the Silver Fang medallion, which helped give her credibility."

Even so, it was frightening for someone to trust a person they had just met like that. Leo was naive, but from the description given, it seemed Equidna had experience manipulating people. For her, someone like the undeveloped Leo was easy prey.

Diane was right. Leo certainly wasn’t in a good state to make that kind of decision, but that didn’t change what had happened. That imbecile not only put us at risk by telling our enemy things he shouldn’t have, but he was also throwing himself into a pack of gray wolves and worshippers of the goddess of death.

But maybe what irritated me was the way he spoke about me. He had let me take the blessing willingly. He was the one in the wrong here, acting like an imbecile just because things didn’t go the way he wanted.

"Diane, let’s go after Leo. I can’t let the Night Apostles do as they please."

Diane nodded to me.

"I swear," I said, letting out the rest of my anger, "when I find that imbecile, I’m going to knock some sense into his head."