IOC - 21

So, in the end, isn't this basically a "friends with benefits" proposal?

Isn't he asking to keep me by his side and have his way with me whenever he's bored?

Doesn't that just make me a concubine?

Why has Geoffrey been so obsessed with my body since the beginning? Is it some secret fetish of his that was never revealed in the original novel? Does he have a thing for curly-haired youngsters who hide half their faces?

My brain went into total overload, and I could do nothing but stare as Geoffrey's face drew closer. Just as his violet eyes flashed, reflecting my entire being...

"Wait! H-hold on!"

A sound that was somewhere between a scream and a groan tore through my throat.

It happened at that exact moment.

SLAM!

The inn door burst open, and something flew in like a bolt of lightning, lunging at Geoffrey.

"Ugh!"

Thud!

With a violent crash, the table tilted, and the teacups shattered into pieces. My eyes widened as I stared at the creature before me.

Familiar dark red fur, and short horns protruding from its forehead.

It was that monster.

The one I had picked up while it was dying, spoon-fed broth, and barely nursed back to health. Entirely different from its previous fragile state, it was now baring razor-sharp fangs and fiercely tearing into Geoffrey’s shoulder.

"Grrr!"

Geoffrey’s gaze froze instantly. That serene violet light turned as cold as a blade. Then, without any incantation, a jagged pillar of ice erupted from his palm.

No-cast magic, something I had only read about in the novel. It was likely a technique possible only because his primary attribute was ice.

The air grew frigid, making the hair on my body stand on end. At that moment, a massive hunk of ice took shape and surged toward the monster.

The monster leapt away, keeping its distance to stay on the defensive.

Crash! Shatter!

Tables were reduced to splinters, furniture collapsed. The inn was transformed into a disaster zone in seconds.

Good heavens, my furniture! My belongings! I clutched my head, a silent shriek dying in my throat. Wait, that’s not the point right now!

"Wait! Stop! I know this monster!"

At my desperate cry, Geoffrey’s violet eyes pierced right through me. The murderous aura was so sharp it felt like it was pricking my skin, and my throat went bone-dry.

I already knew he was a dangerous man. But what I felt now went beyond mere intuition.

Facing a pressure that even stifled my breathing, I stood frozen, eyes wide, staring at him.

Did he read my panic? Geoffrey slowly raised his hand and wiped it down his face.

As his large hand moved, the lethal intensity from a moment ago faded. However, my body remained stiff as a board.

Was that what they called "bloodlust" in the novels?

I shifted my eyes toward his hand. A massive block of ice was still summoned in his grasp, its blue light as sharp as a sword.

"You say you know this monster?"

Geoffrey’s voice had dropped to a low growl. I hesitated before giving a cautious nod.

"It was collapsed in front of the inn, injured. I... I just treated it, that's all."

"Which means you have consorted with a monster."

"……."

I knew. I knew that was a grave crime.

My lips trembled, and though my tongue moved, no words came out.

Geoffrey let out a short sigh and immediately reshaped the ice in his hand into a long spear. The cold light flashed with a lethal energy.

"We shall call it an act of ignorance for now and settle the guilt later."

As soon as he finished speaking, he gripped the spear and aimed it straight at the monster. Just as he was about to thrust it down through the air, Geoffrey wrinkled his nose and muttered.

"I wondered why there was a trace of demonic energy around here. I suppose it was trying to play watchdog."

"……!"

Watchdog?

And then it clicked, the faint bloodstains scattered in front of the inn for the past few days. And the soup bowl that was licked clean every morning.

I had suspected as much.

I’d heard stories about how saving a dying beast leads to them repaying the favor. Of course, since it was a monster and not a regular animal, I hadn't taken it seriously.

But wasn't Geoffrey’s comment proof of exactly that?

That this monster was actually protecting this inn.

My heart thundered. I stood up abruptly and blocked Geoffrey’s path.

"Don't do it."

"……."

For a moment, Geoffrey’s violet eyes bored deep into mine.

His breath was calm, but his gaze held an undeniable trace of boredom and mockery. He looked at me like a pampered child clinging to something worthless. Unlike his usual facade of kindness, his gaze was now strikingly cynical.

"Are you feeling pity for it?"

He muttered lowly, his lips twitching into a microscopic smirk.

"Monsters are wicked by nature. Do you truly believe it stayed by your side to protect you? Monsters are not such simple creatures. They break down your guard, make the prey tame themselves, and then feast at the moment of greatest vulnerability. That is their instinct. This 'bond' you believe in is a fantasy only found in storybooks."

His violet eyes shone steadily, but they were filled with a subtle sneer. He looked at me as if I were a naive fool drunk on a hero complex and empty delusions.

...Sure, it’s a common trope. The story in an apocalypse novel where the owner hugs their zombified dog until the very end. The scene where everyone watching calls them an idiot.

Is that exactly what I look like right now?

My breath came in gasps, and my face was flushed red. But I didn't back down, stammering out my words.

"It's not that... This is the border."

Geoffrey’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Though I was suffocating and shaking, I pushed through to the end.

"Monsters and humans. This border is what separates those two worlds. And this is an inn built on that border. So... it’s not strange for a monster to be here."

I knew the truth, of course.

If a monster comes down to human settlements, it has crossed the line and it wouldn't be strange for it to be killed. Conversely, if a human enters the forest of monsters, they must be prepared for death.

But this place was literally on the border.

A place where the two could coexist.

After staring at me for a long time, Geoffrey slowly lowered his gaze.

Having reached a conclusion, the massive ice spear in his hand slowly dissolved. The chilling aura that had frozen the surroundings vanished into the air.

"...Even if you were to accept a monster as a guest."

"You couldn't say anything to me. Because this is the border."

At that, Geoffrey chuckled.

"Very well. In terms of logic, you aren't wrong."

...Did it work?

As I watched him cautiously, Geoffrey slowly leaned down. He roughly grabbed the monster by the scruff of its neck and lifted it into the air.

"Grrr!"

"……!"

I flinched and looked at him, only to find Geoffrey smiling distantly. Unlike the smile on his lips, his violet eyes were as cold as death.

"However, logic does not always guarantee survival."

"……."

"This monster clearly caused me harm. Did it not?"

He was right.

It had clearly bitten Geoffrey’s shoulder. As I nodded, Geoffrey’s gaze grew strangely deep. He scanned my rigid frame and whispered lowly.

"However, if I were to kill this monster here and now, I doubt I would gain your favor."

Favor? Why does this man need my favor? Not knowing the reason, I hesitated, and Geoffrey immediately made a proposal.

"Let us do this. Whatever the reason, I want your goodwill. But I cannot simply release a monster that has attacked me. So, I will give you a choice. I shall seal this monster's abilities and disguise its appearance to look like a normal animal."

Seal its abilities? Disguise its appearance?

Since these were unfamiliar terms I was hearing for the first time, I couldn't quite organize them in my head.

The words he spoke were a dangerous and bizarre proposal. At the same time, they sounded like a favor, so I hesitated, my lips trembling.

"Why... go that far?"

Geoffrey took a short breath and gave a light laugh.

"I told you. I need your favor."

I mean, but why?

I could refuse. But if I did, the monster would die right before my eyes. That fact pricked my conscience strangely.

I couldn't tell if it was my conscience aching or if it was because the emotion in the eyes looking at me was so unfamiliar. One thing was certain. it was too late to turn away.

Damn it. They say you shouldn't just pick up black-furred beasts.

"Sealing a monster's abilities... how do you do that?"

"It’s simple."

Perhaps sensing my question was a form of consent, Geoffrey’s eyes curved quite pleasantly.

"I will put a collar-type sealing charm on it to suppress its power, and simultaneously make it recognize you as its master. From that moment on, as long as it remains on this border, its magical power will be completely sealed."

"Then, what if it takes the collar off?"

"It cannot remove it on its own. Once it recognizes a master, the seal will not break without the master’s will. Of course, it might be different for an entity with extremely high intelligence. But such a being would never have dared to show itself on this border in the first place. This area is crawling with adventurers."

Geoffrey trailed off and unceremoniously dumped the monster into my arms.