Chapter 05

“Ahem, ahem! It seems the Count lives completely under his daughter’s thumb. When a father orders his daughter to marry, she ought to obey.”

Duke Dupont clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“I’m not the one getting married, am I? My daughter happens to be out at the moment, so I’ll ask her as soon as she returns.”

“You’d better not take too long to answer. Didn’t you say you have to repay one thousand der within a week?”

“…Yes. I’ll contact you before then.”

“Tsk. Very well. I’ll be waiting.”

Duke Dupont abruptly rose from his seat, making it clear just how displeased he was.

[Ahem! Greetings, ladies and gentlemen!]

The host cleared his throat before placing a magical amplification device against his neck.

[Welcome, everyone, to the 15th Married Couples’ Monster Hunting Competition! In these times, when the divorce rate continues to rise, we hope that today’s competition will deepen the affection between all the couples participating!]

“Looks like it’s finally starting, husband!”

Standing at the very front of the participants, Tamia hopped excitedly in place.

The host continued his introduction.

[This is a competition in which the team that hunts the greatest number of monsters within the time limit will be declared the winner. For everyone’s safety, the monsters are not real. They are illusions created by magical devices.]

“I wouldn’t mind fighting real monsters.”

Tamia muttered under her breath.

[However, in keeping with the theme of ‘Protecting Marital Love,’ if the wife suffers even the slightest injury, the team will be immediately disqualified. Husbands, please keep this in mind and protect your wives while hunting. Now, let us begin!]

Bwoo—!

The moment the trumpet sounded, Tamia shot forward at terrifying speed.

She was still tightly gripping Leon’s wrist.

“Run faster! Time is money in a competition like this! We have to get to the monsters before everyone else!”

“Wait. This hunting ground is enormous, so it’s impossible for us to kill every monster…”

“Are you saying you aren’t going to do your best? You don’t want the prize money?”

Tamia abruptly came to a stop and glared at Leon with wide eyes.

That was when it happened.

The forest rustled, and monsters shaped like tigers emerged from every direction.

One, two, three…

There were ten in total.

“You take that side, husband. I’ll handle the ones coming from this direction.”

Tamia released Leon’s wrist and drew her sword with determination.

“Just so you know, if you get injured, we’ll be immediately disqualified. Understand?”

“You think I’m going to get injured fighting these oversized kittens? That’s insulting.”

Without even looking back, Tamia lightly slashed through the monster that lunged at her first.

Boom!

The monster exploded.

[Oh! Just as I was saying that! Team 25 has taken down the first monster!]

“What? This is being broadcast live?”

Tamia grumbled while looking up into the air.

A flying magical device was hovering there, watching over the entire arena without missing a single spot.

“Don’t get distracted!”

Leon shouted as he stabbed the monster attacking him with his sword.

But even while continuing to stare into the air, Tamia cut down the necks of two more monsters charging at her.

[Team 25! That’s already four monsters! What incredible speed!]

“Ugh, you’re so noisy. You’re getting in the way of my hunting!”

After seeing three of their companions explode in an instant, the remaining monsters slowly backed away.

“Huh? You’re running away? You can’t do that!”

Tamia quickly drew her bow and arrows, nocked two arrows simultaneously, and fired them at the fleeing monsters.

—Yelp!

Boom! Boom!

Even as Leon cut down two more monsters, he glanced at Tamia in disbelief.

Was there ever a knight in the Griffin Corps with skills like that?

There wasn’t.

Even within the Griffin Corps, which was unrivaled when it came to fighting monsters, there was no knight capable of hunting monsters at such a speed.

By then, Tamia had already killed all five monsters assigned to her, so she turned her arrows toward the monsters on Leon’s side.

Boom! Boom!

[Th-The ten monsters have been slaughtered in an instant by Team 25! Ah! What on earth is this team?!]

“What do you mean, what are we? We’re the team that’s going to win! Come on, let’s go!”

Team 25, having annihilated all ten monsters in an instant, joined hands again and ran deeper into the forest.

How much time had passed?

The host, who had been enthusiastically commentating on their hunt, suddenly began speaking with a trembling voice.

[Team 25 has once again… Huh? A-Attention, everyone! Apparently, there’s a minor problem with the monster generation control device.]

“Huh?”

[All the monsters are illusions and cannot actually harm anyone. So please remain calm…!]

“What does that mean, husband? Monster generation control device?”

Tamia asked while simultaneously firing arrows at three monsters attempting to attack Leon from behind.

“It means exactly what he said. Apparently, there’s a problem with the machine generating the monsters.”

“Then what happens?”

“In that case…”

Leon couldn’t finish answering Tamia’s question.

The monsters, which had previously appeared ten or five at a time, suddenly began pouring out explosively from every direction.

“…Tamia, look straight ahead!”

“Huh? What’s this?”

Unlike Leon, whose expression had hardened, Tamia spun around and looked at her surroundings before her face lit up.

“Why are there so many monsters? Yes! This is more like it! Ten at a time was way too boring! Come on, all of you! Attack me!”

With a sword in one hand and a bow in the other, Tamia began hunting the monsters at a speed ten times faster than before.

She fired arrows at monsters attacking from a distance and stabbed those that attempted to ambush her up close.

Whenever their numbers became too great, she appropriately threw throwing knives into the swarm.

The sight of Tamia hunting was nothing short of that of the embodiment of a hunt itself.

Even more astonishing was her skill. Not only was she completely unharmed, but she didn’t even allow a single monster to approach within one meter of her.

[Attention, all participants currently taking part in the competition!]

The host’s panicked voice rang out again.

[Although there is still some time remaining, the competition will be terminated immediately as of this moment. I repeat, the competition will be terminated immediately… Gueek!]

From beyond the amplification device came the sound of the host being crushed by something and tumbling backward.

“Did you hear that? So does that mean I’m in first place? Yay!”

Tamia threw down her bow and hopped around while pumping her fist into the air.

“I’d better hurry and collect the prize money! Husband, come on!”

Delighted, Tamia changed direction and began carving a path toward the hunting competition headquarters.

“Tamia, you can slow down a little…”

Leon began to stop her, but soon shook his head.

Tamia was already so far ahead that he doubted anyone could stop her now.

The monster generation control device, which had been running completely out of control, gradually consumed all its magical power. By the time Tamia and Leon reached the headquarters, it had finally stopped operating.

The only monsters remaining were those that had already been generated, which were now rampaging through the spectator stands and frightening the audience.

“There aren’t many left.”

Tamia grinned, drew her sword again, and performed one final dance of blades.

Before her dazzling swordsmanship, the monsters fell like leaves in an autumn wind.

After the last monster met its end at the tip of Tamia’s sword, she proudly looked toward the audience.

“Everyone, you can relax now! I’ve taken care of all the monsters!”

“Wow! Wooooo!”

“Big sis, I love you! Aaaah!”

The audience was in a complete frenzy.

Tamia happily went around high-fiving the spectators one by one.

[Incredible! Let’s give a huge round of applause to Team 25, who displayed such an amazing performance all the way to the very end!]

The host, who had been knocked backward by the sudden monster attack, had finally recovered and returned to his post with the amplification device.

[The winner of this competition is, without a doubt… Team 25, who displayed overwhelming skill!!]

“Husband, they said we won first place!”

Unable to contain her joy, Tamia ran toward Leon and wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing him so tightly that it felt like she might crush it.

“Ghk! Tamia, could you let go of me…”

“It’s the prize money! The prize money! Hehehe, Father is going to be so happy!”

By the time Leon was wondering whether his dizzying lack of breath was due to Tamia’s incredible strength or his shock at the unexpected physical contact, the host spoke up.

[The two of you certainly seem to be very close. However, we’d appreciate it if you could separate for a moment so we can proceed with the award ceremony.]

“Hahahaha!”

The audience burst into laughter at the host’s teasing remark, and Tamia awkwardly released her arms.

“Sorry, husband.”

[It seems this year’s 15th Married Couples’ Monster Hunting Competition has been especially memorable! Isn’t it wonderful that Team 25 has demonstrated not only overwhelming skill, but also such a strong bond of affection?]

“That’s right!”

The audience cheered in unison.

[Excellent! Now, everyone! Before we officially begin the award ceremony, we have one more special announcement to make.]

The host looked around at the audience, paused for effect, and then continued.

[As the popularity of our competition has grown, we’ve apparently seen an increasing number of fake couples who simply collect the prize money and immediately get divorced. Everyone! Is that acceptable?!]

“No!”

“Those shameless scoundrels should all be arrested and thrown in prison!”

[Haha, exactly! Therefore, starting with this competition, the married life of the first-place couple will be serialized for an entire year in the Empire’s leading monthly magazine, Blah Blah. And if it turns out that the couple is fake, the prize money will immediately be reclaimed! How about that? Their marital love will become even stronger, won’t it?!]

“W-What…?!”

Leon’s face instantly hardened.

“That sounds great! It fits the theme of the competition perfectly!”

[All right! Now, we will truly begin the award ceremony. Team 25, please come forward and reveal your identities!]

“Wh-What do we do?”