HSHK 02

Episode 2

Irene looked back on her past life.

If she had to define it in one word, it had been an unhappy life.

When she was young, her parents lost their lives after getting caught up in a dungeon. After that, Irene was immediately sent to an orphanage.

A priest who came to volunteer there noticed that Irene possessed the power of purification.

It was an era when Purifiers were also highly valued with the appearance of dungeons.

Irene was adopted by the Count of Rodiam’s family, which had donated the most money to the orphanage.

“Whatever the case, having a Purifier around means there’s money to be made. Hurry up and grow up so you can prove your worth.”

The Count’s eyes were filled with greed as he looked at Irene while saying that.

Anyone who wanted to enter a dungeon absolutely needed a Purifier who could heal wounds and cleanse miasma.

Only Purifiers could heal wounds inflicted by monsters and cleanse the miasma they emitted.

That was why the Count thought that once Irene came of age and was able to form a pair with a knight, he would be able to make a great deal of money.

However, after reaching adulthood, Irene’s purification rank, as assessed by the temple, was the lowest possible rank.

The Count, who had been eagerly anticipating Irene bringing in money, was furious when she received the lowest rank.

There were no knights willing to pair with a Purifier who had received the lowest rank.

Rather, with such a useless, lowest-ranked Purifier, it was practically necessary to pay someone just to take her away.

“Useless thing! At least it’s fortunate that you have a decent-looking face! Thanks to that, there’s someone willing to buy you.”

Realizing that he would suffer a loss, the Count tried to send Irene to an old man who had already gone through six wives.

If she could have had her way, Irene would have run away immediately, but as long as she carried the Rodiam name, she was practically the Count’s property.

“Please, give me six months! I’ll find a partner who will enter a dungeon with me and repay the price you paid for me!”

“Who would pair with a lowest-ranked Purifier like you? Even if there were some foolish knight willing to do so, do you think you’d be able to earn back what I spent bringing you here? And what about the cost of feeding and housing you all this time?”

“You won’t know unless I try. Please, just give me one chance!”

After begging and pleading, Irene managed to obtain six months from the Count.

There was only one thing she could do during those six months.

Find a knight who would form a pair with her at the Night of Contracts. After that, she would enter dungeons with him and split the rewards.

There was no other way for her to earn the enormous sum of 100,000 gold within six months.

Irene immediately headed for the fortress where the Night of Contracts was held.

The fortress was a massive citadel built by the Kingdom Alliance in an area where dungeons appeared.

Once a month, adult Purifiers came there to find knights who would become their partners and form pair contracts. It was known as the so-called “Night of Contracts.”

“Maybe I can somehow find a partner here.”

With that thought, Irene held onto hope. Unfortunately, things went exactly as the Count had expected.

“The lowest-ranked Purifier…? That means I won’t receive any help, yet I’ll have to split the rewards. I’d rather just enter the dungeon alone.”

No matter how much knights needed Purifiers, Irene’s power was simply too weak, so they refused to pair with her.

The few knights who were willing to make a contract spoke as though they were doing her a great favor.

“Well, if we only run safe, low-level dungeons, and I take 99 while you take 1, I can make a contract with you. And…”

The knight looked Irene up and down, licking his lips.

“I’d like you to spend every night with me. That way, I think the purification will work properly. Ah, and not just right before entering a dungeon. Whenever I want, too.”

Irene bit her lip at the knight’s demand.

Anyone involved in a pair knew that close physical contact was more effective than simple contact when it came to purifying miasma.

This knight was demanding what was, in his mind, a perfectly legitimate right. But from the look in his eyes, it was obvious that he intended to use the arrangement to satisfy his own desires as well.

And he wanted to divide the dungeon rewards 99 to 1.

No matter how weak Irene’s abilities were, this was practically exploitation.

“Besides… he could just make the contract and not properly participate in clearing the dungeon.”

That knight could simply take whatever pleasure he wanted and leave.

But Irene couldn’t afford such hesitation. If she refused even this contract, she would immediately be sold to that old man.

Just as Irene stood there, unable to move forward or backward, someone appeared.

Michael, the Holy Knight who was respected by everyone across the continent.

He was the only truly righteous knight on the continent who entered dungeons not to satisfy his own desires, but solely to save those suffering at the hands of monsters.

He had not come to the Night of Contracts of his own accord.

The Kingdom Alliance had deliberately summoned him in order to keep him in check as he gained great honor and became a hero throughout the continent.

They claimed that since he also had to abide by the continental laws established by the Alliance in order to enter dungeons, he needed to find a Purifier at the Night of Contracts with whom he could engage in physical contact.

He had only intended to show his face for appearances’ sake and leave immediately.

If Irene hadn’t stopped him.

The moment Irene saw Michael, she instinctively knew.

He was the only person who would make a fair contract with her.

So she approached him and pleaded.

“Please, make a contract with me.”

Irene clung to him and begged solely because she wanted to survive.

People watched the two of them with interest.

Michael was a Holy Knight belonging to the temple.

If he accepted Irene’s request, he would be abandoning the purity expected of a Holy Knight, who was practically equivalent to a priest, and would become a depraved and promiscuous man who slept with a Purifier.

But if he refused her request, he would become a heartless man who turned away someone begging for the chance to survive with her honor intact.

Whichever choice he made, he would suffer dishonor.

Of course, Irene knew that too, but she had no choice but to cling to him.

“Even if I form a ‘pair’ with you, I won’t be receiving any help from you.”

In the end, he chose to save Irene.

“But in order to purify the miasma in the dungeon…”

However, he immediately added in a cold voice,

“My holy power will allow me to withstand the miasma somehow. So you don’t need to worry about it.”

After saying that, he immediately turned away, as though he had no need for Irene’s help whatsoever.

And afterward, he truly never asked Irene to purify him.

Those who had initially mocked Michael began praising him again, while Irene received just as much contemptuous ridicule.

A woman who tarnished a Holy Knight’s honor just to save herself.

Even when she heard such things, Irene couldn’t say anything.

Because it was all true.

Michael occasionally came to see her and gave her a share of the dungeon rewards.

He probably hadn’t given it to her specifically because he knew about the price she had to repay, but the money steadily accumulated, and before long, it was approaching 100,000 gold.

“At this rate, I’ll soon be able to escape the Count.”

Once that happened, she would repay him this money no matter what kind of work she had to do.

Not long after she made that resolution, a highest-level dungeon appeared in a dangerous area.

Many knights and Purifiers lost their lives to the attack of a gigantic monster before they even had a chance to do anything.

But Michael alone survived, defeated the monster, and caused the dungeon to disappear.

The problem was that, along with suffering critical injuries, he had become so deeply poisoned by miasma that he could no longer recover on his own.

That night, Irene slept with him in order to save his life.

Even though he was unconscious, perhaps because of his instinct to survive, he threw himself at her desperately.

“Ah, please, please, slowly…! Ahh!”

Fortunately or unfortunately, as the purification continued, Irene had to writhe not in pain, but in pleasure.

For several days and nights, Michael remained unconscious as he indulged in Irene’s body.

Then, Irene clearly saw the expression on his face when his reason finally returned.

“Why are you… Don’t tell me I…”

Realizing that he had broken a taboo, he hurriedly put on his clothes as though fleeing and immediately left.

Irene was left alone in the place where the two of them had spent several days together.

After that, Michael never came to see Irene again.

And before long, news came that he had been excommunicated from the temple.

“I… completely ruined him.”

Irene was deeply shocked.

No matter that she had done it to save his life, such an excuse surely wouldn’t matter to him.

Meanwhile, the dungeon entered its final stage.

It was time for the Purifiers and knights to sever their respective “pairs” and return to their hometowns.

In the fortress, now deserted as everyone had returned home, Irene wandered around looking for Michael while carrying the money he had given her.

He would now have to leave the temple and live as an ordinary knight.

He was an exceptionally powerful knight, so he would have no trouble surviving, but…

“I want to apologize somehow, even if it’s only a little.”

She wanted to return everything he had given her.

Once she returned, the Count would immediately sell her, but that was no longer important.

A man who had lived his entire life as a servant of God had been cast out of the place to which he had devoted his entire life because of her actions, no matter that she had only been trying to save him.

Irene had absolutely no idea how she could possibly apologize for that.

She wandered aimlessly around the fortress, searching for Michael, but she couldn’t find him.

Then, Irene encountered Princess Cecilia, who had always ignored and despised her.

Normally, Irene wouldn’t have dared to even speak to her, but because she wanted to apologize to Michael, she asked if the princess knew where he was.

The princess gave a small, incredulous laugh, thought for a moment, and then spoke.

“Do you see that dungeon over there? Sir Michael went inside to clear it out. If you want to apologize, this is your last chance. Hurry and go in. All the monsters should have been taken care of by now.”

After hearing that, Irene entered the dungeon alone.

She wanted to meet Michael, who she believed was inside, and apologize to him.

But there were still monsters left in the dungeon…

“That’s where I died.”

Yes.

She definitely had.

Then why…

Smack!

“Useless thing! I’d be better off selling you to a merchant!”

Along with the sharp pain in her cheek, Irene saw the Count raging in front of her.

Why?

Why was the scene from her past unfolding before her eyes once again?