BSPC 01

Chapter 1

“Ah, that feels good. It’s been a while since I really got to stretch my body.”

On her way out of the capital’s public training grounds, Tamia, who had worked up a satisfying sweat as usual, hummed cheerfully as she urged her horse forward.

Her destination was a small townhouse on the outskirts of the capital. It was the new home she had moved into a few weeks ago.

“As expected, people need to get some exercise!”

In an especially good mood, Tamia was about to draw her sword and gallop through the streets while shouting at the top of her lungs, just as she always did back home.

But then—

“Oh, right. Father told me not to cause any trouble.”

She shook her head and obediently took hold of the reins again.

Not long ago, she had merely swung her sword around a little on the street, only for the guards to come after her. She had nearly ended up spending the night in prison instead of at home.

Apparently, she had caused the residents to feel threatened.

This was exactly what was wrong with the capital. You couldn’t do anything you wanted!

Fortunately, her father, Count Arderin, had rushed over in a panic as soon as he heard what had happened, saving her from spending the night behind bars.

“I’m going home without causing any trouble!”

Tamia urged her horse to go a little faster.

She was already imagining a delicious dinner, soaking herself in hot water, and then jumping straight into bed.

However, it seemed that her father was the one who had gotten himself into trouble.

“Hm? Why is it so noisy?”

Tamia blinked as she dismounted from her horse and was about to enter the count’s residence.

Her father was standing in front of several unfamiliar men, looking completely flustered.

“Y-you want me to prepare 1,000 der by next week?”

“You do realize that’s an absurdly small amount compared to the principal, right? If you fail to repay it, the Arderin estate in your homeland will be seized.”

“W-wait! How am I supposed to prepare that much money by next week?!”

“That’s not our concern. We’ll come back in a week.”

“Wait! At least hear me out—!”

Count Arderin desperately tried to grab them, but they shook him off and walked away as though their business was already finished.

“Father? Who were those people? Do we owe them money?”

As Tamia stared wide-eyed and dismounted, the count greeted her with a dazed expression.

“…Yes. My daughter is home.”

“How much do we owe? Is it a lot? Damn it, if I’d known we were poor, I wouldn’t have ordered that new sword from Rippel’s forge last week!”

The sword fit her hand perfectly. She had taken one look at it and thought, This one’s mine, before buying it on the spot.

Had it really been that expensive?

“The sword is not a problem. The problem is…”

“The problem is?”

“I borrowed some money to purchase this townhouse…”

“And?”

“It turns out the place I borrowed it from wasn’t a legitimate bank, but an illegal loan shark! I’m sorry, Tamia!”

He sank helplessly to the ground.

“If I can’t come up with 1,000 der by next week, they’ll seize our estate back home! What are we going to do?”

Listening to her father’s desperate wailing, Tamia thought.

She thought some more.

…

I have absolutely no idea!

Of course she didn’t. Using her brain wasn’t exactly Tamia’s strong suit!

“Wait here, Father.”

After seeing her father reduced to sobbing uncontrollably, Tamia muttered,

“I’ll go earn the money.”

In times like this, she had to use her body instead of her brain.

“You… earn money?”

The count, who had been pounding the ground in despair, froze in the exact same position.

Ever since they had arrived in the capital, he had already paid for the damage caused when his daughter broke someone’s fence.

Then he had paid compensation again because his daughter had beaten someone up.

And just recently, she had even been arrested by the guards after causing a commotion, forcing him to pay another large sum.

He had certainly spent plenty of money because of his daughter, but he simply couldn’t imagine that this walking disaster would actually bring money home from somewhere.

“T-Tamia. Don’t push yourself for no reason…”

“I’ll be back. You trust me, right, Father?”

Tamia climbed back onto her horse and quickly disappeared from Count Arderin’s sight.

The count stared blankly at the cloud of dust kicked up by the horse and muttered,

“My daughter grew up in the countryside, so her head is just too innocent…”

What if she got completely swindled somewhere?

His voice faded helplessly into the air.

Although Tamia had boldly left home, she had never earned money before and had no idea where to go.

To make matters worse, she was in an unfamiliar capital.

“Hmm… Should I apply to work as a maid for some noble family?”

But she had never heard of a maid being paid 1,000 der.

“Or… a mercenary guild?”

Mercenary work certainly paid well. But Tamia was a complete beginner who hadn’t even made a name for herself in the mercenary world.

While she struggled to build up her reputation—and therefore her worth—the house would probably be seized a hundred times over.

“Tch. I guess I have no choice.”

Without hesitation, Tamia erased the mercenary guild from her list of options and started looking for another target.

“Hmm. Then where should I go… Huh?”

Suddenly, an advertisement in the classifieds section of a magazine lying on the ground caught her eye.

“The 15th ‘Monster Hunting Tournament for the Preservation of Marital Love’ is now accepting participants. Prize money: …2,000 der?!”

This was it!

Tamia quickly dismounted and picked up the monthly magazine Babble-Babble.

[…The tournament is hosted by the Empire to strengthen the marital bonds that are gradually fading. Married couples must hunt as many monsters as possible within the allotted time. However, in keeping with the theme of ‘strengthening marital love,’ a couple will be immediately disqualified if the wife suffers even the slightest injury…]

The magazine continued with a detailed explanation of the tournament, but Tamia’s brain automatically filtered out everything she didn’t need.

The first thing she noticed was “2,000 der.”

The second was the tournament date printed at the bottom.

Words like marital love and wife registered in her mind as nothing more than decorative patterns on the page.

“The prize is 2,000 der! I can pay off the urgent debt and still have money left over!”

But when was the tournament?

“Oh! It’s in exactly three days! Perfect! I’d better go sign up right away!”

Tamia tore the advertisement out of the magazine, clenched it in her hand, and hurriedly mounted her horse.

She didn’t have a husband.

She didn’t even have a boyfriend.

And yet, she set off alone toward the tournament registration office.

“W-wait! I’m here to register for the tournament!”

The sun was beginning to set.

A government employee who had just finished organizing his desk and was about to leave work frowned when he spotted a woman running toward him out of breath.

“The prize is really 2,000 der, right? It’s a monster-hunting tournament, right?! I want to participate!!”

The woman hopped off her horse and charged forward so aggressively that she nearly knocked over the registration desk.

“Your name?”

The employee, annoyed at having his departure delayed, asked her name with a bored expression.

“Tamia Arderin.”

“And your husband’s name?”

“My husband?”

The woman—Tamia—looked at the employee in confusion.

“Why do I need a husband?”

Suppressing his growing irritation, the employee calmly explained.

“The tournament you’re trying to enter is the ‘Monster Hunting Tournament for the Preservation of Marital Love.’ Married couples are required to participate together.”

“What?! Where does it say that?! I’m single!”

“If you don’t have a husband, you cannot participate in this tournament.”

The 2,000 der suddenly seemed to sprout wings and fly away into the sky.

No! My prize money! My 2,000 der!

Tamia stretched one hand toward the heavens in despair.

Then, as though she had suddenly made up her mind, she clenched her fist and declared to the employee,

“I’ll go find a husband right away. Don’t start the tournament without me, okay?! Got it?”

While the employee was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even respond—

Tamia immediately mounted her horse and took off again at the speed of the wind.

“…Wait. Who should I marry?”

She had rushed off without thinking because she knew she was short on time, but then a sudden question occurred to her, and she slowed down.

“Since it’s a monster-hunting tournament, I should probably marry someone who knows how to use a sword, right?”

If she wanted to find someone in the capital who knew how to use a sword…

“Hmm. There’s really only one place I can think of.”

The first place Tamia headed was the guild said to be filled with the strongest mercenaries in the Empire.

However…

“Hello! I’m here looking for an incredibly strong mercenary!”

“Welcome, miss. Mercenary services start at 50 der. What rank are you looking for?”

“W-wait, I have to pay?! I don’t have any money!”

Since Tamia had no money, she was promptly kicked out of the guild.

The next place that caught her eye was the tavern next door.

As luck would have it, the tavern was packed with people.

Those people gathered in there must all be incredibly strong mercenaries!

Tamia kicked open the tavern door and called out in a booming voice,

“Who here wants to marry me?”